tree, the mighty ash Yggdrasil-grandest and most comprehensive of world conceptions. It stands there all-green," frondescent, umbrageous, with its roots deep in the hidden unfathomable gulfs of nature, stretching downwards into the realms of Hel and the dim past, down to the well-springs where the gray Norns sit and evermore be-sprinkle the giant-roots with revivifying water. Its branches overshadow the earth, spreading outwards over all the present times, and stretching ever upwards into the boundless blue heights of the future; the infinite rush of life streams through the mighty tree from furthest root-tip to uppermost leaf-point, and energises all. "Its boughs with their buddings and disleafings, events, things suffered, things done, catastrophes,-stretch through all lands and times. Is not every leaf of it a biography, every fibre there an act or word? Its boughs are histories of nations. The rustle of it is the noise of human existence, onwards from of old. It grows there, the breath of human passion rustling through it; or storm-tost, the storm-wind howling through it like the voice of all the gods. It is Yggdrasil, the tree of existence.' As it is said in the Völuspâ. An ash know I standing Hight yggdrasil, With white vapours: Over Urd's fountain. 16 Carlyle's "Hero-Worship," Sect. I, p. 200. Royal Society of Literature. GENERAL ANNIVERSARY MEETING. APRIL 27th, 1881. THE Chair was taken at half-past four P.M. by SIR PATRICK DE COLQUHOUN, Q.C., LL.D., and Vice-President, owing to the unavoidable absence of the President, His Royal Highness THE PRINCE LEOPOLD, K.G. The Minutes of the General Anniversary Meeting of 1881 having been read and signed, the following Annual Report of the Society's Proceedings, as prepared under the direction of the Council, was read. REPORT OF THE COUNCIL. APRIL 27th, 1881. THE Council of the Royal Society of Literature [Members.] have the honour to report to the Members of the Society that, since their last Anniversary Meeting, held in the Society's House, on Wednesday, April 28th, 1880, there has been the following change in, and addition to, the Members of the Society. Thus, they have to announce with regret the death of THE REV. HARRY SMITH, M.A., probably the only surviving to the present year, of the original Members of the Society; and of B. T. MORGAN, Esq., and, by resignation, of CHARLES FORD, Esq. 752 On the other hand, they have much pleasure in announcing that the following gentlemen have been elected Members :— THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE EARL OF LIMERICK. J. BOLLINGER, M.A., Ph.D. CHARLES PFOUNDES, Esq. ALEXANDER MACDONALD, Esq. BURNHAM W. HORNER, Esq. H. M. IMBERT-TERRY, Esq. THOMAS H. GILL, Esq. ROBERT W. DILLON, Esq. REV. W. E. BULL GUNN, M.A. FREDERIC KENT, Esq. RAMCHANDRA GHOSE, Esq. HENRY ALLPASS, Esq. ROBERT WHELAN BOYLE, Esq. CAPT. W. MASON SEYMOUR, R.N. SIR HARDINGE STANLEY GIFFARD, Q.C. DR. ALTSCHUL, M.A. ALFRED RICHARDS, Esq. JOHN H. PAUL, Esq., M.D. CAPT. G. A. RAIKES, F.S.A. |