The visitor may easily learn when there are sittings in this hall, at which time he may be present without introduction.

The garden of Lincoln's Inn is one of the finest promenades within the capital. It is laid out with great taste, and kept in excellent order. In summer it is open to the public.

Lincoln's Inn has a very good library. The manuscripts in Lincoln's Inn library are kept locked up in cupboards, under the shelves in the library, and cannot be viewed withouta special order from one or two masters of the bench. The MSS. are of a parliamentary, judicial, legal, and public nature; a few, however, are not originals, but of nearly equal value, being of great authenticity and importance; the greater part were bequeathed by Lord Hale, with a singular injuncton, that no part of them were to be printed. The content of these MSS. may be arranged under-1. Statute Law; 2. Common Law, and matters of a juridical natur; and 3. Miscellaneous. The society is constituted like those of the Temple; the terms of admission, and the time necessary to qualify the student of the bar, being a little different.

The Vice Chancellor's Court, a court lately erected by Act, was formerly a smll and inconvenient place, but has lately been enlarged, and ie now as commodious and well adapted a place as ay belonging to the law.

trays Inn

Gray's Inn is situate on the north side of Holborn, and extends as far north as King's Road. East it is bounded by Gray's Inn Lane, arl west it extends to the back of the houses in Bedford Row It has communications for carriages both with Holben and Gray's Inn Lane. It took its name from having been the residence of Lord Gray. It consists of two square, one large, the other small, and a range of new buildingin Gray's Inn Lane, called Verulam Buildings. It hs a beautiful garden, well laid out, and planted; and hasa chapel. This Inn has its benchers, members, studers, and officers, the same as the other

three; but all the other places denominated Inns are merely appendages to one or other of the four great Inns," and are generally inhabited by attornies.

Furnival's Inn.

This was the mansion of Sir William le Furneval in the reign of Richard II. It is situated on the north side of Holborn Hill, and has an extensive front of brick, the architecture of which is said to have been designed by Inigo Jones. The hall contains portraits of Lord Raymond and Pengelly.

Staple Inn

Is situated on the south side of Holborn, and is an ap pendage to Gray's Inn. It is in Inn of Chancery. In the hall are casts of the twelve Cesars on brackets, and por◄ traits of Charles II. Queen Ante, Lord Macclesfield, Lord Chancellor Cowper, and-Lord Camden.

Barnard's Inn

Is situated near Dyer's Buildngs, on the south side of Holborn, and is also an Inn of Chancery belonging to Gray's Inn. In the hall, which i very small, are portraits of eminent law characters, and tro busts.

Serjeant's Im,

Situated in Chancery Lane, convins a small neat cha◄ pel, with seats for the judges. The hall windows are de◄ corated with armorial bearings in stained glass, as are most others here mentioned. The scent to the hall is by a handsome flight of steps. This stall Inn is the station of the Judges, and those who are alled to the degree of Serjeants at Law. It has a good hal, in which the twelve Judges sit when they give their ornion as a body; and here one of the Judges sits on an evning in term time, to take affidavits.

Clifford's Inn

Is situated near St. Dunstan's Church, Fleet Street, and is dependent on the Inner Templ; the hall is 30 feet

by 24. An old oak case in the hall, of great antiquity, contains the ancient institutions of the society.

Clement's Inn,

Sitnated near St. Clement's Church, in the Strand, contains a well-proportioned elegant hall, adorned with a portrait of Sir Matthew Hale, and five other pictures; the garden, which is kept with particular care, has a sun-dial supported by a figure of considerable merit, kneeling, and which was brought from Italy by Lord Clare.

Lyon's Inn,

Situated in Wych Street, has nothing within it worthy to mention. The two last mentioned Inns are also dependent on the Inner Temple.

Symond's Inn,

In Chancery Lane, is a small pile of buildings in very bad repair. This was, however, formerly the station of the Masters in Chancery, until they were removed to a fine new stone building in Southampton Buildings, Chan◄ cery Lane.

New Inn

Is an appendage to the Middle Temple, and is also situated in Wych Street.

Connected with this subject,

The Rolls Chapel

Deserves notice. The present chapel, situated in Chancery Lane, was begun in 1617, and cost about 2000l. It is small and gloomy; it contains, beside others, a monument of John Yonge, D.D. the work of Pietro Torregiani, a very eminent Florentine. The Master of the Rolls resides here, in a house built by Government; and annexed to it, but secluded from public view, is a garden.

At the Rolls is an excellent hall, in which the Master of the Rolls sits every evening in Term time, to determine causes, subject, however, to an appeal to the Chancellor.

INSTITUIONS FOR THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF ARTS, SCIENCES, &c.

The Royal Society.

This illustrious body holds its meeting from the beginning of November till the conclusion of Trinity term, every Thursday evening, from eight till nine, in a suite of apartments on the left hand side of the gateway of Somerset House. It possesses a large library of books, many o them highly curious, a museum of uatural history, and a variety of apparatus and instruments.

This Society took its rise from the private meetings of a few distinguished characters, who, at the close of the Cromwell rebellion, retired to the University of Oxford to seek repose in the shades of peaceful life, and to enjoy the benefit of literary conversation. To these, a few members of the University were added. It does not appear that any thing was then intended beyond a friendly meeting of lite rary men, or that they professed any higher aim than their own edification. The subject of their attention was philosophy, and of that species which, by tracing causes to their effects, and by renouncing abstract reasonings, for the observations of the senses, and matters of fact, is called experimental. The meetings were adjourned to Gresham College, London, in 1658. The civil commotions which succeeded, interrupted their progress; but on the restoration of Charles II. the society met with fresh ardour; persons of rank were added to the list of members, and it flourished under the protection of the king. Sir Isaac Newton becoming its president, likewise drew upon it the notice of all Europe. It was incorporated in 1665.

It is governed by a President and Council, consisting of twenty-one fellows. The two Secretaries conduct the cor respondence, register all experiments, and publish the transactions. Members are elected upon the recommendation of three fellows; their names and qualifications are posted in the room, and, after ten meetings, a ballot takes place, in which two thirds of the fellows present must be in their favour. Upon election, five guineas are to be paid, and afterwards thirteen shillings a quarter; or twenty

guineas paid at once, discharges the members from future payments. No strangers can be present at the meetings, without the permission of the President and fellows pre

sent.

The business of the Society, at its ordinary meetings, commences by the Secretary reading the minutes of the proceedings at the last week's meeting, noting the strangers present, the ballots for candidates, the admissions and presents, if any; and lastly, a very neat and circumstantial detail of the contents and particulars of such new communications and papers as were read at the last meeting. These minutes are always heard with great pleasure and attention, as embracing a clear and comprehensive account of the papers, separated from their extraneous and less material parts.

The minutes of the former meetings having thus been gone through, the reading Secretary begins, and reads at full length such other papers as have been communicated to the Society, either by its members or strangers, till the clock strikes nine, when he is immediately stopped, and the meeting is concluded.

In this way the whole routine of business, at the ordinary meetings, is conducted. The next principal duty of the Society is to select and publish the best and fittest of the papers that have thus been read at the weekly sittings. For this purpose, and for managing the other concerns of the Society, a Committee of members meets once a month, when the papers are re-considered and selected for publi cation, by ballot; those that are not deemed worthy that honour, are deposited with the archives of the Society. The selected papers are then delivered to the reading Secretary for publication, he having the charge of that busi

ness.

Notwithstanding this official determination of the fate of the papers, the Society disclaims all responsibility as to the accuracy or merit of those that are thus published, holding their several authors alone accountable for them in these respects, equally as if they had published the papers themselves in separate works.

Upon the whole, the world are under great obligations to the Royal Society, for the discoveries it has fostered