MENT OF. SCIENCE AND ART. A.D. 1860-1873 Part II. There was much affection between these two eminent men, and DEPARTwhen Captain Fowke was arranging the Guards' ball in the Picture Galleries of the Exhibition of 1862, and Mr. Sykes was too feeble to mount the steps, Captain Fowke carried him up in his arms. Captain Fowke, in the spring of 1865, had been working un- Selections. usually hard at the drawing for the completion of the South Kensington Museum, and, feeling much fatigued, in the month of August he went to Switzerland, hoping to recover his health; but he came back much worse, with many alarming symptoms. These had been subdued, and he went to Eastbourne, where he remained till December. Two days after his return to his residence at the 'Museum, on the 4th December, 1865, whilst sitting in his chair, a Captain blood-vessel broke. He exclaimed-"This is the end," and spoke death. no more. He was buried at the Brompton Cemetery, being followed to his grave by numerous brother officers, friends, and assistants. He was greatly beloved, and is not known to have made a single enemy. The Science and Art Department have commissioned Mr. Woolner to make a bust of him to be placed in the South Kensington Museum. Fowke's Donnelly on Captain Donnelly, R.E., who had worked with him at Kensington for years, and made several good photographic likenesses of him, has justly remarked in the "Naval and Military Gazette," Captain that Captain Fowke's "mind, though essentially practical, was Captain wonderfully pliant and original, and combined with a quick imagi- character. nation, which gave him a power of viewing, whether common things or intricate problems, from all points and in new lights, and by, so to say, analysing them, grasping their essential requisites.” I see no reason to modify the opinion of my friend and colleague, which I expressed at a meeting of the Society of Arts, and with it I conclude these brief notes: "I firmly believe that the arts of construction in this country have sustained a great loss by Captain Fowke's death. At this period, when art is so transitional, and science is making so many discoveries, and men's minds are seething with inventions; when the use of new materials is being constantly manifested, and the new adaptation of old materials is constantly entered upon, England has lost a man who felt the spirit of his age, and was daring enough to venture beyond the beaten path of conventionalism. Captain Fowke, to my mind, was solving the problem of the deco Fowke's DEPART MENT OF AND ART. A.D. 1860-1873 Part II. rative use of iron, and, by appreciating the spirit both of the Gothic and Renaissance architects, was on the threshold of introducing a novel style of architecture, when, alas! death, at the early age of forty-two years, has cut short his promising career." South Kensington Museum, June 21, 1866. HENRY COLE. AN ADDRESS, DELIVERED IN THE LIVERPOOL INSTITUTE, 8TH DECEMBER, 1875, BY SIR HENRY COLE, K. C.B. AT DISTRI BUTIONS OF PRIZES. A.D. 1875. Selections. HE Directors of this Institution have put into my ADDRESSES hands a printed pamphlet suggesting the duties which I have to perform this evening. I find an appropriate text at the beginning of this little pamphlet. Sir Thomas Wyse, in 1837, said, if not in this very room, yet in the presence of some of the gentlemen whose heads are now as white as my own:-"The time is fast approaching when your institution will be an example, not scoffed at, not doubted, not dreaded, but imitated; when, no longer single, you will be enabled, looking around from this spot, to count your progeny rising up in every direction, like that of the celebrated Asiatic tree, whose seed, wherever they fall, spring up in forests each nobler and more fruitful than its parent." Sir Thomas Wyse was a prophet, and his prophecy has been amply fulfilled. But Sir Thomas did not contemplate that those things which somebody has called "godless" things, should be in intimate alliance with the old and venerated Universities of Oxford and of Cambridge; that they should be in alliance with the Society of Arts, and, finally, that they should ally themselves with Government and receive prizes from the Science and Art Department. The prizes of this evening refer to general education and to Art. They refer also to chemistry, physical geography, mechanics, and natural history; but there appear to me to be some omissions. I ADDRESSES BUTIONS OF of Music. am supposed to have the art of saying disagreeable things, and not always preaching smooth things, and I hope the directors will excuse me if I point out one or two things in which I think the institution is deficient. You cannot go into any school in Germany, or into any institute resembling this, without finding that one of the things taught, and taught most efficiently, is Music. The same thing happens in Switzerland and in Holland; it happens somewhat less in France; it happens more or less in Italy; but, undoubtedly, you will find throughout the length and breadth of Europe that Music forms part of education. Three hundred years Importance since, when Liverpool existed in some kind of shape, every gentleman was supposed to know Music, and I have no doubt that then the singing in the churches-there were few, if any, dissenting chapels-was much more effective than it is now: undoubtedly England was once called a musical nation, and at that time people had their glees and madrigals, which contributed to the happiness of men and women. I would therefore ask the directors why Music is not taught in this institution? Somebody has said there is no time. There is more than enough time, and the fact is that if you did not go on grinding away at all sorts of things which men and women little understand or care for, you would have plenty of time for Music. If the directors would take up Music as a science and art, they would greatly increase the numbers attending the school. There are some special local reasons why they should do this. There is a movement started in Liverpool for finding out Liverpool lads and lasses to whom Heaven has given the genius of Music, and for having them properly trained at the National Training School for Music. England is perhaps the only civilized country in Europe at present, which has not a system for finding out its musical genius. No doubt you will find a great deal of that genius in Liverpool, and I have expectations that before I leave the town, it will be announced that some patriotic gentlemen have determined that, at least, six free scholarships shall be founded for obtaining the best musical talent. I shall be greatly surprised if the number does not increase. Surely the Institute will establish one scholarship for youths and another for girls. If people do not now understand the virtue of getting a living by the musical abilities which God has given them, they will find it out sooner or later. During the last session, Parliament-and Lord Sandon had a National AT DISTRI- A.D. 1875. great deal to do with the business-determined that every child in ADdresses the public elementary schools who was taught singing could earn a shilling. What does that mean? Why, it means that if two millions of children are all taught singing, they will draw a sum of Part II. £100,000 from public taxation to promote Music. Are you going to be laggard on this question, which the Government is trying to get every child to take up? Selections. of drill. Then again, in almost every place in Germany you find that the boys and girls are taught drill and gymnastics. If you want to Importance make your young men strong and patriotic, so that they can fight as patriots, and say to the whole world, "Don't come troubling us, or we will give you a warm reception if you do," you ought to take up systematic drilling. They are all cultivated gentlemen at this institution; but remember, this drilling is being established also among two millions of the poorer classes who are sent to public elementary schools. Surely you are not going to be behindhand in the matter! Arts. The Institute is already in alliance with the Society of Arts, and Society of that Society gives prizes. It has recently re-arranged its curriculum of subjects for which it gives prizes, and has introduced the subject of Health, the subject of Cookery, and other branches of Health, Domestic Economy. Now, I am told that some ladies are coming Domestic Cookery, up to receive prizes in Drawing; perhaps there may be one or two Economy. who are coming up to receive prizes in general education; but I fear none of them will come up for prizes in Science, and therefore I venture to suggest to the directors that they should pay attention to this new programme of the Society of Arts, which is preeminently intended for the benefit of women, by fostering a knowledge of Clothing and its materials, Cookery, Health, Housekeeping, and thrift and care. These subjects are also matters of elementary education; and in any school where a child has passed what is called the Fourth Standard-if it can be certified as knowing about clothing, the making-up of dresses, shirts, and things of the kind, together with cookery-that school gets four shillings a year for that child out of the pockets of the taxpayers. These are subjects peculiarly suited to the Blackburne House School for girls. Well, I believe I have now got to the end of my fault-finding, and I am going into some other points for your consideration. No |