Second General Meeting. 13 



theless you cannot fail to perceive how valuable, how precious, and 

 how dear were the objects in which he and others were engaged, 

 for during the whole of the civil wars the labours of archaeologists 

 seemed to flourish when everything else was in abeyance. Those 

 great men — Anthony Wood, Selden, and a host of others, whose 

 names I do not now remember, but the fruits of whose labours we 

 are now enjoying, devoted themselves, during the turmoils of that 

 time to the revival of a knowledge of the labours of our ancestors. 

 As a Bishop of the Church I feel of course, on independent grounds, 

 the very deepest interest in the well being of such a society as this, 

 for I am one who, from my own personal convictions and individual 

 tastes, feel that if we are building houses to God it is of the utmost 

 importance for the progress of divine knowledge — for the cultivation 

 of good and holy tastes and aspirations — that those houses should 

 express the ideas which must be at the bottom of our souls, if we 

 would fain have our religion prosper and take hold of the hearts 

 and affections of man. And it is to the labours of such societies 

 as this that we owe the revival of a good, and pure, and holy taste 

 upon these subjects. As religion lays hold more deeply of the 

 sympathies of our fellow Christians, they will yearn more and more 

 earnestly to express those ideas in every work which they raise to 

 the honour and glory of God. But unless our tastes had been 

 formed — unless we had been assisted by going back to purer ages 

 of architectural skill, we might, perhaps, have remained in that 

 tasteless and impure architectural condition which existed through- 

 out the whole nation during the past century. We have now 

 emerged from that state, and I would only ask persons, in going 

 through the length and breadth even of this county, to see not only 

 in our churches, but also in our schools, how much has been done 

 for the revival of a pure architectural taste. These are, I believe, 

 real and great blessings, and it is my office to try and promote 

 such blessed results. I cannot but feel the very deepest interest in 

 the progress of this Society, and I am therefore, able to move, with 

 the greatest sincerity, that we should thank those to whose exertions 

 the present state of the association owes so much. (The right rev. 

 Prelate was much applauded at the conclusion of his address). 



