576 



Academy known and respected wherever civilization exists ? 

 that those collections have attracted, and daily attract visitors 

 to our city ? — that, in place of the ignorant trashery of the so- 

 called historical and antiquarian literature of preceding years, 

 we have now the publications of the two Archaeological So- 

 cieties, whose works would do honour to any country, and 

 are most essential to the knowledge of the history and liter- 

 ature of Europe ? — that we also see yearly issue from our native 

 Press works upon our local histories, whose typographical 

 beauty is only surpassed by the excellence of the matter con- 

 tained in them ? And, again, is it of no value that our museum 

 has been the means of disseminating a better taste in the fine 

 arts, and given birth to new branches of the more elegant 

 trades in our city ? And is it of no value that at the eleventh 

 hour we have snatched from destruction, and placed in a safe 

 asylum, where they are accessible to the world, so much of 

 the scattered remains of our ancient arts and literature? 



" And yet these, after all, are but a few of the results which 

 have followed, and are sure to follow the formation of these 

 collections. But though I feel that I am trespassing upon 

 the patience of the Academy, there is yet one other result, 

 which, both in its application to the past and to the future, it 

 would be culpable if I did not notice. I would remind the 

 Academy that it is to these collections we owe the honour con- 

 ferred upon us by that enlightened and most worthy Prince, 

 who, within the past year, examined and expressed his appro- 

 bation of them ; and that the possession of these collections 

 leads us to look forward with hope that they may prove an 

 object of attraction, and possibly of gratification, to that most 

 illustrious and accomplished lady to whom we owe so much 

 loyalty, gratitude, and respectful love. 



" If, then, the eflfecting of these objects be considered 

 worthy of approbation, as I trust it will by at least the great 

 majority of the Academy, let us never forget, whenever our 

 eyes may rest on this beautiful historical memorial, how much 



