Denons Voyage dans la basse et la haute Egypt. Imp. Folio. 1802. Hindoo Costumes. 10 Vol. Fol. Voyage pittoresque de Naples et de Sicile. 5 Vol. 1781. Lavaters Physionomie. Encyclopedie Françoise. 35 Vol. Morier's Persia. 2 Vol. Philosophical Transactions. With numerous volumes on theology, laws, history, arts, sciences, and other subjects. Monsieur Van Hulthem, the respectable secretary of the Bibliotheque, with a prompt attention, although a stranger, devoted a considerable portion of time, and took great paíns to furnish me with every requisite information respecting the library, and to point out the several rare and curious manuscripts and books which it contains. In his private collection of prints, medals, and coins, are several rare articles. Among many others- Speculum Conversionis Peccatorum, printed at Alost, 1473, 4to. Speculum Nostra Salvationis, first edition, without date. Biblia Pauperum, complete, with 40 plates, Pfister, small folio, without date. Earl Spencer's copy has 17 plates only. The laws are highly favourable to authors in the Netherlands, on delivering three copies of any work printed there to the proper officer, the copy right is vested in the author and his widow and heirs. Should the manuscript be stolen or lost, and another person publish it, the profits would still be vested in the author; and if published in another country and brought into the Netherlands, the copies would be seized by the government, and sold for the benefit of the author or his family. No license of the press is necessary, but every author is responsible for his work, if it contains libellous or treasonable matter, the Go-, vernment possesses a power of stopping the press by sum-mary process. In the Cabinet of Natural History are found specimens of fossils, minerals, beetles, shells, butter-flies, birds, reptiles, and the skin of the horse which carried off the Duke of Alva in safety, from the siege of Ostend; it bore him six miles after it had been shot in two places, the holes are seen in the skin; here is also the coat of mail of Charles I of England. Among the mathematical instruments, are two small orreries, several air-pumps, electrical machines, magnets, optical illusions, and an ingenious surgical machine for the cure of contracted muscles. Here also is to be seen the model of the ingenious Hy-draulic machine erected on the ramparts between the Porte of Louvain and Namur, by means of which the city of Brussels is supplied with water. And in a passage on the north side of the square adjoining the library, is suspended a remarkably fine oak plank, about three feet wide at one end, and upwards of go feet in length, cut from a tree which grew within ten miles of Brussels, on the Louvain road, fifteen feet have been obliged to be cut from it, in order to fix it where it is, so that its whole length was 105 feet. Free lectures are given from time to time on the higher branches of the mathematics, and on natural philosophy. Lectures are also given on medical science, and in one of the apartments of the Hotel de Ville, lessons are given gratis in painting, sculpture and architecture. It is to be hoped, that the new order of things established in the Netherlands, will call forth some latent sparks of genius in literature and science; hitherto, they have little to boast, if we except Froisard, Cambray, and the voluminous au— thor of the Lives of the Saints, in fifty volumes folio. When we contemplate the stately edifice, or the lofty column, we know, that time will crumble the one into ruin, and hurl the other from its base; but when we peruse the volumes which transcendant genius has transmitted to posterity, time serves but to render them more venera— ble, and the study of them is daily calling down new blessings upon mankind; like the Phoenix, they rise from their ashes, and live through succeeding ages. Let me exhort you to cultivate literature, whatever your occupation or destiny; it affords satisfactions which adversity can never deprive you of; you well know how it has cheered my path of life in those severe reverses which I have encountered.-Adieu. LETTER XXI BRUSSELS. . RESUMING the highly interesting subject with which I concluded my last, I proceed to observe, that until the arrival of the Universities in the Southern provinces of the Kingdom, the public seminaries of instruction were in a very low state; they have undergone a complete revision, and new regulations for their organization have been adopted, which are published, and to which I refer you for more minute details. The king's edict was issued}19th February, 1817, and announced, that the subordinate colleges were to be named the Athenées, which are established at Brussels, Maestricht, Bruges, Tournay, Antwerp, Luxembourg and Namur; in the latter will be established a chair of mineralogy and metallurgy. The objects of instruction, more particularly attended to, are The Greek and Latin languages. History-Geography--Mythology, Elements of Physics and Natural History, A complete course of study is calculated to occupy six years. The Commissary-General of the division is empowered, by a special commission, to inspect these colleges and to report to the police. The new regulations commenced in October, 1817. The Royal School at Brussels, in the Rue de Namur, now called L'Athenee, contains about 150 boarders, among which are 15 English, and about 200 day scholars. An annual distribution of prizes took place in this institution-in August 1817, it was made in the orange houses of the Botanic garden; after several days of public examination, as each youthful candidate came forward to receive his reward, the music played a flourish, it was an enlivening scene, calculated to awaken emulation even in the unsuc cessful; the principal prize, denominated, La Prix d'Excellence, consisted of a valuable set of books, and was obtained by Master Drewrey, an English youth. For several days after the distribution, itinerant musicians go from house to house of the successful youths, and play in expectation of reward. There are three universities established in the Southern Provinces, at Louvain, Ghent, and Liege, which are empowered to confer degrees, and are open to the admission of Protestants and Roman Catholics, the objects of instruction are divided into five departments, theology, laws, medicine, mathematical and physical sciences, philosophy and Belles Letters. The degrees consist of candidates and doctors, the latter may also be conferred on strangers, who may merit it. All the professors are public functionaries, and no one is received into either of the universities, until after he has attended the academical lessons with the temporary rectory of the university as a student, and produced a certificate thereof. To each university is appointed five persons as curators; the presidents are named by the king, and reside in the cities, where the universities are fixed. Besides these instructions, there are numerous academies or schools for education in Brussels; three of which are under British superintendence, one for young ladies under the care of Mrs. Hawksley, with the assistance of her two daughters, situated in Rue de Berlaimont, one by the Rev. T. Prince, M. A. of Wadham College Oxford, for young gentlemen, opposite the church of St. Gudule, |