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Perspiration. It has been calculated that there are above three hundred thousand millions of pores in the glands of the skin which covers the body of a middle-sized man. Through these pores, more than one half of what we eat and drink passes off by insensible perspiration. If we consume eight pounds of food in a day, five pounds of it are insensibly discharged by perspiration. During a night of seven hours' sleep, we perspire about forty or two pounds and a half!

ounces,

The Baron Renfrew.-The following are the particulars of this large timber ship, expected speedily to arrive at London.-427 pieces, Oak: 3207, Pine: 79, Elm, Hickory, &c.; 33,791, Deals: 4502, Deal Ends: 24,659, Staves and Heading: 75,765, West India Staves: 5323, Plank: 34,852, Treenails: 84, Masts and Bowsprits: 337, Spars: 4788, Oars: 11, Knees : 165, Cords Lathwood.-It is said that the above vessel, now on her voyage, is very leaky, but she has a steam-engine on board, the power of which is necessary to keep the water under. Enormous Yams.-Some time in 1825, a captain Dillon sent to the Sydney Gazette office, New South Wales, a yam, the produce of Barratto Island, weighing twenty-eight pounds and a half. Mr. Healy, the Principal Superintendant of Convicts, also received a similar present from captain Dillon, and its weight was twentynine pounds and three-quarters.

Large Balloon.-The celebrated Selim Ogal, of Smyrna, has just finished one of the largest balloons that ever floated in the atmosphere. It is 140 feet in diameter, and the parachute is 22 feet in circumference. He intends shortly to attempt an ascent; and should he succeed, Selim will be the first Turk that has ever approached the regions of their prophet in so frail a vessel.

Music.-The late musical festival at York, will, it is thought, after deducting all expenses, leave between nine and ten thousand pounds to be applied to charitable purposes.

Mineral Springs in Wales.-Three mineral springs within a few yards of each other have lately been discovered on a small tenement in the township of Penarth in Montgomeryshire. Microscopic Discovery.-It has lately been discovered, by Mr. Rogers's microscope, that the morbid secretions in the human subject, as the pus of consumption, of cancer, &c. are actually masses of animalcule. The inventor is now in Clonmel, where he proposes to give lectures on astronomy.

Surgery. When the surgeons of Tripoli take off a limb, they dip the stump into a bowl of hot pitch, which settles the bleeding without the trouble of tying up the arteries.

A Substitute for Harrowgate Baths.-Two ounces of sulphate of potass to enough water

for a bath.

An Artificial Salt-water Bath.-may be made by mixing a pound of common bay salt with every four gallons of water used for bathing.

Popular Music.-There are two parrots in the neighbourhood of Walworth that whistle the hunting chorus and waltz in Der Frieschutz.

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The Parish Apprentice; or, the Advantages of Domestic Religion exemplified in the History of Sarah Lock. A true narrative.

Annual Report of the Sunday School Union, for 1825.

The Fruits of Faith; or, Musing Sinner, with Elegies and other moral Poems. By Hugh Campbell, illustrator of Ossian's Poems. 6s. boards.

Antediluvian Philology illustrated by a Collection of the Fossil Remains of Plants, peculiar to the Coal Formations of Great Britain. By Edmund Tyrrel Arlis, F.S. A. F. G.S. Author of Roman Antiquities, &c. Royal 4to. £2. 10s.

The Sunday School Story Book. By the Rev. B. H. Draper. In 8 Parts. 2d. each. With upwards of 60 Wood Engravings; or, in 1 Vol. half bound. 1s. 6d.

The Infant's Primer; ornamented with numerous Engravings. 3d.

Pity the Negro; an Address to Children on the Subject of Slavery. 1d. or 7s. per 100.

In the Press.

Redeemer's Dominion over the Invisible World; to which is prefixed, a Short Account of the Author, &c.

A New Edition of Howe's Discourse on the

Essays and Sketches, designed to illustrate the mode of Education pursued in Sunday Schools, and to remedy some of their most important Defects. By A. H. Davis, Author of Teacher's Farewell, &c. 1 Vol. 18mo.

A Book of Martyrs for the Young. By the Rev. Isaac Taylor, illustrated with upwards of engraved by Sears. 50 Engravings, from designs by Harvey, and

Sermons, Expositions, and Addresses at the Holy Communion. By the late Rev. Alexander Waugh, A. M. To which is prefixed a Short Memoir of the Author. Octavo, pp. 338. 10s. 6d. Second Edition.

Preparing for Publication.

The Cottage Family Altar; containing a Course of Prayers, with Scriptural References for daily reading.

Almanacks will be published early in the A Work, on the plan of the German Literary month of November next, by Baynes and Son. The Volume will contain only those productendency. The Illustrations (twelve in number) tions that have an obviously religious or moral are by Martin, Westall, Corbould, Wright, Brooke, &c.; and the Engravings by Heath, Finden, Mitchell, Melville, &c. &c.

ERRATA. In col. 855, line 34, for "metaphysical," read "metaphorical:" and in col. 862, line 5, for "my" read "thy."

LONDON: PRINTED AT THE CAXTON PRESS, BY H. FISHER, SON, AND CO.

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THE

Emperial Magazine;

OR, COMPENDIUM OF

RELIGIOUS, MORAL, & PHILOSOPHICAL KNOWLEDGE.

NOV.] "READING IS THE CIRCULATING MEDIUM OF INTELLECTUAL COMMERCE."

MEMOIR OF BARON DENON.

(With a Portrait.)

VIVANT DOMINIQUE DENON was born at Chalons sur Saone, in the province of Burgundy, about the year 1745. Being descended from one of the most illustrious families in that part of France, his future fortunes seemed to be cast in the sphere of tranquillity, and the prospect of an advantageous alliance promised to secure him the means of passing his life in affluence and increasing prosperity. But the active and enterprising bent of his genius, preferred the path of glory, though attended with labour, to the repose of obscurity; and his friends were prevailed on to send him to Paris to finish his education. Left, at the age of sixteen, to his own guidance, and introduced into the most brilliant circles of the Parisian beau monde, his ardent mind was quickly seduced by the charms of fashionable society, in which his lively disposition and engaging manners ensured him a cordial reception.

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In the course of a year he became domesticated in the gay circles of the court, as well as those of the city; besides which, he enjoyed the intimacy of the principal artists and most distinguished literary characters of the age. Chance having recommended him to the notice of Louis XV.; the simplicity and gaiety of his disposition so pleased a monarch, long disgusted with the flattery of courtiers, and weary of the toils of business, that, being desirous of attaching the young man to his service, he first gave him a situation immediately about his person, as page of the bed-chamber, and next as gentleman in ordinary. At this period Denon produced at the Theatre François a comedy, entitled "Le Bon Pere," which met with the success due to the youth and genius of its author. At the same time, he devoted himself to the principles and practice of drawing, an amusement which afterwards formed the 83.-VOL. VII.

1825.

basis of his prosperity and happiness. His relations having observed and complained that his studies had degenerated into a love of pleasure, he courageously tore himself from the court, and from his gay associates, to pursue steadily more serious occupations, and went to Petersburg in the suite of the embassy, protected by the interest of a sovereign, who now esteemed him for the possession of qualities far nobler than those which had at first attracted his notice.

Entrusted with important despatches, he travelled as a courier; and, in his way through Prussia, visited Potsdam and Sans Souci, where, with ardent curiosity, he spoke of the great Frederic with so much enthusiasm, that, his expressions being reported to the king, that prince desired to have an interview with the young traveller. He was accordingly introduced to him in one of the private galleries; and the venerable monarch, after conversing with him for some time, requested to have the pleasure of seeing him again at a future period, and treated him with the kindness and friendly confidence so peculiarly his own.--On his arrival in Russia, he found his friend, the ambassador, fatigued and chagrined by the tiresome details of business; but the lively character of M. Denon became a source of consolation to his old friend, and strengthened the bonds of an attachment which seemed little likely to exist between two beings so different in their ages and dispositions. At the Russian court, he rendered himself too agreeable to the unfortunate grand duke Paul, to inspire his august mother, the imperious Catharine, with any other feeling than that of jealous suspicion, which she manifested towards him on various occasions.

On the death of Louis XV. the ambassador resigned his political appointment, and our young diplomatist returned from his mission unrewarded indeed, but with unabated spirits. At Copenhagen he met with M. de Ver

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genues, who had been recalled from the court of Sweden to fill the post of prime minister of France; and he returned with him to Paris, where he was soon after entrusted with a mission to Switzerland, to renew the alliance with the Cantons.

He travelled through Switzerland in company with a merchant charged with commissions to the amount of two millions-and our young traveller soon became a connoisseur in muslins and articles of mercery.

He was treated with the highest distinction by the governments of the Cantons, and after having enjoyed the wonders of nature at Geneva, and in its neighbourhood, chance introduced him to Voltaire, as a mere private gentleman in ordinary society. When, however, by mere accident, the philosopher learnt that the young stranger had written a popular comedy; he entertained him at their next interview with paternal kindness, and with the indulgence which polished age extends to the follies of youth.

M. Denon next visited Italy, and, after spending some time in travelling through the southern part of that enchanting and classical country, he transmitted his journal, accompanied by drawings of Naples and its vicinity, of Calabria, Sicily, and Malta, to his friends Messrs. Delaborde, who published them in a splendid form.

On his return to Naples, M. de Vergennes appointed him to a situation under the ambassador to that court, whose friendship he had formerly acquired; and accordingly he remained there, in the discharge of his official duties, nearly four years. His taste for the fine arts, which had received a fresh stimulus during his travels, incited him to resume, at his leisure hours, the study of drawing, and he soon afterwards applied himself also to that of engraving, which he practised for his amusement only, but in which he soon attained a high degree of perfection. The resemblance between the state of the two courts of Paris and Naples, with regard to the influence of the respective queens over their husbands, and the strong picture he drew of the injurious consequences of that ascendancy in the Neapolitan court, particularly, rendered his correspondence highly interesting to his own government, though at the same time it could not fail to displease the

powerful party of Maria Caroline, as well as that of Maria Antoinette.

Shortly after his return to France, he lost his protector and friend Count de Vergennes, which event having destroyed his hopes of arriving at distinction in his political career-the love of the arts replaced in his breast the flame of ambition. The Academy of Arts proposed to accept him as an amateur, but he chose rather to be received in a professional capacity; and, after submitting his works for inspection, was admitted into that illustrious body.

Denon now returned into Italy, to devote himself wholly to the study of the arts, in what may be called their native country. He frequented, in succession, the schools of Verona, Bologna, Venice, and Florence. But the suavity and freedom of the manners of Venice, so suitable to his own disposition, attached him to that city, where he resided for the space of five years, with the title of the Chevalier Denon. His talents, his amiable disposition, and the elegance of his manners, gave him a ready introduction to the celebrated Madame Albrizzi, and he soon became one of her greatest favourites, and the soul of her delightful parties. She has, in her letters, drawn his portrait in all the flattering colours of an exalted and an Italian friendship.

During the time of his abode at Venice, he began to collect drawings of all the schools, his passion for which pursuit induced him frequently to expend large sums in amassing these treasures, and gave him the character of being a thoughtless and extravagant amateur. Ancient drawings and engravings were, in consequence, brought to him from all parts; and, as he had only to select with judgment, his collection soon acquired reputation; and, indeed, it seemed to have been made at the expense of those of the rest of Italy.

While thus employed, the revolution began in France, with circumstances sufficiently terrific to create alarm in other states; but particularly those of a despotic character. The residence of French travellers, in such countries, became therefore extremely critical, and exposed them to many suspicions. Their ancient connexions drew upon them the reproach of being actuated by the spirit of party,-and oppres

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