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forbearing and patient with those who were idle or inconsiderate. 
When thoughtless or ungenerous members of the class would (as 
young men sometimes will) forget themselves, and take those liberties 
which are so unbecoming in the gentleman and the student, the 
kind-hearted teacher hardly gave indication that they were even 
noticed by him. He might be occasionally grieved or pained, but 
was never irritated. I have often thought it is good to have known 
such characters as John Schank More, — -not, mark me, on account 
of great accomplishments, high genius, or profound learning, but 
because they put one in better humour with the world, and make 
one think better of human nature, as living illustrations of the great 
and pure principle of Christian love, and as exhibiting in their lives 
and dispositions a rare resemblance to the spirit of Him whose name 
we all bear. Let such men be held in honour by their cotem- 
poraries, and let their survivors cherish their names with grateful 
remembrance, as true benefactors of their species, who have shown 
to the world, in characters which cannot be mistaken, the power and 
beauty of Christian gentleness. 
Sir James Miles Riddell, Bart, of Strontian and Ardnamurchan, 
who died 28th September 1861, at the age of seventy-four, was 
long a Fellow of the Society, and at one time took much interest in 
its proceedings. He was beloved and esteemed by all his friends as 
a man of most amiable disposition, and honourable character, through 
life. Although Sir James could not be called a scientific man, in so 
far as special study of any branch of natural science was concerned, 
yet his name is associated, as a landed proprietor of Scotland, with 
an important mineralogical discovery. One of the earths was found 
on his property from which it is named, and as this mineral was first 
discovered by a Scotchman, and from the beginning has borne a 
Scottish name, I may perhaps be allowed to say a few words on the 
subject in passing. In 1787 some minerals were brought to Edin- 
burgh by a dealer from Strontian, Sir James Riddell’s property in 
Argyleshire. They were examined by Dr Hope, then the eminent 
Professor of Chemistry in the University. In 1791, Dr Hope 
announced, in a paper read to the Society, that in one of these 
minerals he had detected a new earth, and which he proposed to 
name Strontites, from the locality from whence it was received. It 
seems previously to have been confounded with barytes, and sup- 
