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The last verse, which I consider much superior to the rest, exhibits a considerable improvement in Hans' command of language. Doubtless, the fond remembrance of the frank acknowledgment of his wife, on her conversion from the error of her ways to a proper attachment to-tobacco, added vigour to his imagination; it is as follows:

"Mi vife vas berry bretty ven I marry hur,

But she would skole, and bodder bout mine
bipe;

But afore do her krave my nabors karryt hur,
She vowed she lufed it petter als she could
speak."
The Inspector.

The Selector;

AND

LITERARY NOTICES OF NEW WORKS.

ANABAPTISTS IN WALES. By this time we had reached the bridge, and a scene of some interest was presented to our view. The upper end of the green or marion, through which the river Wnion glides to meet the Moroddach, was occupied by a dense and compact crowd, listening with intense interest to a preacher who, standing upon a table, was elevated considerably above his auditors, and was holding forth with all the vehemence and energy of his calling. The proximity of the congregation to the river, for many of them stood actually in the water, the sect which this preacher was haranguing, was that of the Anabaptists, an extensive order of seceders in Wales. There was something exceedingly picturesque and interesting in the scene. The morning was fine and clear; and the sun, as it shone upon the upturned faces of the Anabaptists, displayed the different expressions exercised by the preacher, who, to do him justice, managed his business with great skill and ingenuity; his voice tinctured with the strong nasal twang common to his sect in Wales, rose high and clear above the rushing of the river;

and his denunciations were realized by his auditors with a suppressed humming sound, amounting occasionally to a groan, and following his pauses by way of symphony. He could not have chosen a more beautiful or striking spot for his purpose. In every direction the eye rested upon high and towering mountains; and the lovely river, upon the trunk of which he had gathered together his disciples, pursued its course through a rich and verdant assemblage of meadows, its banks being, in some places, clothed with wood, and in others, formed by the smooth green sward of the valley. We stood upon the bridge, overlooking the congregation; and a narrower scrutiny displayed to us three solemn-looking persons, of whom two were females, standing close to the preacher, and evidently prepared to undergo the ceremony of baptismal ablution in the river. They were bathed in tears; and ever and anon lifted up their hands and eyes, as though they were grievously afflicted with the enormity of their transgressions.

The preacher had been holding forth for some time before our arrival, as we had scarcely been there ten minutes before he concluded his discourse; and, descending from his rostrum, he proceeded to perform that ceremony, which was to regenerate those who, repenting of their evil courses, had sought this public mode of being admitted into the fraternity of the faithful, with a countenance, upon which a feeling of pious gravity was well depicted by the meek and downcast expression of the eyes, and with a slow and solemn step, did this priest proceed to officiate as an apostle duly delegated by heaven; and I could not help admiring the consummate skill with which he impressed the gazing multitude with the most reverent opinion of his infallible piety. Having descended from the table, he proceeded up to his waist into the river, and beckoning to one of the female penitents, she went weeping towards him. He then asked her whether she freely and purely renounced all evil thoughts and deeds, the flesh and the devil? She answered, she did, as well as her tears and lamentations would let her. A brief exhortation followed, which was concluded by a regular sousing over head and ears in the river, the other candidates for regeneration undergoing the same mony; and all of these, together with the preacher, rigidly persisting in the wearing of their wet clothes, which, sanctified as they were, by the holy interference of the good priest, were deemed an efficient charm against the devil and all his works. From Tales of Welsh Society and Scenery.

cere

AFRICAN TRAVELLING.

As we drew near the spot where we expected to find water, my guides, who usually kept a little a-head of me, requested me to ride in close file with them, because lions usually lay in ambush in such places, and were more apt to spring upon men when riding singly, than in a clump together. We had scarcely adopted this precaution when we passed within thirty paces of one of these formidable animals. He gazed at us for a moment, and then lay down, couchant, while we passed on as fast as possible, not without looking frequently behind, with feelings of awe and apprehension. We soon after reached the bed of the Jamka (or lion's) river, but found it at this place, to our sorrow, entirely dry. We were all ready to sink under the exertions we had this day made, and the thirst we had endured. Jacob, in particular, who was unwell, and suffered much from the hard riding, repeatedly told us that he could hold out no longer, but wished to lie down and die. The dread, however, of being devoured by the lions now acted on him as a spur to exertion; and Whitteboy and myself, knowing that our fate depended on our getting water, continued on our horses along the course of the river, most anxiously looking out for the pool the Bushman had told us of. In this way we proceeded till two o'clock in the morning, and we were almost despairing of success, when we at length discovered the promised pool; which, though thick with mud, and defiled by the dung and urine of the wild beasts, was, nevertheless, a most grateful relief to us and our horses. We had been up since two o'clock on the preceding morning, had been on horseback above sixteen hours, and had travelled in that time a distance of nearly eighty miles, the last stage, of about fifty, entirely without stopping. Our condition, and that of our horses, may therefore be readily imagined to have been one of great exhaustion. Extreme fatigue had, indeed, quite destroyed all appetite, which, as we had not a morsel to eat, was no great disadvantage. Having fastened our horses to a bush, we stretched ourselves on the earth near them, being too wearied to take the trouble of kindling a fire for the short of the night that remained, trusting, space that if the lions discovered us, they would prefer the horses to ourselves. We were awakened about daybreak by the roar of a lion at a little distance, but were not otherwise molested. The other difficulties of our situation now engrossed all my houghts. All our horses were excessively fagged, by the severe thirst and great ex

crtions of the two preceding days. The old horse, indeed, exhibited strong sympJacob toms of giving up altogether. seemed to be in a plight equally precarious. We had not a morsel of provisions left, nor did we know when we should get any. We had calculated on finding game in plenty, but the great drought that had long prevailed in these regions had driven almost the whole of the wild animals to other quarters. We however remained

here till about mid-day to refresh our horses; we ourselves lying panting with empty stomachs under the scorching sun. The Hottentots named this spot, signi. "Korte-pens — empty ficantly enough, paunch" station.- Thomson's Southern Africa.

The Gatherer.

"I am but a Gatherer and disposer of other men's stuff."- Wollon.

SIR RICHARD STEELE has, in his preface to the Conscious Lovers, taken notice of a general officer's weeping, in a front box, at the scene between Indiana and her father; on which occasion he relates Mr. Wilkes the comedian's just observation upon it-" That he was certain he would fight ne'er the worse for that." When the play of Venice Preserved was revived at Drury-Lane theatre, about eighty years ago, one of the grenadiers, who was posted on the stage, was observed by the audience to be at times deeply affected at the performance. At several speeches he seemed agonized by distorting his body, and though the spectators several times laughed at him, he remained with fixed attention to the scene. in the last, where one friend stabs the other on the scaffold, he could suppress his feelings no longer, but burst into a The audience were so flood of tears. affected with the soldier's simple honest heart, that they loudly applauded him, and a noble duke (then at the head of the army) who was behind the scenes, sent for him, and gave him a guinea, stating that he was perfectly sure he was an honest and brave fellow."

But

A COMMERCIAL traveller lately left an article belonging to his wardrobe at an inn, and wrote to the chambermaid to forward it to him by coach; in answer to which he received the following:I hope, dear Sir, you'll not feel hurt,

I'll frankly tell you all about it; I've made a shift with your old shirt,

And you must make a shift without it.

Printed and Published by J. LIMBIRD, 143, Strand (near Somerset House), and sold by ail Newsmen and Booksellers.

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exertions of the secretary all the vessels belonging to the Thames' Yacht Club may go into any French port, free of charges, which on the part of the continental government shows much liberality. It is now proper to speak of our engraving of the cup which is to be sailed for during this season; and we trust that the beautiful and spirited representation will be acceptable to all our readers and friends. We will here hazard a description of our illustration, and we cannot but be accurate, for so minute and complete is the design, that it almost describes itself. At the foot of the plate is a tortoise, bearing a triton on its back, supporting the body of the cup with one hand, the other grasping a conch, and supposed to be sounding the fame of victory. The body forms a scalloped shell, richly embossed and ornamented with flowers. The handles and mouth of this splendid cup represent a twisted cable, and the cover is emblematical of the Union, being the rose, thistle, and shamrock, above which flows the laurel. The top beautifully forms waves, encircled with shellwork, on which is mounted a superb sailing-boat completely rigged. The cup weighs upwards of 64 ozs., will hold about two quarts, and from the plinth to the mast, measures two feet in height. The design and workmanship of this novel and striking ornament reflect the greatest credit on the taste and talents of Mr. Hyams, for we never saw a specimen more deserving admiration, and never before witnessed a vessel in sil. ver so completely equipped, that every rope will act and sails shift if required.

Fine Arts.

THE PROGRESS OF ENGLISH HISTORICAL AND PORTRAIT PAINTING UNDER VARIOUS CELEBRATED MASTERS.

(For the Mirror.) ALTHOUGH the dawn of painting was apparent in England long before the arrival of Hans Holbein from the continent, yet we are principally indebted to that distinguished German artist for England's success in the most noble department of the arts-painting. Holbein was the first painter of note who ever visited this country, and his great powers were so strongly impressed upon the English, that every individual who had access to his works was fired by a love of the art; and some private persons became, merely by inspecting his productions, painters themselves. Those who thus imbibed a know

ledge of the art speedily communicated it to their brethren; and, after the lapse of a few years, painting was in general practice in London, every artist gaining employment in portraiture, for in this particular branch the English people, as at the present day, evinced more interest than in any other. Although Du Piles places Holbein among the painters of Germany, it is well-known by those conver sant in the fine arts, that he executed most of his meritorious works in England under the patronage of Henry VIII. That ambitious king, emulated by the fame which his contemporaries, Francis I. and Charles V., had gained as encouragers of the fine arts, invited Tiziano Vecelli, or Titian, to this country; but from circumstances which were never promulgated, that great master declined the invitation. Happy would it have been for this country could Titian have been prevailed upon to visit it at that early period of the arts; probably his real motive for rejecting the overtures of Henry was the total neglect of historical painting here at the time. On Titian's refusal to repair to the court of Henry, Holbein was appointed principal painter; he shortly afterwards executed the portraits of his patron, Queen Anne Boleyn, Anne of Clives, and the nobility Holbein was the best miniature painter of his time, and at his death left many pupils in this branch of his profession; but Isaac Oliver was the only one who distinguished himself.

The reigns of Edward VI. and Queen Mary were unpropitious to painting; and it was not until the middle of the reign of Elizabeth that Isaac Oliver could display his talents to advantage. He painted several pictures, and his portrait of the unfortunate Mary, Queen of Scots, established his reputation as an artist. Oliver's son, Peter, brought the art of miniature painting to a high pitch of excellence, and was employed, after his father's death, to paint the portraits of James I. and all the nobility of the time. Peter's productions, for boldness of execution and accuracy of drawing, have never yet been equalled. Daniel Mytens and Cornelius Jansens were both popular painters in the latter part of the reign of James, and in the beginning of that of Charles I. Rubens and Vandyke, who were both knighted by Charles, produced most exquisite pictures in this country, and educated many pupils, who, for the most part, were an honour to their distinguished preceptors. Had Dobson, who studied under Vandyke, been permitted to live longer, he would have been a lasting honour to his country. He is usually styled the father of English portrait-painting, and

his productions, if not so mature as those of his master, have much to recommend them to posterity. Dobson was the first native artist of any repute.

The fine arts of England began to grow very respectable in the reign of Charles I. Every artist of note educated pupils, schools were formed that the theory of painting might be studied, the patronage of the sovereign was never before equalled, the nobility were liberal in their purchases of works of merit, and the public evinced the most lively interest towards the productions of native genius. After the death of Charles, however, the arts sensibly languished, owing to the puritanical principles of the people under the guidance of Oliver Cromwell. But at the Restoration, learning was again sought after, and the fine arts began slowly to emerge from that concealment into which they had been thrown during the very scrupulous time of the commonwealth.

Sir Godfrey Kneller, after the death of Lely, stood unrivalled in portraiture; he was the fashionable painter during the reigns of James II. and William III. Kneller is said to have painted the portraits of ten sovereigns. Sir James Thornhill, who was knighted by Queen Anne, produced some fine historical works; those in fresco, in the cupola of St. Paul's cathedral, though now going rapidly to decay, have been much and deservedly admired. Thornhill married his daughter to that very celebrated character, William Hogarth, with whose productions the reader is doubtless familiar.

In the beginning of the reign of George III. painting flourished greatly under Sir Joshua Reynolds, Wilson, Barry, and Gainsborough. These masters, more particularly Sir Joshua, painted the most esteemed works ever seen in this or in any other country. Sir Joshua is universally allowed to be the great founder of the English school of painting, for during his presidency of the Royal Academy in London, he delivered numerous eloquent orations, which have been published, and which form the solid basis of historical and portrait painting in England. His best pictures are the Death of Cardinal Beaufort; Garrick between Tragedy and Comedy; Count Ugolino in Prison; The Nativity; and his portrait of the celebrated Mrs. Siddons.

The style of Mr. West, second president of the Royal Academy, is more accurate, though not more agreeable, than that of his predecessor. Mr. West's outline is rather hard, and his colouring, in most instances, is rather too cold. Sir Joshua, in the reverse, is melodious and

beautiful in colour, and the contour of his figures is always soft and fascinating to the eye. Mr. West has, however, done much for the fine arts of this country, by refining our taste and directing our attention to the most sublime branch of the graphic art-that of historical painting.

The late Mr. Fuseli was successful in portraying the grand and the terrible; his pictures taken from Milton's Paradise Lost have all the grandeur and sublimity which the imagination of man is capable of conceiving. His style, however, is not likely to be adopted, since only a few persons can properly discriminate its meaning. Fuseli, like Milton, is comprehended only by a few; but in the estimation of that few he certainly stands very high.

At the present day, painting may justly be said to have arrived at its climax. Never till this period could England boast of so many eminent artists, who, excited by emulation, have determined not only to rival, but even to excel the Romans, the Venetians, and the Lombards.* Í shall conclude my present paper with a most fervent hope that the fine arts of England may never retrograde, as they have in several parts of the continent; but that they may long maintain their present distinguished height, and be the envy of all other nations. G W. N.

PREDICTIONS. (For the Mirror.) CHILDREN have been observed to say things which have come to pass. The ancient Egyptians were of this opinion, and used to watch the words of children while they were at play. Something of this notion still remains, and Dr. Johnson, in his "Life of Lord Roscommon," relates the following remarkable instance:

"The Lord Roscommon, being a boy of ten years of age, at Caen, in Normandy, one day was, as it were, madly extravagant in playing, leaping, getting over the tables, boards, &c. He was wont to be sober enough; they said, God grant this bodes no ill-luck to him. In the heat of this extravagant fit he cried out, My father is dead.' A fortnight after news

came from Ireland that his father was dead. This account I had from Mr. Knowles, who was his governor, and then with him, (since secretary to the Earl of Stafford,) and I have heard his lordship's relations confirm the same." dictions are no less remarkable. The great Sir Matthew Hale had some secret

Other pre

*For a full account of the schools of painting on the continent, I refer the reader to page 117 of the eighth volume of the MIRROR.

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