um of the press. It is true. But, in the first place, there is a prejudice against plays which have not been acted, as being considered incapable of representation. Pope's sneer of Shame the rogues, and print it," has placed an unsuccessful dramatic writer in a situation which all mankind appear ready to pronounce as ridiculous. Should he laugh at this feeling, and publish his production, if it attained the most brilliant reputation, he would possibly see his own fair fame applied to the profit of that very establishment which rejected him! What did the author of "Fazio" acquire from the liberality of one of the great London theatres?-Not even the poor privilege to have the name of his hero exempted from a barbarous mis-pronunciation! Why, in the name of common sense, should a dramatic author lose all control over his own property the moment he shall incur the expense of transferring it from WRITTEN to PRINTED characters? The Muses ought not to be mercenary, but they seldom prosper when they are left to feed upon the cameleon dish.' the advantages of such a plan as I have proposed, I may be allowed to say a few words in recapitulation.

Of

"1st. The public taste would be appealed to without the intervention of managerial inattention or caprice, so that the drama would have as fair a field of emulation as the arts of painting and sculpture.

"2d. The demands of a rigid criticism, such as is exercised on other literary works, in union with the claims of the stage, would elevate the character of dramatic performances, and thus apply a satisfactory test to the reputation of the present successful writers.

3d. The managers of the great metropolitan stages might resign the invidious distinction of sitting in judgment on all dramatic genius, and possibly obtain a succession of good pieces at a rate of expense which would be of trifling amount; with the additional advantage, that the previous acquaintance of the public with the merits of such pieces would obviate some of the defects of the enormous size of their theatres.

4th. The provincial theatres might recover from their present neglect and decay, by ceasing to depend upon the metropolitan boards for novelties, which are generally unsuited to the characters of their establishments, and to the taste of their patrons; and these, as well as the lesser theatres of London, might be enabled to produce pieces of acknow

ledged merit, without the necessity of paying considerable prices for exclusive copies.

5th. Authors, even of the highest pretensions, would have encouragement to apply themselves with zeal to dramatic composition, in the assurance that their merits would be fairly and liberally canvassed; and that a good acting drama would infallibly be produced, either upon a conspicuous or an obscure stage, but with a certainty that its reward would increase with its reputation."

Geology. Dr. Maculloch, in a very valuable work lately published, after some introductory remarks on the methods of arranging rocks which have been adopted by different mineralogists, and on the plan of this arrangement and nomenclature, gives the following general catalogue of rocks, succeeded by some remarks on their order of succession in nature:

Dr. Maculloch apologizes for the introduction of coal and peat into this list : but the connexion of the former with the strata in which it lies, and the important illustrations of its history afforded by the latter, amply justify their insertion. With respect to the order of succession of the primary class, the claim of granite to the lowest place is unquestioned, but after it no certainty can be obtained, for the others are all found in occasional contact and in uncertain order; to illustrate this fact, Dr. M. inserts a table in his work, shewing the irregular order of succession in rocks in several parts of Great Britain.

Northern Expedition. In addition to the preparations which were made for the last voyage to guard against the cold, the vessels are now lined with cork all round the inside, and have also an apparatus by a Mr. Sylvester, for conveying heated air all round the lower deck, and a small branch from the main pipe opening into each of the officers' cabins. They take out no salt beef; but, in lieu of it, a large quantity of beef, veal, and mutton, preserved by Messrs. Donkin and Co.'s process. In other respects, the provisions are the same as in the last expedition, only that there is a larger quantity, each ship being provided with stores and provisions for three years. They have also more coals, for each vessel takes 115 chaldrons. The Nautilus, a hired transport, is to accompany them as far as Davis's Strait, in order to carry out part of their fuel and stores, &c.; and it is reported that another vessel is to be sent to Behring's Strait, in the course of next year, to meet them there, should they succeed in penetrating to the Pacific, with an additional supply of such articles as may be deemed necessary. If the wind permitted, they were to drop down to Woolwich on the 27th April, there to take on board their powder and ordnance stores; and thence to proceed to the Nore, where the men are to be paid three months' pay in advance, in order to enable them to furnish themselves with clothes, and other necessaries for the voyage. Captain Parry, in a letter to a friend, says, "We drop down the river on Friday, and shall probably be at the Nore till the 4th or 5th of May, and then make a fair start across the Atlantic. Every thing belonging to our equipment is as I could wish. I have not a thing left undone which has suggested itself as useful; and we go out under every circumstance which, as far as we can see, is likely to tend to success. You will remember, however, that I am not over-sanguine, and you will oblige me much in checking, by every opportunity in your power, the high expectations, which are, I believe, too generally formed of our complete success." On the 8th ult. the above vessels sailed from the Nore. Currents of the Ocean.-The following document was inclosed in a bottle, and thrown into the sea just twelve months ago. It was taken up on the shores of Martinique, on the 4th of February last. The bottle had thus travelled a distance of 2,500 miles in about ten months, 250 miles per month, or eight miles per day.

"The bottle which contains this card was thrown into the sea in lat. 5 deg. 12 min. S. long. 24 deg. 40 min. W. at noon, on the 28th day of March, 1820, from the ship Ospray, Glasgow, which sailed from Greenock on the 26th February, on a trading voyage round the world. Whoever finds this is requested to insert a notice of the time and place in some literary or political publication, with the view of establishing facts relative to the currents of the ocean.-All well."

Volcano in the Moon.-By a paper read before the Astronomical Society of London, from Dr. Olbers, of Bremen, it appears that the luminous appearance on the moon's disc, mentioned by Captain Kater, was seen there also; but Dr. Olbers adds, that he by no means thinks that it is a volcano, since the phænomenon may easily be accounted for on other principles, the particulars of which he will communicate at a future opportunity.

The Egyptian Tomb.-Mr. Belzoni has completed and opened his proposed models of the wonderful tomb which he explored in the precincts of the Nile. The representation is so perfect that the beholder can easily participate in the feelings which are induced by the contemplation of those immense works, which must have occupied hundreds of labourers and artists for many years in the completion. A mere verbal description was sufficient to raise the highest interest; but a fac simile has infinitely more attractions, especially when the industry and perseverance indispensable to the success of such an undertaking are reflected upon. Mr. Belzoni's Exhibition has charms not only for the admirers of art and the lovers of antiquity, but those who are influenced by curiosity alone will find enough to astonish and delight them. The chambers, in which the original size and colour of the figures on the wall are exactly preserved, present much matter for speculation both to the mythologist and the historian. A procession of captives attracts particular attention. Before a "hawk-headed divinity"are four red men with white kirtles; then four white men with thick black beards, and with a simple white fillet round their black hair, wearing striped and fringed kirtles; before these are four negroes, with hair of different colours, wearing large circular ear-rings, having white petticoats, supported by a belt over the shoulder; and next in order march four white men, with smaller

which are evidently these:-1. That the parliamentary standard yard, made by Bird in 1760, be henceforward considered as the authentic legal standard of the British empire; and that it be identified by declaring that 39,1393 inches of this standard, at the temperature of 62 deg. of Fahrenheit, have been found equal to the length of a pendulum supposed to vibrate seconds in London, on the level of the sea, and in a vacuum.-2. That the parliamentary standard Troy pound, according to the two pound weight made in 1758, remain unaltered; and that 7,000 Troy grains be declared to constitute an Avoirdupois pound; the cubic inch of distilled water being found to weigh, at 62 deg. in a vacuum, 252,72 parliamentary grains.-3. That the ale and corn gallon be restored to their original equality, by taking, for the statutable common gallon of the British empire, a mean value, such that a common gallon of water may weigh 10 pounds Avoirdupoise in ordinary circumstances, its contents being nearly 277,3 cubic inches; and that correct standards of this imperial gallon, and of the bushel, peck, quart, and pint, derived from it, and of their parts, be procured without delay for the Exchequer, and for such other offices in your Majesty's dominions as may be judged most convenient for the ready use of your Majesty's subjects."

Political Economy Club. - Monday, April 30, there was a dinner at the Freemasons' Tavern, for the purpose of ori ginating a Society for promoting the Knowledge of the Science of Political Economy. There were twenty gentlemen present: amongst them were Mr. Ricardo, Mr. Malthus, Mr. Keith Dou glas, Mr. Holland, Col. Torrens, Mr. Mill, Mr. Mushet, Mr. Tooke, &c. &c. A set of Rules for the government of the Society was read and adopted. The Members are to dine together once a month during the season, for the pur pose of discussing questions connected with Economical Science. This is the first time any science has been proposed to be seriously discussed over turtle and Champaigne the dry nature of the subject, perhaps, may require some such excitements.

Astronomy, Errors of the Tables of Planets. The German observations of Jupiter and Saturn, as recorded by Bode, do not agree quite well enough to settle the question of accuracy of the tables of their motions, without a reference to the Greenwich observations. They appear, however, to prove that Bouvard's ta

bles of both planets are considerably more accurate than Delambre's. The mean error of Bouvard in the H. longitude of 4, about the time of opposition in 1819, was +5".7 or -10" in the latitude+3.2 or 1", according to Sniadecki and Derfflinger: in the H. longitude of -6". 8 or +23", and in the latitude +7" or +6". Delambre's tables of gave the longitude -21′′. 1,—19′′, -26"or +12, and the latitude +1". 7,+ 2",-2" or +4, according to Sniadecki, Bittner, Burg, and Derfflinger. For Saturn's longitude, +63". 1,+87" and + 87", latitude 0",+12, and+14", according to Sniadecki, Bittner, and Derfflinger, respectively. Bode, 1823. In the Correspondence Astronomique for February 1820, are above 30 observations of the lunar distances from Venus, made at Toulon, for the purpose of ascertaining the accuracy of Irghirami's tables, published in that work, and partly copied into these collections: the greatest error does not exceed 11' of longitude; and the mean error is much less. There are also 13 observations of the distance of Jupiter, in which the mean error is still less, and the greatest about 9′.—Journal of Science.

Literary Fund.--The anniversary meeting and dinner of the Literary Fund took place at the Freemasons' Tavern on the 10th ult. the Earl of Chichester in the chair. A numerous party of noblemen, gentlemen, and literary characters were present. To the benevolent intentions of the founders of this institution all must assent, but its peculiar object renders it difficult to say whether some of the most deserving persons, who may need pecuniary assistance, would ever avail themselves of its advantages. The notoriety of the assistance afforded, and the acknowledgments required, would be sufficient to deter men of the higher class of literature from applying for its aid. It has been well observed by a contemporary, that "the stream of its beneficence must be silent, or cease to flow. The man of education and talent, although of all men the most afflicted by the pressure of want, is yet too sensitive and too high-spirited to stand forth to the world as a dependent on charitable aid." There are doubtless many persons employed, in what is miscalled literary labour, who would have no nice feeling of this kind; but men of high talent and genius are generally of a different temperament and feeling on the subject. The institution, however, is highly praiseworthy, and deserves every en