70 THE REV. WILLIAM WRIGHT, D.D. 
Rey. Dr. Wrieut.—I have nothing to do in the shape of reply except to 
discharge the very pleasant duty of thanking the Meeting for the patient 
attention it has accorded to my paper, and also to those who have been so 
kind as to speak upon it. I must say that I did not altogether anticipate 
such a reception as I have had to-night. Indeed, I came prepared, if I may 
say so, to defend my position at all points, and I am very much surprised at 
the way in which my paper has been received. I remember that when I 
came to London, only about ten years ago, I was looked upon asa kind 
of craze; and at last I ceased to talk to my scientific friends about the 
Hittites, as I did not like to be regarded asa bore. But at length, while 
living at Rosstrevor, I found that a friend of mine in London was calling 
these people to whom my paper refers “the Hittites,” and I began to think, 
“The Hittites are looking up.” When I came to London I found my 
friends Mr. Boscawen, Mr. Pinches, Professor Sayce, Dr. Isaac Taylor, and 
a large number of others whose opinions on this subject are worth having, 
had all come round, and had done so through the medium of their own 
independent studies, for I think very few of them ever saw my article on 
the subject. I do not believe Professor Sayce did, nor Dr. Isaac Taylor, nor 
Mr. Boscawen. 
Mr. W. St. Coap Boscawen.—I have not seen it to this day. 
Rey. Dr. Wricut.—They all seem to have arrived at the same result by 
separate and independent study. It is, therefore, a very pleasant thing to 
meet here to-night men who thoroughly understand the subject, who now 
concur in the views I have ventured to put forward, and who express their 
opinions in a manner that makes me feel thoroughly repaid for the past. It 
was not always so, especially in the case of scholars who stumbled on dis- 
coveries, and who had to wait a very long time before their theories were 
accepted. It is gratifying to see how much faster we are living in the present 
day. As I have already said, I have really nothing to reply to. I must 
say I like this Society proceeding on the most scientific lines; for 
there need not be the slightest fear of the “Old Book” holding its 
own. I do not mean taking the Bible merely as an old eccle- 
siastical book ; but, regarding it solely from the scientific side, the book 
comes out well. We may not as yet be able to prove all our points; but 
the spade is at work, and where we do not know, let us have patience, and 
before very long the spade will bury a great amount of this Biblical scep- 
ticism entirely out of sight. 
The Meeting was then adjourned. 
