224 THE ROYAL INSTITUTION OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



to science and desirons of promoting its progress ; its principal objects being : 

 (1) To stimulate to scientitic and literary researches ; (2) to teach the princi- 

 ples of inductive and experimental science ; (3) to show the application of these 

 principles to the di'fferent arts of life ; (4) to afford opportunities for study. It 

 comprises : 



1. Public lectures, designed to sujiply Avhat hooks or private instruction can 

 rarely give, namel}', experimental exhibitions, comprehensive designs or detailed 

 descriptions of objects connected with science or art. They usually embrace a 

 short course at Christmas,* and at least six courses, before and after Easter, the 

 season extending from the middle of January to the middle of June. The 

 usual subjects of these courses are some of the branches of the science of induc- 

 tion, such as mechanics, chemistry, heat, light, electricity, astronomy, geology, 

 botany, and physiology. There are also, on occasion, courses upon subjects of 

 general interest, such as literature, the fine arts, and musict 



2. WceJcli/ meetings of the members of the Institution. These meetings take 

 place every Friday evening during the season. They were established in 1826, 

 the members having each the privilege of introducing two of his friends by 

 ticket. The object of these reunions is to bring into contact men of letters and 

 savants, and to furnish the opportunity of comnmnicating, by discourses in the 

 amphitheatre, either new views or new applications of known truths, or of 

 demonstrating experimentally and of rendering familiar by description new 

 results which have been recently recorded in the scientific memoirs of philosophic 

 societies. Extracts from these discourses, prepared by the speakers, are printed 

 in the Proceedings of the Royal Institution, a copy of which is sent to each 

 member. The Proceedings began to appear in 1851 ; they constitute a sequel 

 to the Journals of the Institution, which began to be published in 1802, but 

 had undergone long interruptions. 



3. A laboratory, for the cultivation and advancement of the chemical and 

 electiical sciences, b}' means of original investigations and experiments. It is 

 in this laboratory that the researches of Davy and of Faraday, as has been 

 already said, were made, embracing a period of more than half a century. 



4. A library of about 33,000 volumes,| comprising the best editions of the 

 Greek and Latin writers and of the fathers of the Church ; histories of the Eng- 

 lish counties ; works of science and literature, of art and archeology ; memoirs 

 of the principal scientific academies and institutions of the world, with numerous 

 historical and other treatises. 



5. A reading hall for study. Here are to be found various series of memoirs 

 tmd scientific publications, Avhether English, French, German, or Italian, and a 

 great number of works relating to the natural, medical and mathematical sciences. 



G. A reading-room for journals, furnished with the principal reviews, maga- 

 zines, and journals of England, France, and Germany. The Institution sub- 

 scribes to a circulating librar^^ with the view of giving the members an oppor- 

 tunity of seeing the newest works as soon as published. 



7. A museum, containing a large selection of specimens of mineralogy and 

 geology, collected hy Davy, Hatchett, Wollaston, &c., and much of the original 

 apparatus employed by Cavendish, Davy, Faraday, and others who have been 



* This course has been long given by Mr. Faraday; it was specially designed for a juve- 

 nile audience and comprised six lectures, the subjects of whi''.ii for the years 1837-'58 to 

 1860-'G1 were : Static electricity ; the properties of metals ; the diiferent forces of matter ; 

 the chemical theory of a candle. 



i Of these courses those which liave obtained most success in late years are : a course in 

 nine lectures on the History of Italy in the Middle Ages, given in 1858 by SI. Lacaita ; and 

 a course in nine lectures on the Science of Ldnguagc, given in 18G1 by M. Max MuUer, and 

 which has been printed and translated into French. 



X Tills is the enumeration for 18t)3 ; it must be now much greater. A new catalogue of 

 the library, accompanied by an index of authors and subjects, has been published by the 

 keeper, Mr. Vincent. It includes a chronological list of pamphlets, dating from the reign 

 of James I. 



