stand-point outside the charmed circle of Science and Art, so worthily occupied by our more distinguished members. I may be reproached for my deficiencies by the well-known saying of Finch, "The sparks of all the Sciences may be raked from the ashes of the Law," but we have few amongst us here to whom we can point as an illustration of this tribute to a profession—which first merited the compliment in Francis Bacon, and still claims it for Henry Brougham.

In a retrospect of the past year in any Institute for the Promotion of Science or Art throughout the vast domains of Britain, an earnest sorrow must find an early utterance for the unexpected calamity which has darkened the happy circle of our beloved Sovereign's home, and thrown a shadow over the light of Christmas hearths alike in the stately and the lowly "homes of England."

It seems as it were but a few short months since we saw the very manly and noble form of him who is departed, standing at the right hand of the Royal Presence, in the rich summer of life, surrounded by a pleasant band of children—or heard his voice in well-chosen, happily turned, if not eloquent, words, opening the proceedings of some gathering of educated minds for the advancement of the Arts and Sciences, or possibly with loftier aim, for the spread of education amongst the masses, to elevate the tone or ameliorate the condition of his fellow-men. Royalty has never given to the cultivated intellect of our country one so choicely adapted to preside over its councils-and it may be long, indeed, before its gatherings will be so gracefully honoured by the leadership of one so near the throne. And long will the memory of his calm and stately presence live in the minds of Englishmen, associated, possibly, with thoughts like these suggested by the portrait of one as prematurely lost :

"Yes;

such as these the well-known lineaments

Such the capacious front,

The comprehensive eye

The open brow serene.

Such was the gentle countenance which bore

Of generous feeling, and of golden truth;

Sure Nature's sterling impress-never there
Unruly passion left

Its ominous marks infixed;

Nor the worst dye of evil habit set

An inward stain engrained.

Such were the lips whose genial playfulness

Enlivened peaceful hours of private life

Whose gracious voice held thousands open-eared,

As from the heart it flowed, a living stream

Of Christian wisdom, pure and undefiled!"-Southey.

The enterprise and intellect of our country, now engaged in the stupendous task of preparing for the forthcoming exposition of the Science, the Art, and the Industry of the world, have to mourn the loss of the zealous leader of their splendid adventure; and through every educated Association in the land will thrill the same genuine sorrow for the untimely passing away of Albert of Saxe-Gotha.

It would be as idle as impertinent for me to attempt even a sketchy outline of the progress of Science and of Art during the past year. As I already hinted, I may but glance at the relation of my outside world to such themes. The position occupied by the professors of Scientific knowledge in relation to the cognate worlds of Thought, to social, theological, or ethical philosophy, is all-important in its bearing on their ultimate usefulness to mankind.

It may be well to notice the most prominent aspect of this relation during the past twelve months.

A very old controversy-never really closed-has been forced into unwonted vitality and bitterness, chiefly by the interest attached to the peculiar position of certain of the combatants, and the deepseated jealousy of large masses of excellent people towards scientific research, has received a most powerful stimulant. It has been assumed by thousands, that in some way or another the labours and the results of scientific investigations are hostile to the truths of revelation.

The uneasiness has been chronic. From the labors of the great Florentine in deciphering the story of the midnight heavens to the latest explorations in the crust of this aged world-from the demonstration of the diurnal motion, to the finding of the flint implements in the Picardy gravel beds, we have the same jealous distrust-generally honest-too often querulous and unreasonable-always most offensively exhibited by minds from habit and capacity the least suited for the right understanding of matters of such surpassing magnitude. Much of this is traceable to the nature of the enquiry. It is of the very essence of inductive science; the condition of all logical pursuit, that the investigation of every scientific problem must be conducted by a mind simply striving after truth-striving to discover what is, not what ought to be, or what it wishes to be, in order to support some preconceived theory or deep-seated prepossession. The philosophic mind of the highest order, bending itself to the task of investigating obscure phenomena, whether amongst heaven's stars or

earth's crust, must, to a great extent, ignore all preconceived opinions, and exert its keenest powers to collect, verify and register facts. Whether these facts, when ascertained, may tend to support or to weaken opinions and ideas-dear as life itself, possibly-to the heart of the investigator, is a matter which should be absent from his thoughts, as a dangerous enemy to the rigid impartiality with which his labors ought to be conducted.

It is of surpassing importance to us all, that Truth in all its purity should be unfolded to us; it is therefore of as paramount importance that those to whom we look for the precious revelation, should pursue their enquiries with a perfectly free glance—and with a judicial impartiality-unstained by the secret desire to find evidence to support a forgone conclusion.

Now, this principle is at the root of all scientific investigation, and also underlies much of the distrust that attends it. If we know that one man has strong opinions in favour of the Mosaic Cosmogony, and another is decidedly committed against it, we know enough of human nature to suspect the deductions which each may draw from his researches into a subject that as yet has hardly taken its place among the exacter Sciences. If we can find one whom we know to have started on his enquiry determined to see and register every phenomenon -one whom we can trust as not wilfully closing his eyes to appearances at least as striking as others that he records, lest they should bear against some previous theory or dogma, this man will be honoured by the earnest attention of every sound mind, and his report trusted as, with whatever imperfections, containing the honest record of things as he saw them.

We all know of the means pursued to get up evidence in support of particular theories. The history of Parliamentary "Blue Books illustrates the practice. We have heard too often how such things are managed. A committee sits to take evidence on some subject of projected reform-sanitary, social or financial. It is true that all are invited to bear testimony, but practically the getting up of evidence is in the hands of a few, and those few almost always the persons most thoroughly committed to some particular specific for the evil sought to be remedied. We hear of cases where the determined theorist comes to enquire of men as to their knowledge of facts or conclusions from observation or experience. The witness whose opinions favored that of the applicant is carried off to testify; he who

ventured on the expression of a hostile conclusion is dismissed with an "Ah! that is not the kind of testimony we are in search of!"

Now, this is morally dishonest in the highest degree; but it is unfortunately too true, and the result is, the slight esteem in which the "Blue Book" philosophy is held by the world.

The true worshipper of truth rises naturally into a purer atmosphere. For our guidance through the past, for our hope and trust in the present and the future, we have illustrious labourers, who breathe a clearer ether than that inhaled by the great mass of noisy and mischievous theorists. The surest test of the true investigator is the absence of all bigoted adherence to theory-the readiness to surrender an opinion as against an admitted fact. All educated men-foreigners, possibly, even in a higher degree than Englishmen-reverence the name of Newton, none more so than those who turn with disgust from the panegyric which, in its blasphemous bombast, is so unworthy of its great subject. A recent criticism on his life and works gives us an anecdote (new at least to me), tending still higher to elevate him in

our esteem.

"It was the noblest of his noble qualities that he rigidly and sternly bowed down his hypotheses to facts. When Bradley and others had observed a certain nutation of the earth, which they could not account for, and were thinking it destroyed entirely the Newtonian system, they were under the greatest difficulty how to break it to Sir Isaac, and proceeded to do so in the softest manner. What was his only answer? It may be so; there is no arguing against facts and experiments.' The experimental and theoretical deflections of the moon differed only in the rates of 16 to 13, but this was enough to satisfy Newton that his principle did not admit of proof, and to induce him to lay aside his speculations; but the more accurate measurement of a degree effected by Picard, after an interval of many years, supplied the data which made the moon a true witness for the law of gravitation."

This is an equally beautiful and eloquent rebuke to the rash confidence of many of our blind guides, ever too ready to wrest, mistake, or ignore facts, that make against their darling hypotheses.

Amongst the most mischeivous tendencies of this, as well as of preceding ages, may be reckoned the extreme fondness for deducing a novel hypothesis, oftentimes directly opposed to some wide spread opinion--before the facts and phenomena have been thoroughly in

vestigated. Ambition is eager to acquire laurels in some new field, to startle the world by some dazzling discovery. This is exemplified in every day experience by the sanguine acquirers of patent rights. Some small discovery, mechanical or otherwise is made, and the excited owner rushes to register his invention, and specifies its ability to produce new and startling results long sought for, never till now attained.

Too often the waxen wings on which the discovery is launched, melt away before the sun-light of experience or practical application. I once heard the great geologist whose portrait adorns our walls, asked for his opinion as to certain appearances noticed by him. The simple force of his reply is worthy of note :— “I have been too busy for the past few years in searching for facts to form any theory." It might be well for many who pursue the like studies to imitate such wise reticence.

Let facts be sought after with keenest industry, let phenomena be noted, observations registered, calculations verified, notes compared. Let truth and truth alone be sought after, and let theories for a while be left to themselves. Each scientific explorer has to remember what is the essential condition of his pursuit. It is not to prove or to disprove any scheme of cosmogony-not to aid or to falsify revelation, but simply to seek for facts.

Compared with what remains totally unexplored, the limits which discovery has mapped out for our information are singularly contracted. The pen of Brewster has pointed out with great felicity the little that has been done, compared with the vast wonders yet veiled in the unvisited realms of discovery.

"The dry land upon our globe occupies only one-fourth of its superficies. How much of this fourth part have geologists been able to examine, and how small seems to be the area of stratification that has been explored? We venture to say, not one fiftieth part of the whole, anl yet upon the results of so partial a survey there has been founded a startling generalization. * The astronomers of the present day have penetrated far into the celestial depths, compared with those of the preceding age, descrying in the remotest space glorious creations, and establishing mighty laws. Like them may not geologists descend deeper into the abyss beneath, and discover in caverns yet unexplored the upheaved cemeteries of primordial times. The earth has yet to surrender its stronghold of gigantic secrets, and startling revelations