ROYAL AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE, CIRENCESTER. 511 
I should throw away some £400 a-year clear, and start fresh in life, and 
give up this income ? I did offer to give up some part of it for one year, 
but that was not required; and it is not likely that any one would throw 
overboard his advantages and make himself miserable, and have the battle 
of life to fight again for some time. 1 am very fond of comfort myself, 
for I am very hard at work occasionally, and that is another point that 
touches me. I have a very comfortable place, where one can walk about 
and smoke a pipe in slippers without any one seeing, and that is a comfort 
(laughter). I greatly regret the disturbance and the loss of friends. I 
hope you will forgive me if I have not expressed so deeply as I could 
wish the sentiments which really moves my heart. I wish I could 
express appropriately how much I feel the kind reception which you 
have given me to night (loud cheers). 
The Chairman next proposed the health of Professor Brown, another 
of the band who had been knit together in the closest ties. It was, un¬ 
happily, not uncommon in the scientific world to find a degree of suspicion, 
envy, and jealousy; but he had never heard of any falling out between 
the professors. He thought this was an evidence of the ability which had 
elevated them; and he rejoiced in the reflection that they would not be 
the losers by leaving us. It was we who would be the losers. If it came 
to be a pounds, shillings, and pence question, it was perhaps the best 
thins: for them, while we should have to lament it. Men who had done 
their duty as they had done, would in the end reap the reward. With 
respect to Professor Brown, he had special reason to regret his loss, for 
he was a small farmer, and kept a little stock, and as often as he had dis¬ 
ease or any difficulty with his stock, he sent for Professor Brown. But 
he had generally sent too late. He was also reminded that the professor 
had never made any charge (laughter and cheers). 
This toast was also warmly received. 
Professor Brown returned thanks. He observed that there was an old 
saying, that “ truth will out,” and although there had been an under¬ 
standing that nothing unpleasant should be alluded to, yet his colleagues 
had not been able to avoid all reference to the cause of their leaving. 
They are leaving because they cannot stop any longer. They don't want 
to go, but something has occurred which made it better that they should 
go. They had, however, agreed not to speak of the college disagreements, 
and he recognised the good taste which dictated the proceeding. If those 
present were the opponents of the professors, he should feel inclined to 
enter into these matters, but as he was aware a great majority of them 
were the friends of the professors, it would be ridiculous and childish to 
do so, when they would be perfectly sure of having nothing but a very 
favorable hearing. It had been remarked that the professors who were 
leaving had been associated together for a very long period, and it was a 
noteworthy circumstance that during that long period, of nearly thirteen 
years, there had never been a single serious disagreement between them 
(hear, hear). They had all worked together, as Mr. Haygarth liked to 
express it, as a band of brothers. He had seen three principals at the 
college, and he believed that some of his colleagues had seen four or five. 
They had remained faithful to themselves as a body, and there was some¬ 
thing not altogether pleasant in the reason why a staff who had worked 
together so long, were about to leave the institution where their services 
had been so long employed. With reference to the motives of the pro¬ 
fessors, it had been said that they wished to injure the place. This Avas 
utterly absurd. What motive could they have to injure an institution 
which they had served so long, and which they had taken so much delight 
in serving ? The college, at the present time, stood alone as an institution 
