President's Address. 



289 



his entertainer. (Applause.) I assure you, ladies and gentlemen, 

 and especially ladies, that it is a very happy time with archaeologists, 

 and I would persuade you all to add the name of a friend or relative 

 to our present list of members. I am glad to tell you that the 

 Society is doing very well, that its members are increasing in number, 

 and that the funds are adequate for all its requirements. Through 

 the liberality of the members and of the county people, assisted by 

 other friends, we have been enabled to purchase a building in 

 Devizes which, with some alteration at a moderate cost, will be 

 admirably adapted to form a museum for objects of very great interest 

 which are now the property of the Society. I confess that at first 

 I was not prepared to advocate the formation of a museum at Devizes, 

 for I thought it might degenerate into a purely local one, and one 

 without sufficient interest for the public generally — but I very soon 

 altered my opinion, and now believe that this museum is really 

 wanted, not only as the receptacle of such antiquities as may, and 

 have, become the property of this Society, but also for those 

 exhibitions of ancient relics — pictures and family collections — a sight 

 of which is so much coveted by the enquiring public. It is not every 

 one who has the chance, or perhaps can afford to spend a few days in 

 London to see the wonders of the British Museum or the art 

 treasures at Kensington. But with proper buildings in our own 

 county we may show a number of exceedingly rare and valuable 

 things, and thus bring knowledge to the very doors of the humblest 

 individual. Do not let it be supposed that archaeology and archae- 

 ological pursuits are necessarily confined to the upper classes, or to 

 those of a superior intellect or education. It is the aim of this 

 Society to inculcate a spirit of enquiry and research, and to encourage 

 by all means a love for investigation, and to foster and cultivate a 

 taste for the discovery of any thing which may serve to throw fresh 

 light upon the habits and customs of our ancestors. It becomes of 

 more consequence than may be at first imagined to persuade the 

 plough-boy when he turns up a coin with his plough to refrain from 

 rubbing it bright upon the first stone he can find, and to educate 

 the drainer and navvy to spare the interesting but seemingly 

 valueless objects which they meet with in their labours. We may 



