SPECIAL MEETING OF THE COUNCIL. A MEETING of the Council was held at the hall of the Society at 5 P. M., on April 26, 1904, President SALISBURY in the chair. There were also present, Messrs. Paine, Chase, S. S. Green, Hall and Engler. President SALISBURY said: It is with great regret that I formally call the attention of the Council to the loss of our beloved associate, EGBERT COFFIN SMYTH, D.D., LL.D., of Andover, who died at his home, of pneumonia, April 12th, at the age of seventy-five years. His beautiful character and scholarly attainments, native simplicity and sincerity of manner, and fairness of judgment endeared him to all with whom he came in contact. The Council always found in him an adviser ready to suggest a broad and liberal course of action, and a member who kept the interests of our Society constantly in mind. Dr. Smyth became a member of the Society in 1870, and was made a Councillor in 1880. He prepared four reports of the Council and three formal papers, besides adding many shorter contributions in the literary discussions that occurred at the stated meetings of the Society. The RECORDING SECRETARY offered the following: Death has visited us again, and taken away one of our brilliant and honored members. The Society received a valuable accession to its roll of able and honored men when the Rev. EGBERT C. SMYTH joined its ranks; and from his election to the Council this body gained the benefit of his wisdom and the rare privilege of his friendship and intimate acquaintance. Dr. Smyth's position in his chosen profession and field of theology was almost unique; and we cannot now enter upon so great a task as to give its history or to describe the great change in the theology of the Christian church which has taken place in the last half century and which is so largely due to the modest, conscientious, non-belligerent teaching of this quiet New England scholar. His name must ever hold a place in church annals not unlike the names of Luther, Calvin, Edwards and (in a different school), the name of Channing. His contributions to our Proceedings were never of a polemic character, but were of general interest, and gave evidence that much time and labor had been spent in preparing them. While he was undoubtedly of a strong and rugged character, his nature was very sweet; and we shall always treasure the delightful recollections of our communion with him at our meetings, especially at the semi-social meetings in the autumn when we all shared in the hospitality of our senior Vice-President, Senator HOAR. Attest: CHARLES A. CHASE, Recording Secretary. SPECIAL MEETING OF THE COUNCIL. A SPECIAL meeting of the Council was held at the hall of the Society at 11 A. M., on Oct. 3, 1904. Present: President Salisbury and Messrs. Paine, S. A. Green, Davis, S. S. Green, Adams, Engler, Wright and Chase. President SALISBURY said: It is with feelings of great sorrow that we are met today to consider the irreparable loss this Society has met in the death of our first Vice-President, the Honorable GEORGE FRISBIE HOAR, LL.D. As a member third upon the list in date of election, in 1853, Vice-President in 1878, and President from 1884 to 1887, when he was forced by the pressure of his senatorial duties in Congress to resign and to resume his place as Vice-President, we mourn his death. As was the case with the founder of the Society, Isaiah Thomas, of the librarians, Christopher Columbus Baldwin and Samuel Foster Haven, and of other past officers and members of the Society, Senator Hoar loved this Society, and was in turn loved and respected by its members. Often has he made this statement, that no literary organization with which he was connected gave him more keen satisfaction and pleasure than ours, nor was there any whose purposes were more congenial to his tastes. and mental activities. Certainly the Council of the Society has had opportunity to observe, that in season and out of season between the stated meetings, the constant loving thought of the Senator, while far away and occupied with great national problems, was busy with some course of action or some investigation that would advance the welfare of our association. His gifts of valuable books, paintings, historical relics and pecuniary assistance have been among the He has pre largest we have received from any source. pared five stated reports of the Council and more than twenty formal papers on historical and belles-lettres literature, besides innumerable shorter communications made at our regular meetings, which only he could have brought to our notice, on account of his special opportunities of acquaintance with the facts. For many years, it has been the practice of the Senator to entertain the Council at his home when the preparatory meetings were held, and his hospitality, joined with his courtesy and unselfish devotion to what might be for our best interests, animated this Board to strive for the highest good of the Society. The Council of the Society realize that in the death of Senator Hoar, they have lost an officer, friend and adviser, whose place cannot be filled. His great learning, eloquence and sound judgment were always devoted unstintingly to the furtherance of what is best in literature and art, and to what he thought was for the improvement of the community. He was fearless, honest and sincere in his convictions, and was persistent and untiring in his efforts to bring about results that commended themselves to his judgment and conscience. We feel that his example and influence upon us and upon our Society will long remain, to inspire us to greater activity in the lines so conspicuously shown by his constant and unremitting devotion to his country, his state and to the public welfare. To the family and all those most near and dear to the deceased Senator, we offer our profound sympathy and condolence. NATHANIEL PAINE, A.M., said:— Mr. President, while there is but little to add to what has already been said by you in eulogy of our departed associate, I cannot let the occasion pass without a few words to express my own feelings at this time. The death of Senator HOAR comes to me as a personal loss, as it has been my great good fortune to have been on somewhat intimate terms with him for several years. I am indebted to him for many kind words in my behalf, and for many manifestations of his kindness and considera tion, and I look back to his friendship as a most precious memory. All who have known him will bear testimony to his great modesty. A man of great ability and having had the highest honors of the state and nation bestowed upon him, yet to the humblest of his friends appearing on such terms of good fellowship that one could not but feel at ease in his company. With a delightful conversational power and a wonderful memory that could at once call to mind words of wisdom or of humor from the best in English literature, his society was a pleasure and an inspiration to those privileged and honored by his friendship. As you are aware, Senator Hoar was often called upon to give his aid and sympathy in enterprises and interests intended to benefit our goodly city or county, and to these calls he responded cheerfully. It has been my pleasure to have been associated with him in some of them, and I can testify that he was a tower of strength to those acting with him. His strong and judicial presentation of any matter in which he was interested never failed to enlist their co-operation and sympathy. Of the great loss sustained by the Antiquarian Society it is not necessary to speak at length. We all recognize it, and shall miss him greatly at our meetings,―abler voices will express in fitting terms at the proper time how greatly; and I can only add my appreciation and respect to those of yourself and other members of the Council. I will, however, mention the fact that at one of my last visits to Senator Hoar, a short time before his death, he spoke of the Antiquarian Society and of the hope that he might be able to present at least one more paper upon a subject he had in mind. I join with you, Mr. President, in wishing to spread upon the records our realization of the great loss we have sustained by the death of our most honored and distinguished associate. SAMUEL A. GREEN, LL.D., said: When a public man has reached the age allotted by the Psalmist, and passed beyond that period, and has died in the fulness of his mental powers and at the height of his successful work, his death should not be the subject |