at his residence in Homerton, at the age of seventy-six. On the 1st of June an obituary notice appears Sir Archibald of Sir Archibald Alison, author of the 'History of Europe.' Alison. Viaduct. On Monday, June 3rd, the first stone of the Holborn Viaduct was laid in Farringdon Street The Holborn by Mr. Fry, Chairman of the Improvement Committee of the City Corporation. The Athenæum on the 8th states: "The City authorities, fearful of incurring censure, had, on entering seriously upon this great business, resolved to set aside their own eminent engineer and seek advice in the outer world. They put forth an advertisement, asking for plans and offering premiums for the best. One plan, with the motto 'Test me well,' approved itself to a majority of the judges; the first place was given to it, and on opening the sealed envelope, they found the name of their own competent officer, William Haywood." Hawkins. Edward Hawkins, Keeper of the Department Edward of Antiquities in the British Museum, died on the 22nd of May, in his eighty-eighth year. The obituary notice on the 15th of June says: "Mr. Hawkins was a link between a long past and the present generation, many of his friends well. remembering his telling them that he distinctly recalled the form of Dr. Johnson, whom he saw, when a child, a few weeks before his death. Mr. Hawkins, from his early years, devoted much time and attention to the study of coins generally, and to the collection of a remarkably complete series of English medals (now in the National Collection)." "A most upright man and a most accomJohn Rutter plished scholar," John Rutter Chorley, died on Chorley. the 29th of June. The Athenæum on the 6th of July says: "In the knowledge of Spanish literary history he was without a rival, as many elaborate and exhaustive articles in the Athenæum conclusively proved. His collection of Spanish plays was the first, we fancy, in existence. A few years ago, the British Museum was enriched by a donation from him of duplicate copies of Spanish plays, a donation which was almost a library in itself."* Marguerite The death of Lady Blessington's niece, Power. Miss Marguerite Power, is recorded on the 13th of July. "Her account of a winter's residence in Egypt is by much her best work. But even more than in the case of her gracious and graceful aunt will she be remembered by * Mr. John Rutter Chorley bequeathed the choicest books in the Spanish section of his library to the British Museum. In Mr. Henry F. Chorley's autobiography is to be found a touching memorial of his "noble-hearted and highly-gifted brother." her personal elegance and suavity of manner, not unaccompanied by lively touches of humour and shrewd observation, rather than by any literary individuality or merit." seeds. A remarkable instance of the well-known vitality of seeds is noted on the 27th of July as Vitality of now to be seen "at the Paris Exhibition, a great variety of plants foreign to France having sprung up under the walls and around the buildings in the Park, the seeds of which have been conveyed to Paris in packages from various countries. Especially around the house of 'Gustavus Wasa' several plants may be seen which are peculiar to the country of that monarch." of the Prince Consort. 'The Early Years of His Royal Highness the Early years Prince Consort,' compiled, under the direction of Her Majesty the Queen, by Lieut.-General the Hon. C. Grey, is the first book reviewed on the 3rd of August. "A few hours after death had taken from us the late Prince Consort, the writer of these lines predicted (in these columns) that his eminent virtues would cause him to be remembered in future times as Albert the Good. The term was echoed on many sides; and a few months later it received poetic sanction, with renewed publicity, in the Laureate's fresh and noble dedication of his 'Idylls of the King.' Hence, the phrase passed into literature and Albert the Good. Michael Faraday. Story of his early life. into conversation; so that it is now current, not only wherever the English tongue is spoken, but, by happy consent of minds, in every quarter of the globe...... Of the beauty of the Prince's character, we find in this volume many illustrations. In lines which bear traces of the Queen's own hand we have a brief record of the rules of conduct which he adopted in his high and difficult position." Michael Faraday died at Hampton Court on Sunday, August 25th, 1867. He was born at Newington, Surrey, on the 22nd of September, 1791. The Athenæum of the 31st of August states: "His biography is very simple. The son of a blacksmith, apprenticed to a bookbinder, working at that trade up to the age of twenty-two, turned towards science by the irresistible impulse, released from trade by Sir Humphry Davy. Let him tell his own story, as in his letter to Dr. Paris: "My dear Sir,-You asked me to give you an account of my first introduction to Sir H. Davy, which I am very happy to do, as I think the circumstance will bear testimony to his goodness of heart. When I was a bookseller's apprentice, I was very fond of experiment, and very averse to trade. It happened that a gentleman, a member of the Royal Institution, took me to hear some of Sir H. Davy's last lectures in Albemarle Street. I took notes, and afterwards wrote them out more fairly in a quarto volume. My desire to escape from trade, which I thought vicious and selfish, and to enter into the service of Science, which I imagined made its pursuers amiable and liberal, induced me at last to take the bold and simple step of writing to Sir H. Davy, expressing my wishes, and a hope that, if an opportunity came in his way, he would favour my views; at the same time, I sent the notes I had taken at his lectures. The answer, which makes all the point of my communication, I send you in the original, requesting you to take great care of it, and to let me have it back, for you may imagine how much I value it. You will observe that this took place at the end of the year 1812, and early in 1813 he requested to see me, and told me of the situation of Assistant in the Laboratory of the Royal Institution, then just vacant. At the same time that he thus gratified my desires as to scientific employment, he still advised me not to give up the prospects I had before me, telling me that Science was a harsh mistress; and, in a pecuniary point of view, but poorly rewarding those who devoted themselves to her service. He smiled at my notion of the superior moral feelings of philosophic men, and said he would leave me to the experience of a few years to set me right on the matter. Finally, through his good efforts, I went to the Royal Institution early in March of 1813, as Assistant in the Laboratory; and in October of the same year went with him abroad, as his assistant in experiments and in writing. I returned with him in April, 1815, resumed my station in the Royal Institution, and have, as you know, ever since remained there.—I am, dear Sir, very truly yours, M. FARADAY.' Goes to the Royal Institution. "We can write nothing about his career with- His out entering upon the whole history of electricity discoveries. in connexion with magnetism, &c., for the last |