Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 7 1889.djvu/28

20 form. That is a very important thing, and I think that perhaps we may strengthen that before the issue of the Report. I beg to propose that a very hearty vote of thanks be given to our President for his Address.

seconded the vote of thanks to the Chairman, and said: I do not wish to enter into the theory whether fairy-tales are of modern or late origin. Last year I had the pleasure of expressing my views, and I hear there has been a long discussion on the subject; but I think that nothing has yet been forthcoming to demolish entirely what I said at the time. I looked forward with much anxiety and great eagerness to see how my theory would have been refuted, but I cannot see that it has been in any way refuted, nor am I shaken in my conviction. There is one point I wish to touch upon, that is the theory that the tales of savages come from the Folk-Lore of Europe and of modern nations. If we had any of the fairy tales, or any of the superstitions of the savages of olden times—at least a thousand years ago—which were collected at that time, you might be able to reduce the same to proof, but we have not.

The vote of thanks to the President, coupled with a request that he would allow his Address to be printed in the Society's Journal, was then agreed to.

said he was much obliged to the Society for its kindness in passing this vote, and he should certainly be glad to look over the Address before it is put in print. [This will appear in the next number of the Journal,']

The proceedings then terminated.

The following letter arrived too late to be read at the meeting:

"Dear Mr. Gomme,—Much to my regret, I am suddenly prevented from coming to the meeting to-day. I should have liked, after the reading of the Annual Report, to throw out a hint as to how the valuable remnants of Folk-Tales in this country could be quickly saved from being lost; of which they now are in rapidly increasing danger.