f 
q 
; 
ADDRESS, xlii 
events by which the earth has been alternately peopled and dispeopled of its 
denizens ? 
A law may be a rule of action, but it is not action. The Great First 
Agent may lay down a rule of action for himself, and that rule may become 
known to man by observation of its uniformity : but constituted as our minds 
are, and having that conscious knowledge of causation which is forced upon 
us by the reality of the distinction between zntending a thing and doing it, 
we can never substitute the Rule for the Act. Either directly or through 
delegated agency, whatever takes place is not merely willed, but done, and 
what is done we then only declare to be explained, when we can trace a 
process, and show that it consists of steps analogous to those we observe in 
occurrences which have passed often enough before our own eyes to have 
become familiar, and to be termed xatural. So long as no such process 
can be traced and analysed out in this manner, so long the phenomenon 
is unexplained, and remains equally so whatever be the number of unex- 
plained steps inserted between its beginning and its end. ‘The transition 
from an inanimate crystal to a globule capable of such endless organic and 
intellectual development, is as great a step—as unexplained a one—as un- 
intelligible to us—and in any human sense of the word, as miraculous as the 
immediate creation and introduction upon earth of every species and every 
individual would be. Take these amazing facts of geology which way we 
will, we must resort elsewhere than to a mere speculative law of develop- 
ment for their explanation. ; 
. Visiting as we do once more this scene of one of our earliest and most 
agreeable receptions—as travellers on the journey of life brought back by. 
the course of events to scenes associated with exciting recollections and the 
memory of past kindness—we naturally pause and look back on the interval 
with that interest which always arises on such occasions; “ How has it fared 
with you meanwhile?” we fancy ourselves asked. ‘‘ How have you prosper- 
ed?” “Has this long interval been well or ill spent?” “ How is it with the 
cause in which you have embarked? ” “ Has it flourished or receded, and to 
what extent have you been able to advance it?” To all these questions we 
may, I believe, conscientiously, and with some self-gratulation, answer— 
Well! The young and then but partially fledged institution has become 
established and matured. Its principles have been brought to the test of a 
long and various experience, and been found to work according to the ex- 
pectations of its founders. Its practice has been brought to uniformity and 
consistency, on rules which, on the whole, have been found productive of no 
inconvenience to any of the parties concerned. Our calls for reports on the 
actual state and deficiencies of important branches of science, and on the 
most promising lines of research. in them, have been answered by most valu- 
able and important essays from men of the first eminence in their respective 
departments, not only condensing what is known, but adding largely to it, 
and in a multitude of cases entering very extensively indeed into original in- 
quiries and investigations ; of which Mr. Scott Russell’s Report on Waves, 
and Dr. Carpenter's on the Structure of Shells, and several others in the. 
most recently published volume of our Reports, that for the York meeting 
last summer, may be specified as conspicuous instances. 
_ Independent of these reports, the original: communications read or ver- 
bally made to our several Sections have been in the highest degree interest- 
ing and copious ; not only as illustrating and.extending almost every branch 
of science, but as having given rise to digéuissions and interchanges of idea 
and information between the members present, of which it is perfectly im- 
possible to appreciate sufficiently the influence and value. Ideas thus com- 
municated fructify in a wonderful manner on subsequent reflection, and be- 
