ANNITEESAEY ADDRESS OP THE PRESIDENT. XXXIX 



and tlie internal lieat of the globe in forming the same rocks, and 

 that Hutton is truly the founder of the fertile principle of the 

 transformation of the sedimentary rocks by the action of heat. 



But perhaps the most remarkable portion of this Address of 

 Mr. Horner, was that in which he collected the evidence of the 

 early existence of the human race. It is impossible to read these 

 remarks without being struck with the conviction that, however 

 impossible it must be to assign even a probable limit to the past 

 existence of the human race, there is satisfactory, I might say 

 almost conclusive, evidence that our earth was inhabited by man 

 for a very long period antecedent to the date which is usually 

 supposed, on religious grounds alone, as marking the period of his 

 creation. 



In the course of this same year (1861) Mr. Horner was com- 

 pelled to leave England to seek a milder climate for the restoration 

 of Mrs. Horner's health ; he resided for some time in Florence, 

 and was thus precluded from giving us the usual Address in the 

 following year. During his stay in Florence he occupied his 

 leisure hours with the translation from the Italian of the Life of 

 Savonarola, by Prof. YiUari of Pisa. I had frequently the pleasure 

 of seeing him at this time, and I shall never forget the touching 

 and tender resignation with which he alone of his family then 

 contemplated the approaching probability of the loss he feared. 

 "When I took leave of him in the month of May 1862, he said, 

 with touching pathos, that it was no small calamity for a man at 

 his age to lose the constant companion of fifty-six years of his life. 

 Alas! the event he foresaw occurred only a few days afterwards. 



On his return to England, after he had somewhat recovered the 

 first effects of his severe loss, he again returned to his labours in 

 arranging our Museum — to him a labour of love, in which he was 

 almost daily occupied until his declining strength put an end to 

 its continuance. But he still contemplated returning to Florence 

 in the spring of 1864. Here again his hopes were disappointed; 

 his increasing weakness precluded his moving, and on the 5th of 

 March death put an end to an honourable existence, and deprived 

 his friends and relations of one of the most upright and pure- 

 minded men who have devoted their time and energies to the 

 welfare of their fellow creatures or the advancement of science 

 and truth. This is not the place to attempt a sketch of the cha- 

 racter of our lamented associate, but I cannot omit quoting from 

 an Italian paper a few words, said to have been written by 

 Pasquale VUlari, for his loss was heavily felt in Italy, where 

 he had also made himself many friends. After alluding to the 

 Address of the Workmen of Lancashire, which I have already 

 mentioned, he concludes as follows : — "And truly, if anything 

 could console his family for the loss of one so beloved, it was 

 just that sympathy which arose spontaneously from the hearts 

 of men whom he had benefited. They with their words elevated 

 and sanctified the image of the venerable man. The monument 

 wJiich he himself erected in the hearts of the workmen need not 



