I. 
ADDRESS 
Delivered by the President, the Eev. Joseph Cuompton, to the 
Members of the Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists' Society, 
at their First Meeting, on April 27th, 1869. 
The President said it becomes my duty to open the proceedings 
of the Society with a few Avords. In doing so I hope to throAV 
out some thoughts that may indicate Avliat seems to me to be the 
scope of our Society, and to give some hints also in regard to our 
actual Avork and proceedings during this year. I am of course 
llattered by being appointed your first president, but I feel that if 
I am ever to be president of such a Society as this, it must be 
noAv, for it is easier to rock the cradle than to drill an adult, 
and I consider myself as rocking the cradle of this Society. There 
Avas a time Avhen I thought I did know something about Isatural 
History. In those days Avhen one Avas a student under Lindley 
and others, one did think that one Avas in the AA'ay of getting a 
little knoAvledge, but like the lady in one of Goethe’s Avorks, Avho 
kneAv enough to listen Avith intelligence Avhen Avise men spoke, I 
can just do that, for all things in science are going on so fast, that 
a man occupied in other professions and other work requiring time 
and attention, cannot keep up AA'ith it. The Avorst that can be said 
of your Society is, that you haA’^e a parson at the head of it. A great 
German Avriter said that all members of the clerical profession 
should strive to get some department of God’s AA'orks outside their 
regular routine and professional duties, and by studAung it, widen 
their minds and keep their hearts open. That has been my feel- 
ing all through life. Although I aa'us led in early life to take an 
interest in various departments of knoAvledge, I knoAv that of 
many of my cloth it may bo said that Ave are Jacks of all trades. 
