Thursday, August 9tk. 



147 



reached soon after six o'clock. Punctually at 8, p.m., a 



CONVERSAZIONE 



was held in the Town Hall, the Right Rev. The President in the 

 chair, when an excellent paper on " Stanley Abbey " was read by 

 the Rev. Canon Eddrup, and then an admirable paper on " the 

 Poet Moore," by the Rev. W. H. Hitchcock : the latter, however, 

 gave rise to some discussion as to his private character, and his claims 

 as a poet, which Moore possessed. This was mooted by the Vicar of 

 Calne, Rev. Canon Duncan, and was carried on from various points of 

 view by Mr. T. Harris, the Rev. V. F. Ransome, Mr. Batten, of 

 Yeovil, Mr. H. J. F. Swayne, Mr. W. W. Ravenhill, and others. 

 But however great the difference of opinion as to Moore's merits as 

 a poet and a Christian, there was no question that the paper, as 

 handled by Mr. Hitchcock, was an exceedingly able one, put together 

 with great dexterity and evincing excellent taste and tact on the 

 part of the writer. Nor must we omit to add that the pleasure of 

 it was very greatly enhanced by two specimens of the Irish melodies, 

 which were admirably sung by Mrs. Hitchcock, to the great delight 

 of the audience. As both this paper and that on Stanley Abbey 

 will be printed in the Magazine, we need not comment on them 

 further. The President offered a warm vote of thanks to the 

 authors of both papers, and especially to Mrs.'' Hitchcock, and then 

 vacated the chair, which he asked the Rev. A. C. Smith to occupy 

 in his absence. The Chairman now invited Mr. Plenderleath to 

 read his paper on Cherhill Gleanings, which had been crowded out 

 the previous evening, but that gentleman courteously insisted on 

 giving way in favour of Mr. Wilkins, who read a paper on " Ben 

 Nevis/' for which he received the thanks of the Meeting ; and after 

 sundry announcements of the arrangements for the following day, 

 the Meeting terminated. 



THURSDAY, AUGUST 9th. 

 The excursion planned for to-day was called the " Bo wood Day," 

 and punctually at 9, a.m., a~large party, led by the President and 

 Secretaries of the Society, started in breaks and other carriages, and 



VOL. XXIV. — NO. LXXI. L 



