The following is the full text of the address on "Civilisation," delivered by Sir Robert Stout at the Municipal Theatre, Napier, on March 17, 1918:—

We are met to-night to consider what we mean by the term "civilisation." It is a word we are continually using and our dictionaries give us its meaning. It has many definitions. Edmund Burke said that the basis of civilisation was the "spirit of a gentleman and the spirit of religion." Before this saying could be appreciated we would have to define the terms "gentleman" and "religion." Another eminent man—Matthew Arnold—said that civilisation was the "humanisation of man in society." Leaving aside these definitions, in the meantime, we can approach the consideration of the term by remembering what man is. We have in nature many diverse living things. They are differently constituted and their lives differ. There is one class of living things that is called "uni-cellular"—that is, the life is represented by one cell only. This one cell serves for their brain, their stomach, and everything else that many-celled animals have. Many illustrations may be given of one-celled living things. There is one called "Pleurococcus vulgaris," one of the Algæ. You have, no doubt, seen green layers or green slime on the bark of trees or on stone walls. That may be the "Pleurococcus vulgaris." Its little cell can take in all the food and drink it requires, and it can get rid of page 4 certain substances. To quote the words of a recent essay by Professor McLeod, in the "Hibbert Journal," "it grows, it can secure itself against dangers, it can for example make its outer wall thicker when it is threatened with withering in dry weather; it can multiply itself." There are many other one-celled living things. Yeast is one, and the living thing which causes the phosphorescence in the sea is another, These one-celled beings never help each other. They are individauls, and each is for himself alone. You may find them together in crowds, but they are not in society, for the one docs not depend upon the other.

As we examine living things higher in the scale of life we find a union of cells, and the one cell helping the other. Society has begun. One illustration may be given. There is one of the Algae called "Ulothrix," which we find in ponds. It clings to some submerged object, a bit of stone, for example, one cell having the power of clinging to the object and remaining fixed to it during life. This holds the plant in position while the other cells secure food and drink, and the plant lives. The root cell aids it, and the root cell itself is aided by receiving food from the other cells. There is never any trouble between them; both live in unison. If the root cells were to "strike" it would die, and the living thing of which it is a part would also die.

Let me take another illustration of mutual aid in nature, showing how the life of some things may be helped by beings of other species. You will no doubt remember what Darwin says about the growth of red clover. The bumble bee, in its trips from flower to flower of the red clover, fertilises it, and Darwin says that without cats in England there would be no clover! How is this? The bee nests are raided by the field mice, and if the mice are numerous there will be few bees, but page 5 if the mice are killed off by cats the bees will be numerous and clover will flourish. Here is, then, an example of mutual aid in society from a source other than the species benefited.