A SPEECH ALL BOYS SHOULD READ.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5251, 22 January 1878, Page 3

A SPEECH ALL BOYS SHOULD READ.

During his sojourn in the colony of New South Wales Sir Hercules Bobxnson, the Governor of it, has made many speeches which we have thought worthy of reproduction, and deserved to bo read and pondered over by our readers. Excellent as all those speeches wore, they have been exceeded in p aotical value by the address ho recently delivered to the boys of the Sydney Grammar School. They apply as much to the youth of every colony as to those of Sydney, and every schoolmaster in the land would be but doing his duty were ho to bring the truths spoken by Sir Hercules under the notice of every lad under him. The speech is as follows As this is possibly the last prize-day that I may be present at, I will just say a few words to you—words in which there will be no pretence at either originality or depth—but words of honest, plain-spoken counsel—counsel which is prompted solely by an affectionate interest in your welfare, (Hear, hear.) First, allow me to say ns regards the youth of this country—l am speaking generally, and without special reference to this school—that they seem to me to be as intelligent, manly, generous, affectionate, and unselfish as any boys in the world. (Cheers.) These are their strong points. Their weak points appear to me to bo that they lack modesty, arc too independent, and are wanting in deference for age or authority. (Hear, hear.) The typical Australian youth of the period is generally sketched as a young man who “fancies himself” considerably. (Laughter

and cheers.) He evinces the most complete belief in himself, and confidence in his own judgment and knowledge of the world. He thinks himself wiser than his elders, nnd often looks upon them and treats them as the old fagies—estimable, no doubt, as far as their lights go—hut old-fashioned, and scarcely up to his idea of what is what in the present day. (Laughter and cheers.) This description is perhaps somewhat of a carricature, but I must honestly say that the impression left on the mind after five years experience is that there is, at all events, some foundation for it. Many of you have, no doubt, read Trollope's amusing description of Australian “blowing,” but perhaps few of you have read a charming little book by Kingsley—“ The Boy in Grey.” I was reading it the other evening to my. own little boy—whose performances, by the way, in the blowing line are of no mean order—-(laughter) —when I came upon a passage which I endeavored to explain to him as pointing a moral especially applicable to his case. The “Boy in Grey” and “Prince Philarete” were going round the.world in a birch-bark canoe, and in the description of what they saw on their tour the following passage occurs ;—“ Well, they saw something when they approached the Australian shore. All the male adult colonists were down on the shore, and every man had brought his grandmother, and every man had brought an egg, and was showing his grandmother how to suck it.—(Laughter.) 1 Come here,’ they cried, as Gil aud the Prince coasted along ; ‘ come here, you two, and learn to suck eggs. We will teach you to suck all kinds of eggs, not merely those of the emu and talegalla, but those of the blue-throated warbler. And we will teach you to suck eggs which we have never scon. Come ashore, come ashore.’ ” (Laughter.) Now, my boys, Ido not mean to say that this story is especially applicable to you ; but we all know how easy it is to acquire bad habits from those about us, and so I would just give you these words of advice — Don’t blow ; don’t think you know more than your grandmothers ; and. above all, be modest. Remember that of all the_ charms of youth modesty is the most engaging aud attractive, (Cheers.) Aud next I will say a few words about the part which many of you will probably take in public life after you leave this school. In this country the responsibilities of citizenship are brought home to all. As educated men you will all take an interest, and many of you will doubtless be engaged in public affairs. I would say, then, do not jump at conclusions on public .'questions without the same degree of thought and care which you would feel bound to exercise in regard to your private concerns. Strong convictions often accompany very limited knowledge. Accustom yourselves, therefore, to look at both sides of questions, notwithstanding that such a course, as Don Quixote satirically remarks, is apt to confuse, aud keep your minds open to reasoning until you are satisfied that you have sufficiently mastered a subject in all its bearings to qualify you to frame a sound judgment upon it. Upon this point Faraday well observes: “ Let nee endeavor to point out what appears to me to be a great deficiency in the exerciseof the mental powers in every direction ; three words will express this great want —deficiency of judgment. I do not wish to make any startling assertions, but I know that in physical matters multitudes are ready to draw conclusions who have little or no power of judgment in the cases ; that the same is true of other departments of knowledge, and that generally mankind is willing to leave the faculties which relate to judgment almost entirely uneducated, aud their decisions at the mercy of ignorance, prepossessions, the passions, and even accidents.” (Cheers.) Then, again, I would say, iu arriving at a judgment upon public questions, do not allow your mind to dwell much on popularity. I should say that popularity, a rule, is too much thought of in Australia. The. only popularity that is worth having—and worth having only in so far as it may increase your influence for good—is the popularity which grows gradually, without your seeking it, from the public conviction that, whether you may be right or wrong, you always honestly act up to your light and gifts, and fearlessly abide the consequences. (Cheers.) Any other popularity is not worth walking across the street to secure, and woe to the man who lays himself 'out to obtain it. Popularity aud unpopularity are both often equally undeserved. Human nature is very much the same now as it was in the time when the barbarous people of Melita, who showed Paul no little kindness, declared at first that he was a murderer, aud then, changing their minds, said that he was a god. The only difference is that nowadays the process is often reversed. (Laughter.) you have all doubtless read the Athenian fable of the old man and his son and their ass, and the result which followed on their attempt to please all mankind. Well, boys, when you embark in public life make up your minds to one thing—that, come what may, you won’t carry the donkey. (Laughter and cheers.) Now, a word on style. When you have formed a judgment, to give effect to it you must either write or speak, and, as the French say, “Le style e’est Vhomme.” Avoid an inflated, grandiloquent, and redundant mode of expression. Let clearness and simplicity be your aim. You seldom find a man credited for sound judgment if lie has caught the trick of expressing himself in an involved and pompous phraseology, and, on the other hand, many men have got, and daily do get, reputation for greater capacity than they really possess, because they have acquired the art of putting their ideas, whatever they may be worth, in few, clear, and well-selected words. (Hear, hear.) I would also urge on you the due observance of courtesy in the intercourse of public life. Many of you must know the often quoted lines in Ovid “Ingenuas didicisse lidcliter arfcos, Emollit mores, neo sinit esse feres." If you profit as you should do by the softening influences which Mr. Weigall brings to bear on you here—(cheers) —you will have learned when you leave this to subdue savage impulses, and to show habitual consideration for the feelings and opinions of others. Remember that opinions may vary without insincerity or dishonesty, and that a case is always weakened by vulgar vituperation. A time will, no doubt, come to each of you in public controversy when your blood will wax warm, and when the hitting will become hard and fast; but, however hot the combat, remember these simple rules: —“Treat your adversary fairly—never impute motives—never descend to personalities—in a word, never hit below the belt,”—(Cheers.)