The Sun.
London, England, 1853-09-05 00:00:00

i(T,i) g

LONDON, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1853,

A magnificent enterprise was adventured upon
in London simultaneously with the rise, in 1851,
of 'the Great Industrial Exhibition. Whereas the
latter was the creation, however, of the energy of
many thousands of individuals, the former was
the product of one man's energy, resolution, and
perseverance. In its character, the particular
project to which we are here making reference
was scarcely less daring than that of its colossal
and more attractive contemporary. We may ven-
ture, moreover, to assert that it was quite as ele-
vating in its tendency. It was a scheme, too, as
the result has already shown, no less practical
than comprehensive. It embraced, under a single
roof, as wide a range of subjects as that comprised
',within the compass of the beautiful naves and
transepts of the Crystal Palace. Fortunately, un-
like its more resplendent companion, the build-
ing alluded to has proved to be no merely tem-
porary structure. It still remains upon the
site on which it was originally erected. The
turf of Eyde Park may be renewed, now that the
halls of industry have been moved to their sylvan
retreat at Sydenham. But not so the tangled
flower-beds and shrubberies of a square long ne-
glected in one of the most populous districts of
the metropolis. The "cloud-capped,towers" may
fall, and even "gorgeous palaces," like the fa-
mous one of Crystal, may disappear; but "the
GREAT GLOBE itself" has not, in this instance at
least, faded away like the " painted fabric of a
vision," leaving "not a wrack behind !" Leices-
ter-square constitutes of this fact the fullest at-
testation—an attestation visible to the gaze of
twerp passer by in a goodly pile of brick and mor-
tar ; an unsightly pile as yet (externally), we
grant, but withal substantial enough at any
rate, in its generb.l appearance. Although
this edifice has been visited during the
interval which has elapsed since its opening in
1851 and this present autumn of 1853 by
a -rather considerable multitude—we believe that,
Yap to this moment, the value of the undertaking
has not been, in a general way, properly appre-
ciated. People have passed the entrance wicket,
and have clambered up the staircase, and have
examined the effigy of the earth's surface there
dinplayed to them in coloured plaister, and have
listened to the explanations given by the learned
cicerone of the hour, and have left the exhibition
after all without in any manner duly estimating
its actual importance. They have admitted it,
no doubt, to be sufficiently ingenious, though
many have objected to having their ideas of geo-
graphy distorted by this turning of the earth in-
side outrAde--complaining ,of it as scarcely less
a discomfort than it would have been had
Mr. IVYLD coolly requested them at stand upon
thetr heads for the purpose of looking up one of
maps, just as our dear friend, DANIEL QUILP'S
Z'Oung gentleman, once upon a time (vide " The
nOld Curiosity Shop") looked upon the river
atiles "under those peculiar circumstances."
.77e of the visitors to the Great Globe, again,
wiveral
restricted their admiration to the little bits
tofhavrt'°.volicastino:cing out smoke-wise from the tips of
deaf', avid mountains. While- others have
big ti• ""vneed their disappointment at not see-
uu names of the different -emblazoned np„
theinannesurface of the mimic globe
--in the same
precisely, of course, as
those names are seen Upon the surface of the ori-
ginal from the car Of a balloon by every aeronaut!
It is in this manner (8 •
encnislY) 'that hundreds,
nay thousands, have sitedatllVi_r.itW.Yrn's Great
dwoulids by such as
Globe in Leicester-square—we
eiventure to
these, therefore (and even
eaisp:catiators
assert, by the more intelligent class
into the bargain) that we believe the r
the enterprise has not yet been accurately oruade
quately appreciated.
Fortunately, for the cause of science, for the
interests of commerce, for the advantage of civili-
sation, the scheme has been correctly viewed and
entirely understood by some other individuals.
The consequence of which, we may observe, has
been the formation of a notable institute for the
stabilitation of the project and its more extended
development. This association grandly and ap-
propriatelydesignated THE COSMOS Imam—has
recently been announced to the public as provi-
sionally registered by Act of Parliament. It has
secured among its patrons the acknowledged
support of a Duke, a Marquis, three Earls, four
Bishops, and, besides, several other noblemen,
and various gentlemen of distinguished reputation.
The name (" a tower of strength" in itself) of the
aVenerable and illustrious Baron HUMBOLDT, the
oll_Qtor of Cosmos, and, as such, consequently one
r the noblest of this earth's philosophers. It is
r,...40 spurious scientific enterprise, therefore, the
p`Tiscroityosof
n Institute, but one entitled, fora multi-
sideratio. reasons, to our most respectful con-
As President of the Executive Council of this
rremarkableassociatiozil the youthful heir to the
earldom of b
ample o almy
discover
for the
, we doubt not,
pportunities
vancemeut of his reputation. enhancement and ad-
It will be observed that the entire
"The Cosmos Institute" is restricted to casgitalooo/of
in 50,000 shares of ii. each, payable 'upon s;1
regittration—an estimate singularly moderate, to