the paltry remuneration which the labourer receives in many of our spinning-mills and other manufactories, so long as such domestic slavery and avaricious practices continue, form an insurmountable barrier to the general diffusion of knowledge.

But were the minds of the lower orders imbued with a certain portion of useful science, and did they possess such a competency as every human being ought to enjoy, their knowledge would lead them to habits of diligence and economy. In most instances it will be found, that ignorance is the fruitful source of indolence, waste, and extravagance, and that abject poverty is the result of a want of discrimination and proper arrangement in the management of domestic affairs. Now, the habits of application which the acquisition of knowledge necessarily produces, would naturally be carried into the various departments of labour peculiar to their stations, and prevent that laziness and inattention which is too common among the working classes, and which not unfrequently lead to poverty and disgrace. Their knowledge of the nature of heat, combustion, atmospheric air, and combustible substances, would lead them to a proper economy in the use of fuel; and their acquaintance with the truths of chemistry, on which the art of a rational cookery is founded, would lead them to an economical practice in the preparation of victuals, and teach them to extract from every substance all its nutritious qualities, and to impart a proper relish to every dish they prepare; for want of which knowledge and attention, the natural substances intended for the sustenance of man will not go half their length in the hands of some as they do under the judicious management of others. Their knowledge of the structure and functions of the animal system, of the regi

men which ought to be attended to in order to health and vigour, of the causes which produce obstructed perspiration, of the means by which pestilential effluvia and infectious diseases are propagated, and of the disasters to which the human frame is liable in certain situations, would tend to prevent many of those diseases and fatal accidents to which ignorance and inattention have exposed so many of our fellow-men. For want of attending to such precautions in these respects, as knowledge would have suggested, thousands of families have been plunged into wretchedness and ruin, which all their future exertions were inadequate to remove. As the son of Sirach has well observed, "Better is the poor being sound and strong in constitution, than a rich man that is afflicted in his body. Health and good estate of body are above all gold; there are no riches above a sound body, and no joy above the joy of the heart."

As slovenliness and filth are generally the characteristics of ignorance and vulgarity, so an attention to cleanliness is one of the distinguishing features of cultivated minds. Cleanliness is conducive to health and virtuous activity, but uncleanliness is prejudicial to both. Keeping the body clean is of great importance, since more than the one half of what we eat and drink is evacuated by perspiration; and if the skin is not kept clean the pores are stopped, and perspiration consequently prevented, to the great injury of health. It is highly necessary to the health and cheerfulness of children; for where it is neglected, they grow pale, meagre, and squalid, and subject to several loathsome and troublesome diseases, Washing the hands, face, mouth, and feet, and occasionally the whole body, conduces to health, strength, and ease, and tends to prevent colds,

rheumatism, cramps, the palsy, the itch, the toothache, and many other maladies. Attention to cleanliness of body would also lead to cleanliness in regard to clothes, victuals, apartments, beds and furniture. A knowledge of the nature of the mephitic gases, of the necessity of pure atmospheric air to health and vigour, and of the means by which infection is produced and communicated, would lead persons to see the propriety of frequently opening doors and windows to dissipate corrupted air, and to admit the refreshing breeze, of sweeping cobwebs from the corners and ceiling of the room, and of removing dust, straw, or filth of any kind which is offensive to the smell, and in which infection might be deposited. By such attention, fevers and other malignant disorders might be prevented, vigour, health, and serenity promoted, and the whole dwelling and its inmates present an air of cheerfulness and comfort, and become the seat of domestic felicity.

Again, scientific knowledge would display itself among the lower orders, in the tasteful decoration of their houses and garden plots. The study of botany and horticulture would teach them to select the most beautiful flowers, shrubs, and evergreens; to arrange their plots with neatness and taste, and to improve their kitchen garden to the best advantage, so as to render it productive for the pleasure and sustenance of their families. A genius for mechanical operations which almost every person may acquire, would lead them to invent a variety of decorations, and to devise many contrivances for the purpose of conveniency, and for keeping every thing in its proper place and order—which never enter into the conceptions of rude and vulgar minds. Were such dispositions and mental activity generally prevalent, the

circumstances which lead to poverty, beggary, and drunkenness, would be in a great measure removed, and home would always be resorted to as a place of comfort and enjoyment.

Again, the study of science and art would incline the lower classes to enter into the spirit of every new improvement, and to give their assistance in carrying it forward. The want of taste and of mental activity, and the spirit of selfishness which at present prevails among the mass of mankind, prevent the accomplishment of a variety of schemes which might tend to promote the conveniencies and comforts of general society. For example; many of our villages. which might otherwise present the appearance of neatness and comfort, are almost impassable, especially in the winter season, and during rainy weather, on account of the badness of roads and the want of foot-paths. At almost every step you encounter a pool, a heap of rubbish, or a dunghill, and in many places feel as if you were walking in a quagmire. In some villages, otherwise well planned, the streets present a grotesque appearance of sandy hillocks and mounds, and pools of stagnant water scattered in every direction, with scarcely the vestige of a pathway to guide the steps of the passenger. In winter, the traveller, in passing along, is bespattered with mire and dirt, and in summer, he can only drag heavily on, while his feet at every step sink into soft and parched sand. Now, such is the apathy and indifference that prevail among many villagers as to improvement in these respects, that although the contribution of a single shilling or of half a day's labour might, in some instances, accomplish the requisite improvements, they will stand aloof from such operations with a sullen obstinacy, and even glory in be

ing the means of preventing them. Nay, such is the selfishness of many individuals, that they will not remove nuisances even from the front of their own dwellings, because it might at the same time promote the convenience of the public at large. In large towns, likewise, many narrow lanes are rendered filthy, gloomy, and unwholesome by the avarice of landlords, and the obstinate and boorish manners of their tenants, and improvements prevented which would tend to the health and comfort of the inhabitants. But as knowledge tends to liberalise the mind, to subdue the principle of selfishness, and to produce a relish for cleanliness and comfort, when it is more generally diffused, we may expect that such improvements as those to which I allude will be carried forward with spirit and alacrity. There would not be the smallest difficulty in accomplishing every object of this kind and every other improvement conducive to the pleasure and comfort of the social state, provided the majority of a community were cheerfully to come forward with their assistance and contributions, however small, and to act with concord and harmony. A whole community or nation acting in unison, and every one contributing according to his ability, would accomplish wonders in relation to the improvement of towns, villages, and hamlets, and of every thing that regards the comfort of civil and domestic society.

In short, were knowledge generally diffused, and art uniformly directed by the principles of science, new and interesting plans would be formed, new improvements set on foot, new comforts énjoyed, and a new lustre would appear on the face of nature, and on the state of general society. Numerous conveniencies, decorations, and useful establishments never