In the early stages of a man's life—I am speaking now of a working man, who has everything to gain and nothing to lose it is necessary that he should carry on his education along with his trade; and I would recommend him, without a tutor, whom I assume he would be unable to pay for, to persevere in a course of instructive reading in connection with the trade he has to follow, and one calculated to make him an expert workman and a useful member of society. In recommending these studies, I am not one of those who would impose a rigid observance of duties, which, to be profitable, must be agreeable, but perseverance for a time, until the requisite elementary knowledge has been attained, will make further study attractive. Young people require relaxation, and he would be a hard preceptor indeed who would deny to them the enjoyments suitable to their age, as friendships and associations formed in early life give to later years their happiest and most attractive reminiscences; and I hope the good sense of the people of this country will always preserve them from influences inimical to the innocent amusement of their leisure hours. The excesses of pleasurable enjoyment must, however, be guarded against, and on every occasion made subservient to the duties of life.

Let me draw your attention to the position of a young man of fifteen or sixteen years of age, thrown on the world with no other means of subsistence than a robust constitution, an active mind, and the rudiments of a plain education, such as reading, writing, and some knowledge of arithmetic. Let us suppose the means of learning some handicraft trade within his reach, and that he thus obtains some small weekly wages sufficient for his maintenance. Thus placed, with an active mind, a stout heart, and an indomitable perseverance, he begins life with many advantages; the necessities of his position will call forth energies unknown to him before, or to those better provided for, and

the pleasure of overcoming difficulties is an encouragement to action, and renders sensible those qualities of character which otherwise might have remained latent. These are positive advantages, and many a young aspirant who laments his misfortunes in being thus left to his own resources, sees only the dark side of the present, whilst the future is looming in the distance with a flocd of light. Is not then the prize of distinction worth contending for? Is it not a question for every young man in the circumstances I have described to consider whether he will undertake the task, and not only commence, but pursue, a course of study calculated to win for him a more honourable station in life?

At a time when both mind and hand are under training, it is desirable that the self-teaching student should pursue his studies methodically, and not waste his time in vacillation. He must bear in mind that time is the everflowing stream on which he floats to the scene of his future labours. He must, as the Scotch say, "put a stout heart to a stay brae," and never lose sight of the object he wishes to attain; he will then make provision for leisure hours by a course of arithmetic, geometry, and mathematics, and an equally useful course of chemistry and physics; and for general reading he could not do better than study some of our best authors, such as Addison, Hume, and Goldsmith of the last century, and Scott, Prescott, and Macaulay of this. In addition, he may enrich his mind with some of our best poets, beginning with Shakspeare, Burns, and Byron, Southey, Scott, and Tennyson. All these may be read with advantage, and interspersed with the newspapers and periodicals of the day, will lay the foundations of future usefulness in the more active scenes of life.

Having thus carried the young aspirant over a period which may last from fifteen to one-and-twenty, he then

presents himself to the world with a trade in his hand and a mind fully prepared to act an important part in life. Such a person will not be long without employment, and his previous discipline will have fitted him for the tasks he has to perform. He respects his employer, and endeavours to discharge his duty with honesty and alacrity; in a few years he gains his master's confidence, becomes his assistant, probably marries his daughter, and settles down as the father of a family and a respectable tradesman for the remainder of his days. In such a career there is honour and comfort, and provided his mind is not poisoned and his independence destroyed by unions and trade clubs, he may calculate on a prosperous life and a respected old age.

A settlement by marriage with encouraging prospects does not close a man's education: that indeed he does not finish till he dies. We are all scholars and always at school from infancy to the decrepitude of old age. But a settlement in life is doubtless the beginning of a new era, another stage in our preliminary journey, and along with it come numerous and important duties, which it is expected we shall duly and honestly fulfil. Every new phase in our existence brings new responsibilities, and entails a constant and growing necessity for extended knowledge; and provided we are desirous of making ourselves useful in our day and generation, we must labour first in the acquisition of knowledge, secondly in its application, and lastly, we must constantly strive to attain a life of spotless integrity.

In conclusion, I have to observe that we have much to be grateful for in the many excellent educational institutions of which this country at the present time can boast, and the great facilities now afforded to all in the attainment of knowledge at the merest modicum of cost. Compare the present with the times I have alluded to, and you will find that your fathers had not the advantages you possess. In my own time there were no mechanics'

institutes, no cheap publications, no free libraries, and comparatively little encouragement given to education. In those days we had to borrow books from those who would lend them, and he was a happy youth indeed who found amongst his father's friends and acquaintances one who would encourage and support him in the pursuit of knowledge. Learning was then considered a dangerous thing, and many went so far as to say that education. would be the ruin of the poor and the annoyance of the rich, making them discontented with their lot in life, and paving the way to rebellion and insurrection. Now we have lived to see the falsity of this doctrine, and I trust we may yet live to see the labouring man combine with his daily pursuits the blessings of a mind free from prejudice, but full in the enjoyment of intellectual culture.

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LECTURE II.

ON THE MACHINERY EMPLOYED IN AGRICULTURE.

RESEARCH into the annals of antiquity throws but a feeble light upon the methods adopted by primitive nations in the tillage of the soil; or upon the implements employed in procuring the products of agriculture and converting them into food. The earliest accounts upon which reliance can be placed are those in the sacred Scriptures, whence we learn that the Babylonians and Egyptians were rich in agricultural resources, and that the labours of the husbandman on the banks of the Nile and the Euphrates were rewarded by returns of "sixty, seventy, and one hundred-fold." This large return was, doubtless, the result, partly of the fertility of the soil, which received year by year, on the overflowing of the rivers, deposits which enriched the soil; and partly also of the favouring influence of an almost tropical climate.

It is a mistake to suppose that the farmers of these remote times were unacquainted with the simpler implements of agriculture, for even at the present day there remain enduring records of such instruments in the paintings on the walls of Egyptian temples, and on the sculptures and coins of later date. Most of our agricultural implements may be traced back to an ancient origin, and it is more than probable that the Egyptian farmer of nearly 3000 years ago had many of the conveniences of the dwellinghouse and well stocked farm-yard that may be seen in our own homesteads at the present day. Such facts as these