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Fine Arts.-Literary Intelligence.

Niobe; West's Death of Bayard; Fuseli's King Lear; Davis's Death of Lord Nelson ; Hilton's Europa; Ward's Fall of Phaeton; Burnett's Draught Players; a most pleasing Portrait of Lady de Tabley, in the character of Hope, with poetical attributes borrowed from Spenser's Masque of Cupid; Brockedon's Raphael and La Fornarina; and a statue of Narcissus, by Bacon. This cheap publication, by making known the merits of the English School, is well calculated to create a demand for the original prints, particularly on the Continent.

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Lieut.-Col. Batty has selected the City of Edinburgh for his Fourth Number of Views of the principal Cities of Europe. The capital of the northern part of the kingdom is well calculated, from its commanding and picturesque appearance, to form the subject of numberless interesting views. Although it has been drawn from all points, and of late very beautifully, particularly in Sir Walter Scott's "Provincial Antiquities of Scotland," we must still give the preference to those of Captain Batty, who has judiciously contrived to give a stranger an excellent idea of Edinburgh in half a dozen

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well-chosen views. The explanatory outline Plates give the finished views all the interest of a Panorama.

STUPENDOUS GLASS VASE.

At the Queen's Bazaar, Oxford-street, is exhibiting a colossal glass vase, constructed by Messrs. Gunby and Co. of Birmingham. Its dimensions are, 14 feet in height, and 12 in diameter. It weighs upwards of 13,444 lbs. ; and is capable of containing 5,400 bottles of wine. The prevailing colour of the vase is gold, relieved with emerald green and vermilion, the whole of which are laid on under the surface of the glass. By this contrivance, the ornamental beauty and brilliancy of the decoration are secured from the action of the atmosphere, and will remain unimpaired as long as the structure itself. To describe the decoration

of this splendid work of art would occupy a considerable space; externally it is composed of compartments, inclosing medallions, running scrolls, and scollop shells; the ground of the interior is pale lavender, with a running pattern of vine leaves of vivid green. It is valued at 10,100l.

Announced for Publication.

Ireland Illustrated, from original drawings, by G. Petrie, W. H. Bartlett, and J. M. M.A. Professor of Antiquities to the Royal Baynes; with descriptions, by G. N. Wright, Hibernian Academy, &c.

A new illustrated Road-Book of the Route from London to Naples; containing twenty-four highly-finished views, from original drawings by Prout, Stanfield, and Brockedon, engraved by W. and E. Finden. Edited by W. Brockedon, author of the "Passes of the Alps." Part I. containing the Route from London to Paris.

A new Survey of the Environs of London, within the distance of thirty miles, designed and engraved on a most extensive scale, by J. W. Frogget, of West Square.

LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE.

New Works announced for Publication. Historical Memoirs of the House of Russell, from the Norman Conquest to the nineteenth Century; including several interesting letters of the first and second Earls of Bedford. By J. H. WIFFEN, M. R. S. L.

The Rev. RICH. WALKER, Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford, is collecting materials for a Life of William of Waynflete, in the Latin Language.

Biblia Sacra Polyglotta, textus archetypos versionesque præcipuas ab ecclesia antiquitùs receptas, necnon versiones recentiores Anglicanam, Germanicam, Italicam, Gallicam, et Hispanicam, complectentia. Editore SAMUELE LEE, S. T. B. Lingua Hebrææ apud Cantabrigienses Professore Regio, &c. &c.

A translation of the New Testament into Hebrew, printed with the points.

The History of Public Opinion, or the of that sentiment in Great Britain and other Rise, present State, and political influence parts of the World. By WILLIAM ALEX. MACKINNON, esq. M.P. F.R.S. The third. edition much enlarged.

some of the

Past and Present Times. By a Lady A Series of Tales, describing principal events at Paris, Brussels, and Warsaw, during the late revolutions. By F. W. N. BAYLEY, esq. author of "Four Years in the West Indies," &c.

Works of the Rev. Robert Hawker, D.D. late Vicar of Charles, Plymouth, with his Memoir. By the Rev. Dr. WILLIAMS. 10

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vols. 8vo. Also, by the same, Memoirs of the life and writings of the Rev. Dr. Hawker. Daily Communings, Spiritual and Devotional. By BISHOP HORNE.

The Reign of Terror, the Sacred Grove, and other Poems. By JAMES EVERETT.

A Voice from Wellclose Square. By JoSEPH MEAD, late Secretary to the British and Foreign Seamen's Friend Society.

The Gardens and Menagerie of the Zoological Gardens delineated, 2 vols. 8vo. VALPY'S Family Classical Library, No. 18, Horace.

VALPY'S Sallust, with English Notes. Cæsar's Commentaries, de Bello Gallico, with English Notes. By E. H. BARKER, esq. HUGHES'S Divines of the Church of England, commencing with Jeremy Taylor's Works.

Synopsis of the Origin and Progress of Architecture. By W. J. SMITH, esq.

ROYAL SOCIETY.

June 2. Sir Astley Cooper, V. P. A paper was read, "On the fossil bones found in caverns in the Mendip Hills in Somersetshire," by the Rev. David Williams. June 9. H. R. H. the Duke of Sussex, President, in the chair.

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Three papers were read: "Researches on Physical Astronomy," by J. W. Lubbock, esq.; "On the theory of Elliptic Transcendant," by Jas. Ivory, esq.; and "An experimental investigation of the phenomena of endosmose and exosmose," by William Ritchie, esq.

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June 23. H. R. H. the President iu the chair. This being the last meeting for the session, the principal contents of several papers were made known to the society. 1. On the Tides in the port of London, by Mr. Lubbock, who remarked that the tides on the Thames are remarkably regular, whether the moon's declination be N. or S; there is high water at the same instant on the coast of Portugal and the northern shores of America. 2. On the extensive atmosphere of Mars, by Sir James South. 3. On the efficacy of screens in arresting the progress Magnetic influeuce, by Snow Harris, esq. 4. On the effects of masses of iron in controlling the attracting force of a Magnet, by the same. 5. On recrossed Vision, by John Fearn, esq. 6. On the sources and nature of the powers on which the Circulation of the Blood depends, by Dr. Philip. 7. Experiments on the length of the Seconds' Pendulum, at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, by Capt. Sabine. 8. On the friction and resistance of fluids, by J. Rennie, esq. 9. On a new register Pyrometer for measuring the expansion of solids, by W. Daniels, esq. 10. On the determination of the thickness of solid substances, not otherwise measurable by magnetic deviation, by the Rev. W. Scoresby. 11. On the influence of light, by John Burton, esq. 12. A critical and experimental inquiry into the re

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lation subsisting between nerve and muscle by Dr. W. C. Henry. 13. On the Thermostat, or heat-governor, a self-acting physical apparatus for regulating temperature, by Dr. Ure.

ROYAL SOCIETY OF LITERATURE.

June 9. Lord Bexley V. P. was in the chair. Some interesting remarks on Egyptian antiquities, by Sir W. Ouseley, were read. This memoir chiefly consisted of descriptions of four drawings, which accompanied it :-No. 1, various hieroglyphic inscriptions, from a small mutilated statue. No. 2, characters copied from a papyrus. No. 3, fragments of a very curious mauuscript, exhibiting hieroglyphic figures and characters, found in the coffin of a mummy near Thebes. No. 4, hieroglyphic devices on a piece of red cornelian. To the description of the above remains of Egyptian antiquity, the writer appended some remarks respecting the period when the art of embalming was discontinued in Egypt, and on the time of the disuse of the sacred Egyptian characters. The Right Hon. Lord Carrington was admitted a member. Mr. Millingen presented his work on ancient coins of Greek cities and kings.

June 15. The last meeting for the season was held in Parliament Street. The next, after the recess, will take place at their new and commodious building, erected by subscription in the wide street lately made by the improvements on the Kings Mews and St. Martin's Lane.

OXFORD UNIVERSITY.

June 3. The Chancellor's and Sir Roger Newdigate's prizes were adjudged as follows: Latin Verse-" Numantia." Roundell Palmer, scholar of Trinity.

English Essay-"On the Use and Abuse of Theory." Chas. P. Eden, B.A. of Oriel.

Latin Essay--" Quænam fuerit OratoCharles Wordsworth, B. A. Student of rum Atticorum apud populum auctoritas."Christ Church.

Sir Roger Newdigate's Prize for English Verse The Suttees." Percy Macaulay Ashworth, Commoner of Wadham.

June 4. The Theological Prize for 1831 was adjudged to Benjamin Harrison, B.A. Student of Christ Church; subject-"The evidence deduced from Prophecy in support of the truth of Christianity."

June 9. The following subjects were proposed for the Chancellor's prizes, for the eusuing year:

For Latin Verse-" Attila."

For an English Essay-"The Study of different Languages, as it relates to the Philosophy of the Human Mind."

For a Latin Essay-"De Stoicorum Disciplina."

Theological Prize-On "The Fulness of Time" at which Christ appeared on earth.

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Literary and Scientific Intelligence.

Oxford Commemoration.-The Oxford grand commemoration was celebrated on the 14th, 15th, and 16th of June; the 15th being the principal day, when the prize essays and poems are read and recited, the theatre was opened at ten o'clock in the morning. The business of the day commenced by the admission of some distinguished characters to the degree of doctor of civil law; among whom were Mr. Sturges Bourne, Sir Thomas Acland, Sir Harford Jones Brydges, Captain Basil Hall, and Washington Irving, whose claims to the honour were stated in Latin addresses. After the recital of a Latin poem, the subject "Numantia," and the reading of a clever essay on the "Use and Abuse of Theory," followed the great object of attraction, the English poem for Sir Roger Newdigate's prize- -"The Suttees." The following lines at the close of the poem, were received with enthusiastic applause :

"And such is woman's love! whose magic power Can change the gloomiest to the brightest hour, Can smooth the deep lines care has learn'd to plough,

And chase the cloud of anguish from the brow.
It drops not, parts not with the parting breath,
But smiles a proud defiance unto death!'
The commemoration finished with a ball on
Thursday evening.

Gresham Prize Medal.-We have the pleasure to announce the intended establishment of an annual Prize Medal, to be awarded by the Professors of Music in this University and in Gresham college, for the best original composition in sacred vocal music. The words to be selected from the canonical Scriptures, Apocrypha, or Liturgy of the Church of England.

CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY.

June 3. The Chancellor's medal for the best English poem was adjudged to George Stovin Venables, scholar of Jesus College. Subject, "The attempts which have been made of late years by sea and land to discover a North-west Passage."

June 13. The following prizes were adjudged:

-

Sir William Browne's medal for Greek Ode, Latin Ode, and Epigrams, James Hildyard, Christ college.-Subjects: Greek Ode,

Granta Illustrissimo Regi Gulielmo quarto gratulatur quod in Solium Britanniæ successerit."-Latin Ode, "Magicas accingitur artes."-Greek Epigram, Magnas inter opes inops."-Latin Epigram, "Prudens simplicitas."

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Porson Prize (for the best translation of a passage from Shakspeare into Greek verse). George Kennedy, St. John's college. Subject, As you Like It, act ii. sc. 1, beginning,

To-day my Lord of Amiens and myself,' &c., and ending "Native dwelling-place."

Members' Prize for Bachelors of ArtsJames Spedding, Trinity college. Subject, Utrum boni plus mali hominibus et

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civitatibus attulerit dicendi copia?" No second prize awarded.

Members' Prizes for Undergraduates—1. W. H. Thompson, Trinity college. 2. H. Alford, Trinity college. Subject, "Utrum fides Punica ea esset qualem perhibent scriptores Romani ?"

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SCIENTIFIC EXCERPTS.

(From Dr. Lardner's Cabinet Cyclopædia.)

Artificial Imitation of Halos.-The production of halos may be illustrated experimentally by crystallising various salts upon plates of glass, and looking through the plates at the sun or a candle. When the crystals are granular and properly formed, they will produce the finest effects. A few drops of saturated solution of alum, for example, spread over a plate of glass so as to crystallize quickly, will cover it with an imperfect crust, consisting of flat octohedral crystals, scarcely visible to the eye. When the observer, with his eye placed close behind the smooth side of the glass plate, looks through it at a luminous body, he will perceive three fine halos at different distances, encircling the source of light. The interior halo, which is the whitest of the three, is formed by the refraction of the rays through a pair of faces in the crystals that are least inclined to each other. The second halo, which is blue without and red within, with all the prismatic colours, is formed by a pair of more inclined faces; and the third halo, which is large and brilliantly coloured, from the increased refraction and dispersion, is formed by the most inclined

faces.

Rules for Observing the Barometer.—1. Generally the rising of the mercury indicates the approach of fair weather; the falling of it shews the approach of foul weather.-2. In sultry weather the fall of the mercury indicates coming thunder. In winter, the rise of the mercury indicates frost. In frost, its fall indicates thaw; and its rise indicates snow.-3. Whatever change of weather suddenly follows a change in the barometer, may be expected to last but a short time. Thus, if fair weather follow immediately the rise of the mercury, there will be very little of it; and, in the same way, if foul weather follow the fall of the mercury, it will last but a short time.-4. If fair weather continue for several days, during which the mercury continually falls, a long continuance of foul weather will probably ensue; and again, if foul weather continue for several days, while the mercury continually rises, a long succession of fair weather will probably succeed.-5. A fluctuating and unsettled state in the mercurial column indicates changeable weather.

Advantages of Railroads over Canals.The friction of a carriage on a rail-road moving sixty miles an hour would not be

1831.] Literary Intelligence.-Antiquarian Researches.

greater than if it moved but one mile an hour, while the resistance in a river or canal, were such a motion possible, would be multiplied 8600 times. In propelling a carriage on a level rail-road the expenditure of power will not be in a greater ratio than that of the increase of speed, and therefore the cost will maintain a proportion with the useful effect; whereas, in moving a boat on a canal or river, every increase of speed, or of useful effect, entails an enormously increased consumption of the moving principle. The astonishment which has been excited in the public mind, by the extraordinary results recently exhibited in propelling heavy carriages by steam engines on rail roads, will subside, if these circumstances be duly considered. The moving power and the resistance are naturally compared with other moving powers and resistances to which our

ANTIQUARIAN RESEARCHES.

SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES.

June 2. Thomas Amyot, esq. Treas. in the chair.

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row one.

minds have been familiar. To the power of limit; the size of the machine and the a steam-engine there is, in fact, no practical strength of the materials excepted. This is compared with agents to whose powers nature has not only imposed a limit, but a narThe strength of animals is circumscribed, and their power of speed still friction on a road may be diminished by art more so. Again, the resistance arising from without any assignable limit, nor does it sustain the least increase, to whatever extent the speed of the motion may be augmented; on the contrary, the motion of a vessel through a canal has to encounter a resistance by increase of speed, which soon attains an amount which would defy even the force of steam itself, were it applicable, to overcome it with any useful effect.

Mr. Cope exhibited a drawing of a font, and other ancient remains, at Mellor in Derbyshire.

A. J. Kempe, Esq. F.S.A. cominunicated (for perusal only) that portion of his selection from the Loseley MSS. which relates to the clandestine marriage of the celebrated Dr. Donne with Ann daughter of Sir Geo. More of Loseley. They consisted chiefly of several pathetic and elegantly penned letters addressed by Donne to Sir Thomas Egerton, then Lord Chancellor, whose Secretary he was, and by whose order he had been confined in the Fleet prison for marrying a minor of such rank without the permission of her friends. Ann More was indeed the niece of Lady Egerton, the Chancellor's wife, so that not improbably there might be some family feeling in this severe visitation of Donne's offence. Brooke, Donne's friend who gave the lady Christopher away, was at the same time imprisoned in the Marshalsea. There is a letter in Mr. Kempe's selection addressed from him also to the Chancellor, in which he complains of being kept from his professional avocation at the assizes at York, as a barrister-at-law. Mr. Kempe prefaced his communication with a sketch of Donne's life, and some remarks on his writings. He shewed that his name was Dunn, and not Don, as it is currently pronounced in modern days; that in the sentence of the ecclesiastical court, confirming his marriage, it is uniformly written Dunn; that the participle past of the verb to be, is spelt by Donne himself in the same manner as his name, with two n's ; and that his subscribing to a letter noticed by Walton, "John Donne, Ann Donne, undone," GENT. MAG. June, 1831.

would have been without point but for this mode of pronouncing his name. A single sentence will give some idea of the force with which these inedited letters of Donne are penned; he entreats, in one of them, the Chancellor to allow him to come into his presence, telling him "affliction, misery, and destruction are not there, and every where else where he is they are!" June 9. W. R. Hamilton, esq. V.P. James Falconer, esq. of Doncaster, was elected Fellow.

drawing by the late Mr. Capon of a carved John Britton, esq. F.S.A. exhibited a capital, found some years since within the precincts of Westminster Abbey. It is particularly curious from containing in the abaeus an incription recording the building of part of the abbey-CLAVSTRV' ET REI.... VM SVB ABB'E GISLEB'...... R...E WILLELMO SECVN...... a cloister, and apparently a refectory, under the Abbat Gislebert and King William the Second. The capital was adorned with four different designs in bas-relief on its four sides; the first is broken off; the second represents the Abbat between two monks reading a book; the third, the Abbat between two monks holding a scroll inscribed EGO SVM; the fourth, the King between the Abbat with his crozier and a monk with a book. This curious relic of ancient art was in the hands of Sir Gregory Page Turner ; but it is not known where it is now preserved. -On the same sheet were coloured drawings of a fragment of a painting of the decollation of St. John the Baptist, from the south side of St. Stephen's Chapel; and of a portion of ceiling in the Palace, ornamented by gilt tracery on a blue ground.

William Hosking, Esq. F.S.A. communicated some observations, with a sketch, of

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an inscribed stone in the Sepulchral Way at Pompeii, in the explanation of which he differs from Sir William Gell.

Mr. Grover's paper on Classical Chronology was further read.

June 16. Mr. Hamilton in the chair. Samuel Hasell, esq. presented a coloured print of the very curious Roman pavement at Pitney, representing figures with the instruments of coining, described in our last volume, pt. 1. p. 17.

Mr. Grover's paper was concluded. Mr. Kempe reported to the Society the result of his observations during the period of three weeks, on the excavatious for a sewer under the city approach to the new London Bridge. They were carried through the site of St. Michael's Church, Crooked Lane, and the north-east corner of Eastcheap, to the depth of nearly fifty feet. In St. Michael's church-yard, at 17 feet from the surface, the labourers came to what Mr. Kempe terms the Roman Level, when a profusion of the fine Samian ware, amphora, liquid measures, crucibles, bones of sacrificed animals, &c. were found. Mr. Kempe conceives that the site about Eastcheap was a great Forum Mercatorium in the Roman times, even as early as the reign of Claudius. He discovered what he considered plain evidence of the combustion of the town in the time of Nero, by the insurgents under Boadicea, and of its having been afterwards rebuilt by the Romans. He described the modern street of Eastcheap as being on the line of a Roman way falling in with the Watling-street at London stone. This way lies about five feet under the present level of the street, and is composed of a bank of gravel six feet deep and 18 feet wide, which has

been laid on the ancient surface of the soil. The Society then adjourned to the 17th of November.

COINS FOUND AT TUTBURY. June 9. For several days past a curious scene has presented itself at Tutbury. A new cut or water-course has lately been made, which has affected the height of the water in the regular course of the river (the Dove). On this account it has been deemed necessary to lower the bed of the river immediately below the bridge. In doing this, the labourers discovered, amongst the stones and gravel, a quantity of small pieces of coin, which proved to be silver, and of the reign of Edward the First. On more minute investigation, it appeared as though from one of the buttresses of the bridge, in a direct line for 40 or 50 yards, the whole bed of the river was one entire mass of coin. On

Wednesday there were hundreds of labourers and others, up to their middle in water, with shovels and riddles, at work the whole day exhuming this long concealed treasure. It is not the slightest exaggeration to state that upwards of 200 pieces of silver coin brought up at one time in the

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shovel. On the most moderate possible calculation, more than 20,000 pieces were found on Wednesday. Single parties found upwards of 1,500. The coins, which are evidently of the reign of Edward the First, appear to have been originally of the value of 4d. There are at least five distinct coinages of the same reign. The most common (and of this there are at least 100 to 1 of the other kinds) has a front face of the above monarch, the reverse having a cross, some coined at London, and others at Canterbury. Another kind has also a full face of the monarch, in a kind of triangle; "Edw. R." being very legible, the reverse having a cross, some of the Dublin and others of the Waterford coinage. The third kind has a profile of the monarch. It would appear as though a trench had originally been made and filled with these pieces. When a large quantity has been dug up at a time, it was observed that they lay in a marly substance, and not in the gravel which forms the outer bed of the river. The pieces were sold at the onset at from 10s. to 12s.

per hundred, afterwards at 7s. 6d. per hundred. The silversmiths in Burton have given 4s. per ounce. A brass spur was also found, evidently of the same antiquity.

ROMAN COINS DISCOVERED NEAR THE
GIANT'S CAUSEWAY.

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James Quig, of the Taugh mountain, near Pleaskin, two miles from the Giant's Causeway, was lately shovelling potatoes, when his mattock struck against a fing, raised it, and uncovered a heap of silver coins of the earlier Roman Emperors. Each was nearly the size of a shilling, but of a superior kind of silver, and the whole weighed eight pounds and a half. The poor man sold a hundred and ninety of them to an English gentleman at Coleraine for a pound note. RELIC OF ANTIQUITY FOUND AT GRIMSBY.

During the progress of some excavations now making in a small paddock at Grimsby, belonging to Lord Yarborough, the foundation of an old stone wall was discovered, which had been covered down with earth, so as to form a lofty bank; in which state it has existed beyond the memory of man, as a fence from the turnpike road that runs between the churchyard and the vicaragehouse. In the wall are a few carved stones, capitals of pillars, and some that have evidently been intended for the span of an arch. In levelling a small eminence in this paddock, it was discovered to be formed by an accumulation of coal ashes, amongst which were several antique heads of tobacco pipes, a curious brass buckle, and a brass plated table spoon, which, by its peculiarity of shape and eccentric ornaments, indicates a very high antiquity. In the bowl of the spoon is the Government stamp, a lion's head crowned. This relic is in the possession of the Rev. George Oliver. Several

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