BOSTON SOCIETY OF NATURAL HISTORY. 169 



JEFFRIES WYMAN. 



Died 4th Sept., 1874. 



THE wisest man could ask no more of Fate 

 Than to be simple, modest, manly, true, 

 Safe from the Many, honored by the Few ; 

 Nothing to court in World, or Church, or State, 

 But inwardly in secret to be great; 

 To feel mysterious Nature ever new, 

 To touch, if not to grasp, her endless clew, 

 And lenrn by each discovery how to wait ; 

 To widen knowledge and escape the praise ; 

 Wisely to teach, because more wise to learn ; 

 To toil for Science, not to draw men's gaze, 

 But for her lore of self-denial stern ; 

 That such a man could spring from our decays 

 Funs the soul's nobler faith until it burn. 



JAMES RCSSELL LOWELL. 



The first meeting of the Society in the autumn was held on October 7th. There were 

 one hundred and fourteen persons present, many of whom had come expressly to testify 

 their great respect and regard for the memory of Dr. Jeffries Wyman, whose death had 

 occurred on the fourth day of the previous month. The President addressed the members 

 as follows : 



After our usual summer vacation we meet together with more than accustomed emotion ; 

 for mixed with the joy of greeting one another after separation, there is a consciousness 

 of irreparable loss that weighs heavily upon our spirits, a recognition that there have 

 gone away from us a force and a virtue which have so long been a help and inspiration, 

 that we cannot but feel a sense of bereavement such as no words of mine can adequately 

 express. Sad indeed is it for us and for all, that such nobleness of nature, such wealth of 

 acquired knowledge, such purity and simplicity of life, as were manifested in JEFFRIES 

 WYMAX, should pass from the world ; for rare, too rare, are to be found examples of such 

 exalted character and attainments. 



To our Society Professor Wyman was a great benefactor ; not in the sense of a donor 

 especially, but in the higher sense of one imparting to it such honorable fame as enhanced 

 greatly respect for it, both at home and abroad. To him also was the Society mainly 

 indebted for the interest shown in our work by the late Dr. Walker, aud which led directly 

 to its large endowment with means of success. 



But pleasant as it would be for me, as a personal friend, to dwell upon the transcendent 

 virtues of one whom I have always regarded with the highest respect and most affection- 

 ate esteem, I feel it would be unbecoming to further occupy your time in view of those 

 present, who have come here with their tributes of love to the memory of our dear 

 departed friend. I therefore close by inviting others to address you, first calling upon 

 Dr. Asa Gray, who, from his great regard for Professor Wyman _has kindly prepared a 

 notice of his life and work to read on this occasion. 



