Once more: rectify itself. Letters from the North of Europe received during the week, state that bills upon England are becoming scarce, and gold so "Almost every wine has its good qualities, almost all deserve to be abundant, that a small increase in amount would tend to send it back known. If in our country the Neckar exists scarcely for any purpose but again. It would, indeed, be singular, as Mr. HUSKISSON very justly to quench the thirst, the Würzburger now rises to the character of a observed in reference to this subject, if the commerce, if Great generous wine, and the various superior sorts of Rhenish do not admit of Britain could be materially injured by a slight reaction in exchange, them. Duly to celebrate these noble streams, from the light Laubenbeing hastily characterized. You have had them before you, and tasted which has been endured all over the Continent with little commer-heimer to the strong Nierensteiner, the mighty Rüdesheimer and the cial sensation at all. In cruth, it is not so much the fact, as the profound Hochheimer, with all their kindred floods, is a task to which gambling use made of it, that is dangerous now. The whirligig of there belongs more than the tongue of a Redi, who in his Tuscan Dithyrexcessive speculation, however wild and imprudent, is doubly ruinous ambic has raved but indifferently. These spirits pass down the palate when suddenly in in reaching th peded, and prices artificially raised, ruin thousands pure and clear, refreshing the sense and refining the faculties. If I should eir level. What is worse than all, whatever their illustrate them, it would be by the calm maturity of first-rate writers, monied wea' adventure ath or influence, it is precisely the most worthless of warmth and richness, without extravagance of fancy and dreaming allegory. What is the hotter Burgundy to him who can bear it? It As 1 cs who profit by the vicissitudes in both directions. descends into us like immediate inspiration; heavy, sanguine and violent, the present operation on the Funds, they are necessarily in a it rouses our spirits. The wine of Bourdeaux, on the other hand, is sma" A degree affected by a state of transient alarm; but on the other cheerful, loquacious; enlivens, but does not inspire. More luxuriant ha Tnd, have they not for some time past been uunaturally elevated? and quaint are the creations of Provence and the poetical Languedoc. Juring the week, all sorts of artificial rumours have prevailed in Then comes hot Spain, with its Sherries and ripe Malaga, and the glowregard to foreign relations; and in particular, the mission of METTER-ing wines of Valencia. Here the wine-stream, as we taste it, transforms NICH to Paris, the approaching species of Congress at Milan, and the itself upon our palate into a globular shape, which rounds and widens probable interruption of our good understanding with the Court of more and more, and in Tokay and St. Georgen-Ausbruch it assumes this St. Petersburgh, have in their turn been dwelt upon. Heaven knows appearance still more substantially and emphatically. How are mouil we reckon very little upon a long endurance of that state of Europe, and palate and the whole sense of pleasure filled by a single drop of the which our egregious Laureate terms " Deliverance to Mankind;" but most generous Cape wine! These wines the connoisseur must only sip and our present purpose is to speak only of proximate effects; and thus palate, and not drink like our noble Rhenish. What am I to say of you, ye sweetest growths of Italy, and particularly of Tuscany, thou most confining ourselves, we cannot perceive any necessity for innocent spirited Monte-Fiascone, thou truly melting Monte-Pulciano? Well, country stockholders and others alarming themselves at a bustle, the taste then, my friends, and understand me! But thee I could not progreater part of which is excited by those who would profit by their duce, thee, king of all wines, thee, roseate Aleatico, flower and essence credulity, if led to rush to the market by the artifice. While we write, of all the spirit of wine, milk and wine, bloom and sweetness, fire and indeed, the artificial operation is rapidly subsiding in regard to the softness together! This curiosity is not to be drunk, tasted, sipped, funds, in spite of much activity, in the way of report, to prevent the or palated; but the man who is blest with it unfolds a new organ, which may not be described to the ignorant and sober." natural reaction. LITERARY NOTICE. The second novel, The Betrothing, aims at quite another sort of portraiture, that of what in England we should denominate a serious or evangelical family, Germanized no doubt in its colouring, but preserving all the characteristics of the general anatomy. It seems that when the French revolutionary ascendancy, coupled with so much national humiliation, withdrew German mind from the influence of opinions which were necessarily rendered doubly unpalatable by the success of the French arms, it fell into the other extreme of a superficial and sentimental religionism. On the overthrow of Na The Pictures; The Betrothing: Novels, translated from the German of LEWIS TIECK. THESE novels, or, as they would be more generally termed, tales, both being contained in a middling sized volume, possess considerable claims to attention. We give not this opinion precisely in accordance with that of the translator, who deems them very perfect as stories, while, in this particular, we regard their pretensions as very moderate.poleon, all in course was in the "Glory to God, deliverance to manIt is as illustrative of the predispositions of character, and the influence of temperament,situations, and times, in forming it, that they are chiefly to be prized, not forgetting-possibly, after all, the principal attraction-a piquant and racy manner of saying what is to be said. The first tale, The Pictures, is very pleasantly arch on the subject of painting and connoisseurship, and contains an admirable sketch of what we believe has been by no means an ideal character,--that of an aged, sly, satirical artist, who, probably goaded in the first instance by neglect to assume the manufacture of old masters, insensibly falls in love with the conceit and credulity of amateurs, nearly as much for the amusement they afford him, as for the gain which his trickery insures. This old, witty, unprincipled, but still gifted impostor, in his general deportment has the honour of bearing some slight resemblance to Falstaff, and shines in his cups with kindred we select a specimen; the subject, too, drinking "Were not drinking," proceeded Eulenböck, "an art and a science, there would only need to be a single beverage on earth, as the innocent element, water, already plays that part. But the spirit of nature, shifting and sporting with a lovely grace, infuses itself here and there into the vine, and amidst wondrous struggles lets itself be strained and refined, in order to descend along the magic channel of the palate into our inmost recesses, and there to rouse all our noblest energies out of the torpor and lethargy of their primitive chaos. See, there goes the sot ! Oh! my friends, such too were the railings and jeers of those who had not been initiated in the Eleusinian mysteries. With this golden and purple tide there rolls and spreads within us a sea of harmony, and the rising dawn draws a melody from the old statue of Memnon, which till then had stood voiceless in the gloom of night. Through blood and brain courses and speeds exultingly the gentle call: the spring is come! Then all the little spirits feel the sweet waves, and creep with laughing eyes out of their dark corners; they stretch their delicate little crystal limbs, and plunge to bathe in the wine-flood, and plash and shoot, and rise quivering out again, and shake their sparkling spirits' wings, that, as they rustle, the clear drops fall from the little plumes. They run about and meet each other, and kiss a joyous life one from the other's lips. Still closer, still brighter grows the throng, more and more melodious their lispings; then with garlands and solemn triumph they lead the Genius along, who with his dark eyes can hardly peep through his luxuriant flower-wreaths. Now the mat is conscious of infinity, immortality; he sees and feels the myriads of spirits within lim, and takes pleasure in their frolics. What is one to say the of the ulgar souls; who cry after a man, look, the fellow is drunk." kind" style of our Laureat.-Oh Spain and Italy, what a satire !-and as the prevalence of the "heartless jargon of French philosophy" had alone conquered Germany, it followed that a real or assumed reverence for national associations, for the notions of the childhood of society, and above all an affected deep sense of religion, constituted the combination that was essential to its exaltation. Now, in the predominance of this rage in Germany, as in other places, the plated article "which looked every bit as well," was often substituted for the sterling silver, and The Betrothing exhibits a most unamiable, amiable family of this description with much piquancy. A widowed baroness, who, as Vanity Fair, with several handsome daughters, are the principal we collect from the context, has previously performed her part at actors. The eldest of these girls is deemed a sort of alien by the others, because her lofty, pure, and unpretending nature, will not allow her to adopt the unctious religious varnish of the rest of the family. This is a fine sketch; as well as a married daughter, whose poor husband feels the weight of the chain which unites him to so much special heavenly-mindedness, to be exceedingly irksome. An elderly friend of the family, not quite a Tartuffe or a Cantwell, but with a spice of both, is also well drawn. Many of us have doubtless seen an evangelical Botherby of this description, regulating the doctrine and phraseology of a large family, with views of some kind or other, although possibly, in many instances, with no other than the love of lead and dictation. In short, an excellent exposition of the art of religious full dress is afforded by this story, which we recommend to our readers accordingly. The translator, who has executed his task with great elegance, has prefixed an address to the reader, in which he adverts much to the recovery of Germany from the unnatural ascendancy of the French school of literature. In his observations, with some occasional exceptions, we fully concur, although setting aside a little connexion with the second tale, we cannot perceive the necessity for much of it, in advertence to these translations. His definition of the tale, too, appears to us somewhat vague and exclusive. Several of his general remarks, however, please us, although we perhaps extract a moral from them which he does not. For instance: he says that the upper ranks of Germany got clear of their admiration of French philosophy, when they saw that they themselves would suffer most by it, and reassumed a respect for religion on precisely the same grounds. Their facility in this species of change is doubtless undeniable; but the exact respect due to them for thus facing about, we should like to have duly estimated. When German nationality and German feelings were working for them, then these were also good; but becoming animated with views of freedom and amélioration, they, at this given moment, are also bad in their turn. After all, the old French routine is the most natural to the class in question, not only on the continent but nearer home; not meaning the French philosophy exclusively, but the courtly and social dissoluteness that produced the features which most disfigure it. The French philosophers, like Jacob's ewes, conceived within the gaze of all the variegated vices of a corrupt and enslaved society; amidst a profligate noblesse, and under a court truly contemptible; how therefore could they be otherwise than speckled and spotted in their abours? It is admirable to hear the cause turning short round upon the effect, in a tone of sanctimonious horror and reproach. Let us only imagine ourselves attending to Louis XV., Cardinal Dubois, and the Duke of Richlieu, as King, Priest, and Noble, reviling the licentiousness of the philosophers; and we shall laugh at the idea. Their descendants, however, and similar people, thus exclaim, and blessing ourselves at the discovery, we all look doubly pious and unphilosophical! This jargon, however, must soon pass away in its turn, and the sooner the better. Q. THEATRICAL EXAMINER. HAYMARKET. On Tuesday evening, a comic piece in two acts was produced for the first time at this theatre, entitled Tribulation, or Unwelcome Visitors, Like Simpson and Co. it is of Gallic origin, and accommodated to our stage by the facile pen of Mr. POOLE, whose skill in the transfusion of the light social embarras of the French comedy is undeniable. The species of involvement to which we allude, while it falls short of the occasional grossness of our stronger productions of the sock, might possibly be improved by a portion of their wit, their satire, and their racy manliness. Manners are usually substituted for passions, and situation portrayed rather than character. Like the silks from the same country, however, there is a neatness in the fabric, and a felicity in the colouring, which not being always attainable in the home manufacture, renders smuggling a venial offence. In fact, the French study the principles which regulate and supply features to social intercourse, more intimately than we do, and, in consequence, elicit from a small field of action a variety of equivoque, which escapes our less assiduous attention to those evanescent shades of humour and caprice observable in the most primitive domesticity, when closely inspected. The plot of Tribulation illustrates our position: Mr. Dorrington (DowTON) a retired Bristol merchant, afflicted, as is very usual in such cases, with the tedium of the otium cum dignitate, pays a visit to London with his wife (Mrs. DAVIDSON) for the avowed purpose of procuring a Commissionership, and its concomitants-a little rank and worshipful authority. They take up their residence at the house of their cousin Forrester (RAYMOND) a bachelor of fortune, and the piece opens with the trio taking their wine after dinner, in the discussion of which, their "whereabout" is unfolded, as above described. The prospective Commissioner, who, without being a libertine, feels his return to London revive a few old associations connected with his residence there twenty years before, expresses aside his wish to Forrester, to get away from Mrs. Dorrington, and make a night of it, just to see-if-if the world wagged as it used to do. Forrester agrees to manage the matter and retires, when Dorrington is assailed by his wife, with entreaties to allow her to receive a Mrs. Mortimer, a Bath acquaintance, whom he has never seen, but whose character he deems equivocal and mysterious. The decisive and moral solemnity with which he refuses her request, contrasted with his recent arrangement with Forrester, is very amusing; but the lady arriving in the midst of the argument, he gives way, and Mrs. Dorrington is allowed to meet Mrs. Mortimer i another room, for the last time. In the cours of the conversation between the two ladies, it appears, that Mrs. Mortimer is Mrs. Dushmore (Mrs. GLOVER) a gay widow of passable but not unsuspected character; who, in consequence of temporary embarrassment connected with her late husband's extravagance, had, while at Bath, assumed the name of Mortimer. Mrs. Dorrington, with provincial simplicity, on being invited to a small party of some seventy or eighty people, that same evening, informs her gay friend of her husband's objection. The latter resenting his contempt with all the malice of a fine lady, instantly rallies Mrs. Dorrington upon her implicit obedience and pattern conjugality, in that style of wit and satire, which has often scared away the better angel of an amiable wife on similar occasions. She finally consents to go, and Forrester returning, we learn that it is to the party of this very widow Dashnore that he proposes to introduce Dorrington. The latter of course has never heard her name, but learning that it is a place where much amusement in the spirit of his indulged reminiscences may be expected, he is of course all acqui escence. Thus the husband and wife are in the same party without knowing it, the one assuming the name of Jenkins, and the other remaining incog. The first loses his money and nearly his heart to the gay Widow Ogle; the latter is persecuted by the easy addresses of the exquisite Sir George Faddle (VINING) whose deportment betrays to her the nature of the society in which she is involved. A humourous scene then ensues between Dorrington and Sir George, to whom the former is introduced by Forrester, as a gentleman who may be served by his interest in the affair of the commissionership, which interest he as frankly promises. His recent rebuff by a fair lady is then adverted to in a rallying manner, when Dorrington, with a pleasant ignorance as to the person addressed, gives Sir George a lesson of gallantry. He must seem contrite without being so, affect hopeless love and resignation while intending to persevere, &c. &c. All this lecture, together with his admiration of the Widow Ogle, is overheard by his listening lady, who had previously encountered her cousin Forrester, and related her terror and embarrassment. Her escape from the party is at last contrived by the latter, but not so but that Sir George and the Widow perceive with whom she makes off; and ignorant of the relationship, they form the most injurious conclusions. The next act opens with the husband, wife, and friend at breakfast, when Sir George Faddle is announced. Dorrington, who had been entertaining his lady with a rigmarol story of his loss of his money the preceding evening, to a little pudding-headed underwriter, in a dull party at Crutched Friars, is alarmed at this announcement, but his wife is still more so. Feigning sudden indisposition, Mrs. D. retires, and Sir George entering, instead of talking of the commissionership, accuses Forrester of crossing his intrigue. Some pleasant equivoque follows: Dorrington, thinking he had detected his cousin in an amour, is all raillery; but going out of the room to see if his wife is recovered, Forrester informs the baronet of the whole truth, and the latter in a paroxysm of laughter good-humouredly retires. All parties congratulate themselves on this escape, when the announcement of Mrs. Dashmore renews the terror of the husband and wife, and another pleasant encounter ensues. The husband stands exposed; but although her intentions were fraught with revenge, a little feminine good-nature steps in, and the wife escapes a similar mortification; the Widow retiring with a sentimental observation on the necessity of mutual allowance and toleration. At this moment, a letter arrives from Sir George, announcing the appointment of the crest-fallen Dorrington as Commissioner, and the piece concludes with his lady's avowal of her determination to candidly confess her own error the first opportunity. We have been more particular in our detail, to show how much may be done with a few materials skilfully employed. The incident and situation are truly diverting; the dialogue wants proportionate point and brilliancy; but the very excellent acting nearly covered this defect altogether. Dowron was exquisitely pleasant-as usual exuberant in gesticulation; but to advise him on this point, is to preach to BRAHAM on his musical ad libitum. A gallery clap weighs down a ton of criticism. Mrs. DAVISON'S Mrs. Dorrington was an elegant. and impressive performance; and Mrs. GLOVER's Widow Dashinpre could not be better. The dialogue between these ladies was very piquant. VINING'S Sir George was also easy and pleasant in its coxcombry, and RAYMOND'S Forrester all that was required. The approbation was unequivocal, and we doubt not but that Tribulation will have a considerable run. After Tribulation, followed GOLDSMITH's pleasant comedy of She Stoops to Conquer; in which the characters of Mr., Mrs., and Miss Hardcastle were performed by DowTON, Mrs. GLOVER, and Mrs. HUMBY. It is unnecessary to dwell on the merits of the two former, and in respect to the latter, she adequately supported her rising reputation. We suspect however that, at present, a representation of the fine or cultivated lady is not exactly her forte, which consists in an exceedingly promising management of a more native species of archness, humour, and simplicity. As Miss Hardcastle, a something of ladylike self-possession and repose was possibly wanting, but in the conveyance of the lurking huniour and affected simplicity of the imagined bar-maid, nothing more need be desired. We think we perceive some little deficiencies in the acting of this lady, which shew a very short acquaintance with the stage. If we are correct, her future career promises highly, as they are such as will in this case rapidly disappear, and with the acquirement of a due portion of confidence, ease, and disengagement, her positive talents will appear to double advantage. The comedy went off with great éclat. FINE ARTS. ROYAL ACADEMY EXHIBITION. Q. Our hopes again revive. Historical Painting, which, in the Academy and elsewhere, had nearly expired, is again raising her beautiful form and expressive countenance, and there is an earnest in her partly-renewed THE EXAMINER. in interest. them, especially The Sun-burnt Gardener, 194. ENGRAVINGS FROM THE GEMS OF art. cient expedition or cheapness all the demand for engravings from popălar paintings of the day or of antecedent times, so that were it not fur MezThe slow process of chalk and line engraving cannot satisfy with sut, portion of the lovers of Art would be prevented the pleasure of possessing many of the sculpturally translated beauties of Painting. To 1000 per- : zotinto a prompter and less expensive mode of eugraving- large. sons who could obtain the Mezzotinto by Mr. LUPTON, of BYRON, not from the same Painting by Mr. PHILLIPS, if of the same size; or, for the above 2 or 300 could afford to purchase a finely-engraved Line Print. tinto, not a third could buy that beautiful work were it in Line. The 5th No. of it, just published, gives us first The Gypsy Fortune Teller; the same number who could afford to purchase The Gems of Art in Mezzo- · original of which, in the possession of the Duchess of Dorset, is considered one of the most picturesque and playful of Sir J. REYNOLDS' works. It has formerly been well known to the public by means of SHERWIN's affords in this Engraving from the same picture, is a full evidence of his successful ability.-2nd. Boats in a light breeze, from a picture of Lord capital Print in Line. After that, the satisfaction which Mr. W. WARD Townshend's by VANDER CAPELLA. There is a charm here conferred on distributing strong and tender gleams of light among large masses of shade, that renders the print more pleasing than many other able ones a few boats, a gently moved sea, and lowering sky, by the manner of from more important subjects, and induces our hearty congratulation of Mr. JouN BROMLY (son of the admired Line Engraver) for his pure taste in thus engraving it. 3rd. The Laughing Boy, by MURILLO, in the possession of Mr. Zachary. To say that its naturalness, in even a moment's glance at it, associates our recollections with MURILLO and Nature, is but the 4th, which is from TENIERS, by Mr. LUPTON. The 5th is by Mr. J. BROMLEY, from The Rialto by CANALETTI, in the possession of Mr. common justice to Mr. WARD, its Engraver.-The same must be said of R. II. and animated appearance in this Exhibition, and in the British Institu tion re-commencing its patronage of that Art, of her surviving the long, damp, and chilling season of neglect. In his last year's picture of Pandora crowned, Mr. Erry's various and rapidly improved pencil exhibited his taste to great advantage; but in his present picture, The Combat he surprises with high principles and masculine powers of drawing. composition, colour and expression, and in a subject where they are dif ficult to accomplish, for the figures, which are larger than life, are nearly naked. It represents an ideal group of death-dealing Revenge and of Pity. An immensely athletic man, with an uplifted weapon, is on the point of immolating another of nearly similar power, and a woman on her knees is earnestly interfering to endeavour to save him. The angular but compacted lines of the composition, the impatient fury and withering look of the victor, and pitiable helplessness of his vainly struggling opponent, with the eagerly extended and imploring action of the female, together with the contrasted brown and fair complexions in the noble masses of the flesh colour, with the luminous light over the entire group, and extraordinary distinctness and coming out of all its parts, constitute a work of intensity; of that high and commanding interest and display of science and sensibility, which class it with the Old Masters. While the drawing, which is learned, greatly surpasses any in the Venetian School, the colouring is theirs in its purest mode; for if it does not exactly reach their finest hues, its vigour and breadth and brightness are painted on its best principles. Mr. HILTON's Christ crowned with Thorns has great solidity of colour and science of drawing, but its best praise is in its display of the brutal ferocity of the persecutors of Christ and his meek surrender to their rage. It is free from mannerism; that is, it does not look in the least as if imitated from himself, or executed according to a mere graphic receipt, but from the intelligence of an Art-informed mind and with Nature before him. These, with Mr. DANBY's grand Delivery of Israel, and Mr.HAYTER's masterly Trial of Lord Russell; several first-rate Fancy and Commonlife Pictures, by WILKIE, LESLIE, Stothard, MulreADY, and SHARP; some very interesting subjects in the same class by Allan, WitherinNGTON, THOMPSON, FRADELLE, RIPPINGILLE, HOWARD, STEPHANOFF, COOPER, EASTLAKE, NEWTON, HOLMES, BRIGGS, CLOVER, and WOOD. WARD, a superb Sea-port by TURNER, two of Nature's own Landscapes by CONSTABLE, and other good Landscapes by COLLINS, DANIEL, ARNALD, HOFLAND, STARK, GLOVER, JONES, &c. will supply ample food for admi-WORTLEY. ration and animadversion, and produce, as the Exhibition deserves, an unusually profitable season; especially when we add the unrivalled Portraits by Sir T. LAWRENCE, and the beautiful Portraits by PHILLIPS, picture, by Mr. HAWKINS, of Sir Gerard Noel, is not a portrait of the JACKSON, BEECHEY, PICKERSGILL, CLINT, DERBY, SHEE, REINAGLE, worthy Baronet, for it wants his bland and benevolent expression,-)` By far the best Portraits in this Exhibition are by Mr. HAYDON. The BRADLEY, S. W. REYNOLDS, HARDING, CORBETT, &c. Messrs. LAND- Mr. HAYDON's, the most perfect is that of Dr. Darling, which is a faithSEER, WARD, LEWIS, &c. give additional charm of variety in some capital Animal Pieces; and the elegant entertainment is completed in cian.-The group, entitled The Convalescent, has however great merit. some good Sculptures by WESTMACOTT, BEHNES, BAILY, HUGHES, SCOUful, forcible, and altogether well-painted portrait of that eminent physiLAR, MANNING, Kirk, Kendrick, Ternouth, SieVIER, HOPPER, and surrounded by his family and friends. His gratified wife presses the TURNERELLI. But the classic visitor will lament the absence of FLAXMAN hand of her husband, while a young lady is advancing to present him with The patient, sitting in and inhaling the " buxom air" of his garden, is and CHANTREY. There are as usual excellent Miniatures, and a few beautiful Medallic Models,&c. by Messrs. Rouw, MOORE, WYON, STOTH-piece are admirable, and the likenesses excellent; but why Mr. HAYDON ARD, and BARBER. a plate of strawberries. The general arrangement and colouring of this has thought proper to make the fair female frown, while in the performance of an agreeable and benevolent service, we cannot possibly tell. We venlady and the subject. In the portrait, too, of the Author of “Our Village." ture to assert, that theexpression is improper, as it respects both the gallantry, which never need be disunited. He has made the amiable young (Miss Mitford) Mr. HAYDON has again sioned both in regard to truth and and highly-gifted writer look full ten years older than she really is, -a deed which, we must insist, partakes more of a foul than a fine art ! Mr. RICHTER'S s powers are so universally known, that it is quite supersively to the production of very large pictures, we are surprised that he Nevertheless, all Mr. HAYDON's portraits possess considerable merit ; and fluous to state their specific qualities, and the mere mention of a new when we recollect, that he has for years devoted his great powers exclusubject from his hand will suggest, with tolerable accuracy, his mode of treating it.-77, The School in Repose, or the Mistress Asleep, the der that his portraits possess, with some faults, so many beauties. Some has been able so soon to alter his scale so successfully; and rather wonchildren, in consequence, reposing from their tasks, will naturally inti- of them are too large; an error, however (judging from an adinirable mate the particular objects and lively mode of representation such as most significantly belong to the subject-the jeering courtesy and laugh- to have abjured :—and if Mr. HAYDON will condescend to soften his style full-length he has just finished of Mr. Hunter) which he appears atreudy ter at the Sleeping Mistress, the sewing her gown to the floor, reading a romance, romping, playing, in short, all the freaks and fancies that and "sacrifice to the Graces" a little, we have no doubt that he will arch girlhood could sport under the circumstance of a dormant governess. soon rank with the most eminent portrait-painters of the age. Mr. RICHTER's execution is not equal to his general design and invention; there is, however, an able style of finishing, but the flesh is monotonously tawny. SOCIETY OF PAINTERS IN WATER COLOURS. THE Exhibition consists of Landscapes, excepting about a dozen Historical and Home Scenes by Messrs. Richter, Stephanoff, CristaLL, WRIGHT, and HUNT, and a few Fruit and Flower Paintings, of which those by Miss BYRNE are practical examples of all the principles of her Art, and are as near to the unattainable point of perfection as we think Water-colour Painting is capable of reaching. They certainly have never yet been equalled in that species of Art. The illustrious TITIAN was so conscious of his defective drawing, that he acknowledged it to be one of the causes of his sedulously applying his mind to colour, to counterbalance the deficiency. Mr. J. STEPHANOFF appears to be under a like conviction, and to have acquired no usual skill in colouring with unostentatious breadth and tint in subjects of unostentatious feeling, and with a certain gorgeous gusto in such as are connected with the factitious. Of the latter sort are-28, The Reconciliation of Selim and Nourmahal during the Feast of Roses; and 50, Sir Walter Raleigh throwing his cloak at the feet of Queen Elizabeth, to ensure her a cleanly path over the mire. But we hope that this able Artist will not be tempted to pursue this tinsel practise, this converting the chastlycoloured dress of the Graphic Muse into Harlequin and Columbine finery, making a plaything of his noble profession. Mr. CRISTALL'S chief picture, 176, Welch Peasant Girls, with Cader Idris in the distance, has an imposing breadth in the dresses, &c. and very decided and ably-painted coming-out of the principal objects; but the staid character in the Girls is quite out of keeping with rustic simplicity. EXHIBITION IN SUFFOLK STREET. HISTORICAL PAINTING. standing the unpopularity of that high department of the Arts in this vancement, I shall unwillingly meet this reasoner on his own ground, with much respect for his mistaken view, a sincere regret for the occasion, and a reliance that his candour will bear in mind, I have no personal interest whatever in the question. Mr. WEST obtained the patronage of his late Majesty without any family connection, solely by his excellence as an Artist. GEORGE the Third spontaneously conferred upon him the rank of "Historical Painter to the King." He enjoyed that high professional distinction and the honour of his Royal Patron's personal condescension and (if the term be not deemed too familiar for a subject) his friendly intercourse, for more than thirty years. TITIAN was not admitted to so continued and near an access to the Emperor CHARLES V. as WEST was to the presence and conversation of his gracious Sovereign. Every British Artist is justly proud of being employed by the King, and the purchase of one of his pictures to embellish the Royal Palace forms an important and enviable era in his life. WEST was honoured by a constant succession of commissions from the King during the long period last mentioned, and his works were selected for the first place in Windsor Castle, in preference to those of every other British Painter. Is there an Artist in England who would not be happy to boast of his Sovereign's gracious patronage and personal favour? Is there one so honoured, who would not attribute such high tokens of Royal favour to the King's fine taste, and to his own superior merit? Why then should not the same reasoning be allowed its due weight in the case of WEST, who received a far greater number of commissions from the late King, and was employed more constantly during a greater number of years in his actual service, and in habits of more immediate intercourse, than all his professional contemporaries put together? From these distinguished honours, so fairly won, so long enjoyed, and so undeniably established, I pass to other honours equally public and undeniable. Here I quote from the gratuitous publication, "On the probable Extinction of HISTORICAL Painting," recently perused by the King, and presented by Messrs. RAPHAEL and BENJAMIN WEST to every Member of the two Houses of Parliament:-" We proceed proudly in our recapi tulation to the triumphant record of facts-the twenty-seven annual elections of the great British Historical Painter of our day, to fill the high and dignified public office of President of the Royal Academy of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture in England. This may be very fairly termed a national elevation indeed! Would the Royal Academicians, with all their jealous sense of professional reputation, their conficting pride, their honourable ambition of precedence, their eager competition as men of genius, and their feelings of self-respect as gentlemen, have unanimously and voluntarily, twenty-seven times, elected any bat an Artist of the highest claims to stand, as Mr. SHEE has termed it, at their head, and at the head of the Arts in the British Empire? The question needs no answer. It is to be remembered, that a year for deliberation intervened between each of these elections; and that each was a public act, recorded in the presence of the world; that they extended over a period of at least twenty-seven years, and that each was honoured with the Royal signature and sanction."-(p. 123, 124.) I will not add one word to the above. Having now proved that WEST enjoyed the hig best Royal favour and the highest professional honours, I shall in my Next communication conclude the question by reviewing the mere mercantile argument of pounds, shillings, and pence, so gravely referred to in this case, as a proof against Mr. WEST; and I trust I shall show, even on the ground, that in a great crisis, when his works were placed in the public market with those of his ablest contemporaries, they brought greater prices than those of any other British Artist, excepting those of May 4, 1825. REYNOLDS. ALGAROTTI. SOMERSET HOUSE HANGING COMMITTEE. TO THE EDITOR OF THE EXAMINER. Mr. EXAMINER.-You who have so often and justly exposed and reprobated the partial manner in which the Royal Academicians have universally hung their own Pictures, to the exclusion of others of far superior merit, will I trust this year not only acknowledge but animadvert upon the very shameful way in which they have behaved to the matchless Pictures of their President; for, with the exception of the Princess Sophia's Portrait, his other seven are either up in corners, as Mr. Canning's and Mr. Croker's, or placed above the line, as the Lord Chancellor and Lord Bexley,or, as in the case of Mr. Lambton's, over a very powerful, bat in my opinion very meretricious picture, which precludes all possibility of judging or appreciating its transcending excellencies. If this capriciousness on the part of the hangers arises (which I have been informed is the case) from personal enmity and jealousy, it cannot be too highly or publicly censured; and the names of Messrs. PHILLIPS, CHALON, and JONES (the artists appointed to arrange the Exhibition) ought to be generally known, that the other Royal Academicians might escape that approbrium which will ever attach to theirs. I am, Sir, yours respectfully, May 5,1825. JUSTITIA. FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE. FRANCE. PARIS, MAY →We have received a little book, printed at Lyons, with the approbation of the Vicar-General, aud circulated by the Missionaries. It is entitled, Examination of the Conscience. Rule of Life, Remedies against Sin. Abridgement of our Faith and is distributed among the young people of both sexes of school. We hare looked into this book, and found to our surprise, at the 9th page, appropriated to the 6th and 9th Commandments, obscene expressions, impure details, a complete exposé of the most monstrous combinations of licentiousness; in short, a treatise to teach debauchery and corruption; and this at a time when the Jesuits are making such an outcry about religion and morality! The reader may judge of its improper nature, when we say that it is so bad that we cannot, dare not copy it; and we are sure the Etoile and Drapeau Blanc dare not insert any portion of it in their pages, though it is approved by Vicars Generals, and circulated by the Missionaries. The book has been printed at various places, and in a short time will be distributed through the whole of France, and our youth will be instructed by a book to which the cases of conscience of Dr. Sanchez were pure. In looking at this gross.... abuse, we must ask why the Procureurs du Roi, so sensible on other occasions, have no power when morality is thus outraged, and justice violated? Are they not fathers? Have they no daughters at boarding schools? and are they contented with this mode of insinuating into their minds a knowledge of debauchery, and acquainting them with the nomenclature of a series of vices, of which, in ordinary circumstances, women remain ignorant their whole lives? Is there not a Commission to examine Books of Devotion? Does not the Ministry talk incessantly of morality, and has it not extended its cares to the purity of the Opera, and can it allow corruption to be in this manner carried into the heart of every family? Is it not time to overlook the Theatre, and examine what is taught at Church, to set Tartuffe at liberty, and put the Examen under restraint?➡ Constitutionel. UNITED PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS. Monday, May 2. pany Bill from Spital-fields, Lord LAUDERDALE complained of some pubA petition having been presented in favour of the Equitable Loan Comlication on the subject, and wished for its production, as, he said, thongh he did not care for the attacks upon himself, yet those upon Parliament ought to be noticed!-Lord DACRE observed, that the paper in question was not issued by the Company; and Lord SUFFIELD remmarked, that some of the most respectable persons belonged to the Company, and among them, Sir R. Birnie the Magistrate, who knew well what would be of service to the poorer classes. Tuesday, May 3. Earl GREY presented a petition from an individual named Milles Cropper, in favour of the Catholic Claims. The petitioner, a clergyman, stated, that he did not think the Clergy of the Church of England merited the charge of intolerance, for many of them entertained the most liberal views towards the Roman Catholics, though they did not come forward with petitions. Several petitions against these Claims were presented from various parts. Thursday, May 5. Several petitions were presented against the Claims of the Catholics, one of them from the Isle of Portsmouth, which, Lord GROSVENOR said, should be considered as rather the petition of the Earl of Eldon and Mr. Bankes, the Recorder of Weymouth, who had been exceedingly active in "getting it up ;" for very few of the inhabitants had signed it, and some of those, who had been frightened by the Ghost of bloody Mary, now regretted their weakness! The LORD CHANCELLOR averred that he not moved at all in the business; but that it was evident, from the number of petitions against the Claims, on which side public opinion preponderated. Friday, May 6. Several Petitions were presented against the Catholic Claims,-one by the Bishop of BATH and WELLS, from the Protestant Dissenters of! Marlborough, Wilts. The Petitioners expressed their gratitude to the Church of England for the privileges they enjoyed, and were convinced that the object of the Catholics was to put down not only the members of the Established Church, but the Dissenters also. The Rev. Prelate observed, that the petition was the very best petition he had ever had the honour of presenting. Lord KING said, that he had likewise a Petition to present from certain Protestant Dissenters, but it was of a very different description from that presented by the Right Reverend Prelate. The good sense of the parties' whose petition the Right Reverend Prelate had presented, appeared to be buried in a multiplicity of words and unintelligible phrases. The petition which he (Lord King) had now the honour of presenting, was from the Protestant Unitarians of Taunton; and it prayed that the claims of the Catholics might be granted, as the best means of uniting a large body of his Majesty's subjects in support of the King and Constitution. HOUSE OF COMMONS. Monday, May 2. The Shrewsbury Poor Bill was thrown out, on a motion for the second reading, there being 60 against and only 27 in favour of it. BONDED CORN. Mr. HUSKISSON brought forward his proposition on the subject of the Bonded Corn. He adverted to the reasons for this measure, stating, geneally, that it would have the double effect of relieving the parties who had o long had corn in bond, and of keeping down the prices which, other 15 ise, lie had every reason to believe, would rise, previously to the harreste. S by the Committee any intention to recommend any interference with the friendly funds of any of the trades. Mr. BARING described the repeal of the Combination Laws as a most mischievous measure.—Mr. ELLICE said, that it could hardly be stated that the repeal had as yet had a fair trial that hitherto its effects had not been fully ascertained, and that many of the accounts about combinations amongst the workmen were highly coloured. CATHOLIC CLAIMS. to the maximum of 80s, and lead to the opening of the ports by the natural operation of the law. That would occasion the importation of the enormous quantities of corn now collected on the Continent; and, by such a vast influx, be productive of far more injury to our agricultural interests than could be caused by the introduction to the market of the foreign corn already bonded in this country. His plan was, to allow such corn to be brought into the market, on the payment of a duty of ten shillings per quarter; but to be let into the market by monthly instalments of a third of the quantity possessed by each holder The whole quantity bonded (about 400,000 quarters) will thus be allowed to be brought into the market in the course of three months. Many Members expressed their approbation generally of this measure; but Mr. SYKES and Mr. Alderman THOMPSON Complained of the proposed rate of duty as being too high, the former thinking that 8s., and the latter that 5s. per quarter would be an amply sufficient amount of duty. They proposed such amounts in ameud-gown at the Irish Bar; but the Petitioners might have seen an instance in ments; but after an extended discussion, or rather conversation, they were negatived, and the expediency of admitting into the market all wheat, now bonded, after paying a duty of ten shillings the quarter, was sanctioned by the House. Mr. HesKISSON afterwards proposed a fixed duty of 5s. the quarter on all Canada wheat imported into this country, as a measure of just encouragement to such portion of our Colonies; and it was adopted, after the expression of some fear that the United States might send their Corn through Canada to England. In the course of the conversation, Mr. HUSKISSON alluded to the depression produced in the foreign exchanges as against this country; but he thought it was a subject which ought not to excite alarm, or that any opinion unfafourable to our general prosperity could be drawn from it. It was quite ridiculous, he said, to entertain such an apprehension. The exchanges had been for a long time against other countries, and in favour of this, and yet we did not see any general depression of their commercial prosperity produced by that circumstance. The recent slight turn against us had arisen from circumstances which must be of a temporary nature, and which would, in a very brief period, work their own remedy. Mr. HUSKISSON's resolution was agreed to. Mr. DENMAN, on presenting a Petition from the Corporation of Nottingham in favour of the claims of the Catholics, expressed his sincere. pleasure that this body had been converted to the doctrine of concession. Neither did they think that any securities were necessary, but thought it extremely unjust that any man, for his religious tenets, should be excluded from the honours of his profession, or from the dignities of the State. They complained, therefore, that Mr. O'Connell had not been allowed a silk the Hon. Member for Winchelsea (Mr. Brougham), where an individual was excluded from the rank of a silk gown, from political motives, to the disgrace of the country, to the injury of his clients, and to the detriment of the juniors of the profession. Should another Monarch unfortunately succeed to the throne, the case of that distinguished Member would, probably, be even more hopeless than at present, for his able advocacy in favour of the Roman Catholics could not fail to be remembered with regret by one party, and with gratitude by the other.-[Not a word from the Treasury side.] DISSENTERS MARRIAGE BILL. Mr. W. SMITH moved the further consideration of the report on this bill. Mr. ROBERTSON contended that the Protestant Dissenters were not entitled to the privileges which this bill would bestow upon them, because they were not even so much of Christians as the Mahometans! These Protestant Dissenters denied the divine mission of Christ, which the Mahometans admitted. He then proceeded to show that even the Jews were better Christians than the Dissenters, and concluded by moving that this report be taken into consideration this day six mouths. Nobody being found to second this amendment, it fell to the ground. The original motion was then put, and carried. The bill was then committed. In the committee, Mr. W. SMITH remarked that he should not deign to answer the speech which had just been made by Mr. Robertson, as it showed a total ignorance of the tenets of the Dissenters, and of the details of the present measure. Tuesday, May 3. COMBINATION LAWS. A petition was presented by Mr. CARTWRIGHT from the masters of Northampton, complaining of combinations amongst the workmen, and an extended conversation arose on the subject. Mr. Cartwright wished to know whether the Committee were likely to propose any alteration of the law, or whether the Government had any weasure to propose for its amendment?-Mr. HUSKISSON replied, that he had no objection to arrangements amongst men regarding their wages, &c.; but said he must complain of those combinations which went to dictate to the masters, as to whether they should take apprentices, employ women, &c. The woollen trade in many parts of the country, and several trades in London, were now sus taining serious injuries from those combinations, which he contended were beyond the fair objects of arrangement amongst the workmen. As he deemed the tyranny of the many to be worse than that of the few, he expected that the Committee, who at no distant day might make their Report, would recommend some remedies for these evils. He had, however, no idea to propose the re-enactment of the old Combination Laws.-Mr. PHILLIPS complained of the excesses that had been committed by the combinations of workmen in different parts of the country --Mr. HUMB denied that there had been any violent excesses (Dublin excepted) and complained that the Ministers and those who had made such statements, had only heard the tales on one side. He maintained the right of the men to regulate their wages. He said, Honourable Members would keep their wheat till they could get 90s. a quarter for it, if they saw any chance of procuring such price; they would keep it out of the market, if they perceived the likelihood of a great advance; if mes could not get regular wages, had they not a right, if they pleased, to keep out of the market? If there were enactments on a different principle, there would be one law to raise the prices of corn, and another to keep down the prices of labour. Mr. Hume added, that several workmen had already been examined before the Committee, and others were to be examined; and he thought their evidence would place the question in a different point of view from what seemed to be desired by those who complained of the Act repealing the old Combination Laws.-Sir M. W. RIDLEY, and other Members of the Committee, trusted that a Report would not be precipitated, as there were many witnesses (operatives and others) to be examined; and it was added, to allay the alarms of several trades, that there had not yet been expressed | Wednesday, May 4. COMBINATION LAWS. The Combination Laws were again the subject of an extended conversation, on the presentation of several petitions from Operatives, &c. praying to be heard before the Committee, to justify their proceedings against the charges of combination and outrage. General GASCOYNE remarked, that there was great alarm, in consequence of an impression that the Committee contemplated the recommendation of measures interfering with the Friendly Funds of the workmen. As to their rights, he contended that they had a right to strike work if they did not deem themselves sufficiently paid; but had no right to prevent others from going to work for those masters from whom they had seceded -Sir M. W. Ridley, as a Member of the Combination Committer, begged to repeat, that so far from the Committee having any intention to recommend an interference with the Friendly Funds of the workmen, the question had necer even come under the consideration of the Committee-Mr. DENMAN maintained that the common law was sufficient to afford the amplest redress for any illegal proceedings on the part of the workmen. The Act repealing the old Statutes was good, except in the summary powers which it gave to Magistrates. Mr. HUME begged to remind the House, that the Act of last Session, about which there was so much outery, only repealed those statutes regarding combinations, under which, if only three men bad been found together talking about wages, there had been sentences of one and two years' imprisonment; but it left untouched all the statutes about threatening letters, &c-Mr. PEEL said, that if the common law bad before been sufficient to punish offences arising out of combinations, the Act of last Session had, in some degree, superseded the common law, while it appeared to hold out to the workmen that they ought to combine for the regulation of their wages. Mr. SCARLETT admitted that the Repeal Act did in some degree supersede the common law, but, he remarked, whenever his opinion had been asked, he advised proceedings on the common law.-Mr. J. WILLIAMS cautioned the House against thinking of further legislation on this subject; their legislation was vain, as was proved by the experience of the last twenty years;-and Mr. SYKES spoke to the like effect, observing that combinations were inseparable from human nature.-The several petitions were ordered to be referred to the Combination Laws'-Committee. Mr. MABERLY moved for the repeal of the duties on Beer, contending that it was most unfair they should fall on those who were least able to bear them, the poorer classes. The rich man could brew his own beer; bnt the poor man could not. He therefore was deprived of the benefit which the opulent man enjoyed. The beer duty was, in fact, a tax on the poor individual, from which the wealthy individual was exempted. The duty on beer produced annually, 2,281,000l. which was charged with 295,000 for collection. This was chiefly contributed by the poor; and: he knew not how any man could reconcile it to his conscience, to vote against a motion which was intended to lighten such a serious burden. The rich man paid 20s. per quarter for his malt. That was the only tax levied on him. But the poor man had to meet a double duty-20s, malt duty, and 35s. beer duty; making a total of 55s. If the cafenlation were made by the bushel, the rich man paid 107, while the poor man paid 23. He would ask, was this a just measure of legislation? Was it fair or proper? There was a means by which the weight might be removed; and this was, by placing the duty on malt instead of on beer. The expense of collecting the duty on malt was now 300,000 per annum. the alteration he recommended should be adopted, this sum would be saved to the country; because, although the duty on one was 20s. and on the other 408. the expense of collecting would be the same.After some further very apposite remarks, Mr. Maberly moved, " that from and after the 5th of January, 1826, all the duties on beer should cease." If |