A period has been seen, when voyages
of discovery amounted almost to a passion,
with some nations. A period has likewise
been witnessed, when philosophy and theology
have been the leading subjects that occupied
the minds of the first intellects in a given
country; nor must we forget that a rage for
destroying all old systems, both of theology
and philosophy, without setting up, or even
searching for new systems, was displayed in
France to an extraordinary degree, before
the first great revolution. In modern
Germany, the efforts of the profoundest minds
have been devoted to philosophy, literature,
science, and the fine arts, pretty generally,
in all their numerous branches, and without
any special or exclusive devotion.

In America, the great national efforts in
commerce, navigation, and the resolution to
become a great maritime power, has hitherto
nearly absorbed most other considerations,
though men of intellectual energy have not
been wanting in several departments of literature
and learning. With America, however,
steam and steam-boats have, for some time, been
the predominating science; just as, in modern
Italy, the science of music and the art of singing,
have received an almost exclusive attention.

In England we have seen many changes
of general study and devotion of public
interest. We have been great voyagers,
travellers, and discoverers; and, without
being in any real danger in modern times
from the attack of foreign foes, we have been
much too fond of meddling in wars of almost
incalculable expense, and taking the debt upon
ourselves. During fifty or sixty years the
British army and navy were the "rage"
among all classes, and the arts of war by land
and sea were our most popular subjects of
admiration. Other studies were, comparatively,
of small importance with us. Since then
we have absolutely had, though it is very
difficult to believe it at the present time, a rage
for poetry (originating with Byron), rapidly
followed by a rage for novels (originating
with Scott), and we have also had something
very like a rage for political economy
(originating with Malthus), and something nearly
approaching a rage for travels and voyages of
discovery (dating from Bruce, Belzoni, and
Parry), which has almost extended down to the
present time, in consequence of the prolonged
doubt as to the fate of Sir John Franklin.

But have we not done great things in learning,
science, and the fine arts? We have but
to point to the works of Bacon, Newton,
Shakespeare, and Milton, to answer this
question. But to speak of the present time. We
have several fine historians, and they are
extensively read; we have astronomers,
though they are not duly regarded; and we
have some great physiologists, but they also,
(except from their regular classes) receive
little or no public attention. To speak
generally, geology and botany are studied at the
present day, and natural history is neglected
—always excepting the actual exhibition of
zoological specimens. In general prose literature
much is constantly doing, and with
extensive success; while for periodical literature,
of a cheap kind, yet containing varied
knowledge and information for the people, there is
at present an unexampled craving. In learning,
though we have many learned men, little
is done beyond compilation, the age being
much too "fast" to admit of a man, who has
not an independent fortune, devoting half his
life to a single great work of profound research.

In the fine arts, painting has been cultivated
very successfully, but it seldom meets with
any special patronage from the highest
quarters, though sculpture has fared better, on
account of its monumental character.

As for poetry, it is a curious, and indeed an
almost anomalous fact, that England, whose
people are fond of substantialities and realities,
and are, apparently, not at all disposed
to idealisms, has produced more really fine
poets than all the rest of the world put
together; and though living poets, with two or
three exceptions, are little read at the present
time, there are, even now, more real poets
in England than all other countries combined
can produce.

In music, there is little to be said for us, as
composers; but some fine singers, and
instrumentalists, we certainly have possessed. Of all
native arts, however, those which at present
must be pronounced as receiving the greatest
amount of attention and encouragement, are
the industrial arts; and, with respect to
science, all those sciences which can be
applied to the immediate efforts, designs, and
necessities of the present day. Among these
latter, the most prominent are evidently those
of engineering and chemistry.

For the study of military engineering, there
exist first-rate institutions; but for civil
engineering, there is, we believe, only one
college or public institution. Chemistry is
taught in a great number of public and
private institutes, but merely as a branch of
knowledge included in a course of general
studies. We have, however, only a very few
good laboratories, where studies and experiments
in chemistry are practically conducted.

Of the extraordinary and highly valuable
services rendered to chemistry in Germany,
by the indefatigable labours of Müller, Liebig,
and others;—as in Stockholm, by Berzelius;
in France, by Orfila, Lavoisier, &c. &c.—
we need not offer any comment, as they
deservedly possess a European fame. And in
our own country, since the time of Davy and
Priestley, down to our present most eminent
chemists—Faraday. Graham, Kane, Ure,
Brande, Cooper, &c.—we. have not been
far behind our friends on the Continent.
But eminent as are our men, so few have
been our regular chemical schools, and special
means of communicating instruction in this
department of science, that our manufacturers
in various branches of the useful arts have