His fellow-workers in science felt unanimously that but one place of sepulture was worthy to receive the body of Charles Lyell--the Abbey of Westminster, our national Valhalla. A memorial, bearing many important signatures, was at once presented to Dean Stanley, who gave a willing consent, and the interment took place with all due solemnity on Saturday the 27th. The grave was dug in the north aisle of the nave, near that of Woodward, one of the pioneers of British geology and the founder of the chair of that science in the University of Cambridge. It is marked[156] by a slab of Derbyshire marble, which bears this inscription:-- CHARLES LYELL, BARONET, F.R.S., AUTHOR OF "THE PRINCIPLES OF GEOLOGY." BORN AT KINNORDY, IN FORFARSHIRE, NOVEMBER 14, 1797; DIED IN LONDON, FEBRUARY 22, 1875. THROUGHOUT A LONG AND LABORIOUS LIFE HE SOUGHT THE MEANS OF DECIPHERING THE FRAGMENTARY RECORDS OF THE EARTH'S HISTORY IN THE PATIENT INVESTIGATION OF THE PRESENT ORDER OF NATURE, ENLARGING THE BOUNDARIES OF KNOWLEDGE AND LEAVING ON SCIENTIFIC THOUGHT AN ENDURING INFLUENCE. "O LORD, HOW GREAT ARE THY WORKS, AND THY THOUGHTS ARE VERY DEEP. PSALM XCII. 5. Sir Charles, by his will, left to the Geological Society of London the die, executed by Mr. Leonard Wyon, of a medal to be cast in bronze, and awarded annually to some geologist of distinction, whether British or foreign. He further left a sum of two thousand pounds, free of legacy duty, to the Society, in trust, the interest of it to be applied as follows:--Not less than one-third of it to accompany the medal, and the remainder to be given, in one or more portions, for the furtherance of the science. Sir Charles was succeeded in the family estates by his nephew Leonard, the eldest son of Colonel Lyell, who lives at Kinnordy, but has rebuilt the house. He was created a baronet in 1894. FOOTNOTES: [137] The nature of _Eozoon_, whether it be the remains of a foraminifer of unusual size and peculiar habit of growth, or merely a very exceptional arrangement of its constituent minerals, has been since the above-named date a fruitful subject of controversy. For some years the balance of opinion was in favour of an organic origin; now it seems to be distinctly tending in the other direction. [138] Report of Brit. Assoc., 1864, p. xxiv. [139] Colonel Lyell's eldest son, the present baronet. [140] He was fortunate in obtaining the help of Miss Arabella Buckley, a lady of congenial tastes in literature and science. [141] The relationship was unusually close, for Colonel Lyell had married another Miss Horner. [142] For a description of this fine collection of prehistoric antiquities, _see_ "Flint Chips," by E. T. Stevens, 1870. [143] Life, Letters, and Journals, ii. p. 440. [144] Life, Letters, and Journals, ii. p. 443.