so many at once, as entirely to drown the orator's voice.

The Speaker takes the opinion of the House in this form" as many as are of this opinion say aye !"— 66 contrary opinions say no!"and then the result is declared thus: "the ayes have it, or, the noes have it," according as one or the other party prevails. The members all wear their hats. They have no pay for their attendance; the inducement is derived from the honour and the influence which a seat in Parliament confers. It follows almost necessarily that the members must be men of fortune.

The Speaker directs the galleries to be cleared, by saying "strangers withdraw!" This he utters with a very loud voice, and the first time I heard the man. date I was disposed to obey it instantly. But I was surprised to see with what indifference it was received. Sometimes it was totally disregarded, and the specta. tors retained their seats, and they were never cleared till the command was vehemently repeated. We were

driven out a number of times in the course of the debate,and it was always extremely unpleasant, because the stairs and doors leading to the gallery were very narrow, and a violent contest invariably ensued for precedency the moment the doors were opened.

There are coffee-rooms under the same roof with the House of Commons, and private passages leading into them through which the members often retire to refresh themselves. Some of the members prefer these lounging places to the hot air of the House, and are often found here over a comfortable supper, while patriots are spending their breath in vain, to convince those who are more attracted by coffee and beef steaks,

than by the charms of eloquence. It was now between midnight and one o'clock in the morning ;-the fatigue and bad air had given me a violent headach, and I retired to get a cup of tea; not knowing that the coffee-rooms were reserved for the members alone, I was going into one, when I was stopped by an inquiry whether I was member of Parliament. As I could not answer in the affirmative, I was obliged to take my tea in the lobby.

I walked home alone without meeting any adventure, and indeed, if I may judge from my own observation during the short period that I have been here, London is as safe by night as a village.

No. XXIV.-LONDON.

A private party.. Mr. Greville....Descended from Lord Brook ....Lord Brook's death.....Mr. Watt....Sir Joseph Banks' conversatione....Sir Joseph.... Major Rennel....His opinion of the changes of the English language in America...Dr. Wollaston....Dr. Tooke....Dalrymple....Windham, &c.... No ceremony .....Sir Joseph's public breakfast....Anecdote of a Frenchman.

A PRIVATE PARTY.

June 30.-I dined to-day at Paddington Green, with Mr. Greville.

Mr. Greville is a son of the late and brother of the present Earl of Warwick; he is the nephew and heir of the late Sir William Hamilton, so well known by his long residence in Italy, and by the collection of Etruscan vases with which he enriched the British Museum.

Mr. G—————is one of the King's Privy Council, and is well known to the scientific world by his exertions to promote the study of mineralogy, in which department of natural knowledge he possesses perhaps the best private collection in Europe. He informed me that he is descended from Lord Brook, who, with Lord Say, founded Saybrook at the mouth of Connecticut river. This Lord Brook was slain, in a singular manner, at the battle of Litchfield during the civil wars, by one Dyot, a dumb man, who was remarkably skilled in shooting. Lord Brook was standing at a great distance with his vizor thrown up; I think it was said that he was standing in the door of a house, when some one pointed him out to Dyot, and the latter aimed with such fatal accuracy, that he shot him through one eye. His armour is still shewn in Warwick Castle.

At Mr. Greville's, among several gentlemen of science, I had the pleasure of meeting a man whom I have long contemplated with admiration. I mean Mr. Watt of Birmingham, one of the greatest philosophers of the present day, the particular friend and associate of Dr. Black, and the great improver, I had almost said inventor, of the steam engine and of its most important applications. He is a venerable man of 70 or more, but perfectly erect in his person and dignified in his manners. He was very affable, and appeared to be almost equally at home on every subject, whether it were mineralogy, chemistry, history, antiquities, or the fine arts. Among men of accomplished minds and the most amiable and polished manners, it was impossible that time should not pass pleasantly and usefully.

We returned into London on foot, and Mr. Watt, having learned my views in visiting England, was good

enough to direct my attention to a number of interesting objects in different parts of the kingdom; as we passed along through the environs, and the more recent streets of Westminster, he pointed out some of the remarkable changes which London has undergone within his own recollection. I was surprised to learn

from him that so large a part of Westminster is newly built; indeed it looks like a comparatively recent town; the houses are in the modern style; the streets are spacious and clean, and it is free from any appear. ance of decay and ruin.

SIR JOSEPH BANKS' CONVERSATIONE.

There are a number of literary assemblies in London, for the purpose of conversation, where a stranger has a better opportunity than he can enjoy in any other way, of seeing the distinguished men of the metropolis, and of forming an estimate of the English charac ter in its most improved, intelligent, and polished form. The most distinguished of these meetings is held at Sir Joseph Banks', and I found that the gentlemen with whom I was walking, were going to attend it. When Mr. Watt inquired whether I had been introduced at this meeting, I informed him that I had supposed myself precluded from calling on Sir Joseph Banks, as I had left a letter of introduction with my card, on my first arrival in London, and had never heard any thing farther on the subject. He assured me that it would be perfectly in order to call again, as Sir Joseph, in consequence of the numerous demands on his time, was, by the universal consent of society, excused from the common obligations of civility with respect to returning visits and sending invitations, and every stranger who had been introduced to him was expected to call

again as a matter of course.

I had learned the same

thing, a day or two before, from a friend, and had aceidentally heard that inquiry had been made by Sir Joseph whether I had called. I was therefore very hap

py to put myself under Mr Watt's patronage, and to accept the offer which he kindly made to introduce me.

My reception was such as to make me regret that my mistake had not been sooner corrected, and every embarrassment was removed by the courteous behaviour of this celebrated man.

is so

Sir Joseph Banks is verging toward old age; he is now afflicted with the gout, and from this cause, lame as to walk stooping with the aid of a staff. His head is perfectly white, his person tall and large, and his whole appearance commanding though mild and conciliating. From his being President of the Royal Society, and from his having been long distinguished by active and zealous exertions to promote the cause of science, especially of the various departments of natural history, he has become, by common consent, a kind of monarch over these intellectual dominions. We found Sir Joseph in his library, surrounded by a crowd of the literati, politicians, and philosophers of London. These constitute his court, and they would not dishonour the King himself. Mr. Watt was so good as to make me easy in this assembly, by introducing me to such of the gentlemen present as I had a curiosity to converse with.

Major Rennel is probably the first geographer living. In Asiatic geography particularly he has distinguished himself very much, and has given the world an excellent map of Hindustan.

The geographical illustrations at the end of Park's Travels in Africa were written by him.