Page 43 - La Société canadienne d'histoire de l'Église catholique - Rapport 1961

BOURTH ANNUAL REPORT. 4 1

anfficient to secure the immediate inception of the enterprise,
because, perhaps, no other sort of property can be named which
is so rapidly increasing in value. A natural and permanent
advance of thirty per cent. within five years, the ratio still
increasing, and without fluctuation, can rarely be predicated of
any property or stocks. There is, however, another and more
pressing consideration, which is: that! the opportunities of
purchasing this sort of literature at any price, will soon be gone
altogether, because of the eagerness with which the commia-
sioned agencies of English, French and Russian libraries
are everywliere snatching it up. The British Museum has
already the best collection in the world; and no pains are
spared to increase it. Recently a catalogue of documents and
letters, involving the whole unwritten history of the British
army in its connection with the American revolution, was
forwarded to this country; but before individual enterprise
could commalid the nieans of purchase, it was suddenly bought
at private sale. It is impossible to say where so valuable a
collection has gone; but the known energy and liberality of the
British government do not relieve it from the suspicion of the
purchase. Had such a prize fallen into the hands of any of our
libraries, our newspapers had teemed for months with descrip-
tions of it, and we should all with one accord havc rejoiced in
it as a matter of national concern.
National Value of Hi.storicu1 Studies.
"In every age historic studies have been regarded ns an indi-
cation of high cultivation. Until the Greeks had attained to
that they were scorned even by the Egyptians. PLATO makes
an Egyptian priest to say to SOLON: ' YOU Grecians are even
children. You have no knowledge of antiquity, nor antiquity
of knowledge.' Commerce and the mechanic arts, pursued
with whatever success, are not in themselves sufficient to deter-
mine the highest national position, and to command universal
admiration. They are indispensable; but high historic culture,
next to public morals, is the crowning g?ory of a people. N o r
5m

RA AD IS ON, Jan. Ist, 1858,