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works of fome young, but rifing artists, who have not yet obtained a name pro portionate to their merit.-Like former exhibitions, the prefent one proves that the branch of the art in which our painters are molt encouraged, to which they chiefly devote themselves, and in which they fucceed the beft, is portrait painting. It contains, nevertheless, a number of works of fancy and fentiment, which do equal honour to the genius and difinterestedness of the artifts, confidering how little fuch fubjects are in request. The number of thofe who have attempted landfcape is fmall-still fmaller of thofe who have fucceeded. Of the drawings, fome are truly beautiful-others highly pleafing and respectable. In feulpture the exhibition this year is particularly poor. It can only boast a few heads, and bas-reliefs, which however well exeeated, are of little confequence, when compared with the groupes and figures as large as life, which the public have contemplated with pleasure in former years. But, whatever may be its defects, the perfons who are acquainted with the state of the arts abroad, will feel no helitation in pronouncing that no foreign fchool can produce an annual exhibition equal to that of England.

Mifs LINWOOD's exhibition of pietures a needle-work, continues to attract and aftonish the lovers of the fine arts and the fashionable world. No private collection has ever been more refpectably patronized in this metropolis.

Meffrs. BOYDELL have added a dozen new pictures to the Shakespeare Gallery, by SMIRKE, WESTALL, WHEATLEY, and RIGAUD. The gallery is alfo enriched at this time by the whole of the beautiful Milton drawings by WESTALL. The thirteenth number of the Shakespeare will be ready for delivery in the courfe of the month.

The fame gentlemen having purchafed the admired pictures of the “Seven Ages," by SMIRKE, which are now exhibiting at Somerfet House, propose to publish prints from them, of the fize of the originals.

Mr. JOHN IRELAND's fupplementary volume to a Hogarth Illustrated," will politively be delivered in a few days.

Mr. CAPEL LOFT writes to us from Trofton, that after repeated obferva

*In his letter of laft month, in a few copies, our readers are requested, for "Bofton," to read Trofton, and for " filh," to read dift.

tions from the 13th inft. to the zzd, both inclufive, he is wholly difappointed as to the expected re-appearance of the folar fat; and must ther fore conclude no more will be feen of it. This, confidering its permanence for feveral revolutions, and is apparently unaltered state as to figure, denfity, and fize, when it was last seen, is to him exceedingly unexpected.

Dr. SOMERVILLE, author of "The Hiftory of Political Tranfactions, and of Parties, during the Reign of King Wil liam, has in the prefs a complete hiftory of Great Britain, during the reign of Queen Anne. The author has had access to a great variety of original papers, fome of the mcft curious of which will be printed in an appendix at the end of the volume.

The Literary and Philofophical Society of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, have jut printed their Fifth Year's Report ;" and likewife fome copies of "Two Effays,"". read before them by JOHN RALPH FENWICK, M. D. one containing "Reflections on Calcareous Manures;" the other, "Some Reflections on the Importance of Elaftic Fluids in Vegetation, and on the Prefervation and Application of Fold-yard Manure."

Mr. COMBE, the au hor of "The Diaboliad," is engaged upon a work to be published in four volumes, which will include biographical sketches of eminent characters, and the hiftory of the most confiderable events of the prefent reign.

Captain DAVID COLLINS, of the marines, judge advocate, and fecretary of the colony, has announced for speedy publication, " An Account of the Englijb Colony in New South Wales," from the departure of the first embarkation in the year 1787, to the 29th of September 1796: with occasional remarks on the natives of New Holland, from actual obfervation. He propofes to add an Account of New Zealand and its Inhabitants, taken, by permiflion, from the MSS. of Lieutenant Governor King.

Mr. ALLWOOD, fellow of Magdalen college, has circulated propofals for publifhing by subscription, a work on "The Literary Antiquities of Greece:" as developed in an attempt to afcertain princi ples for a new analyfis of the Greek tongue; and to exhibit thofe principles as applied to the elucidation of many paflages in the ancient hiftory of that country. To which he propofes to add, fome obfervations concerning the origin of feveral of the literal characters in ufe among the Grecians.

The

The novel of Mifs CLARKE, the grand-daughter of the late Col. Frederic, will be published in the courfe of the month.

Mrs. ROBINSON has announced a complete edition of her poetical works, in three volumes 8vo. The terms of fubfcription one guinea.

A third volume of the work under the title of "The Comparative Display of British Opinions respecting the French Revolution," is preparing for the prefs.

The firit volume of Mr. MILNER'S History of Winchester is in confiderable forwardness at prefs.

The Hiftory of the City of Bath, by Mr. WARNER, author of " An Hluflration of the Roman Antiquities of Bath," &c. embellished with engravings, will be ready for publication about Michaelmas

next.

Mifs HAYS, the author of "Emma Courtney, &c." has prepared for publication a novel under the title of "The Victim of Prejudice.

Mr. THELWALL, in his retreat in Brecknockshire, is engaged upon a novel, and alfo upon a hiftory of his own life and times.

A very interefting journal of occurrences in the Temple, during the confinement of Louis XVI. king of France, is extracted from M. CLERY, the king's valet de chambre, and the last and only fervant of the royal family. At the end of the work fac-fimiles will be given of the hand-writing of the queen, of the young king Louis XVII. of Madame Royale, and of Madame Elizabeth, from two notes written while they were confined in the tower of the Temple, to the prefent king of France, and to the count d'Artois, now Monfieur.

Mr. BOOSEY has announced a new and fplendid edition of “Glover's Leonidas,” to be printed in two voluines by Mr. BENSLEY, and to be embellished with fix engravings, executed in the moft finished manner by Meffrs. Bartolozzi, Heath, Holloway, Neagle, and Delatre; from the defigns of Meflrs. Hamilton, Stothard, and Burney.

We have feen in London, a copy of the first part of DIDOT's magnificent Virgil, and confider it, in respect to its typography and engravings, as ftanding altogether unrivalled. It will be completed in three parts, at nine pounds each for proof plates, or at fix pounds each for plates which are not proof: the price to be advanced after the 10th of May. This work alone ferves to evince, that the

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arts were never more fuccessfully cultivated in France than they are at the prefent moment.

In the fitting of the National Institute, held at Paris on the 6th of last October, after reading the memoirs of the three claffes, which were noticed at length. in the preceding numbers of the "Monthly Magazine," Citizen VILLARS, fecretary to the third, and LASSUS, fecretary to the firft clafs, delivered a discourse in honour of LOUVET and PELLETIER *. GUYTON read an interefting memoir upon vegetable substances, made use of for the purposes of dying; which was fucceeded by a differtation by MONGES, on the inferiptions of coins and medals. ROEDERER, as the organ of the fecond clafs, delivered fome obfervations on the. prize fubject, Who are the most proper inftructors to regulate the morals of a nation? MOLE read a dialogue between two journalists, on the application of the words monfieur and citizen. LEBRUN terminated the fittings with reciting two odes, one against anarchy, the other against royalty.

The fittings were divided into two feffions, to give an opportunity of publicly rewarding the pupils in painting, fculp-ture, and architecture, to whom the prizes had been adjudged in their respective fchools. The following is a lift of the prize tubjects, with the names of the fuccefsful competitors:

1. Painting. Subject, the death of Cato of Utica, in the moment when this illuftrious patriot recovers from his fwoon, puthes away the phyfician, opens his wound with his own hands, and expires in the very act of tearing his entrails. The grand prize was adjudged to, 1. PIERRE BOUILLON, a native of Thiviers, in the department of Dordogne, and a pupil of MONSIAU. 2. To PIERRENARCISSE GUERIN, of París, a pupil of REGNAULT. 3. LOUIS ANDRE GABRIEL BOUCHE, of Paris, a pupil of DAVID. The second prize was allotted to, 1. LOUIS HERSENT, of Paris, a pupil· of REGNAULT. 2. MATTHIEU IGNACE VAN BREE, a native of Antwerp, in the department of Deux-Nieuvres, and a pupil of VINCENT.

11. Sculpture. Subject, Ulyffes and Neoptolemus purloining the bow and arrows of Hercules, to compel Philoctetes to accompany them in their expedition againit Troy. The grand prize was

A biographical notice of this excellent chymiit was given in the Monthly Magazine” for February last.

awarded

awarded to CHARLES ANTOINE CALLAMARD, of Paris, a pupil of PAJOU. The fecond prize, 1. TO AIME MILHOMME, of Valenciennes, in the department of the North, and a pupil of ALLEGRAIN. 2. TO JEAN LOUIS DUVAL, of Paris, a pupil of BoizƏT.

111. Architecture. Subject, plan of public granaries for the fupply of a large city, fituated on the banks of a river. The grand prize was adjudged, 1. to LOUIS AMBROISE DUBut, of Paris, a pupil of LEDOUX. 2. JEAN ANTOINE COUSSIN, of Paris, a pupil of the late BELIZARD. Second prize, 1. To ELO LABARRE, a native of Qurfcamp, in the department of L'Oife, and a pupil of RAIMOND. 2. MAXIMILIEN HUR TAUT, of Paris, a pupil of PERCIER, Thofe pupils who obtained the grond prize, are to let out for Italy to perfect themfeives in the arts, at the expence of the republic.

M. QUATREMER DISJONVAL, whofe ingenious difcoveries in arancology we noticed in our VARIETIES for January laft, has, in a fubfequent publication, treated of the great utility of fpiders in protecting cattle, and more especially horfes, from the bite of flies and gnats. It is a common prejudice, he observes, that fpiders are noxious animals; whereas, in fact, a more useful appendage to a ftable, or a cow-houfe, cannot be found. It is well known, that hories which are kept in aftable during the fummer months, fuffer from the gnats and flies, in an equal, and even in a greater degree, than thote which are employed in the field, or for the purpotes of travelling. The reafon of this is obvious: the vapours which exhale from the animals, added to the strong finell of a stable or a cow-houfe, naturally attract the flies in numbers to thofe places. If, therefore, fpiders, inttead of being fwept away and deftroyed, were rather en couraged, they would offer an effectual remedy to this inconvenience, by ftationing themselves in ambush at the doors, the windows, and other apertures of places defined for the reception of cattle and horfes, and thus destroying their enemy at his very firit oniet. M. DISJONVAL concludes in the following words: "I readily acknowledge, that fpiders and their webs are no proper appendage to the habitations of men; but I require, that they be left in full and undisturbed :poffeffion of all places deftined for the reception of cattle and horfes. In a word, as revolution feems to be the order of the day, I demand, that the innovation lately

adopted in the adminiftration of the perral code, by tranfporting, instead of executing the proferibed deputies, be adopted likewife with respect to spiders; and that their punishment, when found in our rooms and houses, confift not in death, but in banishment to the ftables, or other appro priate places."-M. DISJONVAL has fubjoined to the above remarks, a very curious fact, of which himself, together with Citizen MERCIER, a member of the council of five hundred, and General BELAIR, were eye-witnesses. The spider, it feems, is not only a prognofticator of the weather, but likewife an amateur of good mufic, and will leave his hurking place, when an inftrument is kilfully played. A very large fpider in the house of M. DESMAINVILLES, near the barrier of Clichy, on hearing the found of mufic, immediately left his retreat, and continued to traverse the floor of the room, following exactly the motions of the performer. This experiment was feveral times repeated, and always with the fame effect. Hence, inftead of terming the spider a noxious and offensive animal, we ought rather to join in the panegyric bestowed upon this ingenious infect by Ovid: feires a Pallade doctam.

GUYTON, in the 71ft number of the Annales de Chemie has introduced the following interefting obfervations on the acid of tin, and the analysis of its ores: It has long, he says, been observed, that the concentrated nitric acid oxidates without diffolving tin: for this metal has fo ftrong an affinity for oxygen, that it immediately decompofes the nitric acid into oxygen and nitrous gas. If the acid be mixed with water, the oxidation of the metal is ftill more rapid, accompanied with the evolution of nitrate of ammoniac, produced by the hydrogen of the water, and the azote of the nit. gas, united with a fmall portion of nitrous acid. If nitrous acid be added, as long as it continues to be decompofed, the oxide of tin at length. affines the characters of an acid, and is converted into the ftannic acid. If to a folution of gold in nitro-muriatic acid, a few drops of the ftannic acid be added, a purple powder is precipitated, formerly called purple powder of caffius, and which, in reality, is ftannate of gold, produced by fingle elective attraction. In KLAPROTH's analyfis of the ores of tin, parti-cularly that fpecies which is called wood tin, he was unable to caufe any portion of it to diffolve in the muriatic acid: this he attributed to an excess of oxygen in the

ore,