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age for a public school, and then was sent to Harrow, where, ap- 

 plying himself with unusual diligence, he made rapid progress in 

 his studies, and in his seventeenth year entered Christchurch, 

 Oxford. 



The new examination statutes had been recently passed, subjecting 

 all persons who proposed to take a degree to a public examination, 

 witifi a graduated scale of honours proportioned to their proficiency, 

 either in a mixed course of Classics and Aristotelian Philosophy, or 

 a course of Mathematics and Physics, the first class being the 

 highest honour. Sir Robert Peel at once undertook to read for the 

 highest honours in both courses, and was the first person who suc- 

 ceeded. In 1808 he graduated, and after that he does not appear 

 to have pursued his scientific studies further, but entering the House 

 of Commons as representative of the Borough of Cashel, he devoted 

 himself exclusively to politics. He was soon appointed Under Se- 

 cretary for the Home Department, and filling in succession the va- 

 rious offices, the highest prizes of a successful political career, he 

 eventually became Prime Minister. 



With science politicians in this country have not usually much to 

 do: Sir Robert Peel, however, was a Member of the Committee in 

 which the scientific pensions originated, and on several occasions as 

 a Minister of the Crown he awarded scientific pensions. Fully 

 alive to the importance of science as the basis of the engineering 

 and manufacturing pre-eminence of this country, he was in the con- 

 stant habit of consulting scientific men whenever he had any new 

 commercial measures to bring forward, or whenever a difficulty 

 arose which called for scientific assistance ; but he does not seem 

 to have devoted any portion of his leisure moments to scientific 

 reading, or to have kept up the mathematical knowledge he had 

 early acquired at Oxford ; and he appears to have regarded science 

 with interest rather for the sake of its applications to practical pur- 

 poses than as a high and ennobling pursuit. 



Looking to Sir R. Peel's great abilities, his commanding influence, 

 his unrivalled powers as a man of business, his success at Oxford, 

 which was evidence that -he had then the power of using the keys of 

 exact knowledge, it is natural that scientific men should have been 

 anxious for his assistance in the management of the Associations for 

 the Advancement of Science. He was a Trustee of the British Mu- 

 seum, and was most efficient; but when it was intimated to him that 

 there was a general wish that he should permit himself to be put 

 forward more prominently either as a President of the British Asso- 

 ciation, or in some other way, he declined, stating that he was not 

 qualified, as science was not one of his pursuits. On the 29th of 

 June, having been in the Plouse of Commons till four o'clock in the 

 morning, he attended an early meeting of the Royal Commissioners 

 for the Exhibition of 1851, assisting in the transaction of business 

 with his usual vigour and judgement, and soon after the meeting he 

 was thrown from his horse and received the fatal injuries of which 

 he died on the 2nd of July. 



6* 



