AUCKLAND INSTITUTE. 



First Meeting : 1th June, 1909. 



Professor C. W. Egerton, President, in the ciiair. 



New Members. — F. E. N. Crombie, R. J. Dearsly, Professor H. S. Dett- 

 mann. E. C. Foster, R. C. Grigsbv, T. C. Savage, M.D., W. F. Stewart, and 

 H. E. Vaile. 



The President deUvered the anniversary address, taking as his subject 

 " The Novels of George Meredith." 



It is felt that, with the death of Meredith, a man who could truly lay claim to the 

 epithet " great " has passed away. The slow development of his reputation was due 

 chiefly to his style, which was sometimes inartistic, and very different from other writers. 

 It makes considerable demands upon the attention and intellectual powers of the reader. 

 His meaning is often obscure ; he has the Celtic power of suggesting vast implications 

 in a few words. Though romantic in his ideas, he deals satirically with sentimentalism- 

 He believes that, as we are hero in the world, we must not waste our energies on fruitless 

 lamentations or in endeavouring to alter the system of Nature. Though he is the 

 advocate of a strenuous life, his writings are pervaded by a spirit of comedy. With the 

 ideas of INIeredith we may not agree, of his views we may disapprove ; but, however 

 we regard him, his writings make us think, and of one thing we may always rest con- 

 fident — that, whatever his manner or form of expression, he always has something to 

 -say. 



Second Meeting : Uh July, 1909. 



Professor C. W. Egerton, President, in the chair. 



New Member.— C. E. Player, L.R.C.P. 



Professor H. S. Dettmann, M.A., dehvered a lecture on " The Paston 

 Letters : English Life in the Fifteenth Century." 



Tiie lecturer spoke of a collection of over a thousand documents of the Paston family, 

 which show the state of public and private life in England during the years 1422-1509. 

 With rare freshness and dramatic power these letters present a picture of turbulent 

 brawling which is astounding in its grim and matter-of-fact simplicity. In no relations 

 of life are there traces of delicacy of feeling or of the finer graces. 



Tno lectui'er gave extracts of two very romantic love stories, and the prosaic but 

 more amusing adventures of young John Paston in search of a wealthy wife. 



In conclusion, tlie lecturer gave a general account of the impressions to be gathered 

 from the letters, showing that the characteristics exiiibited by the Pastons arc still to be 

 found in every county in England. 



Third Meeting : 2nd August, 1909. 



Professor C. W. Egerton, President, in the chair. 



Mr. F. Heaton, B.Sc, delivered a lecture on " Epochs of Ei^ghsh Ge"o- 

 h gical History." 



