temple, a temple of civilization-of happiness and religion,-shall not we enlist under other auspices, and look for other and higher spirits to lead us on and guide us in the contemplation of that fabric we purpose to erect ?” it is but meet that his powerful appeal should be recorded and responded to. When such employers as Mr. Owen, who warmly remarks, "I cannot look upon an assembly like this, met here for an object so worthy of public sympathy and support, without expressing my unfeigned delight and congratulation that you are moved by a spirit that should have joined you thus unanimously together," or Mr. Pearce, whose extensive establishment, in Cockspur Street, numbers more than a hundred young men, and who bears unequivocal testimony to the wonderfully beneficial influence of early closing on the health of his assistants, and to the absence of inconvenience or loss, remarking that, "the health of the establishment has been much better since the adoption of shorter hours," stating also, from his personal experience, "that the young men have taken every opportunity to improve themselves," adding, moreover, "that he highly approves of the objects of the Association, and is perfectly satisfied with the means they have taken to carry them out.' We say, when these things are thus publicly announced, and by such influential men, are we not bound to circulate them in every direction, both as an assurance to young men that they are not uncared for by their masters, and, also, as a testimony to employers as to the practical results of early closing? When, moreover, we are told by a competent authority in full and nervous detail that every part and particle of the body cruelly and irreparably suffers from the confinement consequent on late trading, and that the mind also is rendered wretched and diseased, and when he gives utterance to the solemn truth,-that, "it is these young men who are rising up to become masters themselves; to them will be committed the great interests of the state; and unless they are intelligent, moral, and religious men, how can they exercise the duties with credit to themselves, or advantage to the community?"-we feel that the public to a man should have these truths brought home to heart and understanding; so that to a man they may cease the pernicious custom of evening shopping. And when, as the last, but as the most solemn, the most powerful motive, the claims of religion are placed up to view,-religion that has by its unrestrained energies subverted the iron-bound but erroneous foundations of mighty empires,-Christianity,-whose sanctions admit of no compromise, when this is declared to be opposed to the principle and practice of protracted and soul-destroying labour, we think then that nothing but knowledge can by possibility be requisite for the entire emancipation of all the victims to over-exertion. Such knowledge it is our purpose to supply. We will scatter these truths far and wide, praying that the precious seed may take deep root in many a generous and manly breast!

L

OUR ANNUAL MEETING.

To witness that noble Hall, which has become proverbial as the arena where benevolent objects of every description are battled for with all the disinterestedness and fire of an ancient chivalry, densely thronged for the most important objects, was a spectacle so cheering, that we venture to assert, there was not one individual present who did not feel himself amply compensated by such a sight, for any amount of inconvenience or labour he might have sustained, in the support of the good cause of an abridgment of the hours of toil. It was gratifying to observe the sympathy with which the able and eloquent expositions of late trading were greeted ;—a sympathy which, alas! we may readily believe to have been genuine, inasmuch as exhibited by a vast number who were themselves groaning under the distressing evils so forcibly denounced. We cannot but think, however, that the multitude there congregated, appealed to, as they were, by one of our ablest statesmen,-placed in possession of the most important physical facts by a medical practitioner, whose zeal and ability we may safely allow to speak for themselves,-urged on to the extermination of late trading by all the sanctions of morality and religion; and these, too, brought home in the most impassioned manner by clergymen, whose names are recorded amongst the unwearing philanthropists of the day;-we cannot but think that such moral influence exerted on such a mass, must have convinced our suffering young men that now this long silently agitated question has assumed its present public and important features, the time of their deliverance draweth nigh. Yes! we are convinced that "the fields are even now white unto the harvest," some scanty crops, but feeble earnests, indeed, of the future, have already been realized; we are smiled on by the sunshine of great principles, and as a consequence by the blessing of our great Creator; and we certainly do not doubt, if labourers, with good hearts and hands, will come forward with help, we shall be enabled to take advantage of the propitious circumstances, and speedily celebrate our harvest-home amid the most joyous acclamations!

These being our sanguine anticipations as to the good that must accrue from such extensive meetings as the one witnessed on the evening of the 12th ultimo, we are of course desirous, not only of impressing the remarks then delivered on the minds of those who were present, but also of circulating, through the whole extent of our kingdom, the sentiments of authorities so high, and the impressive circumstances under which those sentiments were uttered.

When a noble Lord, whose judicious character, every one will allow, would not suffer him to lend the sanction of his powerful influence to any combination unworthy of support, comes forward, and, upon referring to the spirits of darkness, who laboured in the erection of Pandemonium, described by our poet Milton, asks, "Shall not we, who seek to make a better

temple, a temple of civilization-of happiness and religion,-shall not we enlist under other auspices, and look for other and higher spirits to lead us on and guide us in the contemplation of that fabric we purpose to erect ?" it is but meet that his powerful appeal should be recorded and responded to. When such employers as Mr. Owen, who warmly remarks, "I cannot look upon an assembly like this, met here for an object so worthy of public sympathy and support, without expressing my unfeigned delight and congratulation that you are moved by a spirit that should have joined you thus unanimously together," or Mr. Pearce, whose extensive establishment, in Cockspur Street, numbers more than a hundred young men, and who bears unequivocal testimony to the wonderfully beneficial influence of early closing on the health of his assistants, and to the absence of inconvenience or loss, remarking that, "the health of the establishment has been much better since the adoption of shorter hours," stating also, from his personal experience," that the young men have taken every opportunity to improve themselves," adding, moreover, "that he highly approves of the objects of the Association, and is perfectly satisfied with the means they have taken to carry them out.' We say, when these things are thus publicly announced, and by such influential men, are we not bound to circulate them in every direction, both as an assurance to young men that they are not uncared for by their masters, and, also, as a testimony to employers as to the practical results of early closing? When, moreover, we are told by a competent authority in full and nervous detail that every part and particle of the body cruelly and irreparably suffers from the confinement consequent on late trading, and that the mind also is rendered wretched and diseased, and when he gives utterance to the solemn truth,-that, "it is these young men who are rising up to become masters themselves; to them will be committed the great interests of the state; and unless they are intelligent, moral, and religious men, how can they exercise the duties with credit to themselves, or advantage to the community?"-we feel that the public to a man should have these truths brought home to heart and understanding; so that to a man they may cease the pernicious custom of evening shopping. And when, as the last, but as the most solemn, the most powerful motive, the claims of religion are placed up to view,-religion that has by its unrestrained energies subverted the iron-bound but erroneous foundations of mighty empires,-Christianity,-whose sanctions admit of no compromise, when this is declared to be opposed to the principle and practice of protracted and soul-destroying labour, we think then that nothing but knowledge can by possibility be requisite for the entire emancipation of all the victims to over-exertion. Such knowledge it is our purpose to supply. We will scatter these truths far and wide, praying that the precious seed may take deep root in many a generous and manly breast!

CHAPTERS ON ANTIQUITIES.

COINS AND MEDALS.

HAVING been requested by the editor of The Student to resume my papers on the above subject, I have great pleasure in complying with his request. I shall therefore endeavour, in this short essay, to enlarge somewhat on two points connected with ancient medals;-first, their usefulness; secondly, their durability.

Their usefulness will be easily stated, as no illustrations of history have been so much esteemed by the learned of all ages, as these small but lasting memorials of the past. We should know nothing of the features and titles of some of the greatest men of ancient times but from this source; and it is no small pleasure to sit and read history with the medals and coins of a cotemporary period before you—they seem to be living and acting over again the scenes in which they took a prominent part. But, apart from this source of delight, coins are of utility in fixing the dates of events, and thus corroborating the truths of the historian's pen, and vouching for the faithfulness of his chronicle. Their value and use have been of late more acknowledged, and will increase in proportion as knowledge increases ;—thus the medal, like the lamp burning in the ancient tomb, throws its light around, and enables us to make out many a lost story, and discover many events and persons whose names would have been lost but for this medium. Let us not then despise, as puerile, the labours and studies of the antiquary, who does not merely collect these pieces of brass or gold as relics of another age, but views in them the irrefragable proofs of events now lost in the dust and ruins of the past, and interesting to the denizens of the world at the present period, who in their turn must quit the busy scenes in which they are engaged, and leave to others the task of relating their lives and histories. No; the man who feels correctly on this point, will rather value every memorial of the past, and treasure up with sacred care, these durable mementoes of antiquity, and with delight will lead the young and ardent mind to study them.

This leads me to the second part of my subject—their durability. This point will not require any lengthened argument, as it is so evident. What memorial has ever succeeded like these? The column and statue have crumbled to dust-the solemn temple has fallen to the ground, and its shrine been desecrated-the pyramid and the obelisk have been broken down or destroyed-while these undecaying, and almost eternal mementoes, have remained entire; and thus in brief space has been conveyed down the stream of time, a record at once faithful, durable, and interesting; possess ing in one short line or brief sentence, the history of a life or chronicle of the most important event of a life-some conquest-some building or circum stance in the history of an emperor or king, or transmitting, as in eternal brass, the features of the most celebrated heroes of antiquity; and, faithful to its charge of fame, bears each name and event along with it through various climes and remote ages. We will, therefore, value these little pieces of metal, and rejoice in their preservation, and cultivate a taste for collect

ing them; for be assured they are not to be despised, though small; not thrown away, though the rust of two thousand years be upon them; they are pleasant pictures—they delightfully illustrate history, are an innocent amusement to the enquiring mind, and will repay the attention bestowed upon them. I will here conclude, for the present, promising to resume the subject at greater length.

F. S. A.

REMARKS ON ILLUMINATION.*

IN 1842 a patent was taken out by Boccius for improvements in burners, which consisted principally in placing two concentric metal chimneys within the usual glass one, at about two inches above the top of the burner. These chimneys are supported by wires fastened on to the sides of the burner. The precise object of this arrangement it is difficult to discover; he asserts that great increase of light is obtained, and that the top of the flame coming in contact with the bottom of the inner chimneys is cut off quite sharp, and its jagged and flickering edge thereby concealed. The latter object is effected, however, at the expense of casting a large shadow upon the ceiling, which causes a great loss of light. We think that the increased light obtained from his lamps, is owing, not to the chimneys, but to the very superior manner in which his burners are made, the holes being extremely small and close together: an idea of their size may be formed from the fact, that, in a burner of only one inch diameter, he puts from sixty to seventy holes, while in a common burner of the same size, there are only about fifteen. Another advantage in his burners is, that the part through which the holes are drilled is made of German silver, which is not so apt to corrode as the iron of which they are generally formed. The position of the glass chimney which he adopts, is decidedly bad, as he only brings the bottom of it to a level with the top of the burner, which exposes the flame very much to draughts. We have tried his burners without the inner chimneys, and placed about an inch or rather more up the glass one, and have no hesitation in saying that, used in this manner, they are the best that can be employed.

The fact that a decreased supply of air would be an advantage to ordinary gas burners, has at length been recognized, and within the last few months a patent has been taken out for an apparatus to admit gas and air in the precise proportion to produce the best light; at least, this is its intention; how far it answers the purpose we shall shortly see. The apparatus consists of a disk of metal not quite large enough to fill the top of the chimney on which it is placed, and which it thus pretty nearly closes when in a horizontal position. This disk is connected by a lever with the supply cock, so that as the cock is opened it turns up edgeways, one-half going into the chimney, the other standing above it; thus the more gas that

* We omitted in our last to notice one great difference between oil and gas lamps, viz., the absence of any wick in the latter, which of itself constitutes a great source of solid matter in the flame of the former.