biftory, fcience, and art: the first comprehends either an account of natural productions, or the genuine records of empires and states; the second embraces the whole circle of pure and mixed mathematicks, together with ethicks and law, as far as they depend on the reasoning faculty; and the third includes all the beauties of imagery and the charms of invention, displayed in modulated language, or represented by colour, figure, or found.

Agreeably to this analysis, you will investigate whatever is rare in the ftupendous fabrick of nature, will correct the geography of Afia by new obfervations and difcoveries; will trace the annals, and even traditions, of thofe nations, who from time to time have peopled or desolated it ; and will bring to light their various forms of government, with their inftitutions civil and religious; you will examine their improvements. and methods in arithmetick and geometry, in trigonometry, menfuration, mechanicks, opticks, aftronomy, and general phyficks; their systems of morality, grammar, rhetorick, and dialectick; their skill in chirurgery and medicine, and their advancement, whatever it may be, in anatomy and chymistry. To this you

will add researches into their agriculture, manufactures, trade; and, whilft you inquire with pleasure into their mufick, architecture,

painting, and poetry, will not neglect those inferior arts, by which the comforts and even elegances of focial life are fupplied or improved. You may obferve, that I have omitted their languages, the diverfity and difficulty of which are a fad obftacle to the progrefs of useful knowledge; but I have ever confidered languages as the mere inftruments of real learning, and think them improperly confounded with learning itfelf: the attainment of them is, however, indifpenfably neceffary; and if to the Perfian, Armenian, Turkish, and Arabick, could be added not only the Sanfcrit, the treasures of which we may now hope to fee unlocked, but even the Chinefe, Tartarian, Japanese, and the various infular dialects, an immenfe mine would then be open, in which we might labour with equal delight and advantage.

Having fubmitted to you thefe imperfect thoughts on the limits and objects of our future fociety, I request your permiffion to add a few hints on the conduct of it in its prefent immature ftate.

LUCIAN begins one of his fatirical pieces against historians, with declaring that the only true propofition in his work was, that it should contain nothing true; and perhaps it may be advisable at first, in order to prevent any difference of fentiment on particular points not immediately

before us, to establish but one rule, namely, to have no rules at all. This only I mean, that, in the infancy of any fociety, there ought to be no confinement, no trouble, no expenfe, no un. neceffary formality. Let us, if you please, for the present, have weekly evening meetings in this hall, for the purpose of hearing original papers read on fuch fubjects, as fall within the circle of our inquiries. Let all curious and learned men be invited to fend their tracts to our secretary, for which they ought immediately to receive our thanks; and if, towards the end of each year, we fhould be fupplied with a fufficiency of valuable materials to fill a volume, let us present our Afiatick mifcellany to the literary world, who have derived so much pleasure and information from the agreeable work of Kampfer, than which we can fcarce propose a better model, that they will accept with eager nefs any fresh entertainment of the fame kind. You will not perhaps be difpofed to admit mere tranflations of confiderable length, except of fuch unpublished effays or treatises as may be tranf mitted to us by native authors; but, whether you will enrol as members any number of learn ed natives, you will hereafter decide, with many other questions as they happen to arise; and you will think, I prefume, that all questions should be decided on a ballot, by a majority of two

thirds, and that nine members should be requifite to constitute a board for fuch decifions. These points, however, and all others I fubmit entirely, gentlemen, to your determination, having neither with nor pretenfion to claim any more than my fingle right of fuffrage. One thing only, as effential to your dignity, I recommend with earneftnefs, on no account to admit a new member, who has not expressed a voluntary desire to become so; and in that case, you will not require, I fuppofe, any other qualification than a love of knowledge, and a zeal for the promotion of it.

Your inftitution, I am perfuaded, will ripen of itself, and your meetings will be amply fupplied with interefting and amusing papers, as foon as the object of your inquiries fhall be generally known. There are, it may not be delicate to name them, but there are many, from whose important ftudies I cannot but conceive high expectations; and, as far as mere labour will avail, I fincerely promise, that, if in my allotted sphere of jurifprudence, or in any intellectual excurfion, that I may have leisure to make, I should be fo fortunate as to collect, by accident, either fruits or flowers, which may seem valuable or pleafing, I shall offer my humble Nezr to your fociety with as much respectful zeal as to the greatest potentate on earth.

THE SECOND

ANNIVERSARY DISCOURSE,

DELIVERED 24 FEBRUARY, 1785,

BY

THE PRESIDENT.

GENTLEMEN,

IF the Deity of the Hindus, by whom all their just requests are believed to be granted with fingular indulgence, had propofed last year to gratify my warmest wishes, I could have defired nothing more ardently than the fuccefs of your institution; because I can defire nothing in preference to the general good, which your plan feems calculated to promote, by bringing to light many useful and interesting tracts, which, being too fhort for feparate publication, might lie many years concealed, or, perhaps, irrecoverably perish: my wishes are accomplished, without an invocation to CA'MADHE NU; and your Society, having already paffed its infant state, is advancing to maturity with every mark of a healthy and robuft conftitution. When I reflect, indeed, on the variety of subjects, which have been difcuffed before you, concerning the hif