Page:The Harveian oration 1905.djvu/25

 this oration, and I regard it as my duty to follow these injunctions in the main, as texts upon which to base the remarks I propose to submit for your consideration. The first injunction is that "there shall be a commemoration of all the benefactors of the said College by name, and what in particular they have done for the benefit of the said College, with an exhortation to others to imitate these benefactors and to contribute their endeavours for the advancement of the society according to the example of those benefactors." During Harvey's life and long after this portion of the oration need not have occupied much time, but to-day it is a very different matter, and it is obviously impossible to deal with it within the limited time at my disposal in anything like an adequate manner.

Within quite a recent period the chief benefactors of our College have been commemorated in chronological order by more than one Harveian Orator, but I propose to deal with this part of my subject on somewhat different lines. I may note in the first place that the College is in possession of a large number of gifts of various kinds from many donors, past and present, in the way of portraits, including that of Harvey himself (which was one of three pictures saved from the Fire in a damaged condition and restored in modern times), busts, articles of furniture, and miscellaneous objects, which are open to the view of all who may be disposed to inspect