The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1828-03-19
A LONDON CURIOSITY.

LONDON CURIOSITY.
One of the most attractive wonders now in
London, is the Diora,na, which certainly ex-
ceeds in splendor all the productions of the pen
Gil which have fallen under my notice. The
building in which the pictures are exhibited,
has been erected at an expense of more than
E20,O lpaid my two shillings, and assembled
the stairs to the amphakeatre, the place whence
the pictures are seen to the best advantage.
This is circular room, forty or fifty feet in d.
ameter, the floor of which slopes at consider
able angle, and is furnished with seats for the
spectators Light is admitted from above,
through screen of cloth painted in transparent
colors. On the side of the room, towards which
the slope descends, there is an opening in the
partition, extending round nearly a quarter Of
the circle, through which, you look down into
one of the most beautiful quiet valleys among
the Alps" The Vale of Sarnem.'' A small
lake sleeps in the deepest part of the vale, and
stretches away round lofty promontory of a
mountain, where it is lost to the eye in soft
blue smoke A little hamlet, with its rustic
church and spire, is quietly seated in nook of
the bank behind which, and on every side of
the lake, the ground rises rather abruptly, and
soon begins to assume all the bold and rugged
forms of Alpine scenery. The softer and less
PERCEPTIONS sides of the hills are covered with
and there shepherds dwelling. A brawling
stream breaks out from the glaciers above,
with the fury of mountain torrent, and scat
tiers its foam down the precipices-the water
being actually in motion. In the distance, two
three lofty peaks project their snow-clad
submits high in the air. At one time, the
whole valley, with its scenery of rocks and
woods and waters, lies basking in the light of
an unclouded sun. Then the shadow of strip
4'clN 10 4rsn,r IL. l..
gradually drawn over the whole, so deep as to
render objects scarcely visible. Sunshine a.
gain breaks forth on the hills and cottage,
tower and tree stand revealed to sight Now
you barely discern the dim outline of the distant
mouptains-their snowy SUBMITS being thrown
into the shade by passing cloud but light
soon returns, and the glaciers re-assume their
dazzling whiteness. In short, you seem ac-
tually to stand one of the elevated crags which
hang over the vale: you are no longer in Lon
don, you are in Switzerland-looking down in
to one of its most retired and picturesque val
leys, and surrounded by the gigantic forms Of
the Alpine mountains and precipices. bell
rings, and the whole ampbitheatre, with its two
hundred spectators, begins to revolve: and
presently you have before you the interior of:
Canterbury Cathedral. Never was optical illus
ion more complete. ! tried every possible way
to possess myself of the feeling, that the scene
but without success The long vista of columns
and arches, the windows of stained glass, the
partial light streaming through and illuminate
ing in patches the portions of architecture ON
which it fell; the whole perspective, in short,
and the disposition of light and shade, were SO
natural as to take wholly away the impression
that it was nothing but picture.
These popular productions are the work of
Messrs Bouton and Dagnerre, two Frenchmen
-bf,h au Co.
have expended large fortune in getting them
| ready for the public. They are now reaping
their reward--.NoteS Of a TrGreltsr in Engla,a&.
LIFE OF Man. A writer in the Truth Teller,
a paper published in New York, furnishes a Gu
rous calculation ON the manner in which man
spends his life He calculates one NAV live 5Gk
years; 33k Cor 22,223 days) of which he
considers the years ofmanhood and are employ
cd as will hereafter appear. If one eats 2 lbs.
pei diem, he devonrs "a ,456 lbs or II tons near
| ly. If he drink % quarts per diem, he will
swallow l8,342 quarts. If he sleep 10 Of a.
and many do that-he win be dormant 1222S0
hours, or 10 years So days, He will spend in
eating, drinking, &c. 2 hours per day, making
80, 456 hours, ore VS. 276 DIS. he have his
4 hair cut once month, he will sit under the
tonser 400 times, and lose 100 hours. IF he
drink one gill of drugs year, he will insert into
ms stomach gallons, aHu ul5LOrG MS counts
nance with 81 separate wry faces If he shave
times week, he will scrape his chin 6 oeg
times. Now for the moral Of this rirmarole ;
for it has one, and such ole as will not fail to
leave on the minds OF those unaccustomed to
calculations Of this kind, impress sons yery die
ferent from those left by HiaJly paragraphs pro-
Tossing to have a higher aira in view. The
total quantity oftime lost in a ,lsagreeable, use
less and unsatisfactory manner, is 10000 hours
or upwards of "a years this deducted from 33Aa
leaves It IN our power to employ ourselves
profitably and usefully only 16k years There
is no theological quib,ling here.--t is matter
of fact-and reader, tells you m explicit terms
to bestir yourself IN regulating matters ant
: things" "Time once host never can b.
q recovered"
eREBuKE. buck with = c;oar in his rnout
/ entered MIR Cross's menf cera recently in Phi
Q adelphia, when Mr.. Cros ! s,amested the vlsits
y to take the "we@i'' + On his mouth lest
y should learrthe monk les " bad habits.