CHAPTER I.

INTRODUCTION.

1 do think that the study of natural science is so glorious a school for
the mind that, with the laws impressed on all created things by the Creator,
and the wonderful unity and stability of matter and the Jorces of matter,
there cannot be a better school for the education of the mind. —FARADAY.

1 hope that my children, at least, if not I myself, will see the day when
ignorance of the primary laws and Sacts of science will be looked upon as
a defect, only second to ignorance of the primary laws of religion and
morality. —CHARLES KINGSLEY.

Scientific thought does not mean thought about scientific subjects with
long names. There are no scientific subjects. The subject of science is the
human universe ; that is to say, everything that is, or has been, or may be
velated to man.—W. K. CLIFFORD.

THE word education admits of many interpretations, and
discussions and conferences on educational matters are
frequently abortive owing to a confusion of ideas as to the
true meaning of the term. Book-learning is by no means
the most vital part of education ; it should certainly be
subsidiary to formation of character, and, whatever the
defects of public school education in this country, few
will deny that the system in vogue at present probably
produces a finer type of character than any other in the
world.
Character is formed to some extent in the classroom,
but to a much larger extent during out-of-school hours,
on the playing fields, in the Officers Training Corps, in
the houses or dormitories, and during association with
older boys and house masters and house tutors.