in this otherwise highly favoured land! For the establishment of a truly English School, much must depend upon the nation, and much upon artists themselves. No sculptor can be expected to produce a great work, if he is not assured that it will add to his reputation, if not to his fortune. An artist of genius must have an incentive to exertion, as well as other professional men; and proper encouragement and due appreciation will, to a moral certainty, induce him to execute works which cannot fail of being an honour to himself and to the nation to which he belongs; while neglect and disappointment must only have the effect of withering his energies, by depriving him of that sustaining power by which alone he is enabled to follow out effectively the inspirations of his mind. By free and open competition alone, the principle most in accordance with the national spirit, can we expect the establishment of a national School of Sculpture. By that system alone can liberty in the designs of subjects, and the untrammelled exercise of genius, be properly secured. Individual patrons not unfrequently place their deadening control on the energies of the artists whom they employ; while they who work for the nation have the nation only to consult. By the one system-the system of free and open competition-the national genius would find itself unfettered; by the other that of favouritism or single patronage-individual energy is too generally "cabined, cribbed, confined." By the system of competition every sculptor of talent has chance of employment, either by being the successful competitor, or, if he failed in that, by having an opportunity of making his name and merits known to a wider circle of patrons than his mere private status may allow ; while the public would ultimately have the advantage of the "keen encounter of their wits," by the vast increase that must under such a system take place in the number of really good statues, and by the improvement in public taste that could not fail to be the result. Besides, if sculpture were more encouraged than it is, which it would inevitably be under the system of free competition, this field of art would be open as a legitimate pursuit to many men of genius who, "in these piping times of peace," can scarcely expect to distinguish themselves in the over-crowded professions in which they may be placed. As regards the Testimonial to be erected to the memory of the heroic Nelson, the ground for which at Trafalgar Square is now in an active state of preparation, the system of free competition was very properly adopted, as was the case with the plans of the new Houses of Parliament. The proposed site of the Nelson Monument affords ample room for the erection of a noble and striking work of art, which will be an honour and an ornament to the metropolis of the British empire, and worthy of the fame of the great man whose actions it is intended to commemorate. A very different system has been pursued with respect to the projected West-end Memorial to the Duke of Wellington. The proposal for this Monument, it is well known, arose out of the defeat of Mr Mathew Cotes Wyatt, when candidate against Chantrey for the execution of the City Testimonial to the Conqueror at Waterloo. Sir Frederick Trench, it is said, on his protegée being thrown out of the city, resolved to get up for him a rival statue of the Duke at the West end; and having interested his Grace of Rutland, and other influential persons, in favour of the plan, a large sum was in a short time subscribed, and a committee of noblemen and gentlemen appointed to carry out the details. Government, on being applied to, readily agreed to furnish ground for a site, on condition of being allowed to decide upon the plan, thus tacitly approving of the system of free competition. So far, all went well. But, at a select meeting of the committee on the 9th of June 1838, Mr Wyatt was unexpectedly and rather prematurely appointed the sculptor of the contemplated memorial. This proceeding gave rise to much discussion in the public papers at the time. The subscriptions to the monument suddenly came to a stand still. Twenty-four of the most enlightened members of the committee, who were not present at the meeting, having received no intimation that the election of an artist was to be any part of the business, including the names of the Dukes of Buccleuch, Richmond, and Northumberland, the Marquises of Anglesea and Tavistock, now Duke of Bedford, Lords Lynedoch and Hill, the Bishop of London, and Mr Ridley, now Lord Colborne, protested against the appointment; and government reminded the committee, that when the land for the site was granted, it was on the express stipulation, that the committee should lay before the Lords of the Treasury a plan of what is intended to be done, otherwise "her Majesty's government might by possibility be made responsible for the erection of a work of art thought to be unworthy of the great man whose services it is intended to commemorate, and of the state of the arts in our time;" declaring, at the same time, that "the Treasury requires that any model submitted to them should be publicly exhibited, in order that the general criticism of artists and the world should be pronounced before the approbation of the government is signified." In spite, however, of all the remonstrances addressed to them, and in the teeth of the storm which their proceedings had raised, the minority in the committee remained firm to the appointment of Mr Wyatt. In the meantime, as if in ridicule of the proposed site and the artist selected, some one, was it any "good-natured friend" of Mr Wyatt ?-erected a wooden model of the Hero-Duke on the summit of the triumphal arch opposite Apsley House, which remained there, the object of the jeering laughter of the "groundlings," a nine days' wonder! At length twenty-four members of the committee addressed Lord Melbourne on the subject; and his Lordship, in a letter to Liverpool, gave an assurance that government would suspend its consent to any plan submitted for its approval, until the whole question shall have been considered at a full meeting of the committee, and if necessary, of the subscribers. And thus the matter stands at present. In commencing a series of criticisms on the works of individual artists, it may be explained, that while there are certain favoured sculptors with whose names all are familiar, such as Chantrey, Westmacott, and Bailey, others may be mentioned, who, for high design, and even effective execution, ought to be considered superior to any of them, yet whose names, from circumstances, are known only to a few. Gibson, and Richard Wyatt of Rome, Behnes, Carew, and Park of London, Steele of Edinburgh, and Ritchie of Musselburgh, are not so extensively known as those above mentioned; yet the talents of most of these are destined, if properly fostered and directed, to retrieve the character of Sculpture from its present low state in this country, and elevate it to that high and honourable position among the arts which properly belongs to it. Others may be mentioned, who, though as yet almost unheard of out of their own circle, viz. Hogan, Theed, Scoular, Rennie, and M'Dowall, have at different times shown a desire to study Sculpture Proper. Besides these, there are hosts of mere bustmakers and monument-carvers, who really have little claim on the attention of the critic. We shall confine ourselves, therefore, in our notices, to the men who are doing, or attempting to do, something in the true genius of Sculpture, and have distinguished themselves in the higher branches of the art. Apart from the mass of Sculptors stands Lough, who gained an extraordinary reputation some years ago, by executing some immense works, large if not great. Those which we have had an opportunity of examining we will notice subsequently. Meantime, we must close for the pre sent. A PASSAGE IN THE LIFE OF A POLITICIAN. By a Contributor to "FRASER." A STRANGE adventure once happened to me, which it may be interesting to relate. It was at a period of great public excitement, when men were forced to take a part in politics whether they would or no; such as the agitation of the Catholic Emancipation question, or the passing of the Reform Bill. It is not necessary to say which side I was on. I may only explain, that every member of our family, and almost all my friends, were on the opposite. In vain did they endeavour to get me over to their views. I would not vote for their candidate; why should I, when they would not support mine? I should have been most happy to have made the exchange-as the odds, at least, would then have been in my favour. When they found that they could not prevail upon me to vote with them, they endeavoured to convince me that the wisest plan was to remain neutral, and not vote at all. Here, again, I was willing to oblige them, provided they did the same—that is, staid away from the poll; but no, they would not consent to so reasonable a proposal, and so I was fain to leave them to their own course, resolved, how much soever they might try to persuade me to the contrary, not to depart from mine. A Similarity of opinion had of course brought me acquainted with several influential gentlemen on our side of the question, and, among others, with the Hon. Gentleman who had come forward as our candidate. dinner being given to him by his supporters, a day or two previous to the election, I was engaged to act as one of the stewards on the occasion, having promised him all the assistance in my power to secure his return. It was a cold winter evening, and a carriage was sent, as I was informed, by the Committee by whom all the arrangements were conducted, to convey me to the stewards' room, previous to the commencement of the proceedings. When I got into the carriage, I found a person there who was an utter stranger to me; but I took him for another of the stewards to whom the same compliment had been paid. Few words passed between us. I thought his manner blunt ; but politics, like misery, brings us acquainted with strange folks. Who has not seen the aristocratic Mr Dashington, or the gallant and high-minded Colonel Blank, shake hands graciously, even obsequiously, with a shoe-black; or an Hon. candidate's lady, the proudest beauty, it may be, in the borough, nod and smile familiarly to all the coalheavers and canaille of the neighbourhood, and all for the sake of a vote! At length we stopped at a mansion, which, as I afterwards found, was near the outskirts of the town; although we were whirled along with so much rapidity that I did not discover it then; and a person at the door having explained that dinner had begun, I had not the least doubt that this was the place appointed. I was ushered into a room, where I found about forty or fifty gentlemen at table. The company I thought rather select, and on a brief but quick survey of the persons present, I was surprised at not seeing among the number any faces which I knew. I took my place, however, where it was pointed out to me to sit; and reflecting that I was too late to be of any use, I did not attempt to act in my capacity as steward. The first thing that attracted my attention, after sitting down, was, that the knife and fork which had been laid for me were made of bone! On looking around, I discovered that those of my neighbours were the same! I could not help inquiring at the person who sat at my right hand the cause of this unwonted circumstance. He looked at me with a somewhat ominous expression of countenance, "smiled horribly a ghastly grin," and drawing his hand significantly across his throat, gave me to understand, that it was to prevent the danger of any of the company making an attempt to sever the windpipe! I thought the gentleman disposed to joke; but that the knives and forks were bone instead of steel was matter of fact; and for what reason they were so, was not dreamed of in my philosophy. Then the platters, which, from being highly burnished, I thought at first were nothing less than silver, I soon discovered to be nothing better than pewter! Here was matter for farther astonishment, and on asking for a glass of beer, I got some weak compound poured out to me in a horn! I now began to think that I had certainly been taken to the wrong hotel; and had the knives and forks and platters been chained to the table, as is sometimes the case, I believe, in the low eating-houses about St Giles', I should have thought that I had got among a disreputable set of persons, who were not to be trusted with any thing of value. But the company seemed all so respectable-though some of them, I must confess, looked rather wild, and others were inclined to be noisy-the attendance at table was so regular and respectful, and the whole affair was managed with so much propriety, that I could not permit myself to doubt that I was at least among respectable people. It is true, some of the gentlemen present ate their dinner with an excitement which rather surprised me; others gobbled up what was set before them most voraciously; while I could not help perceiving that one or two required to be fed, like children, with a spoon. I never witnessed anything like it before on such an occasion; but onehalf of the people are, now-a-days, so much led away by their political feelings, that I am seldom much struck with anything that takes place at a public dinner! The chairman, though not the person I expected to see preside, and altogether unknown to me, conducted himself with so much bonhomie, that I was not inclined to be dissatisfied with my position, when, all at once, a person opposite began making faces at me, of the most hideous and threatening aspect. The other gentlemen beside me took no notice, and I would have been amused, had I not been thrown into considerable alarm by such an unusual exhibition. On a sudden, as it were, others began to make strange noises, such as I had never heard the like before. One fellow pinched me by the ear till I roared again, while another kicked me on the shin till I felt it smart and tingle with pain. A third asked me, "How I dared to sit in the presence of a great king like himself?" while a fourth very solemnly ordered me for instant execution! One great slopper-chopped baboon "spat upon my gaberdine;" while another monkey-faced dog "voided his rheum upon my beard." Here, a broad-visaged jackanapes overwhelmed me with loud unearthly peals of laughter; while there, a "lean and slippered pantaloon" gave himself up to "weeping and wailing, and (literally) gnashing of teeth." There was an unsettled sickly sort of melancholy on the brow of every one around me-a roving sort of fire which gleamed, and glowed, and glared in their eyes, like the twinkling shine of the glow-worm, which owes all its light to the putrescent substances of which it is formed. Men whom I had not noticed before, of a peculiar aspect and manner, not unlike policemen, now began to move about among the company; and their appearance seemed to have some effect in awing the most disorderly into comparative quietness. Nevertheless, some would break out; and several seemed to delight in the noise which they made, of whatever kind it was, whether it consisted of yells, loud and long, or of imitations of various beasts and birds, such as is nowhere to be heard, save and except occasionally in the Reformed House of Commons; and therefore I thought we had some hon. members of that assembly present. While I was gazing around me in mute astonishment, I observed the eye of a wild-looking gentleman opposite, who had hitherto maintained unbroken silence, fixed intently on me. Hoping to lead him into conversation, I politely begged the honour of taking wine with him; at the same time pouring from a pint bottle, which was placed beside me, into the horn I have already spoken of having in vain asked the waiter for a wine-glass-something that looked and tasted very much like water. Instead of returning my salutation, this strange mortal bawled out, at the top of his voice : Drink! drink! the wine cup is foaming, Like woman's sweet lip inviting a kiss; Ne'er tasted a wine half so grateful as this. He quaffed off a hornful of water, and then relapsed into moody silence. While I was wondering at his odd behaviour, my attention was directed to the person beside him, who at first amused himself with chewing bread and throwing it at all around him, but particularly at the head of our worthy chairman, who, however, took it all in good part. Getting tired of this, he laid his head on the table, and began a melancholy sort of cry, not unlike the howl of a starved cur at the dead hour of night, of the wild ullulation of the mourners at an Irish wake. He continued it unceasingly, to the no small annoyance of all within hearing, till a thickset, burly-looking personage, whom I had not before observed, entered from a side door, and taking him by the shoulders, gave him a rather hearty shake, which roused him at once from his recumbent position, when he turned to the person who had so unceremoniously disturbed him, and shaking his head, in a peculiar way, at rather than to him, he slowly repeated: 'Tis all in vain, my dungeon gate Is closed upon me now; And here I lie all desolate, While sickness racks my brow: Yet I could bear it, and be dumb, Nor stoop thus to complain; But on my heart the thought will come, |