FOURTH MEETING. 



ROYAL INSTITUTION, December 2nd, 1844. 

 JOS. B. YATES, Esq., President, in the Chair. 



Mr. Archer exhibited the following Objects of Science : — 



1 . A specimen of Palm Tree, from Africa, called by the 



workmen " The Porcupine Tree," from the pecu- 

 liar appearance of the external bark. 



2. A Specimen of Wood Opal from St. Lucia. 



3. An extraordinary Parasitical Animal, found attached 



to the eye of a Flying Fish, and belonging to the 

 class Lernea. 



4. Two specimens of Lapis Lazuli, from Siberia, re- 



markable for their size. 

 The President read several Sonnets by Vittoria 

 Colonna, translated by Mrs. Hornblower. 



THE PAPER FOR THE EVENING WAS, 



" ON the nature and influence of modern works 



OF FICTION."— By the Rev. A. Hvme, LL.D. 



The writer regards Works of Fiction as writings which 

 do not contain Records of Fact, but narratives of occur- 

 rences which lie so completely within the limits of nature 

 and probability, that they might be facts at any time. It is 

 wrong to suppose that the tendency of such writings is 

 invariably injurious ; they are correct so far as they propose 

 to go, and give us truthful impressions in the same manner 

 as a historical picture, which may or may not be correct in 

 the grouping of individuals or of objects, but which is sup- 

 posed to be correct in costume and historic relations. Passing 



