Clifton College Scieiitific Society. 15 



dress such an association as this is, young-, vigorous, and healthy, 

 possessing in its anticipations and prospects what it necessarily 

 lacks in traditions and antiquity. I think I can with truth say 

 that there seems to be an amount of reality in the life of this 

 Society, still in its infancy, which accords thoroughly with every- 

 thing done at the Institution of which it forms so small a part. 



There are few occasions on which a non-clerical master can 

 have the opportunity for what Mr Huxley calls a ' lay-sermon,' 

 and yet there are matters of real consequence which it is one's 

 duty to inculcate, but which would be somewhat incongruous 

 among the sacred teachings of the pulpit. To-night, therefore, if 

 you allow me, I would urge upon you the importance of observing 

 the good old proverb, ' Make hay while the sun sliines.' Time 

 flies very quickly here, as elsewhere ; and in a short time your 

 places in the bu.sy world of school will be taken by others, who 

 must in their turn make room for succeeding generations. The 

 two years of our Society's existence have been sufficient to largely 

 re-people the College. There are few here now who remember 

 that meeting on an evening in June 1869, when a few boys 

 assembled to take into consideration the question of forming a 

 Scientific Society. There is not one boy here who remembers the 

 opening of the College. And so it will come about by and by, 

 when school-days are with you a thing of the past, that you will 

 return to that scene hallowed by the memories of the happiest 

 time of your life, and find yourself forgotten where you remember 

 everything. I know well, and so does every one who has revisited 

 his old school some time after leaving it, how melancholy and 

 strange one feels when he paces once more the old familiar cloister 

 and playground, and enters again those class-rooms which bring 

 up to his recollection so many, many incidents of bygone years : 

 pleasant they may have been, or the reverse, yet they are now 

 all alike blended and toned down by the potent hand of memory, 

 which makes things that were once bitter sweet, and renders 

 the dim vista of the past delightful in every feature. 



If, then, our days at school are few and fleeting, we ought cer- 

 tainly to make the most of them, and, whether we work or play, 

 do everything thoroughly. 



I hope you will take in good part what I have said about 

 earnestness, and apply it to yourselves as members of this Society. 

 I will not assume the laudatory tone, and do nothing but con- 

 gratulate you upon what really appears to be honest and well- 

 founded success. Others may do so, and in the outer world the 

 Scientiflc Society is already widely, and, I think, favourably 

 known. Here it will be more profitable, if less pleasant, to tell 

 you in what points it is weake.st, and ask you to join with me in 



