294 COMMENDATORY RESOLUTIONS. 



been long accustomed to other dialects ; the language of Africa 

 had become more familiar than that of his mother. He could 

 little more than thank the assembly for the honor and sympathy 

 which he received, and promise them the opportunity of read- 

 ing at their leisure accounts of his wanderings in the benighted 

 land which had excited so much curiosity and enlisted so deep 

 an interest. And among the interesting notices of the meeting, 

 which may be found in the papers of the day, were the following- 

 resolutions offered by the Bishop of London and Sir Roderick 

 Murchison, and most enthusiastically carried : 



" This meeting, consisting of merchants, bankers and others, 

 citizens of London, hereby present Dr. Livingstone their sincere 

 congratulations on the signal care and protection of Divine 

 Providence vouchsafed to him throughout his prolonged and 

 perilous labors in exploring the interior of south Africa ; the 

 meeting cherishes the gratifying assurance that the important 

 discoveries of Dr. Livingstone will tend hereafter to advance 

 the interests of civilization, knowledge, commerce, freedom and 

 religion among the numerous tribes and nations of that vast 

 continent." 



The resolution of Sir Roderick Murchison was characteristic 

 of the man whose generosity was the handmaid of his greatness, 

 and whose sense of justice was equal to his learning; he moved: 



" This meeting, highly appreciating the intrepidity and per- 

 severance of Dr. Livingstone in his extended and dangerous 

 journeys, deems it incumbent to originate a pecuniary tribute as 

 an expression of their admiration and gratitude for his disin- 

 terested and self-denying labors in the cause of science and 

 philanthropy." 



The enthusiastic assembly was only too eager for an oppor- 

 tunity of expressing an interest so material in such a man and 

 such an enterprise, and their generous contributions underscored 

 their words of love and cheer. With such an introduction, it 

 was not to be expected that a year in England could be a year 

 of rest and retirement for Dr. Livingstone. Various communi- 

 ties desired to honor him, and he could not refuse their invita- 

 tions, so candid and complimentary, if he had not considered 

 every such occasion a golden opportunity for impressing the 

 tremendous consequences of African exploration and evangeliza- 



