the world, and, during the course of a long life devote all his time, and an ample fortune to their advancement. He receives such persons as have been introduced to him, on Thursday mornings, and Sunday evenings. His friends are always admitted in the morning to his library, where newspapers, and literary journals, English and foreign, are found. These meetings are perfectly free from gêne or ceremony of any sort. This is, I presume, the only establishment of the kind in England. Sir Joseph is the patriarch of literature, or more particularly of the sciences. He presides at the Royal Society, which meets every Thursday evening in Somerset House, nominally at eight o'clock, but often half an hour or three quarters of an hour later, and separates precisely at nine. If I was to judge by the two sittings at which I had the honour of being admitted, this very short space of time is sufficient. The secretary (Mr. Davy) began by reporting what had been done at the preceding sitting. He had little to say. Rank and wealth are, I am told, the only title of a great number of the members of the society to the academical seat, and from such a tree but little fruit can be expected. The upper end of the room is decorated with a full length portrait of Newton, whom the society is proud of having had for its first president. His signature was shewn to me in the register of members. I felt that an impulse of profound respect at the sight of it had made me bow unconsciously. The English do not say Newton, but Sir Isaac Newton. I cannot well express how much this Monsieur le Chevalier Newton shocks the ear of a foreigner.

The Transactions of the Society have reached the 105th volume, and contain much valuable matter-much more, indeed, than seems consistent

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with the short time allowed to its proceedings; and as the Society publishes only such communications as are judged worthy of the public, I conclude that few communications are offered that are otherwise. A certain native pride and good sense prevent many hasty communications being offered. There is in other countries less pride and more vanity. This Society had its origin in the times of revolution and civil wars of the seventeenth century. A similar state of things is said to have given a fresh impulse to arts and sciences in France. As hail storms stimulate vegetation, and a new spring generally follows their ravages, thus political tempests appear to awaken the latent powers of the mind, and bring forth talents; but it may well be questioned whether they are equally favourable to the growth of vir

tues.

The Royal Institution is a very recent establishment-about ten years. Its object is the advancement of knowledge in general, particularly the sciences. Count Rumford being one of the chief founders of the institution, the practice and application of his economical inventions could not fail to obtain a due degree of attention. There was a workshop for the construction of that philosopher's saucepans and roasters, and a kitchen on his plan; culinary committees were appointed to pronounce on the merits of experimental puddings; but those novelties are now out of fashion, and have not operated that economical revolution which was expected. Whether from prejudice on the part of the executive body of cooks, or jealousy on the part of housewives, who, in all countries, do not like to see the men usurp their government, the oldfashioned spit and kettle have kept their ground,

and the culino-philosophical apparatus seems nearly forgotton. The lectures on the sciences are well attended; they are given in a large amphitheatre, lighted by a sky light, and form, with the library and reading-rooms, all that remains of the original plan; for the place of deposit for machines is, I believe, empty. Private interest, whether the object is emolument or glory, will always make a secret of valuable inventions, until the exclusive property is secured to the inventor by a patent,-when the deposit of the models at the Royal Institution would become superfluous. The library is excellent, and the librarian has just published a catalogue, which is not only useful to those who frequent it, but might serve as a model for the formation of a library in the ancient and modern languages. There is a division for books of reference, and those on general reading; the best English and foreign journals; good fires in each room, table, ink, paper, &c.

The world owes to this institution the illustrious chemist Mr. Davy, and that series of mighty discoveries, which has, in the short space of a few years, done the work of an age in the advancement of his science. But for the means placed in Mr. Davy's hands, and particularly a powerful Voltaic apparatus of two thousand plates, he probably never would have decomposed the elements of this metallic globe. It may not be improper to state, that Mr. Davy was very young, and quite unknown at the beginning of the Institution. Introduced by Dr. Beddoes as a very promising young man, he was admitted to give some lectures, and, notwithstanding his provincial accent, and natural bashfulness, his merit was soon estimated. Several other eminent men deliver lectures at the Royal Institu

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tion; Mr. Pond on astronomy, Mr. Allen on mechanics, Dr. James E. Smith on natural history. Those sciences are not, however, so fashionable as chemistry; they are not susceptible of any brilliant exhibitions; there is no noise, no fire, and the amphitheatre never fills, but for Mr. Davy. The resources of chemistry, to recall or keep up the attention of a mixt audience, are infinite. A small bit of potassium thrown in a glass of water, or upon a piece of ice, never fails to excite a gentle murmur of applause. More than one half of the audience is female, and it is the most attentive portion. I often observe these fair disciples of science taking notes timidly, and as by stealth, on small bits of paper; no man does that, they know already the things taught, or care little about them! Women alone consider themselves as neither above nor below Mr. Pond or Mr. Davy. In fact, public lectures are only useful to those who know little, and aspire to little. Real learning is only acquired by solitary studies; but a taste for the arts and sciences, although superficial, is, at any rate, very desirable in all those to whom fortune gives leisure. The husband of a young lady who is very assiduous at the lectures, said, the other day, he approved much of this taste in the sex in general; "It keeps them out of harm's way." Considering the great number of prosecutions for crim. con. recorded in newspapers, one would think that no preservative is to be neglected.

There is something ridiculous enough in this technical abbreviation of criminal conversation. It seems an awkward attempt to disguise or soften an equivocal expression,-which is already in itself a great softening of the moral misdemeanor it represents.

This criminal conversation is not prosecuted criminally, but produces only a civil suit for the recovery of damages, estimated in money. The jury determines the amount of these damages, by the degree of union and conjugal happiness existing before the criminal conversation which destroyed it, and by the rank and fortune of the parties. The smallest appearance of negligence or connivance on the part of the husband, deprives him of all remedy against the seducer, who owes him nothing, if he only took what was of no value to him, and which he guarded so ill. I have heard of L. 10,000 Sterling, awarded in some cases, which is certainly rather dear for a conversation! The husband pockets this money without shame, because he has the laugh on his side, and in the world ridicule alone produces shame. A divorce is generally granted by act of Parliament in these cases; and marriage as generally takes place between the lovers. The publicity which such prosecutions necessarily occasion, and all the details and proofs of the intrigue, are highly indelicate and scandalous. The testimony, for instance, of servants, of young chambermaids, who are brought into open court, to tell, in the face of the public, all they have seen, heard, or guessed at, is another sort of prostitution more indecent than the first. Morals are far from being purified by this process; but the substantial infringement is prevented. This sort of chastity resembles the probity of certain persons who are sufficiently honest not to be hanged.

Upon the whole, however, there is more conjugal fidelity in England than in most other countries; and these crim. con. prosecutions calumniate the higher ranks of society, as the celebrated book of Mr. Colquhoun calumniates the lower. The merits