Tallis's history and description of the Crystal Palace, and the Exhibition of the World's Industry in 1851;

Front matter

CORNELL

UNIVERSITY;..

LIBRARY

Contents

PAGE

Fine Climate of England 148

First of May 21

Letter 3 , 159

Libusa, Queen of Bohemia ..... 169 Lion in Love, by Geefs (illustrated). . • ■ 124

Liverpool Docks, Model of 47

Lord of the Isles 166

Main Avenue (illustrated) ..... 168 looking West (illustrated) . . .169

looking West, No. 4 (illustrated) . .169

Malachite Doors 127

Mangals or Braziers from Turkey .... 183 Man of Steel, by Count Dupin . . . .115 Manufactures in Russian Department . . . 129 Marble and Bronze compared . . . . .168 Mazeppa, a Group ...... 40

Mediaeval Court 227

Medical Walking- Staff, by Dr. Gray . . .117

Moldavian Sledge 186

Monster Lodging Establishment . . . .27

Mosaic Work, History of 92

Mosaics, Ancient ....... 93

Mourners, by Lough (illustrated) . . . .46

Mutton Fat, Articles in . . . . .117

Narcissus, by Theed ...... 42

Nawal, Nizam of Bengal 32

Notes of Preparation . . . . . .19

Nymph, by Wyatt (illustrated) . . . .43

Omnibuses 147

Opening of the Exhibition (illustrated) . . .21

Ophelia 40

Opinions of the Building Committee ... 8

Organs in the Crystal Palace 56

Origin of the Exhibition 5

Ostler, Glass, &c 80

Psestum, Ruins of, in Mosaic .... 254

Paolo and Francesca, by Munro . . . .124

Paradoxes and Prejudices 146

Pastoral Group, by Kirk 40

Paxton, Plan chosen ...... 9

Peaceful Crowds and pleasing admixture of Rank . 101 Pearl, largest in the World . . . . ,85

Pellat, Glass 80 known among the Egyptians . . . 261

employed in ancient Greece and Rome . 262

recorded in Holy Writ .... 262

ILLUSTRATIONS.

VOL. I.

Arms of all Nations.

The Great Exhibition (Frontispiece.)

— — Portrait of, after Win-

terhalter . . .

Amazon attacked by a Tigress .

Apollo Belvidere Austrian Bedstead .

Bookbinding, Specimens of Cabinet of "Walnut-wood . • Oain and his Family (by Etex) Carved Chessmen ■ Ivory Chair

Carvings in Bog-wood in Ivory

Cradle, Royal

Cupid and Psyqhe (by Benzoni)

Dancing Faun ....

Dante's Thoughts, Painted Window (by Bertini) 193

Deer-Stalker 126

Diadem and Ruby Stomacher . . . .87

■ Dresden China 153

Eagle-Slayer (by Bell) 169

Eldon and Stowell, Group . . . .123 Emperor of Russia's Jewel-Case . . .84 Fan, Royal (by Duvelleroy) . . . .218

Fidelity 243

Follet, Sir William, Statue of . . . .122

French Fan 218

Gladiatorial Table 193

Glass, Bohemian 82

Glycera, Statue of (by Wyatt) . . . .43

Gratitude 243

Greek Slave 42

Hampden, Statue of 122

Happy and Unhappy Child . . . .42 Jenner, Dr., Statue of 123

. Jewel-Case of Her Majesty . . • .84

Kenilworth Buffet 71

Life of St. Peter, Painted Window . . .193

Lion in Love 124

Looking-glass and Console Table . . .75

Mahogany Sideboard 71

Main Avenue, looking West . . ■ .169

Malachite Doors 127

Malachite Vases . . . 127

169 75 41

221 75

243 33 31 73 33

204 43

Monumental Cross .

Mourners, the (by Lough) Nymph (by Wyatt) .

preparing for Bathing

Opening of the Great Exhibition Oriental Chair .

Piano, by Brinsmead

■, Cottage (by, Allison)

Psyche calling on Cupid Queen, Her Majesty the, Equestrian Statue of .

Portrait of, after Winterhalter .

Queen of Spain's Jewels Rinaldo and Armida Satan Vanquished .

Sevres China .

Shakespeare, Statue of (by Bell) Shield and Arms (by Lessage and Delacour) (by Gueyton)

Sir Moses Montefiore, Testimonial to Sir Roger de Coverley with the Gypsies Slave in the Market (by Monti) ■sledges, Canadian ....

Spandril, Hereford Cathedral .

Stag hunted by Dogs Testimonial to Lumley Theseus and Amazons (by Engel) The First Step .

— - Hours' Clock — — Lawyer

— Morning Walk . i — Schoolmaster Tea Party

— Transept .

— ~ ■ looking South

Triumph of Arts and Science (by-Elkington) Vase (by Meurice)

Veiled Vestal (by Monti) .

Venus and Cupid .... ■Virginius and his Daughter .Walnut-tree Bedstead

■Western Nave

Whittington, Lord Mayor of London •Wounded American Indian Youth at the Spring ....

on the Sea-shore .

. after the Chase

PAGE

227 46 71

242 21 31 57 57 41 31

CONTENTS.

Ill

PAGE

Perfumery and Artificial Essences .... 263

Perfumes, their great Antiquity .... 261

Petty Larcenies in the Crystal Palace . . . 254

Philosophy in Sport made Science in Earnest . . 115

Phryne, by Pradier 242

Porcelain 150

Porcelain Statuary 153

Pottery, Staffordshire 152

Precious Stones 84

Prodigal Son, by Theed 42

Progress of the Building described . . . .11

Prometheus, by Theed 40

Queen Elizabeth listening to the Reading of Shakespeare 98

Queen of Spain's Jewels (illustrated) . . .87

Queen Victoria, Equestrian Portrait of (illustrated) . 31

Radetsky, Statue of ' 41

Raw Materials in the Russian Department . . 130

Refreshments .26

Richard Cour-de-Lion 242

Rogers and Wallis, Wood-carving . . . .70

Royal Procession at Opening 24

Royal Visits 254

Russian Department 127

Display 159

Sabrina 245

Satan Vanquished by St. Michael, by Stephens (illustrated) 126

Sculpture 38

■ , Remarks on 120

Self-adjusting Railway 119

Semibreve Guitar 117

Seven in the Morning at the Great Exhibition . . 260

Sevres and the Gobelins 158

Shakespeare, by Bell (illustrated) .... 122 Shield presented to the Prince of Wales by the King

of Prussia 170

Silk Trophy 45

Silver Ornamented, vast profusion of 139

Sir Roger de Coverley with the Gypsies (illustrated) 142 Slave in the Market-place (illustrated) . . .41

Smith's Yielding Breakwater 163

Lighthouse 164

Sonnet 267

Spanish Court 131

Startled Nymph, by Behnes . .... 43

Stationery 224

Stroll in the Crystal Palace at Noon-day . . . 100

Sunday Visit to the Great Exhibition . . ■ 148

Susannah at the Bath 41

PAGE

Sussex Peasantry, Visit of 255

Sword of Changarnier 170

Testimonial to Sir Moses Montefiore (illustrated) . 143

The Bible in all Languages 160

The Chinese and the solitary Sparrow . . . 260

The Clergyman of Redruth 166

The Liverpool Locomotive 167

The Philosopher and the Philanthropist . . .162 Theseus and the Amazons, by Engel (illustrated) . 39 The Two Sosias, or the True and the False Koh-i-

Noor 158

Tomb of Rev. Dr. Walsh 228

Transept, Description of (illustrated) . ■ 44

looking South (illustrated) . . . 124

Tunis, various Articles from 188

Turkey, Contributions from 183

Turkish Fire-arms 186

Saddles, &c 188

Van Diemen's Land, Contributions from. . . 54

Varieties 253

Variety of Nations at the Great Exhibition . .149

Vast bustle 147

Veiled Vestal, Monti (illustrated) . . . .41

Violin-Piano 119

Virginius and Daughter, by M'Dowell, R.A. (illustrated) 124

Visitors, Number of ...... 55

Una and the Lion, by Bell 43

United States' Department 67

Walking-Sticks 208

War of the Titans, by Vetche . . . .170

Water-Plants in Silver 142

Waterproof Paletots in a Cigar-Case . . . 1 59

Western Nave (illustrated) 45

Whewell on the Arte and Manufactures of barbarous

and civilised Nations . " 36

Whittington, Lord Mayor of London (illustrated) . 40

Willow- wood Cottage 118

Winterhalter's Portraits of the Queen and Prince Albert on Porcelain (illustrated, .... 152

Wood-Carving 70

Wolff, Albert, Account of bis Studio . . .247 Wonderful Achievement with a Penknife . . .118 Wonderful Knives and Scissors .... 121 Wounded American Indian, by Stephenson (illustrated) . . 126

Youth on the Sea-shore (illustrated) . . .41

at the Spring (illustrated) .... 125

Zollverein Department 105

Staffed Animals (illustrated) . . .114

Chapter I

OEIGIN OB THE EXHIBITION — PEOPOSED SITE — WAYS AND MEANS — VAEIOTTS PLANS SUGGESTED —

EINAL SELECTION.

The English have always been renowned for improving on the inventions of others. The facetious Joe Miller, the father of impromptu jest-books, informs us that a Frenchman, boasting of his nation being the primary introducers of frills, at the bosom and wrists of male fashionables, the Englishman replied, "We will not dispute with you the honour of inventing the frill, we only claim the merit of having added the shirt to it." Now it must be acknowledged, that the merit of the first idea of a Public Exhibition of the choicest productions of a country, in art and science, an Exhibition undertaken solely for the display of excellence, and for encouragement of every effort towards the attainment of it, without any immediate thought of profit to the originators, beyond their share in the general good that might accrue from it to society at large, is decidedly due to the French. Exhibitions of goods, merely considered as marketable commodities, assumed to be the best of their kind, were indeed common enough in all countries pretending. to civilization, at the fairs which formed the annual meetings of our forefathers, with their relatives and friends ; but exhibitions in which the perfecting of the articles exhibited should be the primary object, and the commerce to be afterwards derjved from them merely secondary, have only taken place among us, during the latter half of the preceding century to the present time. And here we may claim priority over our neighbours, for it is now nearly a century ago since the Society of Arts, in London, first offered prizes for specimens of manufactures, in the various mechanical arts which are at once the evidence and the reward of a desire to increase the comforts and refinements of social existence. The Royal Academy, at the same time, took the loftier productions of the fine arts under its protection; organized exhibitions of paintings, sculptures, and engravings, and adjudged prizes among the exhibitors, according to the degrees of merit their productions were found to display.

Gradually these examples were followed by each of the metropolitan cities, and the principal manufacturing towns of the United Kingdom began, one after another, to promote annual or triennial exhibitions among the manufacturers and artizans of the articles most worthy of notice. Of all these local exhibitions,, that of Birmingham, in the autumn of 1849, was the most comprehensive and important, so that it may be justly esteemed as a precursor of that wonder of the world which, less than two years after, was destined to " rise like an exhalation," and cast all its predecessors into the shade.

Still those preceding exhibitions had all been of a private and local character, receiving neither sanction nor assistance in any way from government, or public money, save in the solitary instance of the exhibition of manufactures relative to the decoration of the Houses of Parliament, which was instituted by the Fine Arts Commissioners. Whilst in France, on the contrary, the very first exhibition of industrial products took place in 1798, expressly as a national institution; it was followed by a second in 1801, a third in 1802, and a fourth in 1806. A lapse of thirteen years then occurred, filled up with the successes and defeats, and defeats and successes of warfare; the dethroning and re-throning of monarchs, and every other "change, chance, and circumstance" of that war, " which, were their subjects wise," as Cowper justly observes, " kings would

not play at."

In 1819, however, the blessings of peace began to be felt in the tranquillity and security that ever are to be found in her train. The exhibitions of Freneh industry were

c ti THE GREAT EXHIBITION

then renewed, and systematically continued, and from that time the influence of them hegan to be decidedly felt throughout Europe. .

Nevertheless it was not till the great success of the exhibition in Pans of 1844, awakened a general desire throughout the United Kingdom to give its industry the advantage of a similar appeal to the public, as to the actual position it might hold in the scale of excellence, that the idea was entertained of organizing an exhibition on a still more extended scale in London. It is a well-known fact, that almost all the great works and important institutions of this country are the offspring of the wishes and exertions of the people at large; nor ought we, in fact, to quarrel with, or comment upon the reluctance that government always betrays towards aiding or bringing forth any new undertaking, until its value be tested and proved by individuals, when to that very reluctance we no doubt owe much of our national spirit of independence, which will not be driven off the ground it has once taken up ; and for which we are indebted, not only for all our most valuable acquisitions at home, but also for a great proportion of the respect and confidence with which we are. regarded abroad.

In 1848, his Royal Highness Prince Albert, had, with that courtesy, benevolence, and enlargement of mind which have so justly endeared him to the English nation, readily consented to lay before the government a proposal submitted to him, for the establishment of a self-supporting exhibition of British industry, to be controlled and protected by a royal commission; but not even his approval of the scheme, and conviction of its eligibility, could conquer the accustomed apathy of the parties whom he had to address ; and the great mass of the people who were most interested in the measure, were, perhaps, not sorry to find that if they really meant to carry it into execution, it must be by their own exertions alone. The Society of Arts had made an attempt, though an'abortive one, in 1845, to establish an exhibition of national industry; in 1847 they renewed it with more success; in 1848 with more still; insomuch that the council were encouraged to announce the intention of the society to hold annual exhibitions from that time, as the means of establishing a quinquennial exhibition of British industry, on an enlarged scale, to be held in 1851.

His Royal Highness Prince Albert was of course informed of these proceedings, from time to time ; and immediately after the closing of the session of 1849, he took the subject under his own personal superintendence. As President of the Society of Arts, he commissioned several of its members to proceed forthwith to the manufacturing districts, in order to ascertain the sentiments of the leading inhabitants : these commissioners visited sixty-five places, comprehending the most important cities and towns of the United Kingdom; public meetings were held in them, local committees formed, amounting to three hundred and thirty in number, and nearly five thousand influential individuals registered their names as supporters of the proposed Exhibition. With so favourable a commencement, the Queen willingly granted her royal commission for its organization and protection, to her " most dearly-beloved consort," and to all " the right trusty, and right entirely well-beloved cousins and councillors/* whose names are mentioned in the deed, in due succession, according to the dignity of their offices.

The next point to be settled was the site on which the edifice was to be reared. Divers places were proposed ; Battersea Park, Victoria Park, Wormwood Scrubs, Wandsworth, Primrose Hill, even the Isle of Dogs; divers objections were raised to each. Government had offered the area of Somerset House for the purpose, or, if that situation were not deemed eligible, some other on the property of the Crown. Prince Albert pointed out the vacant space in Hyde Park, on the south side, parallel with, and between the Kensington drive and the ride famous for fashionable equestrians of both sexes, known by the somewhat inappropriate name of Rotten-row ; and the result proved that a more judicious choice could not have been made. The distance was sufficiently removed from the busiest parts of the capital, to prevent any interruption to its commerce, yet not so far as to be inconvenient, or cause unnecessary loss of time to the crowds of visitors that were to be expected. The approach to it, through the most attractive parts of the metropolis, and the noble park so inestimable to the people, predisposed the mind to agreeable anticipations ; the allotted portion of ground comprised upwards of twenty-six acres,' presenting a length of two thousand three hundred feet, and a breadth of five hundred, and here and there lofty elms extended their venerable branches, to be gradually enclosed within the Crystal Palace, of which they were destined to become one of the most interesting ornaments. There was also an additional advantage in this site ; an advantage which Prince Albert, with the goodness of heart that in him reveals itself on all occasions of public benefit, pointed out as deserving of particular attention, and that was, that it "admitted of equal good access to high and low, rich and poor ; and that those who went down in omnibuses, would have equal facilities of approach with those who went in their private carriages." "What a contrast did this generous consideration afford to the selfish murmurings of a throng of idle loungers in the fashionable world, who loudly exclaimed against the hardship and injustice of being obliged t<j» sport themselves and their steeds on one side of the Serpentine instead of the other !

The Royal Commission obtained, and the ground fixed upon, the next subject for consideration was the " Ways and Means ;" in other words, how to provide the money, which forms the sinews of all great undertakings, in peace as well as war. The Messrs. Munday had, at a very early period of the discussion on the subject, proposed, with a degree of Uberality and confidence, which, as the Royal Commissioners did them the justice to acknowledge, reflected the highest credit upon them, to deposit twenty thousand pounds as a sum for prizes; to advance whatever other sums might be necessary for preliminary expenses; to provide offices, to erect a suitable building, and to take upon themselves the whole risk of loss, on certain conditions, which conditions were equally declared by the Royal Commissioners, to be "strictly reasonable, and even favourable to the public."

Nevertheless, the wishes of the people so evidently turned towards considering the Exhibition entirely as a . national and self-supporting institution, that it was judged expedient by the Royal Commissioners to set the contract of Messrs. Munday aside, on repaying them the sums they had advanced, with the interest accruing, and to organize an Executive Committee, with Lieutenant-Colonel D. Reid, R.E., at its head, as chairman, and to charge it with the duty, of arranging the financial operations. Accordingly, the first step of the new commissioners was, to appeal to all classes of the community, for subscriptions to carry out the object proposed : to point out to them that the scale on which the undertaking could be completed must depend entirely upon the amount of the sums received on its behalf; and to call upon them to make such liberal arrangements as would enable the Executive Committee to realize the plans proposed, in a manner worthy of the character and position of the country, and of the invitation it had sent forth to all nations, to compete with it in a spirit of generous and friendly emulation.

It will be easily imagined that in our land of commerce, and of all the enlarged ideas to which commerce gives rise, a land wherein, very lately, we have seen, at a meeting on a. political question, subscriptions pouring forth at the astounding rate of a thousand pounds a minute, an appeal like this would be willingly responded to. Seventy-five thousand pounds were subscribed in the. different manufacturing towns and seaports of the United Kingdom ; of which sum nearly forty thousand were contributed by the city of

8 THE GK.EAT EXHIBITION

London alone. A guarantee fund of two hundred and thirty thousand pounds was formed by a limited number of persons, including most of the commissioners and other friends of the undertaking, one of them opening the list with the munificent subscription of fifty thousand pounds ; and upon the security of this fund the Bank of England consented to make such advances of money as might be requisite from time to time.

Having now seen the " ways and means" provided for, we must proceed to lay the foundations of the palace itself with our readers, and request their accompanying us in the rapid survey of its rise and progress, which is all that our limits will allow for this portion of our remarks.

The Building Committee having announced its desire to receive plans and suggestions respecting the edifice, from individuals of any country whatsoever that might be willing to offer them, they were speedily furnished with designs from no fewer than two hundred and thirty-three contributors: — viz. — one hundred and twenty-eight from residents in London and its environs ; fifty-one from provincial towns in England ; six from Scotland ; three from Ireland ; twenty-seven from France ; three from Holland ; two from Belgium ; two from Switzerland ; one from Naples ; one from Rhine-Prussia ; one from Hamburgh ; and seven anonymous. Of these plans the Building Committee reported, that a large proportion of them were remarkable for elaboration of thought and elegance of execution ; that every possible mode of accomplishing the object in view had been displayed by the respective contributors, regarding economy of structure and distribution, and uniting these qualities with various degrees of architectural symmetry : that our " illustrious Continental neighbours" had especially distinguished themselves " by compositions of the utmost taste and learning, worthy of enduring execution ; examples of what might be done in the architectural illustration of the subject, when viewed in its highest aspect; and, at all events, exhibiting features of grandeur, arrangement, and grace, which had not failed to be duly appreciated. Another class were praised for the " enthusiasm" with which, bearing in mind "the great occasion and object of the Exhibition," they had magnanimously "waived all considerations of expense," and indulged their imaginations, and employed the resources of their genius and learning, in the composition of arrangements presenting the utmost grandeur and beauty of architecture ; and reminding the architectural student of all the conditions of his art — " the Egyptian hypo-style, the Roman thermae, or of the Arabic or Saracenic inventions/'

But, as Sancho Panza has wisely observed, " fine words butter no parsnips." Of all these elaborately-eulogised plans, not one was found alike fit, worthy, and possible for adoption; whilst the "faint praise" given to the "practical character" of the English, as " remarkably illustrated in some very striking and simple methods, suited to the temporary purposes of the building, due attention having been paid to the pecuniary means allotted to this part of the undertaking," and the disproportionate number of foreigners to whom "the highest honorary distinction" was awarded, being in the proportion of fifteen to eighteen among them, whilst amongst the English it was only three out of one hundred and eighty-five, together called forth a burst of indignation from the public, as well as from the number of candidates, who thought their claims had not been fairly dealt with. They complained that, whilst they had confined themselves strictly to the conditions specified, that only suggestions were to be given, that the plan or drawing was to be a mere outline-sketch upon a single sheet, and the written description or explanation of the plan to be comprised in a single sheet, their competitors had indulged in "elaborated designs, elegantly executed," many on a larger scale, and even with the advantage of colour.

The design for the edifice which the Building Committee submitted to the Commissioners, was no sooner made known to the public, than in the same manner another storm of disapprobation, plentifully intermixed with ridicule, Broke upon their heads ; and, truth to say, the idea was sufficiently open to objection. The realization of it would have brought forth a fabric four times the length of either Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's, or York Minster; in fact, two thousand two hundred feet long, and four hundred and fifty wide. The main building was to be sixty feet in height, the dome more than one hundred and fifty in height, and two hundred in diameter; making it eleven feet larger in diameter than that of St. Peter's at Rome, and forty-five more than that of St. Paul's; whilst fifteen million of bricks would have been used in the building, altogether ! Little did the - committee imagine at that moment, that the structure was finally destined to stand forth in all the combined advantages of lightness, strength, and security, without the aid of brick, stone, or mortar ! their places more efficiently and more eponomically filled by wood, iron, and glass. Yet so it was ; a self-taught genius waved the wand with which he had before effected wonders, and up rose -

THE CRYSTAL PALACE.

It is scarcely necessary to say that this genius, this magician was Mr. Paxton, or, as he will be known to future generations, Sir Joseph Paxton ; and truly his descendants may be justly proud of an honour which ought to be continued to them, as it was granted to him on the sole ground that can render honorary distinctions really honourable, namely, that of merit.

Chapter II

THE PAXTON PLAN — CONTEACT WITH EOX AND HENDERSON — VAST EXTENT OP ARRANGEMENTS —

BAPID ADVANCEMENT OE THE BUILDING VISIT OE THE SOCIETY OF ARTS — ARRANGEMENT

TOR THE DISTRIBUTION OE GOODS — COURTESY TO STRANGERS — PRINCE ALBERT'S SPEECH.

Mr. Paxton had long been known to the public as the superintendent of the Duke of Devonshire's horticultural- departments, at Chatsworth and Chiswick, and for the improvements he had introduced into the buildings connected with them, particularly in the introduction of sheet glass for level roofs to conservatories. The idea was originally suggested to his mind by an attentive examination of the large umbrellashaped leaf, and the longitudinal and transverse girders and supporters at the back of the gigantic and magnificent water-lily, known by the name of the Victoria Regia, imported into this country from South Africa, and which flowered for the first time in our clime, on the 9th of November, 1849, in a house expressly fitted 4 up for it in the gardens at Chatsworth, where the water wherein it was placed was kept in motion by a small water-wheel, invented for the purpose by Mr. Paxton.

The account which Mr. Paxton gives of the considerations which first induced him to send in a design, the last in the field, to the Executive Committee, is admirable in its simplicity and truthfulness. It was not until one morning when he was present with his friend Mr. Ellis, at an early sitting in the House of Commons, that the idea presented itself to him, in consequence of a conversation that took place between them relative to the construction of the new House of Commons, in the course of which Mr Paxton observed that he was afraid they would be committing another blunder in the building for the Industrial Exhibition, adding, that he had a notion concerning it in bis own head, and that if his friend would accompany him to the Board of Trade, he would ascertain whether it was too late to send in a design. Upon inquiring of the Executive Committee whether they stood so far pledged to the plans already submitted to them, as to be precluded from receiving another, they replied certainly not; for though the specifications would be out in a fortnight, there was no reason why a clause should not be introduced allowing another design to come under consideration. " Then," said Mr. Paxton, " if you will introduce a clause to that effect, I will go home, and in nine days I will bring you my plans all complete." This was on Friday the 11th of June, 1850.

He had, however, to go from London to the Menai Straits, to see the third tube of the Britannia Bridge placed, after which he returned to Derby, to attend to some business at the board-room; but his thoughts were fixed upon his design, and he sketched it on a large sheet of blotting-paper, whilst the conversation was going on all around him. This precious embodiment of his first ideas on so momentous a subject was taken possession of by his wife, as he stated at a subsequent meeting, in excuse for not producing it ; and the importance she annexed to its preservation, was a proof at once of her affectionate pride in her husband's talent, and of her judgment in appreciating the value of a proof of it, equally demonstrative of its readiness and precision. All that night he sat up to consider and correct it, and by the aid of his friend Mr. Barlow, he was enabled to finish all his plans hy the Saturday following, and to start with them that day for London. To the honour of Mr. Stephenson and Mr. Brunei, they no sooner were made acquainted with Mr. Paxton's plan, than they acknowledged its merit, though it interfered with their own previous views on the subject, particularly Mr. Brunei's, which had embraced the idea of the monster dome; but he had the generosity to help Mr. Paxton in his plan for covering in the tall trees which were so dear to the public, that their preservation was made a sine qua non, by taking their measurement himself the next morning, and communicating it to Mr. Paxton, saying to him with equal frankness and good feeling, " although I mean to try to win with my own plan, I will give you all the information I can."

This is the true spirit in which men of science and genius should meet each other, and we may hope that instances of it will every day become more and more frequent, under the influence of that enlargement of sympathy and sentiment, which the increased facility of intercourse among nations with each other is the surest means of promoting.