261 



ditional remarks on " Great Ireland." Professor Rafn took 

 occasion also to solicit contributions of books or money, for 

 a public library which had been established by himself, in 

 1818, at Reikiavik, the capital of Iceland, " whose inhabi- 

 tants," he says, " have but little opportunity of gratifying 

 their thirst for information." The library now numbers 

 7500 volumes, and possesses a permanent fund of 1 500 rixdol- 

 lars, for which it is partly indebted to "some noble-minded 

 Englishmen." With reference to the subject of this letter, 

 Mr. Downes remarked, that the island for which Professor 

 Rafn felt so much interest, had peculiar claims on the sym- 

 pathy of Irishmen, as having been, like their own island, a 

 place of refuge for literature, when banished from the con- 

 tinent of Europe. He then renewed his application to the 

 Academy for a contribution to the funds of the Royal So- 

 ciety of Northern Antiquaries, observing, that they had 

 shown great readiness to lend their aid in the elucidation of 

 Irish antiquities, which indeed were intimately connected 

 with their own ; and that a work, which they now had in con- 

 templation, was specially devoted to the antiquities of Great 

 Britain and Ireland ; a work, however, of such magnitude, 

 that it might never see the light, unless a liberal supply 

 could be raised for the funds of the Society. 



It was RESOLVED, that Mr. Downes be requested to com- 

 municate with the Council on this subject. 



Resolved, — on the recommendation of Council, that in 

 the By-law, Chap. VIII. Sec. 5. the words " altered or re- 

 pealed" be inserted after the word " confirmed." 



The Secretary of Council stated, that the Council, in 

 consequence of the expressed wish of the Academy, had 

 resolved, *' that any alterations in By-laws, proposed by the 

 Council, shall be stated in full to the Members of the Aca- 

 demy, together with the existing By-law, so proposed to be 

 amended ; and that this notice shall be given in print.''* 



