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9 
in England. Another might prefer to start from the general study of 
Lyrical Poetry, and throw new light upon the subject by exposing 
Kingsley’s habits of composition. Or again, the Lecture might be given 
one year by a leading authority on Political Economy, who would impart 
the convictions at which he had arrived by life long study and practical 
experience; Kingsley being introduced either as the hero of his narrative, 
) or as an illustration of his theory, or in whatever other character he 
found most suitable for his purpose. 
Such a Lecture as this last would be of particular interest in these 
anxious days of reconstructing national life. But it is when we remember 
Charles Kingsley’s contributions to Natural Science that we perceive 
most hopefully the large prospect of usefulness which our proposed Lec- 
ture opens. There can be little doubt that the immediate future lies 
with Natural Science. This is the study which, as pure disinterested 
study, teems with vitality; it is in Natural Science that the romance of 
discovery is so amazing to-day. It seems also to be certain that the 
welfare of the world depends directly upon enthusiastic devotion to 
_ Natural Science, patient co-operation among the students of science, and 
the support and intelligent sympathy of the public. Here there is a 
wide scope for our Lecturers. Again and again The Kingsley Lecture 
may do something to overcome the fatal apathy of the English public, 
the fatal ignorance of English statesmen, towards Natural Science. It 
may be that at Chester, in The Kingsley Lecture, some new discovery 
of equal importance to the discovery of Radium shall be announced for 
the first time to the world. 
Therefore let those who have sent their guineas be very sure they 
have made a good investment. Let those who have not yet done so delay 
no longer. Perhaps the day may come when the honour of delivering 
The Kingsley Lecture will be so highly appreciated that any one would 
b2 proud to come from the ends of the earth to deliver it, even though, 
no honorarium were attached. And indeed our leaders in Science and 
Literature are not greedy of gain. But many of them are poor—such 
studies are ant to make men rich in inverse ratio to the enthusiasm with 
which they are practised. Some attraction will be needed at first if we 
are to get worthy lecturers. And at least we shall always wish to con- 
tribute something to travelling expenses; and if we fling our net wide, 
and invite the best people, they will sometimes have to come from great 
distances. America invites Englishmen very often to lecture there, and 
We may wish to bring some famous scholar across the Atlantic to honour 
Charles Kingsley at Chester. 
The following is a summary of Dr. Nairne’s Address, with the Songs :— 
We meet to-day to celebrate the Centenary of Charles Kingsley. He 
was by birth and long descent a Devonshire man. For more than thirty 
years he was Rector of Eversley, in Hampshire, where he died and was 
buried. He was a Scholar of Magdalene College, Cambridge, and for nine 
years he was Professor of Modern History at Cambridge. Then he was 
Canon of Chester for four years. From Chester he was moved to West- 
minster, where he was Canon for little more than a year, dying on 
January 28rd, 1875, in his 56th year. Holne, Magdalene, the University of 
Cambridge, Westminster, all have their right in him. Eversley has a 
peculiar right. Wherever else he might be, he always belonged to 
-Eversley. First and last he was a country parson. 
It was but for a few years that Chester had him, but Chester and 
‘Kingsley took to one another at once. And of all the memorials of Kings- 
ley, Chester has raised the most substantial, the most Kingsleyan. Mrs. 
Kingsley has told us in The Life and Letters how the little class in botany. 
had grown by 1876 into the Chester Natural History Society, and here are 
ome dried flowers gathered by Kingsley and mounted by Mr. Clark, who 
uccompanied Kingsley on those early botanical walks and is still a member 
