Early in the year an application was made to his Majesty to ge a charter to 'a new Society, which should bs known as the British Academy, for the promotion of historical, philo sophical, and philological studies. The application has been granted, and a Royal charter granted, dated August 8th, 1902. Forty-nine gentlemen constitute the first lst of Fellows.f the new Soci ty. It is somewhat sad to know that the number submitted for approval was fifty-two, three of whom, Lord Ac'on (with whom the idea originated) and Professors A. B. Davidson and 8. b, Gardiner, having died whilst the matter was under consideration. The list of Fellows includes Lord Rosebery, Mr. Bslfour, Lord Dillon, Lord Reay, Mr. Bryce, Mr. Lecky, Mr. John Morley, Sir "E.' Maude Thomps -n, Sir Frederick Pollock, Dr. Monro, Dr. Caird. Professors Bywater, Butcher, Cowell, Maitland, Rhys, Sheat and many other scholars of distinction. Unlike the French Academy, ours will not recognise achiev ments in literature, the reason given being that we in' this country "have no accepted standards of literary criticism and the promoters of the new Academy, when discussing the question came, to the conclusion that it would be difficult, if not impossible," in this country {fo set up an authoritative test, more especially with regard to fiction and the belles-latites. The original choice of names, however, seems so judicious as to warrant confidence in the future, at any rate during the present generation.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.