NEW  Y( 
botanic 
oaree 
JOURNAL 
OF  THE 
ROYAL  AGRICULTURAL  SOCIETY 
OF  ENGLAND. 
KING  EDWARD  VII. 
ROYAL  AGRICULTURAL 
ENGLAND. 
SOCIETY  OF 
To  say  that  the  British  nation  was  deeply  and  profoundly 
. moved  but  very  feebly  expresses  the  sentiments  felt  by  all 
when  it  became  known  to  his  subjects  that  the  revered  and 
beloved  sovereign,  Edward  VII.,  had  passed  away.  The 
nation’s  loss  was  all  the  more  terrible  owing  to  the  suddenness 
- — x with  which  the  blow  fell.  His  Majesty’s  determination  to 
- continue  his  royal  labours  as  long  as  it  was  physically  possible 
^ for  him  to  do  so,  led  to  the  vast  majority  of  his  people  only 
- realising  that  he  was  seriously  ill  on  Friday,  May  6, 1910.  Thus 
it  was  that  on  the  morning  of  Saturday  the  7th,  only  a very 
insignificant  number  of  his  subjects  were  in  any  way  prepared 
to  learn  that  his  life  was  no  longer  at  the  service  of  the 
dominions  over  which  he  had  reigned  so  actively  to  within 
forty-eight  hours  of  his  death.  It  would  be  superfluous  to 
record  how  the  whole  of  the  members  of  the  Royal  Agri- 
cultural Society  were  in  unison  with  their  fellow  subjects  in 
a feeling  of  deep  grief  for  the  loss  of  their  King.  For  those 
who,  besides  the  sorrow  due  to  the  loss  of  a sovereign,  had  to 
suffer  that  affliction  which  comes  through  the  death  of  a near 
and  dear  relative,  the  members  of  the  Society,  in  a special 
H degree,  had  the  feelings  of  respectful  and  affectionate  sympathy 
' which  may  very  truthfully  be  said  to  have  prevailed 
universally  on  this  sad  occasion. 
Expressions  of  such  sentiments,  together  with  assurances 
CTiof  loyalty,  were  duly  conveyed  by  the  Council  of  the  Society, 
YOL.  71.  B 
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