office of minister. M. Adanson, how him the whole of the time, when he ever, was now obliged to live without suffered a want of provisions, fuel, his usual comforts, in a small hut-like light, and clothes, during the day, house in Chaulereyne-street, now and at night employed herself in work Street-de-Victoire; which could not for the purpose of procuring him coffail proving very prejudicial to an old fee and sugar, without which he could man, who, by his long residence in not live; whilst her husband, who was a hot climate, had become extremely servant to another master in Picardy, sensible to the effects of cold and sent him every week a supply of bread, moisture, and who was atlicted with meat, and garden herbs, and even the rheumatism. Here he passed al- money to purchase necessaries; and most the whole day in the little spot, at length, when M. Adanson, through where he cultivated plants; sitting the accumulated infirmities of age, cross-legged for the purpose of pur- became daily more weak, came to live suing his observations on these plants, with him, and never after forsook and some frogs, and at night he work- him, not even when reduced to the ed with so much diligence in his ca- greatest distress, when all his linen binet, that his female attendant was had been sold. But now his distress often obliged to put him in mind that had reached its utmost limits, for Bofor several nights he had not been in naparte being informed of it, sent him bed. This attendant, who had served 3000 francs, which this worthy pair him since 1783, was an inestimable used so economically, that, when it treasure to him; without her it is pro- was hinted to them that on their apbable that in the last fourteen years of plying for it the gift would be repeathis life, his best labours, perhaps all ed, they constantly answered, they his discoveries and his numerous col- still had enough left. In this situa lections of natural productions, would tion, this venerable cultivator of the have been lost. This worthy woman, sciences closed his laborious life, who supplied the solace of relations, which had merited a more favourfriends, and fortune, waited upon able lot. MODERN DISCOVERIES, AND IMPROVEMENTS IN ARTS, SCIENCES, AND LITERATURE; With Notices respecting Men of Letters, Artists, and Works in Hand, &c. &c. L ORD VALENTIA is employed in arranging his numerous and valuable materials for an Account of his extensive Travels in Asia and part of Africa. The extent of his work is not at present ascertained. Sir John Carr is preparing for the press au Account of his recent Excursion into Holland, and up the Rhine, as far as Mentz. From the great political changes these countries have undergone, and the events of which they have been the scene, we think that the writer cannot fail of presenting the public with an extremely pleasant and interesting book. It will be decorated with numerous views. rived from hospital practice; including, among others, Clinical Histories of Diabetes, Chronic Rheumatism, and Hydrophobia. Mrs. Inchbald is employed on a Novel, which is mentioned as being of an extremely affecting and interesting character. A Translation of Jameson's System of Mineralogy into the German language, is about to be published in that country. Captain Beaver's African Memoranda will also soon be published in German. The Abbé Sestini, of Italy, has undertaken to compose a complete sysDr. Bardsley, Physician to the Man- tem of Geographical Numismatics, chester Infirmary, has been some time in twelve folio volumes. It is intended preparing for the press, a Selection of to contain a description of the most Medical Reports of Cases, Observa- interesting coins and medals of antions, and Experiments, chiefly de- tiquity, and of all the cabinets of me dals in Europe, both public and private, of which the Abbé can obtain the particulars. A new edition of The Student and Pastor, by the Rev. John Mason, M.A. author of the treatise on Self Knowledge, is in the press. To this edition will be added, the author's Essay on Elocution, Letter to a Young Minister with notes, and a short Essay on Catechising, By the Rev. Dr. Toulmin, of Birmingham. Mr. F. Baily will, some time next month, publish the second edition of his Tables for the Purchase and Renewing of Leases. Thomas Park, Esq. F.S.A. and editor of Harrington's Nugae Antiquae,' has long been preparing an extended edition of Lord Orford's Royal and Noble Authors,' which will not only bring down that popular work to the present time, but is to contain engraved Portraits of the principal personages, with selected specimens of their literary performances. The portraits, we hear, are finished; and the whole is announced for speedy publication, in five octavo volumes. Mr. G. Dyer is proceeding with an "Enquiry into the State of the Public Libraries of this Kingdom." He has Mr. Janson, an English gentleman, had free access to various public liwho has lately returned, after a resi- braries in different parts of England, dence of fourteen years, fromAmerica, and has visited every one of those in has brought with him many interest- Scotland; and he purposes in proporing materials towards furnishing a tion to his encouragement and opporcomplete Survey of the State of So- tunities to pursue his researches till ciety and Manners in the only Repub- he has completed his design. The lic now existing on the face of the Enquiry will make three volumes, and globe. These materials, the result of is intended to comprehend a short acactual observation, he is now arrang- count of every public library of a paring for the press, and they will speedily ticular description in the island, togeappear, in one quarto volume, ac- ther with such biographical sketches companied with a number of elegant and literary observations, as will be engravings from drawings taken on the spot. Dr. Percy, of St. John's College, nephew of the Bishop of Dromore, is preparing, with his uncle's approbation, a fourth volume of the Reliques of Ancient Poetry. Mr. Beloe is arranging materials for two more volumes of his Anecdotes of Literature. The Rev. Dr. Mant is printing a small volume of Lectures on the Occurrences of the Passion Week. Mr. Lawrence, of St. Bartholomew's Hospital, has, in the press, a Translation from the German of Blumenbach's Comparative Anatomy, with numerous additional notes. The first number of a new work, entitled Illustrations of the most remarkable Scenes in Scotland, from pictures, by W. Scrope, Esq. F. L. S. will shortly be ready for publication. Mr. Nathaniel Howard, of Plymouth, has completed a Translation in Blank Verse, of Dante's Inferno, with Notes, historical, classical, and explanatory. A volume of Sermons, by the late naturally connected with such a work. A new edition of Jacob's Law Dictionary, by Mr. Tomlins, with considerable Additions, is in the press. Bott's Poor Laws, continued to the present time, are in the press, and may shortly be expected. Mr. Semple has in the press "A Journey from Lisbon, through Spain and Italy to Naples, and thence to Smyrna and Constantinople," comprising a description of the principal Places in that Route, and Observations on the present Natural and Political State of those Countries. A Treatise on Commercial Law is preparing for the press, by Francis Donaldson, Esq. barrister at law. The Bishop of Dromore will shortly publish an edition of the Poems of the Earl of Surrey, with a Glossary. A new edition of the celebrated Jacob Bryant's Analysis of Ancient Mythology, which has long been very scarce, is reprinting. The Rev. Mr. Baseley has nearly ready for publication an interesting little work, entitled The Glory of the Heavens. An account of Dr. Gall's new Theory of Physiognomy, founded on the U anatomy and physiology of the brain and form of the skull, is in the press. Mr. Boteler, of Lincoln's-Inn, is employed on a Treatise on the Law of Tithes. A new edition of Mr. Newman's Spanish Dictionary, much improved, may shortly be expected. Mr. J. Sympson Jessop, of Lincoln's Inn, has, in the press, a new Treatise on the Law of Ejectment. The Society of Antiquaries will publish, in the course of the spring, a Collection of Views and Plans of the Cathedral of Gloucester. yards, to be formed of ground glass, that more of the oblique rays may be refracted through them. A method of pruning has been practised in the garden of the Margravine of Anspach, which has much improved the fruit produced. It consists in leaving the interval between the shoots on each branch as short as possible, cutting every branch off beyond its first shoot, and leaving a very short stem; by which means the sap will have the least possible distance to run to the fruit, and consequently the vigour of the tree be spent in producing fruit, instead of wood and leaves. Mr. Taylor, of Morton, has disco The Rev. Mr. Cobbold will shortly publish a Chart of English History, on the same plan as his Chart of vered that hawthorn hedges may be Scripture History, recently published. formed more expeditiously than usual, Mr. Comyn, of the Middie Temple, by cutting the roots of this shrub into will publish in a short time the Law small pieces, and planting them with of Contracts and Agreements, as set- the top one-fourth of an inch above tled by the Determinations of the the ground; the upper-cnd of each Courts of Common Law, in the Ac- piece may be marked when cutting tion of Assumpsit. by giving it two cuts and the lower end but one. The spring is the best time to plant the sets, and of those planted by Mr. Taylor not five in one hundred were lost. Dr. A. P. Wilson, of Worcester, will shortly publish an Essay on the Nature of Fever. MISCELLANEOUS. Professor Davy has discovered that the epidermis of the cane, and many other vegetable substances, consists chiefly of silex. He was led to the subject by seeing two canes in the hands of boys at play in the dark strike sparks of fire. Mr. Reynolds of the Ketley ironworks, Cornwall, has so much improv ed the quality of the iron manufactured under his direction, that it is fully equal to the best Swedish or Russian. It is stated, that the chief cause of this improvement is, his letting the iron The same gentleman lately asserted out of each of the blast furnaces four in one of his lectures at the Royal In- times in twenty-four hours; but this stitution, on the authority of a friend, is mentioned as very inadequate to that the cells of the bee are formed of the effect produced. a circular shape; and that, by pressure, It has been lately recommended, they are reduced to the hexagonal that, excepting the lancet employed form. It may be proper to observe, in vaccination, all the instruments of that this assertion should be received surgery should be dipped into oil at with some degree of doubt. the moment when they are going to Count Rumford has discovered, by be used; by which method the pain accurate experiment, that light, trans- of the subject operated upon will almitted through ground glass, loses ways be diminished. It is recomvery little more, if any, of its intensity, mended to make all instruments of a than when it passes through plain glass. blood heat a little before the ope This he applies to prevent the hurtful ration. and painful effect which the intense The Annual Report of the Society light of Argand's lamps produces on for promoting Christian Knowledge, the eye, by surrounding them with which has been recently published, cylinders of ground glass, which he states the number of children taught has made of a large diameter, in pro- in the charity schools in and about portion as he wishes the light to fall London and Westminster to be 7108; less strongly on any particular spot. viz. 4180 boys, and 2928 girls; the He also recommends the windows of number of books which have been rooms, lighted from narrow courts or distributed by them during the pre ceding year were 8490 bibles, 11,466 cob walls in Devonshire; they are afNew Testaments and Psalters, 16,096 terwards, when dry, surrounded with Common Pray ,460 other bound a frame work, at a proper distance to books, and 1. small tracts. support fire-wood in contact with The British and Foreign Bible So- every part of them in different stages, ciety has commenced a correspondence so that the quantity in the lowest stage with the Archbishop of Moscow, with is the greatest; this, as it burns down, a view to the printing of the Holy bakes the walls like bricks, to the Scriptures in the Russian language. thickness of ten inches. These walls At present, it is said, that Bibles are are so strong, that they resist the atSo scarce that there is only about one tacks of floods, and last for centuries. Bible to 16,000 Russians. FINE ARTS. There are 600 sugar-mills in the A magnificent design is in progress island of Cuba; from these, including under the title of The British Gallery what is consumed in the country, of Pictures, to be published in nummore than 500,000 cwt. of sugar was bers, in two series; the first series exported to Europe. In this island will contain a description of the cathere is not one navigable river, only binets and galleries of pictures in small rivulets and streams; there are Great Britain, embellished with en148 lakes which contain fish; there is gravings, on a small scale, from all abundance of turtle on the coast. the best and most interesting paintings There were fifty sail of American in the different collections. The second ships in China last year, who took series will contain a History of Paintfrom thence to America from eight to ing and its Professors; embellished ten thousand tons of tea, a great part with highly finished specimens from of which finds its way to Europe.- the works of the most celebrated masCanton is full of American adven- ters, selected from the finest examples turers, many of whom retire with large in Great Britain; together with a defortunes in a few years; there are at scriptive elucidation of the peculiar least a dozen who have been resident excellence of each painting, and anecfor a year or two, and have already dotes of the pictures. The historical realized a considerable sum. and descriptive part of this work will The Colony at Botany Bay is ad- be undertaken by Mr. Ottley, and the vancing gradually into a great mart engravings will be executed by Mr. P. for both British and East India pro- W. Tomkins, historical engraver to duce. It is expected that the colon- her Majesty, Mr. L. Schiavonetti, ists of that settlement may be shortly Mr. A. Cardon, and other eminent able to furnish from hides and wool, artists: the whole will be superinhemp and flax, their share in the tended by Mr. Tresham. Each numsouthern whale fishery, and from the ber of the first series will contain four part they may take in the fur trade, plates, each including several picbetween India and the northwest coast tures; and of the second series, three of America, exports sufficient to repay highly finished prints. A number of for all the imports which the progress each will be published once a quarter, of the colony demands. till a more rapid delivery can be accomplished, and the whole, it is expected, will not exceed fifty numbers. The trade for furs to the north-west coast of America is entirely, or almost entirely in the hands of the subjects The principal object which occuof the United States. India and pies at present the attention of the China are the places of sale for the trustees of the British Museum, is the furs, and it proves a lucrative branch arrangement of the celebrated Townof commerce. It is thought that this ley Collection of Statues, Busts, Intrade might be shared by British sub- scriptions, &c. which are under the jects. Our Canada fur trade is profit- superintendence of Mr.TaylorCombe. able, as is also that of the Hudson's It is in the recollection of every perBay Company. son, that parliament not only voted a The following method of forming considerable sum of money for these walls in India has long been in use in ancient and valuable marbles, but also that country, though only lately made an additional building to be excluknown here. The walls are first built sively appropriated to them. These with moistened earth, like those called statues, busts, &c. are intended to be grouped in separate compartments, first number, besides eight lives and according to their classification of portraits, contains the following enEgyptian, Grecian, Roman, &c. so gravings, Death of the Virgin Mary, that the whole coup-d'ail will present an effect at once magnificent and correct, and cannot fail of affording complete gratification to the lovers of ancient art. after Caravaggio; Descent from the Cross, after Rubens; the finding of Moses, after Poussin; and the Death of Soerates, after David. An engraved portrait of the late celebrated Dr. Currie, from a miniature picture in the possession of the doctor's sister, will be published early in the Spring. The designs of Mr. Flaxman, from the Italian poet Darte, which were originally composed in Italy, for Mr Thomas Hope, are preparing for publication; they consist of one hundred and nine subjects, of a smaller size than his compositions from Homer. Mr. Flaxman has also thoughts of publishing his compositions from the Lord's Prayer, and Acts of Mercy, the result of many years study. He is also employed on compositions from In our number for August last, we noticed, that the east window in Guildhall was undergoing an entire repair; this we find is now completely finished, and amongst the many improvements and embellishments in this great city, none has given us more entire satisfaction, or, in our opinion, reflects greater credit on the artists concerned. The whole of the frame work is of copper, executed by Cruickshanks; the glass is painted, as we learn, at the manufactoryof Messrs. Anness and Co. patentees for the art of enamelling on vessels of glass, Red Lion place, Giltspur-street, (although it bears the inscription of Collins, the Greek poet Hesiod. This celeStrand, fecit), the painting represents in the most beautiful colours imaginable the City Arms encircled with appropriate embellishments. It is with pleasure we notice this performance, as it proves to us the complete restoration of an art so highly esteemed, and which has been for so long a series lost to the world, as to be thought irrecoverable. It will readily be allowed that, in a subject like this, there was not room for that display of picturesque beauty and effect, which might have been produced in an historical painting, where variety in the design and brilliancy of colours might have been united to much greater advantage. This, we understand, has been accomplished in a superior style, in some of the artists' finest specimens, and that a small and elegant window purchased from them by Lady Essex for her house in Berkeleysquare, is considered as a chef d'oeuvre in the art. A new periodical work, entitled The Historic Gallery of Portraits and Paintings, or Biographical Review, will speedily make its appearance. It contains a brief account of the lives of the most celebrated men in every age and country; and graphic imita brated artist has at this time the fol lowing pieces of sculpture in hand; a monument of Earl Howe, ordered by parliament, to be erected in St. Paul's Cathedral, a statue of Sir Joshua Reynolds for the same place; a statue of Mr. Pitt, for the city of Glasgow; a public monument to the late Josiah Webb, Esq. for India, with several others of less importance, both public and private. He has just finished a magnificent statue of the Rajah of Tanjore, for that prince; and a monu ment to the Rev. F. Swartz, a missionary who died in the Rajah's dominions. M. Labensky, superintendant of the palace of the hermitage at St. Petersburg, intends to publish by subscrip tion a Description of the Gallery of Paintings in that palace. Each number will contain fifteen engravings in quarto, with explanations in Russian and French, to be published every four months. The whole work will consist of sixteen volumes, and will be finished in five years. The Academy of the Fine Arts at tions of the finest specimens of the There are eight periodical Miscel arts, ancient and modern, with re- lanies published in America, devoted marks, critical and explanatory. The to theological literature, the profits |
