Figure of the Earth. 159 



has attended the former " glories of the world," overwhelm, at; 

 some remote period, her proud metropolis. It must ever be re- 

 membered, that on the transmission of her scale, will depend the 

 value to posterity of eveiy attainment which she either has made, 

 or may make, in which linear measure is concerned; and that con- 

 sequently her fame and her usefulness in those distant times may 

 materially be influenced by the provision which she may now 

 make for its exact transmission. 



For these, and for other reasons which we have not space to 

 state, we should consider it highly expedient that, whenever 

 Kater's original experiments shall be repeated, for the final veri- 

 fication of the British scale, the proceedings should take place in 

 a public building, and at such a distance from any probable exten- 

 sion of dense population, as may secure a close resemblance to 

 its present state for centuries ; and that, when the pendulum of 

 that spot shall be considered as fully and satisfactorily deter- 

 mined, other nations, which may be disposed to adopt a simi- 

 lar proceeding, should be invited to a direct comparison of the 

 standards and measurements of the respective countries, not only 

 for the more perfect assurance of accuracy, but in order that the 

 places may be multiplied on the globe, at which the British mea- 

 sures may be hereafter reproducible. 



"We perceive that we have already attained our limits in the ex- 

 amination of the subjects contained in little more than half the 

 work before us : the remainder consists of geographical, hydro* 

 graphical, and magnetic notices of great interest, particularly the 

 latter : the subjects however are distinct, and require in fact to 

 be treated of separately ; we shall not, therefore, however worthy 

 they may be of notice, trespass further on the patience of our 

 readers ; but shall conclude with recommending its perusal to all 

 persons who take an interest in such investigations, as one of the 

 ablest works with which we are acquainted. 



III. Remarks on Professor Spohn's Essay De Lingua et Liter is 

 Veterum ^Egyptiorum, edited by Professor Seyjfarili, 4io. Leip- 

 zig, 1 825. In a Letter to Baron William von Humboldt. 



My Dear Sir, 



I have to thank you for the favour of your letter sent me 

 by Mr. Struve : I have delayed making this acknowledgment, until 

 I could return you some answer on the subject of Mr. Spohn, whose 

 posthumous work you mention as having engaged your attention. 

 We might suppose it to be almost impossible that a man possessed 

 of any talents should spend some years of his life in a field of lite- 



