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fiovemher 10.— Mr. John Brent, Junior, delivored a Lec- 

 ture on the Literature of the Ancient Greeks, which \\^ 

 Commenced with remarks on the early influence of Poetry, 

 its antiquity in respect to other branches of Literature, and 

 the perfection to which it arrived in the warlike and heroic 

 ag^es amongst the Countrymen of Homer. A brief account 

 was then given of the writings of those Poets, to whom 

 Greece owed so much of her fame and glory in after times. 

 The Drama of the Ancients came next under review, and 

 the splendid creations of jEschylus were contrasted with the 

 dramatic excellencies of Sophocles. This part of the sub- 

 ject was concluded with remarks on Euripides, and other 

 tragic poets. The Old Comedy was then described, together 

 with the productions of Aristophanes and other successful 

 writers in this department of Literature. The Lecturer 

 concluded his subject by giving examples, original and se- 

 lected, illustrative of the nature and excellence ofthe Ancient 

 Greek Drama. 



November 17,— Mr. W. H. Weekes delivered a Lecture on 

 the Phenomena exhibited by Oxygen in combination with 

 Metals. 



After some prefatory observations, Mr. W. said he in- 

 tended to occupy the attention of the Institution that evening, 

 by examining minutely into the phenomena which obtain 

 from a union of the Metals with the elementary body called 

 Oxygen, from the combination of which arose a most inter- 

 esting and valuable class of forms denominated Oxides. In 

 the present state of our knowledge we were necessitated to 

 consider the various metals as simple, or elementary bodies, 

 but capable, notwithstanding, of uniting with numerous 

 other substances, both gaseous and solid. With chlorine 

 they formed chlorides ; with sulphur, sulphurets ; with phos- 

 phorus, phosphurets, &c. , with carbon they constituted 

 carbonates ; and variously acted upon by oxygen they pro- 

 duced that extensive diversity of compounds, which would 

 form the subject of the evening's enquiry. Tiie lecturer then 

 explained by several familiar examples, the formation of 

 oxides by the hand of nature, and after illustrating the 

 terms employed to distinguish the several degrees of oxi- 

 dization, agreeably to the generally rec(Mved nomenclature, 

 ho proc(!eded to treat his subject under three principal 

 divisions. 



I. — On the Artificial production of Oxides. In this di- 

 vision the principal experimental demonstrations were, the 

 conil>ustion of zinc in an atmosphere of oxygen and its 

 consequent conversion to a singular and beautiful substance 

 known by the familiar name of '* Philosopher's Wool."— - 



B 



