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them as of equal obligation. The first is paramount—" not to speak ill of 

 a man behind his back." This I have never consciously broken. The 

 second is — " not to praise a man to his face.'' This canon of good taste I 

 have rarely-^indeed I may say hardly ever infringed, though it is very 

 diflBcult to avoid it sometimes. But there are times and occasions when a 

 rule of conduct vehich may very properly influence an individual, may, 

 indeed ought to be relaxed, when an association of gentlemen concur in 

 the same opinion of one of their number, and, as a tribute of justice to 

 him, desire to give it open and hearty expression by the mouth of one of 

 them. In the position of that one I now find myself ; if therefore I err 

 in what I am about to say on the score of warmth of expression, I trust 

 that I may, in consideration of the special circumstances, have your sym- 

 pathy and approval. And when, indeed, I call to mind all these circum- 

 stances, they seem to me to resemble so much the act of an University in 

 conferring a degree honoris causa as to suggest almost ii-resistibly the 

 parallel, and to impel me to consider myself in the light of a public 

 orator, whose duty it is to set forth, with due insistence, the titles and 

 claims to distinction of one whom his fellow men have delighted to honour. 

 Let me assure you, then, that I value more highly than I can express 

 the privilege of being your spokesman on this interesting occasion. We 

 have met this evening to perform a ceremony which may be briefly 

 described as a hearty and spontaneous recognition of the valuable services 

 of our worthy Secretary. John Edmund Ingpen, after eight years of volun- 

 tary service of our Club. During all this long period the affairs of the 

 Club have gone on so smoothly and well, the work committed to him has 

 been so unobtrusively, silently, and, I must add, so heartily performed, that 

 it never, until now, seems to have occurred to any one of us to ask himself 

 at what cost of time and of brain work — with what sacrifice of needful 

 rest and leisure, nay even of family communion and comfort, these 

 services must have been rendered. Gentlemen, it has been one of ray 

 highest privileges, by your favour, to have occupied such a position in rela- 

 tion to this Club as to enable me to speak with some confidence, with some 

 authority, on this subject; and I can therefore assure you, and that with- 

 out seeking in the least to undervalue the serTices of any of the other 

 officer-bearers of the Club, that the effort — the strain involved has been very 

 great — far greater, indeed, than those who are not, in a sense, " behind the 

 scenes" can imagine. Do not, I pray you, for a moment suppose that I 

 have gathered this from anything that our friend has said to me or to any- 

 one else — I speak but from a silent and prolonged observation. It would 

 be as entirely superfluous as it is fortunately unnecessary for me to enter 

 into any disquisition upon Mr. Ingpens title to the thanks of the Club. 

 To enumerate his special services would be almost to give or to write its 

 history during his time, and you must be all as well acquainted with that 

 as I am. In most other Societies which have aims in any sense akin to ours, 

 it has been found necessary to divide the duties of the Secretariat between 

 two or even more persons, and yet I will venture to affirm that their duties 

 are, as far as relates to the actual business of this Society, scarcely more 



