Chapter III: Part 3

“I hold every man a debtor to his profession, from the which as men of course do seek to receive countenance and profit, so ought they of duty to endeavour themselves, by way of amends, to be a help and ornament thereunto.”

I now beg permission to draw the curtain. I have laid before you, with but little skill, some rapid sketches of our illustrious predecessors. I have shown how worthily they have fulfilled their mission; and, having approached the advent of that great man, to whose memory we dedicate this evening, I make my bow and retire, first thanking you for the attention you have accorded to my dull recital. I pause now because I can add nothing to your knowledge of the character and labours of John Hunter. His patience under such difficulties as would have destroyed an ordinary worker, and his sublime indifference to personal comfort and advantage when the interest of that science, which he so well loved was in question—are “familiar in your ears as household words.”

But, whilst we honour him by these periodical meetings, and by the discussion of subjects the elaboration of which formed the happiness of his life, it is only in the great museum, founded by his energy, that the grandeur of his character can be felt.

In that hallowed path, in which he delighted to tread, the mantle of his genius has fallen upon one who, with a kindred love, aided by the marvellous instinct of his own original mind, still follows out the investigations of the great author, adding each day something to the knowledge which went before, and still turning over some new page of the book of Nature, wherein the finger of God has written, in characters hitherto undeciphered, fresh evidences of His glorious infinity. Under the auspices of our honorary member, Professor Owen, we gaze and admire.

THE END.

Transcriber’s notes:

● The errors deemed most likely to be the printer’s have been
corrected, and are noted here.
● Where hyphenation occurs on a line break, the decision to retain
or remove is based on occurrences elsewhere in the text.
● Errors in punctuation and quotes have been silently restored.
● The footnotes were moved near the corresponding paragraph.
● The numbers below reference the page or footnote and line in the
original book.

reference correction original text
5.24 lawgiver Jewish law-giver, it is a positive
fn3.11 Alnajah Speaking of the alnajah, an
34.13 fellow men he instructed his fellow-men,
fn8.1 Tylor Taken from E. B. Tyler—“Early History
56.11 Harvey our own great Hervey, of whom we
60.10 menstruous menstrous blood, and even then it is
68.23 carpentry skill in carpentery and smiths’ work.
92.6 knowledge something to the knowlege which went

----------------------------------------------------------------