252 MARTIN L. EOOSEj ESQ., ON " PROCOPIUS's MONUMENT/' ETC. 



done something in getting into touch with the Constantine Archae- 

 ological Society. I am sure we wish success to that society in its 

 future efforts to discover these wonderful memorials of Joshua's 

 conquest in Canaan. If that society does not find them we shall 

 heartily desire that our lecturer, or another gentleman equally well 

 fitted, should go out with the object of completing the investigations. 

 That these pillars exist cannot, I think, be doubted ; so we shall 

 look forward with hope, as well as interest, to the future. 



Mr. Woodford Pilkington, C.E. — I must say that I think the 

 lecture we have heard to-night is one of those instances of 

 the great use of popular institutions of this kind. The Victoria 

 Institute was so called after her late gracious Majesty, and I only 

 hope it may continue to be as popular in the present reign as it 

 was in her own long reign. Institutions of this sort, which are 

 outside purely technical institutions, render a great service to the 

 country. I belong to one of those technical institutions (the Civil 

 Engineers), and it is very difficult to awaken popular interest in 

 them, because they are so purely technical. But institutions of 

 this kind can be made popular, and I think our experience to-night 

 affords a remarkable instance of the way these institutions may do so. 

 Some may say, " Well, Mr. Rouse went after a stone that he never 

 found." But he found a great many interesting facts in connection 

 with that stone, and got himself connected with societies in France 

 which I hope will lead to its ultimate discovery. 



I do think Mr. Rouse has developed a gift, latterly, very much 

 in the direction in which a kind Providence has invested him, viz., 

 a power to make himself generally useful. 



The subject to-night as regards the history of these stones of 

 Joshua is very interesting. The discovery of stones in modern 

 times has done much, as we all know, towards throwing light upon 

 the statements of the Bible in days when rationalism is doing so 

 much with the object of disproving them. The Moabite stone is 

 a case in point of peculiar interest. One of the most wonderful 

 discoveries of this age was the reading of the hieroglyphics of 

 Egypt when a Frenchman found out their interpretation. 



I hope every opportunity will be given to Mr. Rouse to prosecute 

 his work, and I am sure we must all be deeply grateful to him for 

 bringing forward tliis interesting subject. 



Mr. Rouse having replied, the Meeting separated. 



