PREFACE.

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people, to be recorded, that all that has been hereeffected, has been effected by themselves; that notone name in connection with the government of thiscountry, the splendid name of Huskisson alone excepted, has lent its influence, or its encouragement,to accelerate the progress of Mechanics’ Institutionsand that in France , public functionaries of everydesci’iption, local and general, have vied with eachother in extending this intellectual impulse. Eventhe illustrious individual nearest to the throne ofthat great empire, has publicly, and at the instant ofits commencement, declared himself to be friendly tothe diffusion of information amongst the workingclasses ; and his mind was vividly affected by con-templating the new sources of prosperity, which,through these institutions, might be enjoyed by hisfuture subjects.* In proof of this interest, Dupin,in his last eloquent communication on the subject,observes, that “ when the Dauphin travelled throughLorraine, the magistrates of Metz presented to himthe former pupils of the Ecole Polytechnique , who lec-ture gratuitously to the workmen of that great city,on perspective, and on geometry, and mechanicsapplied to the arts. This enlightened Prince ex-pressed the high satisfaction which he felt in be-coming acquainted with the important services con-

* Expose fait a la Societe d’Encouragement pour l’IndustrieNationale, sur les progres du nouvel enseignement de la geome-trie et de la mechanique, appliquees aux arts et metiers enfaveur de la classe industrielle. Geometrie , 16 C Le^on, 1825.

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