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Literary Record.

THE Providence Conference Academy, at East Greenwich, R. I., appears by its catalogue to be in a high state of prosperity, under the management of the Rev. Robert Allyn and his able associates. It has upwards of three hundred students.

French papers announce that M. Victor Langlois, absent on a voyage of archæological discovery in Asia Minor, has discovered the tomb of the ancient poet Aratus, at Pompeiopolisand a considerable number of Greek and Armenian inscriptions, which are stated to be of great archæological value.

Just above the square, and near the Greek church at Alexandria, there has been laid open, very recently, the foundation of what is believed to be the once famous Library of Alexandria, destroyed by the caliph Omar. The ruins dug from this spot, which consist principally of bricks, are being sold for ordinary purposes. Lieut. Newenham, British Admiralty Agent, visited the spot; and he states that he saw there large quantities of calcined earth and blackened bricks, the effect of fire. Lieut. Newenham brought away with him, and has now at Southampton, a drawing from a handsome sculptured blue granite stone, found among the rubbish on this spot. The drawing represents a winged sphere, underneath which is a figure like a baboon, in a sitting posture, with uplifted hands. Below this are the figures of what are believed to be kings, over the heads of which are a quantity of hieroglyphics, seemingly a record of their names and titles.

Remarkable success has attended the introduction of a syllabic system of writing among the Cree Indians of the shores of St. James's Bay, Canada. One such syllabarium had arisen among the Cherokees in 1824, and remains a striking phenomenon in the history of American philology. Mr. Horden, an English Wesleyan missionary, has already been successful in teaching to read and write in the syllabic

system. A printing-press, with a font of sylla

bic types, has been sent out recently. The system appears equally adapted to the widelyspread tribes of the Eskimos, who fringe the whole circumpolar sea, from Behring's Straits to Labrador.

The activity of Romanism in France has called forth a counter-activity on the part of Protestants. A society (Societe de l'Histoire du Protestantisme) has been founded for the purpose of bringing to light and publishing valuable documents connected with the noble martyr history of French Protestants. Connected with the society is a periodical, (Bulletin,) of which the seventh number has appeared. In Geneva, too, the attacks of Romanism have combined Protestants into a defensive phalanx. Attacked in the most violent manner by the Catholic Abbe Combalot, the national Church of Geneva has, with the assistance of the municipal authorities, commenced a series of lectures in defense of the religious opinions which it repre

sents.

At a late meeting of the London Society of Antiquarians, Sir Henry Ellis communicated a transcript of a journal of the Earl of Sussex's journey to Vienna, in 1566, to propose the marriage of Queen Elizabeth with the Archduke Charles. The original is mutilated in many places, owing to the fire which, upward of a century ago, destroyed a portion of the Cot

tonian collections. Camden in his "Annals"

gives the political history of this journey. The journal was probably written by Sir Gilbert Dethick, by whom the emperor was invested with the Order of the Garter; it gives the names of the towns and cities at which the earl and his suite rested on their journey, with the signs of the various inns. The reception of the embassy by the emperor and empress was most courteous; its result is matter of history.

The Newbury Female Collegiate Institute, Vermont, has issued its triennial catalogue. It is under the able presidency of Rev. J. E. King, and is destined to have, we doubt not, a career of gratifying success.

M. Woepcke, (of the Academy of Inscriptions and Belles-Lettres,) at Paris, has brought to light a Greek manuscript of which the exist ence was unknown to the learned. The original is probably lost, but an Arabic translation, made by Abou Othman, the Damascene, has just turned up in an Arabic MS. in the Imperial Library. The work is a commentary on the ten books of the Elements of Euclid. The author, whose name is Valens, is posterior to Ptolemy, and is perhaps the same personage, somewhat famous as an astrologer, and known by the name of Vettius Valens. The special value of the commentary consists in its copious references to the best works of the great geometer Apollonius. M. Woëpcke has made an extract of all the passages of this description, and purposes a conjectural restitution of the writings of this greatest, except Archimedes, of the ancient mathematicians. Apollonius, it will Pamphylia, and flourished toward the year 244 be remembered, was a native of Pergamus, in

before Christ.

The Independent Order of Odd Fellows contemplate establishing a Female Collegiate Institute, at Abingdon, Va. It is proposed to erect a building to accommodate from three hundred to five hundred pupils.

An edition of the writings of Jefferson is in course of preparation by Professor Washington, of William and Mary's College, under the superintendence of the Library Committee of Congress. In 1848 the appropriations were made for the purchase of Mr. Jefferson's papers from Thomas Jefferson Randolph, the executor of Mr. Jefferson; and for printing such portions of them as the joint Library Committee of the two houses should direct. During the first session of the last Congress another appropriation of $3,000 was made toward the printing, which Taylor & Maury, booksellers in Washington, have undertaken to execute. It is not intended to make anything

like a complete publication of Mr. Jefferson's writings, but only of the more important portions of what has been, as well as what has not been, already published. It is to be printed in the size and style of the Hamilton papers.

A meeting was held at Peoria, Ill., for the purpose of taking measures to establish a Presbyterian College in that place. Success beyond expectation attended the measure. Sixty scholarships were obtained at $400 each, amounting to $24,000. It is believed that the scholarships will be increased to seventy-five.

At a late meeting of the New-York Historical Society, resolutions were passed tendering thanks for presents of books, pamphlets, and a bronze copy of the gold medal given to Henry Clay shortly before his death. A paper was read by John C. Devereux, Esq., on "William Penn considered as a lawgiver, a statesman, and eminently the apostle of civil and religious liberty."

Of 177 ministers and licentiates connected with the Mendon (Congregational) Association, Mass., during the first century of its existence, 157 were graduates of colleges. Of these 157 graduates, fifty-three, or a little over one-third, were graduates of Brown University. Dartmouth is next highest, having had 26 graduates in the Association. Yale had 23, Harvard 20, Amherst 17, and several others a smaller number.

The Directors of the New-York Mercantile Library, and the Clinton Hall Association, have agreed that the library shall be removed to Astor-place. It is proposed to demolish the Astor-place Opera House and erect a suitable library building on its site. The removal will not probably be effected until January, 1854.

The Legislature of Illinois have instructed their senators and their representatives in Congress to endeavor to procure the passage of a law by Congress donating to each of the several states public lands to the amount of $500,000, for the endowment of a system of industrial universities, one in each state, to co-operate with each other and with the Smithsonian Institution, for the more liberal practical education of our industrial classes and their teachers.

There is in the library belonging to the Academy at Germantown, Pennsylvania, the identical telescope used by General Washington at the battle of Germantown, October 4, 1777. There is in the same library a copy of the Bible, Geneva edition, 1610.

Hon. Jonathan Phillips has made the liberal donation of $10,000 to the city of Boston in aid of the public library. The income of this sum is to be annually appropriated for the purchase of books; and if, from any cause, the principal of the fund is reduced, the income is to be added until the original amount has been accumulated.

purchase, and five hundred and seventy-seven by donation. The whole number of members is 774. A new Library Hall is erecting for the association at a cost of $100,000, subscribed mainly by citizens of St. Louis, a single gentleman, Henry D. Bacon, Esq., contributing the sum of $20,000.

A collection of specimens of book-binding, from the earliest days of the art, is to be formed in the Louvre at Paris. M. Mottley, recently deceased, has started it by bequeathing a large collection which he himself had gathered.

The Boston Mercantile Library Association, which was founded in 1820, has a library of 14,000 volumes, and was never more prosperous than at present. Plans are being laid to erect a new edifice for the better accommodation of the Association, at a cost, with the land, of some $60,000. The building fund of $20,000, given by merchants some years since, has recently been largely increased by new donations, in which list the names of Abbott Lawrence, Nathan Appleton, Samuel Appleton, William Sturgis, and John P. Cushing appear, with $1,000 against each name.

Leopold Von Buch, the eminent geologist, and the intimate friend of Humboldt, died recently at the age of seventy-six. His travels have been very extensive, and his published works have been of the highest value to the science of geology. He stood, in the testimony of all, among the first men of science in his day.

Prof. Aytoun, of the University of Edinburgh, has been lecturing publicly in England on the "Nature, Forms, and Development of Poetry." Mr. Charles Millward, President of the Liverpool Literary and Dramatic Society, has also been lecturing on the "Life and Writings of Hood."

The young Sir Robert Peel on his "Travels on the Continent."

The New-York State Library, at Albany, is said to be one of the most interesting in our country. Additions are constantly being made, and those of the past year are especially worthy of note. Several valuable works from the library of the distinguished Dr. Jarvis, of Middletown, Conn., have been purchased. Six hundred volumes were received from the Library of St. Mark's, Venice, as a present to the State, and make an important addition to the Italian literature of the collection. Over one hundred volwere also sent from the Royal and National Library at Munich, in Bavaria. These embrace the transactions of the Royal Society of Bavaria, and the proceedings of other learned institutions. Presents of books have also been received from the Netherlands, Belgium, France, and Holland. The miscellaneous library of the Hon. Harmanus Bleecker, amounting to three or four thousand volumes, has been donated, and will hereafter form a part of the State collection.

umes

Professor Koeppen has been appointed to the The annual report of the St. Louis Mercantile chair of history, German literature, and esLibrary for the year 1852 represents its affairs thetics, in Marshall College, Pa. He was foras in a most prosperous condition. The aggre- merly professor in King Otho's College, at gate number of volumes now in the library is Athens; and has lectured since his arrival in 8,777, of which 1,478 have been added during this country before the Lowell Institute, Smiththe year at a cost of over $2,000-nine hun-sonian Institution, New-York Historical Society, dred and one volumes having been secured by and elsewhere.

Art Intelligence.

A SOMEWHAT novel monument to Nelson has recently been completed at Portsmouth, England. It consists of a structure of granite surmounted by an anchor-said to be the anchor carried by the ship Victory, granted by the Admiralty for this object. The memorial stands on the Southsea Beach, on the spot from which Nelson went on board for the last time to take the command of England's fleet, and fight one of the greatest naval battles. This tribute has been erected at the expense of Lord Frederick Fitzclarence.

The late King Louis Philippe, just before the Revolution of February, commissioned M. Gudin, the marine painter, to supply twenty-five pieces, representing battles at sea and marine views,

for the galleries at Versailles. The republican government declined to continue the order, and such of the paintings as were executed were sold by auction-the sums realized being infinitely below what the king had agreed to pay for them. The present government has just revived the commission to M. Gudin for the whole series of twenty-five paintings.

A mountain of marble is said to have been discovered in the Great Salt Lake Valley, of almost every color, containing slabs of every size.

Prince Albert is among the contributors of

works of art to the New-York Industrial Exhibi

tion. The portraits of Queen Victoria, himself, Prince Arthur, and of the late Duke of Wellington, forming the picture painted by Winterhalter, is his contribution. The Baron Marochetti has completed a colossal equestrian statue of General Washington, which is designed for the exhibition. It is worthy of the artist, and has the peculiar characteristics of his style. Mr. Carew has executed a colossal statue of the late Daniel Webster for the same place. It represents the American statesman in the act of addressing the Senate. pression is very vigorous, and the likeness is said by competent judges to be correct. The attitude and manner of the portrait are dignified and simple. The State of Missouri has appropriated $4,000 for its proper representation, and Congress voted $20,000 to defray the expenses of the Turkish steam-frigate during her visit to the New-York World's Fair.

The ex

The block ordered by the City Council of New-York for the Washington Monument is of white marble, eight feet wide, five feet six inches high, and weighs four tons. On the front the arms of New-York, surrounded with a wreath of oak and laurel leaves, and sur

well, possessed great taste in, and knowledge of the arts, and was the author of some valuable works on art. He possessed a choice collection of objects of art, which he has bequeathed to the University of Gottingen. He leaves also a very interesting volume, the correspondence of his father with Goethe; his father having married the original of "Charlotte" in The Sorrows of Werther.

A statue of Napoleon I., in bronze, is to be executed by Lemaire, for the city of Lille. The material of which it will be composed will contain the metal of the cannons taken at Austerlitz, which have been for years preserved at Lille.

nation by Mr. Turner, have been lately hung Two large landscapes, bequeathed to the up in the National Gallery at London, by the called "The Building of Carthage" and "The side of the best specimens of Claude. They are Sun rising in Mist." The former is the larger picture—and in point of time the last "The Sun rising in Mist," was exhibited at the Academy in 1817, and was bought by the artist himself, at the famous De Tabley sale in 1827. "The Carthage" was exhibited at the Academy in 1815, and retained by the artist, with even then a view to the bequest, which has placed it where it now is.

in execution.

A valuable discovery with regard to daguer reotypes has been made by Mr. S. N. Carvalho, an artist of Charleston, South Carolina. It has been hitherto necessary to inclose daguerreotypes in cases, and cover them with glass, as the least friction destroyed the work of sun and shadow. Mr. Carvalho has discovered a perfectly transparent enamel insoluble by all ordinary agents, a thin coating of which being spread upon a daguerreotype, it may be carried about without other protection, or sent by post to any part of the world. The enamel produces no perceptible effect upon the picture.

Mr. E. M. Ward, of London, has completed his picture of "The Execution of Montrose," the first of the series in oils preparing for the corridor of the new House of Commons. The immediate situation is that in which Montrose is about to mount the scaffold, and the execu tioner is in the act of fastening Wishart's book round his neck. Mr. Ward has availed himself of the text which represents Montrose as having gone to the scaffold in his gayest attire

a dress of scarlet and silver-as a relief to the somber costumes around and the dark masses of his background. The artist has been visited

mounted by an eagle, has been sculptured. It by Prince Albert in his studio at Slough more contains the following inscription:

"Corporation of the city of New-York."

It was quarried at Chelsea, Mass., and cost nearly $2,500.

The Chevalier Kestnor, late Hanoverian Minister at the Papal Court, is dead, aged seventy-six years. He was a great favorite with the English Society in Rome. He painted

than once during the progress of the picture, and, on its completion, the queen exhibited her interest in the work by a similar visit.

A very fine painting of De Soto's discovery of the Mississippi, executed in Paris by Mr. Powell, an American artist of merit, and ordered by a committee of Congress for the rotunda at Washington, will soon be exhibited in NewYork.

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