The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1825-11-16
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From the New-York Statesmen.
LETTERS FROM EUROPE, No. XXTL

f.
The University Professor Of Geology con-
Quoted US to his cabinet, rich with the fruits
of research and industry, where something
more than an hour passed in examining bis
extensive collection of fossils and minerals.
The specimens Of organic remains are more
numerous, complete, and perfect than have
ever seen. Most of them were collected IN
siier by himself For this purpose, he makes
one or two excursions every summer, to va
rious parts OF the kingdom, returning richly
laden with spoils. His.surveys are systematic
and thorough, leaving nothing unexamined
which the most lsborious research can accom-
plish. He has Just returned from a visit to
the Isle of Wight, the geological treasures of
which were explored by him. The specimens
are neatly arranged in drawers, corresponding
with the strata in which they were found, and
ready for use in the illustrations Of his lectures.
In this way, q perfect knowledge may be OBJ
tanned Of the several geological sections of
England.
From his geological cabinet, he and the
Professor of Chemistry accompanied us TO the
Library.
The apartment appropriated to the library is
a splendid hall, 200 feet long, 40 wide, and
SO high, enriched with fine specimens of arch
itecture and with variety of busts, among
which are those of Newton and Bacon by
Roubiliac. At one end of the hall, there is a
large painted window, representing the pre-
sentation of Sir Isaac Newton to George III.
1t is a striking device, and the colours are
brilliant, being as vivid as when the werk
was executed. But there is a curious ana
chTonism in making Sir Isaac contemporary
with the third Brunswick. The painting is
not treated with much respect, and the schol-
ars laugh at the blunder of the artist.
/ In the entrance to the hall stands a reflect
| ing telescope, used by Newton in his astro-
nomical studies, and in one of the recesses, a
| globe, quadrant, and compass, which once
| belonged to the same immortal man. In ano-
Their recess the librarian showed US manu-
script in the handwriting of Milton, contain
ing his Mask of Comus, Lycidas, and the
| plan Of Paradise Lost, with all the erasures
and terlineations--the correspondence of
Newton with one of his friends, while he was
publishing his Principal, with many Of his
diagrams, algebraical and geometrical calcu-
lations-the notes and indexes to the Geek
authors, ia the hand writing OF DR.. Bentley
and other literary curiosities of the same
kind, which were examined with intense in
terest.
| There are about ninety thousand volumes
in this library. The several departments are
very complete, and the collection is extremely
rare and valuable.
| Our next visit was the University Library,
common to all the colleges. In the entrance,
at the foot of flight of steps leading TO the
| Hall, are several antique statues obtained by
DIR. Clarke during his travels in Greece and
the Levant. The extensive apartments APP
propriated to this library are in quadrangular
form, fitted in much the same style as the
library of Trinity College. Over the junction
of two of the halls rises a lofty and highly or
namented dome, lighting the room below,
which contains many rare manuscripts and
other curiosities, chiefly oriental. In one of
the alcoves, we saw copy of the "Novum
| Organum," presented by Bacon himself, with
note in his own writing-also trea-
tise ton Witch-craft,' by James |. presented
about the same time, with specimen of his
chrography. One Of our party remarked the
difference 10 the spirit of these two works, by
the wooden-headed monarch and his prime
minister" We here examined a beautiful
manuscript of the Gospels and the Acts ofthe
| Apostles, on vellum, in Greek aud Latin,
presented to the University by Theodore Be-
"a. The transcript is supposed TO have been
made in the fifth century, and is among the
oldest manuscripts extant. 1t is executed
with great neatness and apparent accuracy.
The University Library contains about two
hundred thousand volumes, being one Of the
| largest collection of books in existence. 1t is
constantly receiving accession, consisting of
new works of merit, and most Of the period
icals of the day. A folio catalogue of each
department enables the student to turn in a
moment to any work that he may wish to
consult.
| From the Library we proceeded to the Sem
| ate House, which is a stately, handsome build
| ing in the Grecian style of architecture, with
ranges of Corinthan pillars in front. The
hall is about 100 feet long, 40 wide, and 80
high, with gallery flushed in oak, extending
| around the whole, and sufficiently spacious to
accommodate a thousand persons. On the
| right of the entrance, elevated upon pedes-
| tall is a beautiful full length statue of William
Pitt, in the attitude of speaking. 1t is an adj
mirable piece of workmanship, executed by
| Nollehns. The spectator is so deeply inter-
ested in the countenance and majestic port Of
the orator, as scarcely to observe the regal group
of statues, with which he is surrounded. At the
west end of the hall is the chair of the Chan
II
| cellor, and around it the seats Of the heads of
the colleges regents, and other dignitaries. It
was in this house that Gray's Ode, at the in
stallation of the Chancellor in 1869, was per-
formed; and it is impossible to visit the an
Gent hall without realizing, in some degree,
the associations which disclosed to the eye of
fancy the santed sage the bard divine: !"
"Rapt in celestial transport they
Yet hither oft glance from high
They send offender sympathy,
To bless the place, where on their opening sou,
First the genuine ardour STOLE"
An interesting anecdote of the late Lord By
ron was related to US, in connection with the
Senate House. His lordship was as distin-
guished for his ecccntricities, while student
at Cambridge, as in after-life. Among many
odd things, he kept bear, and devoted to
brltin much more attention than to his mathe-
mates, inssndingto prescott hiP, as he used