The Sun. — 1847-01-05 (London, England)

FINSBURY MUTUAL INSTRUC TION SOCIETY.  Mr. T. Cooper (author of " Purgatory of Suicides") delivered a lecture last evening, in the Finsbury hall, Bunhill-row, St. Luke's, " on the Conquest of Difficulties in Learning and Seitnce," as examples to the working classes. As may be suppoi.ed, a subject full of such interest to those whose lot it is to toil for their daily bread, and who have hitherto, from some cause or other, been debarred the acquisition of knowledge, commanded a crowded audience, and the lecturer v, as listened to throughout with great and deserved attention. Mr. Cooper acquitted himself of his task with ability and credit to himself. Independently of his knowledge of ancient and modern literature, as well as science, he is possessed of considerable oratorical powers, and was, therefore, enabled to impress upon his hearers, not only his own estimate of the importance of attaining knowledge by the working man, but the great and permanent value which such acquisition must give to that class in their position in society. Knowledge is power, said the philosopher, and therefore the attainment of such knowledge must give its possessors an advantage calculated to raise their position in the great social scale of human existence. Mr. Cooper having adverted generally to the acquisition of mental acquirements, he proceeded to show how futile was the idea that a working man could not if he pleased—and even at what was called an advanced ace—obtain a thorough acquaintance with at least the elements of the Greek and Latin languages. By that means the treasures of ancient classic lore would be opened to them, and what was of equal importance, it would enable them to trace the derivation of words from their original source. Ile then enumerated many instances of great and learned men—aye, and of the humble or working classes too—who had attained the ages of forty and fifty before they commenced the study of the dead languages, and yet, by perseverance and resolution, not only obtained a perfect acquaintance with them, but translated the writings of the must celebrated facts of antiquity into the English tongue. The possibility of acquiring a thorough knowledge of mathematics followed, and was, we shall take leave to say, the most practical part of the lecture, as addressed to his audience. We are not going to deny but that a knowledge of the ancient languages has been acquired by men in the humbler walks of life, many of whom have adorned the countries which gave them birth; nor do we say that such an acquisition is not an advantage, but with the generality of artisans and working men it may be a question whether the time and labour lost in the pursuit would be eventually repaid. It is not so with science. There an artisan has an opportunity of testing his knowledge by the very employment in which he is engaged, of advancing, by his ingenuity and skill, that great mechanical power which has made this country what she is in arts and manufactures, and of acquiring daily a practical knowledge which he may apply to the great business of life, and in the fulfilment of those duties and objects in which all men are individually engaged. It is in this that the study of mathematics afibrds the greatest ' benefits to the working man and to society at large, and which no pursuit after mere ancient or modern literature can ever bestow. And, talking of modern literature, it did occur to us that the lecturer was rather " hard" upon works of fiction as forming a portion of the working men's library. It may be quite true that those employed at manual labour have little or no time for reading novels, or works of a similar nature ; and it may be quite true also that that time might b better devoted to the attainment of mechanical knowledge ; but surely, at some period or another, there can be no error in making themselves acquainted with the beauties of their own language, with the works of men, though novelists, whose genius will ever shed a lustre on the land which gave them birth. The reading of such works, to the exclusion of all others, may indeed be an evil of great magnitude, but as a part of a course of literary instruction it must confer vast benefits on those who do so judiciously. eroroemgrewthteoreadthed! cleoc:itludrenwoats contain many vinerayn3,s,m:,hllo, and, rhvte, sought admission, but the interest created by the lecture absorbed all other considerations. AL the conclusion Mr. Cooper was loudly cheered.