.1830.] 



of the negroes. They have left us quite 

 charmed with the West Indies, and longing 

 for a climate where we can indulge in our 

 summer costume all the year round. We 

 are disposed to wonder what abolitionists 

 and an ti- slavery speech -makers will say to 

 these views. A single glance at them will 

 convince the most incredulous that slavery 

 at Antigua is a much more endurable thing 

 than our sympathetic societies at-home 

 would have them imagine. We cannot 

 help suspecting that the superintendance of 

 sugar canes at St. Vincent'Sj is quite as 

 pleasant as writing pamphlets against it. 

 The negroes^ in these views, seem to be 

 perfectly ignorant of the dreadful sufferings 

 they are enduring, and look as if they con- 

 sidered compassion. to be a superfluity. If 

 they knew all, they would hardly, we should 

 think, exchange conditions with an English 

 mechanic. Three parts of this publication 

 have already appeared, containing four 

 plates each. The object of the work is to 

 convey an idea of the existing state of 

 slavery in the British islands, of negro 

 costume, the process of sugar-making, &<r. 

 and to give a selection of views illustrative 

 of the general character of the scenery. 

 This, we think, has been entirely accom- 

 plished. The descriptions are more expla- 

 natory than, from the brevity of them, could 

 reasonably have been expected ; and the 

 plates are, as we have intimated, delightful 

 things. They almost make us discontented 

 with our liberty. Of course there must be 

 such things as churchyards somewhere in 

 the West Indies; but as we do not find 

 one among these views, we presume that 

 they are not so numerous as has been re- 

 ported. Happiness and long life, instead 

 s of flogging and fevers, seem to be here the 

 predominant features. Considering the 

 temptations which an artist must be exposed 

 to in such a country, and the disposition he 

 must naturally feel towards leisure instead 

 of labour, these plates are very cleverly exe- 

 cuted. In many of the views much artist- 

 like feeling is displayed, and all of them 

 are distinguished by brilliancy and luxuri- 

 ance of colouring. 



It does not always happen that the third 

 Part of a publication equals its first. This 

 we are glad to perceive is the case with the 

 Landscape Illustrations of the Waverley 

 Novels. In the present number, Mirkwood 

 Mere, from a design by Barret and Solway 

 .Firth, from a design by Copley Fielding 

 are our favourites. The clear transparent sha- 

 dows in the first of these are exquisite. They 

 are both calculated to shed a lustre upon the 

 scenes that have suggested them ; and both 



Fine Arts' Exhibitions. 



237 



of them do honour to the graver of Edward 

 Finden. 



" Junius," and the " Waverley Novels" 

 are splendid examples of the policy, upon 

 occasion, of concealing a name ; and, in a 

 minor sense, " The Devil's Walk" is an 

 additional evidence. We wish Mr. Southey 

 would, like a penitent father, acknowledge 

 the illegitimate offspring of his satirical 

 amours. It is really dangerous to let these 

 nameless orphans of verse wander about the 

 world ; for there is no saying where accusa- 

 tion will stop ; and every man, though with 

 sins enough of his own to answer for, is 

 likely to be suspected. Besides, the mystery 

 which makes them popular, generally gives 

 rise to some absurd and barbarous carica- 

 ture as is the case in the present instance ; 

 Mr. Southey's unaccountable modesty, or 

 obstinacy, has been an accessory before the 

 fact, has indirectly occasioned the perpetra- 

 tion of a Real DeviVs Walk, certainly not 

 by Professor Porson. In this production 

 there is much pretension and little point ; a 

 great deal of good-natured satire thrown 

 away, and a marvellous quantity of wit, 

 which will be of no use to any but the 

 owner. In one point, however, we are 

 bound to admit, that the satire by many 

 degrees exceeds its original and that is 

 in the badness of its versification. Any 

 thing more irresistibly dull, more excrucia- 

 tingly melancholy, we have not seen since 

 the last new comedy. But then there are 

 designs " designs by Cruickshank;" this 

 is very true but alack ! they are by Robert 

 Cruickshank ! " Ah ! how unlike my 

 Beverley!" The love-feast, and the meet- 

 ing between Satan and his biographer, 

 Montgomery, are the most humorous ; 

 " Blue-stocking Hall" is better in idea 

 than execution. But we would ask the 

 author, or the artist, of this poor little produc- 

 tion, where the wit is of caricaturing a certain 

 individual in the person of Satan ? Surely 

 they must have been lamentably short of 

 ideas when they were obliged to have re- 

 course to such a miserable expedient to 

 render their project popular. 



Portrait of Her Royal Highness the 

 Duchess of Cumberland. This 'highly 

 finished engraving is to form the frontis- 

 piece to one of the Nos. of LA BELLE 

 ASSEMBLEE. It is in Thomson's best 

 style, from a drawing by a foreign artist 

 long resident in England, M. Carbonnier. 

 The execution of the face is extremely 

 beautiful; and though, perhaps, it would 

 have been a more striking likeness a year 

 or two back, it may still be considered a 

 good resemblance. 



