124 proceedings: academy of sciences 



in other respects, brought a smile to the lips of the American delegates 

 when the words were chanted. 



The unwearied sun, from day to day. 

 Does his Creator's power display. 

 And publishes to every land 

 The work of an almighty hand. 



The service was impressive in the extreme, and most significant was 

 the short address of the Dean of Westminster based on the passage 

 ''But truth abideth and is strong forever." He recalled the perturba- 

 tion which was wont to take possession of men's minds during the last 

 century with regard to discoveries in natural science — perturbation 

 which sometimes betrayed itself in fear, impatience and indignation; 

 but times were now changed; he thought that he might claim to speak 

 in the name of the whole world of contemporary Christian thought 

 when he gave expression to the gratitude, which as a rule the clergy has 

 little or no opportunity for offering, for the amazing enrichment of 

 human thought which had resulted from patient researches into natural 

 science during the past 250 years, and in particular during the past 80 

 years. They thanked God for the great and glorious work that had 

 been done by the men of science for the widening of human thought; 

 with all humility they expressed their grateful obligation for the benefits 

 which had been rendered in Great Britain by the Royal Society. 



In the afternoon of Tuesday, delegates were received in the great 

 library of the Royal Society, Burlington House. Sir Archibald Geikie, 

 the President, was accompanied by Lord Rayleigh, Past President; Sir 

 A. B. Kempe, Treasurer; Sir Joseph Larmor, and Sir J. R. Radford, 

 Secretaries; and Mr. Robert Harrison, Assistant Secretary. The major- 

 ity of delegates wore official robes or academic dress. Among the 

 scarlet doctors' gowns were prominent the crimson and gold cloaks of 

 some of the German professors, the claret and gold uniform with brown 

 fur cloak of a Hungarian delegate, the inconspicuous but rather bizarre 

 olive-green uniform of members of the French Academy, and the silk 

 robes and turbans of the Indian representatives. The heat again was 

 almost overpowering, and, although the hbrary is called "the Great 

 Library" the 300 delegates were so closely crowded that it required the 

 intense interest of the function to overcome the feeling of personal 

 discomfort. 



Sir Archibald Geikie, the President, in welcoming the delegates, was 

 necessarily obliged to make the rather trite but none the less true obser- 

 vation that no more striking proof than was presented by this assembly 

 could be given of the reality and cordiality of that spirit of frank and 

 loyal cooperation which united into one great brotherhood the students 

 of science in every land and in every language. He reviewed the events 

 which led to the grant of the Charter of Incorporation by Charles II, 

 and mentioned some of the famous names of men associated with the 

 Royal Society and with the progress of science. Starting its career 

 with a notable group of physicists and mathematicians, among whom 



