1807.] 
eharge upon me.” After detailing the 
measures of his presidency, he thus con- 
tinued: “ All these regulations and esta- 
blishments, | have had the honor as a 
single member of this society, with the 
joint assistance of a much respected 
eouncil, to bring forward; and to have 
seen carried to execution, during my 
being in the present office, of which, but 
for the sake of effecting these. purposes, 
I have ever deemed, myself most unwor- 
thy. But Gentlemen,” added he, * all 
this were little; did 1 not inthe end en- 
deavour, moreover, to secure elfectually 
the continuance of these advantages, aud 
the means of your attaining still greater. 
The dignity of this society, ‘and the lustre 
with which (considering the ee 
and importance of the iustitution), 1 
ought to appear, and indeed hath fd 
peared | in the eyes of Europe, requires, 
that im order to give proper life and sup- 
port to the w hole, thee should be placed 
at its head a man of eminent and dis- 
tinguished learning ; of worth and respec- 
tability of chs avacter ; ; of zeal and activity 
to promote its objects; of high and an- 
cient dignity, capable of commanding 
every degree of respect, that not only the 
artiality of friends may wish to bestow, 
ee to which the most prejudiced foreign- 
ers may also be compelled to yield. 
« Tt is not every age,” continued Mr. 
King, “ that affords, by means of a con- 
currence of such qualifications, such an 
ornament to a country, when most want- 
ed; but I am most fortunate to be able, 
without flattery, and merely in pursuance 
ef a conscientious discharge of my duty, 
to declare to you, that such a distinguish- 
ed character Js at hand; and I esteem it 
as fulfilling, most faithfully, the most im- 
‘portant part of the trust reposed in me, 
Original Poetry. 
569 
as well as the happiest circumstance at» 
tending all my labours for the service of 
the society, that [ am empowered to have 
the honor, by virtue of my otfhce, to 
name and to propose to you, on the house- 
list, and to recommend to you for elec- 
tion as your future president, Lord de 
Ferrars,” . 
After doing justice to the services of 
the late Mr. Topham, who had fora time 
voluntarily performed the duties of secre« 
tary: and having proposed that inost ine 
defaagable antiquary, the Rev. John 
Brand, recently deceased, as the resi- 
dent secretary, he closed his excellent 
speech by some admirable and truly en- 
larged notions respecting the nature of 
those pursuits, which it was the object of 
such a society as that which he was ad- 
dreffing, to cultivate and promote. 
During the presidency of Mr. King, 
an unusual number of learned and dis~ 
tinguished men offered themselves for ad= 
mifiion into the society. Some disagree- 
ments having unfortunately occurred in 
1785, between him and the noble presi- 
dent ; the name of Mr. King was in the 
following year left out of the house-list 
of council. From this time he ceased to 
be an attending member of the Society of 
Antiquaries. He was succeeded as a 
member of council and V.P. by Dr. 
Douglas, the late much to be lamented 
Bishop of Salisbury. In the Archeologta 
and inthe Philosophical Transactions are 
many valuable and curious communica- 
tions from Mr. King, 
He was priv ately interred at Becken- 
ham in Kent, in which parish he had a 
country residence. In 1765, he married 
a daughter of William Blower, esq. af 
the Hythe, Leicestershire, a lady who is 
still living. He has left no issue. 
ORIGINAL POETRY. 
—==a_ Ee 
THE FEAST GF APIS. 
WRITTEN BY VON HALEM, AT THE END 
OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY, AND 
ADDRESSED TO DR. FAUST, OF BICKE- 
BERG. TRANSLATED BY Mr. RING, 
N age is past, an age is past away, 
Tis Apis’ feast, O! celebrate the day! 
?Tis the kind mother of the lowing train, 
Not the stern bull, demands a grateful strain. 
Unnumber’d blessings from our Apis flow, 
Thre source of joy, the soother of our woe: 
Her panacea checks the tainted breath 
Of dire Disease, and blunts the shafts ef Death. 
MontTaury Mac. Ne 198, 
Come, friendly Faust! an ever honourd 
guest, 
And infants bring, to share the genial feast 5 
Let them renew the festal rites, and pay 
Their annual vows, and celebrate the day. 
Let Apis’ golden horns with splendor shine, 
And fragrant wreaths around her brow en- 
twine 5 
And, while wé strike the trembling strings, 
and raise 
Our notes in triumph, and in songs of 
praise, 
Let smiling babes nutritious herbage cast, 
And strew fresh clover as a rich repast 
4D For 
