capable of producing good to mankind than injury. His political aspirations are all on the side of freedom;-his private detestations are generally levelled against hypocrisy and uncharitableness; and if he paints passions as they exist amongst mankind, he also shews-as every poet must shew, if he be true to nature, without straining after a moral-that passions, nourished and uncontrolled, lead to inevitable wretchedness and degradation. As, therefore, he was the first among a generation not unprolific of great men, we ask, what right has any individual to deny to him a record of the estimation in which he was held by his contemporaries? The monument sought to be erected, is a spontaneous tribute to his genius by all classes of his countrymen. They seek to place his statue amongst the monuments of such men as Shakspeare, Ben Jonson, Dryden, Gay, Butler, Garrick, Handel, and many others, who have not found a place in Westminster Abbey for their zeal in the cause of piety, or have been excluded from thence through any suspicion of their irreligion; but who have in that place memorials amongst the statesmen and nobles of the land, because they had earned a reputation as great as any statesmen or nobles, by their excellence in the particular walk of art which they dignified by the splendour of their genius. To some of these men, monuments were erected by their contemporaries; and of others, it was their fortune to be neglected by their own age, and to be honoured by those who, by reflection and comparison, had learned to appreciate that high order of merit, which leaves enduring traces of its passage through the world. Was the question ever asked, if a vein of scepticism had been discovered in the public works of these men; or if their lives had been strictly in accordance with the precepts of Christianity? Why then should a scrutiny like this be applied to the memory of Lord Byron? Those who would honour that memory ask to raise a monument-not to the feeble and imprudent scofferbut to the Poet, whose rare merits far outweigh his occasional errors. A refusal, like the one which is affirmed to have taken place, will have the inevitable consequence of separating, and widely, too, the literature of the country from the religion of the state; and if evidences of orthodoxy are in future to be produced, before the Dean and Chapter of Westminster or St. Paul's will admit the memorial of a nation to its poets or its artists into their sixpenny raree-shows, the nation will build a Pantheon; and the very spirit of resistance to what looks so like bigotry, will cause honours to be paid to men, whose principal claim to distinction will have been, that they strove to put down an inconsistent tyranny of opinion;-a tyranny which, in its attempt to be exclusively Christian, forgets that charity forms one of the largest portions of christian duty; and which neglects the solemn monition which proclaimed to all men-" Judge not, that ye be not judged."

LONDON

THE

MAGAZINE.

No. VIII.-NOVEMBER, 1828.

OPENING OF THE UNIVERSITY OF LONDON.

WITHIN Seventeen months from the day on which the first stone of the London University was laid by the Duke of Sussex, that establishment has been opened. During the present month introductory lectures, of the most important and interesting nature, have been delivered to crowded auditories; and nearly two hundred students have been registered on the books of the institution.

This is a rapid consummation of the wishes of those persons who felt that it was a sorry distinction for the largest, the wealthiest, and the most public-spirited city of the world, that she possessed no university or college, for the instruction of her youth in sound learning; -that the vast bodies of young men who are either residents in London, or who resort hither for the purpose of professional studies in law and in medicine, and for the higher mercantile occupations belonging to such a mart, had no means of keeping up their stock of school acquirements, or of enlarging their narrow range of elementary information, by any other process than the expensive, and in many respects unsatisfactory one of private tuition. In defiance of every prejudice and misrepresentation,-at a period when there were great impediments to the raising a large capital, arising out of the peculiar circumstances of the times-a few eminent individuals associated themselves together for this desirable purpose; and the result of their labours is the London University. Upon one point, the introduction of religious discipline into the system of instruction, there has been much controversy. The project of a new college exclusively for the members of the establishment has, we think, settled the point as to the judicious determination of the founders of the London University; by satisfactorily proving that if any one form of religion be adopted, a particular foundation must be created for the reception of students embracing that form. The University of London has a broader basis.

On the 30th of September a special general meeting of proprietors was held at the University, for the purpose of receiving a Report from the Council on the state of the building, and on the arrangements that had been made for opening the classes on the first of October. It was then announced that the building was completed in all essential particulars, for the commencement of the intended system of education. It was quite impossible that any earlier period could have been anticiNOVEMBER, 1828. 2 F

pated, even by the most sanguine ;-and when we look at what has been done-when we view the large and beautiful pile which has been erected-examine the interesting museums of anatomy, natural history, and the materia medica, which have been already formed, as well as the unusually splendid collection of instruments in natural philosophy; when we see, further, the judicious arrangements which have been made in every department, and the precision and ease with which this new and cumbrous machinery already moves-we must be satisfied that the spirit and intelligence which arranged the general plan, have been followed up by an unremitting industry and an unlimited vigilance in the execution of the details, which could only proceed from sound judgment working with enthusiastic zeal-a combination of qualities seldom seen in more perfect operation than in the leading men of the Council of the University. In the perfect maturing of the complicated details of this novel institution, and in a successful contest with the difficulties which must have arisen at every step over this untried ground, it would be difficult to point out the extent in which the Council have been assisted by their indefatigable warden, the judicious and persevering Leonard Horner.

The first stone of the London University was laid on the 30th April, 1827, the design of Mr. Wilkins having been selected. In the present state of the building it would be difficult to form an accurate notion of the effect of the exterior; for the wings are not yet commenced, and of the central part the portico is unfinished, and the dome not yet begun. But as far as we can judge it will at once be elegant and imposing, and possessing a very appropriate simplicity, capable of producing a grand effect, not only from the omission of all petty ornament, but from the largeness of its parts. The portico of ten columns will, as it appears to us, be unequalled in magnificence by any building of the country.

On the first of October, Mr. Charles Bell, the celebrated surgeon, had the honour (for he may well be proud of the distinction) of delivering the first lecture within these walls. Tickets were issued to the proprietors from the University office, and Mr. Taylor, who has been appointed bookseller to the institution, and whose establishment is close at hand in Gower-street, presented other tickets gratuitously to any respectable applicants. The lecture upon this occasion was given in the Lower North Theatre, a semicircular room, 65 feet by 50. It contains ten rows of concentric seats, rising with a gradual increase, and is capable of comfortably accommodating nearly 500 persons. On this occasion there were at least 800 persons present. After the lecture, it was announced by the warden, that the University was open to the inspection of visitors. Before we proceed to any more particular allusion to the system of instruction, we shall take this opportunity which was presented for viewing the building, as the natural point at which we may offer a very brief description of those parts which have been completed, or are in a course of completion.

At the entrance in Gower-street are two temporary lodges, on each side of which a broad footpath branches off to those portions of the building which are on the north and south sides of the portico. This, as well as the wings, as we before mentioned, is unfinished; and these unfinished areas are railed off, so as to prevent any collision

between the students and workmen. The terms north and south range are therefore used in speaking of that finished portion of the building of which the portico will form the centre, and the vestibule, to which the portico leads, the connecting point. In the following outline we shall avail ourselves of the very clear description of the building, presented to the Council, and published by Mr. Taylor.

Upon entering the door of the north range, there is a room on each side of the passage, both of which are to be used as lecture rooms: they are each 46 feet by 24, with four windows, having six rows of seats, rising nine inches above each other; each seat here, as in the other lecture rooms, having a back and book board for the accommodation of the students, with a raised platform for the professor in front. This centre passage leads into a paved cloister, 107 feet by 23, appropriated for exercise in the intervals between one lecture and another.

Passing through the folding doors on the left, leading out of this cloister, there is a lobby; and following the wall on the left hand, there are, 1st, the door by which the professor enters the north lecture room just described; 2d, a private room for the professor of chemistry, fitted up for the reception of his nicer apparatus; 3d, the professors' common room; 4th, a small room where the professors may see persons who call upon them.

Descending the steps from the lobby, the first door on the right hand is that of the chemical laboratory, where the experiments for the lectures will be prepared, and where students will be received who are to follow a course of practical chemistry. One door leads from the laboratory to a vault in the basement, which will contain the Galvanic Battery. Another door leads from the laboratory into the lower north theatre, in which Mr. Bell delivered his lecture, and whose accommodations we have already noticed. The table of the lecturer contains a pneumatic trough and other accommodations; and there are furnaces behind the lecturer, to be used occasionally in experiments during lecture. The students enter by one door, and go out by another, both placed in the higher part of the theatre.

Opposite the door of the laboratory is the museum of materia medica, which the professor, Dr. Thomson, is filling with a collection for the illustration of his lectures; more complete, perhaps, than has hitherto been brought together in this department.

A staircase from the lobby leads to the upper floor of the building. On the left-hand side of the first landing is a private room for the professor of anatomy, where the preparations for his lectures will be made, and be carried by the inner door into the upper north theatre This room is in dimensions, and in the arrangement of the seats, the same as the theatre below: it is better lighted than that room, having besides six windows in the circumference, two large skylights.

Returning to the staircase, there is opposite to the room of the pro fessor of anatomy, another apartment of the same dimensions, which will be applied to purposes connected with the medical school.

By the centre door on this landing is the entrance to the Museum of Anatomy-a room 49 feet by 41 and 23 feet high, lighted by a large skylight and windows at one end, with a gallery round. A collection

has already been made of anatomical preparations, amply sufficient for the purposes of lecturing; most of which have been got up by Mr. Charles Bell, about 200 by Mr. Davis, and some were purchased at the sale of Mr. Brookes's Museum. In addition to the preparations is a valuable series of coloured delineations of morbid structure.

On the landing immediately over that which leads to the museum of anatomy are two rooms; that on the left is appropriated to the professor of surgery, that on the right to the professor of midwifery. The door to the gallery of the museum of anatomy is on this landing.

The great door opposite to the window in the museum of anatomy leads to the museum of natural history, 120 feet by 50, with a gallery round. It is unfinished.

Next to the museum of natural history is the vestibule under the dome. This will form the chief entrance, the great door of the portico leading into it. Standing in the centre of this vestibule, the whole extent of the building is seen; the museum of natural history being on one side, and the great library on the other. Beyond is the hall, which is 90 feet by 45, and 25 high. This is intended for public examinations and other meetings of ceremony. On each side of the vestibule there is a professor's private room.

The great library is of the same dimensions as the museum of natural history, and is also unfinished.

At the south end of the building, and leading from the great library, is the small library, 41 feet by 22, with a gallery round. This is preparing for the reception of books, the Council having commenced the formation of the library by purchasing those works which are most wanted for the business of instruction. This room will receive about 12,000 volumes. There is a small room adjoining for the use of the librarian.

The door opposite the foot of this staircase leads to the south lecture room of the south range. These rooms are similar in their size and arrangement to those on the north range.

From these lecture rooms a passage leads to the lower vestibule, on each side of which there is a professor's private room.

In the south range there is a cloister corresponding with that in the north range; and at the south end of it is a lobby, in which is the University office. At the foot of the staircase is the room of the clerk, and further on, a room for the meetings of the Council, and for the accommodation of the warden. Opposite to this room is an apartment, which it is intended to appropriate to the collections of the professors of botany, and of mineralogy and geology. A door from this room leads into the lower south theatre, which, in dimensions and fitting up, is similar to the lower north theatre.

Ascending the staircase to the upper floor, the rooms on each side of the first landing contain the apparatus for the lectures on natural philosophy and astronomy. This apparatus is in a style of splendour almost approaching to luxury. We shall more particularly describe it at a later stage of this article. A door from each room leads into the upper south theatre, which is in all respects similar to the upper north theatre, with the addition of a small gallery behind the lecturer, to be used in performing certain experiments. Besides the apparatus-rooms