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335 
from his criticism, censure his poems, or dispute his philoso- 
phy,—must still be regarded as one of the foremost literary men 
in the world. And when we come to consider what the other 
candidate, who is now proposed for election, has done in spite 
of the obstacles raised up by a natural infirmity, we must feel 
constrained to double the praise which his literary works might 
extort from us. Early in life deprived by accident of the sight 
of one eye, and scarcely able to make any use of the other for 
many years, this persevering scholar procured from the Royal 
Archives of Madrid the immense mass of MSS. collected by 
. Mufioz, the historiographer of the Indies, and with the help 
of a secretary, whom he employed to read the documents aloud, 
he extracted from them the materials necessary for the com- 
position of his Histories of the Conquest of Mexico and Peru. 
Then, blind as he was, he dictated, and even partly wrote, the 
works which have charmed and instructed so many of those 
whom I address. Though he afterwards obtained a partial 
recovery of sight, it was so incomplete that he must be num- 
bered amongst the great blind authors of the world,—with 
Homer, Milton, and the learned author of the Conquest of 
England by the Normans, another blind historian of our own 
time. These are the names recommended by the Council; and 
though other deserving names may suggest themselves to the 
minds of some of you, I trust that the Academy will consider 
that the choice of the Council has been made with due delibe- 
ration. I hope, too, that the Members will pardon my own 
imperfect advocacy of the claims of the candidates; and if, 
while endeavouring to support them, I have said a word that 
can militate to their prejudice, I beg that you will allow the 
very names to plead for themselves, and will vote in accord- 
ance with the merits of the distinguished men who bear them.” 
The President said he thought the Meeting would agree 
with him that the apology which the Secretary had made for his 
adyocacy was one wholly unnecessary ; and that he should be 
