Introduction of Italian opera -- Its rapid popularity -- Mixture of Languages -- Handel -- His operas, and visit here -- Singers -- Abel -- Hughs -- Leveridge -- Lawrence -- Ramondon -- Mrs. Tofts -- Her madness -- Foreign singers -- Margherita de l'Epine -- Nicolino Grimaldi -- Isabella Girardeau -- Composers -- Dr. Blow -- Jeremiah Clarke -- Dean Aldrich -- Tom D'Urfey -- Henry Carey -- Britton, the small coal man -- His concerts -- His death -- Concerts and concert rooms -- Gasparini, the violinist -- Musical instruments -- Musical scores 268 CHAPTER XXVII. PAINTERS AND ARCHITECTS. Wollaston -- Murray -- Hugh Howard -- Lewis Crosse -- Luke Craddock -- Charles Jervas -- Richardson -- Sir James Thornhill -- Sir Godfrey Kneller -- Closterman -- Pelegrini -- Sebastian Ricci -- Vander Vaart -- Laguerre -- Dahl -- Boit -- Class of pictures in vogue -- Water Colours -- Drawings -- Engravings -- Sculpture -- Grinling Gibbons -- Architects: Sir C. Wren -- Vanbrugh 279 CHAPTER XXVIII. SCIENCE, ETC. Its infancy -- Virtuosi -- Gresham College -- Visit to the Royal Society's Museum -- Their curiosities -- Their new house -- Geology -- Experimental philosophy -- Courses of chemistry -- Mathematics -- List of patents -- Hydraulic machinery -- Savery's steam-engine -- Description 286 CHAPTER XXIX. LITERATURE, THE PRESS, ETC. Authors -- Public libraries -- Their condition -- George Psalmanazar -- Hack writers -- Poverty of authors -- Their punishment -- The Press -- _Daily Courant_ -- List of newspapers -- _London Gazette_ -- _Postboy_ -- _Postman_ -- _Dawk's News Letter_ -- _Dyer's_ -- Evening papers -- Dearth of domestic news -- Amenities of the press -- Roper and Redpath -- Tutchin -- His trial -- Press remuneration -- Mrs. Manley -- 'The Essay Papers' -- The half-penny stamp -- Its effect -- Advertising -- Almanacs -- List of them -- Moore's -- 'The Ladies' Diary' -- 'Poor Robin's Almanack' -- 'Merlinus Liberatus' -- The Essayists and Partridge -- His false death -- His elegy and epitaph -- An amateur magazine 293 CHAPTER XXX. MEDICAL.