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vaults of ivory, or with ceilings so contrived, as to scatter fragrant flowers among the guests; besides which, they were furnished with pipes, for conveying into different parts aromatic waters and sweet-smelling unctions. The chief banqueting-room in this palace is described as completely circular in plan, and fitted with a very ingenious piece of mechanism, made to revolve, producing the effect of day and night, in imitation of the celestial hemisphere. The baths, equally magnificent in their plan, were supplied with salt water from the Mediterranean, and with warm water, conducted by rivulets from the hotsprings of Baiæ. After an enormous expense had been thus lavished, and which nothing but the revenue of an empire could have afforded, Nero merely observed, he had at last completed a habitation fit for a man!"p. 4.

--

Nor were the furniture and domestic utensils of the "masters of the world" unworthy of the mansions in which they were contained :

"In the remote times of the Republic, there was so little even of silver in the city of Rome, that the senators mutually lent their plate whenever they gave an entertainment. The Romans, it appears, live upon a very familiar footing together,' once said the ambassadors from Carthage; we have been treated at all the great tables in Rome, and every where served upon the same silver.' But from the time that Scipio Africanus brought the spoils of Carthage and Numantia to the city, and after Lucius Scipio brought to Rome the treasures of Antiochus the Great, more gold - and silver was to be seen on the table and in the dining-room of a patrician, than formerly could have been collected throughout the whole Republic.

"The Romans then strove to surpass one another in the beauty and elegance of the several pieces which composed a service of plate: the manufactures of superior taste, or articles of vertu, came in request; and at length the works of Acagres and Mys, both celebrated artisans in silver, were purchased at an enormous price, their names being sufficient to denote the superiority of the workmanship. Lucius Crassus, the celebrated forator, is recorded to have had in his possession silver vessels which cost him no less than ⚫ a hundred and sixty-six crowns the pound; and a pair of beakers, for which he had paid above four thousand crowns, wrought by Mentor, an artificer who excelled in engraving flowers. At a later period, two vases, with figures in relievo, the workmanship of Zopirus, were sold for about five thousand crowns. In the amplitude of their vessels their taste was also shown: Drusillanus Rotundus, one of the retainers of the Emperor

Claudius, ordered an immense dish to be cast for his use, which weighed five hundred pounds, and eight smaller ones of fifty pounds each: for the express manufacture of these expensive articles a workshop was erected.""

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Cups and other vessels, when made of Corinthian brass, and executed by old masters of repute in their trade, were estimated at a higher rate than even gold. The collectors of these precious works of art became so refined in their taste, as to affect to be able to distinguish readily the age and ge nuineness of rare pieces, as well as the particular hand of the artisan whose workmanship they were professed to be."-p. 133.

It is rather singular that the now exploded fashion of decorating gardens, in which nature was forced to imitate art, rather than art made to take the appearance of nature, should be at least as old as the days of the Romans, notwithstanding the French have always had the credit of introducing it. The hortus of the Romans, we are told, was usually furnished with

"Marble seats, and a water-organ of simple and ingenious mechanism. These hydraulic organs are still very common in the gardens of Italy, which are generally laid out in formal taste; the Aldobrandini villa at Tivoli, presents an existing illustration of the description of an ancient Roman garden, and abounds, like its prototype, with avenues, clipped hedges, basins, fountains, cascades. caverns, and a water-organ; here a hundred tricks are played off by means of concealed streamlets suddenly sprinkling the visitors. Statues of illustrious men were by no means an unusual ornament of the Roman gardens, as well as the marble Hemicycle, or semicircular seat."-p. 103.

So that" the French taste" was evidently, in all respects, merely a counterpart of the old Roman.

THE LONDON MECHANICS' INSTITUTION

TENTH ANNIVERSARY.

The tenth anniversary of this institution was celebrated on Thursday last, at the theatre in Southampton-buildings.

Dr. Birkbeck, in opening the proceedings, stated that, some years ago, "there were in the neighbourhood of London not less than six institutions of a kind similar to theirs, but that these smaller ones had disappeared, and in their stead others in different places had sprung up. The Doctor should have stated frankly the real state of the case, which is thisthat the "six institutions"-which were

Mechanics' institutions in the strict sense. of the phrase-have become extinct, while the "others" which have sprung up in their "stead" are general literary and scientific institutions, which have no more connexion with mechanics than with any other class of the community.

He

Dr. Birkbeck further observed, that "last year had witnessed the formation of several (Mechanics' institutions) in towns of great importance, under the most gratifying circumstances. Institutions had been formed in Leicester, Salisbury, and Lincoln. The Lincoln institution had concentrated more influence, and more general power, than had ever attended the formation of one institution. had great pleasure in informing them that one of the gentlemen connected with that institution was then within their walls, the Hon. Mr. Pelham, whose father, Lord Yarborough, had also taken a lively interest in it. The Lincoln institution contained 500 members, who had admitted among their lectures all branches of moral philosophy, but had excluded those subjects which they themselves had also found it necessary to exclude."

The increase of such institutions throughout the country is undoubtedly a very gratifying circumstance, and the particular commendation bestowed on that of Lincoln extremely well merited. Its patron, Lord Yarborough, has been long known to us as being not only an ardent friend of scientific pursuits, but himself a most expert and ingenious mechanic.

The Hon. Mr. Pelham, alluded to in the President's address, moved the first resolution, which was to the following effect:

"That for ten years from its establishment, the steady afflux of more than one thousand members, to participate in the advantages held forth by the London Mechanics' Institution, is an irrefragable proof that the want of that information which it was founded to diffuse, was and is widely felt, and continues to be efficiently supplied."

The London Mechanics' Institution was founded (we ought to know) to diffuse scientific information among working mechanics; and if the "one thousand members," whose steady afflux is here boasted of, had been of the class of working mechanics, the proof would have been indeed most 661 irrefragable;" that the

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want of such information, has been "widely felt" among them; and that the institution is a place where it can be" efficiently supplied." But, how stands the fact? Originally a large majority of the institution, certainly more than two-thirds, were working mechanics; but now the majority is all the other way-not one-sixth of the thousand are working mechanics. The Institution is in fact no longer a Mechanics' Institution, except in name. The reso

lution, therefore, affirms what is directly contrary to the truth; and those who concocted it, and placed it in the hands of the honourable mover, knew this full well.

Mr. Pelham" thought the institution at Lincoln would have a better chance of getting on, if it had some institution. longer founded to look to, and why should not the London Mechanics' Institution be the one to which they should apply for any information wanted ?"

Why not, indeed? It was meant to have been, ought to have been, and might have been, a model for all similar institutions throughout the country; but, as it is, what is there to copy?

Mr. Babbage moved the second resolution, which was as follows:-" That the constancy of adherence of a great number of the earliest members of the Institution shows, that its capacity to instruct grows with the growing intelligence and improving culture of those who seek arts and science and knowledge within its schools; that it does not offer the meagre and quickly exhausted routine of the long founded seminaries of a contracted scheme of elementary education, but it possesses and presents the means of acquiring knowledge, copious, profound, and varied, having the power of hourly adaptation of its resources to the varying character and growing demands of the claimants on its aid."

We wonder that a gentleman of Mr. Babbage's cautious and accurate habits, should have been persuaded to lend his countenance to such empty stuff as this. We are quite sure he could have made no inquiry into the number of "earliest members of the institution," who still adhere to it, when he described it as a "great" number; and as to the "constancy of adherence," he is too good a logician not to perceive that it proves

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nothing whatever as to the quality of the instruction afforded by the institution, unless it could be also shown (which it cannot) that they continued to attend the lectures as regularly as they continued to pay their subscriptions. Great praise is elaimed for the institution, because it does not offer the meagre and quicklyexhausted routine of the long-founded seminaries of a contracted scheme of elementary education," that is, of Oxford and Cambridge; but what would Mr. Babbage say to a seminary without any "scheme" at all; where the course of instruction is entirely a matter of chance; where it may be either good or bad, just as accident may determine; where it is an even chance whether a mechanic shall be instructed in the sciences, or in the belles lettres-taught to follow the steps of James Watt, or to mimic John Reeve ? Should Mr. Babbage be desirous of seeing such an institution in full operation, he has only to ask for a return of the lectures delivered at the London Mechanics' Institution, since (almost) its very com

mencement.

Colonel Torrens moved the third resolution which was in these terms: That the manifestation of talent developed within the walls of the London Mechanics' Institution, shown on the present as on former similar occasions, is a gratifying proof of the wisdom of the plan here first widely called into practice, of disseminating useful science through the industrious classes of the community; and gives substantial earnest that through the agency of these self-ruled and self-supported establishments, the barbarism of ignorance, with its concomitants vice and misery, will be more rapidly dispelled; and the moral, the intellectual, and the social condition of man be raised to that higher level which alone becomes his character as a rational and responsible being."

self-supported"!

"Self-ruled and Alas! alas! How in this instance is the self-support attested? By many thousand pounds of donations from persons of rank and affluence, (some of them bestowed from the merest politico-electioneering purposes)-by gratuitous lectures from every one who had a morsel of instruction or amusement to confer on the self-supported association-and by a load of debt under which the institution (if left to itself) would sink into the dust. And the

self-ruling-how is it proved? Is it by the chief creditor being the chief ruler?

Col. Torrens, in enforcing the resolution intrusted to his charge, dwelt largely and eloquently on the rising influence of knowledge. But of all knowledge, he thought "that of political economy was the most useful." Nothing like leather. Dr. Lardner moved as a fourth resolution:

"That the thanks of the meeting are eminently due, and are hereby warmly given to all those enlightened and liberal men, who nurtured this institution in its infant weakness, and who still give aid to its growing strength."

The "infant" state of this institution was not one of "weakness," but of strength; it is as it has grown old, that it has grown weaker and weaker. A return of the number of members belonging to the institution, for each year since its establishment, and distinguishing those who are mechanics from those who are not, would prove this incontestably. We have often called for such a return, but in vain. The creditordirector of the institution knows well that it would prove every thing we have asserted on the subject, and therefore it is that it continues to be most pertinaciously withheld.

NOTES ON MR. NUTT'S WORK ON BEES,

Sir, Since I addressed you on the subject of bees, and Mr. Nutt's system of managing those insects, I have procured his book, and have made a few remarks on it; in doing which, if I have differed in any point from those made by yourself, I trust your candour will induce you to pardon me, particularly as you state you are no bee-master. I profess to be one, and will stick to my order.

Before, however, proceeding with these remarks, I cannot help noticing the very frequent allusion Mr. Nutt unnecessarily makes to the Deity, which, to say the least of it, shows very bad taste. The following passage seems to me particularly objectionable: "He that has trampled upon my humane endeavours, and disdained my predictions relative to this subject, will be taught to tremble before Him who gave the light to such an humble individual as myself"! As a clergyman wrote part of the book, and arranged the whole for publication, and

four other clergymen received subscriptions for it, I am struck with astonishment that they should have allowed such a passage to see the light.

The author in dedicating his book to the Queen, only follows the example of a former writer on bees, whom I knew well (Mr. Wildman), who, about seventy years ago, dedicated his work to the mother of his present Majesty.

In the preface to the book, Mr. Nutt states that, in consequence of a very severe illness in the year 1822, which deprived him of the power of attending to business, and while passing his idle hours in his garden, his bees caught his attention, and he became fond of them. We are farther informed, that, after some years' unremitted attention to his bees, an accident directed his attention to the effects of ventilation, and that this gradually led to the development of his improved mode of management, The accident alluded to, appears to have been that his bees clustering under their hive, for a length of time, formed combs. A common chopstick, instead of ascribing this to an accident, would have thought himself deserving of a good whipping, if he allowed his bees to remain in such a state a moment after he found there was no chance of their swarming.

To return, however, to the origin of Mr. Nutt's system-although the first idea of it is stated to have occurred some years after the sickness of 1822, yet, according to the pages of the Mech. Mag., vol. xv. page 254, the matchless hive, with its collateral boxes, octagon, ventilators, thermometers, &c., was in full operation in the year 1823, having contributed in August (that year) 28 lbs. of honey, and 127 lbs. being left in the autumn for the support of the bees during the ensuing winter. Is there not some inconsistency here?

In his fourth chapter the author has favoured his readers with a dialogue, which he states took place between himself and a learned lord at the National Repository. It is to be hoped Mr. Nutt will be kind enough to allow his readers to form their own opinion respecting the profundity of his lordship's learning. The conversation commences by his lordship communicating to Mr. Nutt that he has six cottage-hives of bees on his estate, which he wishes to put upon his principle of management, and desires to be

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informed how to accomplish the desired object? Mr. Nutt very cautiously says

"My Lord, much depends on the state of your hives. Are they rich? Will the six hives make three good colonies ?" His lordship, with great candour, immediately replies, "I do not know;" but asks, "if three are rich, and three poor, which would you advise me to establish on my estate?" Mr. Nutt replies, "The three rich ones; for, by uniting the bees of a healthy live with those of a light one, the light one being already incapable of supporting its own population, many persons have failed of success. In fact," he elegantly adds, "it is an unhappy, i. e. a wrong move. The very next time, however, Mr. Nutt opens his mouth, he gives this oracular dictum of his the most flat contradiction. "Your lordship's three rich hives," he says, "will receive the numerous bees of the three weak ones; and they will, notwithstanding such additions to their numbers be in a state of prosperity, and ALL your bees be in the greatest safety." It is an "unhappy-a wrong move," and yet produces the best possible results! His lordship next puts the following question to Mr. Nutt-" Do the bees remain in a complete state of torpor, or lethargy, during the winter, as we are told they do by some ancient authors ?" It is to be regretted that the learned lord did not condescend to mention the names of these "ancient authors." Mr. Nutt replies, rather dogmatically--" They do, my lord, no doubt, if the bees are placed in proper winter quarters." This is likely enough to be the case, if" proper winter quarters" here are the same as in Germany; for there, Mr. Huish informs us, they bury them during winter; otherwise what Mr. Nutt asserts so positively is irreconcileable with the facts on the subject mentioned by Mr. Huish, who states that, during the very severe winter of 1814, he exposed in the open air a glass hive, full of bees, into which he had inserted a thermometer, and that he placed a similar thermometer in the open air, by the side of it, which fell to 20 degrees below freezing, whilst that in the glass hive was at 20 degrees above freezing-making a difference of 40 degrees; and the bees, instead of being in a state of torpor or lethargy, continued very lively. Mr. Huish adds, that this incontestably proves that bees

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are not in a state of torpor during winter. Huber was also of the same opinion. If it really be the opinion of Mr. Nutt that bees are in a state of torpor during winter, why did he lead the readers of your Magazine to believe that one hive of his bees consumed the prodigious quantity of 712 lb. of honey in the winters of six years?-(Mech. Mag., vol. xv. p. 254.) I do not approve of moving bees in winter from their usual situation, but prefer putting up a temporary shade, to screen them from the sun in frosty weather, for if mild weather occurs in winter, the bees are induced to leave their hives, which is conducive to their health, and if the situation of the hive has been changed, they are not able to find their way home again, and many of them perish. Neither do I approve of shutting them up in winter, as recommended by Mr. Nutt. Mr. Huish, however, mentions in his book that people, in some parts of England, from religious prejudices, shut up their bees on Wednesdays and Fridays, to prevent their going to their labours!

Mr. Nutt is next asked how much honey and wax he had ever in one year taken from one of his hives? The apiarian replies" I have taken 296 lb. of honey, inclusive of wax, during the honey harvest of 1826." Now, in your Magazine, Mr. Nutt stated, that he took that quan tity of honey, but was entirely silent respecting the " wax inclusive;" by which omission he deceived many of your readers-amongst others, myself. It appeared to me a most incredible quantity, and still does, even now that the wax is included.

His lordship proceeds to ask Mr. Nutt, if he had "ever proved Shirach's discovery satisfactorily to his own mind?" "I have, my Lord," says Mr.Nutt," and acknowledge it to be one of the grandest discoveries, and of the utmost importance to the skilful apiarian; for this move alone (this elegant expression again) prevents the necessity of swarming." Mr. Nutt has repeatedly asserted, that from books he never should have made one useful discovery; and yet he here admits this of Shirach's to be" one of the grandest ever made!" How is this?-Did he make it himself, without the aid of books? Neither the learned lord nor the skilful apiarian condescend to mention what this grand "move" of Shirach's,

which supersedes the necessity of swarming, is; both are as cautious and silent as the two kings of Brentford in the "Rehearsal:" but I will, for the information of your readers, mention in what it consists. It is, that bees, when deprived" of their queen, have the power of selecting some of the larvæ of what would be working bees, and converting them into queens; to effect which each of such larvæ has a cell formed for it, like those of the queen bees, and is fed with similar food to that which is given queens in their larvæ state-by which treatment, instead of becoming common working bees, they become real queens. This appears to me about as probable as that the bird hatched from the egg of the cuckoo, laid in the hedge-sparrow's nest, should, by being fed with the same kind of food as the hedge-sparrow feeds her own young, become a hedge-sparrow. But, even supposing it to be consistent with truth, how can this "move"-to use Mr. Nutt's elegant phraseology- prevent the necessity of swarming?

The remainder of his lordship's questions are so puerile, and the replies of the great apiarian so egotistical, that they absolutely are not worth making a remark on. I proceed, therefore, to notice the next chapter, in which the subject of winter quarters for bees is very unnecessarily resumed. The author says his observations have reference to bees kept, as the learned lord keeps his, in straw hives, rather than in boxes-from which it may be presumed that bees kept in boxes require no removal from their summer situation. Now, I have kept bees in straw hives a great length of time, at least quadruple that which Mr. Nutt has, and no apiarians with whom I have been acquainted ever move their bees in winter. Neither have I ever done it, but have followed the advice of Mr. Butler in his " Feminine Monarchie," who says, "in no wise let the place be shadowed from the south sunne; for that doth not only dry the hives, and relieve the bees in winter and spring, but also causeth them to swarm in summer." Mr. John Hunter, a name not totally unknown, and whose reputation will probably endure as long as Mr. Nutt's, says 18 lb. of honey are amply sufficient to maintain a strong hive during the whole winter, and until June, if necessary. It therefore struck me with astonishment to