Imatges de pàgina
PDF
EPUB

appearance of constraint, while the sober sadness of the dress is in excellent keeping with the grave and meditative aspect of the wearer. PICKERSGILL has a fine portrait of Miss L. E. Landon (176) the charming Improvisatrice. The absence of all affectation in the portrait of a successful author is by no means an usual circumstance. We had expected something that would remind us of the "love-lost Sappho," or the fancifully vivid looks of Mrs. Tighe, but were agreeably disappointed. In humorous subjects, LESLIE Slender courting Anne Page (101) is uncommonly rich: though we think the face of the half-witted innamorato, somewhat caricatured. The Barber Politician by SHARP (185) is worthy of particular notice. We do not think that NEWTON is so happy in The dull Lecture (212) as we could have expected. The sleeping girl is vulgar and deficient of that sly humour, which in general characterizes this artist's productions. The Anti-room has not one picture that can redeem it from the appellation, the 'brethren of the craft' have from time immemorial assigned it, "the condemned cell." In imaginative subjects, we cannot think that it is out of respect to the memory of FUSELI, that his Comus (163) is exhibited. It is one huge mass of monotonous colouring; with all the extravagance of thought, the straining after effect of its highly gifted master, but without the redeeming splendour of his conception, and masterly execution. We had rather his posthumous relics had been confined to Psyche (216) which is in every respect worthy of the name of Fuseli. Want of room compels us to omit many other names who have contributed to the excellence of the present exhibition. In SCULPTURE we grieve to say, the specimens there have not given us any cause to lament our inability to extend our remarks on this subject.

FOREIGN LITERARY INTELLIGENCE.

Conveyed exclusively for the Literary Magnet, by James Grey Jackson, Esq. author of an Account of the Empire of Morrocco,' &c.

SIXTY stone monuments are arrived in France from Egypt; one of which weighs 250 hundred weight. One arrived at Paris lately: it is of grey granite; and its weight is 300 hundred weight, or 15 tons : two waggons, built expressly for the purpose, at Lyons, transported it from Marseilles to Paris. The lid is covered within and without with symbolical signs and hieroglyphic inscriptions. The cover or lid is convex externally, and is also covered in the same manner. It has been discovered by M. Chapollion-Figeac, that this magnificent sculpture is that of Ousirphthaer, son of Tavusorpethekis and of the lady Takisis; that the deceased was priest of the gods Ammon and Anubis, scribe of the grand temple of Phtha at Memphis, and charged with the direction of Psammeticus's worship! he was also priest of the god Apis, during three years. The name of king Psammeticus of the 26th Egyptian dynasty, frequently repeated in the inscriptions, discovers the date of the monument, and determines it to be about the 650th year before Christ.

The Society of Sciences, Letters and Arts of Boulogne-sur-Mer, have ordered excavations to be made in a territory, situated west of the port, which place is thought to have been a burying place for the Romans, when they had possession of this part of Gaul. A commission from the body of the society is charged with the superintendance of this work, which has already procured the discovery of several tombs containing human bones, fragments of armour, vases of burned clay of antique fashion, and others in very thin glass. From consular-medals found here, it is thought that they were buried during the occupation of this country by Julius Cæsar.

Reflections on the State of the Church in France, during the 18th century, and on its present state, followed by religious and philosophical discourses, by the Abbé Lamennais, fourth edition, in 8vo. Paris, 1825. 32 francs.

Observations of Jerome Torres, on the Law of Affranchisement, published by the Sovereign Congress of Columbia, in 4to. 42 pages. Bogota.

This work is a kind of commentary on the justice and wisdom of the law of the Sovereign Congress, which, by progressive but certain steps, conducts slaves to liberty, providing them by instruction against the eventual abuses of an emancipation, for which they might not have been prepared.

The Teylorian Society at Harlem, proposes the following question: "What were the doctrines of the oriental philosophers during the period that elapsed between the leading of the Jews into captivity, and the coming of Jesus Christ? Has philosophy had any, and what influence on the spirit and form of the sacred writings, as some of the learned have supposed? and if so, by what is that influence known, and to what extent should the commentator regard it?"

The prize is a gold medal of 400 florins. The answers are to be sent in before the 1st January, 1826, and may be written in Dutch, Latin, French, English, or German.

One of the most ancient, rich, and perfect languages of the East, is the Sanscrit. The literature of this language is immense, and consists of an extensive variety of works, particularly on theology, politics, history, geography, and astronomy; the poets who have written in this language, were endowed with a sublime genius, a brilliant imagination, a light and airy grace, &c. A dictionary of this celebrated language, as well as a grammar, are preparing for publication, by General Boisserolle, Member of the Societé Asiatique of Paris.

The Reading Magazine, for the amateurs of German and American literature, published at Reading, in Pennsylvania, January, 1824.

The first number of this work, which is the only one we have seen, answers the end proposed by the editor, that is to say, to amuse and instruct. The encouragement of the monthly continuation of this work, augurs favourably of the spirit of improvement, which influences the inhabitants of the other side of the Atlantic.

Caen, Normandy, June 11, 1825.

UNIVERSITY INTELLIGENCE.

OXFORD.

THIS is the term for Oxford fun: gownsmen lionizing their friends; townsmen looking after number one, bent upon making enough to pay for the long vacation dulness. The boat races, Commemoration Day, distribution of the prizes, hissing the proctors and other obnoxious animals, to say nothing of in-college parties, render this month at Oxford a delightful scene of bustle and mirth. The term commenced with the fight of Reid and Jubb, and, with that exception, there has not been any extraordinary novelty. After several hard struggles among the racing boats, for holding the head of the river, Christchurch came in victorious.

In a convocation holden on the 2d of June, the University seal was affixed to a letter of thanks to Henry Drummond, Esq. of Aldbury Park, Surrey, for his munificent foundation of a Professorship in Political Economy; and, on Wednesday the 8th, Nassau William, sen. M. A. late Fellow of Magdalen, and barrister at law, was unanimously elected. Also, on the 2d of June, the House of Convocation accepted a proposal from the Rev. Dr. Ellerton, Fellow of Magdalen, to found an annual prize of 20 guineas, for the best English Essay, on some doctrine or duty of the Christian religion, or on some of the points on which we differ from the Romish church; or on any other subject of theology which shall be deemed meet and useful. June the 4th, Mr. Henry Davison, scholar of Trinity, on Mr. Blount's foundation. Mr. Herman Merrivale, commoner of Oriel, and Mr. Thomas Luvin, commoner of Worcester, having been previously nominated on Trinity Monday, were admitted scholars of Trinity, on the original foundation. On Trinity Monday, Mr. George Cotes, commoner of Brasen-nose, was admitted scholar of Trinity, on Mr. Blount's foundation. June the 10th, in full convocation, the University seal was affixed to petitions to the House of Commons, for leave to bring in a bill authorizing the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, and the several colleges and halls therein, to raise money, by mortgage of their possessions, for defraying the expense of buildings for the accommodation of an increased number of students. The prizes have this year fallen to Edward Powlett Blunt, scholar of Corpus, for the Latin Verse; Frederic Oakley, B.A. Christchurch, for the Latin Essay; James William Mylne, B.A. Baliol, the English Essay; the Newdigate, to Richard Clerk Sewell, Demy of Magdalen. The latter gentleman has been making sure of the prize for the last four years, and must be happy indeed at obtaining it, because no one supposed him to have the least chance. A gentleman of Pembroke has published his rejected Newdigate, which very much resembles the admonitory verses at the end of an account of an Old Bailey execution. The novelty of the style ought to have entitled him to somewhat more than flat rejection. We are glad to see he is conscious of his own merit, by his appeal to the judgment of the world. Several of the 225, that put down their names for examination in the little go schools, have withdrawn them, the new examiners appearing to have taken lessons of

the Oxford tradesmen in the art of plucking. Two men, about to take their degrees as B. A., expelled from Queen's, for demolishing the images that adorned the college walls. June 15th, Men with exceeding long bills on the look out; the gownsmen's doors wearing a dun colour; scouts packing up; the togati packing off; and thus ends the term.

The Classmen for the Easter Term are as follows:

[blocks in formation]

June 17th.-At the Congregation on Saturday last, the following Degrees were conferred :-

Bachelors in Divinity.

Rev. T. Shelford, Fellow of Corpus
Christi college

Rev. T. Archdall, Fellow of Emanuel
college

Rev. A. Stapleton, Queen's college, compounder.

Master of Arts.

Rev. A. Stapleton, Queen's college, compounder.

Bachelors in Civil Law.

C. B. Broadley, Esq. Trinity college, compounder.

Rev. C. Leicester, Trinity hall, compounder.

BIRTH-DAY KEEPING.

WE very commonly look upon our birth-day festivals as so many triumphs over Time, and to a certain period reckon up the years we have lived as pure gain on the account of existence. But after that freshness of feeling has gone, the tables seem turned-we begin to look shy upon father Chronos, and each succeeding year mark his footsteps with additional anxiety, as he comes shaking his sullen beard over the little domain of our lives. At all times indeed, when we have passed the period of childhood, there is a dash of melancholy in our birth-day pleasures; for, although we may feel that in ourselves the spring of life continues in unabated flow, we cannot but observe how different it is with those whose breasts the ebbing tide of autumn has left bare to the strides of advancing Winter. There are doubtless many whom no consideration of this kind touches. They are your people for feasts and festivals. The approaching shadow of death lurking behind the backs of the jocund hours, they are happy enough never to see, and thus dance about full joyously in spite of the monster who eyes them with scorn and mockery,

I, who happened very early to see him draw near, am now accustomed to greet him with a nod of extreme familiarity on my birthday; which falling in the autumnal season, about the close of harvest, is generally devoted to mirth by my rural neighbours. I have a great respect for autumn with its fruits and golden sheaves, and love to see the revelry of a harvest-home; but think, notwithstanding, that my dies natalis ought to have fallen in the young year, as early at least as spring for the consciousness of existence has a peculiarly sweet relish in that season, when a birth-day seems in place; and Nature, with ourselves, takes a new lease of existence.

The Pagans must have certainly had a pleasant notion of life, if we may judge by their joyful celebration of the natal day: "Numera," says Persius, "meliore lapillo;" and Tibullus addresses to it this passionate apostrophe :

At tu natalis, multos celebrande per annos;
Candidior semper, candidiorque veni!

Censorinus observes from Varro, that no sacrifices were offered to the Genius of the Natal Day, because the ancients held it impious to deprive any creature of life on the very day wherein they themselves had received it. From the same notion they abstained from killing animals on the altar of Apollo Genitor at Delos. Pleasant feasts, lively companies, and plenteous libations, usurped the place of sanguinary offerings; and, according to Arnobius and St. Augustin, the birth-days of Gods and Cities were celebrated in the same manner as those of individuals.

But no rite that ever prevailed among the ancients, appears more amiable in my eyes than the Epicurean practice of keeping the birth-. day of their founder. It bore some resemblance to a religious ceremony, and tended to strengthen the bonds of amity between the members of a sect remarkable for the spirit of friendship. Epicurus foresaw the effect, and in his will recommended it to his followers as a MAGNET, VOL. IV. PART XXIII.

H

« AnteriorContinua »