GRESHAM COLLEGE.

THE importance, nay, the social necessity of the diffusion of know- ledge through all classes, is now so generally felt and acknow- ledged, that event be Tories (who have the policy to yield, in ap- pearance at least, to the current of public opinion) are no longer the apostles of popular ignorance. Institutions, the object of which is to facilitate and spread the means of instruction, not only in the useful arts and sciences, but in all branches of literature and the elegant and ornamental arts, are multiplying in every direction ; and even old establishments—not excepting the oldest of all, our venerable Universities—are endeavouring to assume something of a practical form, arid to consider what are the attainments which qualify a man for playing his part usefUlly and agreeably in the world.

Gresham College, once among the grandest of English insti- tutions for the diffusion of knowledge, but long allowed to re- main in a state of neglect and almost of oblivion, now attracts a large share of public attention, and promises to be revived in all its pristine utility. It was, as most of our readers are now aware, founded in the reign of Queen ELIZABETH, by Sir THOMAS Gs- RAM; a man who, in the enlargement of his views, was much in advance of his age. He bequeathed his spleedid mansion in the City in trust to the Corporation of London und the Mercers Com- pany (to which he belonged) as the residence of seven Professors, who were to deliver gratuitous leetures to all who choee to attend them, in Divinity, Astronomy, Music, Geometry, Law, Physic, and Rhetoric : anti he further bequeathed the magnificent Royal Ex- change, which he had built at his own cost, to the same trustees, In trier that the rents of this edifice might be the perpetual en- dowment of his College. An iestitution so richly endowed, could afford to be liberal ill its salaries; and accordingly, the Gresham Professors, fir many years, were among the must distinguished men in the kingdom. For a long period, these eminent per- sons had their residences, as a collegiate body, withiu the walls of Gresham College ; and the hall in e 'licit they delivered their lectures was open to every citizen of London. But, in 1767, the College was destroyed by an act of the Legislature, so outra- geously wanton and unjust as to be almost incredible. By an tot if Parliament passed in that year, Gresham College was ordered to be pulled down, in order to atiltrd a site for a new Excise-office! This barbarous /jut was aecmnplished. The building was levelled with the ground ; and all that remained of Greeham College was a paltry chamber in the Reyal Exchange, assigned to the Profes- sors for the delivery of their lectures.

The consequence was what might be expected. The bondpf union among the Professors, which gave them weight and utility as a body, was broken. Every man became an insulated indivi- dual, without cuiiperation or control ; and the result wits, that the professorships became sinecures ; some of the Professors de- livering something like lectures to a few persons who might stray into the room, and others not thinking it worth while even to go through the form of lecturing. Meanwhile, the public, and evert the citizens of London, forgot the very existence of Gresham College.

But the age of sinecures, if not past, is passing. The death of' the late Mr. STEVENS, who for a large part of his long life had enjoyed the sinecure of Gresham Professor of Music, and the necessary appointment of his successor, drew tbe attention of some members of the Common Council to the subject; and it was determined that the new Musical Professor should not only he fully qualified to perform Isis duty, but should actually perform it. The fitness of the candidates was tested, in the most effectual way, by probationary lectures. They were eminent men, and all. displayed ability ; but the lecture of Mr. EDWARD TAYLOR so in- contestibly surpassed all the others in the requisite qualities, that Mr. TAYLOR was chosen by nearly unanimous assent. There never was an instance of an election having proceeded more purely and singly on the ground of merit, or the propriety of which has been more fully admitted.

By the late conflagration of the Royal Exchange, the Gresham Professors were deprived of the "little Pattuos which remained to them after the destruction of their proper home. A. tem- porary arrangement was made for the delivery of the Gresham Lectures in the Theatre of the City of London School. There Mr. TAYLOR commenced his course ; w 'licit, instead of ubout twenty, the usual number of the audience at a Gresham lecture, was attended by six hundred auditors,—a most satisfactory proof of the interest which the public will take in the Gresham Lectures, and of the benefit they are calculated to produce, when delivered in good earliest by men competent to the task.

Mr. TAYLOR has published the three inaugural lectures deli- vered by him on entering upon the discharge of his duty. We

gave, at the time, a brief report of them, taken from the lecturer's delivery ; but we now recommend them in their entire form to the attention, not of our musical readers in particular, but of every one who takes a philanthropic interest in the diffusion of instruction among the people. The subject is of peculiar importance at the present time, when the rebuilding of the Royal Exchange is in contemplation ; for this is the time which lamas all opportunity for restoring to Gresham College" a local habitation "—" a name" being all that the injustice of a former Government has left it; and of reviving, in its ancient greatness, an institution created for

the use of the citizens of London, and calculated to be of inesti- mable benefit to them. Mr. TAYLOR has shown, with great force

and eloquence, the advantages which would result from such an establishment as Gresham College at the present and in inture time.

" An eminent writer has recently said, it is the strong tendency of our times to diffuse among the many the advantages once confined to the few.' If this be true, then is such a foundation as Gresham College eminently adapted to the spilt and circumstances of the present age. Limited its sphere of wefulnesa must be, like that of every human institution ; but though limited in its scope, it is neither narrow nor exclusive in its plan ; and, if conducted with a regard to its founder's generous design, it would not be an inefficient instrument in promoting the tumid and intellectual improvement of society. Its position would be commanding, and its influence might be correspondingly extensive. " The demand for knowledge is growing on eve' y side. I make no comment on this fact. Some may deplore, others may rejoice at it ; but all admit it, and I treat it simply as a fact. It is the interest of all parties that this demand be met circumspectly, prudently, and effectively ; and as our institution was originally designed, so I know of no uric at the present moment better calculated to meet it, if once called into existence and invested with its former attributes. This is the test by which to try its probability of success—does it harmonize with the spirit of the age? If so, its agency. feeble though it seem, may yet be powerful. A child may increase the speed of a rolling body, when a giant could not arrest it. Regarded in this point of view, it is not easy to calculate how wide would be the motal influence of such an establishment. As it is im- possible to degrade one class a society without hi:jury to the rest, so it is impossible to enlighten or improve one condition of society without in some degree

ameliorating the rest. "Again, the existence of a place of religious, moral, and,scientific instruc-

tion which is accessible to all, will tend to destroy the jealousy with which this subject ii regarded by different classes of society, and whielt usually attend, the possession of any exclusive advantage. This reeling, in such cases, is mutual and perpetual; the posseasors !tripe anxious to retain the monopoly, and the excluded to share it. To the latter, the most numerous patty, we should be enabled to say, Here at least is free and welcome access fur all;' for such WO our founder's benevolent design. " It is impossible fur us to calculate with how large an amount of interest a benefit thus conferred may be repaid tosiwiety, or to guess what important disco. veries may arise from this ready approach to the fountains of knowledge; for

who shall undertake to say when and whet e the seed thus liberally scattered shall take root, and germinate, and bring fintli fruit? I myself recuilect one of the greatest mathematicians of the present day ( I speak it to his honour,) in a mental

capacity. What were the se! Is of Cambridge to such a man ? its eud.ow-

merits and professorships, its libraries mid lectures, what were they to him ?

Open to the rich and the noble, for him they had no practical existence. Gresham College was designed to meet, and it would meet such a ease,. by affording to such an inquirer that assistance which elsewhere was denied. High and honourable privilege, proud and enviable distioction ! Is this a sou- try instance? Far otherwise. The history td. science abounds with examples of men who have struggled unaided into usefulness and eminence, alai fought their way to knowledge and to fame against a thousand obstacles. 'F hew in- stances tell us what we have gained, but who shall estimate the amount of 101111 to society front the want of ready and accessible instruction to those who were eager to receive it and aide to turn it to valuable account?

"Let it nut be said that talent will always fur oe its way. Supposing this Were

.osiversally, or even generally true. I ask. is it f ir the interest of society that iIeut should be tanager! and shackled—that p iwers whitili might be exerted or the general good should encounter ittiriditnents mei hindrances instead of inding assistance Hnil support ? bitt the assertion is tiontradiettia by expuri•

.nce : we know it is not true. Distinioion 1JIsiice..ss ae. at. least as much .n constitutional energy as upon intellectual po ...sir. The a ....talents are often inaccampanied by this energy. whiist it freimentI■ co • Hit Ignorance and

aaly. Talent dues not always fore, way Fa.. • :nee where it has isen superior to adverse cireamstai, e. in a hi eil i • ; .s ; INvay itnex. rcised nal unknown. And even in thiii. is s I, . g o . tihtutt p■ItVer 'WM 141111110UnrC11 the obstacles ii,r , in-artic ion, how ouch happier, I „low intich more the.. . hail their 1.11341

0 knowledge been mole a little less il'fli tilt 1•- perhaps less de. bus—had a helping bawl been judiciously extended to aid alai guide them in he cotnmencement of their career !

I. This helping hand our College was designed to lend. Thu humblest oquirer after knowledge had here welcome tam toe, awl cordial assistance.

icience has been the gradual titration of ortn■ iniads u n my : multiply hen the lovers and cultivators of scietwa. and ■ti ao lei. its improvement at nee more rapid and more certain. Kilow I. dae,' slys oi:. of the greatest phi- soothers of the present day (Sir ' can neither be ale-

illately cultivated nor adequately enjoyed by a few ; immil althangli the con- ntions ot our existence on earth may he such as to preelinie mly of the ph)sical necessities of ;ill who mar he le tril, Iii m I, II41 such lam of awe in force against that of our intellectual and how ml w mut-. Knomedye ot like foal, desttoyed by use, hat rather attamented iiii There is .0 body of knowledge so comolete but that it nia) rui'uivm c,irmeem lull 111 'ming through the minds of millions. Tiliew who ailiiiire and lave knowledge ir its own sake, ought to wish to see its elements vial... ace, •sibie to all, were t only that they may be the more Ihm mighly ex oniiwil mmml more cif ritually eveloped in their conserprences, and receive th it ductile and plastic quality eltich the action of minds of all descriptions, coitsiai.tly moulding them to heir purposes, can alone bestow.' " These remarks, it may be said, apply to the severer sciences ; but what is heir bearing upon music, which is Inerply Oro. of I lie nen ill mitt! arts ibr life ? ; reply, that whatever tends to cm tine, to c;vilize, tm, exalr time intellectual ...!4 foul-

iii man, is not merely ornitnental. but useful. Poi. is the character and iwpose of all the arts, whether painting, !willow e, istetry, or music. • Iistrig above and beyond the limits ot the sensible and the material, they des ght in the contemplation of the iiifitiite and the spit anal. and kuow mmii bound

• t for the sphere .ml their exertions. Every pawer mid every faculty with ellich man is endued was given to h.. imptoveil and en:pled. There is the one mutual adaptation between knowledge and the littniiin mind, as there is ietween light and the eye, sound and the ear, seal and the earth. When the sliniglity on the one hand so constituted the seed, that when deposited in the ath it get minutes and grows arid produces fruit, awl when on the other he constitued the human body that the fa uit noori•hes and sustains it, lie in the 'lost emphatic Insulter cononanded man to cultivate the earth and to reap its uits. In like manner, when he valued the human voice with sweetriexs, corn- 's, flexibility, and power, and made it capable olgiving expres..• to every eluti- on of the heart—when he bestowed on the ear the power of the nicest dia- . imination, and rendered it one of the channels through which pleasure is onveyed to the mind—when he also established those laws which control and

igulate the production, diffusion, and c binatiou of sound, rendering each eneficent provision tr ibutary to and dependent upon the other, and uniting all la beauteous harmony—can we doubt that tlitsie gifts were di•pensed with a view to their enjoyment, or that by cultivating the powers thus bestowed, we ,re not only best consulting our own happiness, but renikring to their Giver he acceptable ttibute of obedience? "Such, we may be assured, was the view taken of this subject by the founder if our College. His first aim was the darn-ion of religiou• and moral instruc- ion, his next care the extension of scientific information ; nor did lie neglect 0 provide for the extension of koowledge in that art most capable of diffusing ho•e influences which it is the province of every art to exert."

To this powerful appeal Mr. TAYLOR adds many other impor- mint considerations. He suggests, in partieular, that the sphere or usefulness originally contemplated by Sir Titostas Gazsriast might be enlarged-

- fhe advances which philosophy has made, and is diti'y inaking, may render

• desirable that other branches of knowledge should he added to those which or founder commissi ,,,, ed its Professors to teach. This would be a worthy simpletion, not a violation, of the trust which he bequeathed. Such it plan has been hallowed in out Univetsities. where hide:aims of Botany, of Chemistry, at Mineralogy, have been successively creited, as those sciences rose into exist- nce and acquitell form and maturity. Were Gresham College now standing, ts iloors, once opened to receive Newton and Boyle, would not now be shut

gainst Lindley, Faraday, or Sedgwick. Look around y lllll and see wliut London has voluntarily done towards accompl.shing this object ; see what noble xertions it is making for the diffusion of iota matinta in every department of t and science ; and can you doubt that, if Gresham College hail a teal iii. tead of a nominal existence, eneara would he wanting to give it the power of • oparting instruction in scienees of which the exi•tence was unknown, and herefore could not be contemplated in its original ilm.igt ? hhmit the destrue- ..on of the College hits tendered this impossible. Its Professors are so many ailitted holividitals, living apart and never meeting, having no comuton bond of moon like their predecessors, but coming iii successiau to discharge their

s ilitary and stated duty."

We cannot doubt, therefore, that the citizens of London will be dive to their own interest in a matter of in much moment to heinselves and their posterity. hi demanding, as part of the iitblic arrangement for constructing a new Royal Exchange, an quivalent for the edifice of Gresham College, which belonged to t tern, and of which they were literally plundered by the Gowen:- m pot of a former day, they will demand nothing but their clear a ol undeniable. right ; a right which, to be acknowledged, requiles oily to be firmly asserted.