Mr President, Ladies, and Gentlemen,—I desire first of all to express my deep gratification at the great honour you have shown me by inviting me to give an address to this renowned Society. Scotland and Norway are closely united by bonds of friendship and also of kinship. There are many Norwegians with Scotch blood in their veins, just as there must be a large number of Scotch people who are descended from the Vikings who came here, long ago, and found the Scotch lassies so charming that they never returned to their own country!