EEPOET OF THE SECRETARY. 35 



third part conlains facsimiles of state papers, royal letters, and other 

 documents, both public and private, belonging to the reigns of Queen 

 Mary and Queen Elizabeth. Among those of the former are auto- 

 graphs of her Majesty and of her cousin and rival, Lady Jane Grey, holo- 

 graphs and autographs of King Henry the Second, of France, the King of 

 Hungary Cosmo de Medici, the Lady Elizabeth of England, Thomas Gres- 

 ham, Roger Ascham, &c. Among those of the reign of Queen Elizabeth, 

 besides those from herself, are letters of Mary Queen of Scots and her 

 husband Bothwell, and of the most distinguished nobles of Scotland ; 

 of John Knox, Sir Humphrey Gilbert, James VI of Scotland, Sir 

 Francis Vere, Sir Walter Raleigh, and other celebrated personages. The 

 exaggerated terms of courtesy which were in use among eminent per- 

 sonages at that period are illustrated by several examples in this vol- 

 ume. The publication of the fac- similes of these valuable and interest- 

 ing documents is to be continued, and we learn from the preface that 

 similar fac-similes of the national manuscripts of Scotland have been 

 undertaken, and those of Ireland recommended. 



. It may be proper to recall the fact that the library of Smithson, or so 

 much of it as was received by the Institution, with his personal effects, 

 was not destroyed by the fire, and has been placed in a suitable case for 

 permanent preservation. 



Mr. Theodore Gill, who was formerly assistant in the library of the 

 Institution, has been appointed one of the principal assistants in the 

 national library, but he still continues his investigations in natural his- 

 tory at the Institution, and acts as the intermediate agent between the 

 two establishments. Miss Jane Turner, who vindicates by her accuracy 

 and efficiency the propriety of employing her sex in some of the depart- 

 ments of government, still continues to register the books as they are 

 received through the extended system of international exchange. 



Gallery of Art. — The original act of Congress organizing the Institu- 

 tion directed that, in addition to the support of a museum, library, &c, 

 provision should also be made for a gallery of art. In compliance with 

 this direction a commencement was made by the purchase of a series of 

 valuable engravings, illustrative of the progress of the art from the 

 earliest times, and also a series of Indian portraits was received on 

 deposit. With these and a number of plaster casts of distinguished 

 individuals, principally donations, a collection of articles was formed to 

 which the name of a gallery of art was given. The Indian portraits, 

 which had been deposited by the author, Mr. Stanley, together with a 

 seri as of portraits also of Indians, belonging to the government, were 

 destroyed by the fire. Fortunately the engravings, with few exceptions, 

 were saved, and are now deposited with the books in the library of Con- 

 gress. It was evident, however, that the proportion of the Smithsoi? 

 fund which could be devoted to the purchase of specimens of art worthj 

 of preservation in a public gallery at the seat of government was far too 

 small to do anything of importance in this line. It was therefore with 



