Dollinger delivered an oration on the influence of the sciences, especially natural philosophy, on the culture and intellectual development of nations.' The Counsellor Von Martius spoke on the problem of physiology. Professor Glorker, of Breslau, on the formation and origin of the Prussian Hyalith; Leop. von Buch, from Berlin, on the Hippurites which have lately been discovered in the Bavarian Alps, at Reichenhall,' and compared them with those in the Provence, &c. &c. Professor Thiersch reported on the subject of a new edition of Pliny, which had been proposed, and showed the necessity of revising the text from the Codd. of Florence and Paris, which have hitherto been little consulted. All the philologists and natural philosophers of Germany will be requested by the society to contribute to this new edition. A number of other lectures, on subjects relating to natural philosophy, were delivered; and the day after the close of the sessions, the members of the society, one hundred and seventeen in number, had the honour of dining at the royal residence, on which occasion the king entertained himself with almost every member, with his usual affability.

The Æginetic Statues, which will form one of the greatest ornaments of the new Glyptotheca, at Munich, have arrived from Rome. They are seventeen in number, and have been restored by the celebrated Thorwaldsen.

Paris.

JUL. V. KLAPROTH is about to publish a Latin-Comanic-Persian Lexicon, from a manuscript which Petrarch presented to the Republic of Venice. The Comanic is a dialect of the Turkish, and was, during the middle ages, the language chiefly used in Lesser Asia. The same scholar proposes to give to the world a new and improved edition of Adelung and Vater's Mithridates.

The editor of the periodical publication entitled Journal Asiatique' announces a more extensive and instructive plan, to commence with the number in January. The most celebrated oriental scholars of the continent are co-operating in this work; among them we notice the names of von Humboldt, von Hammer, A. W. von Schlegel, A. Sacy, &c. The intention is to give an analysis of all works on oriental literature which are published in every part of Europe, as soon as they can be transmitted to Paris.

M. Kunkel is occupied in editing Meidani's Arabic Proverbs, amounting to about six thousand; many of them are furnished with valuable commentaries by Meidani himself, and among them will be found many important notices on the history and philology of the ancient Arabs. Professor Hamaker of Leyden had announced the same intention.

Professor Olshausen of Kiel, now living at Paris, where he is studying the ancient Persian idioms, intends to publish Zoroaster's works in the original language, with a translation; which will be one of the most important undertakings which has for many years been executed.

Pesth.

IN Hungary, out of a population of a million of Catholics, there are 21,500 students in the various universities, colleges, and lyceums. Among the Lutherans, whose number is 70,000, there are 3800 students; and out of a population of one million and a half of Calvinists, there are 7200 students. Thus there are 32,500 students, and those who profess the Greek ritual are not included in this number.

Rome.

Rome.

THE German Architect Thürmer, now in Rome, who published, a short time since, some beautiful views of Athens, has, in company with Otto Stackelberg, a celebrated Russian traveller, made a discovery of the highest importance to archæological science. While engaged in their excavations at Corneto (Tarquinium), they found, in three vaults, a number of vases, domestic utensils, and curious paintings. They also discovered a frieze of 132 figures, representing a variety of plays in the Æginetic style. The painted vases are exquisitely beautiful; drawings from the paintings have been made, and will be published by Stackelberg. A Frenchman, M. Raoul Rochette, the author of a work, Sur les Colonies Grecques,' and of some silly letters from Switzerland, hearing of the discovery, hastened to the spot, accompanied by artists, to take drawings. His intention was to publish some account of the curiosities; but he was prevented from his purpose by Cardinal Somaglia, who would not allow the German artist and his companion to be deprived of the honour of their discovery by the officiousness of M. Raoul Rochette.

St. Petersburg.

THE prize question of the historico-philological section of the academy of St. Petersburg for the year 1827-28 is-What were the consequences of the domination of the Mogols in Russia to the constitution of the state and the culture of the people?-to be considered, especially, in a political point of view.

The literature of Russia has received very important additions by several valuable works, which have lately appeared at Moscow. Professor Divigubsky has brought before the public his Flora of Moscow. Professor Fischer published about the same time Notices sur les Plantes fossiles de Moscow.' Professor Reis has written, 'Ordo bibliothecæ universitatis Cæsarea-Mosquensis, Latine et Russice.' Professor Mersliakov has finished the first part of his translation of Tasso. Levezky has completed the second part of his Zoology. Magkow has completed his encyclopedical survey of the military sciences; while Iwashkovsky is occupied upon a Greek and Russian Lexicon in two volumes. The expenses of most of these works is, in the first instance, defrayed by the university of Moscow.

The liberality with which literature and the fine arts are patronized by the nobility of Russia may be observed from the many splendid works published under the direction and at the expense of many distinguished indi

viduals.

Count Romanzow has lately printed at Casan, in large folio, at his own expense, Abulghasis' History of the Mongols and Tartars. The splendid map of Moldavia in six large folio sheets, which lately appeared at Amster dam, was produced after a survey under the direction of the Russian general Bawr.

The Mongol literature, which to this day has been much neglected, begins to claim the public attention, from the munificent liberality and assiduous zeal with which the study of it is now patronized. The emperor has presented 10,000 rubles to Dr. Schmidt, already known by his discoveries in the history of Middle Asia, to furnish him with materials for publishing the great historical work of Sanang Satsan, Chuntaidschi der Ortas, containing the history of the Eastern Mongols, written in 1662. The original work will be accompanied with a translation and voluminous commentary, and the editor has led us to hope that he will furnish a Mongol grammar. M. Igumnow of Irkutzk is occupied in compiling a Mongol-Russian dic

tionary,

tionary, and in this undertaking he has been assisted by the bounty of the emperor.

Captain Etholen, in the service of the Russian-American company, has lately sent to the university of St. Petersburg a rare collection of curiosities, collected during his travels in North America and the South Sea Islands.

The translations which have lately appeared show that classical literature is not neglected in Russia. Odolensky has published Plato's work on laws; and Martinov, already known to the public by his version of Anacreon, another of Pindar, which forms part of a series of translations from the Greek writers.

The university of Moscow contains 686 students, and that of St. Petersburg, which was only founded in 1819, has already risen to the number of 460. The government does not allow any lectures on philosophy.

A new institution for the study of the oriental languages is rising in Russia. M. Lazazeu, an Armenian of Moscow, lately deceased, has bequeathed a considerable sum to found a school, where, beside other sciences, the Turkish, Persian, Arabic, and Armenian languages are to be taught.

Hassan Begh, a native of Persia, who has lately been converted to Christianity, has been appointed teacher of the Persian at the university of Casan. The celebrated Pototian collection of Mohammedan coins, consisting of about 1000 pieces, has been purchased by the same university for 7000 rubles.

The printing of Rhasis' French and Turkish vocabulary is begun, and may be expected to be soon finished.

Professor Senkowski had undertaken to publish the Berggrenian Dictionnaire Abrégé Français, Arabe; but, on account of an unfortunate difference between M. Berggren and M. Senkowski, the printing has been suddenly stopped.

The Russian government has resolved to found an oriental professorship in the university of Kharkov, which hitherto is the only college in the empire where there is no chair for teaching oriental literature. The languages to be taught are Turkish, Arabic, and Persian. M. de Perowski of St. Petersburg is appointed curator of the university.

A poetical anthology has lately been published by Illichevsky, member of the Literary Society, the Society for Russian Literature, and other institutions at St. Petersburg, under the title of Opité v Antologicheskom Rodom, &c. This little volume, which is very elegantly printed, contains a variety of fables, tales, epigrams, &c. amounting altogether to two hundred and sixty different pieces. Many of these display great talent; and the collection has been very favourably received.

Dukh Karamzina, or the Spirit of Karamzin, in two volumes, with a portrait of the Russian historian, is a collection of the most admired passages from his various works. The editor, M. Ivanchin-Pisarev, has arranged them under the head of philosophical, political, and literary subjects; and has illustrated them with critical and historical remarks.

Jovsky's Elements of Chemistry, of which the first volume of the second edition has just appeared, is a work no less admirable for the purity of its style, than for its scientific arrangement. In this volume, the author treats of the simple chemical elements; in the two following he will speak

of

of compound and of organic substances, according to the most recent discoveries in this science. In his nomenclature, he has translated all the technical terms and names, substituting equivalent Russian words.

A series of letters on Eastern Siberia, a region comparatively little known, even to the Russians themselves, has been published during the present year, by M. Alexis Martos, who, during a residence of several years in that country, collected much interesting and important information relative to it, which he has embodied in this form. These letters are written in an agreeable style, and everywhere exhibit an intelligent and reflecting mind. Among numerous other interesting particulars, the author gives an account of three families of British missionaries, settled near Selenginsk; two of whom originally came from Glasgow. The religious ceremonies of the Buriats, a sect of Lama worshippers, on the borders of Lake Gusin, are also very fully described. The work contains a plan of Irkushk, a map of the route from that city to Kiahkta along Lake Baikal, and several views; among which is one of the missionary colony near Selenginsk.

Katenin's Andromache, which was performed for the first time at St. Petersburg, on the 15th of last February, is spoken of by the Russian journalists, as the best tragedy that has been produced for several years. Although the same subject has been already treated both by Euripides and Racine, Katenin has imparted to it a great degree of novelty, by laying the scene in Troy itself, on the night when it was taken by the Greeks. In the piece of the French dramatist, Hermione is the real heroine; but here it is the Trojan princess, whose misfortunes and whose maternal affection interest the spectators. This character is finely drawn; and the conflict between her duty to the memory of her husband, and her love for her child, that prompts her to sacrifice every thing in order to save him, is painted in the most affecting manner. The quarrel between Pyrrhus and Agamemnon is an excellent scene, and the latter has all the fierceness and haughtiness of his Homeric prototype.

A collection of travels through Tartary and other eastern countries, made during the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth centuries, by Marco Polo, Mandeville, Schildberger, Barbaro, Contarini, and other foreigners, has been published in the Russian language, by M. Yazaikov, who has thus performed a most essential service to his countrymen. This translation is distinguished by the simplicity and purity of its style, and is enriched with many curious and valuable notes.

In an historical tale, entitled Gosnitzky, printed at Moscow, an anonymous author has attempted, but with no great success, to produce a kind of national romance, à la Walter Scott.

Korobky's Letters of a Russian Naval Officer give a faithful and animated picture of the expedition of the Russian fleet in the Mediterranean, under Admiral Senyavin. These letters abound likewise with descriptions of various places, anecdotes of eminent characters, &c. while the style is distinguished for its perspicuity and correctness. Since the publication of this work, the author is dead.

Golitz's Opit Nauki Izyashtshnago, or Theory of Criticism in the Fine Arts and Literature, is a work of great merit; and displays a depth of thinking and justness of taste, that will place the author on a level with the best æsthetical writers of other countries. It must be admitted, however, that some of his rules are too arbitrary, and founded rather upon authority than upon analogical reasoning.

Not

Not contented with translating the romances of Sir Walter Scott, the Russians have fabricated others, which the booksellers of Moscow pass off as his productions; although it is almost needless to say they have nothing of Sir Walter in them, beyond his name on the title-pages. Among these soi-disant Scotch novels is one entitled Gustavus Waldheim, which even had not the worthy baronet already so numerous a literary progeny of his own, he would hardly care to adopt. Translations of the Talisman, and of Paul's Letters to his Kinsfolk, were published last year at Moscow.

An interesting work has lately appeared relative to the principal collections of pictures at St. Petersburg, under the title of Kunst und Alterthum, in St. Petersburg. In the first volume (the only one yet published) the author, M. Hand, gives a description of the pictures in the Hermitage, arranged both chronologically and according to schools. This classification not only renders the book more useful as a work of reference, but less fragmentary than a mere catalogue raisonné. Historical notices are given respecting many of the pictures, and also the characteristics of the various masters. The gallery of the Hermitage is particularly rich in the productions of the Spanish school, commencing with Antonio del Rincon, and continued down to Alonso Miguel de Tobar, who died in 1758.

It may, perhaps, be pleasing to our readers to have the following notice of the Fine Arts in Russia. We do not pledge ourselves for its correctness, for it is derived from Russian sources. We have heard, indeed, from English residents in Russia, that in that country there is a very exalted opinion entertained of native merit in the above department. Very little, however, has been hitherto known on this subject in other countries. The structure erected for the academy, of which the empress laid the first stone in 1765, is itself a most magnificent pile, and does honour to the taste and ability of its architect, Kakorinov, who, it should be recorded, was a native of Siberia. This edifice will not suffer by a comparison with any other of the same period, either in Italy or elsewhere. Indeed, Russia must be allowed to have produced several very distinguished architects, for, as may be imagined, this art has met with more encouragement than the rest; while, in a new capital, and under munificent sovereigns, opportunities have not been wanting for it to exert its powers. A taste for painting and sculpture does not insure, as a matter of course, patronage to the living artist: the connoisseur may collect the works of the old masters, and the virtuoso gather around him the relics of antiquity, but buildings cannot be imported; he who erects them must be content to avail himself of the talent of his contemporaries.

During the reign of Catherine, the academy sent forth not less than one thousand artists; among them were Sokolov, who distinguished himself as an historical painter, and who formed his style upon that of Battoni; and Akimov, and Ugriumov, who likewise followed the same branch of the art. Levitsky displayed considerable talent in portraiture, as did also Borovikovsky, a native of Little Russia, and Shtshukin. In landscape may be mentioned Shtshedrin, Matviev, Ivanov, (who also painted battlepieces,) and Martinov: the latter displayed considerable taste in his com positions, a beautiful tone of colouring, and great freedom of pencil: to these may be added Alexiev, who has been termed the Russian Canaletti. Gordiev, one of the earliest pupils of the academy, was a sculptor of considerable ability: his taste was correct, and the style of his draperies approached that of the antique. His contemporary, Kozlovsky, who died in 1802, excelled him in originality and in the knowledge of anatomy, and, like Michael Angelo, of whom he was both an admirer and an imitator, he