Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 8.djvu/426

 3;i8 PROCEEDINGS AT MEETINGS OF a development of the Professor's views of this curious subject, well deservin»' of their attention. ■* A large party of the Archaeologists having accepted the hospitalities of the Deanery, whilst the remainder of the numerous assembly repaired to the Ordinary, at the Judges' lodgings, the Meudip range was again crossed, and it was nearly midnight before all the travellers had safely returned to Bristol. TuLUiSDAY, July 31. The earlier part of this day was appropriated to the meetings of sections. At ten o'clock, the Historical section assembled at the Theatre of the Institution. The chair having been taken by the President, Henry Hallam, Esq., he observed, in opening the proceedings, that in regard to the subjects usually brought before that division, it had not been customary, nor was it perhaps important, to prescribe any strict line. So far as it could be drawn, he considered it most ads'isable to enjoin that all communications founded principally upon books or written documents should fall within the department of history, whilst those directly relating to material objects should be brought under the head of antiquities. The practice of the Institute on these occasions had been to give a preference to subjects of local interest and importance, but it should be understood that this was by no means considei-ed as an invariable rule ; and he particularly mentioned this, anticipating that very morning an important communication from an eminent archaeologist, who had honoured their meeting at Bristol with his attendance ; he alluded to the Chevalier Bunsen, who had prepared a discourse on a subject wholly unconnected with the scenes and historical recollections by which they were actually surrounded. The Rev. James Lee Warner then read a memoir on the first octavo edition of Tyndale's New Testament, entering at length into the literary and typographical history of that important work, of which the most perfect copy, known to him, formerly in the Harleian Library, and now submitted to the meeting, is preserved in the city of Bristol, in the valuable collection in the library of the Baptists' College. Another, but imperfect copy, is in the library of St. Paul's Cathedral. He concluded that this rare volume was printed at Worms, in 1525. The history of this translation is a matter well deserving attention, and independently of the existence of this book, known probably to few persons, in the city where the Institute had assembled, it might be remembered as a circumstance of local interest that it was, as it has been stated, in the county of Gloucester, in the manor-house of Sir John Welch, at Sodbury, a place which some present might possibly be induced to visit in the course of the excursions of the week, that Tyndale formed his determination to translate and print the Scriptures. His Excellency, the Chevalier Bcxsen, then delivered a most interest- ing dissertation upon the Lake Moeris, demonstrating its artificial character, and the intention with which it had been formed, for purposes of artificial irrigation. Ancient writers as well as modern had been at variance on this question ; the lake is noticed both by Herodotus and Strabo, but one describes it as a natural lake, whilst the other attributed it to human ^ Publislied liy J. 11. P:irkei', Oxford, Ito. with Illustrations.