f:? 



w&iTe there may not be so vnst a result as a monnrchj 

 ahead, it will surely be said of th^ra, that "they buildedJ 

 Better than they knew." 



Most plans of the future it is well to hide. Metelius^ 

 Pius, waging^ war in Spain, and being asked what he was^ 

 going to do the next day, said:. "I would hum my tunicy. 

 if it could tell." 



Acting under such a wise commsi'nder's advice I shall 

 I'eave to more practised hands the delineation of what is- 

 tn stare for this society. Something, however, may be 

 predicted almost to a certainty. 



There will be a fire-proof building for York Institute- 

 with a central hall twice as long as wide. There may be 

 a gallery above, and side alcoves below. There will be 

 a working-room for the preparation of specimens for the 

 lectures, and a waiting-room for the lecturers themselves. 

 There will be one microscope or more to allow an exami- 

 nation of the structure of animals, minerals and plants. 

 The collections of the society will be arranged so that 

 they may be studied ; the books, documents and newspa- 

 papers, especially placed where they may be easy to con- 

 sult. Photographers will give occasionally pictures, hav- 

 ing historic value. Money bequests to the society will be 

 more frequent and generous. There will consequently 

 be regular courses of lectures, and well-paid talent 

 brought in. The library will have full sets of valuable 

 historical publications, where now broken ones exist. 

 People in the county will send us precious old deeds, 

 old bills, pamphlets, pictures and books, instead of selling 

 them for waste paper ; and the people in these two cities 

 will, with unanimity of spirit, bestow liberal praise upon 

 the efforts of this society. 



The York Corporation has ever been its staunch friend ; 

 therefore let the building of the future be located upon 

 this island. It will then also be in full sig'ht of all trav- 



