The Inaugural Address. 



5 



at a considerable angle, 60 degrees he thought, and was evidently- 

 moving. If some effectual measure was not adopted to make it 

 secure, it would fall and damage the building very much. 



Mr. T. B. Saunders said he had great pleasure in seconding 

 the adoption of the report. He gathered from it that it was in- 

 tended to do something at Stonehenge : but he ventured to express 

 a hope that a complete restoration to its original condition was not 

 in contemplation. 



The report having been adopted, the President proposed the re- 

 election of the officers of the Society, but said he was sorry to have 

 to announce that amongst them they should not in future be able 

 to reckon Mr. Charles Talbot as one of their General Secretaries ; 

 for that gentleman had felt compelled from ill-health to resign the 

 office he had so efficiently held. He need scarcely remind them of 

 the great services which Mr. Talbot had rendered to the Society, 

 more especially on the subject of architecture. His place would be 

 very difficult to fill ; but he had great satisfaction in proposing as 

 his successor Mr. Henry Medlicott, a name well known and honoured 

 in the county. 



This motion having been unanimously agreed to, the President 

 proceeded to deliver 



THE INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 



He remarked that though, owing to Lord Edmond's absence, 

 which they very much regretted, he had consented to make an 

 address, he hoped it would not be said of him that " fools rushed in 

 where angels feared to tread/'' or rather, where angels were not able 

 to tread. Yet he was bound to say he had had extreme difficulty 

 in accepting the responsible position of Chairman in Lord Edniond's 

 place. In the first place it was necessary for the Chairman to give 

 an inaugural address. Well, to his innocent and unsophisticated, 

 and perhaps ignorant mind, an inaugural address seemed a very 

 solemn thing, and he must say, when, on the previous morning he 

 sat down to the work he hardly knew where to begin, though he 

 need hardly say he had no difficulty as to where he ought to end, for 

 that came very soon indeed. However he had no doubt that having 



