1824.] late Rev. Dr. Clarke. 415 



embracing at once these objects was the delivery of lectures 

 under the patronage of the University, it was to the attainment 

 of this, that his best efforts, from a very early period after his 

 return, were uniformly directed. But the task was not an 

 easy one. The subject was little known and less studied, and 

 by no means popular in the University ; nor was there any room 

 suited to the purpose, but what was either pre-occupied or 

 appropriated ; and besides, there was an apprehension of the 

 Lectures interfering with the Woodwardian Professorship, at 

 that time occupied by a gentleman for whom Dr. Clarke had 

 justly a very great respect. By degrees, however, all these 

 difficulties gave way. Every facility was afforded by the Uni- 

 versity to the plan ; Dr. Martin, the Botanical Professor, gave 

 up his room in the Botanic Garden, which his age and infirmi- 

 ties prevented him from using himself; and the Woodwardian 

 Professor, whose proper department was Geology, so far from 

 considering these Lectures as an interference with himself, 

 kindly concurred in every measure which was required for their 

 establishment. In short, as soon as he could enter upon it, 

 Dr. Clarke had the happiness to find, that the field was open to 

 him without either opposition or ill-will, and the fiat of the Vice- 

 Chancellor followed almost as a matter of course. Having, 

 therefore, finished his preparations, which were both expensive 

 and laborious ; and having published a new synopsis of the 

 mineral kingdom, and an extensive syllabus, he at last announced 

 a day for the opening of his Lectures, the 17th of March, 1807. 

 They were crowned with complete success ; and in the 

 course of the following year, his reputation as a Mineral- 

 ogist, in the University, was so far established, as to encou- 

 rage his friends in the hope of obtaining for him the establish- 

 ment of a new Professorship in his name. This measure 

 met at first with some opposition, and having been prema- 

 turely pressed, had in the first instance failed ; but in the 

 latter end of 1808, the second year of his Lectures, the sense of 

 the University having been previously tried, a grace to that 

 effect was brought up to the senate by the Proctor, the Rev. G. 

 D'Oyly (now Dr. D'Oyly, Rector of Lambeth, 2-:c.) and carried 

 almost unanimously. 



Thus were his most sanguine wishes crowned with success, 

 and thus were his spirit and perseverance rewarded with one of 

 the rarest and the highest honours which the University could 

 bestow. Not long afterwards the rectory of'Yeldham, in Essex, 

 was presented to him by Sir W. Rush. 



The next important concern in which he engaged was the 

 disposal of the manuscripts he had collected in his travels. 

 These, after having been examined by Prof. Poison, and other 

 eminent scholars, were purchased in 1809 by the Curators of the 

 Bodleian Library, at Oxford, for 1000/. His Greek coins, the 



