Herculaneum MS-The literary world are naturally curious to know the progress and fate of the interference of the Prince of Wales in the affair of the ERCULANEUM MSS. about which we excited a lively interest above twelve years ago. The mission of Mr. HAYTER to Naples, to support which a grant was made by Parliament, terminated in that gentleman sending to England six of the original charred Papiri. These were received at Carlton house in the year 1805, and it was hoped that British genius and art might have led to some improved means of unfolding them. In truth, a room was fitted up for the purpose, and much ingenuity exerted; but, we lament to say, without any success. It was suggested that steam might give consistence to the charred vegetable, and this menstruum was tried on one of the rolls; but it reduced it to an inseparable pulp. Delicate mechanical means were then applied to unravel a second, but he result was equally unsuccessful; and, discouraged by two failures, the other rolls have remained unexamined, and are now in possession of Dr. Young. Mr. Hayter's arrival at Naples, backed by British capital, gave new vigour to the business of unfolding; and although but eighteen MSS had been developed in forty years, yet, during six years, he was the cause of nearly 203 of the whole 1800, being completely or partially unrolled. Of course Mr. Hayter left Naples with the court, on the French invasion taking place in 1806; but he carried with him to Palermo ninety-four fac-similes of MSS and afterwards brought them tongland, and presented them to his royal master, as the result of his mission. These the prince judged it proper to present, through the medium of Lord Grenville, its Chancellor, to the UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD, in the just expectation that that learned body would gratify the literary world by their speedy publication. Mr Hayter himself afterwards received an appointment from the Prince, and resided some time at Oxford, to aid the labours of the professors by his experience; but we are concerned to find that the appointment has lately been superseded, and that there now exists in consequence no immediate prospect of the publication of these treasures.

Swift's Works.-A complete edition of SWIFT's works is printing, under the su per vision of WALTER SCOTT, esq with a Life of the Author, Notes Critical and Illustrative, &c. &c. It will extend to nineteen volumes 8vo. handsomely printed. Upwards of a hundred original Letters, Essays, and Poems, by Dean Swift, which have not hitherto been printed with his works, will appear in this edition. These have been recovered from Theophilus Swift, esq. Dublin, from a collection of manuscripts of various descriptions, concerning Swift and his affairs, which remained in the hands of Dr. Lyons and Major Tickell, from originals in Swift's hand-writing, in possession of Leonard Mac Nally, esq. from Matthew Weld Hartstonge, esq. who has furnished much curious information, from laborious researches made through various journals and collections of rare pamphlets, in which many of Swift's satires made their first appearance; and from Dr. Berwick, who has obliged the editor with some curious illustrations of the Dean's last satirical Tracts. In the Biographical Memoir it has been the object to condense the information afforded by Mr. Sheridan, Lord Orrery, Dr. Delany, Deane Swift, Dr. Johnson, and others, inte one distinct and comprehensive narrative.

Captain Lockett, of the College of Fort William, is preparing for the press, an account of his Researches amongst the Ruins of Babylon, which he visited in the year 1811, and explored with the most minute attention. His work will contain plans and views of the tower of Nimrod or Belus, and the other vestiges of remote antiquity still visible in the neighbourhood of Baghdad and Hillah, where he was fortunate in collecting a number of inscribed bricks, gems, and medals. This work will form four hundred quarto pages, and is to be published in England

It is said that with Mr. Omon's steam engine, at Bristol, corn will very soon be ground. The principle is a hollow wheel, whose interior is half filled with a fluid metal. The steam is supplied by a common boiler, and makes no noise whatever, saving half the coals, &c."

A new Hygrometer.-M. Baptist Lendi, of St Gall, gives the following description of his invention: In a white flint bottle is suspended a piece of metal, about the size of a hazel nut, which predicts every possible change of weather, twelve or fourteen hours before it occurs. As soon as this metal is suspended in the bottle with water, it begins to increase in bulk, and in ten or twelve days forms an admirable pyramid, which resembles polished brass, and it undergoes several changes, till it has attained its full dimensions. In rainy weather this pyramid is continually covered with pearly drops of water; in case of thunder or hail, it will change to the finest red,

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SCIENTIFIC AND LITERARY INTELLIGENCE.

and throw out rays; in case of wind or fog, it will appear dull and spotted; and, previously to snow, it will look quite muddy. If placed in a moderate temperature, it will require no other trouble than to pour out a common tumbler of water, and put in the same quantity of fresh. For the the first few days it must not be shaken.

Dr. CLARKE's third vo'ume of his Travels will appear in a few days It will form the second section of the Iravels in Greece, gyp and the Holy Land; completing the second part of the whole work according to the pla. originally proposed by the author, and will contain his voyage up the Nile to grand Cairo, his observations upon the Pyramids of Djïza and and Saccara; a description of the remains of the city of Saïs on the Delta; an account of the Antiquities of Alexandria, particularly of Pompey's Pillar and the Crypte of Necropolis: with his subsequent Voyage, and Tra vels in Greece, Macedonia, Thrace, &c. &c.

In one of Mr. BAKEWEI L's Lectures at the Surry institution, delivered during the present month, he adverted to the possibility of applying GUNPOWDER as a first mover of machinery. As this subject is highly curious, and well deserving the attention of mechanics, we shall give his words as nearly as we can recollect:-" AImost all the machines of the ancients," said he, "were set in motion by the museular action of men or quadrupeds; but the moderns have called the elements to their aid, and made the winds and the waters subservient to their use. Natural philosophy has brought other agents into action; and the application of elastic fluids, particularly of steam, as a mover of machines, has greatly enlarged the empire of man over nature. It is highly probable, that another agent may hereafter be substituted; an agent which has hitherto been chiefly employed for purposes of destruction, I mean gunpowder. I have little doubt that the expansive force of this substance might be immediately and safely applied to keep in motion large machines with much less expense than by the steam engine. The apparatus would, I conceive, be less cumbersome and expensive. A single dram of gunpowder, if properly applied, will rend a solid block of metal equal in thickness to a large piece of ordnance. The practical mechanic will have no difficulty in conceiving how an equable motion may be communicated to machines by percussion, with the aid of a balance wheel and crank."

A volume of Sermons is in the press by the Rev. ARCHIBALD ALLISON, LL. D. Prebendary of Sarum, and author of ssays on the Nature and Principles of Taste.

The PRINCESS ELIZABETH, whose literary and inventive powers have often been displayed through her pen and pencil, and which have always done so much credit to her genius and exalted rank, has, we are informed, been long engaged in a series of biographical sketches, which to a future age are likely to constitute the secret memoirs of a considerable part of her father's eventful reign.

The Personal Travels of M. DE HUMBOLDT to the Equinoctial Regions of the New Continent during the years 1799-1804; with a Picturesque Atlas, Maps, Plans, &c. translated into English by Helen Maria Williams, will appear in a few weeks.

Singular new discovered body.--About a fortnight ago Sir Joseph Banks received a letter from Sir Humphrey Davy, who is at present in Paris, mentioning a newly discovered violet coloured gas, which had lately attracted the notice of men of science: but no particulars are given of its nature or production

In the Journal de Paris, for the 3d of December, it is stated, that a memoir on this substance, by Clement and Desormes, had been read before the French Institute, and the following circumstances respecting it are stated. It was discovered by M. ourtois, and was obtained from kelp. When heated to 158° it is converted into a gaseous substance of a strong violet colour It is not acted on by oxygen, charcoal, or a red heat. With hydrogen and with phosphorus it produces muriatic acid It combines with the metals without effervesence. It combines also with the metallic oxides, and forms compounds soluble in water With ammonia it forms a detonating

compound

This notice is rather enigmatical; but it would appear from it that the substance in question has many properties in common with chlorine. Hence it is probably a compound of chlorine and some other body. "hat is meant by saying, that with phosphorus it forms muriatic acid, I do not understand. A few weeks will probably put us in possession of the mode of preparing this substance, and of course enable us to examine it.

When ammoniacal gas comes in contact with the oxymuriate of sulphur, it assumes a violet colour of great intensity and beanty. Whether this has any connexion with the substance in question time will determine.

M. THOMAS,

No. 52 Chesnut-street, Philadelphia,

HAS IN PRESS,

AND WILL PUBLISH IN A FEW DAYS,

PATRONAGE

BY MARIA EDGEWORTH,

AUTHOR OF TALES OF FASHIONABLE LIFE, BELINDA, LEONORA, &c.

For a character of the work, read the following extracts:

From No. 44 of the Edinburgh Review, p. 416–418.

NONE of our regular readers, we are persuaded, will be surprised at the eagerness with which we turn to every new production of Miss Edgeworth's pent. The taste and gallantry of the age may have at last pretty generally sanctioned the ardent admiration with which we greeted the first steps of this distinguished lady in her literary career; but the calmer spirits of the south can hardly yet comprehend the exhilarating effect which her reappearance uniformly produces upon the saturnine complexion of their northern reviewers. Fortunately, a long course of good works has justified our first sanguine augury of Miss Edgeworth's success, and the honest eulogy, we pronounced upon her efforts in the cause of good sense and virtue; and it is no slight con

2

solation to us, while suffering under alternate reproaches for ill-timed severity, and injudicious praise, to reflect, that no very mischievous effects have as yet resulted to the literature of the country, from this imputed misbehaviour on our part. Powerful genius, we are persuaded, will not be repressed even by unjust castigation; nor will the most excessive praise that can be lavished by sincere admiration ever abate the efforts that are fitted to attain to excellence. Our alleged severity upon a youthful production has not prevented the noble author from becoming the first poet of his time; and the pane. gyrics upon more than one female writer, with which we have been upbraided, have not relaxed their meritorious exertions to add to the instruction and amusement of their age. In the prosecution of our thankless duties, it is indeed delightful now and then to meet with authors who neither dread the lash nor the spur; whose genius is of that vigorous and healthful constitution as to allow the fair and ordinary course of criticism to be administered, without fear that their rickety bantlings may be crushed in the correction. No demands on the tenderness of the schoolmaster;-no puling appeal to sex or age; -no deprecation of the rod? Praise may be awarded-severe truth may be told-and the reviewer be as guiltless of the blame which the author may afterwards incur as he is uniformly held to be excluded from any share of the fame he may ultimately achieve.

Such a writer is Miss Edgeworth. In her case we are not obliged to insinuate, to venture, to hint, but called upon openly to pronounce our opinion. The overweening politeness which might be thought due to her sex, is forgotten in the contemplation of her manly understanding, and of a long series of writings, all directed to some great and paramount improvement of society;-to destroy malignant prejudices, and bring down arrogant pretensions-to reconcile humble merit to its lot of obscure felicity, and expose the misery that is engendered on the glittering summits of human fortune, by the pursuits of frivolous ambition or laborious amusement-to correct, in short, the vulgar estimate of life and happiness, by exposing those errors of opinion which are most apt to be generated by a narrow observation, and pointing out the importance of those minor virtues and vices that contribute most largely to our daily sufferings or enjoyments. Her earlier essays were addressed to the middling class of society. In her later productions, she has aspired to be the instructress of the fashionable world; a pursuit, in which we ventured to predict, that

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her direct success at least would not be extremely encouraging. We do not know whether she begins to think so too; but it seems to us, that she has endeavoured to unite both these objects in the work before us a short analysis of which we shall present, without farther discussion, to our readers.

The work is intended, as the title indicates, as a picture of the miseries resulting from a dependence on patronage, in every form and degree, and throughout every station in society. "It is twice = accursed," says our author; once in giving, once in receiving." "In as far as the public good is concerned, fair competition is more advantageous to the arts and artists, than any private patronage can be. If the productions have real merit, they will make their own way." If they have not, they ought not to make their way. And the same argument she applies to literary merit; and to the merit, 1 generally speaking, of persons as well as things. She also considers the trade of a patron as one of the most thankless, as it is the least useful of all trades. This, it must be confessed, is bold and magnanimous doctrine, and strikes at once at so many interests and vanities, as to require all Miss Edgeworth's influence and authority to save it from general reprobation, What a host of prejudices must be overthrown upon this plan! What a swarm of littlenesses devested of their paltry disguises!-Ministers-Mæcenas's-mistresses-patrons at court-in the church—and in the drawing-room-all cashiered and depreciated! and the shade of their protection denounced as fatal to the forced and feeble plants which are destined to seek there, either for support or shelter.--Then the whole tribe of expectant courtiers, impatient authors, querulous artists, and trading politicians, are in danger of being roused from the pleasing dreams of patronage, and are invited to depend for success upon the fair competition of those emanı cipated talents, by which alone they can deserve it.

Extract from the Quarterly Review, No. 20. p. 305, 306.

There is hardly any good quality to which Miss Edgeworth has not contributed her powerful recommendation; but the ultimate rewards of steadiness, independence, and honest persevering exertion, are those she is fondest of setting before our eyes, and we think her choice is sanctioned by the value of the doctrines which she inculcates. She has, doubtless, observed that this mode of instruction is not ad