The Tenth General Meeting. 



15 



his lordship's services by drinking his good health, which they did 

 most heartily. 



Lord Nelson said Mr. Merewether had not gone so far as to tell 

 them what was going to happen to him after his escape from his 

 present frying-pan, or whether his next essay would be from the 

 frying-pan into the fire; because it must have been evident, from 

 his address, that he was no archaeologist. He had come there for the 

 purpose of learning ; and as they had done him the honor to request 

 him to act as President of the Society, he had done his best to ac- 

 quaint himself with some of the chief principles of it ; and he really 

 hoped, coming to them bona-fide as a learner, that he might derive 

 great benefit from his visit, and that, after the frying and the 

 roasting, he might at last know a little more of Archaeology than 

 at present. He would not occupy their time further, because there 

 were other toasts. The first was the health of their Secretaries ; 

 and when they knew the labors which Canon Jackson and the Rev. 

 A. C. Smith had performed — what they had done for the Society — 

 the Papers they had written in the Magazine — and the Papers, one 

 of which had been delivered, and the other which was going to be 

 delivered by them at this Meeting, he had only to mention the 

 names of those gentlemen to ensure them that warm reception of 

 which they were worthy. 



The Rev. Canon Jackson in returning thanks reminded .the 

 company that Devizes was the nursery of the Society, and that they 

 had employed the ten years that had elapsed since their first 

 Meeting here in travelling about the county, and visiting its 

 different towns, affording, he hoped, amusement and information 

 where they had gone — and not stopping, until like that respectable 

 citizen of credit and renown, 



" Where they had got up, 

 They did again get down." 



In their journies, he was glad to say, they had not met with such, 

 disasters as befel John Gilpin, but still disasters had befallen them. 

 They might preserve buildings and places from decay, but could 

 not preserve themselves — as a proof of which he need only refer 

 to the loss they had sustained by the deaths of Mr. Carrington, Mr. 



