INSTITUTION. 
ton be afterwards induced, it is void, and he hath but a 
mere pofleffion; but a church is not full againft the king 
till ind.uB.ion. % Injl. 358. 1 Rol. Rep. 151. When a bifliop 
hath given inftitution to a clerk, he ifiues his mandate for 
induction; and, if the archbifhop ftiould inhibit the arch¬ 
deacon to induCt the clerk thus inftituted, he may do it 
notwithftanding. The firft beginning of inftitutions to 
henefices, was in a national fynod held at Weftminfter, 
anno 1124- For patrons did originally fill all churches 
by collation and livery; till this power was taken from 
them by canons. Seldon's Hifl. of Tithes. 
INSTITUTION, in literature, denotes fyftem of 
the elements or rules of any art or fcierice. Thus phy- 
fical or medicinal inftkutions are fueh as teach thi necef- 
fary prceeognita to the praCtice of medicine, or the cure 
of difeafes. The fame word (derived from the National 
I-nJlitute of France, or from the Injlituto of Bologna) has 
lately been brought into ufe as the name of certain lbcie- 
ties eftabliflied for teaching and encouraging improve¬ 
ments in the arts and fciences. Hence we have, 
1. The Royal Institution, eftabliflied in the year 
1800. The plan was firft projected by count Rumford ; 
and it would feem, that for fome years this active philan- 
thropift and philofopher had contemplated the practica¬ 
bility of the fcheme, of which he had fketched a rude out¬ 
line in a correfpondence with another enlightened and be¬ 
nevolent character, Mr. Bernard, treafurer of the Found¬ 
ling Hofpital, a gentleman well known as an aCtive mem¬ 
ber of the Society for bettering the Condition of the Poor. 
The flownefs with which improvements of any kind 
make their way into common ufe, and efpecially fuch im¬ 
provements as are molt calculated to be of general utility, 
had ftrongly attracted the attention of the count. The 
greateft obltacles to the improvement of the uleful arts 
and manufactures, appeared to be the want of elementary 
information in them. They can move on in the beaten 
track in which they have been inftruCted ; but, for want 
of a knowledge of the principles on which their refpec- 
tive arts depend, they can make no material improve¬ 
ment in them ; whereas it was to be prefumed, that if the 
principles of mechanics and chemiltry could be taught on 
an extenfive fcale, fo that the knowledge of them might 
be widely diffufed, rapid improvements muff follow. One 
oreat objeCt to be had in view, was therefore to teach, by 
courfes of philofophical leftures and experiments, the 
principles of faience, and their application to the improve¬ 
ment of arts and manufactures, as well as the common 
conveniences of life. Another important objeCt was, fa¬ 
cilitating the general introduction of ufeful mechanical 
inventions and improvements. The belt mode of attain¬ 
ing this end feemed to be, to have public rooms for the 
exhibition of pll fuch new mechanical inventions and im¬ 
provements as might be thought worthy of the public no¬ 
tice, and more efpecially of fuch contrivances as tend to 
increafe the conveniences and comforts of life; to pro¬ 
mote domeftic economy, to improve tafte, and to advance 
ufeful induftry. By procuring a collection of the com¬ 
pleted working models, or conitruCtions of the full fize, 
of all fuch mechanical inventions as were likely to be ufe- 
ful, formed on the molt approved principles, and kept in 
aCtual ufe, it was to be prefumed, that the advantage to 
workmen, who would thus lee what they were to imitate, 
would be great. To complete this grand fcheme, it was 
propofed to publiih frequently an account of ufeful dif- 
coveri.es; not only of thofe which might be madeby the 
Inftitution, and in this country, but in every part of the 
world. By thel'e means, the benefits of the Inftitution 
would by no means be confined to the metropolis, but by 
a quick circulation of ufeful difcoveries would extend its 
influence to the remoteft corner of the Britifh dominions, 
and to the whole world. 
The firft.regular meeting was held at the houfe of the 
president of the Royal Seciety. Here it received a regular 
form; a confiderable fum o.f money was fnbfcribsd, and a 
plan drawn up, and directed to be publifned. This was 
147 
no fooner done, than fubfcribers flocked in from all quar¬ 
ters, and the founders perceived that it would foon be in 
their power to conduCt their favourite fcheme on an ex¬ 
tenfive fcale; and, as their funds were already refpeCtable, 
they purchafed an extenfive building in Albemarle-ftreet, 
which they fitted up fo as to anfwer the prefent purpofe. 
It was neceflary, however, that the fociety fhould be in¬ 
corporated, not only that their property might be fecure, 
but that the laws which might be framed for the govern¬ 
ment of the Inftitution might be properly enforced. For 
this purpofe a petition was prefented to the king, praying 
that he would grant them a charter of incorporation, with 
certain rights and privileges, as is ufual in fuch cafes. 
To this he was not only gracioufty pleafed to affent, but 
defired he might be confidered as the patron of the efta- 
blifliment, and that it might be called the Royal Inftitu¬ 
tion. By this charter, which is dated the 30th of Janu¬ 
ary, 1800, the members of the Inftitution are conftituted 
a body politic and corporate, by the name of The Royal 
Institution of Great Britain. 
The government of the Inftitution is vefted in the com¬ 
mittee of managers, confifting of the prefrdent, fifteen ma¬ 
nagers, and the fecretary, chofen by and from among the 
hereditary proprietors; of thefe fifteen managers, one 
third are elected annually, on the firft of May. There is 
alfb a committee of vilitors, confifting of fifteen vifitors, 
and the treafurer, defied at the fame time with the ma¬ 
nagers, one third of whom are renewed annually. 
The houfe of the Inftitution, fituated in Albemarle- 
ftreet, is extremely fpacious, and well adapted to the pur- 
pofesto which it is applied. On entering the hall on the 
right, is the room in which the proprietors and fubfcribers 
read the foreign newfpapers. This room opens into tha^ 
reading-library, containing periodical publications, and 
the books prefented by various gentlemen fince the open¬ 
ing of the Inftitution. On the left of the hall is the 
clerk’s office; beyond which is the room where the pro¬ 
prietors and fubfcribers read the Englifh newfpapers. 
Beyond the hall is the room which contains the collection, 
of minerals. Afcending the ftaircafe, which is extremely 
beautiful, on turning to the right is the apparatus-room, 
communicating with the theatre, in which the leClures 
are delivered, the road to which is by a gallery fur- 
rounding it. The theatre is femicircular, and is fitted up 
with rifinjj benches, with cufliions, for the accommo¬ 
dation of feven hundred perfons ; and there is a gallery- 
round it which will hold two hundred more. It is lighted, 
by a lantern, which has a moveable fcreen for the pur¬ 
pofe of fhutting out the light, which is fometimes necef- 
fary in fliowing fome particular experiments. On the 
fecond floor are apartments for the profefTor and thofe 
belonging to the eftablifhment, to whom the managers 
have thought proper to allot rooms for their more con-' 
venient attendance. On the left of the ftaircafe is the 
room which was lately the fmall lecture-room, now fitted 
up for the library and collection of reference. This is 
one of the branches of the Inftitution which does the 
promoters of it confiderable honour. On the bafement 
ftory is the chemical laboratory, fitted up according to. 
the plan of one of the managers, on a fcale of magnitude 
hitherto not attempted in this country, with fuitable ac¬ 
commodations for the fubfcribers who may attend the 
experimental leCtures delivered here by the profelTor of 
chemiftry. 
The library, which is fourteen feet high, and forty- 
eight feet long, is fitted up with a gallery for the conve- 
niency of reaching the books. It is furnifhed with a 
great number of l'carce and valuable historical, claftical, 
and faientific, works. By the deatli of Thomas Aftte, ,efq. 
an opportunity prefented itfelf of enriching the collection 
with his ineltimable. library, confifting of ail the nioft va¬ 
luable books relating to the topography, antiquities, par¬ 
liamentary and nurnifmatic hi ftory, and 1'ubjeCts that re¬ 
late to the hiltory of Great Britain, which the patrons, 
purchafed of his executors. The proprietors iubfcribing 
10c]. 
