Lord Rosebery delivered an interesting speech on Tuesday at the
Birmingham and Midland Institute. After remarking in a little outburst of noteworthy sincerity and eloquence that for science he had "the enthusiasm of ignorance," but always dreaded astronomy, because it made man feel so small, he diverged to the subject of reading. He bade his audience beware of the "immense fens of stagnant literature which can produce nothing but intellectual malaria." Every man who reads should ask himself, "To what good am I reading this ?" and should specially be care- ful lest much reading should destroy the independ- ence of thought, which unhappily is not a prominent characteristic of our people. That deficiency must be the cause of The " unrippled apathy which" just now "veils the thoughts of the nation." To succeed a nation needs much thought, "a great trained and intelligent population,:' and political education has this drawback, that it has no material rewards. Cultivate, said Lord Rosebery, a "spirit of honest dissatisfaction as opposed to complacency," for "the nation which is satisfied is lost." "Complacency is a fatal gift," and we need the nervous energy of Americans (Who are surely, however, we must remark, as self- satisfied as we are). " Providence may become weary Of watching over us if we do not watch over ourselves." If reforms are wanted the nation must lead in them, they "must want them with all their might," and must not wait
till the very last before making the rush which, if too late, may produce a catastrophe. It was a witty speech and a sound, though we trace in it the dangerous idea upon which Lord Rosebery bases all his public action, that the leader should not lead, but wait till the nation moves. The coach- man might as well ask the time of starting and the direction from his horses.
