208 EDITOR. 



nated by an eminent individual one of Nature's nobles. Fortunately 

 for me, this subject requires little to be said to ensure to it from you a 

 hearty reception. Here, where he is so well known, and where his 

 merits are so justly appreciated, the mere mention of Mr Miller's name 

 suggests to the mind all that is pure, and honourable, and exemplary 

 in conduct, associated with talents and acquirements of no ordinary 

 kind. This has, indeed, been the birthplace and residence of men re- 

 markable for their intelligence, sound sense, and public spirit. None 

 can think of George Ross of Cromarty, and of his liberality and patriot- 

 ism, by many proofs of which we are now surrounded, without respecting 

 his memory. Nor of William Forsyth, whose enlarged views, commer- 

 cial enterprise, and active benevolence, extended in their efforts over 

 the whole of this northern part of the kingdom, without a feeling of 

 exultation, that this was the scene of so much excellence. But in Mi- 

 Miller we see kindred qualities combined with gifts of a rarer, if not a 

 higher order. Passing over his Scenes and Legends, with which you 

 are all acquainted, his genius and industry have enabled him, without 

 the aid of a scholastic education, to present to us the history of the 

 lives of those men in a style as pure, and elegant, and captivating, as 

 that of similar works by authors better known to fame. The same 

 genius has enabled him to read the book of nature, and by means of 

 geological investigations in this locality, to add to the general stock of 

 knowledge, in a department of the greatest interest and importance. 

 His recent writings on a debateable subject have attracted a good deal 

 of attention throughout Scotland. There are now hearing me gentle- 

 men who concur in his views on ecclesiastical questions, and others 

 who dissent from them ; but however widely our opinions may differ 

 on this point, I infer, from our presence here on this occasion, a una- 

 nimity of sentiment as to the honest earnestness, the originality of 

 thought, the beauty of composition, and the ability by which those 

 productions are distinguished. (Great cheering.) These things estab- 

 lish a strong claim to our respect, and we do but a simple act of justice 

 in acknowledging it. Gentlemen, you have marked this brief and 

 feeble expression of my feelings in regard to Mr Miller, by your concur- 

 rence and approbation, and I shall not detain you longer. It only re- 

 mains for me to call upon you to drink his health with all the honours, 

 and success to him in the Scottish metropolis.' Mr Miller's health was 

 drunk with tremendous cheering. 



Mr Miller then rose to return thanks, and was received with loud 

 cheers. He said, ' Mr Chairman and gentlemen, the vocabulary of feel- 

 ing is much more limited than that of thought. We have many words 

 to express what we think, but comparatively few to express what we \ 

 feel, and often, too, the more intense our feelings, those few words be- 

 come the fewer. Never have I so forcibly experienced the truth of the 

 remark as this day. There is a fine line in one of our modern poets, 

 worth whole pages of ordinary poetry 



" The old familiar faces." 



