pinionade his appearance, and thus addressed the Roman heroßstivongan gleyp Mistare Kembel, I am very glad I av found you, sare: you sal see me rehearsal my part." "Not now," answered Kemble, "it is impossible, Mr. Delpini, do not you see that going on the stage ?"- -"But," branch of art, in which the imagination has no concern; it does not lay claim to its appellation as a polite and liberal art from its usefulness, or as an accessory to our wants and necessities; but from higher and loftier principles, we are convinced that a man of genius would render it capable of inspiring sentiment, and of filling the mind with great I am julvini, sal not detain you and sublime ideas. The influence of the fine persisted sare un moment, you sal see dat I pronounce mon charactere, proprement, and vid de propere emphasis on de last voard." Well, well!" replied Kemble, pettishly, "begin, begin; I must go on the stage di rectly."" sab not detain you, sare,” returned Delpini, as he leaned on his right leg, and threw out his arm at an angle of forty-five degrees. Then infusing into his countenance all the imitative rage which it was capable of expressing, he bellowed out, Plock dem lassondere !" Poor Kemble, thesmuscles of whose face had been screwed up to the most heroic pitch, felt his risible chord so tickled by Delpini's ludicrous pronunciation and manner, that, at that instant receiving his cues of entrance, he was forced to turn his head aside from the audience for nearly a minute, before he could address his troops without laughing. On the night when Delpini had to perform his part on the stage, it was worse and worse, he roared out, " Massondere, plock et!" This ludicrous termination of his arduous labours, made the theatre echo with laugh ter, both behind and before the curtain; and poor Delpini retired behind the scenes in a state of discomfiture. However, being a little recovered, he said to several of the performers who came up to condole him, their sides shaking with laughter" Nevere mind, ladies and gentlemens: dose may laugh dat lose; I av win, and sal laugh to myself. I av gain de pension, by Gar! and I care noting at all for nobody!"-The Clubs of London. Arts and Sciences. ON CONSTRUCTION, AND THE USE OF iron. Read before the Architectural Society, on Tuesday, Dec. 4, 1838, by R. E. Philips. Esq., Member. THE great end of all the arts is that of making an impression on the imagination and feel ing, That imitation of nature frequently does this, I believe will be readily admitted; but that on some occasions it fails, I conceive will also be conceded; the true tests of the arts, therefore, does not rest solely upon the production of a true copy of nature, but whether it answers the end of art, which is to produce a pleasing effect on the mind. Architecture does not rank itself under the banners of an imitative art; but, like music and poetry, appeals directly to the imagina tion. There is in architecture an inferior arts upon the intellectual and moral character of a people, their utility and their value, as conferring upon a state in which they are justly appreciated as the highest proof of civilization, are considerations which cannot be too much entertained. Persons are too apt to regard the art of design as a mere elegance, as the sign of wealth rather than the production of wisdom, and as more the effect of pleasure than utility. It may be well for the members of our profession to consider what means and materials are in their hands, that may prove conducive to these ends, and whether this art has not in its power to address itself to the imagination by more ways than those usually adopted by architects. That the mere theoretical architect combines those qualifications, has not, I think, been proved in the buildings of the ancients, for I imagine that many of the deformities observable in the buildings of Greece and Rome have arisen from their ignorance of construction, and the modes which have been contrary to every rule of adopted to supply that deficiency, some of beauty and convenience. The strength and duration of their erections may, I think, be attributed to the goodness of the materials, and the quantity used, rather than any prac tical display of mechanical skill: and, at the the present day, when the flourishing apsame time, I cannot help regretting that at pearance of the arts would lead us to look for a display both of the one and the other, a sad deficiency exhibits itself, and especially when we are continually hearing the former decried, the latter so much commended.. To the Gothic architects we are consi. derably indebted for the unity of both, for in their works they exhibit a lightness, an art and boldness of execution, clearly proving that neither the singly practical or theoretical architect will ever exhibit to the mind a pleasing object for its contemplation, unless the union of the two becomes apparent to the imagination by the working of its effects. England, perhaps, exhibits more than any other nation magnificent examples of these qualifications, equally admirable for the art with which they are executed, and the taste and ingenuity with which they are composed. I cannot here refrain from expressing a feeling of regret, that these structures, sacred to the soil, are not more considered, better understood, and held in higher estimation, and more encouragement given to our anti quarians in that peculiar branch, to undertake apparent, and which may be chiefly ted a correct publication of our ecclesiastical and domestic architecture, before ruin spreads its extending mantle, and preserve to after ages the remembrance of an extraordinary style, now fast sinking into oblivion, at the same time publishing to the world the riches of a great nation in the splendour of her ancient structures, and rendering a real service to the art of design. That some of our modern architects have developed great skill and considerable know ledge in their erections, I candidly and joy. fully confess; for instance, St. Paul's, and 'many other works of Sir Christopher Wren, present us with a display of numerous examples of admirable works, executed with so much art, that they are, and ever will be, studied and admired by all intelligent and researching observers. "Those massy columns in a circle rise, O'er which a pompous dome invades the skies; Scarce to the top I stretched my aching sight, So large it spread, and swelled to such a height." To him and many others we owe great improvements in practice, especially in car pentry, which has been carried to a much higher state of perfection than by any other nation; and we are considerably indebted to many of our countrymen for several valuable books which have been published, explaining the various modes of conducting the several works, and enumerating the apparatus used, together with the properties and nature of materials adopted; and let me here bear an humble tribute to the periodicals which now monthly add to our store; to these, then, the various structures to be found in the United Kingdom, and elsewhere, must the architect devote much of his attention, in order to acquire and collect the rudiments of construction, and other branches of his profession, which practice, experience, and attentive observation alone will render him consummately skilled in THA Perhaps there is no material so much in requisition in buildings as iron; but yet so little attention is devoted to the parts thereof, that although capable of being converted to the most ornamental purposes, at the same time uniting stability with utility, it is made au eyesore, or, in many instances, a severe reproach on the skill and ingenuity of the architect. The use and advantage of a thorough knowledge of the material will be best appreciated by those who seriously consider the dread effects of a failure in its application, as it would happen most likely when the consequences would be most serious; and, perhaps, there is no material which requires more the aid and assistance of science in its therefore the greater necessity for a constant study of its properties and capabilities. That very great improvements have been made in its application is every day more use to its in man dis nomy, for althop opulence of the nation might warrant a supposition of prodigality in its public buildings, yet where thousands and tens of thousands are squandered in the most trifling, contemptible, and ridiculous modes, yet, in respect to the arts, especially architecture, the public liberality has yet been seen only to extend to almost a mere nothing, a foundation certainly much too weak to sustain an edifice either creditable to t the national taste or native genius. of which round to be was The existence of pure iron was formerly questioned; of the fact that such pieces have been found, I believe there remains little doubt, indeed none at all, if we rely on highly respectable authorities. & goi large Plessi native iron was was found in S America, in 1783, by a Spaniard, was pure and soft iron, easily cut, capable of being wrought without t difficulty when heated, some portions of which are deposited in the British Museum, as specimens of the block. It has been likewise a matter of doubt whether the ancient Greeks, towards whom we generally look for authorities as to the early progress in the arts, were acquainted with the use of iron. edt In the description of the games instituted by Achilles, on the death of Patroclus, translated by Cowper, we find the following: "The hero next au iron clod produced 00015919 911 Rough from the forge, and wont to task the If iron had been common among the Greeks, we may assume that a lump of the metal of the size described by the poet or his translator would have been no unworthy prize of heroic contention; but as it is by no means clear that the knowledge of iron for military purposes really existed, much less that the art of subjugating so stubborn a material, was at that time known. Waste vistul At what period the smelting of iron ore, so abundant in this country, was first undertaken, does not, I believe, appear. It will be readily admitted by those conversant in early history, as well as by those who respect traditional probability, that the earliest uses to which it was devoted were probably wen pons of warfare. Although a considerable degree of perfection appears to have been attained at a very early period in the working of iron, the art of casting articles in sand from the metal in its crude state, seems to have been either unknown or not practised till a comparatively late period. That it is fitted for every purpose in building is not asserted, bespecially considering the climate of England; but its usefulness for the support of great weights, exposed in situations subject to rapid decay, and for the prevention of fire, must be self-evident, as, in the latter case, we have seen several instances lately, which fully bear testimony to the correctness of this observation, where there is every reason to suppose, that, had not the brestummer supporting the front wall of the house been of fron, the same would have been precipitated into the street, and thereby, perhaps, a sacrifice of many lives. There have been instances of failures in the use of this material, which, perhaps, has much prejudiced the public mind against its adoption more generally in buildings; but yet these may have been cases where it has arisen from a want of a proper knowledge of its properties, and not from any defect in the material itself. Persons are too apt to imagine that a large piece of iron must possess infinite strength, and the dimensions of the most important parts of structures are frequently fixed upon by guess and from such causes ensues unpleasant consequences. The chief and principal object is to regard the fitness, strength, and durability, at the same time endeavouring to produce, with those qualifications, a pleasing effect, correctness of design, and lightness of parts, yet at no sacrifice to the stability of the erection. When it is considered that the parts of a building should assume any particular form or position, as well as stress, it will become obvious that something more than mere resistance to fracture should be calculated. In the evidence given before the jury on the failure of the Royal Brunswick Theatre, the archietets examined on that occasion differed materially as to the application of iron for the purposes of roofs; yet there are many recent instances where iron roofs have been adopted with complete success. I might mention the roof over the fruit market at Covent-garden, where it is composed of iron and wood, that has a very light and agreeable effect; the fish-market at the Hungerford-market is wholly of iron, with sheet iron (zinc) covering. In chapels lately erected, the cluster columns have been made of iron six inches diameter, cast hollow, with a stone core for their reception, and the height of which, I believe, are twenty-five feet; but yet, for the want of a little attention to these matters, every body must regret the bad effect which is produced by the introduction of iron girders, in chapels and elsewhere, without combining a spirit of design with that of utility, and perhaps eco nomy; little or no attention is paid to the adoption of iron columns in shop windows, where they become necessary for the stability of the building, which, if properly con sidered, instead of forming a blot in the design, might be made conducive to its general good rald eff. ct, and that without detri18ilung tedt af ensisup ment to its stability or usefulness, desob As regards the qualities of iron, we find the following recommendations: White cast iron is less subject to be destroyed by rusting than the gray kind; and it is also less soluble in acids; therefore it may be usefully employed where hardness is necessary, and where its brittleness is not a defect; but it should be chosen for purposes where strength is necessary. When cast smooth, gth is necess it makes excellent bearings for gudgeons.or pivots to run upon, and is very durable, having little friction; white cast iron, in a recent fracture, has a white and radiated appearance, indicating a crystaline structure, it is very brittle and hard; gray cast iron has a granulated fracture of a gray colour, with some metallic lustre : it is much softer and tougher than the white cast iron, but between these kinds there are varieties of cast iron having various shades of these qualities, those should be esteemed the best which approach nearest to the gray cast iron. Gray cast iron is used for artillery, and is sometimes termed gunmetal. The utmost care should be employed to render the iron in each casting of an uniform quality, because in iron of different qualities the contraction is different, which causes an unequal tension among the parts of the metal, impairs its strength, and renders it liable to sudden and unexpected failures. When the texture is not uniform, the surface of the casting is usually uneven where it ought to have been even. This unevenness, or the irregular swells and hollows on the surface of a casting, is caused by the unequal contraction of the iron of different qualities. [Extracted from the Civil Engineer and Architect's Journal, No. 16,- work of great merit and utility.] JOHN BLAGRAVE, by will, dated 30th June, 1611, devised to Joseph Blagrave, and his heirs, a mansion-house, in Swallowfield, and all other his lands and messuages in the parishes of Swallowfield, Eversley, and Reading, in the counties of Berks, Wilts, and Hants, under condition that the said Joseph Biagrave, and his heirs, should yearly and for ever, upon Good-Friday, between the hours of six and nine in the morning, pay 107, in a new purse of leather, to the Mayor and Burgesses of Reading, to the intent that they should provide that the same should be yearly bestowed, in the forenoon of the same day in manner following, viz.: twenty nobles to one poor maiden servant who should have served, dwelt, aud continued in any one service within any of the three parishes of Reading, in good name and fame, five years at the least, for her preferment in marriage; and to avoid partiality in the chance, he ordained that there should be every Good Friday three such maidens in election, to cast and try by lot whose fortune should be: that of those three, one should be taken out of each parish, if it could be; and that every fifth year one of the three should be chosen from Southcote, if any there should have lived so long; and that there should be special choice of such maids as had served longest in any one place, and whose friends were of least ability to help them. That 10s. should be given on the same day to the preacher of St. Lawrence's, for a sermon; and that after sermon there should be 20s. given to threescore of the poorest householders of the said parish, who should accompany the maiden, to whom the lot had fallen, home to her dwelling-place, and there leave her, with her purse of 20 nobles. That the ringers should have 3s. 4d. to ring a peal till the said maiden reach home. That 20s., parcel of the 107, be sent to the threescore poor people of the parish of St. Mary, and 6s. to 24 poor people of St. Giles's parish, 3d. a piece; and that the clerk of St. Lawrence and the youngest churchwarden should have each 3s. 4d. with liberty to the said Mayor and Burgesses to enter in case of nonpayment, and receive the rents for one whole year upon every such default. The testator also gave certain interests in leasehold premises and annuities for years, to the said Mayor and Burgesses, for them to make provision for certain persons of testator's family; with directions to them to retain 2007, to be bestowed in buying and pulling down the middle row of houses in the market-place at Reading, standing between the pump and the cage, to the intent that the market place should be enlarged; and if they should purchase and pull down the same, within two years after his disease, that they should retain another 100%, to build a covered walk on the south side of St. Lawrence's Church, 10 feet broad at the least, from the church porch to the west end of belfry, for the mayor and burgesses, and other people, to walk and sit dry. The premises in the market-place were pulled down, and the middle row of houses removed, and the covered walk was erected in the place pointed out, and is still kept in repair by the corporation. In respect of the first bequest, the sum of 107. is yearly received from Sir Henry Russell, Bart., of Swallowfield Park, the owner of a considerable estate in that parish, which comprises the property formerly belonging to the testator. Three girls are selected by the mayor and aldermen on Good-Friday morning, one from each of the three parishes in Reading. The applicants produce a certificate of a continued service, in one family, for five years at least. They each throw three dice, and the one who gains the highest number is announced as the lucky maiden," and receives a purse con taining the 20 nobles, 67. 13s. 4d. The person gaining this prize is not considered eligible to be elected to stand for either of the other charities of the same description: The girl who throws the second highest number receives 4., and the third 37. from Mr. Annesley's Charity hereafter mentioned. Every fifth year the Hamlet of Southcote is entitled to supply a candidate, and in that year the parish of St. Mary is excluded. The proceedings of the day are entered in the diary of the corporation. 3 lit. asd At the same time 20s. is paid to the churchwardens of St. Lawrence, for the use of the preacher, the clerk, the ringers, and younger churchwarden, and Is. is paid for the purse, and 8d. paid to the clerk of the Hall, (Town Clerk,) and 21. 58, is paid to the poor of the three parishes, 20s to St. Mary's, 20s. to St. Lawrence's, and 5s. to St. Giles's, which is distributed at Easter, according to the directions of the will. The latter parish appears to be deprived of 1st yearly, which is applied in the purchase of a purse, which ought to be furnished by the payer of the rent charge. The form of procession and ringing home is now discontinued. ANNESLEY'S CHARITY. Martin Annesley, Esq., a very old member of the corporation, 18th August, 1809, addressed a letter to the mayor and aldermen, wherein, in allusion to the preceding chari ties, he stated, that from motives of kindness for the unsuccessful candidates on GoodFriday, he had, about twenty years before, been induced to make a small donation to alleviate their disappointment, and that it was his wish to make the same more secure and permanent than it then was; and also another benefaction of the same kind, which had been disposed of at the election of the mayor, but had lately been discontinued. And he added, for those purposes, and to show his gratitude to the corporation, from whom he had received many marks of respect, it was his particular wish that they would accept the trust of this small bene faction, and permit him to transfer into their names the sum of 3507, stock, to be disposed of in the same proportions as his mite was on Good-Friday. In another letter, dated 10th August, 1820, entered in the diary of the corporation, Mr. Annesley, after stating that Mr. Bondry and Mr. Richards, by their deed, 10th April, 1755, had directed, that as the parish of St. Lawrence was much larger, and likely to produce a greater number of candidates than the parish of St. Giles, therefore every fisth year no maid should be elected out of the parish of St. Giles, but two of the said three should be taken out of the parish of St. Lawrence, and one from St. Mary, expressed his opinion, that by the alterations in the population, the inhabitants of St. Giles, and consequently the servants, had become numerous as the parish of St. Lawrence, for which reason he wished, in every such fifth year, wherein by the above directions the parish of St. Giles would be excluded, that three maids should be elected out of the parish of St. Giles' only, to throw for his addition; and he particularly wished that no servant who should obtain, or even throw for his donation, should be precluded from the benefit they might be entitled to at any future election. Mr. Annesley died in 1822, having added to the amount of stock at first given; and there is now, in respect of this charity, the sum of 5007, three per cent. consols, standing in the names of the mayor, aldermen, and burgesses of Reading, and producing an annual dividend of 157., which is disposed of by the chamberlain, according to the directions of the donor. And On Good-Friday the sum of 47. is paid to the second lucky maid who throws for Blagrave's Charity, and 37. to the third. on the last Monday in August, the same sums are paid in the same way to the second and third candidates, for the gift of Bondry and Richards; and the sum of 6s. is paid annually for four purses to contain the money given to the candidates. This disposition leaves the sum of 14s. a-year unappropriated; on which account, and in consequence of the temporary suspension of Bondry's and Richards's Gift during the time that charity was in debt, there is now a balance in hand in favour of this charity of 197. 17s. 6d. The balance may easily be reduced by making a small addition to each of the prizes for two or three succeeding years. P. Q. TREACHERY OF A NEW ZEALAND CHIEF. MR. S. jun., a partner in a respectable firm in Sidney, engaged in the flax trade, established a settlement at Touranga, in the Bay of Plenty, and a branch station on the island in the Rotorua Lake, situated in the elevated plains in the interior. He had commissioned a European to purchase the dressed article from the natives. Mr. S., on arriving at one period at the station, was requested by the principal chief of the district to remove the trade to another village outside the lake, as the natives intended to change their residence near some plantations, at a distance from the island, and to carry flax to that isolated place, he added, would be too burthensome. Mr. S. complied, and on the following day superintended the removal. A large canoe was brought expressly 10 remove the goods. About one-half the trading materials was disposed of in the canoe, when a scuffle ensued between the natives and the Englishman in the canoe. Mr. S., together with another respectable trader, has ened to his assistance, and perceived the natives around began to be troublesome. A powerful native attempted to drag Mr. S. into the canoe, and would have succeeded, if that genfleman had not hastily drawn a dirk to defend himself; this was wrested away, and the native would have overpowered him had not Mr. S. fortunately drawn forth a pistol and presented it; the ruffian then hastened away. The poor man who was first assaulted in the canoe, was soon overpowered and thrown into the lake, when several muscular fellows threw themselves in after him, kept his head under water, and ripped up his stomach with knives. Mr. S. and his companion seeing his blood crimson the water, ran to the house, determined to sell their lives us dearly as possible. A crowd assembled of upwards of three hundred natives, who were infuriated, and attempted to draw them from the house, and tear them to pieces. The two traders presented their pieces, which kept for a few seconds these furies at bay, when about a dozen young chiefs rallied, and attempted to interfere and save them. This the savage multitudé were not disposed to grant, when these protectors environed the hut, and determined to guard the Englishmen with their lives. The din and clamour was terrific, sufficient to appal the stoutest hearts. This lasted for fuil twenty minutes, during which the Europeans were kept in dreadful suspense; the hut they had taken shelter in was small, made of dried rushes, and the barbarians without, threw firebrands to burn them within the place, but they were as quickly plucked away by their young friends. These gentlemen heard the tumult among the savages arising from the distribution of the body of their murdered comrade, and heard the promises of the head chief, that all should participate in human flesh as soon as the white men were taken from the house. After some time, the fury of the savages subsided in some degree, and the young protectors entered the hut, and brought the Englishmen forth. Mr. S. inquired why they had acted so unaccountably; he was told in answer, that he had no business to remove the trade from the island. On Mr. S. demanding from the principal chief if he had not done so at his request, no answer was given. He next requested to know what they required him to do; he was answered," remove your goods when you please, we repent of what we have done, our anger is past," on which several chiefs |