And for the rest, in regard to all your studies here, and whatever you may learn, you are to remember that the object is not particular knowledge—­that you are going to get higher in technical perfections, and all that sort of thing.  There is a higher aim lies at the rear of all that, especially among those who are intended for literary, for speaking pursuits—­the sacred profession.  You are ever to bear in mind that there lies behind that the acquisition of what may be called wisdom—­namely, sound appreciation and just decision as to all the objects that come round about you, and the habit of behaving with justice and wisdom.  In short, great is wisdom—­great is the value of wisdom.  It cannot be exaggerated.  The highest achievement of man—­“Blessed is he that getteth understanding.”  And that, I believe, occasionally may be missed very easily; but never more easily than now, I think.  If that is a failure, all is a failure.  However, I will not touch further upon that matter.

In this University I learn from many sides that there is a great and considerable stir about endowments.  Oh, I should have said in regard to book reading, if it be so very important, how very useful would an excellent library be in every University.  I hope that will not be neglected by those gentlemen who have charge of you—­and, indeed, I am happy to hear that your library is very much improved since the time I knew it; and I hope it will go on improving more and more.  You require money to do that, and you require also judgment in the selectors of the books—­pious insight into what is really for the advantage of human souls, and the exclusion of all kinds of clap-trap books which merely excite the astonishment of foolish people. (Laughter.) Wise books—­as much as possible good books.

As I was saying, there appears to be a great demand for endowments—­an assiduous and praiseworthy industry for getting new funds collected for encouraging the ingenious youth of Universities, especially in this the chief University of the country. (Hear, hear.) Well, I entirely participate in everybody’s approval of the movement.  It is very desirable.  It should be responded to, and one expects most assuredly will.  At least, if it is not, it will be shameful to the country of Scotland, which never was so rich in money as at the present moment, and never stood so much in need of getting noble Universities to counteract many influences that are springing up alongside of money.  It should not be backward in coming forward in the way of endowments (a laugh)—­at least, in rivalry to our rude old barbarous ancestors, as we have been pleased to call them.  Such munificence as theirs is beyond all praise, to whom I am sorry to say we are not yet by any manner of means equal or approaching equality.  (Laughter.) There is an overabundance of money, and sometimes I cannot help thinking that, probably, never has there been at any other time in Scotland the hundredth part of the money that now is, or even the thousandth part, for wherever I go there is that gold-nuggeting (a laugh)—­that prosperity.