The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-01-04 00:00:00

SIR ARTHUR HELPS AT PORTSMOUTH.

I The distribution of prizes to the successful students
I at the Portsmouth School of Science and Art took
I place in the Green-row Rooms on Monday evening, in
the presence of a crowded audience. After a prelimi-
nary statement by the Vicar of Portsmouth, chair-
man of committee, showing that the students had
been very successful, Sir Arthur Helps addreseed
the meeting. He was there, he said, not to mag-
nify, but to state adequately the merits and
benefits of such an institution. He referred, in the
first place, to the great enjoyment following school
studies. It was a celebrate-d saying of Charles V
that " Ile who knows two languages is twice a man,"
and similarly he would say he who knew any other srt
besides his bras 1-getting one was twice a man. He
thought that was the case with the students there.
The man was a poor stunted character who had nothing
but his bread-getting, and who went through life with-
out gainii g any of the immense advantages to he
derived from the contemplation of art and nature.
Speaking of the intellectual advantages the students
gained, the first that struck him was . the in-
creased power of observation. He had once made
the rather venturous observation—to which he adhered
—ttiat no one had really grasped and mastered a
thing unless he had had to depict and describe
it. Then there was the advantage of accuracy
—a Post of plebeian virtue. No ! it was not
common enough in the world. (Hear, hear.)
Would that it were common enough to be called ple-
beian ! (Applause.) He believed that all the inten-
tional lying in the world—of which there was a good
quantity, perhaps—did not do one quarter uf them c.
chief that inaccuracy did. If a superior being were to
come to him and ask whether he w, u'd rid the wont
of inaccuracy or lying, he would say, "Let us get rid
of inaccuracy "—the misrepresentations, misunder-
standings, misquotations, and all those things which
led to the most tremendous quarrels between man anti
man and nation and nation. There was not any method
by which they could conquer this inaccuracy better
than by the studies they were pursuin It had been
said that women were more inaccurate than men,
and it was an immense advantage for them to
have an opportunity of acquiring accuracy, which
was one of the few things they wanted to attain per-
fection. (Laughter.) Another intedectual advantage
resulting fromthese studies was, that they gained power
of expression. He believed that very low down in the
world very great thoughts existed, but la keel expression.
The students were also gaining power of representation
in depicting nature. Replying to the arguments of
those who asked how it was that the decadence of a
State had generally begun when art was at its best, he
maintained that the assertii n implied was a total de-
lusion. There was an enormous distinction between
luxury anti art. Nations had fallen, it might be,
through luxury, but not through art. France had
been pointed to; but while a few thousand persons
were luxurious in Paris, the great body of the
people were frugal and industrious, and in every
way deserving of success. (Applause.) France had
fallen, not from the rise and progress of art, but from
mal-administration, mal-organisation, and mal-govern-
ment. Having quoted from Bishop Berkeley to show
tne neglected state of art in the middle of last century,
Sir Arthnr expressed his pleasure at finding so many
lady students. There was a great woman's question
nowadays. He confessed he was not a bit afraid of it,
or of it ousting poor men from the positions they might
justly occupy. He believed that, by hav int:. greater quali-
fications, women would become more welcome and charm-
ing companions, if possible, than now. He was deligl ted
to think that a new source of independent work and
gain would be opened to them. A great employer of art
had told him that people now bought pictures on their
own judgment, and that was more important, there
was about one hundred times more employment for art
than there had been when he was a buy. The triumphs
of our arts had ptrhaps been exaggerated, but great
thiege would yet be achieved; and he trusted that, to
the pre-eminence of this country in science, literature,
arms, commerce, manufactures, and colonisation, there
would be added a similar distinction in regard to
design, which would justly make her manufactures the
first throughout the emit!. (Loud applause.)
The prizes were then distributed, and Mr. Stone and
others afterwards addressed the meeting.