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With beaded bubbles winking at the brim And purple-stained mouth . O for a draught of vintage that hath been Cooled a long age in the deep-delved earth , while the other never thinks of a grape or a goblet but to maunder over the maddening influences of drink , to talk of glazed eyes , suicide , the gallows , and Tartarus ? Mr . Ritchie , however , does not confine himself to the temple of that genius which with gin , or viler liquors , Inspires the Withers , Prynnes , and Vickers of these latter days . He is also hard upon billiard-players . Why ? ' Drinkin ~ often "oes on . ' Then why not include the domestic dinner-table among the shadows of the Night Side ? There was a billiard-room opened in a certain town Several youths were eventually ruined . The inference is
obvious . Dancing fares better : — Dancing , instead of speech-making , is a sign of the times . Accompanied as it is by less drinking , let us hope it is a favourable sign . Let us judge in the spirit of charity and hope . But let us not be too sanguine , —it was during the terrors of the French Directory , when the 14 Streets ran so red with the blood of the dead That they blush'd like the waves of hell , " that Paris became a city of dancers , and that the art reached a climax unknown before or since . We are bound to say that a great part of this book is fustian , coarselydyed in < rlarin <* colours . It is the mistake , we repeat , of a clever man , who has failed among the Philistines , and has been persuaded that Pandora's box was a ease of sherry with delirium tremens at the bottom .
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A BATCH OF BOOKS . Oude its Princes and its Government Vindicated . By Moullee Mohummud Musselhood-deen , Khan Bahadoor , Hereditary Native of Oude . ( London : Davy and Sons . ) This is an account of the events connected with Oude its princes , and its governments , since the first political connexion of that country with the East India Company in 1765 , as seen through a native medium . Of course the charges brought against the Government of Oude , and which led to the annexation of the kingdom , are combated . We cannot say that the pamphlet is written with the temper and moderation or knowledge of the subject to which its author lays claim m the preface . - , We have to notice the first and second numbers of The Comprehensive History of England ( Blackie and Son , London ) , published in partshr The numbers are accompanied by numerous excellent engravings on wood and steel and brin ^ the history down to the death of Harold and the
ascendancy of William the Conqueror . The Life and Enterprises of Robert William Elliston , Comedian . By George Raymond , Author of " Drafts for Acceptance , " &c . ( Routledge and Qo \ The biographies of some men owe their chief attractions to the imagination and skill of the biographer . Others are intended to give that ' temporary immortality' —we quote the apt phrase of a venerable contemporary—which vain men love to acquire in the small circle of friends to whom alone they have been eminent . A third class owe their popularity if not to the public interest in the subject , at least to the force of anecdote and incident with which the works abound . To this class the Life of Elliston belongs . He was not only a public character ; he was ever busy in that which interested the public , and made that which was interesting also
amusing Perhaps no person ever realized more the personification of whim and eccentricity than the ' groat Lessee , ' as Elliston was called . His extraordinary conceit , his superlative vanity , his daring spirit , his ever practical joking , his wit and humour , made him a great favourite with the public and he treated all alike , peasant and prince , and felt that where he was none could be greater . Mr . Raymond had little more to do when preparing the present Memoir of the departed comedian , some ten or twelve years ago , than to collect the various anecdotes of this 'joyousest of once embodied spirits , ' and give them order and shape . The manner in which he discharged his duty is shown in the call for a second edition . The Spirit of Travel . By Charles Packe , of the Inner lemple . ( Chapnvm and Hall . )—Mr . Packo enunciates some heavy platitudes by way of moralising on the ' spirit of travel' and at Rouen exemplifies how much
, in need he stood of the care , or at least advice , of judicious guardians . The book is little interesting . It is an egotistic account of an excursion through Switzerland , devoid of pictorial description or scientific utility English and Scotch Sketches . By an American . ( London : William White and Co ) — It is always pleasing to hear an American express sympathy with his old mother-country . We are not of those who imaginethat any traditional or hereditary hostile spirit exists on the part of the mass of American people towards this country . We maintain the perfect harmony in heart and interest of the two greatest nations of the earth . A feeling ot gratification always steals over us when we find this conviction confirmed by new instances . The present work is written ' to express the thoughts and feelings of an American in visiting some of the interesting scenes of his
fatherland , ' and as such we recommend it . Essays . By Thoophilus Parsons . ( London : AVilliam White and Co . ) —This is a series of essays on religious subjects . The first series was published ten years ago ; the success of the former has induced the author to publish u second , from a conviction that it is not right to withhold what may do some good , only because it cannot do much . ' The Old Farm and the New Farm ; a Political Allegory- By Francis Hopkinson . With an Introduction , &c , by Benson J . Lossing , M . A . ( Low and Co . )—Francis Hopkinson was ninong the founders of the American Commonwealth , a Judge of the Supreme Court , a trues patriot , n fuithful
friend of Washington , and this was his fashion of appealing to Now England against the injustice of Old England . The allegory ib elegant and ingenious , and iB rendered doubly interesting by moans of Mr . Lossing ' n notes . It would bo difficult to recommend this pretty volume too strongly to the attention of young political learners .
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ROYAL ACADEMY . II . THE STOUY TELLING . The interest of Thackeray ' s Esmond lies entirely in the story of the feelings , with a slighter interest in the development of character ; to illustrate it theartist should be familiar with powerful emotions , even when kept under restraint , and he should be able to portray the delicate but distinct characteristics of suppressed emotions . In the painting of " Esmond after his return from the battle of Wynandel , " Mr . " Egg has by no means neglected the emotions of the scene where the young hero is endeavouring to suppress the display of his feelings , and there is » cross play the effect is of the kind
of affections ; but imperfect . In a scene , the strongest impressions should be produced by the countenances , next by the action or attitude , and comparatively slight thought would be . bestowed upon the costume : in Mr . Egg ' s picture the costume is finished with considerable care ; the action of the people , with the exception of Esmond , who stands in an attitude of constrained self-possession , is exceedingly quiescent . More than one of the figures is seen in profile , and the emotion of the countenances is upon the whole placid and indeterminate . It is a delicate and highly-finished painting , which has a general air congenial to the spirit of Esmond ; the difficulty of painting halfconcealed emotion is not quite overcome .
We have already got in the Middle Room , and our account of it is much the same as that which we gave of the first room . Upon the whole , stories are completely told in proportion to their simplicity , in proportion almost to the absence of a story . One perfectly understands Frank . Stone's passing cartload of French peasantry , which lie entitles " Bon jour , Messieurs ; " a cartload of simple chattering gaiety . It is not so easy to realize the scenes of " spiritual tyranny in Scotland" in the time of Charles II . from Mr . Poole ' s " Field Conventicle : " a Presbyterian minister seems to be delivering a soliloquy in the
presence of half a dozen men , women , and girls , who are grouped around him in attitudes which imply more attention to the painter than to the preacher . Mr . Poole has a manner of treating all substances in his picture , whether human form , draperj-, or ground , sis if it were made of crumbling materials , like stale gingerbread—a literal departure from truth which spoils even the moral verisimilitude of a picture . You cannot believe that you see a scene of Presbyterian piety contending with temporal tyranny , when the human beings , the clothing , and the scenery , seem all made of the same materials . icturof Chatterton he lay
Last year Mr . Walhs delighted us with a p e as on his bed of suicide . The painting was highly finished ; the beauty of the young man the carking anxiety , the placidity of death , the tarnished dress , the homely furniture the open lattice window with a delicately touched view of town roofs under the sun , were all portrayed with great force ; and the quiet of death was almost audible in the picture . This year Mr . Wallis seems to have laboured to produce yet greater force in his pictures , but the effect is weaker . ' A Sculptor ' s Shop , Stratft > rcl-on-AvOn , a . d . 1617 , " represents a youug labouring soulptor executing the well-known half-length bust of Shakspeare , under directions from a friend of the poet's , with the aid of a mask taken after death . 1 wo children are loitering at the sculptor ' s door , and there is a view of the town without . Much thought lias been bestowed on the design . 1 he contrast bethe to tnat
tween the death-like mask and the more living bust gives key struggle between mortality and immortality which the quiet scene is intenaeu to realize , and which to a great extent it does . It is a realistic view ot the subject , an endeavour to recal the veritable scene as if it were P ° togr fP ^ hence there is nothing ideal in the artist , who is a comely and inteUigent-iooKing man , but not handsome . The children , who are looking in wih ^ a halfperception of the work , fairly enough dramatize the impertect a PP r 1 R J ° ™ the passing generation for those spirits that are departing from it ; « hile the nobler wisdom of the poet ' s friend , and the instincts of the artist , help . themto a better perception . The picture fails in its execution . It " elaborated with great care and power ; but although realistic in its treatment , it departs trora fact . The landscape , seen through the open door , id too »^ "' " touches , too positive in its tints . The same defects , m a less degree , ¦ a ^ Jiwwn in the handling of the flesh and the costume ; the hair is too red , thownsc ™ the cheeks too purple . More complete in treatment is Montaigne in his Library , " with Mademoiselle de Gournay at the feet of the Pl " ^ ^ . ^ handling is more precise , the colouring better mastered , the story more
It does not suffice to produce with whatsoever historical exactness the per sons of a story , or even to handle the general emotion of the scene . In organic life there is always a strong individuality ; the emotions in most sa « fleeting expression dependent upon the play of the features , wluc | c-ini ot do fived musklike Hence Mr . Copr ' s somewhat striking group ot the A ll S ™" Fnthe " " ^ hing off their boat from Leyden , gives a faint -P ™^^ historical scene More is told by Mr . J . Aboiibb ' b 1 nno ot War , iw < i uc child is inquiring of his mother about Ins father ; because in « " « \^ %$ S the piny of the features is freer . Still more is told in Mr . Solomon s \ vn » b for the Verdict "_ a family group outside a court of J > f' j" ^ ^ lea every expression of the face , you can see lassitude conteii ^ ^ J , ^ in and intense anxiety . The father sits listlessly on a bench , Ins head im e his hands ; other figures are leaning about , weary , yet un . bio to res . ihe sits with her hands grasping her kneos-her facecontractedI wJ ^^ iuc 38 . anticipation , though she listens for the word with an u m /™ ' ^ dU , g of the The artist has aimed with great success at exactness m tl f m ° * £ » i » fe > forms ; and in the tensity of the features , especially of the nose ™ / ^ while the eyes are looking parallel at nothing , one can detect the ttns ty <» There is 1 viol of action in thispic ^ re bu „« oh ore * i viuiuuw ^* ... - •¦ -
ear , listening So ence , , ear , listening , mere » no u « .. w .. » ------ , „ ,.,, j 0 SlI 9 go ing More of the tale is brought out than in Mr . Dod oj « Chill Josi fa down with his parents to Nazareth . " Joseph is bearing t ° ^ ' * Vp M ox the man ' s arm with a certain simple case in tended toin p y so » J »» » . , * ,,, , than common nature . The attitudes ot the advancng pu <^ Jj £ " ^ ^ and designed after the historic manner . The fault of tl e pict ™ - » CB Mliry that the expression of the countenances ( Iocs not rise " f ^™ C ^ " volo . U old might bo any young Spanish girl ; Joseph any rcgular-teaturcd , benovo man ; the chief figure , any promising , studious elulU . . t Room ; Wo have passed the most striking pictures in the Miildleu : ncI w brftB hero are Mhxaib ' b two principal works- " A Dream ot the 1 , aat , fcjr u oKI at the Ford , " and the " Escape of a , Heretic , 1559 &ir I « ' > £ * ^ knight mounted on his « graund dostroro' Wncival ; a Jffsir Is mbnis sees a liora but by him Bcemed smuUc . ' By a ' woode s « lmW , rrv tol t ,. , ovor the ford . lytillo knave , ' with a ' maydon ' who asks him to . carry t fwin mo ^^ The old knight places the maid on the saddle-bow , the boy on * i |) 0 crupper , and gets up himself between s and the stout stcoJ studofl euro
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476 THE LEADER . [ No . 373 , Saturday ,
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), May 16, 1857, page 476, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2193/page/20/
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