128 THE REV. J. G. WOOD. 



these, his first lectures, were more orthodox in style 

 than the humorous, unconventional addresses of his 

 later years, for which they paved the way, while wholly 

 unlike them in character. 



The first lecture of which I can find any record was 

 delivered in Oxford Town Hall, on March 11, 1856, 

 and was apparently very successful. My father's own 

 entry in his diary for that day is : 



Engaged all afternoon in hanging diagrams in Town Hall. De- 

 livered first part of lecture in evening with much applause. 



The preparation for this lecture appears to have occupied 

 some little time, and the lecture itself to have been read 

 from a manuscript. As to its subject, I can find no 

 information. 



The first note concerning it occurs on February 1st, 

 when the final arrangements seem to have been made. 

 On the 6th of the same month is the brief entry, " Eead 

 for lecture " ; on the 8th, " Began to write lecture " ; 

 on the 13th, " Made drawings for lecture " ; and on the 

 16th, "Wrote three pages of lecture." After this the 

 entries become more frequent, and there seems to have 

 been trouble with regard to the diagrams. There is an 

 entry to the effect that one of them was " all wrong," 

 and another, on the day preceding that of the lecture, 

 briefly noting that they were " very expensive." Of 

 the second part of the lecture I can find no mention 

 whatever. Possibly it was never delivered at all, as 

 just at this time the chaplaincy at St. Bartholomew's 

 Hospital fell vacant, and on March the 25th my father 



