other encampments, rather more happily | less than seven or eight thousand strong. situated, the inhabitants of which seemed The tribe of the Montific Bedooins alone very devout, our travellers on the 29th (I have been informed) can bring 12,000 reached Wassit, once the capital of Me-horse into the field; and if numbers on the sopotamia, a place which no other Euro- present occasion were left behind, it is probable their army had been joined by some pean except Mr. Rich, our resident at of their allies. It was from these troops Bagdad, is known to have recently we now heard the first accurate accounts of the battle and victory, under the walls of Bagdad, which had occasioned the return of the tribes.

visited.

(To be continued.)

SALAME'S Expedition to Algiers.

The part that is now inhabited, a small oblong space, defended by a miserable wall, can only bear a very inferior proportion to the entire circumference of the extensive capital of a mighty empire. It may not even exactly occupy the former site; it is nearly, however, in the position geography Having been more interested by M. notice in his enquiries; and is surround-ventures than even by his account of and history would direct the traveller to Sálámé's own early biography and aded, on every side, by those evident traces the Expedition to Algiers, we have deof an extensive city and numerous build- voted nearly as much as we can spare ings, which sufficiently mark the general identity of the spot, with the space it for- of our miscellany to the parts of his narrative which treat of these masters; merly occupied. and shall now conclude, as briefly as may be, with such reference to the latter moiety of his volume as our limits permit, and the London Gazette and daily newspapers have not forestalled. The Captain of a Danish merchantman hinted to the Dey of Algiers that a strong English fleet was approaching,

Chusing the western road for Bagdad, they next day met the Arab army refrom a victory over Daood turning from Effendi, the claimant of the Pashalik of Bagdad under the Turkish firmaun against its possessor Sayüd Pasha.

The appearance of these troops was equally military and interesting; they were the flower of the tribes. Every thing amongst them bore the stamp of that gallant daring and enterprise which the traveller would naturally look for in the predatory system of warfare they pursue. Very few women, and scarcely any children, could be observed, their families, in general, having been left at Coot. The few old men who could be seen were venerable, bearded warriors, who managed their able steeds with all the address and skill of youth, improved by constant habitude: their locks were blanched, but their strength had not been impaired by the fatigues and hardships of their profession. There were several amongst those, foremost for their dignity, who must have numbered forty summers at the least from the day they first bore arms; they were, however, equally lively, vigorous, and cheerful, with the rest; whilst they were only to be distinguished by the whiteness of their beards, and by those honourable scars which added an imposing majesty to the dignified importance of their carriage.

Their horses were by far the finest we had yet noticed, in excellent condition, and full of spirit. Their herds of camels were so numerous, that our eyes could scarcely reach the spot unoccupied by these useful servitors of man. They were all exulting in the beauty and temper of their swords, and the lightness of their spears; vaunting in the description of their former feats, and anxious for a renewal of the strife.

The Dey replied, let them come. The Danish captain said, very likely they come with a great quantity of shells. The Dey in reply said, When they send me their shells I shall hang them in my rooms like these melons.*

Then the Dane told him, Now you say so because you do not know what the English shells are; but I was at Copenhagen when they came there, and I know what their shells are.

Experience, they say, teaches certain persons wisdom-the Dey's time had not yet arrived. Our tars, when they got abreast of Algiers, were all impatient for the fight, and when Sálímé was sent on shore with the British terms, the officers told him, "If you return with an answer from the Dey that he accepts our demands without fighting, we will This threat he inkill you instead." genuously says, delighted him as a proof of "the bravery and determination of the English nation." The battle did not give him such entire satisfaction, and he confesses with great naiveté and truth how rejoiced he was to get below, out of the way. No wonder

The first fire was so terrible, that they say more than five hundred persons were killed and wounded by it. And I believe this, because there was a great crowd of people in every part, many of whom, after the first discharge, I saw running away, under the walls, like dogs, walking upon

their feet and hands.

Water-melons are hung to the tops of the rooms, to preserve that fruit from year to year.

After the attack took place on both sides in this horrible manner, immediately the sky was darkened by the smoke, the sun completely eclipsed, and the horizon became dreary. Being exhausted by the heat of that powerful sun, to which I was exposed the whole day; and my ears being deafened by the roar of the guns, and finding myself in the dreadful danger of such a terrible engagement, in which I had never been before, I was quite at a loss, and like an astonished or stupid man, and did not know myself where I was. At last, his Lordship, having perceived my situation, said, "You have done your duty, now go below." Upon which I began to descend reach the cockpit alive; for it was most from the quarter-deck, quite confounded and terrified, and not sure that I should tremendous to hear the crashing of the shot, to see the wounded men brought from one part, and the killed from the other; and especially at such a time to be found among the English seamen! and to witness their manners, their activity, their courage, and their cheerfulness during the battle!-it is really most overpowering and beyond imagination.

On this subject I wish to give only one remark:-While I was going below, I was stopped near the hatchway by a crowd of seamen who were carrying two wounded men to the cockpit; and I had leisure to observe the management of those heavy guns of the lower deck; I saw the companies of the two guns nearest the hatchway, they wanted some wadding, and be gan to call "Wadding, wadding!" but not having it immediately, two of them swearing, took out their knives and cut off the breasts of their jackets where the buttons are, and rammed them into the guns instead of wadding. I was really astonished to see such extraordinary magnanimity.

At last I reached the cockpit; when Mr. Dewar, the surgeon, Mr. Frowd, the chaplain, and Mr. Somerville, the purser, with some other friends, met me, and began to congratulate me on my safe return, for they never expected that I should escape; and they gave me something to eat and to drink, but I could eat nothing, I only drank

a little wine and water. Now I wished to I asked them how much we were above assure myself if I was out of danger, or not; water? They told me that we were pretty safe, because the cockpit was about two or three feet below the watermark, and that I had nothing to fear, as I was now out of the greatest danger.

Upon this, I was rather relieved,-but having heard that several shots had passed and water, and that the carpenter had been through the Queen Charlotte between wind to stop the leaks, I then lost the idea of being quite safe, and I walked in the cockthat the action was going on without any pit always fearful.-Afterwards, observing appearance of soon ceasing, I began to encourage myself by thinking, that every living being is uncertain of his existence, and that, throughout our life, we are continually exposed to the mercy of circum

confirms the sentiments we delivered on a view of its representation; but if any new feeling is excited, it is certainly one favourable to the author, who has in many passages displayed great pathos and considerable power of language, while his story and its denouement gain more in the closet than could be allowed them on the stage, when they put forward a claim to tragic pre-eminence. Having detailed the plot in our dramatic criticisms, we shall now content our selves with selecting a few short extracts to illustrate our approbation of this drama as a pleasing literary effort, honourable to the ability of Mr. Twiss, and not less honourable when quietly studied without the exaggeration of action, which if it somewhere planted an energy, in our humble judgment more frequently obliterated a poetical beauty. Claudina, the heroine, lamenting her hopelessness, exclaims, in reply to Marian's wish for a return of cheerfulness, Óh, Marian, never,

Never again for me. Hope's genial dews,
So freshly scattered at the dawn of youth,
Still vanish from us as the burning day
Grows fierce; and we are left at sultry noon,
Parching and faint, upon the wastes of life.
Omreah's pouring out of the cause of
his revenge against Montalbert, is very
spirited: the same statement is twice or
thrice repeated, and, though this seems
redundant and awkward, it must never-
theless be remembered that it is the mas-
fer-grief and passion of the Carib leader,
and therefore not unnaturally dwelt
upon whenever occasion calls forth his
bitterness:

Come, great Montalbert! bring
Thy bride, to see and share the devastation
Tomorrow's day-break shall reveal! Tomorrow!
Thou knowest it is the consecrated day,
The anniversary of that which brought
Destruction on my home.-'Twas such an eve as
this,

So soft, so calm, that, sixteen summers since,
Ushered that bloodiest morn. Even now, I feel
Hot on my flesh, the fretting of the chains
Montalbert locked about me! Even now,
The same devouring fever kindles here,

[Striking his head. That madden'd me, when I beheld my child Seized by his ruffians-saw my darling wife, The gracious daughter of a line of kings, Murdered before mine eyes!-No more, no

And sacrificed by me, as mine by him-
Then, in whatever shape of bitter death,
Or bitterer life, it please ye cast my lot,
Body and soul I give myself unto you,
A martyr-but a conqueror.

Claud. It is a lovely sun-set;

Over my fevered cheek; and as it cools
The evening breeze from land plays healthfully
The scented turf, a thousand odours breathe
Freshly upon the sense.

Soldier. Aye, gentle lady,
You'd little guess, to see these mossy tufts
That spring so green, how few short summers
The ground we tread upon lay crimsoned deep
With human gore.

past,

Claud. My soul grows chill within me! What place is this?

Soldier. The field where, two years since, My Lord Montalbert overthrew the English→→ The entire scène in which Omreah, Malock, and Trefusis, first meet, is written vigorously, and the characters are well preserved: we are sorry we have not space for it, but our examples must be short. Omreah, when he sees Montalbert, says,

Aye, there he passes! Sixteen years have wrought

But little change in him. I feel his presence
Upon my breast, as if a reptile crawled
Athwart the shrinking flesh.

of this new art; neither did he take any care of the Vatican library, not knowing, he said, whether collections of books were more useful than injurious to society. This fourth section is chiefly filled with very methodical and very instructive tables, shewing the cities of Europe into which the Typographic art was introduced previous to the year 1474, the towns of France in which it was practised between 1470 and 1500, the number of editions, and even of copies, disseminated by it, in the last 50 years of the 15th century, or in the first 36 years of the 16th century; some of the books of which it multiplied the copies: lastly, on one side the different prices which manuscripts cost, from the reign of St. Louis to that of Louis XI.; on the other, the prices of the books printed during the first century after the invention of the art of printing.

Love without truth! Oh, do not so profane
The sacred name. Love knows no dark deceit,
No frozen, false reserve-In love's communion,
Heart beats to heart, and soul to soul transfused,
As meeting rivulets, in whose pure confluence
Each lucid drop commingles!

Even these scanty gleanings will, we hope, afford the favourable impression it is our purpose to give of the Carib Chief as a dramatic poem. We could lengthen them by many more of equal merit, but they seem sufficient to determine the character of the work, which, while we are forced to deny it] entrance into the royal Bird-cage Walk of tragedy, it is not unpleasant to accompany down the Green Park, by the basin, in a common way. We could point out some inaccuracies, and imitations, but it is hardly necessary, when our conclusion is that the author has produced a piece whose beauties far outweigh its defects.

* None but royal carriages can pass this way through the Park,

At the beginning of the fifth volume of the glosses of Nicholas de Lyra, upon the Bible printed at Rome in 1472, there is an epistle dedicatory to Sixtus IV. in which Jean de André, Bishop of Aleria, gives an account, in the name of the printers Sweynheym and Pannartz, of all their preceding labours, pointing out the number of copies which they had printed of each work. This number is generally 275; four times it rises to 300, six times to 550, twice to 825, and twice to 1100. M. Petit Radel deduces from these data a mean number, which he fixes at 435, and multiplying by this number that of the editions anterior to 1501, which is 14,750 in the catalogue of Panzer, he infers that 5,153,000 volumes or copies had been printed before the end of the 15th century.

The table which serves as the basis of greatly mistaken, says M. Daunou) very ill this calculation, has been (if we are not understood by those bibliographers who have quoted it. Before 1472, Sweynheym and Pannartz had already printed Virgil twice: the table does not distinguish these two editions; it unites them in one article, and reckon in all 550 copies, or twice 275. It likewise unites the three editions of Lac

FOR MARCH 1819.

(History of Libraries concluded.) The following is the title of the 4th section: "View of the increase of books in the 15th and 16th centuries, after the invention of printing; its application in France to more general instruction; the effects which it produced on the comparative prices of manuscripts and printed books." The author confesses that Pius II., whose pon

printing, did not at all favour the progress

to make a total of 825, of which 275 is the third part. For the works of St. Jerome there is only one line, making them amount to 1100 volumes.

Now these works, twice published by these same printers, were divided, in each of these editions, into two volumes. Hence the sum total of the volumes of St. Jerome amounts to 1100, or four times 275. With the exception of four articles, the first of which is Donatus pro puerilis, which was printed to the number of 300; the number

275 is found every where, by dividing, as we think ought to be done, each total expressed in this summary table by the number of editions, or by that of the volumes, or by both if necessary. Far then from there being sufficient grounds for assuming 435 as the mean number, even 300 is itself only a maximum, which rarely occurs, and 275 is

the usual number.

This reduction applied to the 14,750 editions of the 15th century, would reduce by more than a third the sum of 5,153,000 copies, inferred by M. Petit Radel; but it is probable that after 1472, the editions often exceeded the number of 275, and even of 300. On the other hand, the number of 14,750 is far from being strictly correct. However, assuming an incontestible minimum, it might be said that the art of printing had executed before 1501 more than 13,000 editions, and disseminated in Europe above four millions of volumes. Of these 13,000 editious the King's library has copies of 8000, and they are generally the most important. The libraries of St. Geneviève and Mazarine, though in a very inferior degree, may be deemed rich in ancient and rare productions of the typographic art.

After the year 150) the editions became larger; M. Petit Radel takes 1000 copies as the mean, which gives in the first years of the 16th century 17,779,000 copies, the number of editions being, or appearing to be, 17,779.

36

The price of books, which is the last object of the author's researches, is very difficult to determine. It seems, however, that the mean price of a book properly so called, being neither a mere tract or manual, nor a volume enriched with paintings and ornaments, might be equivalent to the price of things which would now cost from four to five hundred franes. This clearly shews the benefit of the typographic art, which has reduced this price to a hundredth, or at least to a fiftieth.

SOCIETY OF ARTS, MANUFACTURES, &c. On Tuesday we attended the annual distribution of the Rewards adjudged by this excellent Society. The great room, Freemasons' Hall, was crowded to excess, and a more gratifying display of talent, rank, and beauty, is not to be witnessed on any public occasion, than adorned this grand national spectacle. Owing to the indisposition of the Duke of Sussex, the President, Dr. Powell, one of the Vice Presidents, was called to the Chair, and acquitted himself excellently in that arduous situation. He opened the business of the day by stating the cause of his Royal Highness's absence, and of his appearing as his substitute; at the same time paying a handsome compliment to the unwearied zeal and diligence of the Secretary, Mr. Aikin, who, when he heard of the Duke's inability to attend, had exerted himself to the utmost to supply the vacant place with some nobleman, whose dignity and talents would have added weight to the solemnity they had to celebrate. Failing in this respect, the task had devolved on him, and though a humble indi

ant object of planting timber by honorary premiums; and many of the Candidates for these distinctions would be found on the lists to-day.

Mr. Aikin having concluded this able address, Dr. Powell proceeded to the distribution of the rewards. Dr. Thackeray, of Chester; Ralph Creyke, Esq. of Dotterill Park; and C. Fyshe Palmer, Esq. of Luckley, had severally the gold, silver, and silver Ceres me dals for planting 188, 187, and 115 acres of forest trees. Three other prizes were and Rural Economy; viz. the silver Isis granted in the department of Agriculture medal and 15 guineas to Mr. J. Beckway, of Lewisham, Kent, for a machine for weighing and binding hay: by this inge nious contrivance the hay is cut into trusses, bound, and accurately weighed at the same time; it has been tried on a large scale, and proved to be so eminently useful a machine for hay husbandry, that we have little doubt it will come into very general application: —to Mr. T. Lane, of Stockwell, for a fruitgatherer, 10 guineas; this consists of a long pole, at the top of which a pair of forceps, something like tongs, composed of rings and covered with soft leather, open and shut by means of a spring at the bottom, and thus pull the fruit without injury-to Mr. E. Roberts, of Mold, Flintshire, five guineas, for a churn, in which two actions work at the same time.

CHEMISTRY. In this class, John Young, Esq. Surgeon, Edinburgh, received the gold Isis Medal for the cultivation of the poppy, and thence collecting and preparing opium in Britain; and Mr. W. Cook, of Prescotstreet, London, the Silver Medal, for preserving anatomical preparations in brine. The Chairman observed, upon the former, that it would be of great consequence, as perfectly supplying the place of an article of costly importation; and upon the latter, that it would save a large consumption of spirits of wine; had preserved subjects for more than three years; and would be of ex

The history of this establishment is completed by very interesting details on the terrestrial globe of Louis XVI. which is deposited there, and by a description of the building, which the author says is become too confined since the Institute has been installed in the same palace.

great extent of knowledge and acquaintance with every subject before them, and above all the charm which his condescension never failed to impart to the rewards bestowed, he trusted that, surrounded as he was by genius and elevated station, his services would be accepted by this brilliant assembly, whose indulgence he solicited.

objects of natural history in distant climates, where the ingredient hitherto employed could not be obtained.

POLITE ARTS.-The rewards in this class amounted to no fewer than fifty-seven, and were accorded as follows:

HONORARY CLASS.

Among the useful appendices to this volume, we shall mention only the list of the public libraries which are now esta-gress of the Society, and of the beneficial blished at Paris and in the departments, to effects produced by its labours on the varithe number of 300 nearly, and which, if ous departments of Arts, Science, Agriculthe information communicated to M. Petit ture, and Commerce, to which its attention Radel is exact, contain 3,345,237 volumes. and encouragement were devoted. He adverted to the branching off of the Royal Academy in 1778, and to the detached provincial Agricultural Associations which had more recently sprung up, and relieved the OXFORD, MAY 22. parent stock from a portion of that charge Monday the five following gentlemen of which related to the Fine Arts and to Rural Westminster College, were elected Students Economy. Still, however, the Society reof Christ Church:-Mr. Christopher R. tained to itself the privilege of fostering Pemberton, Mr. Thos. Littlehales, Mr. | early talent, and of promoting the import

LEARNED SOCIETIES.

2. Copies. To the Hon. Miss E. J. G. Burrell, a daughter of Lord Gwidir, for a Drawing of Flowers in Water Colours; Miss S. L. Oakes, Mitcham, for a Chalk Drawing of Figures; Mr. W. Hodges, Clapham Common, for an Historical Drawing, Silver Medals.To Miss Comber, Manchester, for a Landscape in Oil, and Miss H. S. Smith, East-street, Red Lion-square, for a Chalk Drawing of Figures, silver Isis Medals. To Mr. W. H. Peppercorne, Kennington, for a Pencil Drawing, and Mr. W. Wilby, St. Bartholomew's Hospital, for a Chalk Drawing, Silver Palettes.