HOUGHTON : ADDRESS. 
3 
of geology — to see how they could apply those facts to the 
immediate observation of the country in which they live, you 
would find, I think, that these elementary facts which are 
taught to them, even though superficial in themselves, yet 
give a sound foundation for future observation. In the in- 
teresting address given to you in 1877 by the Marquess of 
Ripon, he drew your attention very vividly and in very 
eloquent language to the effect of the observation of the great 
phenomena of nature upon the general intelligence of the 
mind of man. He has done that so well that I will not at- 
tempt to follow him in the same path; and I would merely add, 
in regard to that observation, that I am very thankful to see 
either in his words or in any others, a recognition of the fact 
that the extension of the knowledge of the observation of 
phenomena cannot do anything which may be considered 
injurious to the highest faculties of the mind. There were 
men in the early part of this century, and who have continued 
through a very considerable portion of this century, who had 
a kind of suspicion of science as being something antago- 
nistic to the higher and more important qualities of the mind. 
People seemed to think that because men knew more they 
would either think less or feel less. That was a most 
erroneous opinion, and it has been completely answered by 
the facts of the world in which we live. Never has there 
been a time in our history in which so much interest has 
been taken in Science. At the same time, never has there 
been a time in which greater interest has been taken in 
all those developments of the imagination which are 
generally comprised in the name Art, nor in those deeper 
developments of mankind which are generally comprised 
in the word Religion. No doubt there will be certain minds 
which addict themselves specially to science, and which seem 
to take very little interest in what are considered still higher 
aspects of humanity; but it does not at all follow that be- 
