BALLOONS. From a communication from Mr. Clark, in "the Gentleman's Magazine," 1834, it appears, that " in 1767, Mr. Black, was the first who (after Cavendish in the preceding year, ascertained the weight and other properties of inflammable air,) threw out the suggestion in one of his lectures, that if a bladder, sufficiently strong and thin, was filled with inflammable air, it would form a mass lighter than the same bulk of atmospheric air, and, consequently, rise in it." He farther states, "while pursuing my antiquarian researches the other day, in a rare poetical work, entitled "the ship wrecke of Jonas," translated from Du Bartas, by Sylvester, 1592, I was much struck on meeting with the following couplet :

Against one shipe that skips from stars to grounde,
From wave to wave, like windy ballones bounde."

"In this single couplet, therefore, we appear to be presented with "confirmation strong as proofs of holy writ ;" that instead of balloons being, as is generally supposed, an invention of no more than sixty years' standing, they were known at least two centuries previous."

"Balloons were certainly in existence long before 1782, if not in England, at all events, on the continent. What can the

most sceptical say to the following?"

"T. Macfarland, Esq. of Gressnal, when in Germany, on his way home with those specimens of the Ruta Baga, which he had the happiness to introduce to the notice of the British agriculturists, in 1797, had the singular felicity of being introduced to the celebrated mathematician, M. Von Mendleshim, at Stettin on the Oder, who showed him a drawing, &c. of a balloon, in a scarce work, published by John Christopher Sturm, bearing date 1701 !”

"It was drawn and described, says Mr. Macfarland, as used by the inventor, and two others, many years previous, for the purpose of bringing them on shore from a ship anchored off Winslow."

The first ærial voyagers were Messrs. Charles and Roberts, from Paris, 1783. The first female voyager was Madame Thible, from Lyons, who ascended 8,500 feet.

POST-OFFICE.-In 1632, began the post-office system from London to Edinburgh; in 1635, it was extended to other parts; the letters were sent on horseback; they went about six miles per hour; the price for a single letter, was two pence; in 1683, began the penny post, in London. The British government have turned this thing to a source of revenue, and it has reached to more than one million per year, more than its ex

penses; but the prices charged were found to be so oppressive, that notwithstanding heavy penalties, people found out methods of evading it. Therefore, in the year 1839, a new, and perhaps the best alteration ever made came into practice, of charging no more than one penny, if previously paid, for any letter under half an ounce, to any distance all over the three kingdoms. There is now no franking, that privilege, which had been much abused, is abolished, never I hope to be revived again.

In a debate in the House of Commons, in 1805, Mr. Pitt stated, that if the franking privilege was abolished, it would produce then about £40,000 per year: but in 1812, it was considered it detained from the revenue £250,400.

The following account I give from the New York Sun, 20th February, 1843: "under the old rates, the annual number of letters, including franks, passing through the whole kingdom, was 82,470,596. Under the penny rate, taking the week ending March, 1841, the annual number was 193,515,666.”

DIVING BELLS.-Captain Marryat, observes, "how many thousands of vessels, how many millions of property, have been abandoned, and eventually consigned to the all-receiving depths of the ocean, through ignorance or through fear."

In remote ages, divers were kept in ships to assist in raising anchors, and goods thrown over in time of danger; and by the laws of the Rhodians, they were allowed a share in proportion to the depth. Thus "if gold or silver, or any other article, be brought up from the depth of eight cubits, the person who saves it, shall receive one third; if from fifteen cubits, the person who saves it, shall from the danger of the depth, receive one half; if goods are cast by the waves toward the shore, and found at the depth of one cubit, the person who carries them out safe, shall receive a tenth. Beekman.

The recovering, therefore, of goods from the ocean, was not unknown; but, during this period, there was a "William Phipps, the son of a blacksmith, born in America, 1650, who had been brought up as a ship carpenter, at Boston, raised himself to fame, and his family to fortune, title, and distinction; he ormed a project for searching and unloading a rich Spanish ship, sunk on the coast of Hispaniola; and represented his plan in such a plausible manner, that King Charles II. gave him a ship, and furnished him with everything necessary for The undertaking. He set sail in the year 1683, but being unsuccessful, he returned in great poverty, though with a firm conviction of the possibility of his scheme. He endeavoured, therefore, to procure another vessel from James II. who was

then on the throne: but as he failed in this, he tried to find the means of executing his design by the support of private persons; and according to the prevailing practice, opened for that purpose a subscription. At first he was laughed at; but at length, the duke of Albemarle (son of the celebrated General Monk,) took part in it, and advanced a considerable sum to enable him to make the necessary preparations for a new voyage; and in 1687, set sail in a ship of 200 tons burden, to try his fortune once more, having previously engaged to divide the profit, according to the twenty shares of which the subscriptions consisted. At first, all his labours again proved fruitless; but at last, when his patience was almost exhausted, he was so lucky as to bring up from the depth of six or seven fathoms, so much treasure, that he returned to England with the value of £200,000. Of this sum, he himself got about a sixteenth, others say £20,000, and the duke £90,000. After he came back, some persons endeavoured to persuade the king to seize both the ship and the cargo, under a pretence that Phipps, when he solicited for his majesty's permission, had not given accurate information respecting the business. But the king answered, with much greatness of mind, that he knew Phipps to be an honest man, and that he and his friends should share the whole among them, had he returned with double the value. His majesty even conferred upon him the honour of knighthood, to show how much he was satisfied with his persevering conduct. This Phipps, was afterwards High Sheriff of New England, and died at London greatly respected, in 1693. Beekman.

A descendant of this enterprising gentleman, was created Lord Mulgrave, of New Ross, in Ireland, 1767; which became extinct, but was revived, 1794, by the title of Baron Mulgrave, of Mulgrave in Yorkshire.* The motto to his coat of arms is "VIRTUTE QUIES," content in virtue. The happiest condition in this troublesome world.

The diving-bell was used, 1665, on the coast of Scotland, to recover the treasures which were lost in the dispersed ships of the Spanish armada, wrecked on that and the Irish coasts, but with little success.

But it has since been very successfully used, about the wreck of the Mary Rose Yacht, sunk in a gale off Spithead, in the reign of King William III.; she had on board some very curious cannon, neither the powder nor shot went in at the muzzle, and they could be fired out of either end. Although she has been sunk 140 years, her timbers are in a good state. I sup

*This gentleman, the Honourable Captain Constantine Phipps, was commander of the Carcass bomb vessel, which with its consort, the Race-horse, another bomb vessel, set sail 1773, to explore the North pole.

pose she was about 300 tons burden; and strange to tell, to ship builders of the present day, she was clinker built.

TELEGRAPHS AND SEMAPHORES. These are more of those ingenious inventions, which the ever restless curiosity of enterprising man has but lately brought to perfection, to administer to his follies and his necessities. We may read that the Turks used pigeons to convey information, at the time of the first crusades, in the year 1100.

Carrier pigeons were used at the siege of Leyden, 1675.

Among the suggestions of the celebrated Marquis of Worcester, the telegraph may be found. In 1684, Dr Hook made some communications, respecting them, to the royal society.

In 1767, Richard Lovel Edgeworth actually put one in execution, to furnish his sporting friend, Sir F. B. Delavel, with information, to enable him to carry on his turf speculations. This apparatus transmitted sentences sixteen miles apart from Newmarket to London.

This ingenious gentleman was one of those,

Who graced their age with new invented arts." VIRGIL. Like St. Aldhelm, he was almost ingenious enough to turn a sun-beam into a clothe's peg.

Signals for fleets and convoys were, for a long time, very imperfect; Admiral Kempenfelt, (who was sunk in the Royal George, at Spithead,) made some improvements during the first American war.

I believe the French, under their Republican wars, were the first who used signals; and I think one of their battles, in the Netherlands, was mainly won by the use of an air balloon: a person in one, was enabled to give the commander advice of timely arrivals of reinforcement. The Republicans, under Citizan Chappe, had the telegraph regularly in use.

The introduction of Semaphores was by Admiral Sir Home Popham, which took place in 1816, they then made forty-eight distinct signals. Thus may we "see the strange twirl of times." Brome.

SOCIETIES. During these reigns, many institutions were formed, both religious, political, and scientific.

The antiquarian society was formed 1572; application was made to Queen Elizabeth for a charter, but she did not favour it. It was suppressed by James I., but revived in 1717, and incorporated 1751.

In 1622, a music lecture or professorship was established and endowed at Oxford, by William Heyther, a gentleman of

the chapel royal, who, in the same year, was admitted to the degree of doctor in music: most likely he was stimulated by his friend, Camden, the antiquary, who founded a history lecture; he had been chorister of Magdalen College. Hawkins. In 1649, began the society for propagating the Gospel in New England.

The Royal Society was first began, 1645, and chartered by Charles II., in 1663; they commenced publishing their proceedings, 1665.

The society of the sons of the Clergy was began 1678. The society for reformation of manners began 1688, but soon declined.

The society for promoting Christian knowledge began 1699. The society for propagating the Gospel in foreign parts began 1701.*

The academy of ancient music began 1710.

. The royal society, of musicians, 1738.

In 1755, Montague House was bought for the British Museum, which now commenced.

Chelsea Hospital was began during the reign of James; the foundation was laid, 1609. It was at first suggested by Dr Sutcliffe, for "Polemical Divinity," and although well founded, it never flourished. It was then seized by the parliament, during Cromwell's time. Charles II. gave it to the newly estab lished Royal Society, but not being proper for them, it was ap plied to its present purpose, viz.: disabled soldiers. See vol i. page 35.†

RESTRICTIONS ON PRINTING.

"The Almighty put into man's head the knowledge of printing, to counteract the d-l's invention of artillery." RABELAIS.

THE art of printing was introduced into England by Caxton, * The amount of money collected by the various religious and benevolent institutions in England, during the last year, was £709,248.

The annual income of charitable endowments, in England and Wales, exceeds £1,200,000. Sheffield Mercury, 1843.

The following were formed in other European countries: at Rome, there was a board or congregation, called “The Congregation of the Propaganda," through which they sent out foreign missions; its actual date the writer does not know. Academy del Cimento, 1610; del Bonontensis, 1690; L'Academy Françoise, 1635; of Painting and Sculpture, 1648; of Inscriptions and Medals, 1663; Institute of Science, 1666; Academy of Berlin, 1700; Royal Spanish Academy, 1714.