the Indians, they were the forerunners of their dispersion; that they always excited enmities and quarrels among them; that they introduced the white people on their lands, by whom they were robbed and plundered of their property; and that the Indians were sure to dwindle and decrease, and be driven back in proportion to the number of preachers that came among them. Each nation has its own customs and its own religion. The Indians have theirs given to them by the Great Spirit, under which they were happy. It was not intended that they should embrace the religion of the whites, and be destroyed by the attempt to make them think differently on that subject from their fathers. "It is true these preachers have got the consent of some of the chiefs to stay and preach among us, but I and my friends know this to be wrong, and that they ought to be removed; besides we have been threatened by Mr. Hyde, who came among us as a school-master and a teacher of our children, but has now become a black-coat, and refused to teach them any more, that unless we listen to his preaching and become Christians, we will be turned off our lands, We wish to know from the governor if this is to be so, and if he has no right to say so, we think he ought to be turned off our lands, and not allowed to plague us any more. We shall never be at peace while he is among us. "We are afraid too that these preachers, by and by, will become poor, and force us to pay them for living among || us, and disturbing us.' 66 This letter is signed by Red Jacket, and witnessed by "Tom the Infant,"- Blue Sky,"-"Jemmy Johnson," Big Fire," and "Captain Jemmy." Mr. Buchanan alledges that the missionary system as applied to the Indians, is radically bad, and has uniformly failed. He examines the subject with great fairness, and recommends several very palpable improvements. Let the Missionary Societies study these suggestions, and the result cannot but be beneficial. Indians, the one for his stature, being six feet four inches in height, and the other for his strength and activity. These two meeting together one day in the street (a third being present,) the former in a high tone made use of some insulting language to the other, which he could not well put up with: he called him a coward, said he was his inferior in every respect, and so provoked his anger, that unable any longer to contain himself, the latter instantly replied: "You have grossly insulted me; but I will prevent you from doing the like again!' and at the same moment stabbed him through the body with his knife, so that he dropped down dead by his side. The alarm being immediately spread through the village, a crowd of Indians assembled, and the murderer having seated himself on the ground by the side of the dead body, coolly awaited his fate, which he could not expect to be any other than immediate death, particularly as the cry of the people was Kill hin! kill him! But although he placed his body and his head in a proper posture to receive the stroke of the tomahawk, no one attempted to lay hands on him; but after removing the dead body from where it lay, they left him alone. Not meeting here with his expected fate, he rose from this place for a more public part of the village, and there lay down on the ground, in the hope of being the sooner despatched; but the spectators, after viewing him, all retired again. Sensible that his life was justly forfeited, and anxious to be relieved from a state of suspense, he took the resolution to go to the mother of the deceased, an aged widow, whom he he had insulted me, it is true; but still he was thine, and addressed in these words: Woman, I have killed thy son; his life was valuable to thee. I, therefore, now surrender myself up to thy will. Direct as thou wilt have it, and relieve me speedily from misery.' To which the woman dear to me, and the only supporter I had in my old age. answered: Thou hast, indeed, killed my son, who was One life is already lost, and to take thine on that account, cannot be of any service to me, nor better my situation. Thou hast, however, a son, whom if thou wilt give me in the place of my son whom thou hast slain, all shall be wiped away.' The murderer then replied: Mother, my The chapter containing the Remonstrances of the son is yet but a child, ten years old, and can be of no serSeneca Indians to the American Government and its vice to thee, but rather a trouble and charge; but here am replies is very interesting, The simple eloquence I, truly capable of supporting and maintaining thee: if thou of these children of the woods is full of fascination.wilt receive me as thy son, nothing shall be wanting on my part to make thee comfortable while thou livest.' The Mr. Buchanan gives a tabular view of the dealings in woman, approving of the proposal, forthwith adopted him buying and selling land, between the United States as her son, and took the whole family to her house." Government and the Indians. They have purchased nearly 200.000,000 of acres, for which they paid about 2,500,000 dollars. These lands they have already sold, or will sell, for about 215,000,000 of dollars. This is certainly a profitable balance sheet to the Americans, but we are not exactly certain that it justifies the censures cast upon them by Mr. B. It is the principle universally adopted in all dealings between civilized and uncivilized man. It was begun by ourselves previous to the war of Independence, and has been acted upon by us in all parts of the world. But at any rate it shews that the Indians have a strong claim to protection and kindness from the United States. Mr. B. gives a statistical table of the population and military strength of the Indians in North America. It amounts to nearly half a million, and their fighting men are rated at about 60,000. Then follow some miscellaneous anecdotes, a few of which we will quote: Justice. Matrimony. "An aged Indian, who for many years had spent much of his time among the white people both in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, one day about the year 1770 obgetting a wife than the whites, but were also more certain served, that the Indians had not only a much easier way of of getting a good one; 'For,' (said he in his broken English,) 'White man court,-court.-may be one whole year!-may be two years before he marry!-well!-may be then got Well now, suppose cross! scold so soon as get awake in the very good wife-but may be not!-may be very cross! morning! scold all day! scold until sleep!-all one; he must keep him! White people have law forbidding throwing away wife, be he ever so cross! must keep him industrious Squaw, which he like, he go to him, place his always! Well! how does Indian do?-Indian when he see two forefingers close aside each other, make two look like one-look Squaw in the face-see him smile-which is all one he says, Yes! so he take him home-no danger he be cross! no! no! Squaw know too well what Indian do if he cross!--throw him away and take another! Squaw love to eat meat! no husband! no meat! Squaw do every thing to please husband! he do the same to please Squaw! live "There were in the village of La Chine, two remarkable || happy!""" Superstitious Belief. "The Indian includes all savage beasts within the number of his enemies. This is by no means a metaphorical or figurative expression, but is used in a literal sense, as will appear from what I am going to relate. up lessness. Some individuals belonging to government, who had reason to believe themselves obnoxious, seeing the storm gathering, thought it prudent to conceal themselves, until the Austrian army should enter and overawe the populace; as few, or none of the Italian troops had remained in the capital, but had retired to Mantua, with the Viceroy Eugene. Prina was advised to take similar precautions, but he affected to think too slightly of the Milanese, and remained quietly in his palace. At last, the multitude, urged, it is said, by some intriguing characters, who had further views of their own, assembled in front of Prina's "A Delaware hunter once shot a huge bear and broke its back bone. The animal fell and set up a most plaintive cry, something like that of the panther when he is hungry. The hunter, instead of giving him another shot, stood close to him, and addressed him in these words: Hark ye! bear; you are a coward, and no warrior as you pretend to be. Were you a warrior, you would show it by your firm-house, threatening vengeance on the devoted minister. ness, and not cry and whimper like an old woman. You know, bear, that our tribes are at war with each other, and that yours was the aggressor. You have found the Indians too powerful for you, and you have gone sneaking about in the woods, stealing their hogs; perhaps at this time you have hog's flesh in your belly. Had you conquered me, I would have borne it with courage and died like a brave warrior; but you, bear, sit here and cry, and disgrace your tribe by your cowardly conduct.' I was present at the delivery of this curious invective; when the hunter had despatched the bear, I asked him how he thought the poor animal could understand what he said to it? Oh! said he in answer, that bear understood me very well; did you not observe how ashamed he looked while I was upbraiding him."" Two dissertations-one on the religion, and the other on the languages of the Indians, follow, together with an Appendix, containing extracts from former writers on the state and character of the American Indians. The dissertations are not very elaborate, although they impart a good deal of information, They form an appropriate conclusion to the work. This, as we have already observed, does great credit to the feelings, industry and abilities of the author. Italy and the Italians in the Nineteenth Century. By (Continued from p. 264.) FROM Naples our traveller proceeded by sea to Leghorn, and through Pisa to Florence. This city seems to be an especial favorite with him, and with whom is it not? He speaks fully and warmly of all its wealth of nature and art. In speaking of the Italian women, he divides the palm of European beauty between them and the English. He vindicates them from much of the aspersion which some travellers have cast upon their morals-and what he recognises to be just, he endeavours, and not always without success, to excuse. The disquisition on Italian women is one of the best and most interesting portions of the volumes. Prina then thought of escaping, but it was too late. The incensed populace rushed into his sumptuous apartments, destroying every thing in the house, and throwing the furniture out of the windows: they did not, however, offer any personal violence to any of its inhabitants, but looked into every recess for Prina, whom alone they wanted. They found him at last concealed in a garret, half undressed, and then the work of vengeance began. The wretched victim was made to feel all kinds of abuses and humiliation; and he, who a few days before saw the whole of Milan trembling at his feet, who disposed of the properties and liberties of its citizens, was now at the mercy of the meanest of the rabble. They dragged him through the streets. General Pino came forward to harangue the multitude, and to persuade them to give Prina up to the proper authorities, but to no purpose; and the general himself was warned to retire. The mob increased, but in the confusion Prina contracted. He took shelter in a shop; thence he passed into trived to escape, only to feel the bitterness of death proan adjoining house; but the people, who were resolved on his destruction, had already surrounded every avenue. They found him out a second time, as he was disguising well! They beat him, threw him down, dragged him by himself in a priest's dress, and then mercy sighed farehis feet along the pavement, upbraiding him with abuses and reproaches, and striking him with the ferrules of their umbrellas, as several well dressed persons were seen taking part in the dreadful butchery. Night added to the horror of the scene; at last, one more violent, or more merciful than the rest, gave him a final blow on the head with a club, and thereby terminated his sufferings. Such was the end of Prina, a terrible instance of popular revenge! His house was entirely demolished on the same day. I have seen the place where once it stood. Throughout the whole transaction, revenge, and not pillage, was the object; and the people accomplished their purpose with the most astonishing coolnesss and perseverance." The first volume concludes with an historical sketch of the North of Italy, during the French ascendancy, and under the Austrian's now. It is impartial in its spirit, and satisfactory in its details. The following anecdote is a fair illustration of Mr. V.'s opinions : "An old Italian gentleman was one day stating the difference between the French and Austrian rule:- The former,' he said, when they came to Italy, pillaged us, shot our relatives, took our sons away, seduced our women, in short, did us every sort of injury; but, with so good a grace, that we, the sufferers, were pleased with them against our better judgment, and forgave them. The latter (Austrians) do not do one half of the mischief their take any pains to please us, or to flatter our préjudices."" antagonists did, and yet we cannot like them; they do not From the account of Milan, we can only quote the story of Count Prina's murder-an incident which at the time created a great sensation throughout Italy :"The only instance in which the people of Milan have shewn a mutinous and vindictive spirit, was in the murder of Prina, the minister of finances under Eugene. That ill- Our notice has already extended so far, that we can fated man was a Piedmontese by birth, and he had rendered himself obnoxious, in the time of his power, by acts of seve- say little of the second volume, which is the most rity and oppression. When the Austrians approached entertaining of the two. It contains a complete deMilan, in 1814, the people began to shew symptoms of rest-scription of the Sardinian States, Piedmont and Genoa, I believe I be, this my third contribution may, and it be your pleasure, be put into print. "I have had a dream-past the wit of man to say what dream it was man is but an ass, if he go about to expound this dream."-Shakspeare. with an account of the late abortive revolution. From TO THE EDITOR OF THE SOMERSET HOUSE GAZETTE. SIR, Imagine me, then, sitting at table after eating and drinkaccording to the maxims of the witty waggish Doctor, (O'Doherty,) and conversing on the arts, with Mr. Dallaway's book upon the table, cutting out artistical scraps with the fruit knife, and sending them piece-meal, with the written comments of the company, to the printers, directed for Ephraim Hardcastle. Here they follow, with the hints gathered in my sleep: DAVID TENIERS. "A Merry Making," painted on the lid of his harpsichord, which was an imperfect instrument. He (Teniers) observed," that though he could not make it a good, he had made it a valuable one." This smells of picture craft. Where are we to find authority, hey? I do not dispute the word of Mr. D.-that he has quoted correctly, nobody can doubt. But Teniers never said any such thing, if he did, may I be nailed like a rat to a granary door. Teniers was a man of sense, a modest man, and too sober a painter to swagger thus. Sir I HAVE been anxiously looking for another letter from your correspondent" N.," who, three weeks ago, promised us a complete remedy for the system of picture smuggling, that has been so notoriously carried on since the peace of 1815, to the great detriment of the arts in this country. No person can more deplore than I do, the baneful effects of such a system, (having been a considerable sufferer from it.) yet at the same time, I cannot conceive how it is possi-Godfrey Kneller might have crowed thus vain-gloriously, ble to remove the evil. Hoping this may act as a flapper to rouse your mufti from his cogitations, and enlighten us on a subject which must be interesting to many, who, like myself, have smarted through the deleterious quality of the articles that have been palmed upon us as genuine. I remain, Mr. Editor, yours, A CONSTANT READER. ARTISTICAL SCRAPS. To the Editor of the Somerset House Gazette. EVERY one who reads with a view to improve his English, and at the same time to regale his wits, should of necessity read Blackwood's Magazine, for two special reasons; one being, that it is published in Scotland, and the other, that its very life and soul are of Irish manufacture. If a third could be added, it would be like a fifth wheel to a carriage, of no mortal use, for these two reasons, are too self-evident to the clear-sighted, (and not many lacking perception take in the Somerset House,) to call for question, argument or explanation. With reference to this Scotch magazine, then, I would ask, what is the reason why the patent recipes for this high dried originality, savoury wit, and spiced rhodomontado, should only cram the monopolizing counter of Mr. Bailey Blackwood? I laughed at O'Doherty's maxims last night long after I was in bed, for I was silly enough to eat my salmon with his sauce, and grinned in the dark, for my lamp went out at his waggeries and my own foolery. His sauce is pleasant enough, no doubt, when a man has learned to stomach it, said I in soliloquy, and went to sleep. And being asleep, I dreamed, and dreaming that I was witty as he, I felt as proud as a cardinal, or even his holiness himself. or Beau Astley, as you have dubbed him, or that coxcomb Jervas, whom Pope flattered: but not Teniers. Every man, woman, or child, barrel, tub, skillet, pail, dish, bench, broom; every hall, kitchen, cot, with all the appurtenances thereunto belonging, rise up in judgment against the calumny. Look but into his laboratories, every pair of bellows will blow up the validity of this; every pot, pipkin, crucible, jar, phial, yea, the very red herrings, hanging on the plastered wall, speak to his sober judgment, modesty and good sense. The story of the harpsichord, good Sir, is true only inasmuch as he painted the lid, and no more, as I hope to be saved! Would it were the fashion to paint the lids of your grand pianos now-a-days. Such a fancy would find employ for many a clever fellow. Harpsichords, and their grand-sires the virginals, such as one virgin queen was wont to exhibit her taper fingers, meandering over the keys upon, before the Scot's ambassador, are now no more. Yet, I did love to hear the chords lingering to the touch, as awakened by the hand of the first Mrs. Sheridan, in recitativo to her divine voice, on that grand, old, duchess-like instrument the harpsichord. Do you remember the apartment of Gonzales with his painted harpsichord? What a picture was that! By the way, that was purchased at Mr. Peter Coxe's sale, for Sir Gregory Page Turner. Was it sold with his effects, and if so, for what amount? Pray Mr. Hardcastle enquire, and let your readers know. That picture, I verily believe, was the only bargain the credulous baronet ever got. I have seen a series of landscape, oblong, octagon, circular and elliptical compositions by the hand of Gaspar Poussin, painted for the compartments of an organ. Suppose a grand chamber organ, built by Flight, ornamented in compartments by all the painters of cabinet sized pictures of the English school, and set up in one of the state apartments at Carlton-house. What a piece of furniture for a palace! GODFREY SCHALKEN. My noctural visions are apt to be so consistent, moveover, "To give the most natural effect to his candle-light that I am not satisfied to the extent of waking demonstra-pieces, he is said to have adopted the following system: he tion, even now, whether I am asleep or not. You, however, placed the object he intended to paint, and a candle, in a I am supposing, will be the judge, and if I really am what dark room; and looking through a small aperture, painted by day-light what he saw in the dark_chamber.”—Vide || art in every part of the world; all of which have helped to Bryan. fill the commercial coffers of England. From the choicest works of this great limner, upwards of three hundred fine engravings have been executed, by our most celebrated engravers, in line, mezzotinto, and dot, by M'Ardell, Smith, Sharp, Bartolozzi, Bond, Ward, Jones, Reynolds, Earlom, Green, Young, Say, and a host of others, which your long memory can supply, Mr. Editor. Average these at five hundred pounds sale, each, and the amount will be £150.000. What must be the value of the Rather breaking in upon the extremities of a bull, Mr. Bryan, methinks,—I am not fastidious, however. Touching the fact, (as intended) I believe it must be true, by which, for the first time my eyes are opened to account for that obominable redness which is so common in the works of Mynheer Schalken. Make the experiment. Look from the cool light of day into a candle-light chamber, and alternately on your canvas. Why, the group so illuminated, Mr. Editor, will encrease in fury of effect, until each fea-pictures which he has left behind! Engravings will conture will become red hot. By such a process I would essay to paint a salamander, but certainly not a candle-light piece. My father, I am dreaming-used to dub this ancient worthy, the protegee of William, the royal spouse of Mary," Red-hot Schalken." Ergo, the thought is not mine own.-N.B. Schalken is often capital in his effects. SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS. Sir Joshua painted his own portrait in different attitudes and dresses, and at different periods of his life, thirteen times; all of which portraits are extant. Northcote says that they were so numerous as to bid defiance to enumeration. "These are all from his own pencil, with the exception of one by C. G. Stuart, an American, one by Zottanij, and a third by Breda, a Swedish painter.' There were two whole-lengths by Sir Joshua, in the apartment at Carlton House, each a Duke of Cumberland, one, the late Duke, uncle of his present majesty, the other, the uncle of our late sovereign, who, saving and excepting his gallant relation Prince Louis, brother of the Duke of Brunswick Wolfenbuttel, was the most magnificent specimen of royal flesh and blood, in Europe, Asia, and Africa, commonly called the old world. Each of these portraits were represented in the grand costume of the order of the garter. The last duke was perhaps the finest picture for colour, that paint even from the palette of Reynolds had ever produced. The flesh was wrought to perfection. The complexion of his Royal Highness, was beyond the reach of any skill but his, and he hit it off with marvellous imitation. This is the picture that was burnt. The other duke, who enjoyed his additional fifty thousand a-year, for vanquishing the rebels in 1746, was a subject for Reynolds alone. His portrait of this portly prince, is increased in dignity, in the ratio of his super-abundant carnation. It is a most imperial portrait. This escaped the flames, if I am not mistaken, by being some time since removed to another apartment. That noble specimen of blue; the painter's difficulty, which was surprisingly vanquished in the whole-length of Philip, Duke of Orleans, is blistered and otherways injured past recovery. The destruction of these proud achievements of our native school is an irreparable loss to the arts. As for the whole-length of Louis le Bien Aime, that was so vilely French, that no lover of art would have risked the singeing of his whiskers to save it from the flames. What a loss, too, was that picture of the Nativity, the centre piece for the window, at New College, Oxford, which was burnt at Belvoir Castle, in 1816. A piece as gloriously luminous as the far-famed subject by Corregio. The Duke of Rutland purchased this splended Sir Joshua, for the sum of 1600 guineas. The wealth actually created for the public advantage by the compositions for the ten compartments of this magnificent window, must be immense. tinue to multiply from these, like new editions of Shakspeare. What then do we not owe as a commercial nation to the transcendent genius of such a painter! Several papers on the arts are necessarily postponed. (To be continued.) DRAMA. King's Theatre.-The opera closes to-night. A word or two of farewell is naturally to be expected at thus parting from a friend, with whom we have spent during the last six months, some pleasant hours, and for whom in spite of many faults, we entertain a great liking. The opera has not equalled the public expectation. This was too highly excited by the course of high seasoned preparatory puffing, to which the manager thought proper to resort. Such marvellous things were to be achieved under the direction of "the Committee of Noblemen," aided by the genius of il gran Maestro. Something, no doubt, was done, but nothing very marvellous. The utmost utility rendered by Rossini, was an improvement of the choruses. As to every thing else, matters would have been as they are, had he remained beyond the Apennines. In the way of new pieces, there have been three-Zelmira, Romeo et Julietta, and Semiramide. The first is a production of great beauty, but its beauty is a mere compilation from other works of Rossini. It had only an equivocal success. Semiramide is one of his finest compositions. Partaking freely in his uniform style and manner, it is, nevertheless, a vigorous, varied, and splendid opera. Three duets in it are equal to any thing Rossini has ever composed. At an earlier part of the season it would have had an amazing run. Romeo, is a production of Zingarelli, with some pretty passages, it is but a third rate opera. So much for the pieces: the performers have been of pretty much the same order. Garcia, Curioni, Madame Vestris, the De Begnis, and Placci have long been known and admired by the public. The accessions this season were Colbran, Benetti, Pasta, and Remorini. The first is a fine singer usee; the second merely tolerable. Remorini is an excellent artist and worth keeping; and as for Pasta, although we think her talents greatly overrated, still she is a singer of the highest merit. Madame Catalani's appearances were few, and, so far as attraction was concerned, were failures. The opera has not been upon the whole successful. The pecuniary loss we know is very considerable. At present the funds are completely exhausted. The third instalments of salaries are all unpaid. Mr. Ebers, who is the security for these salaries, has been called upon as the responsible person, and if he has not yet resorted to the funds placed in his hands under the contract with Benelli, it is because he hopes that the The seven single figures-the Christian and Cardinal Virtues, were sold by public auction, for nearly five thou-theatre may find means to pay its performers. The prossand pounds, and the series of engravings, large and small, published from these designs by the late Alderman Boydell, have levied large contributions upon the lovers of pect for the next year is gloomy indeed. The Lord Chancellor has made a conditional decision, that the contract with Ebers must be fulfilled, and this will occasion a new drain upon the scanty funds of the establishment. We hope matters may be so arranged as to enable some one to keep the house open, and to gratify the musical and fashionable world with this delightful source of amuse ment. ENGRAVERS IN ENGLAND. (Continued from p. 267.) "A considerable time passed before they could make any proselytes to their new association. Every artist of this profession, who had either spirit or abilities, enter tained the utmost contempt for their proposal: and had they not had recourse to the following stratagem, the royal academy must still have remained without engravers. "M. Major, a man of acknowledged merit, and to whom the art of engraving in this county is greatly indebted, had for several years enjoyed a place under the government, as seal engraver to the king. He was, on this occasion, accosted by one of the leaders of the royal academy, who availed himself of his Majesty's name and authority, in such a way, that M. Major, from his affection to a numerous and growing family, found himself under the disagreeable necessity of yielding; and, in spite of his natural inclination, and the regard he had to the honour of his profession, he became a sacrifice to this academy, by being in a manner compelled to fill a place in it, which was calculat d solely to deceive the public, and to throw an odium on his profession. "Thanks to the spirit and genius of this country, that none but two foreigners could be found, for a considerable time, to follow the example. They had both served as directors, when the academicians maintained their sway in the society, and were always a dead weight with that leading faction. One of them had, some years before, applied to be made a member of the royal academy at Paris, but was rejected; he became of course, a proper object for the royal academy of London." We have not space for the continuation of the printed letter by Mr. Strange, and shall pass to his account of the origin of the calcographic art. "I shall beg leave to conclude this inquiry, by giving the reader a general view of the progress of the art of engraving, bringing it down to the present times. When we look back into antiquity, and form to our imagination an idea of that perfection, to which the Greeks and Romans carried the fine arts, we cannot but lament that they were strangers to that of engraving. The refinement of their taste, the purity and simplicity of their conceptions, and the care which they took, by their works, to transmit their reputations to posterity, leave it beyond a doubt, that this art would have met with their encouragement and protection; as it is the most secure depositary, for after ages, of whatever is truly great, elegant, or beautiful. "It was about the year 1460 that engraving was invented. I shall pass over its early period, which I may have an opportunity of considering, on some future occasion. No sooner had this art appeared than it attracted general attention. All the great painters adopted it, with a view of multiplying their works, and of transmitting them with greater certainty to posterity. Albert Durer and Andrea Mantegna, two of the greatest painters of that age, practised the art of engraving, and have left us a variety of elegant compositions. These early productions of the art, drew by their novelty and excellence, the admiration of all Italy. Raphael himself, that prince of painters, was particularly charmed with the works of Albert Durer: and, in return for some prints he had received from him, sent him a present of his own portrait, painted by himself. "Marc Antonio, who by studying Albert Durer's works, had improved the art of engraving, was amongst the first who carried it to Rome, when the genius of the divine Raphael presided over the Roman school. Those who are conversant in the fine arts know, how much this painter encouraged engraving in Marc Antonio, his ingenious pupil. Examine that engraver's works, and you will find evident proofs of it; so much does he breathe, in his finest prints, the spirit of his sublime author. Other painters of the Roman school, as well as Parmigiano, Salvator Rosa, &c. have transmitted to us many fine compositions in this art. "The Bolognese school furnisheth more recent examples. Annibale and Agostino Caracci gave the lead. Agostino, although one of the greatest painters that Italy ever produced, exercised the art of engraving in preference to that of painting; and has thereby established to himself, and secured to others, a reputation to latest posterity. Guido, Guercino, Simon Cantarini de Pesaro, the Siranis, &c. have all of them left us many elegant prints, which are so many striking proofs of their having cultivated the art of engraving. To see it still in a higher degree of perfection, let us examine it when the school of Rubens presided in Flanders. Here we shall find, that this great painter was no less intent upon cultivating this art, than that of painting: conscious that, by this means, he not only diffused his reputation, but secured it to succeeding generations. Bolswert, Pontius, Vosterman, &c. were the companions of his, and of Vandyke's leisure hours. They esteemed one another; they lived together as friends and equals; and, to use the words of a late ingenious author," sous leurs heureuses mains le cuivre devient or." Under their hands copper became gold. The works of those engravers, which are now sold at the price of pictures, are evident proofs of the honourable state of this art in those days. "What numberless examples too have not Rembrandt, Berghem, Ostade, and others of the Dutch masters left us of their desire to cultivate engraving? Have not the works of the former, which are now sold at most amazing prices, transmitted a reputation both to himself and to his country, which time can never obliterate? The Bloemarts, the Vischers, and others were certainly ornaments to the age in which they lived. "During the reign of Lewis the Fourteenth, what a number of great artists appeared in this profession, and did honour to France? The names of Gerard Audran, Edelink, Poilly, &c. will be lasting ornaments to that kingdom. That magnificent prince frequently amused himself in this way; and so charmed was he with the works of the ingenious Edelink, that he conferred upon him the honour of knighthood. It has been owing solely to the honourable rank given to this art, by the royal academy of painting at Paris, that it has been cherished and cultivated to such a degree of excellence, that, for a century past, Paris has been the depositary of the finest productions in this way; and these have been the source of incredible riches to France. LITERARY NOTICE. THE first Number of STUDIES OF WILD ANIMALS, Consisting of Lions, Tigers, &c., is just published by W. B. COOKE. To be completed in four numbers, with three plates in each. The present contains 1. Sleeping Lion and Lioness. 3. Lion's Head. Drawn from nature, etched and finished in mezzotinto, by J. F. LEWIS. |