ELEMENTS OF GEOMETRY AND MENSURATION, WITH EASY EXERCISES, Designed for Schools and Adult Classes. PART II.-GEOMETRY AS AN ART. BY THOMAS LUND, B.D. RECTOR OF MORTON, DERBYSHIRE; EDITOR OF WOOD'S ALGEBRA; FORMERLY FELLOW AND SADLERIAN LECTURER OF ST JOHN'S COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE. LONDON: LONGMAN, BROWN, GREEN, AND LONGMANS. ADVERTISEMENT TO PART II. In the following Part I have further prosecuted my design of separating the Art from the Science of Geometry. It should not be forgotten, however, that this separation is merely a matter of arrangement, with a view to making the learner's course more precise than heretofore, and affording him a better footing as he proceeds. Hitherto the practice has been, for the most part, in this country, to teach the Science to one class, and the Art to anotherso that, whilst the Students of our Universities have cared little for the Art, the pupils of our Commercial Schools have cared less for the Science. It seemed to me, that this divorcement of practice and theory was both unsatisfactory and unnecessary; and that no good reason can be alleged, why either the University Student's excellent knowledge should fail, as it has done, to fix a distinct impress upon practical Art, or the artisan's skilled workmanship be constantly marred by the violence done to the true principles of Science. My intention has been, therefore, to do something towards bringing Art and Science together again, so far as to make them better friends, not by jumbling the two together, but by assigning to each its distinct duty, and so placing them that they must mutually assist each other. Accordingly, although admitting the value of good instruments and a dexterous handling of them, I have never in a single instance in the following Part supposed the fingers to work without the head. How far I may be able, in the prosecution of my design, to effect a breach in the present style of popular education, fortified as it is by custom and prejudice, I know not; but perhaps it may provoke some educators at least to a wholesome jealousy to be told, that for every book published in England during the last 20 years, combining Art and Science for the use of the middle class and artisans, not less, I believe, than 20 such books have been published both in France and Germany. MORTON RECTORY, ALFRETON, T. L. |