Encouragement of Scientific Research. October, 
sinecures, as most of them are at present. It is a national 
blessing that the two ancient universities of England should 
have saved such large funds from the shipwreck that swallowed 
up the corporate funds of the Continental universities ; but, 
in order to secure their safety for the future, it is absolutely 
necessary that these funds should be utilised again for the 
advancement of learning. Why should not a fellowship be 
made into a career for life, beginning with little, but rising 
like the incomes of other professions ? Why should the 
grotesque condition of celibacy be imposed upon a fellowship 
instead of the really salutary condition of no work no pay ? 
Why should not some special literary or scientific work be 
assigned to each Fellow, whether resident at Oxford or sent 
abroad on scientific missions ? Why, instead of having 
fifty young men scattered about in England, should we not 
have ten of the best workers in every branch of human 
knowledge resident at Oxford, whether as teachers, guides, 
or examples ? All this might be done to-morrow without 
any injury to anybody, and with every chance of producing 
results of the greatest value to the universities, the country, 
and to the world at large.”* 
Turning from university reform considered in the interests 
of “ research,” we have yet to speak of certain establish- 
ments, national and public, in which the services of scientific 
men are required. There are museums, observatories, 
botanical gardens ; there are geological surveys and occa- 
sionally exploring expeditions. In all these there are 
positions which afford scope, greater or less, for research. 
But how are they filled ? Formerly, we believe, candidates 
were selected by interest. Now competitive examination 
reigns. Would it not be better, except in case of men who 
have already “ won their spurs,” to adopt our test, and thus 
secure the right man in the right place ? 
But we cannot stop here ; even when we have converted 
our universities, present or nascent, into centres of investi- 
gation and made their highest honours and their more 
tangible rewards accessible solely by the way of suc- 
cessful research, something more is wanting. It does not 
suit the national mind to be tied down too rigidly. We 
must make provision, therefore, for the encouragement of 
research among those who may have aimed at a college fel- 
lowship, but whose performances have not been found of 
sufficient value ; among such as, though educated at one of 
the universities, have not found it consistent with their plans 
* Chips from a German Workshop, iv., 4— -io. 
