INTRODUCTORY ADDRESS. 
685 
Like the bee, too, should be your industry, rather than like 
that of the ant, an insect that labours for itself alone ; 
whereas the former, not only has enough for itself always in 
store, but contributes a portion of its sweets to others. On 
this, an old writer thus expatiates : “ Practice the sedu- 
lity of the bee, by labouring in thy calling; the community 
of the bee, by believing thou art called to assist others ; the 
secrecy of the bee, that the greatest spy see thee not, nor 
supplant thee; the purity of the bee, that never settles upon 
any foul thing : so thou never take a foul way to a fair end, 
and the fruit of thy labour shall be honey, which is honour, 
ease, and plenty.’ 5 
Nor let any jealous or malignant feeling be indulged in by 
you, checking your onward career ; for remember if the 
dinner of the Derby had stopped to kick he would have lost 
the race. Young men united together in one common pro- 
fession, and pursuing the same studies, should contemn the 
petty animosities that divide man from his fellow in the 
ordinary walks of life ; rather should they co-operate for the 
sake of humanity and science, of which veterinary medicine 
presents so admirable a field ; and especially when so great 
a portion of it remains yet uncultivated, waiting to reward 
the industrious husbandman. 
And to succeed, it is not enough to wish merely. The idler 
can do this. Wishes may be compared to rain-bow arches 
that span the intermediate difficulties, while they pass away 
with the vapour that gave rise to them. No man becomes 
great without assiduity. Reputation is not to be had by merely 
asking for it. A price is to be paid for it more or less costly 
by those who desire its acquisition. It would not indeed be 
worth possessing were it otherwise. An invincible determi- 
nation to excel will, depend upon it, enable you to overcome 
all obstacles that may present themselves ; and no talents 
however great, no circumstances however favorable, will 
compensate for ‘the absence of this. “There is no royal 
road to knowledge. 55 The hill of science is often steep and 
difficult, and, like travelling in mountainous countries, when 
you have laboured hard and reached one ridge and think it 
is the last, you look around and see others, still higher, to 
be ascended. These, too, you must mount, as each presents 
some new and compensating prospect from its summit. 
Nor let any fear of incapacity cause you to relax in your 
efforts to acquire information ;" for as the door-step to the 
temple of wisdom, is said to be our ignorance, so persever- 
ance will make up for any deficiency that may exist here. I 
do not think that talents are so much required by the student 
xxx. 91 
