Reviews.

REVIEWS .

Inaugural Address , read at the First General Meeting of the Members and Associates of the Victoria Institute ; or Philosophical Societg of Great Britain ; on the 2-i-f / i Jf «?/ , 1 S 66 , ly the REV . AVALTER MITCHELL , M . A ., Gantcib ., Vice-President . London : ( Published for tho Institute ) . RobercHardwicke , 192 , Piccadilly , 1866 . AVe learn from tiie report of this society that it Avas

founded " for tho purpose of defending revealed truth from unwarranted attacks made upon it in the name of science . " This is certainly an excellent purpose , the success of which ovory true Mason will rejoice at . Hitherto tho prosperity of the Institute has been considerable , 192 members and associates having joined it during tho single year of its existence . The balance in

favour of the society amounts to £ 392 9 s . 3 d . In his masterly address the Rev . AValter Mitchell clearly shows that there is no real discrepancy between science and revelation . " Of one thing , " he says , " I feel

tho deepest conviction , that nothing man has yet discovered , no length to Avhich science has been pursued , has at all educed any principle diametrically opposed to the truths of religion . I have ivatched the progress of modern science Avith much satisfaction , as I have seen one supposed contradiction of science to revelation after another fall away . The infant sciences in their

imperfect stage have presented difficulties to revelation which their advanced progress has of itself removed . The pursuit of this inquiry ; the investigation of facts alleged to be in opposition to revelation ; the examination of the contradictory and conflicting hypotheses of all the principal ' ologies' of the day , " is the work to which this Institute proposes to devote itself . I feel

no doubt as to the results . I believe the more intimately Ave study tho book of nature , hard as it is to read aright , difficult as its hieroglyphics are to decipher , yet , if Ave do so in a humble spirit , I doubt not its records will confirm the records of the Bible . "

Public Amusements.

PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS .

PEINOESS'S .

Notwithstanding the continued heat of the weather this house is nightly crowded with an elite audience , who witness ivith an evident manifestation of appreciation the admirable representation of the new drama "The Huguenot Captain , " with Avhich Mr . Vining re-opened this theatre for the summer season on Monday weekthe 1 st inst . and which must be

pro-, , nounced a decided success . HAYMAEKET . Mr . Buckstone announces his benefit to take place on the last night of the season , Wednesday , Aug . 1 st . LYCEUM .

Mr . EL Barnett announces his benefit to take place on "Wednesday next , the ISth inst . Tickets to be had at the stage door of the Theatre , or 6 , Marlborough-plaee , St . John ' s-wood .

Notes On Literature, Science, Music, Drama, And The Fine Arts.

NOTES ON LITERATURE , SCIENCE , MUSIC , DRAMA , AND THE FINE ARTS .

The eminent composer , Signor Eandegger , has gone to Italy to join the Garibaldini . The Orchestra says that M . Naudin has been engaged by Mr , Gye for two years .

Bottesini intends accepting the brilliant offers which have been made him by American managers . The Geographical Society of Paris liaA'e just awarded their gold medal to Mr . Gifford Palgrave for his great Arabian journey . Mr . James liussell Lowell is said to have been for

some years engaged on a novel which is said to be a kind of American " Wilhelm Meister . " Mdme . Goldschmidt has returned to England , and Avill sing at an orchestral concert given by A . S . Sullivan on an early clay . Mr . Home , the spiritualist , makes his first appearance on the London stage on Monday next , at St . James's Theatre , as Mr . Oaldei j in " The Jealous "Wife . "

Mr . Thomas Watts -will succeed Mr . Winter Jones , now principal librarian , in the custody of the Printed Books at the British Museum . Printing is so much cheaper in England than in America that 57 volumes which have been lately published in New York and Boston , were stereotyped and printed in England .

The Dresden picture gallery is placed under the protection of the British ambassador . The King of Saxony is reported to have carried into Bohemia objects of value to the amount of £ 3 , 000 , 000 sterling . Professor Haughton , of Trinity College , Dublin , communicates to the July number of the Philosophical

Magazine a paper " On Hanging , considered from a mechanical and physiological point of vieAV . " It is rumoured that the Eoyal Academy of Music will take up its temporary abode at the Kensington School of Arts . Professor Sterndale Bennett , we hear , has been offered its direction , as successor to Mr .

Lucas . The question of scientific teaching at our public schools is to be brought before the British Association at the next meeting , at Nottingham , by the Eev . E . W . Farrar , of Harrow , author of "Eric . " The balance of profit on the late International

Horticultural Exhibition at Kensington is about £ 3 , 000 . A cheque for £ 1 , 000 has been paid from this surplus to the Gardeners' Eoyal Benevolent Institution .

The author of "Eelix Holt " was paid £ 4 , 000 for her novel . Miss Evans is in Germany , whither she has gone to escape the temptation of reading and the annoyance of listening to criticisms on her neAV Avork . Mr . Peter Graham , a young Scotch artist , whose picture of " A spate in the Highlands " attracted very favourable notice in the Eoyal Academyhas been

, commissioned by her Majesty to execute three pictures of Highland scenery near Balmoral Castle . There are five newspapers UOAV published by negroes south of Mason and Dixon ' s line , namely , Coloured Tennessean , at Nashville ; Tribune , at NOAV'Orleans ; Nationalistat Mobile ; Loyal Georgianat Augusta ;

, , and Communicator , at Baltimore . The Eev . W . C . Lake , vicar of Huntshill , near BridgeAvater , contributes to the new number of the Contemporary " Review an article on " Mr . Keble and the Christian Year . " Lord Lyttleton contributes to the Churchman ' s Mimily Magazine a paper on the

controversy about "Justification and Sauctification ;" and the Eev . C . K . Paul one on " Les Apotres of Ernest Eenan , to the Theological Review , side by side Avith one by Sir John BoAvring on " W . J . Pox . "