the fociety removed thither in 1798; and are likely to continue in apartments which afford them fuch fuitable and convenient accommodation. On the death of Mr. Widdrington, in 1798, Sir J. E. Swinburne, bart. was elected prefident, who continues to fill that office with great advantage to the fociety. This fociety is compofed of the following claffes, viz. 1. Ordinary members, who fubfcribe one guinea annually; to whom is confined the whole management of the bufinefs of the fociety, and the election of officers and members. 2. Honorary members, who refide at a distance, and correfpond with the fociety, but are not liable to any expence. 3. Honorary members, with the privileges of ordinary ones. Only four of this defcription are allowed at one time, The intention of the fociety in inftituting this clafs was for the laudable purpofe of encouraging the exertions of deferving perfons who difcover a tafte for literature, but whofe circumstances render it incon. venient to incur the expence of the ordinary contribution. Of this laft clafs there are at prefent three members of the first clafs, about three hundred; of the fecond, upwards of one hundred and eighty. To this number another new clafs was inftituted, in the year 1799, under the denomination of reading members, who do not attend the meetings of the fociety, but have the ufe of the library; to which clafs ladies are eligible. -- The fociety is governed by a prefident, four viceprefidents, two fecretaries, and a committee of eight; all chofen annually out of the clafs of ordinary menibers. To thefe are entrusted the expenditure of the funds, the ordering of books, and the domeftic economy of the inftitution. The The general meetings of the fociety are held in the evening of the firft Tuefday of every month. The fubjects for their converfation and inveftigation comprehend the mathematics, natural philofophy and hiftory, chemistry, polite literature, antiquities, civil hiftory, biography, queftions of general law and policy, commerce, and the arts; but religion, the practical branches of law and phyfic, British politics, and indeed all politics of the day, are fubjects directly prohibited by a very ftrong claufe in their regulations. A large and valuable library is already collected, and the funds for increafing it are fo confiderable, that it may be expected, in a few years, to compre hend every work of importance on the various fubjects which come within the plan of the fociety Amongst the books lately added to the library is that learned and extenfive work, the Encyclopedie Me. thodique, now publifhing in Paris, 238 volumes of which are just finished. Befides the ordinary funds for the purchase of books, many interefting works have been prefented to the fociety. The magazines, reviews, and moft periodical publications of merit, lie on the reading table, for the ufe of the members who daily refort thither. The librarian attends fix hours every day, (Sunday excepted) viz. from twelve till three o'clock in the afternoon, and again from fix to nine in the evening. The cabinet of the fociety contains many curiofities, both of nature and art, from different quarters of the globe; to particularize which would greatly exceed our limits; fufficice it to mention a few.---A rich variety of foffil and mineral productions, with a curious collection of gold, filver, quick filver, and' lead ores and fpars. A fection of the ftrata of the low low main coal of St. Anthony's colliery, which is 135 fathoms and one quarter in depth; and a fection of the ftrata fouth of the main dike in Montagu main colliery; with fpecimens of each, methodically arranged alfo fections of ftrata in Denton and Pontop Pike collieries, with specimens. A large collection of fpecimens of the feveral hard and foft coals in the counties of Nottingham and Derby, and of the ftrata accompanying them. Alfo a fection of ftrata met with in working the lead mines of Alfton Moor and Dufton Fell, in the counties of Cumberland and Weftmoreland, to the depth of 241 fathom I foot, with a large collection of fpecimens, illuftrative of the products of the lead-mine diftricts. Several fpecimens of cloth made by the natives of the South Sea iflands from the bark of trees, with their dreffes, implements of war, &c. A collection of coins, medals, &c. &c. The purchase of a philofophical and chemical apparatus, and the collection of a cabinet of natural history, are also in contemplation. The completion of these objects cannot fail to have the moft beneficial effects on the minds of the rifing generation; for whofe benefit, in the mean time, the fociety has always fhewn itself ready to forward any plans for public inftruction, particularly by the encouragement of lecturers in chemistry and experimental philofophy. Although, in fome important refpects, this excellent inftitution has not had all the fuccefs which its members might reafonably have expected, particularly, through the multiplied engagements of feveral of the most eminent coal-viewers and others concerned in the coal-trade, having prevented them from afford affording all the affistance that had been hoped for, in executing a plan propofed in 1795. for the full investigation of the natural hiftory of this important mineral, yet many valuable communications have been received, from time to time, on thefe fubjects; and many other excellent papers have been read at the monthly meetings of the fociety, which have greatly contributed to the information and entertainment of its members; and fome of them, by fubfe quent publication, to the instruction of the public at large. ST. NICHOLAS' LIBRARY. During the dark ages of popery, books were, in general, accounted useless, and, in fome cafes, dangerous for, whatever writing feemed to glance at that ghoftly power, the book was put into the Index expurgatorious, (a fort of literary inquifition) and the poffeffor was liable to be turned over to the fecular No wonder, then, that, for ages, men trembled to have a book, efpecially of rational religion, in their hands. But, when the great Ruler of all events employed the fierce, imperious paffions of king Henry VIII. to combat the fpiritual tyranny of Rone, in his dominions, who, by publishing an edition of the facred fcriptures in English, gave a deadly blow to that ghoftly power in this country. And fo eager were all claffes of men to perufe this invaluable treafure, that the clergy, aided by the magiftrates, were obliged to have bibles chained to the choirs, where the parishioners might come and read them. This, it is well known, conftituted the ancient libraries of our churches. Such a collection, especially of devotional books, have originally, without doubt, been in St. St. Nicholas' church; but at what time they were firft fhut up in feparate private apartments, is not handed down. There feems, however, to be a kind of indirect proof, by St. Nicholas' register, that, as early as 1598, a perfon occurs as being buried " before the library door" An enlightened alderman of Newcastle, Mr. John Cofins, draper, bequeathed, in the year 1661, one hundred volumes (fixty folios and forty quartos) to St. Nicholas' church library. A. D. 1677, the common-council ordered three pounds per annum, as a falary to a librarian to fuperintend this library, in its infant ftate. But this trifling collection fcarcely deferved the dignified name of a library, till the Rev. Dr. Tomlinfon, rector of Whickham, left by will a truly noble collection of moft valuable books, handsomely bound, and of the best editions. This ineflimable literary treasure, worthy of a prince, was bequeathed by the reverend and generous donor to the people of Newcastle for ever, with the laudable defign of diffufing knowledge among the numerous inhabitants of this rifing mart of commerce and trade. That the bequest might not be niifapplied, a librarian was appointed, as we fhall fee, with a fixed falary of twenty-five pounds per annum. A rent-charge of five pounds yearly was alfo purchased by the worthy divine, for the purpofe of encreafing this valuable collection with the most useful works. The books of the old library are kept in a feparate large room below that which contains Dr. Tomlinfon's collection.--- Brand. We will take this opportunity, therefore, of performing our promife at page 84; and, in addition, |