142 Ttoyal Society, 



prospects of happiness, imposes upon me likewise heavy responsi- 

 bilities ; and I can only express my fervent hope and prayer, that 

 the same merciful Providence which has vouchsafed, through his 

 api^ointed means, to restore me to sight, may enable me, like a 

 willing and humble-minded scholar, to apply the lessons taught me 

 by the experience of my past life, to the just and useful regulation 

 of that portion of my course which I may be still permitted to run. 



It is my first and most pleasing duty, Gentlemen, to thank you 

 for your congratulations upon my recovery, which have been con- 

 veyed to me in terms most grateful to my feelings. I have on many 

 occasions experienced both your kindness and forbearance, and I 

 deeply regret that circumstances should so frequently have com- 

 pelled me to appeal to them: but at no moment could the expression 

 of your good-will be more welcome to me than at the present, when I 

 am enabled to reappear amongst you, upon being again entrusted 

 with the possession of that blessing, the value of which I have learnt 

 to appreciate more fully by my experience of its privation. 



Could 1 have foreseen, when the progress of my malady first 

 removed me from public life, the length of time which was to 

 elapse before its termination, even in case 1 could have felt assured 

 that it would end as fortunately as it has for me, I would not 

 have ventured to trespass, so long as I have done, upon your in- 

 dulgence, but would at once have retired from the proud situa- 

 tion of your President ; for though I could rely with perfect confi- 

 dence upon the cordial cooperation of the members of the Council, 

 and should have felt satisfied that they would not allow the real in- 

 terests of the Society to suffer from my absence, yet I could not 

 have continued altogether free from alarm, lest its dignity should 

 be lowered in public estimation, were its affairs long allowed to be 

 conducted with an incomplete establishment ; or the becoming au- 

 thority of this Chair should be lessened by frequent changes in its 

 occupation, particularly on great and public occasions. I was always 

 led to believe that the disease under which I laboured would have 

 been sufficiently advanced to justify an operation much sooner than 

 eventually proved to be the case, and I was therefore induced to 

 hope that my absence from the Society would not have been pro- 

 longed for such a period as to be productive either of reasonable 

 complamt, or of serious inconvenience. When, however, the day of 

 your last Anniversary approached, and that hope had proved 

 delusive, I felt it my duty to resign my trust, however reluctant 

 to sever myself from a body with which I am so honourably 

 connected ; and I only consented to continue in its occupation, 

 when kindly pressed to do so by the members of the Council, 

 under the conviction that the time for performing the operation 

 w as so near at hand, that its success or failure would speedily decide 

 whether I should be capable of again taking an active part in 

 our concerns, or be compelled to terminate my official connexion 

 with you for ever. I thank God that I am now enabled, in person 

 to express my heartfelt gratitude for your kindness to me on all occa- 

 sions, and especially on the present ; and I beg you to feel assured 



