[EXTRACTED FROM THE PRELIMINARY TREATISE OF THE LIBRARY OF USEFUL KNOWLEGE."]

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AFTER the many instances or samples which have now been given of the nature and objects of Natural Science, we might proceed to a different field, and describe in the same way the other grand branch of Human Knowlege, that which teaches the properties or habits of Mind-the intellectual faculties of man; that is to say, the powers of his understanding, by which he perceives, imagines, remembers, and reasons;-his moral faculties, that is to say, the feelings and passions which influence him;and, lastly, as a conclusion or result drawn from the whole, his duties both towards himself as an individual, and towards others as a member of society; which last head opens to our view the whole doctrines of political science, including the nature of governments, of policy, and generally of laws. But we shall abstain at present from entering at all on this field, and shall now take up the subject more particularly pointed at through the course of the preceding observations, and to illustrate which they have been framed, namely,—the use and importance of scientific studies.

Man is composed of two parts, body and mind, connected indeed together, but wholly different from one another. The nature of the union-the part of our outward and visible frame in which it is peculiarly formed-or whether the soul be indeed connected with any particular portion of the body, so as to reside there-are points as yet wholly hid from our knowlege, and which are likely to remain for ever concealed. But this we know, as certainly as we can know any truth, that there is such a thing as the mind; and that we have at the least as good proof of its existence, independent of the body, as we have of the existence of the body itself. Each has its uses, and each has its peculiar gratifications. The bounty of Providence has given us outward senses to be employed, and bas furnished the means of gratifying them in various kinds, VOL. XXVII. NO. LIV.

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and in ample measure. As long as we only taste those pleasures according to the rules of prudence and of our duty, that is, in moderation for our own sakes, and in harmlessness towards our neighbors, we fulfil rather than thwart the purposes of our being. But the same bountiful Providence has endowed us with the higher nature also with understandings as well as with senseswith faculties that are of a more exalted nature, and admit of more refined enjoyments, than any the bodily frame can bestow; and by pursuing such gratifications rather than those of mere sense, fulfil the highest ends of our creation, and obtain both a present and a future reward. These things are often said, but they are not therefore the less true, or the less worthy of deep attention. Let us mark their practical application to the occupations and enjoyments of all branches of society, beginning with those who form the great bulk of every community, the working classes, by what names soever their vocations may be called-professions, arts, trades, handicrafts, or common labor.

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The first object of every man who has to depend on his own exertions must needs be to provide for his daily wants. This is a high and important office; it deserves his utmost attention; it includes some of his most important duties, both to himself, his kindred, and his country; and although in performing this office he is only influenced by his own interest, or by his necessities, yet it is one which renders him truly the best benefactor of the community to which he belongs. All other pursuits must give way to this; the hours which he gives to learning must be after he has done his work his independence, without which he is not worthy to be called a man, requires first of all that he should have ensured for himself, and those dependent on him, a comfortable subsistence before he can have a right to taste any indulgence, either of his senses or of his mind; and the more he learns the greater progress he makes in the sciences-the more will he value that independence, and the more will he prize the industry, the habits of regular labor, whereby he is enabled to secure so prime a blessing.

In one view, it is true, the progress which he makes in science may help his ordinary exertions, the main business of every man's life. There is hardly any trade or occupation in which useful lessons may not be learnt by studying one science or another. The necessity of science to the more liberal professions is selfevident; little less manifest is the use to their members of extending their knowlege beyond the branches of study, with which their several pursuits are more peculiarly conversant. But the other departments of industry derive hardly less benefit from the same source. To how many kinds of workmen must a knowlege

of Mechanical Philosophy prove useful! To how many others does Chemistry prove almost necessary! Every one must with a glance perceive that to engineers, watch-makers, instrumentmakers, bleachers, and dyers, those sciences are most useful, if not necessary. But carpenters and masons are surely likely to do their work better for knowing how to measure, which Practical Mathematics teaches them, and how to estimate the strength of timber, of walls, and of arches, which they learn from Practical Mechanics; and they who work in various metals are certain to be the more skilful in their trades for knowing the nature of those substances, and their relations to both heat and other metals, and to the airs and liquids they come in contact with. Nay, the farm-servant, or day-laborer, whether in his master's employ, or tending the concerns of his own cottage, must derive great practical benefit, must be both a better servant, and a more thrifty, and therefore comfortable, cottager, for knowing something of the nature of soils and manures, which Chemistry teaches, and something of the habits of animals, and the qualities and growth of plants, which he learns from Natural History and Chemistry together. In truth, though a man be neither mechanic nor peasant, but only one having a pot to boil, he is sure to learn from science lessons which will enable him to cook his morsel better, save his fuel, and both vary his dish and improve it. The art of good and cheap cookery is intimately connected with the principles of chemical philosophy, and has received much, and will yet receive more, improvement from their application. Nor is it enough to say, that philosophers may discover all that is wanted, and may invent practical methods, which it is sufficient for the working man to learn by rote without knowing the principles. He never will work so well if he is ignorant of the principles; and for a plain reason if he only learn his lesson by rote, the least change of circumstances puts him out. Be the method ever so general, cases will always arise in which it must be varied in order to apply; and if the workman only knows the rule without knowing the reason, he must be at fault the moment he is required to make any new application of it. This, then, is the first use of learning the principles of science: it makes men more skilful, expert, and useful in the particular kinds of work by which they are to earn their bread, and by which they are to make it go far and taste well when earued.

But another use of such knowlege to handicraftsmen and common laborers is equally obvious: it gives every man a chance, according to his natural talents, of becoming an improver of the art he works at, and even a discoverer in the sciences connected with it. He is daily handling the tools and materials with which

new experiments are to be made; and daily witnessing the operations of nature, whether in the motions and pressures of bodies, or in their chemical actions on each other. All opportunities of making experiments must be unimproved, all appearances must pass unobserved, if he has no knowlege of the principles; but with this knowlege he is more likely than another person to strike out something new which may be useful in art, or curious or interesting in science. Very few great discoveries have been made by chance and by ignorant persons-much fewer than is generally supposed. It is commonly told of the steam-engine that an idle boy being employed to stop and open a valve, saw that he could save himself the trouble of attending and watching it, by fixing a plug on a part of the machine which came to the place at the proper times, in consequence of the general movement. This is possible, no doubt; though nothing very certain is known respecting the origin of the story; but improvements of any value are very seldom indeed so easily found out, and hardly another instance can be named of important discoveries so purely accidental. They are generally made by persons of competent knowlege, and who are in search of them. The improvements of the Steam-engine by Watt resulted from the most learned investigation of mathematical, mechanical, and chemical truths. Arkwright devoted many years, five at the least, to his invention of Spinning-jennies, and he was a man perfectly conversant in every thing that relates to the construction of machinery: he had minutely examined it, and knew the effects of each part, though he had not received any thing like a scientific education. If he had, we should in all probability have been indebted to him for scientific discoveries as well as practical improvements. The most beautiful and useful invention of late times, the Safety-lamp, was the reward of a series of philosophical experiments made by one thoroughly skilled in every branch of chemical science. The new process of Refining sugar, by which more money has been made in a shorter time, and with less risk and trouble, than was ever perhaps gained from an invention, was discovered by a most accomplished chemist,' and was the fruit of a long course of experiments, in the progress of which, known philosophical principles were constantly applied, and one or two new principles ascertained. But in so far as chance has any thing to do with discovery, surely it is worth the while of those who are constantly working in particular employments to obtain the knowlege required, because their chances are greater than other people's of so applying that knowlege as to hit on new and useful ideas: they are always in the way of perceiving

'Edward Howard, brother of the Duke of Norfolk.

what is wanting, or what is amiss in the old methods; and they have a better chance of making the improvements. In a word, to use a common expression, they are in the way of good luck; and if they possess the requisite information, they can take advantage of it when it comes to them. This, then, is the second great use of learning the sciences: it enables men to make improvements in the arts, and discoveries in philosophy, which may directly benefit themselves and mankind.

Now, these are the practical advantages of learning; but the third benefit is, when rightly considered, just as practical as the other two the pleasure derived from mere knowlege, without any view to our own bodily enjoyments; and this applies to all classes, the idle as well as the industrious, if, indeed, it be not peculiarly applicable to those who have the inestimable blessing of time at their command. Every man is by nature endowed with the power of gaining knowlege, and the taste for it: the capacity to be pleased with it forms equally a part of the natural constitution of his mind. It is his own fault, or the fault of his education, if he derives no gratification from it. There is a satisfaction in knowing what others know-in not being more ignorant than those we live with: there is a satisfaction in knowing what others do not know-in being more informed than they are. But this is quite independent of the pure pleasure of knowlege-of gratifying a curiosity implanted in us by Providence, to lead us towards the better understanding of the universe in which our lot is cast, and the nature wherewithal we are clothed. That every man is capable of being delighted with extending his information on matters of science will be evident from a few plain considerations.

Reflect how many parts of the reading, even of persons ignorant of all sciences, refer to matters wholly unconnected with any interest or advantage to be derived from the knowlege acquired. Every one is amused with reading a story: a romance may please some, and a fairy tale may entertain others; but no benefit beyond the amusement is derived from this source: the imagination is gratified; and we willingly spend a good deal of time and a little money in this gratification, rather than in rest after fatigue, or in any other bodily indulgence. So we read a newspaper, without any view to the advantage we are to gain from learning the news, but because it interests and amuses us to know what is passing. One object, no doubt, is to become acquainted with matters relating to the welfare of the country; but we read the occurrences which do little or not at all regard the public interests, and we take a pleasure in reading them. Accidents, adventures, anecdotes, crimes, and a variety of other things amuse us, independent of the