14 



The Tenth General Meeting, 



to thank them for the unmerited attention which they had paid 

 him. 



Lord Nelson said his next toast was the health of the House 

 of Commons, and he wished to connect with it a near neighbour 

 of theirs who had kindly joined them to-day, Mr. Ewart. 



Mr. Ewart, M.P., said that the only thing upon which he 

 disagreed with the noble Lord was with that part of his speech in 

 which he had been pleased to put a slight upon his own Archaeo- 

 logical knowledge. He (Lord Nelson) had made a most excellent 

 Archaeological speech. And with regard to Canon Jackson, he 

 could only say of him that he was "an Archaeological fact." No 

 one who ever heard him once, but must wish to hear him twice ; 

 and not only the archaeological, but the romantic manner in which 

 he had traced the history of Devizes must have delighted every 

 person who had listened to his excellent paper. He (Mr. Ewart) 

 would like to go so far as to make the common people of the country 

 take an interest in archaeology, and for that purpose he would 

 give a short account of any archaeological remains which might be 

 found in their respective parishes, so that the people might learn 

 to connect History with existing monuments; and see, in their 

 illustrations, the history of their country. 



The health of the Society's new Patron, the present Lord 

 Lansdowne, was next drunk. 



Mr. Merewether rose with great pleasure, to execute the most 

 pleasurable task of the entertainment — that of drinking the health 

 of their President (applause). None of them who had listened to 

 the address which Lord Nelson delivered in the Hall that morning 

 could have doubted the sincerity of purpose with which he took the 

 chair and attached himself to the Society, or have failed to value 

 the ready practical suggestions which he threw out — especially that 

 of retaining the recollection of old buildings by means of photo- 

 graphy. He was happy to tell them that although his lordship 

 had been pleased to place himself with the "small fry," he would 

 only escape out of this year's frying-pan by getting into the next, 

 the Society having secured his services for three years. He 

 then called upon the company to testify their appreciation of 



