12 



rommendalion of Handel, Hayden, Mozarl, &c. and enume- 

 rated the most esteemed musical composers and performer* of the 

 present day. 



Juli/\b. — Mr. Wilkinson read to the Society a Lecture on the 

 nature and use of Lan<;uage : the Lecture intended to be deli- 

 vered being postponed. 



July 29. — Mr. Wilkinson deliyered the 5th of a series of Lec- 

 tures ou the History of England. The period was from William 

 the 1st, to Henry the 3rd ; nnd the subject the Constitution and 

 Government, and the state of Jurisprudence and Learning. He 

 took a view of the most important chaniies introduced at the con- 

 quest, and of the alterations subsequently made ; in the course 

 of which he noticed the ch.mges made in the ranks of men in So- 

 ciety, — in their political and other circumstances, — in the tenures 

 of their Estates, — and in their Magistrates, Courts, and Laws ;— 

 dwelling particularly on the feudal sjstem of Police and Govern- 

 ment, the constitutions of Clarendon, and that great Palladium 

 of English Liberty, Magna Charta. Mr. W. concluded with a 

 reTiew of the State of Learning, and of the causes which led to 

 its improvement. 



August 12. — Mr. W. H. Weekes delivered a Lecture in conti- 

 nuation of a series on Carbonic Acid Gas. Prior to entering oo 

 his subject Mr. \V. introduced an apparatus of simple construc- 

 tion, for an easy and economical mode of preparing the Chloride 

 of Soda, which is coming into repute as a disinfectant — He com- 

 menced his enquiry into the nature of Caibonic Acid Gas, with 

 the history of its discovery, its several forms of existence in a 

 state of nature, and its combination with the substances consti- 

 tuting the crust of our globe. He then dwelt on the Analysis of 

 Earthy Carbonates, introducing in illustration several specimen! 

 from the mineral cases of the Society's Museum, with some beau- 

 tiful stalactilic formations. Some pleasing experimental illustra- 

 tions followed of the synthetical production of Carbonic Acid 

 Gas, from the combustion of Charcoal in Oxygen, its specific 

 gravity, its characteristic property of extinguishing flame, with 

 remarks on the fatality of its operation on animal life and the 

 best means of restoring persons who had been subjected to its 

 baneful effects. In conclusion a peculiar form of that singu- 

 lar preparation called Pjrophorus, was introduced, which exhi- 

 bits a brilliant shower of spoutaneous fire, when shaken from a 

 tube into the Atmosphere, and encreased splendour when pre- 

 cipitated into a Jar of Oxygen. 



August 26. — Mr. James Fletcher delivered a Lecture on the 

 Greek Poets and Dramatists. After a few general observation* 

 on Grecian Literature, Mr. F. in continuation of a previous Lec- 

 ture on the Lyric Poets, examined the odes of the great Theban. 

 Bard, Pindar, and gave extracts from them in illustration of 

 their style of thought and language, with remarks on their pecu-. 

 liar defects and excellencies. On passing to the Dramatists, the 

 works of CEschylus, Sophocles and Euripides, among the Tragic, 

 and Aristophanes among the Comic Authors, were examined id 

 the same manner. The pastoral Poetry of Sicily formed the 

 concluding part of the Lecture, and afi'orded many beautiful te- 



