dead, than it was wont to do living? Why should the coiner, the burglar, the highway robber, with a host of others, the penalty of whose crimes is death, be given over, after hanging the appointed time, to their brother knaves, instead of to the public, whom they warred against all their lives? The state derives none other benefit from the death of a citizen, than the supposed deterring effect afforded by the example of his dying, and even that admits of so much doubt, that many good and great men have looked upon capital punishment, except in cases of murder, as worse than useless. So long as capital punishments do exist, however, why should not those that undergo them be afterwards delivered over to the teachers and students of anatomy? The medical profession, the nation, the world, would be the gainers. It is certain, if the bodies of men like these he not so made use of, the remains of those who descended to their graves unstained with guilt, will be disturbed, conveyed away, and dissected. With a choice of evils, supposing (what I do not think) both to be evils, is it not wisdom to take the least? and which is the least cannot be doubtful, any more than whether the family of the honest man, or that of the rogue, is to have priority, when it may become necessary, for the good of the community, to decide upon plans, the execution of which must be attended with pain to some party or other."-P. 44-45. It is not, however, to be denied, that if murder is a darker crime than forgery, the only mode of making any distinction in the punishment, as the law awards death to both, is by dishonouring the body of the murderer. If the corpse of every felon be sent to the anatomist, this distinction must be sacrificed, and again we shall have to submit to an evil. The third mode of supply is to be found in all convicts dying in prison; and if the former is justifiable, this is so also. But will these two modes of supply be sufficient to answer the demand? It is self-evident that they will not; and the difficulty consequently remains almost as great as ever. We are not aware whether it is generally known, that about two hundred bodies are required in Edinburgh alone annually; and the plan now proposed would not ensure twenty. The subject, therefore, is one which we suspect will long continue to puzzle and perplex the legislature; and though the "Medical Offihas said a good number of sensible things regarding it, he has neither cut nor untied the Gordian knot. cer people of this country as a "go and do likewise." Art. XV. is on the hackneyed subject of absenteeism. These set apart, the first disquisitions to which we turn our attention are, Arts. V. and VIII. Both of them are on the subject of professional education, and are powerfully and spiritedly written. The former treats of the system of legal education in England, and although we think the reform it proposes too sweeping to be either practicable or useful, there can be no doubt that a case has been made out which calls for some legislative interference with the education of members of the higher classes of the law in England. We coincide still more heartily with the sentiments and opinions of the latter article, on anatomy. We would recommend it to the attentive perusal of every man in Edinburgh; for the honourable, though in some measure misdirected feelings excited by the late horrible events, kept alive and exaggerated as they have been, by the readiness of the newspaper press to cater to the inordinate appetite of the public for the disgusting details, call for some such sedative. Art. XVI," Fagging at Public Schools," ought perhaps to be mentioned here, as connected with the subject of Education. It would be an amusing enough specimen of thundering declamation about a perfect trifle, but for the disgusting nature of one of the stories raked up, and the disingenuous application of it. One isolated event in the course of centuries that event seventy years old-is brought forward as conclusive against a system. We come now to our own peculiar province-the literary articles. There is one objection to most of them, that they are mere political diatribes under the false colours of critical disquisition. Thus Art. XIII. of the present number, "Beranger's Songs," is a simple statement of the political arrangements and public feeling of France; to which several of the songs of that popular author are appended; but without any account of the author, or of the characteristics or merits of his workswithout even an attempt to create a semblance of connexion between the quotations and the preliminary discussion. We admit that this is an extreme case, but, more or less, the practice is to be recognised in all their critiques. Thus, in Art. II. "Living Poets of Holland," we are treated to an essay on the merits of a church establishment; and in Art. VII. "Hungarian Tales," to another on the hollowness of political reforms proceeding from the crown. These discussions may be very learned, ingenious, and just; but they are not criticism. This political tendency of the Westminster Reviewers has yet a more malign effect on their criticism. They are in the habit of praising or condemning a work, not on the ground of its literary merits, but according as it The Westminster Review. No. XIX. January, 1829. is favourable or unfavourable to their own moral and London. Printed for the Proprietors. WE believe it is generally known that this periodical was started with a view to its becoming the organ of the Reformers, as the Quarterly and Edinburgh were of the Tories and the Whigs. Its contributors are understood to be disciples of Mr Bentham's school; though it must be confessed, that being men of talent, and moreover, men of the world, they have picked up some pieces of information that do not exactly amalgamate with his system. Still, they profess to adhere to it; and this is consistency; and we love consistency even when it is a little caricatured; especially in these days of chopping and changing. Of course, in our capacity of literary critics, we have nothing to do with the politics of these gentlemen, and shall therefore begin our catalogue raisonné of what is to be found in their last number, by setting apart all the articles which bear professedly and exclusively on this topic. Article I. is on the Catholic question; it is intended to be terribly witty. Art. III. is a brief political and statistical account of America, addressed to the political tenets. Thus, in the present number, the Hungarian Tales," a work of very inconsiderable literary merit, is noticed and lauded because certain speculations therein contained coincide with their own opinions. And thus the author of Pelham narrowly escapes a drubbing, which is bestowed heartily on the rest of that class of novelists, because their sentiments happen to be aristocratical. Some light is thrown on the causes of this style of criticism in an article (IX.) on "Spanish Novels," in the present number. They there give a detailed account of their notions of what an historical romance ought to be; which, being interpreted, means, that it ought to be a history in every respect, but that of strict adherence to truth. The fact is, that "the Gods have not made these gentlemen poetical;" and it is no wonder that they are guilty of blunders when they wander beyond their sphere. One of the freest from this their besetting sin, is Art. IV." Illyrian PoemsFeudal Scenes." There are several miscellaneous articles which we pass over briefly. Art. VI. is a puff direct, of a respectable sermon by Dr Channing.—Art. X. is an angry no tice of the learned W. Wadd's "Comments on Corpulency, Lineaments of Leanness, Mems. on Diet and Dietetics." We could not, for some time, imagine any possible cause why they should be so savage on poor Mr Wadd; but remembering the very ponderous attempt at wit made by the critic at the commencement of his review, we obtained an alternative solution of the problem. Either their ill-will is the smple emanation of the rivalry of brother wits; or it is the very proper and natural pique, that all unsuccessful nourish against all successful jokers.-Art. XII. is on "Sir Richard Phillips's Personal Tour." It is worthy of the subject, and has evidently been drawn from the balaam box, for the sheer purpose of filling seven pages.-Art. XIV. is a curious statistical document, containing full and accurate details on the Finance Department of the London Newspaper Press. On the whole, the Westminster Review contains a very fair proportion of the good and bad things of this earth. Happiness Found, and other Poems. By John Sanders. Edinburgh. W. Hunter. 1829. ALL we know of Mr John Sanders is, that he is no poet. This work is in blank verse, which, we doubt not, he considered the easiest species of versification, because he thus escaped the necessity of rhyming; but in excluding rhymes, Mr Sanders has excluded the only external sign by which we could have been induced to believe that he was aiming at poetry. However, Mr Sanders has his own reward, for he assures us that he has "come at the idea, as well as the experience, of happiness;" and if this be the case, the prize gained will render him independent of any opinion which may be pronounced on the subject of his measured prose. Public Characters.-Biographical and Characteristic Sketches, with Portraits of the most distinguished Personages of the present Age. Vol. II. for 1828. London; Knight and Lacey. THE Biographical Sketches in this work, of which there are twenty-six, are very respectably written; but the portraits are the most excruciating things we ever saw. They are not very horridly executed, or absolutely unlike; but they are just sufficiently well done to present a faint and glimmering caricature of the original, which is both provoking and ludicrous, distressing and absurd. MISCELLANEOUS LITERATURE. CROSSING THE LINE. From the Journal of Lieutenant S―. That rules the seas, and makes them rise or fall: "First came great Neptune with his three-fork't mace, His dewy lockes did drop with brine apace Under his diadem imperiall; And by his side his queene with coronall, Fair Amphitrite, most divinely faire, Whose yvorie shoulders weren covered all, As with a robe, with her owne silver haire, And deck't with pearles which th' Indian seas for her prepaire. SPENSER. DURING our voyage through the tropics in the beautiful evenings, when it was my watch below, I loved to sit at the open port, before the carriage of the great gun, and mark the progress of the vessel through the clear and verdant waters, as the little waves played themselves around her bends, and shoals of fish darted, with the rapidity of lightning, by her sides. On one of these occasions, I was suddenly startled from my meditations by the cry of "A sail a-head! halo! Neptune! Neptune! a-hoy!" and on gaining the deck, perceived a large tar-barrel flaming on the ocean, and gliding past our vessel; which, I was given to understand, was the royal barge of the venerable watery God, who had announced his intention of coming on board next morning, to superintend the shaving such of his children as had not previously crossed the great boundary of his dominions. Next morning, accordingly, this august personage made his appearance on the quarter-deck, about half-past nine a.m., and advanced to seat himself on a gun-carriage, under a gorgeous canopy of various-coloured flags, and surrounded by innumerable streamers, which kept waving to and fro with every wandering breeze. His dress, consisting of a buffalo's hide, with such other varieties as could be procured on board, added to an ironcrowned, hoary-bearded mask, rendered him a very grotesque figure. By his side was seated a gigantic white-robed mariner, something resembling an old weather-beaten woman, intended to represent Amphitrite. drawn by sixteen men, painted from head to foot in the The royal chariot, preceded by a band of music, and most Judicrous fashion, led the van of the procession, and was followed by the numerous constables, bearing their rods of office, all decorated in a singular manner. Next followed the important barber, with his train of necessary attendants; and his Oceanic Majesty's household brought up the rear. After parading the quarter-deck with all due ceremony, the procession halted opposite the cuddy door (that is, the door of the great cabin on the upper deck) where his godhead was welcomed by the officers, and accepted the offer of a glass of spirits; nor had his fair spouse any hesitation in swallowing a potent draught of the same inspiring nectar. When the barber (who did not fail to exhibit his huge iron razor) and several of the other at The Lady's Library. Part I. London; Knight and tendants had also paid their devotions at the shrine of Lacey. 1829. THIS is a handsome little work, intended exclusively for the use of the fair sex. It proposes to keep pace with the improvements recently introduced in female education, and is to contain "what is valuable in science, elegant in accomplishment, delightful in literature, and useful in domestic life; not cloaked in abstruse technicalities, or shackled by the pedantry of the schools, but in such a garb as will please by its unaffected simplicity, its condensed knowledge, and its agreeable variety." This is promising pretty largely; but as far as we can judge from the First Part, the execution bids fair to correspond with the conception; and we therefore recommend the work to the attention of our fair friends. Bacchus, the car was drawn into the lee waist, where were prepared a deep cistern, (composed of a tarred topsail, supported at the four corners by corresponding stanchions, and filled to the brim with the salt water of the tropical ocean), a covered throne for Neptune and his exquisite consort, a scaffolding for the barber and suite, and a narrow plank across the reservoir, on which were to be seated those unenviable individuals who were destined to undergo the ceremony of "shaving.” At this moment the beating of the drums, the sound of the horns, the shouts of the mariners, and the cries of "Bring forth my sons! bring forth my sons !" indicated to the anxious beings below, on the gun-deck, that all was in readiness to commence the business of the day; and immediately a band of the horrific constables came to lead me, (I was then only a midship man,) blindfolded, and with a palpitating heart, to the place of execution. No sooner had I gained the summit of the companion-ladder, than a deluge of salt wa ter, from innumerable buckets, was discharged un ceremoniously into my face; and when I attempted to gasp for breath, an unceasing stream from the fire-engine was directed, by some expert hand, right into my mouth. In this state, panting, and almost breathless, I rushed forwards, with much exertion, dragging constables and attendants after me, till I gained the foot of the lad'der which led to the plank crossing the cistern. This I ascended, with some difficulty, amid the cheering of a merciless multitude, took my seat on the tottering plarik, and awaited, with anxious expectation, the dreadful result of all this ceremony. I had not sat long till a rough brush (every hair of which seemed to be formed of a Porcupine's quill,) saluted my chin; then a sharptoothed saw (intended to represent a razor,) was passed over my cheeks; then a bucket of water was thrown into my face; then another dense stream from the fireengine was directed into my mouth; and then the frail plank was withdrawn from under me, and I plunged headlong and breathless into the abyss below! This was not all in the cistern was a shelf, and on this shelf a man (dressed in a bear's skin, and creeping on allfours) whose duty it was to hold the subject of their mirth, for some time, under the surface of the water. Struggling, as it were, for my existence, no sooner did I feel the horned clutches of the great bear, than I struck him such a blow on the head, as caused him to let go his grasp; and almost insensible, I scrambled up the sides of the cistern, and threw myself down on the deck below. Still no quarter was allowed me; I had yet to make my way through a deluge of water, showered on me from the forecastle, the decks, the booms, and the tops, to the after-part of the vessel; which, had I riot immediately accomplished, I verily believe I should have sunk exhausted under the ordeal. His skin, which is delicately soft, and partially white, on close inspection seems to be a misfit. He looks as if put into a bag, wide enough to hold two of him, with apertures in it to disengage his head and claws only. Properly speaking, he does not fly. He cannot ascend, except by climbing. When the wind is in his favour, he looks out for the tallest tree, from the top of which he leaps, and by spreading his loose gown, and setting his downy rudder, he "goes on his way rejoicing." His body is about four inches in length. He is generally a favourite, and this, together with his shyness and dexterity of evasion, prevents him from being often molested. He lives in the holes of the forest tree, and loves the upper tier of berths. Some affirm that he has power over the quantity of air he carries about him, so as to suit his shape to his mode of "progressing." The chipping squirrel, or "chippy," or "streaky," so called from his peculiarities, is the smallest and least numerous of the species. His voice is like that of a young chicken; his size that of a small rat. He is of a red or dun colour, with black streaks down the back and part of the sides. He loves the orchard, and lives in the stone wall, and is seldom troubled except by the schoolboy. The red squirrel is about twice the size of the chippy. He is altogether of a bright dun colour. His tail is bushy, and large in proportion to his body, being of equal size with it. He lives in the holes of trees. The oak most generally supplies him with a dwelling ;-the nut-tree furnishes his winter provender. A small hole will not serve him; for the supply he lays in is great. He frequents the orchard and the wheat-field; plunders the barn, and sometimes intrudes himself into the dwelling-house. Passing through the hickory grove, you occasionally hear him nibbling at his favourite repastthe nut. Sometimes the falling of one from amidst the tree, with a hole in either side of it, minus the kernel, will indicate to you his "hall of the feast of shells." Notwithstanding all this roughing, however, I contri- If you happen to alarm him, and awaken in him suspived, on the whole, to preserve my good humour, and I cions of an evil design, you will hear him, by the time had no sooner recovered, and begun to look about me, he gets to the top of the tree, long and loud-chit-chitthan I seized a bucket,-joined the enraptured perform- chit chur-r-ring-in exulting defiance of you. Someers of this busy scene,—and was among the first to sa- times you will see him in the form of a V, his body and lute my hapless messmate, who next made his appear-tail suggesting the two members of that letter, perched ance. After all the midshipmen had passed through the hands of the barber, the shaving of the seamen commenced: this was a more serious business, for the chins of many bled profusely, and their mouths and eyes were fearfully disfigured by the tarry brush of the barber; while torrents of their favourite element were showered on their hooded heads without sympathy or restraint. In the meantime, the shaving advanced with great rapidity; and before twelve o'clock, the procession returned, in all its pomp, to the cuddy door, in the same order as formerly; when the captain's health, with that of all the legitimate sons of Neptune, was drunk, with loud and continued cheers, and then the sports of the morning concluded. But towards evening, the Captain ordered a liberal supply of grog to be served out to each of the sailors, and the remainder of that night was spent in "Draining the goblet and singing the song." SQUIRREL HUNTING IN AMERICA. THERE are four species of the squirrel, with which the peasantry of America are familiar;-there are five with which they are acquainted. The first are known to them under the names of chippy, red, black, and grey squirrels ;-the last is called the flying-squirrel. He is a beautiful little animal. The fur of his tail, in colour and texture, resembles that of a beaver, and in arrange. ment is uniform as the downy feathers of the turkey. upon the larger limbs of the apple or cherry tree, feeding daintily on the choicest of the fruit. This is his most hazardous situation; for not unfrequently does the chance directed, or skilfully cast missile of some mischievous urchin, hurl him from his festive board to the inhospitable earth. Here, notwithstanding, he has some chance of escape; but woe be to him if his path be encountered by the disgorgement of a school-house. Every pass to the woods is guarded; every stone-heap blockaded, and a sentinel stationed at the foot of every tree. These preparations alarm him; he drops his food; recovers his fore feet; ascends the tree; and chatters. This is soon put an end to, for a good climber mounts the throne of his dominion. Like other kings, under similar circumstances, he becomes panic-struck. He jumps from spray to spray, and attempts to pass his more immediate adversary; but he abandons this attempt, on seeing the trunk of the tree encircled by an host. He is at last driven to the extremity of one of the branches, and from thence shaken to the earth ;— "Now comes the tug of war, and din of arms. Down he comes, amidst shouts of "fair play! fair play! give him the fence, or he'll take the stone wall,' guard the old oak tree,"—" keep him out of the wheatfield,"_" fair play! no dogs"-"the rail fence-there, now-at him, boys-hurra!"-(Rattling of stonestearing of clothes misdirected missiles, and bloody noses." The hickory trees!" "keep him out of the tall one." The poor animal gallantly strains every nerve; throws his fortune on the cast of a die, and bravely dashes through the midst of his enemies for the those of Mr Watson Gordon, and subsequently the works tall hickory. He is closed upon and grappled for, but of the principal landscape painters. We have chosen woe be to the fingers that seize him, his dagger teeth this arrangement of the different branches of art as we are driven to the hilt. He escapes from between their con ceive portrait-painting, if not the highest, certainly feet, ascends the topmost twig of the tree, and chatters. the next important department of the science to historiHis ill-judged exultation only instigates his pursuers to cal painting. By portrait-painting we do not mean to carry the war once more into every branch of his domi- include all the miserable representations of men sitting nion. The spirited little animal leaps from bough to in vulgar importance in a mahogany chair, with a red bough, dexterously avoiding those that can be shaken curtain behind them; but those portraits alone, which, by the enemy, till he finds himself manoeuvred into a from their intrinsic merit as pictures, are objects of situation which renders his farther exertions vain. He value and admiration. In illustration of the propriety wants not for resolution;-he ascends the highest pin- of this classification, we need only call to the recollecracle, and leaps headlong to the ground. After this he tion of the reader, (and if he cannot bring them to meseldom escapes, owing to the descent bewildering him. mory, knowing nothing about them, he will perhaps He is sometimes sacrificed to the demon of Revenge; take it for granted,) the portraits of Titian, Reubens, but oftener his magnanimous intrepidity rouses the Rembrandt, Velasquez, and Vandyke, besides others we generosity of some influential" of his adversaries, could mention, than which there is nothing more adwho rescues him from the lacerated fingers of his pre-n tired or recherché in the whole range of art; and we meditating executioners, and gives him back to his sil-njay also remark, that these distinguished individuals were eminent as historical painters; yet their historical pictures are certainly not more valued as works of art, than their portraits, which at this moment form some of the principal attractions of the finest galleries in Europe. van recreations. The black squirrel is nearly double the size of the red, and the grey is, perhaps, quite so. They love the most productive soils, and hence the colonist meets them oftener than chance alone would direct. In new settlements, their numbers and destructiveness are so great, as to command the attention of the minor authorities. A variety of methods have been adopted in order to facilitate their extermination, of which not the least effectual is the "Squirrel Dinner." Don't mistake me; I do not insinuate that these worthies retaliate on their annoyers, by eating them out of existence; although these dinners still obtain in many places where the necessity for them has ceased. And in all probability, in another generation or two, when luxury may more predominate, and when the animal, by growing scarcer, will be considered a rarity, it may become, what its name more directly expresses, a feast on squirrels; broiled, stewed, pycified, and roasted; therein more resembling an oyster-feast, than what at present it is a challenge from a given number of well-wishers to their settlement, to kill more squirrels, within a certain time, than another specified number, under penalty of forfeiting a dinner to the whole party. The number of squirrels killed on some of these occasions is immense. The American newspapers, a few years since, contained an account of one, west of the Alleganies, where 17,000 were said to have been destroyed. Another account appeared lately, mentioning 8000. Even this last was bandied about by some of the British journalists as "Yankeeism." It is perhaps excusable on their part, however, seeing that the arrangements of the hunt were not coupled with its amount. These matches sometimes have 200 on each side; two months to hunt; and two townships (perhaps 72 square miles) of specified hunting ground; and, as far as the writer of this recollects, the 17,000 above alluded to was the proceeds of such a match-the contention of two townships. This is about 424 squirrels to each man for two months, or less than three squirrels every four days, and about 236 squirrels each square mile. No one that is the least acquainted with the interior of America will treat this as impossible. The number killed is counted by scalps, each contender bringing his number on the appointed day. Hawk and crow scalps are sometines also included. FINE ARTS. EIGHTH EXHIBITION OF PICTURES AT THE (Second Notice.) WE mentioned our intention last Satur day of noticing, in the first place, the portraits, and especially We have gone a little out of our way to state the alsove facts, in order to remove the impression that portrait-painting is in itself a secondary branch of art, an ir ppression which we know does prevail among the better circles in Edinburgh, who, we make bold to say, however enlightened on most subjects, have not as yet a very elevated taste in matters connected with the fine arts. No doubt, taste must grow with the art itself: and whilst it must be allowed that art in Scotland is but in its infancy, it is to be feared that her sister taste is altogether still-born. In Modern Athens there is certainly a great affectation of encouraging art. But if this be analysed, it will be found to consist of a compound of vanity, and a love of lionizing. For instance, a regular-bred artist, who has studied from the antique, who has painted much from nature, and who has made the works of the old masters a constant source of interest, and improvement, one would naturally expect to rise in his profession ;-but no he won't do ; he has been too long before our eyes; his pictures are certainly beautiful, but he has been regularly brought up arnongst us he has lost the charms of novelty. In short, he cannot be made a lion of; and, above all, he might not sufficiently appreciate the honour of our patronage. But, let a youngster come hot from Rome that litt le monosyllable will cast around his name, how event common or plebeian it may be, an air of classic importance, which is quite irresistible, and which no intrinsic merit of his own could ever have acquired for him. It does not signify that he has brought nothing back with him, but some of the hard bad colouring of the Italian school, and a small stock of travelled conceit still he is from Rome, and that word turns all his faults into beauties. If a sculptor, in like manner, has the substan tial claims of a life devoted to science, and undenied talents-still, if he is not new, and cannot well be lionized, he won't do. But let a stone mason come forth, and all the almost insuperable difficulties of the art vanish before him. Never mind what he produces-whether it be a hero apparently under the influence of the lumbago, or a caricature, not superior, if equal, to a Dutch toystill, like a canonized Catholic saint, he is worshipped forthwith; and his fame is published by the enlightened amateurs of Edinburgh, as a bright star that has come from the desert, to shed a new ray of light on the Modern Athens. We should be sorry to deny these men a fair proportion of praise and patronage; but when we see them pushed far beyond their deserts, to the prejudice of those who are infinitely more entitled to the encouragement and approbation of their fellow-citizens, we consider it the duty of every true friend of art to we consider it the duty of every true friend of art to The rest of his portraits are all good; but want of space come forth, and to claim for them the merit they de- prevents us taking particular notice of them. In concluserve. We have been unable to resist this digression, however, we must remark generally of Mr Watsion from the subject immediately before us, to which we now return. son Gordon's pictures, that they are quite divested of every thing like trick, and are painted in a true and natural The picture by Watson Gordon, which principally style, which in the end is always the most delightful. It attracts our attention, is his full-length portrait of Colonel gives us also great pleasure to remark a manifest imMurray of Polmaise. He is represented in his yeo-provement in their general colour and keeping since last manry uniform; and we believe the picture was paint- year. ed for his regiment, who have taken this means of testi. fying their respect for their commander. Nothing can be more manly or dignified than the figure; he is standing with his helmet in one hand, apparently addressing his officers, whilst with the other, he is holding his horse, who is represented in the act of rearing, but in such a gentle way as to proclaim the managed steed. I believe, it has been said, that the figure is too placid to stand alongside of a prancing horse; but only, a timid gentleman, who would feel seriously alarmed if his horse were even to prick his ears, could suppose this remark correct. We beg to assure this gentleman, that such elegant gaiety on the part of a charger, would not only be a matter of perfect indifference to a good horseman, but rather a thing to be desired. Even were it not so, is the painter to be allowed none of the licence, which is so liberally granted to the poet, especially when it is absolutely necessary, to the arrangement of his composition? It appears to us, that over the whole picture, there is a fine chivalrous feeling which is considerably heightened by the attitude of the horse, in itself beautifully drawn and painted. The management of the light is conducted with much science; the principal light is admirably concentrated on the bust of the male figure, and from thence, carried along the arm holding the bridle, and on the neck of the horse, till it reaches the second light, in the extreme distance of the landscape; it is then happily repeated on the hand holding the helmet, and by a light on the lockjoint of the horse, and also in the upper part of the sky. This arrangement of light reminds us of a remark of the excellent and talented Lord Eldin-who, speaking to the Rev. Mr Thompson, said that "a picter, like the heavens, should hae a sun-without it, it's a blind business." "Very true," said Mr Thompson. "But that's no a' it needs," his lordship added, "it maun hae a moon also, and satellites forby." In these quaint words, we have an admirable lecture on composition. Mr Thompson, some time after, repeated to Lord Eldin, then Mr Clerk, his own remarks, which, in the multi tude of his occupations, he had forgotten. He seemed much pleased with their truth, and could hardly believe he had made them. "Did I say that? Weel it's deevilish weel said; but I canna think that I said it."-Before leaving this picture, we must remark, that Mr Watson Gordon is, generally, extremely happy in his full-length portraits; in proof of this, we need only call to recollec tion, his pictures of the Right Hon. Lady Gray, the Right Hon. Lady Hampden, Captain Stewart, 15th Hussars, and Dr Hunter, Professor of Humanity, at St Andrews, which latter picture, we learn, is now engraving. Among the other portraits which call our attention, are some excellent pictures by two very rising artists, Messrs Graham and Colvin Smyth. Of the former, his best seems to be a portrait of a lady, No. 34. The head and hand are delicately painted, and well drawn. His picture also of the love-letter, the property of Baron Hume, is a very beautiful and fascinating production. Among the portraits of Mr Smyth, the most perfect is that of Lord Gillies. As a likeness, it is very faithful; it is coloured in a manly style; and is in excellent keeping. His portrait also of the Lord Commissioner Adam, is very good.-Mr Lauder has a very clever picture of an officer in the French hussars; we believe it is a portrait of a son of the accomplished Madame Catalani, He has also two paintings, the one the death of a Roman soldier; the other Coriolanus and Aufidius, in both of which there is much talent. The figure of Coriolanus is remarkably good, and over the whole picture there is a great deal of excellent colour. The head of his picture of a girl reading, is also delicately and sweetly coloured; but the hands are rather large and masculine.-There are two portraits of a young English artist, Mr Faulkner, representing two of the sons of Sir John Hay, who has kindly sent them to the exhibition. These pictures are particularly worthy of attention, as being simple and faithful representations of nature; they are composed with good taste, and are free from all trick or meretricious effect of colour, which ap pears to us to be the great curse, which our great glaring exhibition-room has brought on our national school.--We have a portrait also, by Mr Partridge, of Mrs Hastings Anderson, worthy of the greatest admiration; the drawing of the hands and arms is quite beautiful; and throughout, there is a fine tone of harmony that is truly refreshing.We cannot leave the department of portraitpainting, without mentioning the name of Mr Duncan, a young artist of great modesty and genius. He has long been distinguished as the best drawer in the Academy, and is now fairly entered on the long journey of art, on which, however, he has gone a great way. His small portrait of a lady, No. 73, is remarkably pretty; although we think that he might yet choose a better colour for the dress, which does not harmonize with the general tone of the picture. His Scotch milk-girl, purchased by Sir David Hunter Blair, Bart., is beautiful. We would suggest to this artist, that what should now most occupy his attention, is the study of simple taste and good feeling, especially in his female portraits; for this purpose, he should take every opportunity of observing the air, character, and dress of ladies who really are so, both by birth, and manner, and education. We hardly have the pleasure of being acquainted with Mr Duncan; but, from his pictures and drawings, we expect much from him, and wish him well-No. 1, Lady and Parrot, by Mrs William Carpenter, is a beautiful and ladylike picture, and we believe it has met with the admiration which the fair artist well deserves. We shall proceed to consider the landscapes next Saturday. In the present exhibition, Mr Watson Gordon's portrait of Sir John Nasmyth, Bart., is a most Vandyke like picture. It is well composed, and delicately colour ed, and there is a most gentlemanlike air about it; the thing of all others most rarely met with, but yet most essentially requisite, to render a portrait permanently agreeable. The portrait, by the same artist, of Bishop Sandford, is an excellent picture-a very faithful and agreeable likeness. We were also much delighted with a striking representation of Professor Wilson; the head is coloured with so much vigour and truth, that the picture seems to breathe. Amongst his portraits of ladies, WE have had much pleasure in paying repeated vi his best is No. 118; it has a simple expression of nature sits to the Exhibition Rooms of the Scottish Academy, about it, which is very fascinating; and it is as beauti which were opened only a few days ago; and as soon ful in detail, as it is rich and transparent in colouring.as we have concluded our remarks upon the pictures at THIRD EXHIBITION OF PICTURES AT THE |