THE LATE PRINCE CONSORT. 



Amidst the universal manifestation of grief at the death of our 

 Sovereign's Eoyal Consort, it would ill become the Technologist 

 to remain silent on ao mournful an occasion. England has indeed lost 

 "a Prince and a great man," for his was a princely nature, and the 

 greatness of his mind is too widely acknowledged to be questioned. 

 Art and Science were the amusements of his leisure, the play-toys of 

 his existence ; and especially did he interest himself in that particular 

 branch of science which it is the purpose of this periodical to encourage. 



Technology was a favourite pursuit with the late, and lamented Prince, 

 by reason, doubtless, of its useful tendencies. The Animal and Food 

 collections at the South Kensington Museum, testify to this preference 

 for practical science, — and often, when developing, arranging, and cata- 

 loguing those collections, have we seen the Prince Consort carefully 

 inspecting and examining the products and their applications, either 

 alone, or explaining them to his children. It seems but as yesterday 

 that we received from him a kindly acknowledgment of a copy of our 

 Dictionary of Trade Products and Technical Terms* — and now he is 

 taken from this scene of his useful labours. 



For seventeen years the Prince Consort was President of the Society 

 of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce, and his patronage, presence, and 

 influence, has been widely felt in the rapid progress of that Society and 

 the extension of its field of operations. 



The very last public act of His Royal Highness was the laying of 

 the foundation stone of an Industrial Museum, in the capital of Scotland. 

 Of International Exhibitions, also, he may be considered the founder, and, 

 did space permit, it would be very easy to enlarge the list of practical 

 benefits thus conferred upon us. 



In the death of the Prince, therefore, we have to mourn the loss of the 

 leading Technologist of the country ; and, as the coming months and years 

 roll slowly by, we, in common with many others, whose pursuits the late 

 Prince loved to patronize, shall awake gradually to a real sense of the 

 affliction which ha9 befallen us. 



The Prince was also a good man, and his goodness had a far higher 

 and purer origin than mere natural amiability of soul. To this fact, 



" Osborne, March 6, 1858. 



"Sir, — I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your note and the 

 accompanying Copy of your Trade Dictionary ; I have lost no time in bringing them 

 under the notice of His Royal Highness the Prince Consort, and am now commanded 

 to request that you will accept the expression of his Royal Highness's best thanks 

 for your kindness in sending him a Copy of this very useful Work. — I have the 

 honour to be, Sir, your most obedient Servant, " C. Grey. 



"P. L. SrMJioNDS, Esq." 



