820 OPENING OP SESSION, ROYAL VETERINARY COLLEGE. 
you was all perfectly true. But I venture to say that there is not a single 
individual amongst you who is not glad that he is not there, because, first 
of all, your entire freedom would be taken away. You would be shut up 
from week’s end to week’s end inside that magnificent building, which I 
admired just as much as Dr. Cobbold did. You would be shut up in a 
beautiful avenue of well-trimmed trees, with comfortable seats, no doubt, 
for study, and nice books to be studied ; but you would always have in the 
summer time to wear a white dress and in the winter to wear a black dress. I 
went into the botanical gardens and was very much struck with the arrange¬ 
ment of the beds there, but not being a botanist I did not obtain much in¬ 
formation. I gathered the idea which you always do in any Drench institu¬ 
tion that you go into—that the theory is magnificent; but I doubt very 
much whether the practice is equal to that of this College (applause). 
I cannot say too much about the attention and politeness that was shown 
by the Director. Everything was immediately under his thumb: when 
he wanted the lecture to begin he touched a bell and everything was 
silent at once. There was something there which might, perhaps, be fol¬ 
lowed with advantage, and I would impress upon you the importance of 
being punctual and attentive at lectures, so as to do all that you can to 
uphold the credit of this College. I walked about the gardens. Unfortu¬ 
nately, I was not able to give more than half a day to this magnificent 
institution, for such it is ; but I wished to find out the class of men who 
came there to be instructed, and I must confess in looking at their counte¬ 
nances I was very much struck with their melancholy appearance (laughter). 
I made comparisons between them and the faces I have observed at times 
when I have come into this College ; for I have slipped in here when none 
of you knew what I was about or who I was, studying how the thing 
worked and how you were getting on. I do not want to be sneaking about, 
and I do not intend to come sneaking about (applause), but if anything goes 
wrong here you may rely upon it that we hear of it in the board room. We 
do not hear of much wrong I am happy to say : things generally go right— 
but we have all made up our minds, as Governors, sitting in that room, 
that if we intend an alteration to be made in anything it shall have a fair 
trial; and v e expect every one of you, from the Principal to the porter 
(laughter), to give it a fair trial; because this College must be such a 
one that no school in Europe can surpass it (applause). Walking about 
with the Director of Alfort I said to him, “I am afraid your young 
men look a little melancholy.” “ Ah !” he said, “you should see them how 
they are lighted up when I am speaking to them” (laughter). Well, upon 
my honour, when I am addressing you I feel very much as the Director of 
Alfort does (applause). I see bright countenances here which I did not see 
at Alfort; but I dare say some day or other I shall go there again, and 
then I hope and trust the Director will not ask me to address the 
pupils in Erench. One thing I may mention, should any of you wish to go 
to Alfort to visit the college, if you will take the trouble to get an intro¬ 
duction from one of your professors you will not possibly meet with the 
disappointment of being asked to come another day. Some gentleman from 
this College wished to enter there as a student, and he thought by going 
and asking permission to do so he would be taken on, and I make no doubt 
he was very much disappointed at not being able to join the classes. Ail 
you have to do is to get a letter from your Principal and say that you wish 
to see the institution, and then they will do everything they possibly can to 
show you what there is to learn. I should like to mention the happy result 
that has followed from our having Governors in this institution who are 
connected with the Boyal Agricultural Society. Having two or three 
governors on our Board so connected, we are able to talk matters over 
