Public lecturing in England began in response to an urgent need for scientific and technical instruction, a need not being met by the established institutions. Its continuance contributed tellingly to the spread of Newtonian science no less than to inquiries and discoveries leading to the Industrial and Agricultural Revolutions. Lecturing on subjects such as anatomy and midwifery was largely responsible for improvements in public health and longevity; while later lecturing on subjecs in the arts - notably on the nation's literary works - may be seen as having promoted reading and raised significantly the level of civilization in the land. This book brings to light and brings together figures from diverse disciplines through several centuries. It breaks down traditional barriers, as between science and the arts; while describing a vast and important movement in education and civilization in England.