the Past, we shall always have an eye to the present and passing scene. We shall, accordingly, look out now and then from the "loop-holes of our retreat," upon the movements of the living age, and endeavor to catch some slight sketches of the volatile picture before us, on the little camera obscura at our hand. Without a figure, we shall hope to furnish some occasional notices of current events or speculations upon them-to serve as hints for the future history of our State. It is true, that with our present scanty space, these notices must be few and brief; but they may still be of some little use, perhaps, for reference hereafter.

We must add, that we purpose also to give our readers, if possible, a little more literary and miscellaneous matter hereafter, than we have done heretofore. We intend, more particularly, to furnish them with some Specimens of Early English Poets, and Leaves from Old Authors-cotemporaries of our fathers at different periods of our history-which we think they may find agreeable, both for illustration and relief. At the same time, we shall continue to favor them with any fair samples of our own writers, both in prose and poetry, that we may be able to obtain; and we hope, in this way, to aid the cause of Polite Letters in our State.

For the rest, we have only to thank our correspondents for their past favors, and to solicit their continued aid. It is true we have a good stock of provisions on hand to furnish our table (of contents) for some time; but we shall still need a constant supply of fresh articles of various sorts, that the tastes of our guests "studious of change," and "pleased wi h novelty" as well as with antiquity, may "be indulged" and gratified.

The Third Annual Meeting of the Virginia Historical Society was held, according to adjournment, in the Hall of the House of Delegates, on Thursday evening, the 10th inst., and was graced by the attendance of a large and brilliant audience the Governor of the Commonwealth, many members of the General Assembly, gentlemen and ladies, citizens and strangers-assembled on the interesting occasion.

In the absence of the President of the Society, (the Hon. Wm. C. Rives, of Albemarle,) Wm. H. Macfarland, Esq., of this City, one of the Vice-Presidents, presided; and, on taking the chair, made a brief and very apppropriate address. After this, Gustavus A. Myers, Esq., a member, in the absence of Conway Robinson, Esq., the Chairman, read the Report of the Executive Committee, showing the progress of the Society during the past year; certainly very honorable to the Board, and very gratifying to all the friends of the cause.

The Secretary, Mr. Maxwell, then read a List of the Books, and other donations which had been received since the last Annual Meeting; and announced the names of the Honorary and Corresponding Members who had been elected during the same period.

Wm. M. Burwell, Esq., of Bedford, now read the Annual Discourse, upon the subject of the True Policy of Virginia, indicated by her past history, and, more particularly, by her present position in relation to the United States,

prompting her to develope all her natural resources in the prosecution of her agricultural, manufacturing, and commercial interests, along with the education of her citizens, and likely to result, as he hoped, in the future prosperity of all her people;-a sensible and suggestive paper, full of just thoughts, embellished with fine fancies, and altogether worthy of the grave and earnest attention with which it was heard.

The Rev. P. Slaughter, of Petersburg, a Corresponding Member of the Society, being present, and duly invited, submitted some remarks relating to his late travels in England, Scotland, and Italy, illustrating the patriotic feelings of a Virginian abroad, and referring to some points in the early annals of our State; which were finely conceived and handsomely expressed; and which were heard accordingly with lively satisfaction by all present.

The Secretary read a Letter from Hugh B. Grigsby, Esq., formerly of Norfolk, but now of Charlotte, a Corresponding Member of the Society, proposing that the Society should immediately proceed to build a suitable House, for the reception of its Library and other treasures; and offering to be one of a hundred gentlemen who should subscribe one hundred dollars each, making the sum of ten thousand dollars, for the object;-which was referred to the Executive Committee.

Mr. Conway, of Fredericksburg, now offered a resolution thanking Mr. Burwell for his able and interesting discourse, and requesting a copy of it for preservation in the archives, and for publication, along with the Proceedings of the Meeting, by the Executive Committee; which was adopted.

Altogether the meeting was one of great interest, and we feel assured that the impressions which it has made upon the minds and hearts of all present, are highly favorable and auspicious to the future prosperity of the cause in which this patriotic Society is so laudably and so successfully engaged.*

*In this short statement we refer of course only to the regular Proceedings of the Meeting, embraced in the order of the evening. There were some other incidents of the occasion,-Mr. Wise's speech, Mr. Lee's handsome reply, &c., which, strictly speaking, were hardly legitimate parts of the performance, and which we have, therefore, not thought it worth while to record.

THE REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.

In submitting our Annual Report to the Society at this time, we are happy to congratulate you on what we may fairly call the prosperous state of our affairs.

It is true that owing to the extraordinary engagements of our worthy chairman in a still higher service, and, we regret to add, the want of punctuality in many of our members who have failed to forward their annual contributions, we have not been able to publish the continuation of the Early Voyages which we announced in our last report; but, in other respects, we have prosecuted our engagement with good success. For some proof of this fact, we may refer you to the pages of the Virginia Historical Register, conducted by our Secretary with our aid and sanction, which has gathered and given to the public some truly valuable contributions to the Historic Literature of our State, and some of which, we may say, would never have seen the light but for the existence of our Society and its convenient organ. At the same time, this work has done much, and will do more, to popularise the subjects of the History and Biography of our State, and to diffuse a taste for enquiry into these interesting matters among our citizens, which cannot but produce the best results.

We may mention also what our General Agent reportsthat during the late summer, he made some rapid excursions into the counties of Powhatan, Albemarle, Prince Edward, Charlotte and Halifax, to invite the co-operation of our fellow-citizens in those parts, and that his overtures were every where received with all the favor which he could have fairly hoped. The result will appear in the gratifying fact that we have received 80 new members into our Society, of whom ten have chosen to become Life Members,