would have learned a good deal of in- ent opinions, still glow within our breasts, rise up in arms against such an unlooked-for, and such an unprecedented violation of our sanctuary? And must we not retire to our houses under a painful impression, that, when we are just about to give the parting salutation, there was forced on us a subject of complaint, which, it is distressing to contemplate, can scarcely be discussed without occasioning keen contention, which had escaped the notice, or only excited the interest of those among whom it circulated, and which is forced upon us by the zeal of him whom it least of all concernsthe Presbyterian minister from the banks of the Ganges ?" The vote being now called for, there appeared for Dr Nicoll's motion, 83; for Mr Brown's, 82. The former, there fore, was carried by a majority only of one. The ecclesiastical organization of the different religious denominations in Russia, are as under : The Catholics of Lithuania, of White Russia, and Western Russia, have their archbishops, bishops, religious orders of both sexes, with colleges of Jesuits, &c. The Protestants, both Lutheran and Reformed, have their superior consistories in each government. In Finland, these consistories have at their head a bishop, and in the other provinces, a superintendant-general. The Armenians, whether united or not, have their archbishops and bishops, and the latter class have a patriarch. The Moravian brethren of Sarepta have their separate ecclesiastical jurisdiction. The Mahometans, whose number amounts to near three millions, have two muftis. The sectaries of Lama have their lamas or priests. A letter from a Catholic missionary at Macao, dated April 1, 1819, affords some details relative to the persecution of the Christians in China. Every European priest that is discovered is instantly seized and put to death; Chinese Christian priests undergo the same fate. Christians of the laity, unless they will apostatize, are first dreadfully tortured, and then banished into Tartary. This year, 1819, in the prisons of one province alone, Sutcuen, two hundred Christians were expecting the orders for their exile. A Chinese priest had just been strangled, and two others were also under sentence of death. Throughout the whole empire, there are but ten missionaries, five of whom, at Pekin, have no communication with the inhabitants unless it be secret. The Emperor has moreover declared, that he will no longer tolerate either painters or watch. makers, or even mathematicians. The Bishop of Pekin has in vain attempted to introduce himself, under this title, into his diocese. The only way left to the missionaries to penetrate into the country, is by gaining the messengers or couriers that pass from Mocao to Pekin, but if discovered, both the missionary and the courier suffer death on the spot. LITERARY INTELLIGENCE. PLAN OF ROYAL SOCIETY OF LITERATURE, For the Encouragement of Indigent Merit, and the Promotion of General Literature. To consist of Honorary Members, Subscribing Members, and Associates. THE Class of Honorary Members is intended to comprise some of the most eminent literary men in the three kingdoms, and the most distinguished female writers of the present day. An annual subscription of two guineas will constitute a subscribing member. Subscribers of ten guineas, and upwards, will be entitled to privileges hereafter mentioned, according to the date of their subscription. The Class of Associates is to consist of twenty men of distinguished learning, authors of some creditable work of literature, and men of good moral character; ten under the patronage of the King, and ten under the patronage of the Society. His Majesty has been pleased to express, in the most favourable terms, his approbation of the proposed Society, and to honour it with his munificent patronage, by assigning an annual sum of one hundred guineas each, to ten of the Associates, payable out of the privy purse; and also an annual premium of one hundred guineas for the best Dissertation on some interesting subject, to be chosen by a council belonging to the Society. Ten Associates will be placed under the patronage of the Society, as soon as the subscriptions (a large portion of which will be annually funded for the purpose) shall be sufficient, and in proportion as they become so. An annual subscriber of ten guineas, continued for five years, or a life subscription of one hundred guineas, wil entitle such subscribers to nominate an Associate under the Society's patronage, according to the date of their subscription. The Associates, under the patronage of the King, will be elected by respected and competent judges. The Associates nominated by Subscribers must have the same qualifications of learning, moral character, and public principle, as those who are elected, and must be approved by the same judges. Every Associate, at his admission, will choose some subject, or subjects, of literature, for discussion, and will engage to devote such discussions to the Society's Memoirs of Literature, of which a volume will be published by the Society, from time to time; in which Memoirs will likewise be inserted the successive Prize Dissertations. From the months of February to July, it is purposed that a weekly meeting of the Society shall be held; and a monthly meeting during the other six months of the year. INSTITUTIONS IN WALES, -For the Promotion of Ancient Litera ture, Poetry, and Music. The recent transactions in the principality were of a nature to afford gratification to all who feel an interest in the preservation of ancient relics, and the revival of ancient literature, as well -as the fostering of living merit. Several of the nobility, clergy, and gen-try, came forward in a very spirited manner, to support the designs of the Bardic and Literary Institution, first formed at Carmarthen, in South Wales, under the patronage of Bishop Burgess and Lord Dynevor, and now in North Wales, under the sanction of the pa triotic Sir Watkin Williams Wynne, and his brother Charles W. Wynne, Esq. A Society, under the name of "The Metropolitan Cambrian Institution," was also formed in London, to which his Majesty condescended to extend the royal patronage. Even in the present infant state of these designs, a pleasing spirit of emulation was excited among the natives of Cambria. At the Eistedhood, or Bardic session, held at Carmarthen, July 5, 1819, Bishop Burgess presided with great ability and zeal. The principal poems were, 1. A Welsh Ode on the Death of her late Majesty Queen Charlotte, by Mr Williams, of Lanedgai, Carnarvonshire.-2. A Poem on the Death of that brave Cambrian Sir T. Picton, by the Rev. Walter Davies; and an English Imitation of it by the Rev. Mr Lloyd, which had been set to music by Mr Parry, of London. premium for the best prose essay in English, on "The Language and Learning of Britain during the Roman period," was awarded to the Rev. John Jones, of Lanvair, near Bangor. The Rev. Walter Davies filled the Bardic chair, and Mr Blaney, of Montgomeryshire, after a contest with his neighbour, Mr Humphreys, gained the honour of the silver harp, and a premium of thirty guineas. The The anniversary of the Cymmrodonian, or Cambrian Society, for the district of Powys, including the counties of Montgomery, Denbigh, and Flint, was held at Wrexham on the 13th and 14th of September, when Sir W. W. Wynne, supported by his brother, Charles W. Wynne, Esq. and Sir Edward Lloyd, presided in a very spirited and able manner. The principal prize-poem had for its subject, "The Death of his late Majesty King George the Third.” The premium of fifteen guineas was awarded to a bard well known in the principality, Mr Robert Davies, of Nantglyn, near Denbigh, who was 1819. placed in the bardic chair, according to ancient custom. There were fourteen Competitors for this prize; ele. ven for the second prize, on "The Cambrian's Attachment to his Native Land," adjudged to Mr Evan Evans; and forty-nine for the third poetic garland, conferred on Mr James, the harper, for the best Englyn, or sonnet, on "What is Poetic Genius ?" (Pa beth yw Awen.) PROSE ESSAYS IN ENGLISH. 1. On the Notices of Britain, under whatever name in ancient Authors; containing Extracts from the Originals, with translations and comments. The Rev. W. T. Rees, A. M. Rector of Cascob, Radnorshire, and Prebendary of Brecon.. 2. On the History and Character of the real Arthur, King of the Britons, and the fabulous Character of that name, whether of Romance, or of Mythology. Mr John Hughes, of Brecon, author of Hora Britannica, in two vols. * There were ten competitors for the honour of the silver harp, which was awarded to R. Roberts, a blind man. Cambridge. Members of the Senate, 1820. - on the Boards, It appears from the Eighth Report of the National Society, that there are 1467 schools on Dr Bell's system; and from the Fourteenth Report of the British and Foreign School Society, that there are 297 schools upon the Lancasterian plan; making a total, upon the new system, of 1764 schools. At the sale of the late Mr Bindley's library, at Evans's, in Pall-mall, a collection of single poems and ballads, published at about a halfpenny or one penny each, bound in eight volumes, sold at the immense price of L.837. The commercial world will learn with satisfaction that a plan has been commenced, under the auspices of the British Government, for determining the relative contents of the weights and measures of all trading countries. This important object is to be accomplished by procuring from abroad correct copies of Foreign standards, and comparing them with those of England at his Majesty's Mint. Such a comparison, which could be effected only at a moment of universal peace, has never been attempted on a plan sufficiently general or systematic; and hence the errors and contradictions which abound in tables of Foreign weights and measures, even in works of the highest authority. In order, therefore, to remedy an inconvenience so perplexing in commerce, Lord Castlereagh has, by the recommendation of the Board of Trade, issued a circular, dated March 16, 1818, directing all the British Con1874 suls abroad to send home copies of the 3984 principal standards used within their 1873 respective consulates, verified by the 4102 proper authorities, and accompanied The meeting concluded with an address from Chas. W. Wynne, Esq. and some poetic effusions from the Rev. Walter Davies, the chief of modern bards. It appears by a summary of the Members of the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge in their Calendars for 1819 and 1820, that the following is the number : * Printed for Ogle and Co. London. by explanatory papers and other documents relative to the subject. Most of his lordship's orders have been already executed in a very full and satisfactory manner. The dispatches and packages transmitted on the occasion are deposited at the Royal Mint, where the standards are to be forthwith compared. The comparisons are to be made by Robert Bingley, Esq. the King's Assay Master of the Mint, and the calculations by Dr Kelly, of Finsbury-square, who originally submitted the plan to government; and who will publish the results of those comparisons and calculations, as soon as they are completed, in the second edition of his "Universal Cambist." A report was this year made to the Society of Education at Paris by M. Jomard, from which it appears, that the number of schools already established for boys is 41, and for girls 22. These schools are capable of affording accommodation to about 6600 scholars. The whole number of schools in France is said to be upwards of 1000; of which 360 are included in M. Jomard's report. Of these 45 are instituted for girls; and the whole of them might instruct 40,600 scholars, or about 115 per school. On July 1, 1818, there were under instruction 19,175 children. There is also another description of schools, established by "the Brethren of the Christian Faith." These, in the course of three years, have increased from 60 to 142; and, in the year 1818, they had 25,000 pupils. The theatres in France have long been under the immediate control of the government, and various regulations have at different periods been made respecting them. In November, 1796, a decree was passed, and which still continues in force, enacting, that a decime on every franc of the price of admission at all places of public amusement, should be collected for Curiosities Total 10,887 2713 2613 6013 5922 4362 2511 8608 3636 6470 6516 6420 . . 485,137 491,826 497,358 The French actors form a kind of joint stock company, and a committee of six, with a commissioner named by the government, is appointed to manage the interests of the society. The committee, however, have little power, the principal authority being vested in the commissioner. The receipts of the theatre are divided into twenty-four equal parts; one part is set aside for unexpected demands; one half part is given to the pension or superannuated fund; another half part is assigned to the decorations, scenery, repairs, &c. The other twenty-two parts are distributed amongst the actors, none receiving more than one part, nor less than one-eighth of a part. The actors, on entering this society, contract an engagement to play for twenty years, after which they are entitled to a retiring pension of 4000 francs per annum, (about 1701.) These pensions are payable, half out of an annual allowance of 100,000 francs (about 42004) made by government to the theatre, and the other half out of funds raised out of the receipts and contributions of the actors. Les Annales des Lagides, published at Paris, announced a fact that the learned in general were not acquainted with. The number of reigns of the Greek Egyptian kings, successors to Alexander the Great, has been |