1799.] THE EOYAL INSTITUTION. 121 



THE PROPOSALS FOR FORMING BY SUBSCRIPTION, IN THE ME- 

 TROPOLIS OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE, A PUBLIC INSTITUTION 

 FOR DIFFUSING THE KNOWLEDGE AND FACILIATING THE 

 GENERAL INTRODUCTION OF USEFUL MECHANICAL INVENTIONS 

 AND IMPROVEMENTS, AND FOR TEACHING BT COURSES OP 

 PHILOSOPHICAL LECTURES AND EXPERIMENTS THE APPLICATION 

 OF SCIENCE TO THE COMMON PURPOSES OF LIFE WERE THESE : 



THE two great objects of the Institution being the 

 speedy and general diffusion of the knowledge of all new 

 and useful improvements, in whatever quarter of the world 

 they may originate ; and teaching the application of scientific 

 discoveries to the improvement of arts and manufactures 

 in this country, and to the increase of domestic comfort and 

 convenience, these objects will be constantly had in view, 

 not only in the arrangement and execution of the plan, but 

 also in the future management of the Institution. 



As much care will be taken to confine the establish- 

 ment within its proper limits as to place it on a solid foun- 

 dation, and to render it an ornament to the capital and an 

 honour to the British nation. 



In the execution of the plan it is proposed to proceed in 

 the following manner : 



A place having been fixed on by the managers for form- 

 ing the Institution, 



Spacious and airy rooms will be prepared for the re- 

 ception and public exhibition of all such new and me- 

 chanical inventions and improvements as shall be thought 

 worthy of the public notice, and more especially of all 

 such contrivances as shall tend to increase the conve- 

 niences and comforts of life, to promote domestic economy, 

 to improve taste, or to promote useful industry. 



The most perfect models of the full size will be pro- 

 vided and exhibited in different parts of this public re- 

 pository of all such new mechanical inventions and im- 



