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only a few of our illustrious writersI say； if he cannot get it
out of those writers he cannot get it out of anything； and I would
assuredly devote a very large portion of the time of every English
child to the careful study of the models of English writing of such
varied and wonderful kind as we possess； and； what is still more
important and still more neglected； the habit of using that language
with precision； with force； and with art。 I fancy we are almost the
only nation in the world who seem to think that composition comes
by nature。 The French attend to their own language； the Germans
study theirs； but Englishmen do not seem to think it is worth their
while。 Nor would I fail to include； in the course of study I am
sketching； translations of all the best works of antiquity； or of
the modern world。 It is a very desirable thing to read Homer in
Greek； but if you don't happen to know Greek； the next best thing
we can do is to read as good a translation of it as we have
recently been furnished with in prose。＇83＇ You won't get all you
would get from the original； but you may get a great deal； and to
refuse to know this great deal because you cannot get all； seems to
be as sensible as for a hungry man to refuse bread because he cannot
get partridge。 Finally； I would add instruction in either music or
painting； or； if the child should be so unhappy； as sometimes
happens； as to have no faculty for either of those； and no
possibility of doing anything in any artistic sense with them； then
I would see what could be done with literature alone； but I would
provide； in the fullest sense； for the development of the aesthetic
side of the mind。 In my judgment； those are all the essentials of
education for an English child。 With that outfit； such as it might
be made in the time given to education which is within the reach of
nine…tenths of the populationwith that outfit； an Englishman；
within the limits of English life； is fitted to go anywhere； to
occupy the highest positions； to fill the highest offices of the
State； and to become distinguished in practical pursuits； in
science； or in art。 For； if he have the opportunity to learn all
those things； and have his mind disciplined in the various
directions the teaching of those topics would have necessitated；
then； assuredly； he will be able to pick up； on his road through
life； all the rest of the intellectual baggage he wants。
If the educational time at our disposition were sufficient； there
are one or two things I would add to those I have just now called
the essentials； and perhaps you will be surprised to hear； though I
hope you will not； that I should add； not more science； but one；
or； if possible； two languages。 The knowledge of some other
language than one's own is； in fact； of singular intellectual
value。 Many of the faults and mistakes of the ancient philosophers
are traceable to the fact that they knew no language but their own；
and were often led into confusing the symbol with the thought which
it embodied。 I think it is Locke ＇84＇ who says that one…half of the
mistakes of philosophers have arisen from questions about words；
and one of the safest ways of delivering yourself from the bondage
of words is； to know how ideas look in words to which you are not
accustomed。 That is one reason for the study of language； another
reason is； that it opens new fields in art and in science。 Another
is the practical value of such knowledge； and yet another is this；
that if your languages are properly chosen； from the time of
learning the additional languages you will know your own language
better than ever you did。 So； I say； if the time given to
education permits； add Latin and German。 Latin； because it is the
key to nearly one…half of English and to all the Romance languages；
and German； because it is the key to almost all the remainder of
English； and helps you to understand a race from whom most of us
have sprung； and who have a character and a literature of a fateful
force in the history of the world； such as probably has been
allotted to those of no other people； except the Jews； the Greeks；
and ourselves。 Beyond these； the essential and the eminently
desirable elements of all education； let each man take up his
special linethe historian devote himself to his history； the man
of science to his science； the man of letters to his culture of
that kind； and the artist to his special pursuit。
Bacon has prefaced some of his works with no more than this：
Franciscus Bacon sic cogitavit；＇85＇ let 〃sic cogitavi〃 be the
epilogue to what I have ventured to address to you to…night。
THE METHOD OF SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION ＇86＇
The method of scientific investigation is nothing but the
expression of the necessary mode of working of the human mind。 It
is simply the mode at which all phenomena are reasoned about；
rendered precise and exact。 There is no more difference； but there
is just the same kind of difference； between the mental operations
of a man of science and those of an ordinary person； as there is
between the operations and methods of a baker or of a butcher
weighing out his goods in common scales； and the operations of a
chemist in performing a difficult and complex analysis by means of
his balance and finely graduated weights。 It is not that the
action of the scales in the one case； and the balance in the other；
differ in the principles of their construction or manner of
working； but the beam of one is set on an infinitely finer axis
than the other； and of course turns by the addition of a much
smaller weight。
You will understand this better； perhaps； if I give you some
familiar example。 You have all heard it repeated； I dare say； that
men of science work by means of induction and deduction； and that
by the help of these operations； they； in a sort of sense； wring
from Nature certain other things； which are called natural laws；
and causes； and that out of these； by some cunning skill of their
own； they build up hypotheses and theories。 And it is imagined by
many； that the operations of the common mind can be by no means
compared with these processes； and that they have to be acquired by
a sort of special apprenticeship to the craft。 To hear all these
large words； you would think that the mind of a man of science must
be constituted differently from that of his fellow men； but if you
will not be frightened by terms； you will discover that you are
quite wrong； and that all these terrible apparatus ＇87＇ are being
used by yourselves every day and every hour of your lives。
There is a well…known incident in one of Moliere's plays；＇88＇
where the author makes the hero express unbounded delight on being
told that he had been talking prose during the whole of his life。
In the same way； I trust； that you will take comfort； and be delighted
with yourselves； on the discovery that you have been acting on the
principles of inductive and deductive philosophy during the same
period。 Probably there is not one here who has not in the course
of the day had occasion to set in motion a complex train of
reasoning； of the very same kind； though differing of course in
degree； as that which a scientific man goes through in tracing the
causes of natural phenomena。
A very trivial circumstance will serve to exemplify this。 Suppose
you go into a fruiterer's shop； wanting an apple；you take up one；
and； on biting it； you find it is sour； you look at it； and see
that it is hard and green。 You take up another one； and that too
is hard； green； and sour。 The shopman offers you a third； but；
before biting it； you examine it； and find that it is hard and
green； and you immediately say that you will not have it； as it
must be sour； like those that you have already tried。
Nothing can be more simple than that； you think； but if you will
take the trouble to analyse and trace out into its logical elements
what has been done by the mind； you will be greatly surprised。 In
the first place you have performed the operation of induction。 You
found that； in two experiences； hardness and greenness in apples
went together with sourness。 It was so in the first case； and it
was confirmed by the second。 True； it is a very small basis； but
still it is enough to make an induction from； you generalise the
facts； and you expect to find sourness in apples where you get
hardness and greenness。 You found upon that a general law that all
hard and green apples are sour； and that； so far as it goes； is a
perfect induction。 Well； having got your natural law in this way；
when you are offered another apple which you find is hard and
green； you say； 〃All hard and green apples are sour； this apple is
hard and green； therefore this apple is sour。〃 That train of
reasoning is what logicians call a syllogism； and has all its
various parts and terms；its major premiss； its minor premiss and