PROCEEDINGS OF THE MEETING. 
43 
of ancient coins, he stated that he had never been more struck 
than by observing on an old coin, which he had placed on hot 
iron, an inscription make its appearance which he could read 
in a dark room, hearing the words 1 Benedictum sit nomen Dei 
—Viscount Morpeth rose, and addressed the Meeting as 
follows :— 
“ Ladies and Gentlemen, an office has been assigned to me, 
which, although most entirely without any qualification or pre¬ 
tension to fulfil, I nevertheless accept, and will discharge, to 
the best of my ability, with the utmost alacrity. To the cha¬ 
racter of a man of science I have, unfortunately for myself, 
no claim whatsoever; but I have the good fortune to he inti¬ 
mately connected with the county, and consequently with the 
city of York; and I feel that they have both received great 
benefit and additional credit from the Meeting which is now 
brought to a conclusion. I say this, both with reference to the 
positive instruction we have received upon so many most inter¬ 
esting and important subjects, and also to the circumstance of 
this town and this edifice, already so much indebted to the zeal, 
perseverance, and ability of our Vice-President, having been 
now selected as the birth-place of an Association, which, I 
trust, is destined to confer fresh lustre on British science, to 
give a new motive and a new guarantee to the friendly inter¬ 
course and continued concord of nations ; to make further 
inroads into the untravelled realm of discovery, and glean fresh 
harvests from the unexhausted field of Nature ; to promote the 
comforts and augment the resources of civilized man; and to 
exalt above and over all the wonder-working hand of Heaven. 
For it will always come out from the pursuit of knowledge as 
surely as from the rusty medal of which we have this moment 
heard, 4 Benedictum sit nomen Dei." Observe well, if you wish 
to appreciate rightly the true value and nobility of science, 
that while it proposes to itself distinct courses and definite 
spheres of its own, its general tendencies conduce to peace, and 
minister to piety. With these views and these hopes, it is 
natural and it is becoming that there should be mixed feelings 
of gratitude to those whose efforts have contributed so largely 
to our future progress. An assembly like that which I have 
the honour to address, will appreciate far more justly than I 
can pretend to do, the several papers and productions which 
have been submitted to our notice. I have no scruple in 
leaving to your more competent and accurate discrimination, 
the indications of enlightened and powerful thought which they 
have exhibited; but 1 feel sure that, if you pardon me for this 
intrusion of myself, the proposition I now make will command, 
