22 
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF 
promotion and less chance of fame, against most real and fatal enemies 
—against ignorance of the laws of this planet, and all the miseries 
which that ignorance begets. Honour them for their work; 
sympathise in it; give them a helping hand in it whenever you 
have an opportunity—and what opportunities you have, I have been 
trying to sketch for you to-night; and more, work at it yourselves 
whenever and wherever you can. Shew them that the spirit which 
animates them—the hatred of ignorance and disorder, and of their bestial 
consequences—animates you likewise; shew them that the habit of 
mind which they value in themselves—the habit of accurate observation 
and careful judgment—is your habit likewise; shew them that you value 
science, not merely because it gives better weapons of destruction 
and of defence, but because it helps you to become clear-headed, large- 
minded, able to take a just and accurate view of any subject which 
comes before you, and to cast away every old prejudice and every hasty 
judgment in the face of truth and of duty; and it will be better for you 
and for them. 
But why ? What need for the soldier and the man of science to 
fraternise just now ? This need :—The two classes which will have 
an increasing, it may be a preponderating, influence on the fate of 
the human race for some time, will be the pupils of Aristotle and those 
of Alexander—the men of science and the soldiers. In spite of all 
appearances, and all declamations to the contrary, that is my firm con¬ 
viction. They, and they alone, will be left to rule; because they alone, 
each in his own sphere, have learnt to obey. It is therefore most need¬ 
ful for the welfare of society that they should pull with, and not against 
each other; that they should understand each other, respect each 
other, take counsel with each other, supplement each other's defects, 
bring out each other's higher tendencies, counteract each other's lower 
ones. The scientific man has something to learn of you, gentlemen, 
which I doubt not that he will learn in good time. You, again, 
have (as I have been hinting to you to-night) something to learn of him, 
which you, I doubt not, will learn in good time likewise. Bepeat, each 
of you according to his powers, the old friendship between Aristotle and 
Alexander; and so, from the sympathy and co-operation of you two, a 
class of thinkers and actors may yet arise which can save this nation, 
and the other civilised nations of the world, from that of which I had 
rather not speak, and wish that I did not think, too often and too 
earnestly. 
I may be a dreamer: and I may consider, in my turn, as wilder dreamers 
than myself, certain persons who fancy that their only business in life is 
to make money, the scientific man's only business to show them how to 
make money, and the soldier's only business to guard their money for 
them. Be that as it may, the finest type of civilised man which we are 
likely to see for some generations to come, will be produced by a com¬ 
bination of the truly military with the truly scientific man. I say, I 
may be a dreamer: but you at least, as well as my scientific friends, 
will bear with me; for my dream is to your honour. 
October 3,1871. 
