is bewildering to us, though it never overpowered her. She seemed to forget nothing, and to notice everything, and to be able to bear so long a life in such times; but she might well be glad to sink to sleep as she did last Saturday night week, after so long drawn a pageant of the world's pomps and vanities, and transient idolatries, and eternal passions.

MEMOIRS OF A HUGUENOT FAMILY.

Memoirs of a Huguenot Family: Translated and Compiled from the Original Autobiography of the Rev. James Fontaine, and other Family Manuscripts; comprising an Original Journal of Travels in Virginia, New York, etc. in 1715 and 1716. By Ann Maury. With an Appendix containing a Transla tion of the Edict of Nantes, the Edict of Revocation, and other Interesting Historical Documents. 12 mo. pp. 512. New York, Geo. P. Putnam & Co. 1853.

This is a very pleasant volume to read, and besides the main matter, the very interesting and edifying narrative of the Rev. James Fontaine, a worthy and pious Huguenot, of an ancient and noble family, who on the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, went over to England where he remained some years; but afterwards removed to Ireland, where he finally settled in Dublin; and whence some of his sons subsequently emigrated to our colony of Virginia, about the beginning of the last century;-contains also a diary of one of these sons, John Fontaine, who landed on our shore in May, 1715, giving some account of Governor Spotswood's famous expedition over the mountains, which he joined in that year; and some letters from the Rev. Peter Fontaine, of Westover, (from 1749, to 1757,) and the Rev. James Maury, of Fredericksburg Parish, in Louisa county, (from August 9th, 1755, to December 31st, 1765,) which, besides domestic matters, contain some things concerning the state of society and public affairs in the colony at those periods, that we may all like to know.

Altogether, we regard the work as a highly valuable and interesting contribution to the historic literature of our State, and, in this point of view more particularly, we warmly commend it to the consideration of all who can duly appreciate its merits.

Various Intelligence.

THE VIRGINIA HISTORICAL SOCIETY. THE SIXTH ANNUAL MEETING.

The Sixth Annual Meeting of the Virginia Historical Society was held in the Hall of the Athenæum, on Tuesday evening, the 21st ult., and owing, no doubt, entirely to the unfavorable state of the weather, was rather badly attended.

William H. Macfarland, Esq., one of the Vice Presidents, presided; and, on taking the chair made a few appropriate remarks which were manifestly well received. Thos. T. Giles, Esq., then read the Report of the Executive Committee; and the Secretary and Librarian, Mr. Maxwell, read a list of the Donations of books, paintings, &c., received during the past year, and announced the names of the Honorary Members who had been elected during the same period.

After these proceedings, Conway Robinson, Esq., read an able and interesting discourse on the Life of the Hon. Arthur Lee, prior to the Declaration of Independence; with a notice of some of the events which led to that memorable result;which gave great satisfaction to all the company.

The following resolutions were then unanimously adopted: On motion of H. Robertson, Esq., of Norfolk :

Resolved, That the thanks of the Society be and they are hereby presented to Conway Robinson, Esq., for his able and interesting discourse read this evening; and that he be requested to furnish the Executive Committee with a copy of it for preservation in the archives, and for publication in such form as they may think proper.

On motion of Mr. Maxwell:

Resolved, That the thanks of the Society be and they are hereby presented to Thomas Sully, Esq., of Philadelphia, for his portrait of Pocahontas, which he has so handsomely and generously painted for the ornament of our room, and which cannot fail to associate his own fame with that of our incomparable heroine, in the most happy and honorable manner, for years and ages to come.

On motion of Mr. Myers:

Resolved, That the thanks of the Society be and they are hereby returned to Robert M. Sully, Esq., artist of this city,

for his valuable and interesting portraits of Black Hawk, his Son, and the Prophet, painted by him, and most obligingly presented to the Society.

On motion of Dr. Maupin:

Resolved, That the thanks of the Society be and they are hereby presented to the Gentlemen, Philip St. George Cocke, Esq., and others, who have so generously contributed the sum of One Hundred Dollars each, making together the sum of $1000, to increase the Permanent Fund of the Society, and so to increase the stability of our institution, and to enlarge and extend its salutary operations and influences for the benefit and honor of our State.

We will only add that the exercises of the occasion were highly satisfactory to all present, and altogether such as fairly promise the most happy effects.

THE REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.

We are much gratified in being enabled to inform the Society of a material addition to its permanent fund, since the last Annual Meeting. Philip St. George Cocke, Esq., of Powhatan, having liberally proposed to be one of ten gentlemen to subscribe a hundred dollars each, to enlarge this fund, that number has, within the past year, been made up; so that there is a thousand dollars from this source; and the life-members, paying fifty dollars each, having increased, since the Report of December, 1850, from thirty six, the number mentioned in that Report, to forty, there is from this source also, an increase of the fund. At the date of the Report in December, 1850, the whole amount invested in certificates of debt of the State of Virginia was sixteen hundred dollars. Now we expect our whole investment in such certificates, will soon be three thousand dollars.

The interest accruing on the permanent fund and what is paid by annual members, constitute our only means for defraying the annual expences.

With such aid as we could give Mr. Maxwell, from these limited means, he has been enabled to continue the Virginia Historical Register, in a manner highly satisfactory to us, and we make no doubt equally so to the Members of the Society, and to the subscribers. We are more and more sensible of its value to the State as a repository of scattered letters and other manuscripts, bearing on its history; which, unless preserved in this periodical, might be. and probably in many cases would be, forever lost.

Our means hitherto have not been sufficient to continue the publication of the Early Voyages to America." From what, however, our Chairman has done towards its preparation, we feel confident that, if sufficient funds be obtained for the purpose, we shall soon be enabled to publish the second volume of that work, embracing an account of all the voyages to and along the Atlantic coast of North America from 1573 to 1606; and also to follow it with volumes embracing the subject from that date, and constituting the Annals of Virginia.

In the mean time, our materials for authentic History are accumulating, Among the manuscripts, which we have received. is a considerable number, of a very interesting character, deposited by Mr. Charles Carter Lee. These have been arranged in chronological order, and endorsed and filed; and the Society will be informed of the contents of some of them at its present meeting.

There being reason to apprehend that there might be a disappointment in having the annual address from the gentleman selected, within two or three weeks past, the Committee requested its chairman, after examining the manuscripts just mentioned, to give an account of such of those written before the 4th of July 1776, as might be of most interest, accompanied by such a narrative of cotemporaneous events as he might deem suitable. This, we are pleased to say, it is his purpose to do. The letters for the period mentioned were, for the most part, written by or to Arthur Lee; of whom it has been truly said, that he was concerned in the events of the American Revolution from its commencement to its conclusion,-was employed in high stations, and in the most sacred and confidential transactions. From the nature of Mr. Lee's employments, au account of his life before the declaration of independence, will at the same time be an account of the events leading to that declaration.

Besides the manuscripts, the contents of our Library room have been greatly increased in value during the past year, partly by additions of books, but still more by the portraits received. Of these, the Secretary has been desired to give you a particular account. Some, if not all of them deserve, and should receive particular notice from the Society.

With increased confidence in the permanence of the Society, and perfect assurance of its utility to the State, we again most earnestly recommend it to the favorable consideration of our Legislature, and to the liberal patronage of our Citizens.

DONATIONS.

List of Books, &c., Presented to the Sociely during the yast year. Wheeler's History of North Carolina, 1 vol. large 8vo.; By Thomas Sully, Esq., of Philadelphia.

Narrative of Alvar Nunez Cabeca de Vaca, translated by Buckingham Smith; 1 vol. 4to; by Geo. W. Riggs, Esq., of Washington City.

Hampton's Polybius, 2 vols. Gillies's Greece, 4 vols. Baker's Livy, 6 vols. Murphy's Tacitus, 6 vols. Rapin's Acta Regis, 4 vols. History of England, by Hume, Smollet and Miller, 4. vols. Histoire de France, 3 vols. War in Hungary, 2 vols. American Gazetteer, 3 vols. Encyclopædia Britannica-Edit., 1798-18 vols. 4to. Edinburg Review from the beginning, 38 vols. 8vo. 1 Volume of the Virginia Gazette, for 1766. By Conway Robinson, Esq., of Richmond.

Universal Atlas, 2 vols. folio; by Dr. Socrates Maupin, of do. Smith's Historical and Literary Curiosities, 1 vol. 4to; by Moncure Robinson, Esq., of Philadelphia.

Ringold's Memoir and Maps of California, 1 vol. 4to; by Hon. John Y. Mason, of Richmond.

Headley's Lives of Scott and Jackson, 1 vol. 12mo; by John R. Thompson, Esq., of Richmond.

Lynch's Official Report of the Expedition to the Dead Sea, 1 vol. 4to.; by the author, Lieut. W. F. Lynch, U. S. N.

The Papers of Lewis Morris, Governor of the Province of New Jersey, from 1738, to 1746, being the Fourth volume of the Collections of the New Jersey Historical Society, 8vo; by the Society.

Schoolcraft's Information Respecting the History, Condition and Prospects of the Indian Tribes of the United States; 2 vols. 4to; by L. Lea, Com'r of Indian Affairs.

Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge, vol. 4: 4to; by the Institution.

Washington's Farewell Address, 1 vol. 4to; by James Lenox, Esq., of New York.

OTHER DONATIONS.

A Portrait of Pocahontas; by Thomas Sully, Esq., of Philadelphia.

Three Portraits, of Black Hawk, his Son, and the Prophet; by Robert M. Sully, Esq., of this City.

A Painting of Gen. Taylor at Palo Alto; by S. G. Wyman, Esq., of Baltimore.