HUNTERIAN ORATION. 49 



and we find him complaining of this, hke 

 one who had felt it sorely. 



Those who far precede others must ne- 

 cessarily remain alone ; and their actions 

 often appear unaccountable, nay even 

 extravagant, to their distant followers ; 

 who know not the causes that give rise to 

 them, nor the effects which they are de- 

 signed to produce. In such a situation 

 stood Mr. Hunter with relation to his con- 

 temporaries. It was a comfortless pre- 

 cedence, for it deprived him of sympathy 

 and social co-operation ; and he felt that 

 his labours and merits were not known, 

 or fairly estimated. 



None of these causes of irritation, how- 

 ever, in general disturbed the patience and 

 good-humour of John Hunter, who found 

 ample consolation, in thinking of what he 

 had already done, and might still do, for 

 the attainment of knowledge, the most 

 important to humanity. 



That Mr. Hunter had a very susceptible 

 mind can scarcely be doubted. Sir Everard 



E 



