The Statesman.
London, England, 1821-10-23 00:00:00

SCHOOL OF ARTS AT I;DLVaI7ROIL

[PROM TOR EDINBURGH STAR.]

This institution, the nature and objects of which
have been already descrihed in our paper, opened on
Tuesday night in Freemasons' Hall, Niddry-street,
when Dr. Fyfe delivered the first of a course of leo.
tures on chymistry.
On this interesting occasion the directors were fa•
vowed with the presence of the Lord Provost, and a
number of gentlemen, patrons and subscribers to the
institution, among whom we noticed, Sir John Hay,
Bart.; J. F. Erskine, Esq. of filar; George Forbes,
Esq. the Treasurer; and L. Horner, Esq. the Secre-
tary of the Institution ; the Rev. Drs. Macknight and
Brunton ; the Rev. David Dickson ; the Rev. John
Thomson ; Alex. Monro, Esq.; James Russell, Esq. ;
Thomas Kiunear, Esq.: John Cockhurn, Esq. ; Forbes
H. Blair, Esq. ; Dr. Barclay; William Inglis, Esq.;
Thomas Allan, Esq. ; and several other gentlemen of
the greatest respectability.
Previous to the lecture, Leonard Horner, Esq. de-
livered, in the name of the directors, a preliminary
address to the students, in which, after shortly re•
capitulating the nature and objects of the Institution,
as explained in the prospectus, lie observed, that it
had been the proud distinction of Scotland, that
while other countries were buried in the slavery of ig-
norance, the blessings of education had been here dif-
fused by means of oar parochial institutions—and the',
barrier broken down which shuts out the poor man
from those branches of human knowledge, which were
calculated to call forth native genius, and open up the
sources of wealth and happiness to the lahouring
classes. There was no part of the civilized world
in which Scotsmen were not to be found who bad risen
to eminence by the exercise of their talents ; and it ,
would be easy to enumerate instances to show, that in
the praises he had bestowed on our native country, he
did not claim for it more holsour than fairly belonged
to it. Ha would
_mention two particular irevanceN
which were well calculated to stimulate his auditor'
In the pursuit of the high rewards of industry and
gsaius. fie spoke of their countrymen, those elde.
brawl engineers, Watt and Rennie. Mr. Watt,. the
inventor of the steatn-engine, me a Bettie! of
Ureenock, and at thirty years old was employed
as a mathematical instrument maker. By his sub-
sequent exertions that powerfnl instrulnent the
steam engine had been brought to inch perfee-
pion, as to he applled to most of the purposes of
~useful lily, and to Tender cheap wi Atccessible
the materials of wealth and
.prtmerezity. And this
man had reaped time full, reward of Ms genius
' and perseverance in • the *gelation of an a:uple Are
one, and in aenuriwg• the esteems and re peel *II
Awake Anti dames of taw ennernaairy. Mr. 'Kenai e,.whic
paii, V a ftw.:4aP, inti:l4k Ale vymf 414 kirt :fi!ra.4ll6
from au bunible sphere of life to the highest .udinsa;:e

•
in his profession. Mr. Horner here read an extract
from a book published in 1779, by a Mr. David Loch,
in which, describing a visit paid a school at Dunbar,
be nutices the examination of the mathematical class,
and the amazing genius displayed by Mr. Rennie,
then a young man, following the business of a mill-
wright; and who'he describes as a second Newton, for
whom no problem either in natural or experimental
philosophy war too hard ; and prophecies that he
would, at no distant period, prove a great honor to
his country. -Mr. Horner appealed to the subsequent
history oT Mr. Rennie, to prove that this prophecy had
been ansply fulfilled. After prosecating the business of a
mill-wright for a short time in Scotland, Mr. Rennie
bad gone to London, and followed the profession of a
civil engineer, in which he soon rose to the highest
rank, and enjoyed the esteem and society of all emi-
nent men. Scarcely any great public work had been
..undertaken fur many rears in which Mr. Rennie was
`not the engineer ; and among his last undertaklm;s,
the Waterloo-bridge at London nt been spoken of by
the celebrated Canova as the finest work in Coupe.—
'I he celebrated astronon.er, James Ferguson, was also
another remarkable instance where cnitivation of natu-
ral genius had raised its possessor from an humble
origin to the Mi.:hest distinction. Mr. Ferguson was
originally a shepherd-boy, and his relneation hail been
scanty indeed; only three months' attendance at the
grammar school at Keith ; but the native force of his
groins overcame all obstacles. lie might mention
many other instances of Men gifted by nature, ant!
whose great talents most have been lost to the world
but far the institution of parish schools; end if flow
such a sys ens such great benefits hail 11 +w•:•,!,:chat might nut he expected from such an in.ti:ution
as the School of Arts, by which that hiolier species of
knots ledge, hitherto confined to the opulent, was to
be made accessible to the humble artis.itt. It had long
been a prevalent error, that the speen:atious of the
philosopher hail little to do with the business of life ;
but this narrow prejudice had now elven way to
s.,nioler 01410: us. I t was to the -Filre3blitnts of t:lr
wired philosopher that we were itolehte.l for the
steaimenginr—for the lighting of one streets pith 4-0
the discovery of the safety lamp, which had
been the means of saving 113
discoveries were in no dearee the effoct.)llll4:lCP.
11 at the result.of patient and enli:; htened I
was by the la:items of the malltentatieian a,!r07.0
to r, and by• the discovery of the compass, the tel-s
eope,.and the cliron :meter, th.tt stavigaq"n 11:d been
brought to its present perfection—from sl:e
Indian cantle, to that stupendous machine, a ship of
war...6lM by which man was enabled to cireuazaavi-
gate the globe. The recent application of steam to
navigation was one of the greatest triumphs of Douche-
' itical art. There was scarcely a brooch of science
which did not bear directly on the business of life, and
it was the object of the founders of this institution to
put the artisan in possession of the principles on which
his daily occupation was founded. It wa• in:enled
that in the course of the ensuing six mouths lectures
should be delivered on the Tuesday and Friday even-
ings by Dr. Pyle and Mr. Galbraith, alternately ; by the
former on chymistry, and by the latter on mechanical
philosophy. Mr. Horner also mentioned that Mr.
Dick hail generously offered to deliver lectures on ve-
terinary surgery gratis; and that probably also, in thr
course of the winter, lectures woubl he given on ar-
chitecture by Mr. James Milne. Mr. 11Jrner then
adverted to the advantages the students would possess
in having access to the library of the institution, Ilse
volumes procured fur which were already between
300 and -lOU. and would gradually bocome more nu-
merous and valuable. The object oldie lectures t. maid
not be to excite their wonder by showy experiments,
but to impart to them a knowledge of every thing that
might be of value in the prosecution of their vari .us
trades ; and he exhorted the sterlents to hestcw all at-
tention and diligence, and not to be discouraged if
they should not at once comprehend the object of their
studies, but carefully to store up facts in their minds ;
and they might be assured davits theend their labours
would tarn to good account. 'f lie School of Arts had
arisen out of the kiwi interest which their feilow•ci-
tigens took in their prosperity and welfare, and its MP:.
eess would in a great measure depend opts the zeal
which the students should display in availing them

selves of the opportunity now offered to acquire know-
ledge at the cheapest possible rate. They had come
.forward with cominenda'.le alacrity, and if they con-
tinued to put a just value upon their privileges, the
public, they might be aAsored, would not tie backward
in the support of the institution. If, however, they
should relapse into indifference, it would show that it
was not wanted, and it must fall to the ground. But
the directors anticipated no suck result. They were
confident that every year would utile increase its value,
and they indulged the hope that other Watts and other
Rennie* world arise within the walls of the School of
Arts.

From the above outlines, we think that the reader
n•ill be able to form snn►e convention of the worthy
Secretary's address, every expression of which was the
obvious dictate of a mind impressed with the sense of
the magnitude and importance of the subject. Tlie
foregoing remarks, however, were interspersed with
others tide,' we consider, at this time, too valuable to
be vivirely overlooked. The rewards of genius are
powerfnl etmordants to exerdoo and enterprise : but,
in contempJating tke heights t r which successful pre-
decessors have clisube.l, the mind is apt to he ►iizxir►►.
►vith their magnificence and splendour, and to over-
look the paths by which their acclivity was expinreo
awl conquered : hence. the loftier the eininenc...which
claims our adwir.etit•n, the stroager is the. clsarn►
which holds its at its hale. , ale. Horner not only . set,
hafore his hearers tire crowns and • reeouipilne s •to ,
gained by the iu.Lustri ors vetsoies.,of 'ciente, am! en-

aeavottre.l to eeeite a desi:e to .obtain Minn. law • alsct
kept in viev tke ',scans wki •it They Aerk•to so;

more eiltertnisiir.te serve this piqmoio.
.4,!xsltkis.lPs.sitAre ouls;te.ll twoa wso it#4 ple,ll
Agotolcie fro.tia
Aga erlsu proissioiy never usvi gained ru