TO THE BUILDIRG. 37 



" But the native generosity of Yorkshiremen, their love of know- 

 ledge, and, above all, that laudable jealousy which never suffers them 

 to come behind other counties in promoting and fostering useful 

 Institutions of every knid — the union of all these feelings supplied the 

 means of erecting a Museum of such a character, as will, I confidently 

 trust, add another proud ornament to the many which at present 

 distinguish the City of York, and prove at the same time, an 

 honourable and lasting monument of the zeal and exertions of those 

 who, under the blessing of God, have been mainly instrumental in the 

 accomplishment of so desirable an object. I will add but one more 

 word — Floreat ! " 



The President replied as follows : 



" My Lord Archbishop, 



" We are sufficiently reminded by the Ruins amongst which we 

 stand, the mingled ruins of two great preceding structures, that the 

 Building which we are now about to raise, though rising under the 

 most favourable auspices, honoured with the highest Patronage, and 

 dedicated to the most useful objects, cannot be expected to last 

 for ever. 



<' I am directed, my Lord, by the Building Committee of the 

 Yorkshire Philosophical Society, to request, that your Grace would be 

 pleased to deposit in the new Foundations, these Records of the Society, 

 being the Reports of the Institution from its first commencement in 

 1823 ; that when, after benefiting, as we trust in Providence it may, 

 many successive generations, this Building shall undergo the common 

 fate of all the works of man, an honourable memorial of these times 

 may hereafter perhaps be found, in a more advanced age of the world, 

 by which it may appear, that however little, in this infancy of Art and 

 Science, we may have known, we knew at least the value of know- 

 ledge, and did our best, my Lord, to promote its advancement." 



