circulation of pleasures and products, seems destined to numbered among the noblest benefactions to the human race.

be

I have passed aside from my principal purpose to give in this history of the steam-boat, a slight illustration of the slow progress of inventions. It may not be unacceptable, as a tribute to the memory of a man, who united in himself a great love of science with an inextinguishable desire to render it subservient to the practical business of life.

But perhaps the science of chemistry affords as striking an instance as any, which can be adduced, of the value of Lord Bacon's maxims, and of the paramount importance of facts over mere speculative philosophy. It was formerly an occult science, full of mysteries, and unedifying processes, abounding in theories, and scarcely reducible to any rational principles. It is now in the highest sense entitled to the appellation of a science. The laws of chemical action have been examined and ascertained with great accuracy, and can now be demonstrated with as much clearness and facility, as any of the laws, which belong to mechanical philosophy. It has become eminently a practical science; and its beneficial effects are felt in almost every department of life. The apothecary's shop no longer abounds with villanous compounds and nostrums, the disgrace of the art. Chemistry has largely administered to the convenience as well as the efficacy of medicines, by ascertaining their qualities, and component parts, by removing nauseous substances, simplifying processes, and purifying the raw materials. It has secured

the lives of thousands by its wonderful safety lamps, which prevent explosions from the invisible but fatal fire-damps of mines. It lights our streets and theatres by its beautiful gas, extracted from coal. It enters our dye-houses, and teaches us, how to fix and discharge colors, to combine and to separate them; to bleach the brown fibre, and impart the never-fading tint. It discloses the nature and properties of light and heat, of air and water, of the products of the vegetable and animal kingdoms, of earths and alkalies, and acids, and minerals, and metals. And, though we have not as yet discovered by it the philosopher's stone, or learned how to transmute all other substances into gold, we have gained by it a much more valuable secret, the art of improving our agriculture, perfecting our manufactures, and multiplying all our comforts, by giving new power to all the arts of life, and adding new vigour to a home-bred industry. It has indeed conferred benefits, where they have been least expected. By expounding the origin and causes of ignes fatui, it has put to flight the whole host of goblins, and imps and fairies, and sprites, that inhabited our low grounds and wastes, and required some holy incantation to lay them in the good old days of superstition and omens, and death watches and ghosts, that vanished at the crowing of the cock. It may not, indeed, be said to have given much aid to the law, except when some luckless inventor has been driven into a tedious lawsuit by an infringement of his patent, and has found his money melt away under its dissolving power.

Half a century ago the composition of the atmosphere and ocean were unknown to philosophy. The identity of

the electric fluid and lightning was scarcely established. The wonders disclosed by the galvanic battery had not even entered into the imagination of man.

It is unnecessary for me to trace the causes, which gradually led to these changes in the objects and pursuit of science. For a long period after the revival of letters, the minds of educated men were almost wholly engrossed by classical learning, and philology, and criticism, and dogmatical theology, and endless commentaries upon scanty texts both in law and divinity. The study of pure and mixed mathematics succeeded; and astronomy, as it deserved, absorbed all the attention and genius, which were not devoted to literature. But scholars of all sorts, by general consent, looked with indifference or disdain. upon the common arts of life, and felt it to be a reproach to mingle in the business of the artizan. One should suppose, that the alliance between science and the arts was so natural and immediate, that little be necessary to bring about their union.

influence would

But the labora

tory and the work-shop, the study of the geometrician, and the shed of the machinist, were for ages at almost immeasurable distances from each other; and the pathways between them were few and little frequented.

It was not until some fortunate discoveries in the arts had led to opulence, that scientific men began to surrender their pride, and to devote themselves practically to the improvement of the arts. The first great step in modern science was to enter the work-shop, and superintend its operations, and analyze and explain its principles. And the benefits derived from this connexion have already

been incalculable both to art and science.

Each has been astonishingly improved by the other; and a hint derived from one has often led on to a train of inventions and discoveries, the future results of which are beyond all human power to measure. Thus, dignity and importance have been added to both. The manufacturer, the machinist, the chemist, the engineer, who is eminent in his art, may now place himself by the side of the scholar, and the mathematician, and the philosopher, and find no churlish claim for precedency put in. His rank in society, with reference either to the value of the products of his skill, or the depth of his genius, sinks him not behind the foremost of those, who strive for the first literary distinctions. This fortunate change in the public opinion, which has made it not only profitable, but honourable to pursue the mechanical arts, is already working deeply into all the elements of modern society. It has already accomplished, what it is scarcely a figure of speech to call, miracles in the Who is there, that would not desire to rival, if he does not envy, the inventions of Watt, of Arkwright, and Fulton? Who would ask for a fairer reputation, or loftier or more enduring fame, than belongs to them? And yet we have but just entered on the threshold of the results, to which their labours must lead future generations. We can scarcely imagine the number of minds, which have been already stimulated to the pursuit of practical science by their successful example. Whichever way we turn, we' may see minds of the first class diverted from the established professions of law, physic, and divinity, to become the votaries, nay the enthusiastic votaries, of the arts. And

arts.

we are beginning to realize the first effects of this intense application and appropriation of the genius of our age in simultaneous, and elegant inventions.

It is true in the general progress of society, that art generally precedes science. The savage first constructs his hut, prepares his food, fashions his weapons of defence, and multiplies his power, by the application of the rudest materials. His wants being supplied, he may then dream of luxuries. But the road lies open to him, not by the investigation of principles, but by the application of manual dexterity, and steady labour to acquire them. And this for the most part continues, or rather has continued to be the order of things, until very late stages of civilization and refinement. At present this order is almost entirely reversed. It may now be said with truth, that in a general view science precedes art; that is, the improvements, which are made in art, arise more often from an exact investigation of principles, than from bare experiments or accidental combinations. Principles suggest the experiment, rather than experiment the principles. In the most important branches of manufactures, where skill is so constantly in demand, and economy in operation is so indispensable, and competition is universal, there is now a perpetual tasking of the wit of man to invent some cheaper, thriftier, or neater combination. Something to increase the velocity, and uniformity of motion, the delicacy and certainty of spinning, the beauty or fineness of fabrics, the simplicity or directness in application of power, or something to ascertain and separate the worthless from the valuable in materials, is the ambition of a thousand minds