Notes

Abstract

THE attendance of the Prince of Wales at the meeting of the Royal Society on Thursday last is an event which we have pleasure in recording. His Royal Highness was formally admitted as a Fellow of the Society, and remained throughout the meeting. At the close of the proceedings he was invited by the president to address the meeting, and in response he said:—“Mr. President, my lords and gentlemen,—It gives me very great pleasure to have been able to come here to-day and to be formally admitted as a Fellow of this ancient and distinguished society. But, as you conferred the honour of Fellowship upon me some eight years ago, I really ought to apologise for not having presented myself before. I can only say I am indeed proud that my name should be added to those on your illustrious, roll, which has been inscribed by nearly every Sovereign since the reign of Charles II., and by all the most distinguished men of science since those days, such as Wren, Newton, Davy, Faraday, Darwin, and many others. I would wish to offer my sincere thanks to Sir William Crookes for his most interesting, lecture, which I am sure we have all listened to with great pleasure. If I may be allowed to do so, I should like to congratulate him on his power of treating such an abstruse question (for I must confess that the title rather alarmed me) so as to make it intelligible and attractive to those who, like myself, unfortunately cannot lay claim to much scientific knowledge. But, while fully realising how far beyond my reach this knowledge lies, I Can assure you of my hearty sympathy with that scientific study and research, which now, more than ever, has become so important an essential in our national life.”