an expression of my admiration of the politeness and attention of Messrs. Charles Lechraere and Robert Lemon, the deputy keeper and chief clerk. To the latter gentleman, particularly, I feel under great obligations, not only for his personal courtesies to myself, but for the ready and zealous interest he manifested in the success of the undertaking I was charged by the State to execute. " Presuming that the office of the Privy Council might contain information relative to the '

subject of my reserach, I addressed a note to Mr. Greville, one of the clerks in ordinary, requesting permission to examine its earlier records. A pi-ompt and most courteous answer was returned, complying with my request and I examined the registers under the care of the ;

librarian of the archives, Mr. Henry Reeve, to whose kindness I am much indebted for the facilities he afforded me. Very few documents, however, were found relating to our Colonial history. There are no separate papers whatever, in the Privy Council Office, of a date prior to 1700 ; but the registers of its proceedings are preserved complete from the time of Queen Elizabeth. " The library of tlie British Museum, already a magnificent monument of the public spirit '

of the nation, is daily becoming more and more worthy the admiration of the world. The collection of printed books and pamphlets, whose number, though not accurately known, certainly exceeds 300,000 volumes, is one of the most perfect in existence ; and there are