"But my life, I fear," said Lord Norham, "is destined to be a torment to others, even against my will. At this very moment, while I am speaking to you, I am in the act-passively, it is trueof inflicting a most serious injury upon a person. whom I have never seen, and whom, moreover, I have every reason to respect."

"But you are not such a fatalist as to believe that you have not the power of preventing your

Lord Norham appeared to take no notice of the self from doing wrong?" explanation.

66

66

Certainly not, in my own person, but there are circumstances when one is compelled to allow others to act for one."

"Allow me," he said, "to assist you from your carriage, and," he added, in a subdued, but earnest, tone, to explain the motive of my appearance." "I can conceive no combination of events so Ethelinde bowed gravely, accepted his proffered compulsory as to make one act against one's own hand, and they entered the house together. When conscience, either in person or by deputy-that is they reached the drawing-room she took a chair to say, if you entertain feelings such as you near one of the windows, and motioned to Lord Norham to sit down also, for she felt too much agitated to speak.

describe."

Lord Norham gazed intently on the animated speaker, and her words fell on his ear with the conviction of truth.

66

He did not, however, accept the invitation, but stood for a few moments, irresolute, as if uncer- You are right," he said, "and whatever it tain how to commence a conversation which he costs me, I will neither be a wrong-doer myself nor had sought in so unusual a manner. At length suffer wrong to be done in my name. It will, at he spoke. any rate, console me for the brevity of this inter"I am sure," he began―" that is-I hope-view, which I fear will be my first and last; for," you will forgive the step I have taken, in present- he continued, with a melancholy accent, “I must ing myself before you without an introduction; once more be a wanderer." but the truth is, I expected to have been able to "You will not leave that is-quit England, plead as my apology, a friendship which I formed without allowing my aunt to make the acquaintance in the East with a relation of Mrs. Rushworth. of her son's friend, without"-she hesitated Had I known to whom I was speaking last night," without giving me the satisfaction of knowing before the party broke up, I should not have been placed in this awkward predicament."

"the

"You have characterized it rightly," returned Ethelinde, with some degree of coldness; situation is, at least, peculiar."

"I am afraid,” said Lord Norham, advancing a step nearer "I am afraid I have offended you, and Heaven knows that is the last object of my thoughts; but, what shall I say-I could not resist the temptation of making an inquiry after you this morning, particularly when I was led to believe that you were the sister of the man who saved my life as I was travelling last year between Beyrouth and Damascus."

"Indeed!" exclaimed Ethelinde; "were you the Englishman whose escort fled when attacked by a party of Bedouins in the Lebanon, and whom my cousin Charles was so fortunate as to rescue? He wrote to us about the adventure, but, with the carelessness that marks everything he does, never told us who he had assisted, contenting himself with saying, that it was a feature of life in the desert which had led to very agreeable consequences."

"It was no other than myself to whose aid he came so opportunely, or I might not have lived to tell the story; though, after all," and this was said with an accent of bitterness" life is, perhaps, a questionable blessing.'

Surely not," observed Ethelinde, "if it enables us to render any—the slightest service to our fellow-creatures."

who it was that rendered me an essential ser-, vice, to whom I am indebted, perhaps, for my life."

"And have I been so utterly forgetful of all the laws of courtesy as to continue anonymous? Heavens! yes. I gave my card to my groom to deliver at the door, and forgot that you could not have received it. My name is Lord Norham."

Had a mine been suddenly sprung in the drawing-room, Ethelinde could not have been more astonished than by this announcement. She started to her feet, and became pale and red by turns, as the various thoughts which that name excited awoke rapidy within her. She beheld at the same moment the enemy of her social position, whose success would involve her in comparative ruin, the bizarre young man who had acted so ridiculously about the disputed garment, and-she could not disguise it from herself-she saw before her one who evidently regarded her with no common interest. That she was perfectly unknown to him, seemed quite certain, for he had mistaken her for Mrs. Rushworth's daughter, but then what could have made him act so absurdly in other respects? He surely did not mean to speak to her on the subject! The bare idea made her feel as if she were about to sink into the earth; she would rather have lost a thousand law-suits than have run the risk of this unhappy restitution. Amazement, fear, mistrust— so many contending emotions were imprinted on her countenance that Lord Norham gazed on her in mute wonder. Ethelinde felt the embarrassment

1. Humbolt's Kosmos,

2. Pacification and Union with Mexico,

3. The War- Prospects,

4. Lieut. Gordon-Col. Kinney,

5. Our Policy with Mexico,

6. Party Politics in Congress-Political Calculations,

7. Webster, Binney, Hayne,

8. Philadelphia-Mr. Biddle-Butler Family, 9. La Camicia Rapita,

Edinburgh Review,
National Era,
N. O. Picayune,
Courier & Enquirer,
Boston Courier,

421

422

423

425

New Monthly Magazine,

POETRY.-Visions of the Past, 411-The Volunteer's Mother, 414-To John C. Calhoun, 424 -The Lonely Home, 431.-NEW BOOKS, 431.

PROSPECTUS. This work is conducted in the spirit of Littell's Museum of Foreign Literature, (which was favorably received by the public for twenty years,) but as it is twice as large, and appears so often, we not only give spirit and freshness to it by many things which were excluded by a month's delay, but while thus extending our scope and gathering a greater and more attractive variety, are able so to increase the solid and substantial part of our literary, historical, and political harvest, as fully to satisfy the wants of the American reader.

The elaborate and stately Essays of the Edinburgh, Quarterly, and other Reviews; and Blackwood's noble criticisms on Poetry, his keen political Commentaries, highly wrought Tales, and vivid descriptions of rural and mountain Scenery; and the contributions to Literature, History, and Common Life, by the sagacious Spectator, the sparkling Examiner, the judicious Athenæum, the busy and industrious Literary Gazette, the sensible and comprehensive Britannia, the sober and respectable Christian Observer; these are intermixed with the Military and Naval reminiscences of the United Service, and with the best articles of the Dublin University, New Monthly, Fraser's, Tait's, Ainsworth's, Hood's, and Sporting Magazines, and of Chambers' admirable Journal. We do not consider it beneath our dignity to borrow wit and wisdom from Punch; and, when we think it good enough, make use of the thunder of The Times. We shall increase our variety by importations from the continent of Europe, and from the new growth of the British colonies.

The steamship has brought Europe, Asia, and Africa, into our neighborhood; and will greatly multiply our connections, as Merchants, Travellers, and Politicians, with all parts of the world; so that much more than ever it

TERMS.-The LIVING AGE is published every Saturday, by E. LITTELL & Co., corner of Tremont and Bromfield sts., Boston; Price 124 cents a number, or six dollars a year in advance. Remittances for any period will be thankfully received and promptly attended to. To insure regularity in mailing the work, orders should be addressed to the office of publication, as above. Clubs, paying a year in advance, will be supplied as follows:

Four copies for
Nine
Twelve "

46

66

$20 00
840 00
$50 00

Complete sets, in fifteen volumes, to the end of 1847, handsomely bound, and packed in neat boxes, are for sale at thirty dollars.

Any volume may be had separately at two dollars, bound, or a dollar and a half in numbers.

Any number may be had for 12 cents; and it may be worth while for subscribers or purchasers to complete any broken volumes they may have, and thus greatly enhance their value.

Binding. We bind the work in a uniform, strong, and good style; and where customers bring their numbers in good order, can generally give them bound volumes in exchange without any delay. The price of the binding is 50 cents a volume. As they are always bound to one pattern, there will be no difficulty in matching the future volumes.

now becomes every intelligent American to be informed of the condition and changes of foreign countries. And this not only because of their nearer connection with ourselves, but because the nations seem to be hastening, through a rapid process of change, to some new state of things, which the merely political prophet cannot compute or foresee.

Geographical Discoveries, the progress of Colonization, (which is extending over the whole world,) and Voyages and Travels, will be favorite matter for our selections; and, in general, we shall systematically and very ully acquaint our readers with the great department of Foreign affairs, without entirely neglecting our own.

While we aspire to make the Living Age desirable to all who wish to keep themselves informed of the rapid progress of the movement-to Statesmen, Divines, Lawyers, and Physicians-to men of business and men of leisure-it is still a stronger object to make it attractive and useful to their Wives and Children. We believe that we can thus do some good in our day and generation; and hope to make the work indispensable in every well-informed family. We say indispensable, because in this day of cheap literature it is not possible to guard against the influx of what is bad in taste and vicious in morals, in any other way than by furnishing a sufficient supply of a healthy character. The mental and moral appetite must be gratified.

We hope that, by "winnowing the wheat from the chaff" by providing abundantly for the imagination, and by a large collection of Biography, Voyages and Travels, History, and more solid matter, we may produce a work which shall be popular, while at the same time it will aspire to raise the standard of public taste.

Agencies. We are desirous of making arrangements, in all parts of North America, for increasing the circulation of this work-and for doing this a liberal commission will be allowed to gentlemen who will interest themselves in the business. And we will gladly correspond on this subject with any agent who will send us undoubted refer

ences.

Postage.-When sent with the cover on, the Living Age consists of three sheets, and is rated as a pamphlet, at 4 cents. But when sent without the cover, it comes within the definition of a newspaper given in the law, and cannot legally be charged with more than newspaper postage, (14 cts.) We add the definition alluded to:

A newspaper is "any printed publication, issued in numbers, consisting of not more than two sheets, and published at short, stated intervals of not more than one month, conveying intelligence of passing events."

Monthly parts.-For such as prefer it in that form, the Living Age is put up in monthly parts, containing four or five weekly numbers. In this shape it shows to great advantage in comparison with other works, containing in each part double the matter of any of the quarterlies. But we recommend the weekly numbers, as fresher and fuller of life. Postage on the mouthly parts is about 14 cents. The volumes are published quarterly, each volume containing as much matter as a quarterly review gives in eighteen months.

WASHINGTON, 27 DEC., 1845.

Or all the Periodical Journals devoted to literature and science which abound in Europe and in this country, this has appeared to me to be the most useful. It contains indeed the exposition only of the current literature of the English language, but this by its immense extent and comprehension includes a portraiture of the human mind in the utmost expansion of the present age.

J. Q. ADAMS.

LITTELL'S LIVING AGE.-No. 199.-4 MARCH, 1848.

From the Westminster Review.

sary in order to make a rational attempt at aerostation; and a careful study of the most ordinary phenomena might at any time have led to the invention of the Montgolfier balloon. Borelli was perhaps the first, who, by a comparison of the anatomical peculiarities of the human frame, and the structure of birds, demonstrated, to a certain extent, the impossibility of the realization of the cherished project of flying. He arrived at this conclusion from a comparison of the form and strength of the muscles of the wings of birds with the corresponding muscles of the human body. From about this period, when the attention of scientific men began to be withdrawn from impracticable attempts at flying, and directed to more rational and feasible schemes for supporting the human body in the atmosphere, may, in reality, be dated the commencement of the

1. Moyen de diriger un Ballon par une Machine
appliquée à la Nacelle. Bruxelles. 1847.
2. An Essay on Aërial Navigation, pointing out
modes of directing Balloons. By JOSEPH MAC
SWEENY, M.D. Cork: 1844. Second Edition.
WHEN the ingenuity and perseverance of man
had rendered the river and the ocean subservient to
human wants-when the art of navigation was so
far advanced as to become of real and practical
utility—it was natural that the speculations of san-
guine and ingenious philosophers should be directed
to the more daring project of navigating the air; and
that, having rendered tributary to his wishes one
element, man should seek to make another his slave.
The first conception of the idea of aerial nav-
igation dates then from a very early period; and
the expectation that man, at some period subse-art of aerostation.
quent to their own, would be able to wing his way
through the air, was certainly entertained by many
of the early philosophers. This idea of the pos-
sibility of flying appears, in fact, to be one of those
popular notions which have always more or less
occupied the attention of projectors; and it has
led in every age and country to schemes, many of
them of the most absurd nature-all hitherto tried
remarkable for their utter failure. But if the
failures of the attempts hitherto made have been
numerous and complete, this want of success may
fairly be said to have risen not more from the real
and unavoidable difficulties attending such attempts
than from the imperfect and inadequate idea of the
nature and extent of the difficulties necessary to be
overcome, which experimentalists have in general
formed.

It is perhaps somewhat remarkable, that instead of following the method adopted in the first case, namely, that of inventing and employing a machine specifically lighter, volume for volume, than the fluid in which it floats, so much ingenuity and perseverance should have been wasted in vainly endeavoring to discover means of supporting the human body in the air by mechanical apparatus analogous to the wings of birds. Of this general belief in the possibility of flying so long entertained, and probably not yet extinct, the ancient fables of Dedalus and Icarus, and the dove of Archytas, were probably the popular and traditional expression, rather than the records of such attempts having been made.

However this may be, the problematical art of flying captivated, during some centuries, many a speculative genius, and the possibility of the human body floating in the atmosphere proved an idea so seductive, as to prevent any attempts at aerostation of a practical nature till the end of the last century. The knowledge of the existence of gases, specifically lighter than atmospheric air, was not necesCXCIX. LIVING AGE. VOL. XVI. 28

Perhaps, however, we might instance the Jesuit, Lana, as one of the earliest to point out the true direction to be given to experiments of this nature, although the method proposed by him was not in reality reducible to practice. Lana, in his work, published in 1670, discarding the ideas of his predecessors, suggested the construction of a machine weighing less than the volume of air it displaced, and this he believed it possible to effect in the following manner. He proposed to construct large copper vessels, of a spherical form, one twenty-fifth of an inch in thickness, and perfectly air-tight. From these, by a method, which is, however, evidently imperfect and insufficient, he proposed to exhaust the air they contained. If these vessels were made of so large a size that the weight of the air contained in them previous to exhaustion were greater than the weight of the shells themselves, it is evident that, after the exhaustion of the air contained in it, a copper sphere, such as we have described, would, on being left freely to itself, rise into the air until it reached a region where the surrounding air had a density such that the volume of air displaced by the spherical case was exactly equal to the weight of the case itself.

Such was Lana's conception of a balloon, and impracticable as the idea is, and probably must ever remain, it is undoubtedly correct in theory, and was one of the first steps towards the invention of the balloon, such as it exists in the present day.

The fallacy, or rather the impracticability of the invention, was two-fold; first, the method of creating a vacuum proposed by Lana was imperfect, and secondly, it is practically impossible to construct a hollow sphere of so small a thickness that the sphere should weigh less than the volume of air it contains, and at the same time be sufficiently strong to resist the pressure of the atmosphere when exhausted of air. Various methods of ex

From the moment of this ascent, it was clear that the days of fire-balloons were numbered. The superior safety, the smaller size, and the more manageable nature of the gas-balloon, were advantages so evident, as to induce scientific men to consider the hydrogen-gas-balloon as alone fulfilling the conditions required in a machine destined to navigate the air.

hausting receivers of any size or capacity might the Tuileries, the balloon, although inflated with now be employed, all these methods being far su- gas the previous day, was still found to retain an perior to that of Lana, so that the first difficulty ascending power sufficient to carry up two persons. may be said to be overcome; but the mechanical problem of constructing a recipient, the shell of which should be of the thinness required, and at the same time possess sufficient strength to resist the pressure of the atmosphere, appears to be, notwithstanding the advance which the mechanical arts have made since that period, as hopeless at the present moment as it was in the time of Lana. We need scarcely dwell longer on the subject of The art of floating in the air had then at length this machine. In 1775, a Frenchman of the name been discovered, and the adventurer had at his of Galien, in a little treatise published at Avignon, command a machine which enabled him to soar to suggested, instead of exhausting the air from a the skies, and which, within certain although cirsphere, as proposed by Lana, the employment of cumscribed limits, afforded him the means of vary gases or vapors of less density than atmospheric ing his elevation above the earth at will. But the air, but of equal tension or elasticity. In this case problem of aerial navigation is of course not comthe tension of the gas inside the vessel or balloon pletely resolved by the invention of a machine or being equal to that of the external air, no pressure | apparatus capable of sustaining the human body on the surface of the balloon would exist; the in the air. It is necessary to discover, likewise, metallic case proposed by Lana might be dispensed the means of guiding or propelling such a machine with, and a material, lighter and more convenient in any direction. It would, perhaps, at first sight than copper, be substituted. Our celebrated countryman, Dr. Black, was one of the earliest who practically applied a similar idea. He employed in his experiments a bladder formed of thin animal membrane, and filling the bladder or balloon so formed with pure hydrogen, found on trial that the bladder, when inflated, rose rapidly to the ceiling. Black, however, did not prosecute his experiments any further, and it was in France that the first ex-loon invented, the art of guiding or propelling it periments of this nature on a large scale took place. M. Montgolfier, soon after the experiment of Dr. Black here mentioned, repeated the same experiment on a somewhat greater scale, but found, from the perviousness of the materials-silk and paper, of which he constructed his balloons-that although at the instant of inflation they possessed a considerable ascending power, the escape of gas was so rapid that they fell to the ground in a few seconds. It was apparently this circumstance which led Montgolfier to discard the gas balloon, and turn his entire attention to the construction of that form of balloon which still bears his name, and of which he was undoubtedly the inventor.

appear probable, that if means of floating in the air be discovered, a method of propulsion could be readily found; yet it has proved in practice a far more difficult attempt than had, at first, been imagined; and the numerous schemes for effecting this object have all proved abortive, or been attended with success so insignificant as not to warrant the further prosecution of them. The bal

appears thus to be almost as far from our grasp and as distant of attainment as ever.

Since the invention of the gas-balloon by M. Charles, but few improvements of importance have been made in it, and, as might be foreseen from the original simplicity of the invention, what improvements have been made are not improvements in the principle, but in minor matters of detail. The most important improvement since introduced, is one effected in the early part of the present century by Mr. Green, well known for the many successful public ascents which he has since made. This improvement consists in the use of coal gas instead of pure hydrogen, which latter gas was employed in the ascents of M. Charles and the subsequent ones of Lunardi, Garnerin, and other aeronauts in this country.

With an aerostat of this description, the first aerial voyage was made November 21st, 1783, by MM. de Rozier and d'Arlandes. The invention of Montgolfier was, however, one which, although One of the principal advantages arising from successful, was destined to be strangled in its birth. the employment of coal gas is economy, the savM. Charles, sometime previous to this, had dis-ing of expense being very great; at the same time, covered, that by carefully covering the silk, of from the greater density of the gas, its use entails which balloons are constructed, with a coating of this disadvantage, that the balloon is required to varnish, the escape of gas might be rendered be of somewhat larger dimensions than when pure trifling; and this capital invention having proved hydrogen is employed for inflation. The original successful in an experiment made with a small expense of construction is thus increased, but the balloon, carrying up no person, about a month be- disadvantage of the greater cost and size of the fore the ascent of M. Rozier, a few days after the balloon is more than counterbalanced by the econvoyage of the latter, MM. Charles and Robert omy and convenience attending the use of coal having constructed a large gas-balloon, made a suc-gas; and, what is of great importance if balloons cessful ascent with it. The success of this inven- are eventually to become of practical utility, the tion was so complete, that on the occasion of the period during which a balloon retains its ascendfirst ascent with the above-mentioned balloon, on ing power is considerably increased, when coal gas the 1st of December, 1783, from the garden of is substituted for hydrogen.