11 



recollect that, having alreact^^ ventured upon the publication, in a 

 separate form, of some essays in natural history and antiquities, it 

 became emboldened in the year 1863 to embark in an undertaking, 

 which it had long been premeditating, to wit, in the words of a 

 resolution on the subject passed by the Council on the 19th of 

 February, " the preparation of a Catalogue of all works and papers 

 relating to the County of Cornwall." On the same occasion a 

 gentleman, well known to be qualified for the task, was appointed 

 (honorary) Editor of "the proposed volume." On July 27 it was 

 further resolved that the able Editor of our Journal should " be 

 appointed Sub-editor of the proposed Bibliotheca," as a charge upon 

 " the surplus of the Cambrian Fund," which was at the disposal 

 of the Council. In November a prospectus signed by the President 

 (now Sir) Edward Smirke and the Secretaries announced that 

 " the Council of the Institution have resolved to undertake the 

 publication of a classified Catalogue of Books, Pamphlets, Essays, 

 and Documents, relating, in whatever way, to the County of 



Cornwall This Catalogue will be published with the title of 



Bibliotheca CornuUensis Mr. Thomas Q. Couch, of Bodmin, 



who has long been collecting materials for such a work, has kindly 

 undertaken the duties of Editor, and he will be assisted by Mr. 

 Chorley, of Truro, and several members of the Society, and others 

 conversant with the subject who have already promised their aid." 

 The prospectus goes on to solicit appropriate information in 

 furtherance of the work ; and being backed by a preliminary list 

 of ninety-six subscribers to the volume resulted in a goodly 

 increase of the number. 



By 1865 the project had so steadily progTessed that there had 

 been printed, at the cost of the Society, an 8vo. pamphlet of 75 

 pages, entitled " Bibliotheca Cornubiensis : Preparatory Lists," 

 which was a carefully constructed skeleton of the intended work, 

 the subject-matter being distributed under twenty-one headings. 

 Though the printer's name was subjoined, it bore on it neither 

 the name of the Institution, nor the names of the editors ; for it 

 was not meant for sale or for publication in any sense, but, in the 

 words of Sir E. Smirke at the Spring Meeting of 1864, whilst it 

 was 5^et in the press, it was to be made use of " to circulate in 

 quarters whence further additions may be looked for." In a word 

 its recipients were asked to return their copies to the sub-editor 

 with such interpolations, or, if necessary, emendations, as they 

 might be in a position to make, vath a view to the incorporation 

 of their remarks in the final work. 



For seven years the Bibliotheca was the refrain of the Autumn 

 Eeports of 'ihe Council and of the Spring Addresses from the 

 chair. How far the Institution has anything to show to-day for 



