102 THE TRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. 



an abundant crop of those wliieli are devoted to a single limited branch, 

 A name frequently adopted, and in such a case peculiarly appropriate, 

 is " Literary and Philosphieal Soociety/' which at once points to the 

 wide extent of the subjects open for discussion; and where the simpler 

 form of "Philosophical Society" has been preferred, the members are 

 allowed freely to roam through literature and learning, antiquities and 

 arts, as well as mathematical and philosophical sciences. I myself can 

 never forget many delightful evenings spent at the Literary and Philo- 

 sophical Society of Liverpool, with Pioscoe and Traill, Rathbone, Curry 

 and the Yateses, and a host of others, eminent as physicians, lawyers, 

 divines, or merchants, and well prepared to discuss matters of science, 

 learning, literature, taste or social interest, in a manner at once agreeable 

 and improving. Nor less do I recur with the truest enjoyment to 

 evenings spent at the Yorkshire Philosophical Society, where Mr. 

 VeruoQ Harcourt, Professor Phillips, Mr. Allis, the comparative anato- 

 mist, my learned colleagues in the college with which I was then con- 

 nected, Mr. Wellbeloved, who has thrown such light on the antiquities 

 of York, and Mr. Kenrick, the acute and refined scholar and critic, with 

 other able men, gave a never-flagging interest to the Society's meetings. 

 On the other hand, I can testify from my own experience, that a 

 Society confining itself to a particular branch, which all its members are 

 supposed to be more or less cultivating, does by no means secure the 

 uniform interest of its meetings, and may frequently be a direct cause 

 of their being dull and unattractive. 



If we try to reason on the subject, it will be evident that the Society 

 whose plan is most comprehensive is most likely to afTord something 

 peculiarly interesting occasionally to every intelligent person, and to 

 difl"use a taste for that varied culture which is at once ornamental and 

 useful in a community, whilst a common organization saves the expense 

 of many separate establishments. A common publication brings before 

 the world wbat is judged most important in all the departments; and 

 what is wanted in the way of special studies in any one science, is 

 easily supplied by the votaries of that science holding additional special 

 meetings as often as they deem useful, like the Sections of the French 

 Institute, and availing themselves freely of the rooms and books of the 

 general Society; whilst, if they find it necessary for purposes of their 

 own, they can provide themselves with funds by a small additional sub- 

 scription from the members of the particular section. The working 

 of our Medical section shows the practicability and the convenience of 



