18 



been rising almost insensibly, yet it may be long ere 

 the superstructure rise into the heavenly light ; in the 

 lower work many will see no beauty and no hope, others 

 will see safety in its enlargement and solidity. By 

 these indeed the visions of the imagination are apt 

 to be forgotten, or in the pressure of intellectual veri- 

 fication even despised ; the mean level of conception 

 may not indeed be lower, it may haply be higher, yet 

 the highest, wherein truth may be revealed by illumin- 

 ation, is not divined in its full force, abundance and 

 life. Great seers are wont to leave to others to find out, 

 or even to care, what bottom they stood upon ; yet only 

 through transitory periods of a humbler duty than theirs 

 can the bases be laid and enlarged for times of richer 

 fruition. One of the profoundest of modem sayings was 

 that of Freeman that the end of modern material pro- 

 gress is to bring large societies up to the level of small 



ones, 







This is the day of a great celebration ; that on 

 this anniversary I am worthy to take a place in 

 the succession of your Orators is more than I dare 

 to believe, that you have deemed me worthy is my 

 encouragement. In private duty also I am bound 

 to honour one of the greatest of the sons of the 

 University of Cambridge, and the greatest member 

 of the ancient and honourable house of Gonville 

 and Caius College. 



