The Sun.
London, England, 1853-02-12 00:00:00

THE LONDON INSTITUTION.

At a recent meeting of this institution Dr. W. R.
Dexfield gave the lirst lecture of his course " On the
Present State of Music in England." The subject was
church music, the different classes of which were treated
under the denominations subjoined—chants, psalm tunes,
chorales, services, anthems, sanctuses, responses, masses,
voluntaries. Various examples of these were performed,
after an appropriate introduction, by Dr. Bexfield, who
accompanied the singers on the orgue a percussion, con-
structed by the Alexandres of Paris.
At a subsequent meeting Dr. Lyon Playfair delivered
his second lecture " On the Dependence of Industry on
Science," discussing and illustrating on the present occa-
sion the following parts of the subject :—Science as an
element in the cost of production—abstract philosophers
are productive labourers--distinction between science
and art—general proofs of the birth of utilities from ab-
stractions. In regard to the first point, he observed
that empirical experience had hitherto had the greatest
influence in the progress of industry, of which the manu-
facture of gunpowder, the production of food, the use of
mills and pumps, and the making of glass and china,
presented examples ; no science, no philosophical know-
ledge of the properties of the objects concerned, having
been applied in effecting these objects. Two thousand
years' experience in the making of porcelain gave China
a monopoly of the world, but a few years of science
had given England the knowledge which it had. taken
the Chinese the former period to attain. Thus science,
guiding experience, is far more to be relied upon ;
the latter may be a crutch for a lame man, but
will never enable him to run a race. The
very gradual progyee of philosophy, and the neces-
sity therefor for its abstract culture, was illustrated by
reference to the history of the telescope and the micro-
scope, which did not open their wonders to an unex-
pecting and startled world, but crept into existence with
steps so slow that their impression is not sufficient to
trace out the history of their progress. The improve-
ments in the steam-engine, again were so gradual that a
court of law, only half a century since, gave a soleuln
judgment that Watt had done nothing essential towards
them. The compass cannot point to us the period when
it offered its inestimable services to man, nor has paper
left us a record of its discoverer. The lecturer next
proceeded to consider the true nature of theory, and of
its relation to practice, strongly controverting their
supposed antagonism, and contrasting the pert adage
that an ounce of practice is worth a ton of theory, with
the demonstrable truth that a grain of theory is worth,
when rightly directed, many tons of practice. In
illustration of the principle that abstract philosophers
were the real benefactors of industry, and that prac-
tical appliances were only the mediums by which the
truths made known by them were imparted to the
industrial worhi, the progress of several branches
of science was specially traced, beginning with that
of electricity. In distinguishing on this subject mere
observation from science, it was observed that, while
Pliny, Aristotle, and Ual-en all knew that a fish was
abundant in the Mediterranean which, on being touched,
gave a shock, the natives of the banks of the Orinoco
knew that an eel-like fish abounded in that river having
the same property ; and the legionaries of Caesar ob-
served in certain states of the weather a lambient
playing on their spear-heads ; but that none knew, until
a certain stage in the progress of science had been at-
tained, and that of recent date, that all these effects pro-
ceeded from the same cause. The principles of the elec- .
tric telegraph, as one of the inestimable fruits of the
culture of science, were explained, together with its con-
struction and use, Mr. Thomas Allan's recently patented
telegraph being exhibited. A working model of his
patent direct magneto-electric engine, in which it has
been attempted to avoid the errors both in mechanics
and in magnetism of former machines having the same
object, was also exhibited in action ; but Dr. Playfair,
while approving the construction adopted by Mr. Allan,
did not hold out much hope of success in the application
of maerneto-electricity as a prime mover, unless the cost
of the zinc consunied as the source of power could be
covered by the value of some article produced in the
battery, such as the stannate of soda, resulting from the
action of the battery lately devised by Mr. Martyn
I'°-.4?erts. Other important results of the production of
utilities in the pursuit of abstract science were adduced,
i'dustrated, and exhibited.

DISCOVERY Ov AN ANCIENT CHAPEL IN LEADENHALL-
ST REET, CITY.—A. most interesting discovery of a beau-
tiful vestige of Gothic architecture, in excellent preser-
vation, has been made beneath the house at the south-east
corner of Leadenhall-street, and directly opposite to
Aid gate Pump, at piesent in the occupation of Mr. J.
Brown, tile patentee of the improved sea bed. The
arches and vaults on the basement have been hitherto
used as a warehouse for wood and other materials, but
the extreme beauty of the architecture, particularly the
sculpture and groining, led to an investigation, and after
a most diligent search, it was ascertained to be the re-
mains of a chapel dedicated to St. Michael, and is de-
signated by old historians as "Next Aldgate.7 It ap-
pears to be of very great antiquity, having been built by
Norman, Prior of St. Katharine s of the Holy Trinity,
in the reign of Henry I. and his Queen, Matilda of Bou-
logne, about the year 1103, and is now nearly 750 years
old. The chapel consists of pillars and arches ; its
length, from north to south (contrary to the present
mode of building sacred edifices), is 43 feet, and its
breadth, from east to west, 16 feet. The wails are con-
structed with oblong blocks of chalk, similar to those of
Rochester Castle ; the arches are of stone, the keys of
which are beautifully sculptured with masques and other
devices, and exhibit at a glance the skilful masonry of
our ancestors. The chapel has been filled with soil and
rubbish nearly to the capital of the pillars. From the [ADVERTISEMENT.] HOLLOWAY'S PILLS FOR THE
ground to the crown of the arches is 10 feet, and, allow- , EFFECTUAL CURE OF DROPSY.—The singular efficacy of
ing the shafts to be buried 16 feet, give a height of 26 Holloway's pills in the numerous cures effected by their
feet to the interior of the building ; the iron hinges of use in some of the most obstinate cases of dropsy is very
the casements are still attached to the walls, from which j extraordinary. These astonishing pills act with such
circumstance it is conjectured that the structure ori- peculiar effect upon the system, that the fluids arising
ginally stood on the surface, but that in subsequent from this direful disease, are imperceptibly carried off,
years the ground outside was raised gradually, until at and entirely prevented from any further accumulation.
last the relic of past ages was completely buried. At The distressing symptoms which accompany this coin-
the southern extremity there area ppearances ()fan arched plaint being thus dispersed, the sufferer regains buoy-
passage in the direction of St. Katherine Docks, the site alley of spirits, and a completely renovated constitution.
of which the priory of Saint Katherine formerly
occupied. Females at particular periods of life should have re-
The foregoing description is neceesarily brief, but a visit course' to these admirable pills, as they are the finest
to the spot would amply repay the antiquary or other medicine ever known. Sold by all druggists, and at
persons interested in the study of the remains of the Professor Holloway's establishment, 244, Strand,
past ages.
London.