" TJie World-Renowned GottvertcUiens Le,ricini?' EDIN REVIEW. 



NEW ISSUE, WITH EIGHT ADDITIONAL MAPS, 



BEING THE TWENTIETH EDITION OF ONE THOUSAND EACH. 

 THE 



POPULAR ENCYCLOPEDIA, 



OR 



" tfonbrt oat tons 



BEING A GENERAL DICTIONARY OF 



WITH DISSERTATIONS ON THE 



PROGRESS OF SCIENCE, LITERATURE, AND THE FINE ARTS, 



BY THOMAS THOMSON, M.D., F.R.S., &c. 



REGIUS PROFESSOR OP CHEMISTRY IN THE UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW ; 



SIR DANIEL K. SANDFORD, D.C.L. &c. 



PROFESSOR OF GREEK IN THE UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW; 



AND ALLAN CUNNINGHAM, ESQ. 



AUTHOR OF " LIVES OF BRITISH PAINTERS," ETC. ETC. 



TERMS OF PUBLICATION. 



The Work is Printed on Royal 8vo , and will be completed, including 1 Supplement and Index, in Fifty-six Parts, 2s. Cd. eaoli, 

 or Fourteen Half Volumes, at 11s. Illustrated by numerous Maps, Plates, and Diagrams. A Half Volume will be Pub- 

 lished Monthly. 



THE " CONVERSATIONS LEXICON " was originally published in Germany about fifteen years ago, under the 

 superintendence of several distinguished German literati: and such has been its popularity, that although a 

 Work consisting of TWELVE large volumes it has already gone through SEVEN EDITIONS in that country. It 

 has also been translated into the Danish, Swedish, Dutch, Italian, and French Languages, and is altogether 

 the most popular Work, of an extensive nature, upon the Continent. Nor is its reputation greater than its 

 merits: for in completeness of information, accuracy of statement, impartiality of opinion, an'd elegance of 

 language, it is equalled by no Work of a similar nature in the world. Unlike other Encyclopedias, it does 

 not pay a disproportioned attention to the Sciences and then- technicalities, but disposes of each and all of its 

 subjects according to then: relative importance. It partakes, indeed, of much of that cosmopolitanism which 

 is said to distinguish the German character, being universal in its sympathies, as it is unlimited in its scope. 

 In Biography, History, Geography, Statistics, Commerce, and the Fine Arts, it is particularly complete; and 

 it abounds in articles upon familiar and fire-side subjects, which are not to be found treated of elsewhere, and 

 which bestow upon the Work a peculiar charm and interest. 



In bringing out an edition of a work which has attained such unprecedented popularity on the Continent 

 of Europe. and the United States of America, the Publishers have spared no exertion or expense to render it 

 worthy of British patronage. Their first object has been, to present the public with a faithful edition of the 

 original, for it is upon that certainly, that the great claims of their publication to distinction must eventually 

 rest. No work of similar dimensions has ever enjoyed so wide a popularity in Europe as the Conversations 

 Lexicon ; and with the knowledge of this fact, the Publishers have felt the propriety of retaining in their 

 edition almost the entire original, in the persuasion that what has been so highly estimated elsewhere, can 

 scarcely prove valueless in this country. The recommendation which it carries with it must be applicable to 

 every quarter. This they felt more particularly when they came to prepare the work for the press. The 

 information which it contained they found to be so new and complete so far surpassing in extent and 

 freshness of source, that of any British publication ; the method of arrangement and language they found to 

 be so unexceptionable that they considered it would be worse than useless to remodel or materially alter the 

 work, and that any affectation of doing so would be its condemnation. They, therefore, resolved to keep very 

 faithfully to the original; and they are thus enabled to present the British public,/br Hie first time, with an 

 English edition of the Conversations Lexicon. 



Nearly Two Hundred of the most eminent German writers contributed to the original Work ; and the Ame- 

 rican edition, upon which the present is formed, has been improved by a variety of original articles from emi- 

 nent American writers, so that this edition will combine the excellencies both of the original and translated 

 copies. To render it still more Worthy of public favour, and especially to suit it to the wants and interests of 

 this country, it is carefully revised, and such additions made to it as arc considered necessary for the English 

 reader. These, of themselves, (besides the Original Dissertations,) will constitute nearly one- fourth of the 

 book, so that, independent of its cosmopolitan character, the reader may count on the fullest and most recent 

 information on all subjects connected with the British empire. 



In bestowing upon the present edition the title of Tfie Popular Encyclopedia, the Publishers consider them- 

 selves justified, not only by the nature of the Work, which is in every respect popular, being adapted to all 

 tastes and necessities, but by the the fact of its popularity, which exceeds that of any other work of the kind 

 in Europe. More than one hundred tliousand copies have been sold in Germany alone, and it is making equal 

 progress throughout the other countries of Europe and the States of America. This fact may be considered 

 as a guarantee of its usefulness; but that notliing may be wanting to render the present edition acceptable, 

 it will be illustrated with Plates and Diagrams when necessary, the want of these having been found the only 

 desideratum in the former editions of the work. [For Reviews see following pages.] 



BLACKIE AND SON, QUEEN STREET, GLASGOW : 



SOUTH COLLEGE STTtF.ffT, EDINBURGH ; AND WARWICK SQUARE, LONDON. 



