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LITERATURE AND FINE ARTS. 
By J. W. AGNEW, Esgq., M.D. 
I AM conscious that many local members of this Association 
could fill the Presidential chair of the Section of Literature and 
Fine Arts much better than I can pretend to do. It is therefore 
necessary to mention that those members are ineligible for 
election, as the rules of the Association provide that no resident 
of the colony in which a General Meeting takes place shall hold 
the position of President. This rule alone has induced me, as a 
representative of Tasmania, to take the chair, although it is 
scarce necessary to say I feel deeply sensible of the honour of 
having been elected to it. 
In formally opening the section, I propose to offer but few 
general remarks on the various subjects of which it takes 
cognisance, as I desire more particularly to consider the present 
condition and probable future development of these subjects in 
Australasia. The first which presents itself is Literature, but 
this alone, even if we regard only that of our own country, 
presents so vast a field for comment that it is clearly impossible, 
within the scope of a brief address, to do more than touch a very 
few of its more salient points. At no period in history have 
such floods of literature been poured forth for the instruction 
and delight of a reading public as we see at present. To those 
of us of an older generation it is marvellous to note the 
amazing amount of sterling work, formerly from its high price 
the heritage only of the few, which is now, owing to improve- 
ments in the mechanical arts and other causes, brought virtually 
within the reach of everyone. And it is not only in the supply 
and accessibility of books for the multitude that improvement is 
manifest ; the same advance has taken place in the general 
excellence of literary work itself. History of all kinds, for 
instance, has ceased to be a mere compilation of dates, and bald 
and dry records of the more striking events of the time. Truth, 
myth, and fable have been relegated to their proper spheres. 
Evidence is more carefully weighed and sifted, and _ stricter 
accuracy, the result of original research in national archives and 
other collections freely thrown open to the enquiring student, 
has been more generally secured. Being written, too, in a more 
broad and philosophic spirit, and dealing with the inner life and 
habits of the people, history has become a far more instructive 
study, whilst the sidelights which are being continually thrown 
