The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-05-12 00:00:00

nth Moe

Mr. Mums, the proprietor of the Grand S. r:eci
of Medals commemorative of British Victories, is
proceeding with spirit and perseverance in the exe-
cution of his patriotic. undertaking. Their are
now goiwlted 14 out of the 4U medals of which
this series will consist. The activity hitherto die.
plated by the proprietor, is a proof of his deter-
mination to bring the work to a close, with that
dispatch which is consistent with the arduous us.
tore of his undertaking ; and the manner iii which
the medals already finished have been executed,
leaves no room to doubt that the whole eerier will
present a suitable record of the terms they com-
tnemorste, and establish a taste in this country for
cultivating a department in art that has been al-
lowed to slumber here. while fur its illustrative ad-
vantages it has been peculiarly fostered by foreign
states. The cabinets of men of taste are full of the
medals and coins of antiquity, as well as of those ex-
ecuted by command of BONAPARTE at the close of
his memorable campaigns in Italy and Germany.
The Papal Medals, and even those struck to com-
memorate individual excellence by literary institu-
tions on various parts of the Continent, have been in
as much demand iii this country as scarce books, and
yet little is known through the same medium of the
characters and events that have shed lustre on this
empire through a succession of ages. A patriotic
individual struck a medal alter the battle of the
Nile, and caused it to be distributed to every man
in the fleet; the value attached to that gift. and
the anxious care with which it was preserved and
cherished, led, it is known, to the Waterloo medal.
It is singular. then, that with this experience of the
value of such memorials, they should have been so
long neglected, and left •t last to the patriotic
speculation of a single individual. This appears
the more extraordinary, when we recollect the value
assigned to the Greek medals (purchased with the
marbles) in the Elgin collection, mid the public
importance attached to their being deposited in the

British Museum. Now until we can leans any good
• grounds for preferring and depositing in our ar-
chives the record of the naval action between THE-
MISTOCLES and XERXES, in the Straits of Salamis,
to that of NELSON and ViLLENEUVE at Trafalgar,
or the portrait on a medal of a Greek or Roman
hero, to one of our own times and country, we shall
he at a loss to see why the public money sit ill be
laid out on the one, and withheld from the other.
We do not quarrel with the Elgin purchase, for it
has conferred a benefit on the arts of our country ;
but we may have reason to object to this sort of
fastidious predilection, which pretends to appreciate
that value (we always admit a just one) in ancient
art, while at the same time it slew. no disposition
to elicit or encourage it in modern. In Mr. Munig's
series of medals the public have an opportunity of at
once gratifying their taste and refreshing their pa.
triotic recollections—we are glad to find that there is
a desire to indulge both, acid in quarters where such
sentiments are productive of the most beneficial
advantages. The medals already executed contain
on the obverse, admirably executed heads of the
KING, the PRINCE REGENT, the Dukes of YoitX
and WELLINUTUN, the Marquis of ANGLESEY,
Lords NELSON, HILL, LYNEDOCX, EXMOUTH,
Sir SIfiNEY SMITH, and the late General ABER-
CROMEY. On the reverse, allegorical and classical
illustrations of the memorable events of the last
easrapaigns, with the dates of each. The three last
Hllectals are finished in the same style of excellence
which marked the preceding ones—one of them
represents the bust of BoNAPARTE on the obverse
'side, and on the reverse the fallen Chieftain sitting
pensively on the Island of St. Helena. History is
Inciting him to record those annals of his life which
Fame has already published. The ships in the
distance mark his situation as embiaionied in the
sea, and as being imprisoned by the maritime power
of England. What a counterpart does not this
medal present to the celebrated but now ludicrous
one in the NAPOLEON series, representing England
as a monster strangled by the Power of France ?
The next medal, which is by Deux, repre-
sents on the obverse Britannia, and on the
reverse Hercules, in an attitude of repose, stand-
ing on a Napoleon standard. The muscular
forms are . admirably brought out, mini tisirly
expressive of England's power anclstrength. The
last medal bears a bust of Lord EXMOUTH on one
side, and on the other, the naval supremacy of
Great Britain is typified by Neptune vontroling
sea-horse: This medal, which is by GERARD, is
finished with exquisite taste.
We shall continue, as we have hitherto done, to
notice these medals in their progress. They will,
we believe, present the first memorial, in • complete
and consecutive form, of the glorious achievements
of our country in modern times.

Sunday morning, about three o'clock, a dreadful
riot took place amongst the lowest class of people
at the Waterloo Coffee-house, Whitecrose-street,
when several were most dreadfully cut and wounded.
One young woman died while conveying to the
hospital, soother was not expected to survive the
wounds she received. The master of the coffee-
room and two more persons are in custody.

The brig Christina was lost the 19th of October,
1817, in the Straits of Witco+. Captain DEANS,
Mrs. DEANS and child, with abort 30 of the crew,
were drowned.—Captain HOWARD, late Com-
mander of the Racehorse ; Mr. GALLOWAY, Chief
Officer; Mr. VAUGHAN, Second Officer; J. R.
FINLAY, gunner, were saved ; together with a
part of the sepoys and crew. The accident was
Mutant:menus, there was no appearance of a squall,
the brig was under top-sails mid top►-gallant tails, and
ensimmils hauled up. By a sudden puff the vessel lay
over on her brain rods, before any exertion to save the
lives or property could be made. She was found
tilling rapidly and going down stereo. foremost,
but gradually righted herself. Mrs. DEANS and
child were below at this critical period. Captain
DEANS jumped dowu the scuttle shift the coin-
potition, in hopes of saving his child; the vessel
laying over so considerably and the cal►ut being full
of water, lie lost his life. The officers, passengers, and
the rest ()Noe crew, saved themselves by floating on
spars, ;voting*, and hencoops. After a Lae of
revels looms they were picked up by a boat belong-
ing to the Arab vessel, lying at anchor in the
Strum.. They were on board fon, days, when they
fell in with the Hope, Captain KIDD, EMU Chilli',
ill %lila ship the were received.

1!•• v:O4 :.!!..• • :I; ,14 ;',.! ••• *.etT,
.9
TO TI7 EDITOR OP 'TUE DRITTSIP PRESS.

•
Stit,--1 should be surprised—if env thin¢ that kimed froth
ttat inaelf and 'conslsltill Paper, The Times, could surprise
me—at the sem-Moos tool noorovokeil Shack upsmis the Pro-
prietors of The Mrarnihq Adrerlemer, cat a ivrisce of the
Cumslritlre of that resnet•salile sod useful body, the License.'
Viftitallcrit haring smarted tb revehre suloscript ions for the
*recto is of the proposed Monomial( to the Memory of the
la:landed .Princros Charlotte. It could scarcely have been
supposed that The l'iwee, whirl' itsbeted in the first list of
subscribers fur that Monument of purr usUoual feeling,
with its usual ',twitchy, could have forgotten that the
Cettomph.Cominitter addressed the plait to all Claswes, by
stating, that " to make the offering as getwral as the feeling
Of sorrow is sincere, no sum exceeding one guinea will he
received front any mite subscriber, whilst the small& saes,
as a tribute of respect, will be accepted."-( Fide 'fames
Nailer, December 36, 4•e.)—Yet this same Paper. perceiving
that sulao•riptions are received by cr. isin Licensed Victual-
lers from persons who might slut consider a small offering
sufficient to 'dace in the bands of a basiker.ocelnitns—" How
painful to every Mender of the Royal Family, who tool
any love for the Princess Charlotte when liviug, sir fell any
sorrow on account of her death., to are InT memory thus
randied and degraded !.....poit*Critsllolo.received at alehouses!
—and to build a church for her too!—Delicate taster !—ap-
propriate and congenial places of resort—the church and
the alehouse !" And why not, Mr. tinier .'—Would smut the
illustrious relatives of the excellent departed I+, sorra% cepa..
lieut.. more satisfaction at the genuine effusion of loyalty
and affection from their Isonest sulejects in their neighboorly
meetings at the Red Limes or the Brewer's Arms, than in
repeating the iusaltiteg language to Royalty and to Govern.
meld which prevails its the pages of that Paper,
that has au recently printed in its columns the garbled stns.
sages from the Writings of the Bishop of Llandaff of
delicate feeling. fur the Royal Family : !

am Sir,
A LOVER OF CONSISTENCY.

DISEASES OF THE EYE.

ROYAL WESTMINSTER INFIRMARY FOR DISrAcFS
OF THE EYE, 3/ART-LE•BONL-STREET, PICCA-
DILLY.

The Friends of the Institution met on Friday
at the Thatched tiototte Tave►n, to celebrate the
first Annual Meeting of the Charity.
The cotnpany, to the cumber of seventy, sat
down to dinner at half-past

• Lord LYN EDOCK in the Chair,
•
supported by Lord Blesinton, Mr. Bviig, the Hon.
R. Paget, Sir C. Halket, Sir B. d'Urban, Sir J.
M'Clean, Sir James Hope, &c. &c.
After the health of Isis Majesty, the Prince Re-
gent, the Queen, the Duke of York. and the
Army, the Duke of Clarence end the Navy, had
been drunk, with the strongest testimonies of re-
spect and regard, the Chairman proposed, " Suc-
cess to the Institution," after which he drew the at-
tention of the pasty to the great objects of the
Charity, the relief of the poor, and the formation
of a school of instruction for the younger brandies
of the profession. His Lordship in explaining the
good that had been done in the first year when the
Charity wits but little known, noticed, with joecu-
liar satisfaction, that live hundred patients had been
cured and relieved, mostly on their own applica-
tion; and he exhorted, in a very ithpressive man-
ner, the Governors, generally, to take such steps
as would render the Charity known both to the rich
and the poor, that the one might be induced to
afford the necessary funds to enable the Committee
to extend their relief to every object that stood in
need of it. lit. Lordship expressing his reodifw-a
and determination to support the lostitutiou by
every means iu his power.; .

On the health of the President and Vice-Presi-
dents tve4 given, Lord Blesinton returned thanks
in it short but elegant speech, in which he recapitu-
lett some of the advantages which would result to
the public from the Charity, and explained to the
Governors the obligations they were under, gene-
rally, to Lord Lynedock, fur the trouble lie had
taken at the formation of the Institution, of which,
indeed, he might consider himself the founder, and
proposed the " Health of Lord Lynedock," with
three times three.
The Marquise of Anglesey, the Marquis. of
Hastings, Lord Keith. and Sir J. Betesfurd, were
drunk with equal marks of respect.
The health of Mr. Byng, with the County of
Middlesex, was received with the greatest applause,
and Mr. Byrig returned thanks, expressing his
earnest desire to support an Institution which could
not fail of being of such essential service in relieving
many of his fellow-creatures from misery, than
which none could begreaterthsn diseases onlie eye.

Success to the Infirmary for Diseases of the F..ye,
in Charter House-square, was now given, when Mr.
Bantry, the Honorary Secretary. returned thinks.
Messrs. Lest and Bellamy favoured the company
with many excellent bongs, and the evening passed
away with the greatest hilarity, until half-part men,
when Lord Lynedock and the principal part of the
company retired.