There is scarcely anything by which a stranger is more forcibly struck
on visiting Paris and other continental cities, than meeting at the
museums, libraries, palaces, menageries, and other places of exhibition,
crowds of private soldiers, artizans, and persons of inferior degree,
who with the greatest attention, and in the most decorous and orderly
manner, inspect the various objects presented to their notice; and who,
judging from the intelligent manner in which they discuss the merits of
these objects, would appear to derive the greatest possible advantage
from the privileges they enjoy. Amongst this crowd of people it was not
an unfrequent sight, a year or two since, to observe some well-dressed
individual poking at a picture with his fingers, as if his eyes were on
the points of them, teasing the animals in the menagerie, or possibly
inscribing his worthless name on some pillar or statue. You might have
safely addressed the person whom you saw thus employed in English as one
from our own dominions; and if you looked around, you would have seen
an expression of anger in the countenances of the native spectators,
or have heard them muttering their just contempt of the ignorance and
rudeness displayed in thus wantonly injuring or defacing that which,
being publicly exhibited for general advantage, becomes so far public
property as to appeal strongly to the _honour_ of all well-thinking
individuals for its protection. In our own country, a few years since, it
required no ordinary generosity, and no little sacrifice of selfishness,
to place within the reach of our people any works of art or curiosity
in the shape of exhibitions; and our government contributed very little
assistance towards forwarding the great work of national improvement by
such means. Truly melancholy was it then to see the mischief wantonly
done to the property of the few liberal individuals who offered to
share their pleasures with their less fortunate fellows; one instance
of which (probably one that has wrought much to induce good conduct)
may perhaps be worth narrating here. In certain beautiful pleasure
grounds, freely opened to the public, there was to be seen, a few
years since, a board bearing the following inscription:--“This mound
was planted with evergreens three times, and as often trampled down
by thoughtless individuals admitted to walk in the grounds: it is now
planted a fourth time.” This was the delicate but touching reproof of
the worthy proprietor, who may now, however (having suffered in a good
cause), congratulate himself on the amended habits of the people, brought
about by the increasing enlightenment on the subject of the necessity
and utility of admitting the humbler orders to places of rational and
instructive recreation, aided by their improved education and temperate
habits, which hold forth great encouragement to those who possess the
power to extend the privileges still too scantily accorded. We are indeed
satisfied that a most decided improvement in the habits and feelings of
the humbler classes of the community has really taken place within the
last few years, and that under judicious arrangements they might now be
admitted safely even to exhibitions of objects of great intrinsic value;
and in proof of this opinion we may state, that about two years since,
when, on the occasion of the Queen’s coronation, the Royal Hibernian
Academy opened the doors of their annual exhibition to the public
gratuitously for one day, though thousands took advantage of this free
admission, not the slightest accident to the property or impropriety of
any kind whatever occurred.
If proofs of the utility of thus disposing of the spare time of the
people be required, one answer will be, that they are thus at least “kept
out of harm’s way;” and in accomplishing this (quite a sufficient object
for exertion when man’s propensities to evil are taken into account),
a great deal more of good is achieved, for a spirit of inquiry is thus
induced, and a talent for observation cultivated, which are the parents
of true knowledge, and which, combined with the habit of concentrating
thought and reflection, must open up the sources of wisdom, and produce
an enlargement of understanding in the fortunate possessor, which older
and still too prevalent methods of education are eminently calculated to
repress. It has been observed, until the observation has become trite,
that “knowledge is power,” and it is therefore the duty of all who are
sensible of the value of mental development to encourage whatever tends
to promote it; though, unfortunately, there still exists a class of men
who seek to maintain undeserved superiority, by keeping all persons
subordinate to them in ignorance, instead of generously extending to them
such help as would enable them to advance in intelligence. How different
was the feeling of him who said, that if permitted to have his wishes
accomplished he would ask but for two: the first, that he might possess
all knowledge that man in his finite nature can or ought to possess; and
the second, that having attained this knowledge, all his fellow-creatures
might be admitted to a participation of it.
The value of observation as an accessible source of information to all,
must be obvious; the infant observes before he reasons, and reason
advances with the powers of observing. When the man becomes a sage, he
may theorise; but he must first test his wisdom by observation, which
would thus appear to be the fulcrum on which mind must depend to raise
itself; and as opportunities of observation are now daily increasing, it
becomes a matter of importance to aid those who are inclined, by showing
them how to observe, and to draw out the latent talent in those who,
having eyes, yet see not; and there is no mode in which this can be more
effectually and agreeably done than by drawing their attention to those
natural objects by which they are surrounded. The sacred writers were
well aware of the value of thus directing the mind; and our poets have
in many instances derived applause and celebrity from their power of
accurately observing and faithfully describing the phenomena of nature.
To aid the people in the acquirement of knowledge so desirable, our best
efforts shall not be wanting, and we propose to ourselves accordingly to
give a series of papers on Natural History, pointing out, in a popular
manner, what all who have eyes may see, and, seeing, profit by.