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

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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-
vai,,ing in its tendency. It was a scheme, too, as
true 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 Hyde Park may be renewed, now that the
hs ills 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-
r/ions 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
every 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 general 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,
up to this moment, the value of the undertaking
ha.s not been, in a general way, properly appre-
r:iated. People have passed the entrance wicket,
and have clambered up the staircase, and have
examined the effigy of the earth's surface there
displayed 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 outside--complaining of it as scarcely less
a discomfort than it would have been had
Mr. WYLD coolly requested them at stand upon
their heads for the purpose of looking up one of
Lis maps, just as our dear friend, DANIEL QuILF'S
young gentleman, once upon a time (vide " The
Old. Curiosity Shop") looked upon the river
Thames " under those peculiar circumstances."
4'iveral of the visitors to the Great Globe, again,
)-lave restricted their admiration to the little bits
otflevfool sticking out smoke-wise from the tips of
volcanic mountains. While others have
two
Z-Y evidenced their disappointment at not see-
r_e_nnaesm es of the different towns and countries,
upon the surface of the mimic globe
thos the e nai:am: manner precisely, of course, as
ginal frora there seen upon the surface of the (ni-
p:, is in this rar of a balloon by every aeronaut !
nay thousands, have s
(seriously) that hundreds,
Globe in Leicester-
-visited Mr. WYLD's Great
these, therefore (andcleuvaere—and it is by such as
assfirt, by the more hatelliL/ve Would venture to
e
into the bargain) that we gent elms of spectators
the enterprise has not yet he ve the real value of
e
quately appreciated. n accurately or ade-
Fortunately, for the cause of science, for the
,
interests of commerce, for the advantag
sation, the scheme has been correctly viewed
f
eatirely understood by some other indiyiduaat
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-
propriately designated THE COSMOS INSTITUTE--Las
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
BiTihops, and, besides, several other noblemen,
a'nd various gentlemen of dis inguished reputation.
The name (" a tower of strength" in itself) of the
venerable and illustrious Baron HUMBOLDT, the
author of Cosmos, and, as such, consequently one
of the noblest of this earth's philosophers. It is
'2.sa spurious scientific enterprise, therefore, the
Cosmos Institute, but one entitled, for a multi-
-I)licity of reasons, to our most respectful con-
sideration.
As President of the Executive Council of this
Tel:uarkabloef association, the youthful heir to the
earldom.
ample opportunities fornot,lt
th
vancemrmt of his reputation'
be observed that
t‘ Tire Cosmos Institute"ais the entire capital of
red
in '50,000 shares of 1/. eachestrict 'payable to 50,0001.,
frgistration—an estimate singularly upon final
moderate, to