President's Address. 113 



believe, as we are told in Scripture, — " Eighteousness exaltetli 

 a nation/' and that we have here the preserving salt, the pos- 

 session of which alone will in the end prevent a nation from 

 relapsing again into barbarism. . . . Truths such as these 

 taught so plainly in Holy Scripture, bearing on the relation of 

 aU living creatures, and the world itself, to their Great Creator, 

 have, to me, at least, a sublimity, a beauty, an order, a fulness, 

 adapted to the nature of man, infinitely surpassing any or all 

 of the theories of the sad, struggling, and evolving creation 

 of man's devising. 



And now, gentlemen, a word in conclusion on the present 

 state and prospects of our Society itself. I have already said 

 Ave are still fortunate enough to have among us some of our 

 old Presidents, men like Mr C. W. Peach, w^ho can enlighten 

 and charm us on many branches of N"atural History; James 

 M'Bain, M.D., Pi.K ; Professor John Duns, D.D. ; Mr E. F. 

 Logan ; Dr Stevenson Macadam ; also Dr Traquair, Mr 

 Andrew Taylor, Mr Eobert Gray, and many others, whose 

 names occur to us all, and are amply sufficient to show 

 what powder and energy still remain in this old Society, 

 now entering on the one hundred and sixth year of its 

 age. I am sure, by the active support of our Members 

 bringing everytliing of interest under our notice that may 

 come in their w^ay, the Society, led by the w^ell-know^n 

 naturalists among our office-bearers, and by the accom- 

 plished men whom the Council expect to fill the vacant 

 places among our officials, the Eoyal Physical Society will 

 hold on the even tenor of its quiet pleasant w^ay, with 

 perhaps greater vigour and activity, zeal and success, than 

 before; in the examination and pursuit of all the varied 

 branches of Natural, ay, Physical Science ; for the old and 

 happy name and constitution of our Society makes it right 

 and proper to include among its w^orkers aU the lovers 

 and cultivators of the many branches of science. 



And now, gentlemen, in leaving this chair, it falls to me 

 to resign my office of President, the term of which has now 

 come to a close. You were good enough to appoint me one 

 of your Presidents, when failing health and strength admon- 

 ished me to retire from the office of the Secretary, wdiich I 



