‘96 
art. The bas relief in the front of the 
tribune exhibits two figures in a fitting 
pofture: one is Hiftory, writing the word 
Republic; the, other is Renown, publith- 
ing the great events of therevolution. Be- 
tween thefe two figures is feen the buft of 
Liberty raifed upon a pedeftal, with the 
head of Janus: the fymbol of experience 
of the pait, and forefight in the future. 
On the fide are acceflory emblems. Upon 
the fame facade in fix niches on the right 
and left of the prefident are fix flatues, 
three of the Greek legiflators, Lycurgus, 
Solon, Demofthenes, and the other three of 
the Roman legiilators, Brutus, Cato, and 
Cicero; they are at prefent only in com- 
pofition, but are to be executed in marble. 
The defk and the feat of the prefident 
are formed out of folid mahogany, de- 
corated with gilt bronze in the higheft 
fiyle’ The centre ha€ a marble pave- 
ment-floor in compartments, ornamented 
with allegoric attributes and embiems, 
and the middle of all is to be decorated 
with a Mofaic work exhibiting embleys 
of liberty. The two great doors which 
epen into the hall are of mafiy mahogany, 
with ftars of gold; their furrounding 
frames are in fine white marble, with rich 
fenlpture. ‘The circular part above the 
benches is crowned with an-lonic order 
of colunins in white ftveco, fupporting 
the arch forming the gallery of the people. 
The furthermoeft end of this part is co- 
vered with green drapery, ornamented 
svith crowms and Etrufcan borders. That 
part of the arches which relts upon the 
columns is enriched with octagonal caif- 
foons, painted in antique yellow marble, 
and turther ornamented with allegorical 
figures. ’ 
The principal fubjeéts are: 1. Nature, 
-with this exergue: La Nature feule dicie 
des lois etcrnelles; (Nature only di&ates 
eternal laws). 2d. Dhémis venge la Na- 
gure outragée; (Lhemis takes vengearice 
‘ 
for Nature abufed). ad. pee range le 
caur de P homme crininal; CNSnetis tor- 
ments the hearts of the wicked). The 
other reprefent great men, with the dates 
of the ages-in which they lived: The- 
miftocles, Socrates, Brutus, Timoiton, &c. 
The light enters the hall by an opening 
of twelve metres diameter, which takes up 
the whole fiummit of fhe arch. 
The double arch en the right, which 
terminates the Falf-circle, is decorated 
with fine grand caifloons,.in which the 
following fubjects are painted : 
1ft. The entrance of toe Gauls into Rome, 
at the moment the fenators waited for the 
conquerors in their circular chars, 
« 
Defeription of the Hall of the Council of Five Hundred. [Feb. 
2d. Regulus’s departure from Carthage. 
3d. Epaminondas refufing the prefents of 
the Perfian ambafladors. 
4th. Ariftides writing his name in the fhell 
for his own banifhment by the Oftraciim. _ 
sth. The centre is an allegory relative to 
Liberty. 

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, ame 
OUR philofophical  correfpondent 
from Bath, (Mag. for Feb. p. 26.) 
feems much furprized that DE LALANDE 
fhould have publifhed the refult of fome 
experiments on falling bodies, in which 
it is afferted that bodies fell eight lines 
and a half to the eaft of the plumb-line, 
from a height of 247 feet; and, almof 
doubting the fact, fuppoies either that the 
point at which their deicent commenced 
did mot accurately coincide with the upper 
end of the plumb-line, or that the plumb- 
line itfelf was not perpendicular. Yet it 
is an unqueltionable fact, that plumb- 
tines are perpendicular; and that the lines 
defcribed by falling bodies are not fo; for 
were it otherwile, the well-eftablifhed doc- 
trine of the motion‘of the earth, and the 
laws of matter, would be a chimera. The 
faét is explained thus:—The tower from 
which the experiment was made being 
247 feet high, it follows that the diameter 
of the circie deferibed by the upper part 
of it, in its rotation round the earth’s axis, 
is 494 feet longer than the diameter of the 
citcle defcribed by its bale. But any 
given part of a revolution is performed in 
the tame timne; therefore the velocity of 
the top of the tower mutt exceed the ve- 
locity of the bafe, in the proportion of the 
two diameters. Now, as by the firft law 
of motion every body perfeveres in its flate 
of ref, or of uniform motion, in a right line, 
unlefs it 1s compelled to change that fiate by 
Sorces inpreffed thereon, a body falling from 
the top of a. tower, will perfevere in the 
uniform horizontal velocity it acquired 
there, till it is retarded by the earth’s fur- 
face; (for the force of gravity ating in 
lines perpendicular to the horizontal mo- 
tion, will make no difference in that re- 
{pect); and that velocity, as has been 
fhewn, being greater than the velocity of 
the bafe, and the direftion being from 
weit to eaft, the body will fall to the eaft- 
ward of the bafe of the tower. 
‘There are other circumftances which 
may affect the mathematical accuracy of 
this conclufion, but which are immaterial! 
to the prefent purpofe. 
Derby, Feb, 13, 1799. W.S. 
Te 
