mercury bottle was taken out and emptied. at the top of the room, the temperature at that time was 87 degrees. After he had been in nineteen minutes, the candle went out; at twenty minutes, the exhausted globe was given out; temperature 91 degrees, atmosphere at 22 degrees.

A second bottle was taken out and emptied at the height of Mr. R.'s mouth, when the temperature was 30 degrees.

When Roberts had been thirty minutes in the room, the candle fell down melted, the temperature being 115 degrees. A third bottle of mercury was taken from the bottom of the room.

After remaining confined half an hour, he came out, and appeared very warm, but not much exhausted; and his pulse stood at 174. He took two cups of coffee, and intimated his intention of attending

the lecture in the evening.

Roberts is thirty-three years of age, has been a miner from his youth, enjoys very good health, has a strong constitution, frequently worked in water, and has been struck by the damp in a mine, which he assisted in opening 200 yards deep, when eighteen years of age.

Our intention is, on a future occasion, to furnish our readers with a fuller illustration of this interesting experiment.

219

hundred thousand pounds; and yet we find him, in less than ten years afterwards, almost in want of the common necessaries of life.

Some idea of the state of indigence to which the marquis was then reduced may be formed by a perusal of the following letter, directed to the celebrated colonel Copley, who was, it appears, one of the noble author's supporters:

"DEAR FRIEND,

"I knowe not with what face to desire a courtesie from you, since I have not payed you the five pownds, and the mayne businesse soe long protracted, whereby my reallity and kindnesse should with least I intende you is to make up the thankefullnesse appeare; for though the somme already promised, to a thousand pownds yearly, or a share ammounting to farr more, (which, to nominate before the dividuum vagum, and therefore I deferre perfection of the woorke, were but an init, and vpon noe other score,) yet, in this interim, my disappointments are soe great, as that I am forced to begge, if you could possible, eyther to helpe me with tenne pownds to this bearer, or to make use of and if he could this daye helpe me to fifty the coache, and to goe to Mr. Clarke, pownds, then to paye yourself the five pownds I owe you out of them. Eyther of these will infinitely oblige me. The alderman has taken three days' time to

TURY OF INVENTIONS.

NEARLY two centuries have elapsed since the first publication of this singular work, and yet its value was scarcely, if at all, appreciated till the almost gigantic powers of that stupendous machine, the steam-engine, began to excite a very high degree of interest for every thing connected with its early invention. The new edition of the "Century," which has just been published by Mr. Partington, of the London Institution, is copied from the original manuscript in the British Museum, and contains a series of explanatory notices, intended to illustrate the noble author's enigmas, for so his hundred inventions may justly be designated.

There are few persons who have suffered more from party zeal, or gained less from historic candour, than the marquis of Worcester; and his devotion to the unfortunate CHARLES induced him to sacrifice a most princely fortune, in his attempts to prop a falling throne. In the year 1646, the marquis was in the possession of property to the amount of more than six

I give you, which I doubt not but in time to deserve, by really appearing,

"Your most thankful Friend,
*«WORCESTER.

"28th of March, 1656. "To my honored friend, "Collonell Christopher Coppley, "These."

The sixty-eight articles of the "Century," which speak of the invention of the steam-engine, have already been published; bnt the following prayer, copied from the autograph document in the possession of his grace, the duke of Beaufort, is exceedingly curious, from the spirit of prophecy which pervades it:

* It was intended to have given a fac-simile of the marquis's signature, copied from an original document in the possession of John L. Anderson, Esq. of Upper Harley-street, who possesses a very valuable collection of autograph papers, but, unfortunately, in taking it to the printer's, the messenger lost it on the road, and there was not sufficient time to cut another.

"The Lord Marquesse of Worcester's ejaculatory and extemporary thanksgiving prayer, when first with his corporal eyes he did see finished a perfect trial of his Water-commanding Engine, delightful and useful to whomsoever hath in recommendation either knowledge, profit, or plea

sure.

"Oh infinitely omnipotent God! whose mercies are fathomlesse, and whose knowledge is immense, and inexhaustible, next to my creation and redemtion, I render thee most humble thanks from the very bottom of my heart and bowels, for thy vouchsafing me (the meanest in understanding) an insight in soe great a secret of nature, beneficient to all mankind, as this my water-commanding engine. Suffer me not to be puffed upp, O Lord, by the knowing of it, and many more rare and unheard off, yea, unparaleled inventions, tryals, and experiments. But humble my hauty heart, by the true knowledge of myne ignorant, weake, and unworthy nature: proane to all evill. O, most mercifull Father my creator, most compassionatteing Sonne, my redeemer, and Holyest of Spiritts, the sanctifier, three divine persons, and one God, grant me a further concurring grace with fortitude to take hould of thy goodnesse, to the end of whatever I doeunanimously and courageously to serve my king and country-to disabuse, rectifie, and convert my vndeserved, yet wilfully incredulous enemyes-to reimburse thankfully my creditors-to reimmunerate my benefactors to reinhearten my distressed family-and, with complacence, to gratifie my suffering and confideing friends, may, voyde of vanity or selfe ends, be only directed to thy honour and glory everlastingly. Amen."

The above "extemporary composition" shows the marquis in a new and interesting point of view, combining, as it does, the aspirations of a christian philosopher with the truest feelings of patriotism. We have room for one extract only from the body of the work; it forms the first article in the marquis's catalogue:

"Several sorts of seals, some showing by screws, others by gauges, fastening or unfastening all the marks at once; others, by additional points and imaginary places, proportionable to ordinary escutcheons and seals at arms, each way palpably and, punctually setting down (yet private from all others but the owner, and by his assent) the day of the month, the day of the week, the month of the year, the year

of our Lord, the names of the witnesses, and the individual place where any thing was sealed, though in ten thousand several places; together with the very number of lines contained in a contract, whereby falsification may be discovered and manifestly proved, being upon good grounds suspected. Upon any of these seals a man may keep accounts of receipts and disbursements, from one farthing to an hundred millions; punctually showing each pound, shilling, penny, or farthing. By these seals, likewise, any letter, though written but in English, may be read and understood in eight several languages; and in English itself, to clear contrary and different senses unknown to any but the correspondent, and not to be read or understood by him neither, if opened before it arrive unto him; so that neither threats, nor hopes of reward, can make him reveal the secret, the letter having been intercepted, and first opened by the enemy."

NOTE TO THE NEW EDITION.

The use of the sigili or "autograph seals" is very ancient; indeed, we find them mentioned by the prophet Jeremiah, (chap. xxii. v. 10;) these, however, were engraved on the collets or stones of rings, and it was not till a much later date that hand stamps were applied to that purpose. In England, the first sealed charter extant is that of Edward the confessor, upon his founding Westminster-abbey; and many of our English kings used them, from an inability to affix any other kind of signature: this, indeed, is candidly acknowledged by Caedwalla, a Saxon king, who says, at the conclusion of one of his charters, "propriâ manu pro ignorantiâ literarum signum sanctæ crucis expressi et subscripsi." The nearest approach to a corresponding seal that occurs prior to the sixteenth century, is that described in a decree of cardinal Otto, who was papal legate in 1937, by which the bishops were to bear on their seals their title, office, dignity, and even their proper names. About this period mottos were likewise generally introduced, but none of those, before the publication of the noble author's work, were at all adapted for secret correspondence; or, in fact, had they any mode of combining movable characters in the matrix for the purpose of varying the impression. The principle upon those described by the marquis must have been formed is simply this: :-a frame similar to those in which seals are generally mounted having been first prepared, a number of movable circles may be made to slide within each other, on one common centre. If three are employed, they should be engraved with the numerals, the alpha

they will be undersold, and finally driven out of the market. For a time the public will be gainers; they will be supplied probably with a cheaper and a better article, but what will be the result when the company has crushed all opposition, and secured the market exclusively to themselves! The public will be entirely at their mercy, and they must purchase their commodities not only at the price, but of the quality, the monopolists find it most to their interest to vend them. We shall then be placed exactly in the same situation, in respect of bread, milk, and the necessaries of life, that we are in respect to beer; and we shall have no protection either against exorbitant price or adulteration. However much the public may now suffer from these evils, they are likely to be aggravated by throwing every traffic into the hands of capitalists. Nor will the evil then be susceptible of an easy remedy; for we know by the history of the East India Company and London brewers how difficult it is to open monopolies supported by great capital and influence.

Mr. Soane opened his house in Lincoln'sinn-fields to his friends, to behold the Belzoni sarcophagus, which is probably not less than 3000 years old, displayed by lamplight. A number of guineas, and other coins, were washed up on Portland beach last week, during a violent gale. The number of members on the boards at Cambridge is 4,700, being an increase of 210 in the last year. The num→ ber of members on the boards at Oxford is 4,600, so that, for the first time, they are less than those at Cambridge.-The late Dr. Parr left precise directions for his fu neral, and ordered the following to be inscribed upon his monument:" What doth the Lord, thy God, require of thee, but to do justice, to love mercy, and walk humbly with thy God? The pacha of Egypt is raising cotton in great quantities: his next crop is expected to produce 400,000

bales.

24. A meeting at Westminster, to petition for the repeal of the house and window taxes. Mr. Hunt played the part of Marplot most adroitly. The meeting first passed their resolutions, then, by some strange misunderstanding, negatived the petition founded upon them. It was the most comico-tragical affair that has happened for some time.

The value of silk goods made in France does not exceed 4,200,000., of which about 1,200,0007. is at present exported. -The masonic fraternity recently held a grand chapter at Freemason's Hall, when the duke of York, agreeably to his desire, was advanced to the degree of royal arch. -There is no head of Wolsey which is

not in profile. That which is carved in wood, in the central board of the gateway which leads to the butchery of Ipswich, has such an appearance of antiquity, that it is supposed to have been done when hé was living by the side of it is a butcher's knife. It is said that his portraits were done in profile, because he had but one eye.

26.-Went to hear a lecture on political economy. Mr. M'Culloch, like most of his countrymen, is long and lean, with à strong northern accent. Teaching the sel cret of the" Wealth of Nations" is as at tractive as that of the philosopher's stone, and it is not surprising, that in the first and most active commercial city in the world his auditors should be both numerous and attentive.-Dr. Crichton has ascertain ed, that the appellation of thick-skull is no misnomen: he found, on the examination of a number of subjects, that the sculls of idiots and deranged persons were inva riably thicker than those possessed of strong and sound intellects.-The salmonfishery is very unpromising; only 13 fish taken during the last month between GoIvan and the mouth of the Severn.

THE WEATHER. For the last fortnight or more we have had sharp, arid winds, which must be extremely favourable to agriculture, by drying up the superabundant moisture. An old proverb says, "A bushel of March dust is worth a king's ransom.' If this be true, the highways are now covered with a more valuable treasure than the Pasco, or any other American mines contain.

"I was amused," says Mrs. Graham, in her Journal, "at the apparent apathy of the Brazilian shopkeepers. If they are engaged, as is not unfrequently the case, in talking politics or reading a newspaper, or perhaps only enjoying a cool seat at the back of their shops, they will often say they have not the article inquired for, rather than rise to fetch it; and if the customer persists to point it out in the shop, he is coolly desired to get it for himself, and lay down the money."

COOLIES, in the East Indies, are those natives who are employed in carrying of burdens, digging of trenches, and such laborious occupations; and who, supply-' ing the place of pioneers, cannot be dis-' pensed with in the operations of military tactics in Hindostan. Most of the foreign regiments of artillery have half a company of pioneers. Our regiments of infantry and cavalry have three or four pioneers each, to smooth the roads, pass the artillery. along, to dig trenches, &c