dation to many literary men, and one, by the way, which they ought long since to have enjoyed. It requires not a little perseverance in the public, to beat down the selfishness and indolence of official personages.

St. Simonism.-A new religious sect under this title, is now making some way among our lively French neighbours, who have always some novel project or other in their heads or on their hands. It has its official newspaper in a philosophical journal, Le Globe, and several mission-aries, who are engaged in organising the Simonian family, not only in the provinces of France, but also in Belgium.

The Duchess of Abrantes,-This distinguished lady, it is said, is engaged in writing memoirs of that portion of the life of Bonaparte, which elapsed between his entrance into the military school of Paris, and his defence of Toulon, hitherto a blank in all the authentic biographies which have been given of that extraordinary person.

Cheap Engravings. It is understood that the Society for the Diffusion of Knowledge, have taken measures for producing a gallery of portraits of persons, who have been distinguished for giving an impulse to the progress of the sciences and arts. The work is to be executed in the best style, and to be sold in numbers, consisting of four engravings, at a very low price. It is calculated that they must sell twelve thousand numbers before they can clear their expences.

A Long Sentence.-We suppose that the longest sentence to be found in the English language is that which closes the article upon the subject of reform, in the last number of the Quarterly Review. The sentence in question consists of two X pages, of seventeen members, of eighty-four lines, of eight hundred

and sixty-seven words, and four thousand two hundred letters !!!

Bishop Kenn.-The Rev. W. L. Bowles is employed in preparing for the press, his second and concluding volume of the Life of Thomas Kenn, deprived Bishop of Bath and Wells, seen in connection with the spirit of the times, political and religious, particularly those great events, the Restoration, and the Revolution in 1688; including the period of Puritanism from 1640, to the death of Cromwell.

Egyptian Writing.-Mr. Champolion, junior, is at present engaged in a course of very interesting archeological lectures, which he delivers at the College de France, and in which he explains the different systems of writing, practised in ancient Egypt. By developing the series of grammatical forms used in the hieroglyphical and hieratical texts, he proposes to establish the identity of the Copt language, with that of the ancient Egyptians.

Roman Relic.-The labourers employed in digging for the foundation of the new Goldsmiths' Hall, some time ago discovered, about fifteen feet from the surface of the ground, a stone about two feet in height, ten inches in width, and five in thickness. A figure of an archer is sculptured in very high relief upon the front face, on the obverse is an urn, near what is supposed to be a tripod. It is evidently a tombstone; but the sages of the Antiquarian Society have elevated it to the honours of a Roman Altar!

Society of Horticulturists.--Ladies are now admissible as members of this society,-a decided improvement, as they are, in the higher ranks of life, much better horticulturists than their lords, generally speaking. We know of no good reason why learned females should not also be admissible to the royal and other societies as well as men.

They shall have, at least, our vote and interest, so far as our influence extends, if ever they be proposed as candidates. How delightful it would be to read a work on Civil Law, by Miss Cornelia LF.R.S. and F.S.A.

Persian Manuscripts.-We learn that the collection of Persian manuscripts, ancient, Turkish, and modern, belonging to Sir W. Ouseley, some of which are connected with the religious doctrines of the Fire Worshippers, are announced for public sale. When examined, we fear that they will not be found of much worth. The East has produced but few valuable compositions, and those have long since been rifled by our translators of all their charms.

Paris Exhibition.-We observe that the French exhibition of paintings and sculpture, by living artists, was opened at the Louvre on the same day that the Royal Academy was thrown open to the British public. In Paris, no entrance money is required. The collection contains 2,670 different specimens of the fine arts, of which 2,238 are pic

tures.

Scientific Expedition.-After an absence of three years, the Chanticleer, we are happy to perceive, has returned from her voyage of scientific research in the southern regions of the globe. The main objects of the expedition were to ascertain the specific ellipticity of the earth, the chronometric difference of meridians on the principal stations of the Atlantic, and to make observations on magnetism and meteorology. In the course of her voyage, the Chanticleer, which was under the command of Captain Foster, visited several of the most interesting parts of the globe, among which was Prince William's Island, supposed to be the most southern tract of land on its surface. Captain

Foster, we regret to add, was accidentally drowned in the river Chagres, in the Isthmus of Panama. We shall look with much interest for the results of this expedition, and we shall here take the liberty to express a hope, that they may not be published in a form which might render them inaccessible to the great mass of the reading classes of society.

The Niger.-Letters have reached town, from which it would appear that the Landers, whose expedition to Africa was announced some time ago, have succeeded in tracing the course of the Niger from Youri to the Bight of Biafra. If this information be correct, a geographical problem of very considerable importance has at length been solved, as several travellers have traced the channel of the Niger to Youri.

Imitative Music.-A blind performer named Werner, is now exhibiting in London, who, with the simple assistance of a guitar, succeeds in producing the effect of a full band of music, consisting of the usual wind instruments. Farther than this, he imitates the crowing of cocks, the chuckling of hens, the barking of dogs, and mewing of cats, with an accuracy that is highly entertaining, and indeed quite surprising, considering the limited means which he uses.

Literary Patronage.-At the last anniversary of that admirable institution, the Literary Fund, the Lord Chancellor presided, and advocated its interests with his usual eloquence. He justly observed, that the public were the true patrons of literary men, and not, as Dr. Johnson had asserted, the booksellers, for these were but the instruments or agents of the public,in affording encouragement to letters.

Zoological Society.-This institution goes on most prosperously. Its present number of fellows, in

cluding ladies, is 814. The number of visitors to the gardens last year, was 234,745; to the museum, 14,323. The receipts during the year amounted to 15,8061, whereas in 1827, they did not exceed 4000l. The Zoological gardens unquestionably form one of the most rational curiosities of which the metropolis can boast.

German Literature.-Previously to the year 1814, the annual average number of new works exposed for sale at the Leipsic fair, did not exceed 2,000. Since that period they have been constantly on the increase; down to the year 1826, they did not exceed 5,000. 1827, they amounted to 5,108; in 1828, to 5,654; in 1829, to 5,314, and in 1830, to 5,962.

In

Omnibus Advertisements. - Advertisements, of which the following is a translation, are not at all uncommon in the French journals. "Persons who are desirous of marrying, of obtaining situations, of selling property or commercial stock, of joining partnerships, of borrowing or lending money, cannot do better, than address their commu

nication to M. Vd'affaires, Rue

Agent

Locke the Philosopher.-Within the last twenty years a subscription has been before the public, for a monument to the great Locke. In very nearly that quarter of a century, no more than 8007. have been collected, and when, at last, it was proposed that a suitable memorial should be erected to the memory of that illustrious philosopher, in either Westminster Abbey or St. Paul's Cathedral, the applicants discovered that the fees required for this indulgence, would leave only a few pounds to requite the sculptor!

We

Irish Antiquities.-It is with pleasure we learn that Mr. Dalton, the well known Irish Antiquary, has issued proposals for publishing the ancient annals of his country. hope that all those individuals and corporate bodies, who may have it in their power to throw any light upon his researches, will afford him their zealous assistance. The object is truly national, and few persons would be more likely to succeed in accomplishing it than Mr. Dalton.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.-"Caledonnicus" may rest assured, that we never allow partyfeelings to influence our judgment upon literary productions. If he be displeased with our critical opinions, we can only say that, at all events, they are free and unbiassed.

We have received the essays and note of J. P. P; to the former we shall attend in due course; to the latter we reply, that we should be glad to see the article which he proposes to write; we cannot, however, at this moment, pledge ourselves to accept it, as much will depend upon the manner, as well as the matter.

Mr. J. R. B. (of Bath) has our most cordial wishes for his success; but we cannot give enlarged notices of the attempts even of a fellow labourer, unless they be of greater importance than those which he has yet submitted to our inspection. We trust that he will not again talk of hostility, for no such feeling exists as that which he supposes.

With reference to the article in our last number, on "Church Reform," we must, once for all, protest against opening our pages to a controversy which would burthen them, perhaps, for years to come. Those

who dispute our views, must state their own through some other channel. We have to acknowledge the receipt of several books and pamphlets upon both sides of the subject, to which we shall very soon return.

N. B. From a variety of letters which we have lately received, we are induced to inform authors, who wish to have their works noticed in proper time, in the MONTHLY REVIEW, that they should uniformly instruct their publishers to forward us one of the earliest impressions. We usually take new publications, for review, in the order in which they are sent to us.