Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-07-09
A MAGNIFICENT DONATION.
Hon. f. j. Phelps Responds in Behalf of
the Boston Art Museum.

The following is an extract from the re
port of the third annual general meeting
of the EGYPT exploration fund, recently
held in London:
Mr.. John Evans, +. r.. S, moved reso-
luton to the effect that "this meeting pre-
sent to the Fine Arts Museum of Boston,
[. ;. A., with sincere thanks to the Rev
William c. Winslow, vice president of the
Egypt exploring fund, a selection of an
Equities discovered by Mr. Neville"
The motion was seconded by Miss Ed
wards, who paid an earnest tribute to the
sympathy and support received from our
transatlantic brethren and from the Amer
lean press. American archaeologsts had
already taken an important place among
the scholars OF the world and no more sub
stantial proof could be given of the inter
est with which America regards such re
searches as those Of the fund than the re-
cent formation of an American school at
Athens, and of an American commission
for the exploration of Assor.
Hon +. j. Phelps minister of the Uni
ted States in London, said that it gave
him the greatest pleasure, on behalf of
the trustees of the Fine Arts Museum Of
Boston, to tender their acknowledge
ments for this valuable gift, their
congratulations on the good work
farther and future work These objects
would undoubtedly he so used and APP
piled in Boston, 1.-THE Athen, of \ merca,
lis to promote that interest in Egyptian
history, and that practical cooperation i'll
the work of Egyptian exploration. which
he understood to he the main objects of
the society. He believed that the time
was fast approaching when every enter
prise for the extension of human knOWl.
edge, and for the alienation or improve
ment of the general condition of man
kind, would find its coordinate branches
ON both sides OF the Atlantic, and that
the two countries would join hands for
that purpose across the sea, which now
no longer separated, but united them 10y Il
common highway. His eXCellcnCy went
ON TO say that any branch Of historical re
search which bore upon the continuation
or elUCldatlOn of the work of the Chris
tian religion could not he overestimated
and that any man who contributed to the
elucdatlon of that truth conferred Il ben
ent upon the human race. That the work
undertaken by this society threw new
IlSht upon the pages of the Old Testa-
ment was IN his opinion, Il feature of the
highest Importance, inasmuch as with
out full understanding of the
testimony of the Old Testament, it was
not possible adequately to appropriate the
historical position of the New. His excel
lency then spoke with much force and
solellIlty upon tle nlduerldllSulc tenuel-
ces OF modern thought III other depart
ments of knowledge, calculated, as they
are, to deprive man of his highest hope in
lie, and to condemn him at its close to
IAN everlasting grave" In regard to the
election OF the Rev. w. G.. Winsow as Il
vice-president of the fund, his eXcelency
warmly commended the action of the So
ciety saying, they could not have
chosen a better man" He begged in
/ conclusion to thank the chairman for the
warmth of his greeting, and in the name
OF his country he most heartily responded
The chairman would, however, permit
him (Mr. Phelps to correct him upon one
point. The English and Americans were
not cousins, they were brothers. The At
1t united them by steam and by electricity.