558 LEOPOLD VON RANKE. 



thus this cheery, charming, wonderful old man worked on until the 

 very last. He once said of his work, " It is my life ; I live to work ; 

 as long as I live, I shall work." When overtaken by his last illness, 

 and forbidden by his physician to leave his bedroom, he persisted in 

 working. His study table was brought near his bed and sofa, and 

 he continued to dictate to his secretary. A fortnight before he died, 

 he rose from his sick-bed, without the knowledge of his attendant, and 

 made his way into his library. Lost in thought, he stumbled and fell. 

 This accident is thought to have hastened his death ; but on that fatal 

 day, as Ranke himself told liis daughter, Frau von Kotze, his mind 

 seemed as it were inspired with thoughts of such grandeur and sub- 

 limity as he had never before enjoyed in all his life. The morning 

 after the accident he said to his secretary, " What a pity you were not 

 here during the night ! We should have completed the last chapter 

 of the seventh volume ; I had the whole in my head." But Ranke 

 knew now that his world history was ended, and he calmly prepared 

 for the world beyond. He died on the evening of the 23d of May, 

 1886. Of him Goethe's words are a fitting epitaph : — 



" Edel war der Mensch 

 Hiilfreich und gut! 

 Unermiitlet schafEt' er 

 Das Nutzliche, Rechte, 

 War uns ein Vorbild 

 Jener geahnten Wesen." 



Since the last Report, the Academy has received an acces- 

 sion of twenty-two members ; viz., ten Resident Fellows, and 

 twelve Associate Fellows. The list of the Academy, cor- 

 rected to June 15, 1887, is hereto added. It includes 181 

 Resident Fellows, 100 Associate Fellows, and 69 Foreign 

 Honorary Members. 



