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DR. OWENS,

MEMBER OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS, ETC.

AUTHOR OF LECTURE ON THE PURSUIT OF KNOWLEDGE."

"Wise men lay up knowledge; but the mouth of the foolish is near
destruction." PROVERBS.

London:

SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, AND CO.

STOURBRIDGE:

PRINTED BY T. MELLARD, HIGH STREET.

M DCCCXLIV.

TO THE READER.

THE Committee of the Stourbridge Institute of Popular Science and Literature did me the honour to invite me to deliver the Introductory Address in commencing the course of Lectures for last Winter, the observations were, therefore, thrown together in a hurried form and delivered on the occasion, before an exceedingly numerous audience of Ladies and Gentlemen, Members and Supporters of the Institute,-and it is in compliance with an unanimous request which was then made by the Company, that they now appear as a Publication. It is hoped that the important subject of the Discourse, apart from the manner it is treated, will ensure general approbation, also that of the numerous personal Friends who have subscribed, and that my numerous public

engagements, of late, will excuse the many errata,

Wolverhampton, April, 1844.

J. D. OWENS,

CONSULTING SURGEON.

LECTURE.

The purposes of education are to make us good and happy, to qualify us for the business of living, and for the duties required by society, and our inquiries and pursuits should be directed to these objects, and to fulfil these important ends.

Whatever conduces to enlarge our capacity for pure and virtuous enjoyment should claim our attention and regard, -those pleasures and pastimes that contract the circle of our better qualities and actions, we should perseveringly avoid. With a view to obtain for ourselves these desirable and great advantages, we should seek to gain the knowledge of those properties and influences, both in moral and physical science, that have relation thereto, and pursuing their combinations and tendencies, strive to coerce them to our service and comfort.

But however important and essential general knowledge is to our progress, it must be remembered that the mind is the supreme endowment of our being, and we must study and unfold its nature and attributes if we expect to realize tranquil and permanent happiness. Intellectual pleasures are the highest and most lasting-they have their source

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