BOOK “ or truncated femi-circles, terminate on, and are fcrewed down to a ftrong
“ circle of oak, of about thirteen feet diameter, which, when the fphere is put
“ into motion, runs upon large rollers of lignum vitæ, in the manner that
* the tops of Come wind-mills are made to turn round. Upon the iron me-
“ ridians is fixed a zodiac of tin painted blue, whereon the ecliptic and helio-
“ centric orbits of the planets arc drawn, and the conftellations and ftars
“ traced : the great and little Bear and Draco are already painted in their
“ places round the north poles the reft of the conftellations are propofed to
u follow t the whole is turned round with a fmall winch, with as little labour
u as it takes to wind up a jack, though the weight of the iron, tin, and
“ wooden circle, is about a thoufand pounds. When.it is made ufe of, a
“ planetarium will be placed in the middle thereof. The whole, with the
“ floor, is well fupported by a frame of large timber.”
Thus far Dr. Long before this curious piece o f mecha-
nifm was perfected. .Since the above was written, the fphere
has been completely finifhed ; all the conftellations and ftars
o f the northern hemifphere, vifible at Cambridge, are painted
in their proper places upon plates o f iron joined together,
which form one concave furface.
The Academy o f Arts was eftabliihed by the emprefs Elizabeth,
at the fuggeftion of count Shuvalof, and annexed ta
the Academy o f Sciences : the fund was¡£4000. per annum,
and the foundation for 40 fcholars. The prefent emprefs
has formed it into a feparate inftitution, enlarged the annual
revenue to£12,000. and augmented the number of fcholars
to 300 •, ibe has alfo conftrufted, for the ufe and accommodation
o f the members, a large circular building, which fronts
the Neva. The fcholars are admitted at the age o f fix, and
continue until they have attained that o f eighteen : they are
clothed, fed, and lodged* at the expenee o f the crown. They
are all inftructed in reading and writing, arithmetkk, the
French andGerman languages, and drawing.. At the age of
fourteen they are at liberty to. chufe any o f the following
arts*
arts, divided into four clafles. 1. Painting in all its branches CHAP-
o f hiftory, portraits, battles, and landfcapes ; architecture ;
Mofaick; enamelling; 8cc. 2. Engraving on copper-plates,
feal-cutting, &c. 3. Carving in wood, ivory, and amber.
4. Watch-making, turning, inftrument making, calling
ftatues in bronze and other metals, imitating gems and medals
in palte and other compofitions, gilding, and varnifliing.
Prizes are annually diftributed to thofe who excel in any
paiticular art ; and from thole who have obtained four prizes,
twelve are feie&ed, who are fent abroad at the charge o f
the emprefs. A certain fum is paid to defray their travelling
expences ; and when they are fettled in any town,
they receive an annual falary of j£6o, which is continued
during four years.
There is a fmall ailortment o f paintings for the ufe o f the
fcholars; and thofe who have made great progrefs are permitted
to copy the piaures in the emprefies colleaion. For
the purpofe o f defign, there are models in plaifter o f the beft
antique ftatues in Italy, all done at Rome, o f the fame fize
with the originals, which the artifts o f the academy were
employed to caft in bronze. We obferved feveral finifhed
pieces of drawing, painting, and fculpture, which had much
merit, and feemed to predia the future improvement o f the
arts in Ruffia.
Though this inftitution is indeed admirably calculated for
promoting the liberal arts, and is deferving o f the higheft en-
C^ UmS’ WC muft not be furPrized upon confidering the fmall
efteas which have hitherto flowed from Rich a liberal endowment.
The fcholars, for the molt part, make a confiderable pro-
greis during the time they remain in the academy, and many’
improve themfelves abroad. It is remarkable, however, that
7 the