Additional Notes. 489 



thirteen hundred volumes, among which are many rare and 

 valuable books. Besides Mr. Bowdoin, the principal do- 

 nors are, the present President of the Academy, Dr. Frank- 

 lin, and M. Veron, who was a suigeon in the squadron of 

 M. de Ternay. The number of the original or statute 

 members was sixty-two. One hundred and sixty-one mem- 

 bers have been elected since the commencement of the insti- 

 tution. There are now living, -of the whole corps, 170; 

 viz. 



Resident members, by which is meant those 



who belong to the commonwealth 95 



Resident in other States in the union 30 



Foreign members 45 



Making in the whole 170 



" The Academy meets four times annually ; in January and 

 May at Boston — in August and September at Cambridge. 

 Their meetings at Boston are holden in an apartment lately 

 assigned for their accommodation in the new State-House, 

 where also their library and museum are deposited. A cata- 

 logue of the books in the library is in preparation, and will 

 soon be published. It has been sometimes remarked that this 

 society has been, in a degree, languid in its operation, and 

 has not fully satisfied the public expectations. Whatever 

 justice there may be in such a remark, I shall not now at- 

 tempt to trace the source. There is evidently a want of ex- 

 citement j and the public ought to have candour enough to 

 take part of the blame to itself. I have the satisfaction, 

 however, to observe, that there appears, of late, a renewed 

 and more lively attention among its members to the concerns 

 of the institution. I ought to have mentioned, among the 

 liberalities of the General Court, the plates of the map of 

 the commonwealth, which were given to the Academy and 

 to the Historical Society. The donation has been accepted, 

 and a joint committee of the societies have lately sold the 

 right of impression for seven years for 600 dollars, to be paid 

 to the societies without any deduction. 



YOL. II. 3R 



