The Tenth General Meeting. 



13 



men. Nor could we be surprised at this ; for although always 

 adapting themselves and their teaching to the needs and circum- 

 stances of the times in which they lived, still the immutable truths 

 j which they taught — the churches, vestments, and language 

 of their formularies — nay, the very names they bore, are all 

 | more or less connected with the past. Such being the case, no 

 jwonder that the Clergy should be interested in the progress of a 

 science which was so much akin to the principle upon which their 

 own special studies and ministrations are founded — a principle 

 which in an age of change and innovation it is not always easy to 

 maintain. 



" Seek the ancient fountains, and of ages past 

 Take counsel reverently." 



The next toast was the Army and Navy, and the Yolunteers, 

 which was appropriately acknowledged by Capt. Bellers. 



Lord Nelson then proposed the health of the Lord-Lieutenant 

 and the Magistrates of the County, and with it he would couple 

 the name of Mr. Matcham, who had honored the company with his 

 presence at the meeting, and had expressed to him (Lord Nelson) 

 his determination of going with them through all the excur- 

 sions. 



Mr. Matcham said whether he was to return thanks as the senior 

 magistrate or as an antiquated antiquarian he scarcely knew. In 

 both capacaties however he begged to return them his best thanks. 

 He was sure that the Magistracy of this count} 7 had every dispo- 

 sition to render any assistance in their power to a Society of this 

 description. They were the principal land-owners in the county, 

 and as such they possessed the means of assistance, and he was quite 

 sure that assistance would never be wanting from them. With 

 reference to antiquarian questions, he begged to thank his noble 

 kinsman for the way in which he had brought him before their 

 notice, and particularly for his notice of a work which he had 

 ventured to give 30 or 40 years ago to his respected friend Sir 

 Richard Hoare. As the only representative of that band of 

 of scholars and gentlemen who had the peculiar privilege of par- 

 ticipating in the hospitality of Sir Richard Colt Hoare, he begged 



