APPENDIX F CXLI 



art draws its nourishment, as it plays its part in the upbuilding of 

 nationhoods, old and new. 



Our Society continues to hold its own, a wholesome interest 

 being taken on the part of its increasing members in the various 

 branches of its work, as is evidenced in the increasing circulation of 

 the volumes on its library shelves, in the number of the members who 

 frequent its reading rooms, and in the attendances at the lectures and 

 council meetings. The new books selected as additions to the library 

 include, under careful supervision of the Committee, the latest 

 works on science and art — comprising volumes on history, geography, 

 biography, and fiction. Nor is there any neglect of the output of 

 our Canadian authorship, as is elsewhere too often the case, our large 

 collection of Canadiana being steadily added to year by year. It is 

 needless to say that on the tables of our reading rooms are to be found 

 only the magazines and periodicals which tend to cultivate a taste 

 for the literature that is literature. 



I have represented our Society more than once; and this year as 

 its President, I have to announce that the historical documents which 

 I referred to in my last year's report have been published — namely 

 "The Mémoires de Chevalier Johnstone" and "The Journal of Lady 

 Durham." The Society has in view the issue of two other historical 

 documents this year, namely "The Diary of Lieut. Charles Grey" 

 and "The Letters of Mrs. Alicia Cockburn." 



Arrangements are in the way of being made to prepetuate the 

 courses of public lectures in connection with the institution, the 

 course for 1915 having been inaugurated by Professor Welsh of Mont- 

 real, who gave his highly interesting illustrated lecture on "Punch 

 and its Cartoonists" in April last. 



The Society has put on record its approval of having the American 

 Historical Society hold its annual meeting in Canada in 1916, with our 

 various literary and historical societies in Canada sending delegates. 

 The Society likewise concurred in and supported the protest of the 

 Antiquarian and Numismatic Society of Montreal against the icono- 

 clastic conduct of the German soldiery in connection with the gross 

 and unseemly destruction of so many precious collections of anti- 

 quarian art during their invasion of the towns and cities of Belgium. 

 On the other hand the Council heartily approved of sending a large 

 number of volumes as a gift to the men of the First Contingent of our 

 own Canadian soldiery during their stay at Valcartier and when they 

 set sail in their transports from Quebec to the Motherland and thence 

 to the front. 



The Royal Society of Canada held its last annual meeting in 

 the city of Montreal; and should it ever again decide to hold a Con- 



