Proceedings. 



115 



February 28, 1901. 



Mr. W. H. M. CHRISTIE, Vice-President, Astronomer Royal, in the- 



Chair. 



The Secretary reported that on Saturday, February 23, the Presi- 

 dent, accompanied by the Treasurer, the Senior Secretary, the Foreign 

 Secretary, Lord Lister, Lord Kelvin, and Sir Joseph Hooker, Past 

 Presidents, and Mr. Christie, Vice-President, had proceeded to St.. 

 James's Palace, and, being admitted to the presence of the Throne, 

 had the honour of presenting to His Gracious Majesty an Address of 

 Condolence and of Homage, and that His Majesty had made a gracious, 

 reply. 



The Address and Royal Reply are as. follows : — 



To the King's Most Excellent Majesty. 



The Humble Address of the President, Council, and Fellows of the lioyal: 

 Society of London for Promoting Natural Knowledge. 



Most Gracious Sovereign, 



We, Your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the President, 

 Council, and Fellows of the Royal Society of London for Promoting 

 Natural Knowledge, humbly beg leave to offer our deepest and most 

 heartfelt sympathy with Your Majesty in the great sorrow which has; 

 befallen You in the death of Your beloved Mother, our late Sovereign 

 Lady the Queen. Your Majesty's loss is our loss also : a loss not only 

 to ourselves, not only to all Your Majesty's subjects throughout the- 

 Empire, but to the whole world. During Your beloved Mother's wise 

 and beneficent reign, under Her thoughtful fostering care, that natural 

 knowledge which the Society was founded by one of Your ancestors- 

 to promote has been promoted to an extent, and in ways, never known 

 before; and we feel sure that not in our time only, but in the years- 

 to come, to the story of the advance of Science in the past century 

 will be most closely linked the memory of the goodness, the wisdom,, 

 the peerless worth of the august and beloved Lady, whose death has 

 now plunged us into the deepest grief. 



While thus uttering words of sorrow, we ask leave, Sire, at the same- 

 time, to lay at Your Majesty's feet our unfeigned and heartfelt con- 

 gratulation upon Your Majesty's accession to the Throne of Youi- 

 ancestors, to reign over a people to whom, happily, Your Majesty is no- 



