1921] to Sir James and Lady Dewar 44a 



fessors of chemistry succeed beyond others in retaining and rendering 



tangible the very atmosphere of research bequeathed to them by 

 Rumford. Young and Davy, and no other laboratory, however grand, 

 can produce so potently the direct inspiration of the masters of the 

 past." 



I feel sure that I should be misinterpreting your sentiments if I 

 gave the impression that by this gift we merely wished to show our 

 esteem for the great services which Sir James Dewar has rendered. 

 We want to express something much more than that. We want to 

 express our affection both for him and for Lady Dewar. I think it 

 is true to say that as his researches brought him lower and lower in 

 the scale of temperature, into a more and more frigid atmosphere, 

 so our feelings towards him have grown steadily warmer and warmer. 



I have said a good deal about Sir James De war's services, but I 

 have as yet said nothing at all about Lady Dewar's. We do not 

 know, of course, how much Sir James Dewar owes to Lady Dewar ; 

 that is for him to say ; but I am quite sure that he will agree that 

 these achievements, some of which I have chronicled, though only a 

 small part of them, are due in a very large measure to Lady Dewar, 

 and that without her they would never have been done. Although 

 we do not know what he owes to her, we do know what we owe to 

 her, and I am sure you will agree that a great part of the pleasure 

 which we have derived from these Friday evening discourses has 

 been due to Lady Dewar's kind hospitality, and the very charming 

 and gracious manner in which she has dispensed it. 



Sir James and Lady Dewar, I now have the pleasure and the 

 honour to present to you, in the name of this Institution, this gift, 

 in recognition of the great services you have both rendered to the 

 Institution, and of the great affection and regard which we have for 

 both of you. 



Sir James Dewar (who was received with cheers) :— My Lord 

 Duke, Ladies and Gentlemen, it is impossible for me, and I am sure 

 it is equally impossible for my wife, to convey to you how surprised 

 we were when we learnt that the members of the Institution, in 

 anticipation of our lives extending to the month of August, wished 

 to commemorate our Golden Wedding. Certainly I have to acknow- 

 ledge that there has been no impediment during the harmonious life 

 we have spent. It may be said at once, to satisfy the Duke, that 

 the services of Lady Dewar have been absolutely essential. It was 

 a match not connected at all with science. That is the proper way 

 to begin. 



The connection on her side was a heredity of art ; mine was 

 sporadic art, and that sporadic art was the idea of being a musician. 

 Early vanity impelled me to make my own music, which was a little 

 insane. A few weeks ago, when I received this same kind of recog- 

 nition in another way, not in the rich golden cup I see before me, 



