Lectures on popular and scientific subjectsCaithness, James Sinclair, 14th earl of
History
Lectures on popular and scientific subjects
Caithness, James Sinclair, 14th earl of
Industrial arts; Science
table, and, in fact, everything needful for the use of man;--all were
there, and all to be seen and studied by the inquiring mind, or to be
regarded as very wonderful by those who went to the Exhibition as a
sight. Few, I venture to say, ever left these buildings except wiser
than when they entered. It could not fail to strike one, if one only
gave it a moment's reflection, and asked himself, how has all this been
brought about, but that it was the result of the communication of the
minds of certain individuals with those of others, and by a
concentration of the products of various countries to enlighten the
mind as to the vast intelligence of the world at large.
In conclusion, I feel now that I have spoken long enough for any
lecture, though I have not by any means exhausted the subject of
communication of either past or present; but I should feel grieved if I
exhausted your patience. All things, as we well know, must have an end,
except that life to which we are looking forward and striving to gain,
where we shall cease from our labours and be at rest. We have been
endued by our Maker with thought and mind, talents to be used for our
benefit, and not wrapped up in a napkin till our Lord's return, but to
be placed out so as to bring in either the five or the ten talents. And,
as you all know, we are answerable for the manner in which we employ
them. May the result prove that we have used them aright.
The progress of means of communication of mind and body have been
gradual but steady, and I think may be represented by human life from
its childhood to manhood, as beautifully set forth in the 13th chapter
of 1st Corinthians 11th verse, where it is said, "When I was a child, I
spake as a child; I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but
when I became a man, I put away childish things." Is not this very much
in keeping with our growth in communication? At first it was small, and
we were content to hear of what others were engaged in without regard to
time, as one day earlier or later was of little consequence. But now we
are not children, but are become men in our interests and thirst for
communication with each other. What should we say if we found the
Express, as was written on the boy's post-bag, busily engaged in a game
of bowls on the road, regardless of the loss of time or money thereby
occasioned? I think we should be inclined to write to the papers.
The results of communication are manifold, and day by day they are
brought before us in a manner which shows the untiring wish of man for
improvement both in social and commercial interests. These results are
strikingly shown in the various subjects I have endeavoured to bring
before you. Each and all of them are subjects for thought. What should
we now be without, I may say, any one of them?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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