even if the intellects and energies of all the other officers are paralyzed, is the noble President himself an automaton, that neither or all of them do not undertake the task? What a truly edifying spectacle do the officers thus present to this and to other countries-one President, four Vice-Presidents, a Treasurer, and a Director of the Society of Antiquaries of London, all men of straw, things of names only, mere puppets, invented to occupy certain chairs!!! They are, we admit, well-dressed, respectablelooking men, and perform that duty admirably; and we may be considered preposterous in our opinion, that individuals who are placed at the head of a literary society should possess some other qualifications than that of sufficient obesity to fill up given spaces. But if the high rank of these parties in the world, or in the Society, is a sufficient excuse for doing nothing, is the privilege to be extended to the senior Secretary? is he too to be excused from sharing in the tremendous labour of preparing these publications for the press? is his office, like that of the other officers, to become an absolute sinecure? and as either he will not or cannot perform the duties which belong to his situation, will the Society suffer itself to be taxed because it must be done by another? The amount of the literary labour for which fifty guineas a year is to be voted to one of the Secretaries, forms the next object of our attention. We presume it refers chiefly to the Archæologia. Now, as these volumes are wholly composed of the articles contributed by the members, who, in most cases, correct their own proofs, we are at a loss to understand what that gentleman has done to them besides perhaps making the index and reading the revises. Has he endeavoured to ascertain whether the articles intended to be inserted have been before printed? if so, the last volume is an unfortunate example of the result of his researches. Allowing that he has perused all the sheets, what is the extent of the trouble required? Each volume contains on an average four hundred and fifty pages, and appears in three years; so that the editor has really to undergo the fatigue of reading one hundred and fifty pages a year, or something less than half a page per diem! Human nature cannot support such exertion; and the paltry addition of fifty guineas per annum must be necessary for cordials and re storatives. Is it, however, to be inferred, that the little which is done to the Vetusta Monumenta is now to devolve on the Atlas of the Society-poor Mr. Ellis? besides having to read aloud seventeen minutes in every week for two-thirds of the year; to peruse, to himself if he prefers it, half a page a-day, or, if Sundays be excepted, two-thirds of a page, and to eat two dinners annually in the service of the Society, is he to be burthened with the overwhelming task of writing a dozen folio pages every three or four years? Until now, it was understood that the Vetusta Monumenta was edited by the Director. If he is exempted from doing so, what does he direct-the letters? No. The senior Secretary sometimes does that at least: perhaps the dinners are the peculiar objects of his care. To use a favourite expression in the correspondence of the Society, with "all due respect," we ask, what are the duties which the Director performs, and of what use is he to the Society, unless it be to superintend some part of its publications? If, as has been whispered, the cause of this application for an increase of salary to the junior Secretary is that the present Director has not time to attend to the "Vetusta Monumenta," we entreat him to do one of these things for the sake of his own character, of which no one thinks more highly than ourselves: either let him explain what he considers to be the duties of his office, and those which he means to execute-state candidly that he will not do any thing;-or let him give place to some one who both can and will devote a portion of his attention to the Society; but he ought not to suffer himself to be the cause of this new impost on its funds. Whenever an additional remuneration is proposed to a public servant, it is fair to cast a retrospective glance on whatever tends to show the sentiments he entertains for the body from which he asks it. Trifles are often unerring evidence in these cases; and from the following circumstance we are inclined to draw rather an unfavourable inference of the zeal and affection of the Secretaries of the Society of Antiquaries for the institution by which they have been paid, the one for twenty, and the other for upwards of ten years. They are both literary men, and have produced many works; they have, in that period, seen innumerable volumes presented to the Society; but they themselves have never, we believe, given a copy of even the least expensive of their lucubrations to its Library! With respect to Mr. Ellis's publications, they may be purchased, and hence are not so important; but some of Mr. Carlisle's are privately printed-pearls without price! If the funds were properly expended, if the Treasurer performed his duty, by causing legal measures to be taken against those members who are many, and some even twenty years in arrear, it would matter little whether the Secretaries were paid 1007. or 150l. a year each; but at present, when the Librarian, or whatever else he may be called, is allowed to levy the beggarly imposition of half-a-crown on the members for delivering the publications, instead of his receiving a sufficient salary from the Society, such an increase as is proposed to be given to one of the Secretaries is neither justifiable nor expedient. The Royal Society, like the Society of Antiquaries, has two Secretaries, whose salaries are only one hundred guineas each, and neither of them has apartments, yet the labour which these gentlemen undergo is found so severe, that if they are engaged in professions, they are obliged to resign, when others are chosen who are sufficiently actuated by pure and honourable motives to devote their time to the advancement of science, without caring how little the remuneration is proportionate to their services; but the Secretaries of the Society of Antiquaries, on the contrary, remain fixed as statues in their situations. With two of these gentlemen, it might have been expected, that in twenty years the necessary catalogues and indexes would have been made without a special reward being given to them; or for what do they receive their salaries? So far is this from being the case, that Mr. Carlisle has, we are informed, received 3001. for one catalogue, and Mr. Ellis 100 guineas for another. The conduct of the officers of this Society has at least the merit of being consistent; for discreditable as this new attempt is of lessening the means of advancing the objects for which it was incorporated, it is only in character with most of the acts of the Council for many years past. In another article, we shall point out the extraordinary statutes and regulations which exist for rendering the Fellows of the Society both blind and dumb with respect to its proceedings; since the records and accounts are scrupulously withheld from their inspection, and a positive law exists to prevent the members of the Council from uttering an opinion on subjects on which they are compelled to vote! The same ordinance is considered, we believe, to apply to the general meetings; but we are prepared to prove, that every Fellow of the Society has the right of expressing his sentiments upon any question which may be brought before it. A discussion of the propositions which come so "unanimously recommended" from the Council would do very much to rouse the Fellows at large from their culpable indifference; and we are convinced, that if the proposed augmentation of Mr. Ellis's salary, on the grounds assigned, were freely canvassed, it would be rejected by a large majority. How much longer, we would ask, will eight hundred English gentlemen permit themselves to be held in the most despicable of all bondages, since they forge their own fetters; and, by allowing their Society to be managed like a close borough, suffer it to be the laughing-stock of Europe? EARLY POETRY. WE insert the following poem from a contemporary manuscript, amongst our inedited English poetry, rather as it is illustrative of the manners of our forefathers than as possessing any high poetical merit. Yet it is not without its beauties, and there is a fragrant scent of the kindly hospitality of the great halls in the country, at the greater religious festivals, which it is pleasant to catch, though the times and the customs have long passed away. A CHRISTENMAS WELCOME FOR GESTS. 1. In thys tyme of Christenmas, or Christ's Nativitie, 2. It was for our saks he was borne of a mayde, Therfore, welcome, swete Saviour, welcome to us all! 3. He suffered his passion, and hung on a tree, Saying, welcome, swete Saviour, welcome to us all! 4. Maisters, this Christenmas ye know is a tyme of the yeare That we are made merrye with our Saviour Christ's birthe. 5. Nowe, seinge that players doe not goe abrode, 6. What he hathe done for us our witts cannot tell ; 7. The maister of this house wheare nowe ye are sett Dothe thinke yow all welcome, and muche in your debte, That with hym yow are pleased to use honest mirthe, 8. He dothe eke require yow, bothe more and lesse, 9. The maister of this house, simple thoughe he bee, 10. Because wrath and malice dothe so nowe abound, 11. heare, Well, I maye not be longe forlettinge your cheare; 12. Alas! is theare any, either sister or brother, But they cann say, forgive me my sinns as I forgive other; Which argueth they trust not in Jesu Christ's birthe. 13. For remedy heareof, let man, childe, and wife, 14. God graunte us charitie one with another, 15. God save Queen Elizabeth, our supreame heade, God save the poor commons, yea, and long to live in peace; ! |