PREFACE I HAVE to thank Mr. Knowles of the Nineteenth Century, Mr. Quilter of the Universal Review, and the Messrs. Black of the Encyclopædia Britannica, for permission to include in this volume articles originally published by them. The collection which Messrs. Macmillan have kindly undertaken to republish deals with a variety of topics, and is, perhaps, wanting in unity of design. These essays and lectures have, however, all originated in my desire to promote the interests of science, either by explaining some of its later advances to the general public, or by showing the need for increased aid to scientific research from the State. Hence the somewhat comprehensive title which I have ventured to give to this little book. I hope that each paper in its turn may find some readers who will think that it possesses sufficient interest to justify its reappearance in its present form. Some of the papers now reprinted were published sufficiently long ago for changes to have occurred in the position of matters of which they treat. |