1830.] 



Fine Arts' Publication. 



THE second part of the Views in the 

 East, eguals exceeds, we might almost 

 say both in style and subject, the beauties 

 of its precursor. The same talents and the 

 same care have been devoted to it, and the 

 same results are evident. The first view, 

 " A Mosque at Futtypoor Sicri," by Purser 

 and Brandard, is very striking and finely 

 engraved. The mosque is attached to the 

 palace of Akbar, the celebrated emperor of 

 Hindostan. The gateway is exceedingly 

 magnificent ; according to Bishop Heber, 

 there is no quadrangle either in Oxford or 

 Cambridge, at all comparable to it, " either 

 in size, or majestic proportions, or beauty 

 of architecture." The interior scarcely 

 answers to the splendour of the external 

 design " Shere Shah's Tomb, at Sasse- 

 raur," is of an equally beautiful order. 

 This is by W. A. Le Petit, from a drawing 

 by Prout. The effect of the whole view is 

 very grand and gloomy ; the building is 

 properly thrown into shade, and standing 

 in the centre of an artificial piece of water, 

 about a mile in circumference, it presents a 

 singularly isolated and picturesque effect. 

 Shere was a military adventurer of the old 

 order ; one who, having made himself 

 emperor, seemed to regard " breach of faith 

 as royal property, which he would by no 

 means permit his subjects to share with 

 him." He had his natural good gifts too, 

 and effected many noble and magnificent 

 objects. He was at least a friend to tra- 

 vellers ; for he ordered that at every stage 

 they should be entertained at the public 

 expence, and this without regard to religion 

 or country. He also planted fruit-trees 

 along the roads, both to shelter them from 

 the sun, and to gratify their taste. More- 

 over, during his reign, both travellers and 

 merchants were wont to throw down their 

 goods and sleep upon the highway in per- 

 fect security a state of things far more 



pleasant than probable But we come to 



the third view the " City of Benares," 

 more diversified and animated than all. 

 This is an exquisite engraving of a scene 

 full of life and interest. Benares, which 

 stands on the left bank of the Ganges, is 

 still a curious and beautiful city ; but it is 

 not what it was previous to the conquest of 

 India by the Mahommedans. There is a 

 Hindoo legend we are told respecting it 

 which says, that " the city was originally 

 built of gold, but in consequence of the sins 

 of the people it was turned into stone." 

 Looking at it through the medium of such 

 an engraving as this, we are half inclined 

 to give credence to the fable. The groups 

 of people on the banks of the river seen in 

 a delicious state of happiness, and those in 

 the water, whether they are merely bathing, 

 or worshipping the Ganges, have by no 

 means the least share of the felicity. The 

 smoker in the foreground, sitting on the 

 wall with a prodigy of a pipe coiled up be- 

 side him, looking upon the calm water and 

 pouring clouds into the air, seems to breathe 



the very spirit of a dreamy enjoyment. He 

 has made us wish ourselves at Benares. 



The Eighteenth Number of the National 

 Portrait Gallery, contains portraits of 

 Lord Melville, Mr. Abernethy, and Lord 

 Clifden the two former from pictures by 

 Sir Thomas Lawrence, the last from one 

 by Hayter. They rank among the best of 

 those that have preceded them. We are 

 much pleased with that of Mr. Abernethy, 

 of whom a biography is given, more replete 

 with anecdote and rarity than the lives of 

 his contemporaries in this portrait-gallery 

 will generally admit of. Mr. Jerdan re- 

 lates some amusing stories of this eccentric 

 surgeon, to whose talents, industry, and 

 excellence of disposition, he does proper 

 justice. 



The Four Maps forming the Sixth Part 

 of the Family Atlas, are those of Holland, 

 and the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and 

 Norway, and the West Indies. They are 

 executed with the usual neatness, accuracy, 

 and compactness. The first half of the 

 work is now complete, and we may very 

 safely assert that never before was so much 

 information put into so small a compass. 

 We survey the globe through such a little 

 edition as this, as we look at the moon 

 through a telescope. We are already en- 

 abled to carry half the earth about with us 

 in our pocket ; and by the time this work 

 is concluded, we may be said to have the 

 whole world at our fingers' ends. We 

 almost fear that it is too small to be of 

 much utility. 



The Landscape Illustrations to the Wa- 

 verley Novels, have also reached their 

 Sixth Part, and exhibit no symptom of 

 falling off*. The Messrs. Finden continue 

 their exertions with spirit, and are evidently 

 not easily to be fatigued. There are two 

 illustrations of the " Pirate," from sketches 

 by the Marchioness of Stafford ; one of the 

 " Antiquary" Queen's-ferry by Stan, 

 field ; and one of " Quentin Durward" 

 Namur by Prout, a scene of extreme 

 beauty, and evincing both in detail and 

 general effect, all the characteristic finish 

 and freedom of this artist's masterly style. 



We have seen an engraving by W. Say, to 

 be dedicated to her Majesty a study of 

 Juliet. She is reclining on a couch, contem. 

 plating the fatal draught and grasping her 

 dagger. The whole arrangement of the 

 figure is very tasteful and effective ; and the 

 expression is touching and beautiful. It is, 

 moreover, Italian in its character, and does 

 not seem to have been studied in the 

 theatre. It is from a picture by Miss F. 

 Corbeaux, a young artist who has evinced, 

 at an early age, the possession of very 

 singular talents, the cultivation of which 

 we shall have great pleasure in observing. 



The Orphan Ballad Singers, engraved 

 by J. Romney, from a cabinet picture by 

 W. Gill, is a production of a very superior 

 order. It is long since we have seen a 

 prettier composition, and we have no expec- 



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