Royal Inftitution of Great Britain, 8$ 



The fecond, or principal reading-room, which is 26 feet 

 Jong, by 24 wide, has been fitted up in a very complete and 

 elegant manner, and furnifhed with neat book -cafes, which 

 now extend round three (ides of the room, affording fpace for 

 more than 3800 volumes. This arrangement has rendered 

 it poflible to allow the fecond lecture-room (which at fome 

 future period is to become the library) to remain for fome 

 time longer in its prefent Mate; and it will no doubt be found 

 very ufeful for giving, occafionallv, lectures on particular fub- 

 jects, unconnected with the general courfes of lectures that 

 are regularly given in the great lecture-room by the profeflbrs 

 and lecturers of the Inftitution. This fecond lecture-room 

 will likewife be found very convenient for the meetings of 

 the committees of the Inftitution, and for exhibiting new 

 experiments to felect meetings of fcientific men. 



But to return to the principal reading-room. The accom- 

 modations for thofe who frequent this room have been greatly 

 augmented fince the laft year. There are now two long ma- 

 hogany tables (each 1 1 peel in length, and 3 feet 10 inches 

 wide), covered with green cloth, which are placed parallel 

 to each other, on oppofite fides of the room ; and each of 

 thefe tables is well lighted at night by an elegant Grecian 

 lamp of three branches, fufpended by a chain from the ceiling 

 of the room, and covered with a fhade of white filk. 



On thefe tables are found no lefs than 54 foreign and do- 

 meftic, fcientific and literary periodical publications, which 

 are regularly taken in. 



The books in the library of the Inftitution have been con- 

 fiderably increafed during the laft year, both by prefents and 

 bv hew purchafes. 



The principal reading-room has been ornamented by an 

 elegant buft of his majefty, our moft gracious fovereign, 

 patron of the Inftitution; and by the bufts of thofe great hi* 

 minaries of fcience, Bacon, and the immortal Newton. 



With regard to the public opinion refpecting the Inftitu- 

 tion, I have the moft fenfible fatisfaction in being able to lay 

 before the managers and vifitors indifputable proofs of its 

 growing reputation. The reading-rooms and lectures at the 

 houfe of the Inftitution are eoufiderably more frequented this 

 year than they ever have been before; and, although the 

 prices of proprietors' {hares, and of life and annual fubferip- 

 tions, have been eoufiderably raifed, the lifts of proprietors 

 and fubferibers have, during the laft ten months, been aug- 

 mented bv no lefs than 154 new names, as wiH appear by 

 the following ftatement. 



F % There 



