ARTICLE V.

EULOGY on the late JOHN BILLINGSLEY, esq; delivered by the President, at the Annual Meeting 1811, while the Society was deliberating on the best Mode of perpetuating a good Likeness of their much-valued but deceased Vice-President.

TH

HE moment is arrived, Gentlemen, when we are called upon to exercise a fad and painful office:-we are seeking to obtain a good refemblance of our late much-lamented Vice-Prefident, Mr. Billingfley; and we are now to determine whether a Buft or Portrait will best answer the melancholy, but, at the fame time, in fome degree confolatory purpose. At our laft Anniversary, we had the pleafure, the delight, I may fay, of seeing this moft eftimable and amiable man amongst us; but "the eye which hath feen him, fhall fee him no more.' Rare and extraordinary were his talents: nature had endowed him with a powerful and vigorous understanding, which it was his anxious and unremit ting endeavour to enrich with knowledge. In the carly part of life his attention was given to the Woollen Manufacture, but after a few years he determined to abandon that employment. Let me

not be understood, Gentlemen, to undervalue the pursuit of the Manufacturer, when I ftate it as a matter of joy that Mr. Billingfley's talents were finally diverted into another courfe. The occupation of a manufacturer is great, and important in fociety; but at the period when Mr. Billingfley quitted that deftination, a field of greater ufefulnefs was open to him; a department more congenial to his taste invi ted his entrance. It is notorious, that the Agriculture of this country, whether owing to our infular fituation, or to the fuperior activity of our tradefmen and merchants over the tillers of the earth, or to any other caufe or caufes, had not advanced with the fame rapidity as our manufactures and commerce. It might have been faid of this kingdom, previously to the establishment of this Society, which was founded in 1777, that the Principles of Agriculture were but little understood; that the Implements of Hufbandry were in a very rude condition; and that the Live Stock of the Farmer was far diftant indeed from that perfection, which it has since attained. This was the degraded state of Agriculture, at the period when Mr. Billingsley, aided by a few other congenial and public-fpirited individuals, applied his powerful understanding to its improvement; and the means which he adopted were well calculated for the attainment of that most desirable end.-Aware that the true fyftem of philofophizing is founded on facts, he had recourfe to Experiments; and he conducted

them with all that care and attention, without which they cannot be productive of the fmallest degree of utility. With the refult of one or two trials he was not contented; he often, very often, repeated the fame experiment; and if the refult were invariably the fame, he then, and not before, ventured to draw his conclufion. His fuccefsful exertions we have all witneffed; and we all know how liberal he was in communicating his knowledge, and in how able and forcible a manner he conveyed it. I am perfuaded, Gentlemen, you will all agree with me, that the death of fuch a man is a great National Misfortune. The numerous Prize Compofitions of Mr. Billingsley, which through the volumes of our Tranfactions have found their way to the public eye; and his Agricultural Survey of the county of Somerset, approved and printed by the Board of Agriculture; cannot but excite univerfal regret that this intellect has for ever ceased to fhine, and that from this once abundant fource of information no ftream can longer flow. But ftill the portion of affliction which falls upon this Society, is the heaviest. We not only feel, in common with the nation and the world, for the lofs of one who might have continued to fpread knowledge for the benefit of mankind; but having had the advantage of deriving wisdom from his lips, we have to lament, that cold is the tongue which gave life and animation to our difcuffions. Having a mind ftored with knowledge, in the ap

plication of which he was peculiarly prompt and happy, no question could be brought under confideration, upon which he had not power to enter. When points of intricacy have been started, has he not, by the strength of his reafoning powers, ftripped them of all their difficulties? His inveftigating mind was never satisfied with taking one view only of a subject; he examined it on all fides with acuteness and penetration, and never ceased to fift it, until the course fit to be purfued was rendered plain and eafy. In a word, the death of Mr. Billingsley has inflicted a fevere and lafting wound in the bofom of this Society, whose interests were peculiarly dear to his heart, and to the advancement of whose prosperity the great bent of his genius was principally directed.

"Hitherto, Gentlemen, I have only adverted to the talents of Mr. Billingfley. To detail his virtues would be impoffible; and indeed it is unneceffary, as they are fo well known to you. His ruling paffion was the love of mankind. He could not hear a diftreffing fact, without fhedding tears; and the fuffering which he bewailed, he always fought to relieve. This I, who, being diftinguished by his friendship, have a still further cause for forrow, who admired, revered, and loved him, can truly testify. In confirmation of my correctnefs, I appeal to the many around me, who had the honour of being intimately acquainted with him His defire to promote the happinefs of mankind was evinced

in the whole courfe of his life. To heal differences, and reftore harmony, was the favourite purfuit of his mind. Judge, then, how his heart muft have been rent by the difputes and litigation in which, towards the close of his life, he was unhappily involved. The immediate caufe of his diffolution was, perhaps, that fenfibility of mind which fo ftrongly marked his character. I shall not enter into any of the particulars of thofe unfortunate differences, nor would it be fitting here to pronounce any opinion on the fubject. Suffice it to fay, that had it pleafed the Great Difpofer of all events to have fpared his life for a few days only, he would have feen that innocence, of which he was proudly confcious, clearly established, and that integrity, which he valued more than life, firmly upheld by the unanimous award of the Arbitrators, to whom the final adjustment of the matters in litigation was committed. But fuch was not the will of Heaven; and to the difpenfations of Providence, however unfearchable by us, it is the duty of man to fubmit with implicit refignation, from a conviction, that under the fuperintendance and controul of unerring wisdom and perfect benevolence, "whatever is, is right."

"During the fhort time which I have painfully employed in paying this laft tribute due to the memory of my departed friend, our excellent Vice-Predent, I have perceived that your emotions were in unifon with mine; and that you felt it impoffible to