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the “Chesapeake,” and many others. As to military relics, they have 
the swords of Cromwell and of Wolfe, the sash with which Sir John 
Moore was lowered into his grave, Napoleon and Tippoo Saib’s rifles, 
relics of Waterloo, Inkermann, Sebastopol, and others. The Duke 
of Wellington took much interest in this institution in all its de- 
partments, and entered most kindly into the wishes of the Council 
regarding digging up and placing the skeleton of his favourite horse, 
which he rode at Waterloo, into the museum, as already they had the 
skeleton of the Arab rode by Napoleon at Waterloo. The design 
never was accomplished, but the museum of relics called forth a 
quiet jocular remark from the great commander to Sir Charles' 
Napier ; and as the jokes of the Duke of Wellington are rare, I 
may mention it in passing. It is the more amusing, as Napier 
used to tell the story himself. Whilst the negotiation about the 
skeleton of the Duke’s horse was going on, Charles Napier, the 
naval officer of the name, had been dining at Walmer Castle with 
the Duke, as his ship lay in the roads. On going away, Napier was 
putting on his cocked hat, as he was in uniform. Charles Napier, 
it is well known, was not very nice as to his wardrobe ; and so, as 
they had been talking about the museum, the Duke, after eyeing the 
cocked hat, suggested, “ Napier, you should put your cocked hat 
into the museum — just the place for it.” 
The immense increase of scientific associations for the furtherance 
and pursuit of separate branches of human knowledge is no more 
than what might have been expected, and is, in fact, the natural 
supply of that vastly increased and increasing demand for knowledge 
in all departments of study, especially in those which relate to in- 
quiries connected with the physical sciences. Nor does this increase 
at all act injuriously upon the older societies, or deteriorate from 
the usefulness or importance of their office. It rather calls out 
their exertions, and places them in a more important position. It 
was utterly impossible that they should of themselves meet the whole 
growing demand except by a subdivision of their own body, which 
would not certainly have been so efficacious an arrangement as the 
formation of new bodies. These children, if we may so call them, 
of the parent societies, instead of being rivals and opponents, are 
I apprehend, their best aids and coadjutors. The younger branches 
take, as we might say, the heavy work of departments, whilst the 
older institutions take that general charge which extends itself 
