A man's intellect should look out from his doors, his windows and his walls. His house should have as much external expression as his face, whilst its interior should be as perfectly fitted for the dwelling of his spirit as the cells of his skull are appropriate and comfortable for the working of his brain. A great city, filled with houses and temples erected upon such principles, would, perhaps, be a miracle of modern art; yet we should, strive to approach, if we cannot reach, so desirable, so permanent, and so magnificent a manifestation of the highest national taste. Egypt, Hindustan, Greece, and Rome, have done so in the ages that are past, and why should no privilege remain to the nineteenth century save to copy, combine, distort and jumble the architectural relics left us from the wreck of these glorious empires!

I believe that the establishment of a permanent gallery in our Athenæum, will essentially contribute to produce the beneficial results I have attempted to expound, and I crave its generous patronage by the liberal persons who have erected this edifice.

I designed in these remarks to exhibit the true uses of wealth in social life. We do not live to make money. We do not live to buy food and raiment and dwellings with the money we make. We do not live for sensual enjoyments. We do not exist to perpetuate ourselves or our time. We are creatures of progress, beings of more exalted purposes than those which may be cramped in the compass of a life time. There is a higher existence of sympathy and love which should pervade society and fill it with unselfish

meaning. That kind of life produces simplicity, directness, purity. It is the essence of Christianity. It lives religion. This higher life finds one of its most beautiful expressions in the lofty triumphs of Literature and Art; and, for their expansive diffusion, a commercial community has built this edifice and established a perpetual emblem of its duty. Homer and Cleomenes outlast a thousand Royalties. Individual wealth melts and disappears like a drop in the ocean of general riches; labor crumbles with the muscle that is its instrument; but true Literature and Art partake the eternity of the soul that creates them. The great author, the great sculptor, the great painter, the great musician, enjoy the meed of a double immortality, for whilst their genius "rules us from their urns," their memory is as fresh on earth as their spirits are eternal in heaven.

Were I asked to design a group to be carved in marble and placed over the portal of our Athenæum, I would link, hand in hand, Commerce, Art and Literature, as the Christian Graces of the nineteenth century. Sustaining each other in mutual interdependence of love and respect, they should look aloft. Bound together, face to face and not back to back, their pedestal should be the same massive block, and, from their divine eyes, lifted forever from the toils of life, should beam the expression of spiritual blessedness and intellectual repose.

APPENDIX.

SKETCH OF THE BALTIMORE ATHENÆUM.

THE lot and edifice of the Baltimore Athenæum are held in perpetuity, by trustees, under a charter granted by the Legislature of Maryland at its December session of 1845, chapter 122.

The project of erecting such an establishment in our city had often been spoken of; but the first practical effort to realize the matter was made by the presentation of a plan to the Maryland Historical Society and to the Board of the Library Company of Baltimore, by Mr. William Rodewald, early in the month of February, 1845.

The scheme proposed by this gentleman was not entirely adopted; but, as it was the active initiatory step in the proceeding, it deserves to be recorded as part of the history of the building. The two societies deemed the project of great importance, and appointed a joint committee of five, from each institution, to consider it. The members on the part of the Library Company were, Brantz Mayer, its President at that period; Robert Leslie; William Rodewald; F. W. Brune, Jr.; and Dr. J. R. W. Dunbar ;—and, on the part of the Maryland Historical Society :-John Spear Smith, President of the Society; George W. Brown; B. C. Ward; William McKim; and Robert Cary Long.

On the 15th of February, 1845, the joint committee met; and, in a few days, a plan of operations, founded on public subscription, AS A FREE GIFT, was adopted. An address, setting forth the objects of the building, signed by numbers of our leading citizens, was published in circulars as well as in the papers of the day, and the following gentlemen were requested by the joint committee to conduct the scheme to successful completion:

On the 7th of April, 1845, Mr. George Brown, who was about to visit Europe, resigned his place as chairman of the collecting committee, and was succeeded by Mr. O. C. Tiffany, who immediately entered upon his task with the greatest zeal. Aided in his personal solicitations by several gentlemen, but especially by Mr. C. J. M. Eaton, he soon discovered that the plan would prove successful. Twenty of our liberal citizens subscribed $500 each, and the munificent sum of $1000 was added by another. Smaller amounts flowed in with great rapidity; and finally, near $35,000 were contributed for the laudable enterprize of building and furnishing the edifice, as a gift from WHICH NO

PECUNIARY RETURN WHATEVER WAS TO BE DERIVED.

Meanwhile, the joint committee obtained a charter and digested the scheme. The building committee, having ascertained that it might safely commence its operations, made contracts for a lot and for the erection of the edifice, according to a plan and specifications prepared by Mr. Robert Cary Long, the Architect.

On the 12th of January, 1846, at a meeting of the original joint committee, it was suggested that there was a great desire, on the part of the commercial community to accommodate the Mercantile Library Association, if possible, in the building;-and, accordingly, (under the provisions of the charter,) a portion of the edifice was set aside for that Institution. After the completion of the house, the ground floor was leased to it, on the 12th of February, 1848, at a nominal rent, forever.

On the 31st of January, 1848, a code of laws was framed by the original joint committee: 1st, for the apportionment of the apartments among the Societies; 2d, for the establishment of rules for mutual comfort in their occupancy; and 3d, for the creation of a Council of Government, whose members are annually elected by the three institutions in order to control the general police of the edifice.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ATHENÆUM, Prepared by the Architect.

The building is designed in the Italian palazzo style, having a frontage on St. Paul street of 50 feet, by 112 feet on Saratoga street-the height from the front footway to the top of the cornice being 66 feet. The ground floor, which is 17 feet high in the clear, presents externally, a rusticated ashlar, covered with a marble band course extending around the fronts, and ranging with the cornice of the main entrance frontispiece. The entrance to this floor is on St. Paul's street, the frontispiece being of white marble, with arched doorway. The windows to this floor are square headed, the frame shewing a recessed architrave. The main and second floors present, externally, stories of 20 feet each, marked by band courses, the former having semi-arched window heads. The window dressings to main floor are composed of projecting pilasters, supporting pediment heads, with recessed architraves around the window openings. The dressings terminate in projecting balconies with pedestal ends and fancy scroll work between the balconies resting on consoles and projecting from the wall so as to allow standing in them. A court yard, screened from Saratoga street by an iron railing, with gates, affords an entrance to this floor, by a slight elevation of steps, owing to the rapid rise of Saratoga street, towards this end of the building. This court is 20 feet wide by 50 feet deep, a portion of it being sunk to provide concealed water closets. The windows to the second floor are square