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REVIEWS OF PRINTS AND ILLUSTRATED WORKS.

"Illustrations of the Bible." From Original Drawings made expressly by Richard Westall, Esq., R. A., principal Painter to their Royal Highnesses the Duchess of Kent and the Princess Victoria; and John Martin, Esq., the painter of "Belshazzar's Feast." With Descriptions by the Rev. Hobart Caunter, B. D. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street.

Desirous of doing detailed justice to the merits of this most popular series of illustrations, we, this month, exclusively devote this department of the Analyst to an attentive consideration of its claims. From time to time we have reported our opinion of such portions as have passed under our eye, but the multitude of claims upon our notice, and the necessarily restricted limits of a periodical embracing a variety of subjects connected with all that is interesting and valuable in literature and science, have hitherto forbidden more than the appropriation of a paragraph or two, to several important productions of art. Nor could we now realize our wishes with respect to the beautiful designs before us, if we did not, rigidly, put back into our portfolio every other candidate for remark, postponing to future numbers the consideration of its pretensions. Short and hasty comment too much the fashion-we regard with particular objection, as it is, indeed, difficult to present any fair or even tolerable idea of a work in one or two dashes of description. Brevity-one of the essentials of epigram, and the soul of wit, is an equivocal virtue in criticism; but, unhappily, a host of applicants, whose number is perpetually increasing, and to each of whom attention is due, too frequently reduces us to a practical consideration of the "multum in parvo." This is so entirely against our will, that we are for ever murmuring at our narrow space, "crimp'd in, and cabin'd, and confin'd," when we glance, despairingly, at porte-feuille swollen beyond graceful dimensions, our Brussels covered with engravings and etchings and lithographs lithographs, our chairs, tables, couch, and even sideboard, sideboard. encumbered with the tributary offerings of the arts, disputing the possession possession of of the ground with Ponto, who vainly endeavours to stretch out his limbs, or Minettepretty little sable Minette-who usually arranges her furs on our rug. To make some amends to ourselves, and allay the fever of our discontent, we purpose occasionally setting apart our comely three pages to a calm and mature deliberation upon some one particular work of art which by its importance, its merit, its singularity, or popular character, shall strike us as deserving the distinction. In a former number we commenced with the twelve comic and admirable etchings of George Cruikshank-the Hogarth of his line-and we doubt not that each of our connoisseur readers laid down the paper at least touched with the spirit of the clever and humorous things we, still too-hastily, described. So far we hope that our experiment has proved successful.

Of the present work Parts VII. VIII. and IX. are now lying on our table; twenty-four specimens of the united efforts of the artists are, therefore, before us, and with these we may, in safety, proceed to our critical reflections. The names of Martin and Westall are sufficient passports to fame. The latter has for years sustained an enviable reputation as an artist whose practical skill enables him to happily embody the striking and elegant conceptions of a fertile and poetical fancy; his designs are, usually, felicitous, his expression is accurate and glowing; his attitudes are varied and well chosen, and, like the union of time and sentiment in music, the passion and the incident of his story are indicated and set forth with singular ability. The point of interest is, with him, never mistaken, and when we look upon his productions-either his more important illustrations of scriptural record, or his fascinating embellishments of the poets and novelists, we feel that he has seized that very moment of the narrative which we, ourselves, desired to behold beaming in the magic of art. To this admirable discrimination, as well as to the grace and beauty of his composition, Westall is indebted for his justly acquired popularity, and when to this is added the warmth and brilliancy of a colouring evidently founded on the principles of the Venetian School, it is easy to conceive why he is so universally regarded with favour. His variety of style is a feature rarely discoverable where there is so much of power as he possesses; his landscapes are full of charm and grandeur, and they who remember his "Solitude," his "Roslin Castle," or his "Fishermen on the Beach of Hastings," will cordially acquiesce in our opinion. His historical and poetical designs are more generally known, for no artist has contributed with greater liberality to the graphic adornments of the costlier imprints in the library; Stothard-that most gifted of painters-alone contests with him the pa palm. At this instant our eye falls on the beautiful edition of "The Lay of the Last Minstrel," published by Sharpe, of Piccadilly, in 1809-the designs, lesigns, by Westall, are boldly and exquisitely engraven by Charles Heath, in those brighter and better days of calcography, when breadth, clearness, and painter-like spirit were more sought after than the finical delicacy and metallic glitter of tooling which at the present time, thanks to the miniature race of Annual illustrations, threaten to destroy every truly estimable quality of the burin. This "Lay of the Last Minstrel" is one amid the multitude of works on which Westall's prolific pencil has conferred an additional and an imperishable interest, and felicitous, indeed, is the union of poetry and painting. No artist more qualified to command the attention of the public at large, could have undertaken the illustration of the Bible; and admitting the imperfections which must, inevitably, mingle with its beauties, his portion of the work will be found to sustain his popularity and bring honor to his name.

Of Westall's coadjutor, Martin, fame speaks in glowing epithets, and the towering sweep of his genius, equal to that of Etty, though distinct in its bearing, lifts him to the summit of art, and justifies the fearless panegyric of eulogists. Of his astonishing powers the world has received a series of brilliant and magnificent testimonials; the pencil, the graver, and the etching-point have, in turn, occupied his hands, and become the triumphant instruments with which he has made his spirit shine before men, and hewn out for himself a glorious immortality. Is it possible to forget his grand, his sublime, his poetical illustrations of Milton ? visions of romantic loveliness and solemnity which interpreting the Bard to the eye, scattered a new lustre round his verse, and touched his unscathed and unwithering laurels with a prouder and deeper verdure. Master of all space, his extraordinary and unrivalled genius brings before us, as by enchantment, revelations of stupendous grandeur. The interminable forest, the mountain gorge, the far-spread wilderness, the woodcrowned promontory, and lonely isthmus; the craggy peak, the gigantic causeway, and the bare and stony cliffs; the hanging thickets and tumbling floods, the broad lake and river, and the great deep itself; the bowers and glades, and "wilds immeasurably spread," the garden of Eden with its groves and orchards and golden streams-all the wild and beautiful and imposing features of Miltonic scenery, are brought full upon the eye, by the commanding spells of this son of genius.

But it is not only in the magnificent aspect of nature that Martin exhibits his wondrous imagination: the works of man stand forth and testify his capacious grasp ; look but at his buildings ! let the glance take in, if it can for very weariness, the prodigious extent and magnitude of his edifices, the sculptured halls, the pyramids, the towers, the temples and citadels, the pillared palaces piercing the very clouds, and stretching their marbled terraces like the mountains of Caucasus, even as it were to the confines of another region. Tyre and Sidon and Babylon-the cities that have passed away like a vapour and vanished utterly from the sight, again rise above their foundations and shine in the glory and beauty and magnificence of their former existence. Behold the processions-the sacrifices-the triumphs-the festivals-the pomps and ceremonies which infuse a soul into these august representations, and freight them with human passions and sympathies. What can exceed them in solemnity-in majesty-in gorgeousness-in luxurious character? Nothing that we have seen in the treasury of genius.

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From amidst the multitude of "golden opinions" which have emanated from the press respecting this artist, we extract with particular pleasure the following, because it is the judgment of one whom all authorities have pronounced the most unbiassed and competent critic of the age-one who has devoted more than two-thirds of a long life to the uninterrupted advocacy and promotion of the interests of British art, and who still, with the same patriotic views, labours at the eleventh hour, cheerily and untiringly, in the vineyard. Indivi

"This is one of

dual proof of Mr. Carey's noble exertions in favour of native and modern genius, may be found in our own pages, as well as in the long series of letters, including his brilliant and forcible critique on the Worcester Exhibition of Paintings, published in the Worcester Herald. We are proud of having interested the pen of so powerful a writer, and we feel that we have no less contributed to the advancement of art than to the gratification of our readers by enriching our numbers with the contributions of this accomplished amateur. We shall, first, quote Mr. Carey's correct estimate of Martin's triumphant career on first seeing at the Royal Academy, in 1816, a production of his "Joshua commanding the sun to stand still on Gibeon." "The choice of this extraordinary subject is an indication of honourable ambition, and there is a striking boldness approaching to sublimity in the composition, which argues well of this artist's future progress, and excites a warm interest in his fortune." those adventurous and fortunate excursions of fancy, which make a strong impression upon the public, and are remembered for a long time. The mind from which it issued must be of no common order, and we earnestly hope that if the picture be not already purchased, it may soon find a purchaser to appreciate its merits duly." "From so fine a specimen of his power, we are anxious to learn the age and situation of Mr. Martin, and the name of the Master under whom he studied. We look forward with expectation to his efforts on a less comprehensive design, with larger figures and fewer groups, admitting of bolder masses of light and shadow, warmer colouring, and a better opportunity of exhibiting individual character and expression. We venture to recommend this class of subjects to his consideration, with a sanguine anticipation of its success."-Sunday Review, p. 212, June 30, 1816. Ridolfi's Critical Letters on the style of William Etty, &c., p. 77. "I could, therefore, have no personal interest to bias me in favour of the Joshua when it was exhibited in 1816 at the Royal Academy, by Martin, who was wholly a stranger to me. But, figuratively, I may say, I mentally saw in the extraordinary conception of that picture, a new constellation beaming with glory on the British School. I beheld, in imagination, the unknown painter, as a young eagle essaying a flight to the highest heaven, with his sparkling eyes fixed on the sun. His genius was the impulse which I followed in taking up my pen,an impulse which, through life, led me to bear my humble testimony to genius wherever I met it, and to bear that testimony spontaneously and promptly, in the hour when it was needed most."-Ibid, p. 79. "It is quite impossible to view this young artist's performances without an earnest sympathy in his success. There is nothing like common-place thinking or practice about them. His vein is of the right metal; the sterling ore. His beauties are as unlike those of his able contemporaries as those of the old masters. His ardent sensibilities and fine eye lead him with a persuasive force to nature. But his creative fancy, romantic enthusiasın, a passion and genius for the sublime and beautiful, would lure him wholly into a world of his own. His studies, however, must be founded on the only certain basis. Titian, the greatest of all colourists since the revival of painting, in the grandest of his landscapes, never lost sight of nature and truth."-Literary Gazette, p. 150, March 29, 1817. Comment upon this splendid strain of criticism would be superfluous; the glory of Martin has amply realised Mr. Carey's anticipations-the whole stretch and power of his imagination, exhibited in his marvellous productions, confirm all that has been predicted of his career.

In the numbers of the Scriptural Illustrations before us the most striking by Martin are "Balak's Sacrifice;” “The Dedication of the Temple ;" "Elijah's Sacrifice ;" "Elijah and the Earthquake;" “David findeth Saul asleep in the Trench;" and "The Destroyers of Jerusalem destroyed." These miniature designs, imbued with sublimity, display the varied features of the artist's excellence; they are executed with the utmost elaboration, on wood, and although the multitude and minuteness of the details presented extraordinary difficulties to the engraver, they have been rendered with singular beauty, fidelity, and sharpness. To criticise these plates, individually, would demand infinitely greater space than we could, by any possibility, allow; but our remarks upon the artists, elicited by these invaluable little gems, will prepare the mind and eye of the reader for the pleasure to be derived from their close and accurate investigation.

The undertaking may be cited as a proof of the spirit and liberality of the publishers, and its amazing popularity through the three kingdoms is no more than a just tribute to its claims.

We subjoin a list of the names of the engravers employed upon the three parts under consideration, of opinion that to suppress such mention is to deprive merit of a well-earned celebrity. T. Williams; C. Gray; J. Smith; T. Mosses; Bagg; J. Jackson; F. Branston; C. Nesbit; - Wimper; Thompson; W. N. Powis; C. Guy; W. Folkard.

"Finden's Byron Beauties." In our next number it is our intention to enter into some descriptive particulars relating to this very fascinating series, of which three parts, we believe, have been issued to the public. They are exquisitely engraved, and artists of eminence have been employed in the designs. Altogether the work when completed, will, we doubt not, prove one of general attraction, and peculiarly interesting to the lovers of Byron.

LINES ADDRESSED TO LUDLOW CASTLE.

ETERNAL monument, on Teme's fair strand
That frown'st on high, the monarch of the land,
To heaven's dread arch thou rear'st thy giant form,
Unhurt by winds, unshaken by the storm;
Nor felt'st the usurper's wrath, his cannon's roar
And fiery flash, that gleam'd from shore to shore.
How sweet it is to stray, at twilight hour,
And mark the last tint fade upon thy tower.
O thou could'st tell of many a feat of arms,
Of deeds achiev'd by day, of night alarms;
Of many a warrior from his charger borne,
Of many a broken brand, and banner torn,
'Till Fancy, kindling at the tale that's told,
With adoration views the great of old.
And thou hast heard the vaulted roofs prolong
The echoing cadence of the wassail song;
Hast seen the boards with social banquets crown'd,
And sparkling bowls pass quickly round and round;
And "bounding beauty" lead the joyous dance,
And knights, for ladies' love, close lance to lance :
While kings and princes, rear'd in thy retreats,
With royal presence grac'd thy honour'd seats.
Here mighty Milton, who, high heaven to scan,
Burst through the trammels of short-sighted man,
Explor'd whole regions at one eagle view,
"Exhausted worlds, and then imagin'd new;"
With playful drama cheer'd thy spell-bound glades,
When Comus revell'd in his favorite shades.
Inspir'd by thee, too, Butler strung his lyre,
Replete with satire, and sarcastic fire;
Fanatics heard in fix'd and speechless dread,
And Folly, long triumphant, bow'd her head;
With wit familiar both to swain and sage,
E'en courts enraptur'd hung upon his page.
All, all is hush'd, and one dark mantling cloud
Hath wrapt thy splendors in Oblivion's shroud :
The night-bird hooting to his pensive mate
Alone beguiles thy solitary fate.
Yet thou art glorious still, nor feel'st the power
Of scorching sunbeams, and the moistening shower;
Nor heed'st the tempest howling o'er thy head,
That seems to chant the requiem of the dead.
Still ages far remote wilt thou survey,
Still many a pageant of the passing day;
Still wilt thou brave the thunders of the sky,
'Till e'en this time will be antiquity.

CRITICAL NOTICES OF NEW PUBLICATIONS.

The Acharnenses of Aristophanes, with Notes, &c. by J. Mitchell, A. M. London: John Murray, Albemarle-street. 1835.

The rapid progress of classical knowledge within the last few years, and the revolution in criticism begun by Porson, Por and carried on by the German literati, have already effected such a change in the manner of illustrating the authors of antiquity, that we may consider the present as the commencement of a new era in these fascinating studies. The works of Plato, as edited successively by Schleiermacher and Stallbaum, and Disseu's invaluable commentary on Pindar, form but a small part of a series of volumes, destined to illustrate these treasures of literature, and to connect our feelings as well as our intellects with the heroic songs of the earlier ages, and the refined speculations and beautiful imaginations of the attic philosophers. To these we may add the class of works more immediately connected with our present subject, and explanatory of the resources, the customs, and the policy of the Doric and Ionic nations. Considering the number of our scholars, very little has been attempted in England, either in a critical or philological view, since the days of Elsmley, if we except the masterly analysis of the feeling and spirit of Aristophanes already given to the world in the pages of Mr. Mitchell. His translations have been executed with fidelity, animation, and genuine poetical taste, and his defence of the poet from the aspersions cast upon his "Nubes," served to overthrow a prejudice which had been long accumulating, and which has been explained with equal equal sagacity, and more argumentative reasoning, by Hermann, in his last edition of that drama. When When, therefore, we read the announcement of the above work as about to proceed from the pen of so able a scholar, to whose talent the admirers of the comic poet owe so many obligations, we confess that we prepared ourselves to expect a rich addition to our classical library, replete with information derived from modern sources, glowing with a spirit of playful humour, and conveying a faithful portraiture of the sentiments of the nobler Athenian, and the fickle petulance of the democracy. Nor in some respects have we been disappointed in the perusal.

All the stores of German investigation, the more apparent yet almost unnoticed allusions of the orators, the fragments of ancient poetry still preserved in Athenæus, &c. have been here lavished with a prodigality which we confess at last palled upon our minds from its very excess; for though the information thus condensed may prevent the necessity of many a weary search, and bring at once before the English student facts and thoughts not yet developed in his own language, yet we doubt the benefit of overloading a book with quotations foreign to its immediate purpose, or distracting the mind by a ceaseless repetition of unconnected passages. But we are not about to cavil at the favorite pastime of the writer, and, after long hesitation, we are inclined to agree with him that there should be some opportunity afforded to those who are desirous of enjoying the beauties of the poet without being disgusted by his impurities. But it is difficult to conceive why Mr. Mitchell has contented himself with the insertion of a few exquisite imitations by the Hon. H. Frere, and a very small number of paraphrases of his own, sufficient to assure us what a light might be thrown on this period of intellectual splen

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