430 



Could I have foreseen, when the progress of my malady first 

 removed me from public life, the length of time which was to 

 elapse before its termination, even in case I could have felt assured 

 that it would end as fortunately as it has for me, I would not 

 have ventured to trespass, so long as I have done, upon your in- 

 dulgence, but would at once have retired from the proud situa- 

 tion of your President ; for though I could rely with perfect confi- 

 dence upon the cordial cooperation of the members of the Council, 

 and should have felt satisfied that they would not allow the real in- 

 terests of the Society to suffer from my absence, yet I could not 

 have continued altogether free from alarm, lest its dignity should 

 be lowered in public estimation, were its affairs long allowed to be 

 conducted with an incomplete establishment ; or the becoming au- 

 thority of this Chair should be lessened by frequent changes in its 

 occupation, particularly on great and public occasions. I was always 

 led to believe that the disease under which I laboured would have 

 been sufficiently advanced to justify an operation much sooner than 

 eventually proved to be the case, and I was therefore induced to 

 hope that my absence from the Society would not have been pro- 

 longed for such a period as to be productive either of reasonable 

 complaint, or of serious inconvenience. When, however, the day of 

 your last Anniversary approached, and that hope had proved 

 delusive, I felt it my duty to resign my trust, however reluctant 

 to sever myself from a body with which I am so honourably 

 connected; and I only consented to continue in its occupation, 

 when kindly pressed to do so by the members of the Council, 

 under the conviction that the time for performing the operation 

 was so near at hand, that its success or failure would speedily decide 

 whether I should be capable of again taking an active part in 

 our concerns, or be compelled to terminate my official connexion 

 with you for ever. I thank God that I am now enabled, in person, 

 to express my heai'tfelt gratitude for your kindness to me on all occa- 

 sions, and especially on the present ; and I beg you to feel assured 

 that the remembrance of your sympathy with my affliction whilst it 

 continued, and of your warm congratulations upon my happy re- 

 covery, will ever tend to cement more closely the ties of affection 

 and friendship which subsist between me and the Fellows of the 

 Royal Society. 



My necessary absence from my duties amongst you will prevent 

 my entering in much detail upon the ordinary transactions of the 

 Council, and of our weekly meetings during the last year ; for a parti- 

 cular statement of which I must refer to the Report of the Council, 

 which will be read to you by one of your Secretaries, Dr. Roget. 

 There are only two topics connected with them to which I feel my- 

 self particularly called upon to allude. 



The first is the publication of the classed catalogue of our library ; 

 the second relates to the discussions which have been attempted to 

 be raised upon the Minutes of your proceedings on the ordinary 

 days of your assembling during the last year. 



It is well known to you, Gentlemen, that, after the transfer 



