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may enter its doors. Ample provision will be made for the general public profiting to the full by the Museum, as soon as the magnitude of the collection, and the command of suitable apartments, enable the specimens to be duly arranged. With the performance of this duty, the Board of Trade, through its Department of Science, is charged, and I shall carry out their instructions as Director of the Museum. But the object of this Chair is, to unite that Museum with this ancient University, so that its Students may profit by the alliance; and my special duty is, to maiie that Museum the text of my prelections to you. Thus far my text is sufficiently definite; but as I must, to the best of my power, make available the continued additions, from time to time, of industrial objects to the Museum to those who study here, it would be idle for me narrowly to restrict my commission. I must, so far as I can, and in all legitimate ways that I can, turn the Museum to the largest account as a means of education. But, as the Museum is only in its germ, it would be premature, as in truth it is impossible, for me to attempt to circumscribe the mode in which its future development will affect the teachings of the Professor of Technology. Three principles, however, may be announced, which will show in what way its duties will be limited in my hands,—
1st, It is not intended that desultory prelections shall be given on the present or future contents of the Museum. On the other hand, a systematic course of lectures will be delivered on the Applications of Science to the Industrial Arts—so that the Museum will minister to the Chair, not the Chair wait upon the Museum; and accordingly I will attempt such a course this winter, without waiting for specimens to accumulate.
2d, The subjects of lecture will be arranged so as to interfere as little as possible with the lectures delivered from the other Chairs of this University.
3d, The chemical, much more than the mechanical industrial arts, will form the subject of my lectures.
As for the first of these principles, I think it unnecessary to say one word in defence of the superiority of systematic over desultory lectures. As for the second, as this Chair was founded, not to supplant but to supplement the existing Chairs, it will be my solicitous care not to overstep its legitimate sphere. And that I shall be able to do so, I think, will best appear from a somewhat fuller reference to the third principle, and to the subjects which will be taught from
