is called Voluspa, and contained in the elder Edda. See p. 535. Geijer has taken an elaborate and judicious view of this mysterious assemblage of mythological ideas, whose origin he traces to Asia, the source of all religions. The religion of the old inhabitants of the North was a religion of nature, allegorically and symbolically representing the elements of cosmogony, p. 541. IX. Modern Roman Festivities. Sportiveness is the characteristic of some of these festivities; superstition of others, and horror of one in particular, viz. the dramatic representation of the Last Judgment, with real dead bodies, brought from the hospital for the purpose. The critic says, "the Romans of to-day are very like their barbarous, haughty, and luxurious fore-fathers." X. Republican Confederacies of the Middle Ages. The superior power of cavalry when there was no gunpowder, rendered it easy, under the feudal system, for the rich to keep the poor in subjection. But, as the Reviewer justly says, "Uncontrolled power exercises always a demoralizing tendency; and ill-usage created rebellions. Various facts prove, that the people in the middie ages made vigorous efforts for their liberties, and would not allow themselves to be treated as a herd of sheep, by priests and noblemen." P. 560. XI. Oriental Literature in Germany. This article is a succinct account of its progress in the country mentioned. The success of Dr. Grotefend of Hanover is justly lauded. He has shown that the inscriptions of Persepolis are to be referred to Cyrus and Darius, and that the Zend lan 61 guage, found in Zoroaster's works, is not an invention of modern times, as has been imagined. P. 571. XII. Niebuhr's Edition of the Byzuntine Historians. An account of the work, a good one of course, being Niebuhr's. XIII. Early Spanish Voyages and Discoveries. A monosyllabic name of a disease, which Dean Swift, by adding the definite article, has anagrammatized into Pethox, and medical men have adopted the improvement. Its introduction into Europe is explained in this curious article. Among the Continental Intelligence are Professor Seyfarth's "Details on the Egyptian Museum of Turin." Herein it is said that " several ornλa (grave-stones), contain silhouettes of the kings of the 18th dynasty, the heads of which agree perfectly with the statues which have been executed. Some are very ancient, as is proved by the names of the Pharaohs inscribed upon them. One contains, instead of the hieroglyphic, a demotic text. This is of great importance, because the Egyptian gravestones agree, word for word, with each other, the particular circumstances of the deceased excepted; those, therefore, with a hieroglyphic text, may easily be explained. The Professor has also found out the cyphering system, from one up to a million, a discovery which will facilitate future researches. Pp. 659, 660. We are prejudiced enough to think, that the criticisms of our countrymen, if they circulate abroad, will improve foreign taste. FINE ARTS. MR. J. B. LANE'S VISION OF JOSEPH. The astonishing size of this picture; the fact that it is the largest or nearly the largest work of historic composition ever painted by an Englishman; and the sudden and singular ejection of it and the painter from the Papal Dominions, created for it an artificial interest, and produced an ardent desire in every one to see it. Mr. Lane, who is, we understand, a native of Cornwall, and a protégé of Lord de Dunstanville, decamped with his production and proceeded to London, where he is now exhibiting this, to the Romans offensive, picture, in a room belonging to government at the Royal Mews, Charing Cross. Upon an examination of it every one must be forcibly struck with the novel way in which the subject is treated. To us it appears an almost unparalleled sacrifice of the unities of time and place; and is so outrageously conceived that no appeal to the works of the oldest and best masters can be admitted in palliation of the offence. It is true they often committed anachronisms, made omissions, and in many other respects violated the truth of history; but it ought never to be sanctioned, though adopted to produce a greater effect. No such reason can be assigned by Mr. Lane in justification of his error, for the picture is overloaded with figures; and the harmony of it entirely destroyed. In the centre appears the warning angel descending to communicate the intelligence of the intended massacre; and above, filling the whole of the cælum, are numberless vocal and instrumental harmonists in awkward attitudes, some approaching vulgarity. On the right is the couch of Joseph, who is awakening with restless surprise at the object of his vision. By his side is the Holy Virgin in a most placid sleep, with the infant Jesus slumbering on her breast. The left of the picture is occupied by a crowded mass of savage men, frightened women, and screaming children, intended to represent the murder of the infants, from which the vision enabled the young Christ to escape. In the front of this group lies postrate a gigantic mass of distortion, who, being about to seize the holy child, is struck down by the appearance of the angel; and in his fright ungrasps his weapon, which falls against Joseph's couch. The head of this figure is fine; but the neck is monstrously large, the folds of it projecting considerably beyond the line of the head; and the right arm appears severed from the body. A couple of children, instead of running with terror from the slaughterers, stand still; one of them, to express his surprise at the sudden fall of such a monster, and the other, to point to the descent of the angel as the cause! How rapidly must the march of intellect have been extending at that time! Ye cockney institutors of colleges, with legal and untaught heads, when will ye effect such mighty wonders; and give our babes such minds? The other aiders in the unholy cause, are more or less exposed to the influence of the vision, and hesitate to stab, though holding the bared steal in one hand and with brutal grasp retain the little iunocents. To have extended the Vision of Joseph, so far as to have imagined that he contemplated the horrid deed of which he was warned, would have admitted of justification, and have tended to increase the interest of the composition; but to blend a subsequent event with another which must have preceded it, and to subject the actors in that deed to the influence of a supernatural agency, which was only directed to Joseph, is to run to the extremes it is going beyond sublimity, and rushing into ridicule. It is wonderful how, amidst all the confusion of crying children, tumbling monsters, clashing weapons, prancing of horses, &c. that the Virgin could have slept so sweetly. There are other faults besides those of conception: the distribution of the light in the picture is bad. How superior would have been the effect had the heavenly rays, which descend with the divine messenger, extended their influence over the whole of the figures, and have lit up the picture with a holy illumination, instead of falling behind the angel and [July, dying away in uselessness; and creating necessity for an artificial light, for such a light as that introduced could not have existed at the time of the vision. With all his faults, Mr. Lane is a great painter; and his works will one day exalt the character of the British artists, and bear a comparison with the best of the Italian School, if he does not adhere too mechanically to the antique. MR. HOBDAY'S GALLERY OF MODERN ART. In exerting himself to render us better acquainted with the superior productions of the French School; and in placing them in juxta-position, and commingling them with the choicest efforts of British genius, Mr. Hobday has rendered an essential service to the Arts, and has been enabled to display a more interesting selection of modern excellencies than any now before the public. In doing this he has increased his own reputation as a judge as well as an artist, and his enthusiasm for his profession, and his indefatigability, is proved by the heavy expenses he must have incurred in the transplanting of so much talent. Such a collec tion of the Vernets, father and son, was never before seen in one gallery. They give us a more favourable idea of the French School than we had formerly entertained; being certainly among the best specimens of that nation, for colouring, study, effect, and expression. But the French are all mannerists: they do not look at nature with a poet's eye, and feel too self-satisfied, and imagine all their pictures to be chef-d'œuvres, to take any pains to relieve this objection. They boast considerable boldness of outline, but indulge in too much minuteness of detail to produce that splendid effect which is gained by a judicious sacrifice of parts to the whole. We should say they are too mechanical, and not sufficiently original. As colorists too they are inferior to us, and seem to think that dark and heavy backgrounds, and lowering skies, are indispensable to the bringing forward of the principal figures. Such are the observations which have arisen from a view of the evidences of the French pencil; but Horace Vernet is more free from these faults than most of his countrymen. Some of those which have left his easel are very powerful splendid pictures in effect as well as colour; having a richness and volume of tone which produces very striking results. We shall not, at present, enter into a critical examination of each picture, as we purpose visiting them again, when our opinions will be more mature by a closer analysis. In the mean time we shall enumerate some of the most attractive works in the collection, and call the particular attention of our readers to them. "The punishment of Mazeppa" is the grandest effort of the pencil of Horace Vernet, and we would advise a comparison of it with Woodward's handling of the same subject, though on a smaller scale, at the Royal Academy. The objection, noticed by us as existing in the latter, does not appear in Vernet's, which has the superiority in the delineation of the expression of the passions of the horses at so singular and unexpected an intruder. The grief and pain which Mazeppa experiences, admirably per vades his countenance, and starts out from every nerve. Carle Vernet, of whom there is a good portrait by R. Lefevre, has several good portraitures of the horse worthy notice. But the master-piece of the collection, and one which will rivet the immediate attention of every visitor, is the charming portrait of the lovely Countess of Jersey, by Sir Thomas Lawrence. The contemplation of this individual picture would repay the visitor a thousand times the price of his admission. Westall's Cape Wilberforce, and Stothard's Féte Champêtre we recognised with pleasure. Of Stothard's verdant imagination, warmth of colouring, felicity of grouping, and happiness of expression, there is a rich and splendid assemblage, and with them are mixed some of Stephanoff's bold and clever sketches, and Singleton's little characteristic pieces. There are also some excessively well-executed portraits by W. Hobday, and W. A Hobday, of ladies, and gentlemen, and little children. We particularly admire those of Miss Foole, as Mary Queen of Scots; the Lady and Child; and J. Barrow, Esq.: the latter is in the ante-room. English Cathedrals. Mr. Britton has now published the companion print to his West fronts of the English Cathedrals, (see part i. p.541) containing The Beggar's Petition.-Moon and Co. Mr. Witherington creates pleasing pictures; but they want variety. He plagiarises from himself, as in the subject now before us, in which there is scarcely an object but what he has over and over again painted. Let any one compare it with his Dancing Bear, and see whence he has stolen his cottage, and boys and girls. He has not even new clothed them. It is however an agreeable picture; and has been well engraved by A. Wm. Warren, St. George's Palace. sign for a new elevation of the western front Mr. W. Bardwell has just published a deof this palace; the centre of which is the long it will be suffered to retain its gew-gaw same that is at present standing; but how honours, now that the spirit of demolition has obtruded itself within the hoarding, we will not venture to predict. The difference of the present design consists in having lateral instead of frontal wings; and of introducing in the centre of each wing, a triumphal arch, surmounted by a dome. It certainly looks very pretty; but we shall abstain from criticism, as there cannot be a possibility of its adoption. The occupation of the frieze by a sculptured representation of the procession of the coronation of His Majesty, would be a very elegant and appropriate embellishment ;-mais pour cela où est l'argent? views of fourteen interiors; and one or two specimens of the rich embellishments of the cloisters. They are all within an architectural border, compiled from specimens existing at Henry the VIIth's chapel Westminster. This interesting pair of prints ought to be framed and suspended in the study of Illustrations of Virginia Water.—Bulcock, every architect and antiquary. Madame Vestris, &c., a Scene in Paul Pry.-Moon and Co. This is a very beautiful engraving by Thomas Lupton, whose Spoilt Child we had occasion to notice some time since, from an original painting by G. Clint, A. R. A., in the possession of T. Griffith, esq. Every thing that Mr. Clint paints, has charms for us. His attitudes are so correct, his lady figures are so graceful, and all of them so true, that they compel us to feel an interest in their story. The popular comedy of Paul Pry, to see which every body in London " dropped in" at the Haymarket Theatre, affords several good scenes for the painter. One of these Mr. Clint has availed himself of, and has Strand. These exceedingly beautiful views of "the favourite and frequent retreat of His Most Gracious Majesty," are executed by W. A. Delamotte, junr., in a most sweet manner, and drawn on stone by W. Gauci. The value of these interesting scenes is particularly enhanced by the circumstance of this royal spot not being open to visitors; and as resulting in a great measure from His Majesty's own taste. The number of views intended for publication are twelve in number, which will be comprised in three parts on imperial quarto paper. Besides the engraved title page, which has a vignette exhibiting a view of the castle in the distance, with some of the ruins on the banks of the water in the foreground, are the High 64 Fine Arts. Bridge over the water; Ruins from the Dry [July, we have no doubt that it will receive the Picturesque Antiquities of English Cities.- In noticing the concluding number of LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE. Ready for Publication. Coronation Anecdotes: or Select and Interesting Fragments of English Coronation Ceremonies. By the Rev. SAMUEL WALTER BURGESS, A.M. Notes of a Journey in the North of Ireland in the Summer of 1827. To which is added, a brief account of the Seige of Londonderry in 1689. A Description of all the remarkable Ruins to be found at present in Sweden, together with Lithographic Views of them. By Captain Chevalier M. G. ANKARSWAERD. The first No. contains four ruins of the famous town of Wisby. On the Administration of Justice in the British Colonies in the East Indies. By JOHN MILLER, Esq. of Lincoln's Inn. An Abridgment and Translation of Viger, Bos, Hoogeveen, and Hermann, for the use of Schools. By the Rev. J. SEAGER, Author of the "Critical Observations on Classical Authors," &c. Transactions of the Medical and Physical Society of Calcutta. Vol. III. 8vo. The Manuel du Voyageur, or Dialogues for the use of Travellers on the Continent, in English, French, and Italian. By Madame de Genlis. Landscape Architecture of the Great Painters of Italy. The last No. (39) of the New Edition of The Delphin and Variorum Classics, Nos. 117 to 120, containing Livy, Manilius, and Panegyrici Veteres. The Medea of Euripides, with English notes on the plan of the Hecuba. By the Rev. J. R. MAJOR. Sacred Songs; being an attempted paraphrase of some portions and passages of the Psalms. By W. PETER, Esq. A work has lately been published at Utrecht, containing a history of the discoveries made at various periods by the people of the Netherlands, in America, in Australia, in the Indies, and in the Polar Regious. In this work other countries are charged with having changed the names given to various places by the discoverers, and with having had recourse to other means of depriving them of the honour of discovery. Preparing for Publication. Hermes Britannicus; a Dissertation on the Celtic Deity, Teutates, the Mercurius of Caesar, in further proof and corroboration of the origin and designation of the great Temple at Abury, in Wiltshire, by the Rev. W. L. Bowles, M.A. M.R.S.L. An Historical, Topographical, and Statistical Description of the Parish of St. Luke, Chelsea, and its Environs; with Biographical Anecdotes of illustrious and eminent Persons. By THOMAS FAULKNER, author of the Historical Accounts of Chelsea, Fulham, and Kensington, &c. &c. A Treatise on the Laws of Literary Property, comprising their History and present State, with Disquisitious on their Injustice and Impolicy. By Mr. MAUGHAM, the Secretary of the New Law Institution Alexander von Humboldt's Lectures on Physical Geography, by COTTA, under the title of Entwurf einer Physischen Wettbeschreibung. They will at the same time appear in English and French. A new Translation of the History of Herodotus, intended for the use of general readers, with short Notes and Maps. By ISAAC TAYLOR, Jun. Sacred Hours: consisting of select pieces, in prose and verse. By SAMUEL WALTER BURGESS. Also by the same Author, the Consecrated Muse: being select poems by the late Earl of Crawford aud Lindsay; with a biographical memoir of the Author. A Lecture on the Structure and Physiology of the Ear in Man and Animals, as delivered at the Royal Institution. By J. H. CURTIS, Esq. M. R. I. Surgeon Aurist to the King. Occasional Thoughts on Select Texts of Scripture. By the late J. MASON GOOD, M.D. Plain Advice to the Public to facilitate the making of their Own Wills. By J. H. BRADY, Hints to Counsel, Coroners, and Juries, on the examination of Medical witnesses. By Dr. GORDON SMITH. An Essay on the Science of Acting; with instructions for young Actors, wherein the action, the utterance of the Stage, the Bar, and the Pulpit, are distinctly considered. Illustrated by recollections, anecdotes, traits of character, and incidental information upon persons and events connected with the Drama. First Principles of Arithmetic, translated from the French of M. Condorcet. With alterations and additions, by HEN. OTTLEY, LIBRARY AT ST. PETERSBURGH. The University Library at St. Petersburgh contains at the present time about 60,000 volumes, and the library at Moscow about 34,000 volumes, which have been collected since the destruction of the city in 1812. The rich anatomical museum of Professor Loder has recently been purchased for the University of Moscow for 10,000 roubles. An economical society, and a school for agriculture, have lately been established there by Prince Gallitzin; the latter has professors of chemistry, statistics, mineralogy, geography, languages, and architecture, botany, gardening, planting, mechanics, book-keeping, and the veterinary art. The Museum contains mineral specimens from the Brazils. The chemical laboratory at Moscow is, perhaps, the richest in all Europe. The botanical garden at St. Petersburgh contains 80,000 plants. GENT. MAG. July, 1828. 65 ROYAL IRISHI ACADEMY. May 25. At a numerous meeting of this Academy, held in Grafton Street, Dublin, the Secretary announced, that he had received three essays, which had been transmitted to him from candidates for the prize question proposed by the Academy; viz. the social and political state of the people of Ireland, from the commencement of the Christian era to the twelfth century-ther advancement or retrogression in the arts, and the character of their moral and religious opinions as connected with civil and ecclesiastical institutions," &c. &c. These essays were now under the consideration of the Council. Several lithographic plates, intended to illustrate the essay on the architecture of Ireland previous to the English Conquest-and other essays, ordered to be printed in the Transactions-were laid before the Academy. Sir W. Betham exhibited two brazen seals; one found near Guisnes, in France, on the site of le Champ de Drap d'Or, of John M'Carty, an Irish worthy, who probably attended Henry VIII. on that memorable occasion. The other was an official seal of a legate of one of the Popes to the kingdom of Ireland, of the sixteenth or seventeenth century; found digging a grave in the church-yard of Clonmellan, in the county of Dublin. The Secretary then proceeded to read an essay by the Rev. Dr. Bruce, of Belfast, on the character and disposition of King James the Sixth of Scotland and First of England; accompanied with many original autograph letters of that monarch and his secretary or minister Maitland, written from Denmark while the king was in that country, where he went to espouse his queen. They were addressed to "Maister Robert Bruce, Minister of the Evangile at Endinburgh ;" and are now in the possession of his descendant and representative, the said Rev. Dr. Bruce, of Belfast. These letters afford much information of James's character, at a period when little is known of him. They are dated in the year 1589, and are a valuable addition of historic evidence. The essay is directed to be printed in the next volume of the Transactions. THE EDRISI. The perfect manuscript copy of the Edrisi lately discovered in the Royal Library at Paris consists of 260 leaves, and is dated in the 744th year of the Hegira, the 1343d of cur era. It was written at Almeira in Spain, in the Arabic characters used by the Moors in Africa, and which are very ugly. The preface states that the work was finished in the 548th year of the Hegira, the 1154th of our era. This preface contains very curious details with respect to the pains taken by Roger II. king of Sicily, to enable him to communicate to the learned of his |