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amounting, as it has lately been esti- pose of re-arrangement; and we are mated, to about 25,000,000l. sterling given to understand that it will shortly per annum, this country possesses no be re-opened to the public. Formerly, institution which represents the mining it was opened every day in the week. interests, or indeed where the necessary gratuitously; but a few days in the scientific instructions for the proper week will now necessarily be required and economic working of mines can be for private study and for cleaning, obtained. On the Continent, they are which days have not yet, as far as we more sensible to the advantages of such can learn, been determined upon. establishments; and the Ecole des Mines GUILDHALL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM.of Paris and of St. Petersburgh, and the The Guildhall, City, contains, besides mining schools of Germany, are exam- a large collection of early plays, &c., a ples, besides being the only institutions valuable collection of antiquities, diswhere the English student can follow covered during various excavations in that comprehensive system of instruc- the City; the principal proportion at tion so necessary for the successful the Royal Exchange. One of the most exploration and working of mines. We interesting objects is Shakspeare's own understand, that as every facility already signature, which is attached to a deed exists in this institution in Jermyn- of conveyance, and placed under a glass street for imparting such a knowledge, case in the library.

memorials have been presented from GUY'S HOSPITAL MUSEUM, Southwark. the most influential of the mining dis---This museum, erected in 1825, and tricts to the government; and it is next in extent to that of the College of proposed that a course of lectures on Surgeons, consists of specimens and geology, chemistry, engineering, and models illustrative of descriptive and mining, should be commenced, to be morbid anatomy. The models are predelivered by the various professors pared from the dissections of Mr. Hilton, attached to the place, at seasonable and will bear comparison with any coltimes, and at moderate rates to the lection extant. The collection of wax public, and thus utilise the establish- models of skin diseases is very complete. ment as much as possible. Should this The models themselves are unique. The be carried out, we have no doubt of comparative anatomy collection is in a the success of such an undertaking. separate compartment, and is well seThe Geological Survey of Great Britain, lected. The models illustrating the of which we have spoken, and which is changes occurring in the egg during a part of the establishment, originated the period of incubation, are well worthy also in Sir Henry De la Beche, the pre- of notice. Curator, Dr. Birkett. Adsent director, who, in the year 1832, mission daily, with the exception o offered to supply the government with Sunday, from 10 to 4, by an order from the necessary data for colouring, geo- the steward. logically, the sheets of the Ordnance

HORTICULTURAL AND BOTANICAL. Map of England. This being accepted, The gardens of the Horticultural and he was authorised to extend the geolo- Botanical Societies contain many specilogical survey over England and Ire- mens of floral and vegetable productions land; and a sum of money is now which will repay the curiosity of the annually voted by Parliament for that visitor; particularly the gardens of the purpose. These geological maps, with London Horticultural Society, at Chisaccompanying sections, as they are wick; and those of the Royal Botanical completed, are published and sold at a Society, in the Regent's Park. very moderate cost. Since the removal of the collection from Craig's-court, the Museum has been closed, for the pur

KEW GARDENS.-A museum has been recently added to these gardens, containing the raw materials of many

manufactures, with articles made from which must be attractive to foreigners them; with medicinal and other rare as well as to visitors. Amongst them plants, spices, dried fruits, &c., with a model of the celebrated timber-bridge fine wax models of the Victoria Regia at Schaffhausen, which was made for and other flowers, drawings of flowers, George II., is not the least remarkable; plants, &c. The museum is open every though, perhaps, that which would day, except Sundays, to respectable interest foreigners most, is Mr. Babpersons, from 1 to 6 p.m. bage's no less celebrated calculating LINNEAN SOCIETY, 32, Soho-square.- machine, upon which many years of This society has collected a museum labour and many thousand pounds have which abounds in botanical specimens. been spent with imperfect results. ApThere are also extensive collections in plication for admission to be made to entomology and zoology; the latter the curator.

more especially connected with Aus- ROYAL INSTITUTION, Albemarle-street. tralia. The collection of shells is also-The museum of this institution cona good one. Fellows of the society can tains a great many mineral specimens. introduce their friends in person. Admission through members.

MISSIONARY MUSEUM, Blomfield-street, ROYAL NAVAL MUSEUM, Somerset Finsbury. This museum comprises House.-In Somerset House, in the despecimens in natural history, various partment of the Admiralty, is a room idols of heathen nations, dresses, ma- called "the model-room," access to nufactures, domestic utensils, instru- which can be obtained by application ments of war, &c. Admission by ticket, to the Surveyor-General of the Navy. for a limited number of persons, signed There are deposited some admirable by a director or officer of the society, models of everything connected with from 10 to 4, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, the science and trade of ship-building; and Saturdays, from Lady-day to Mi- beginning with the "Great Harry," the chaelmas; and from Michaelmas to first ship which could be said to belong Lady-day from 10 to 3 o'clock. The to the British Navy, built by Henry VII., articles which compose this museum down to the " Victoria," of 110 guns, were supplied chiefly by the mis- recently finishing at Chatham. A visit sionaries employed by the London to this room will afford every EnglishMissionary Society: a few others are man the highest gratification; and even donations from benevolent travellers, a foreigner may take an interest in or friendly officers of mercantile vessels. making himself acquainted with the The efforts also of natural genius, especially in countries rude and uncivilised, afford another class of interesting curiosities; the most valuable and impressive objects in this collection are the numerous and (in some instances) horrible SOANE MUSEUM. [See Chapter V.] idols which have been imported from TOWER OF LONDON. [See Chapter V.] the South Sea Islands, from India, UNITED SERVICE MUSEUM, WhitehallChina, and Africa. Many of the articles yard, Whitehall. This is a repository, in this collection are calculated to ex-under the patronage of the Queen, cite in the pious mind, feelings of deep Prince Albert, and the Duke of Wellingcommiseration for the hundreds of ton, of a vast variety of naval and milimillions of the human race still the tary relics, trophies, instruments of vassals of ignorance and superstition. warfare, &c. Admission by an order MUSEUM OF GEORGE THE THIRD, from a member of the United Service Somerset House.-In this museum there Club; and three days after Christmas, are some articles of great interest, at Easter, on the anniversary of the

theory and practice of the British navy.

SAULL'S MUSEUM, 15, Aldersgate-street. Mr. Saull has a fine collection of Geological specimens, to which he admits the public every Thursday, at 11 a.m., free.

battle of Trafalgar, and that of Waterloo, ing a knowledge of the heavenly bodies. without orders. One of the finest and most extensive OBSERVATORIES.-There are two ob- views of scenery is obtained from this servatories in the neighbourhood of observatory.-The KEW OBSERVATORY London which require the notice of a was founded in 1842, under the auspices, stranger; those of Greenwich and Kew. and at the expense of the British AssoThe former of these was founded in ciation for the Advancement of Science. 1675; its object was to solve the pro- The building was originally erected in blem of finding the longitude of a ship 1768, by Sir William Chambers, for at sea; and John Flamsteed was the George III., as an astronomical obserfirst astronomer-royal who resided there. vatory; and it is fixed in a most eligible From Flamsteed's time it has been the situation, in the old Deer-park, Richresidence of Dr. Halley, Dr. Bradley, mond. Here there are admirable inDr. Nathaniel Bliss, Dr. Nevil Maske-struments for carrying on astronomical, lyne, and John Pond, who, in 1835, was electric, and meteorological observasucceeded by the present astronomer- tions. Amongst them the storm-clock royal, George Biddell Airy, Esq. During enables events, rapidly occurring, to be this time, and under these learned and recorded with great ease and despatch. eminent men, astronomical discovery -There are, also, two private observahas been steadily pursued, and great tories, of which that of Sir James South, advances have been made; the details Blackman-street, is of great celebrity. of which are foreign to our little volume. Mr. George Bishop, Treasurer of the There is an excellent collection of in- Society of Arts, has a good observatory struments here; an inspection of which at his residence, South Villa, in the will gratify as much as it will astonish, Inner Circle, Regent's Park. Both Sir so admirably does it illustrate the pro- James South's and Mr. Bishop's obsergress of discovery, and the scientific vatories are furnished with capital in, genius and ingenuity devoted to the struments. construction of these means for attain

CHAPTER XIII.

LITERATURE AND THE PRESS.

DIVISION I.—A SKETCH OF THE STATE OF LITERATURE IN LONDON IN 1851.
DIVISION II. THE NEWSPAPERS AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS.
DIVISION III.-PRINTING, BOOKBINDING, BOOKSELLING, ETC.

DIVISION I.-LONDON LITERATURE.

should be were we to apply it to the present day; when, although the race It was a remark of Dr. Johnson's, to- of writers is numerous, and their name wards the close of his long, varied, and" legion," still there are thousands who useful life, that, in the previous thirty cannot write, and still more who are or forty years, "almost every man had unable to give a correct expression to come to write and to express himself their ideas. But we live in an age of correctly; and the number of readers readers, who must have increased, we had been multiplied a thousand-fold." think more than a thousandfold, since We suspect the Doctor was as wrong in the days of the great lexicographer. the first part of his assertion as we London is the great mart from whence

those readers are supplied; now what is the nature of the literary pabulum she supplies them with?

true that we cannot recollect any book that has recently appeared, which has struck us as being one that would That question will be answered in leave its impress not only on the prevarious ways, according to the prevailing sent age, but carry its influence down feelings of those who reply to it. If we to posterity; the writers, though they were asked, we should say, that although have the talent to communicate agreeably it cannot boast the high and enduring the information they possess, seem to characteristics of that of the Elizabethan want the genius to create. Still there

or Addisonian ages, or even those of the are many works that deserve to be read, close of the last, and the commence- as likely to influence public opinion, or ment of the present centuries, yet that as communicating valuable information, it has considerable merit; and, though and which should find their way to the rather superficial than sound, is supe- library; but their publishers are not rior to the literature of any European popular publishers, they do not work capital at the present day. There is, to for the populace (though we see, by the be sure, a thing called literature, which bye, that Messrs. Longman and Co. have exists in low places, and thrives in the announced a Travellers' Library in one haunts of the vile and the profligate. shilling volumes). The popular literaBut we speak not of that we allude to ture is to be found in the periodicals, such works as circulate amongst the in the low-priced "libraries," and in the higher classes, and to what may be serials; and it is the number of these termed the popular literature of the which are published, and the very small day; and the general character of that sum at which the bulk of them is sold, literature-if it be not remarkable for that convince us the race of readers must originality; if we have no Shakspeares, be increased at least a thousandfold; nor Miltons, nor Drydens; no Jeremy for if the demand was not immense Taylors nor Tillotsons; no Addisons nor for such Libraries as Bohn's, Slater's, Swifts nor Popes; no Humes nor Gibbons; and Routledge's, and for such periono Byrons nor Scotts; if even Cowper's 'dicals as Chambers's Journal, the Home harp is unstrung, and the bow of Burke Circle, or Dickens's Household Words, it no one essays to bend; still the cha- would be impossible that they could be racter of the literature of the present carried on without great loss, much less day, for the most part, is good. that they would produce a profit sufficient The higher classes of literature-the to induce their continued publication. works issued by our great publishersThe literature that has the greatest the Murrays, the Longmans, the Riving- influence on the public mind at the tons, the Hatchards, the Whittakers, present day, is the periodical, the serial, the Parkers-cum multis aliis-appear and the newspaper. The pamphlet, to be as numerous as ever. They main- which used to be such an effective tain their character for those essentials weapon in the hands of a clever tactiin all publications-strict faith, a high cian, is now ineffective. A great deal of moral tone, a gentlemanly style, and this light artillery was discharged when extensive knowledge of erudition; and Pope Pius took the insolent step of inthere has been little reduction in price; vading our Queen's supremacy, and of though, with the exception of works in interfering with her prerogatives; but we which a larger size is necessary for the do not believe that the whole produced illustrations, the goodly octavo and the so much effect as the badinage in one plump duodecimo have quite supplanted the cumbrous folios and broad quartos of a former age. On looking at most of the modern productions, it is

number of Punch, or one leader in The Times. In the mass of periodicals, we have many clever and effective writers. The Quarterly, Edinburgh, Westminster,

P

and Eclectic reviews Blackwood's, excellent works as the Saturday, and Fraser's, the Gentleman's, the New the Penny magazines. The latter were Monthly, Ainsworth's, Tait's, and Sharp's too learned, too didactic; they did not magazines Bentley's Miscellany, House- sufficiently mix the dulce with the utile; hold Words, Chambers', Eliza Cook's, and thus they became, though well and and The People's journals- The Home expensively got up, comparatively unCircle, Punch, with many others, are attractive. works of great merit-a vast advance Next to the clan of publications we on the periodical literature of the last have just discussed, that which is most century. And there are penny perio- in demand is the Libraries, of which dicals also- The London Journal, The we have now so many in the course of Family Herald, and one that has publication. The first publisher who recently been started, The True Briton, set the example of issuing a monthly which display more talent than high-volume at a low price, with a view to priced magazines did thirty years ago. popularise the better class of literature, Whilst the magazines that still sell at was the late Mr. Constable; who started, 2s. 6d., such as Blackwood's, Fraser's, in 1829, his Miscellany, at 3s. 6d. a and Bentley's, are confined to the higher volume; a great reduction upon the classes and the more opulent of the rate at which works of that character middle classes, with few comparative had been formerly sold. He was folexceptions, and to the libraries and lowed by Mr. Murray, who published a reading rooms, the others are seen Family Library, which extended to every where; they pervade all quarters. eighty volumes, but for which he charged Charles Knight's Serials, and The 58. per volume. The Sacred Classics, Literary Journal, The Literary Gazette, The Edinburgh Cabinet Library, and The Athenæum, and The Critic, also some others, were also started; but the circulate extensively; and there are a price did not approximate to that of the host of penny periodicals and serials present day. Mr. Bogue set the example which appear to deluge the land. Take of going further than Mr. Constable had away the Quarterlies and Blackwood, done, about five years back in his Euroand the character of all these works pean Library, in which, for 3s. 6d., he is rather showy than solid; light gave the public such works as had never and attractive, rather than suggestive. been sold before at that price. He was And, as such, it is suited to the times. followed by Mr. Bohn with his Standard Everything is so altered-the mode of Library, also in 3s. 6d. volumes; and doing business of every kind is so by Mr. Murray with his Home and changed there is, to use an Ameri- Colonial Library, in 2s. 6d. volumes. "canism, such a go-a-head" disposition The first publishers of 18. volumes were in all that is done-every mercantile some parties in London, whose names and trading transaction has to be carried we now forget, who gave us Cooper's out at railway speed, and the mind is novels at that price; but they were kept upon such a constant state of in- badly printed, and the paper was thin tense tension that, in the few minutes and generally of an indifferent colour; of relaxation which business men, they sold, however, and were followed whether masters or workmen, are al- by others. At length Messrs. Sims and lowed, it must be something which con- M'Intyre, of Belfast and London, we veys instruction in a pleasing garb, and think it was, led the way, in their supplies entertainment and amusement Parlour Library, with a volume that as well, that can attract the generality might be laid on any table, whether its of readers. This is, we think, the secret literary character, or appearance was of the success of the cheap literature of considered; and, for 1s., containing 'the present day, and the failure of such matter that had been formerly sold

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