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We will not hazard sinking it still lower in estimation, and entailing immortal ridicule upon ourselves, by speaking of the "Archæologia;" for if we were compelled to state the space which, in our opinion, would be required to contain all that is really important in the twenty-one volumes bearing that title, what should we be able to say?

We wish to be understood as professing ourselves the warmest advocates of the Society of Antiquaries; but we are not the advocates of petty intrigue, of shameful neglect, or of a total abandonment of those principles which should regulate it. Our respect is for the Society, as it ought to be, and as we yet hope to see it governed; but we cannot descend to the hypocrisy of affecting to feel any esteem for it as it now exists.

Upon commencing our labours as the historians of that "learned body," we shall lay before our readers a succinct account of its origin, its statutes, and its present state; contrasting its nominal with its real pecuniary resources, with remarks upon their application. But we are fortunately prevented, on the present occasion, from the disagreeable necessity of inquiring into the merits of its officers, or of the literary emi nence of the twenty-one Fellows who have been selected from a body of eight hundred, to fill the office of counsellors; because we have no space for a work of supererogation, that task having been too recently performed to be forgotten *. Thus we are not only spared the painful duty of commenting upon individuals who, in every other situation of life, are harmless and respectable, if not useful; but from repeating an exposition which tends so much to the degradation of the literary character of the Society. It is, indeed, to be hoped, that the result of the next election of its officers and council will afford room for no other observations than an admission of the wisdom manifested by its Fellows in their choice; and of congratulation, that they have recovered from their lethargy, and shaken off the yoke of an almost oriental bondage. To that recovery the statements which we shall in the mean time lay before them will, we have no doubt, powerfully tend.

Our readers do not require to be told, that the Society of Antiquaries was not incorporated until the 25th year of George the Second, 1751; nor is it necessary to explain at length the provisions of its charter. The body consists of a President, four Deputies or Vice-Presidents, and an indefinite number of Fellows. Of those Fellows, twenty-one form the council, whoj as well as all the officers, are annually elected; that is to say, nine of the preceding council are retained, and twelve others are chosen in the room of those who retire. Power is also given by the charter to appoint so many and such persons as they

* See the "Westminster Review" for April, 1827.

shall think proper to be treasurers, secretaries, clerks, and officers; and also to hire and employ one Serjeant at Mace, and such other servants as may be necessary. The visitors, "with power to compose and redress any differences or abuses, whereby the constitution, progress, improvement, and business thereof may suffer or be hindered," are the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lord Chancellor, or Lord Keeper, the Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal, and the two Principal Secretaries of State. Its present officers are the President, four Vice-Presidents, Treasurer, Director, two Secretaries, and Librarian; and the body at large consists of about eight hundred persons. In proceeding to examine the statutes of the Society, we shall only particularly notice those clauses which are remarkable. The first chapter treats " Of the making and repealing of Statutes;" the second, "Of the obligation to be signed by every Fellow;" the third, " Of the payments by the Fellows;" the fourth, " Of the ordinary meetings;' the fifth," Of the method of voting;" the sixth, "Of the election and admission of Fellows;" the seventh, " Of the election of the President, Council, and officers;" the eighth, "Of the President and Deputy or Vice-Presidents;" the ninth, "Of the Common Seal and Deeds;" the tenth, "Of the Form and Causes of Expulsion;" the eleventh, "Of Benefactors;" the twelfth," Of Honorary Members;" the thirteenth, “Of the Management of the Estate and Revenues of the Society, and Payments of Money out of the same;" and the fourteenth, "Of the publication of such papers or drawings as have been laid before it." These fourteen" chapters" fill about twelve quarto pages; and the principal parts that require comment are the way in which a man is let into the Society and that in which he may get out. Be he peer or commoner, he must pay eight guineas as his admission fee, and four guineas annually; or he may compound by paying down forty guineas besides his admission fee. He must also be propounded and recommended by three or more Fellows, either upon their personal knowledge or on his being known to the Society by his works; and a paper is to be delivered by them to the secretaries," signed by themselves with their own names," a rather unnecessary caution against forgery, "specifying the name, addition, profession, and chief qualifications of the candidate, and the usual place of his abode, which paper is to be fixed up and remain in the meeting-room at four several ordinary successive meetings before the said candidate shall be put to the ballot, which four meetings shall be exclusive of the day when he is propounded and the day when he is balloted for." So much for commoners: whence it appears, that whether the candidate be a second Camden or a Dugdale, or a man who knows as much of history and antiquities as of the Chaldean language, he must

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undergo the ordeal of a six weeks' suspension. But " as persons of high rank and dignity become an honour and advantage to any Society; any peer of Great Britain or Ireland, or the eldest sons of such peers, or any of his Majesty's privy council, or judges, of either kingdom, may be propounded by a single member, and put to the ballot for election the same day!"

Thus the veriest dolt on earth, if a nobleman, is to be received into a literary society with a mark of respect which is denied to a man of the highest literary talents. My lord B- is admitted with sycophantic eagerness by a body formed for the purpose of advancing the knowledge of the history and antiquities of our country; whilst a Lingard, a Hallam, a Turner, a Southey, or a Scott, must undergo six weeks' probation. This is too degrading to literature to be discussed with calmness; but even the Royal Society is not free from a similar statute: a reform is however, we believe, meditated in its constitution, and it is impossible that so absurd and contemptible a regulation can be retained. Let this misplaced homage to rank be contrasted for a moment with the conduct of the Institute of France. There are no special clauses for the admission of nobility in its statutes, but it justly considers that a peer derives honour from his admission instead of conferring it. It is reserved for England alone-the first country in Europe in reputation for science and literature, as well as in a nominal independence of the aristocracy-to degrade itself by such dishonourable exceptions in the statutes of their scientific and literary societies in favour of the peerage and persons of elevated rank. These regulations are as preposterous as if an act of parliament were passed to cause every peer, on visiting a commoner, to be brought in on the shoulders of his host, instead of walking up the staircase in the ordinary manner. The mode of getting out of the Society is equally simple; and, extraordinary as it may appear, the nobility have no peculiar privilege. A member either quits voluntarily or is turned out: the former by expressing his wish to retire, and the latter from one of the following causes. From the tenth chapter we learn that

"Besides the causes of expulsion hereinbefore particularly mentioned, if any Fellow of the Society shall contemptuously or contumaciously disobey the statutes or orders of the Society; or shall, by speaking, writing, or printing, publicly defame the Society; or advisedly and maliciously do any thing to the damage and detriment thereof; he shall, in respect thereof, be liable to be expelled the Society."

We have in vain sought for any of the "causes of expulsion hereinbefore particularly mentioned," but the subject is not once noticed in any former part of the statutes; hence the "causes" expressed in the preceding extract are the only

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offences for which a member can be dismissed from the Society. The reason of our being so careful to point out this part of the statutes, is the necessity that such of our readers as belong to it should know the penalty which awaits them if they, by speaking, writing, or printing, publicly defame the Society." It would appear that the difficulty of obtaining admission is not great: no literary reputation, or even the affectation of it, being required; for although the "propounders" certify that the candidate is well versed in the history and antiquities of this kingdom, and is likely to prove a useful and valuable member," these words mean nothing; and would be as readily applied to a man who could not read as to the most learned antiquary of the day and that it will receive almost any body is proved by the fact, that from June 1807 to 1827, a period of twenty years, only twenty-one persons have been rejected. Thus it would seem that one per year was refused, upon the same principle that a private road is annually shut up, to prevent the privilege being claimed as a right. Of these twenty-one persons the Society have relented in favour of four, who have since been elected, though one of them had the courage or temerity to subject himself to a third ballot! But that learned body" is rapidly improving in good nature; for it has admitted every candidate who has offered himself for the last two years; and has, moreover, fully atoned for its previous unkindness to one of the four gentlemen alluded to, by unanimously electing him in the last session. The honorary members are, we are informed in the statutes, to consist of" foreigners of note or learning." Rank being the chief recommendation, but in default of it mere learning may pass !

The entire management of the funds of the Society is intrusted to the council; and of the way in which it exercises the trust, it is highly necessary the Fellows should be informed. Upon the president or vice-president taking the chair, the accounts in a bundle are placed before him, who, holding them in his hand, asks, "Is it your pleasure, gentlemen, to confirm these accounts?" The balloting box is handed round, and they are instantly passed without a single individual having opened, much less examined them; and even without a remark being made. Such at least, and we speak positively, was the way in which accounts to the extent of several hundred pounds were allowed on a recent occasion. We shall again have cause to allude to the funds and expenditure: but it is now necessary that we should remind the Fellows that they are not even permitted to see the minutes and accounts of the Society. The senior secretary informed an applicant a few weeks since, that, as "no request had ever been made by any member to inspect and make extracts from the records of the Society, it could not

VOL. I.-PART I.

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be granted without the express order of the council." The body at large are consequently kept in profound ignorance of their affairs, the council being the nominees of the president; whilst, of the manner in which it performs its duty of watching over the expenditure, we have adduced a memorable example; hence, in fact, the whole and uncontrolled management of the Society rests with the secretaries. There is no precedent for inquiry, we are told. We ask then, Are the Fellows to be always excluded from access to the records of the Society to which they belong? Are these records kept only for the perusal of the president and his friends? Are the eight hundred members to go on for ever paying four guineas per annum without the possibility of knowing how they are expended? or, Are the Fellows destitute of understanding and spirit, to tolerate such conduct? That the officers have no right to prevent the members from having free access to those records we are fully prepared to argue; but we must postpone the subject until our next number, having, we hope, said enough to excite the attention of the independent members to the abuses which exist. We have, however, only had space to touch upon the subject; and in our future articles we shall lay before them a brief statement of those causes which render the Society of Antiquaries almost useless, and the title which it confers upon its members little else than a bye-word and a reproach: we shall afterwards suggest such improvements in its constitution and management as will tend to restore it to its proper character and respectability. As, however, the Society will renew its meetings before we shall be able to return to the subject, we think it necessary to inform such of its Fellows as did not attend on the night it adjourned, that no measure was then proposed for adoption at the first meeting of the next session which in any way affects the credit or dignity of the Society, or which would require house management and manoeuvring to get introduced on the statutes; a fact which peculiarly distinguishes the session of 1826-7 from that of the preceding,

COMMISSION FOR THE PUBLICATION OF DOCUMENTS IN THE STATE PAPER OFFICE.

THE eyes of the Antiquarian world, or, we may more truly say, of every one interested in the history of his country, have long been directed to the Commission issued by the commands of his Majesty, for the publication of the most important of the archives preserved in the State Paper Office. With but few exceptions, the documents in that repository are wholly unknown; and when it is remembered that it contains the official papers of the state

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