1820.] Scientific Intelligence. 315 



XI. Bristol Literary and Philosophical Institution. 



On Feb. 29, the ceremony of laying the foundation stone of a 

 new and magnificent building for literary and philosophical 

 purposes in Bristol was attended by the Mayor, W. Fripp, Jun. 

 Esq. the Sheriffs, and a numerous assemblage of gentlemen, 

 some of the most distinguished for wealth and talent in Bristol. 

 The company met their Chief Magistrate at the Council House, 

 and thence proceeded with a band of music, and the insignia of 

 the city, to the ground ; and afterward returned in similar proces- 

 sion to the Merchants' Halls to dinner. 



The site of this building is at the west end of the bottom of 

 Park-street, one of the finest streets in Bristol. It is intended 

 for the building to " contain a spacious lecture room, with a 

 laboratory adjoining; a room of noble dimension destined for a 

 library ; two apartments which may be appropriated, the one for 

 an exhibition room, the other for a museum ; a reading room for 

 reviews, pamphlets, newspapers, &c. ; some other apartments 

 for subsidiary purposes, and accommodation for a resident guar- 

 dian of the building." 



It has been for several years in contemplation to form a philo- 

 sophical society in Bristol, after the example of London, Edin- 

 burgh, Liverpool, Dublin, and some other great towns of the 

 empire ; but from the intervention of some causes or other circum- 

 stances have continually occurred to delay the execution of so 

 desirable an object. There is now, however, but little doubt, 

 from the zeal which is manifested by the inhabitants of Bristol, 

 for addmg so useful an Institution to the city, and so great an 

 ornament to its taste and opulence, that what the friends of this 

 Institution have been so long, so sedulously, and so laudably 

 endeavouring to effect will be attended with the completest 

 success. It is unnecessary to enter into a det^nl of the advan- 

 tages to society, comnaerce, and the arts, which have been 

 uniformly derived in other places from establishments of this 

 kind ; they are too famihar to every well informed mind to need 

 any comment or observation. Justice, however, requires it 

 should be known, that the patrons of this Institution have formed 

 their plans upon the broadest basis of enlightened hberahty. 

 Besides the cultivation and diffusion of the nobler sciences, and 

 the prosecution of whatever is likely to be of real service or 

 utility to the community and the rising generation, they intend 

 to make this Institution a focus, in which to collect and concen- 

 trate, not only the scattered rays of the genius and abihty of 

 Bristol, but also of all true lovers of scientific pursuits ; to con- 

 fine their patronage to no particular branch or branches of 

 sciences, but to extend and afford the utmost encouragement for 

 the development of talent in every department of useful know- 

 ledge and literature. 



