1828.] 



Domestic and Foreign. 



533 



confute, and clearly prove the rock now called 

 Mill Consiglio, to be the one alluded to by 

 the Mantuan bard, in the following beau- 

 tiful passage" which we need not quote, 

 and to call which " beautiful" is all stuff- 

 it is a plain prosaic statement of the object 

 for which it was fixed on to direct the 

 boatman where to turn. But the specula- 

 tion is absurd. Why suppose Virgil to have 

 had any one rock in view ? Are rocks so 

 scarce within sight of shore ? 



At a short distance from Marsala is an 

 immense extent of ancient quarries, from 

 whence the Carthaginians and Romans 

 took their stone for the building and forti- 

 fying of Lilybaeum the stone is curious, 

 and merits the attention of the naturalist ; 

 it is an extremely porous marine concretion, 

 enclosing in deep strata beds of fine scollop 

 shells, many extremely perfect, and of a 

 species not at present known to exist. We 

 know not what the naturalist may say, but 

 what will the geologist say ? 



At the convent at this Marsala, he visits the 

 long range of catacombs, which furnishes, he 

 adds, the usual exhibition of smoke-dried skele- 

 tons of deceased friars, under the convent, and 

 which is kept as cleanly and wholesome as a 

 place of this kind will admit, and affords rather a 

 good specimen of that very singular custom, ob- 

 served by the monastic fraternities of Sicily, of 

 preserving the deceased partners of their soli- 

 tude. 



On the banks of the Belici he recalls the 

 memorable victory of Timoleon over the 

 Carthaginians, and is suddenly seized with 

 such a fit of enthusiasm, that " he made a 

 libation from the stream to the Corinthian 

 victor, and offered up a prayer that another 

 Timoleon might soon spring up, and again 

 restore industry and happiness under the 

 smiling influence of freedom" which is 

 really a rhapsody we did not look for, from 

 the usual sober strain of the author. But at 

 Agrakas, is another burst, at the splendour 

 of the voluptuous landscape the broken 

 and ruined magnificence of antiquity is lost 

 and forgotten in the enjoyment of the scene, 

 made up of artless and uncivilized nature, 

 aided by a genial climate, and the mel- 

 lowed tints of a southern sky, and combin- 

 ing all that is beautiful both of land and 

 sea, &c. 



We have no space to accompany him 

 further but the volume is full of a certain 

 sort of information, for which one has occa- 

 sion now and then to refer. His account 

 of the Lipari is by no means one of the 

 least interesting or useful parts of the book 

 which really deserves a place among books 

 of travels. 



Illustrations of the Public Buildings of 

 London, with Historical and Descriptive 

 Accounts of each Edifice. Vol. II. By 

 J. Britton and A. Puffin ; 1828 This, 

 like its predecessor, is a very elegant vo- 

 lume ; but, though completing the editors' 



design, it is very far indeed from completing 

 the number of public or conspicuous build- 

 ings. It would be difficult to detect the 

 principle of selection adopted by the very 

 competent undertakers some are old 

 most of them new some no longer in 

 existence, and others only in embryo - 

 while several, in defiance of the title, are 

 really private edifices. The chief value of 

 collections of this kind consists very much 

 in their completeness ; they are essentially 

 books of reference, and books of reference 

 that refuse to furnish what we naturally 

 expect to find, will soon be thrown aside. 

 The editors themselves, in their preface, 

 enumerate several omissions among others, 

 the Screen at Hyde Park Corner (by the 

 way, the figures on the frieze just thrown 

 open, are much too small to be any thing 

 but petty) and the Arch on the opposite 

 side of the road the late Duke of York's 

 House Lord Grosvenor's Picture Gallery 

 Gandy's new Church in North Audley-street 

 - the new Club Houses in St. James's-street 

 St. Paul's School the new Post Office 

 British Museum the London University i 

 Trinity Church, Mary-le-bone St. Cathe- 

 rine's Hospital in Regent's-park Trinity 

 Chapel, and the Unitarian Chapel in Stam- 

 ford-street Salter's Hall the Mint, Ex- 

 cise, &c. &c. ; and for not proceeding with 

 these there can be but one cause want of 

 patronage. With the quantum of "fame" 

 they have acquired, the editors are well 

 content : but feme is not profit. The failure 

 is to be regretted ; but there is no forcing 

 these things down people's throats. The 

 fashion, however, prevails and spreads of 

 covering drawing-room tables with prints 

 and embellished works, and these must have 

 variety and successions ; and such is the 

 imitative and aspiring spirit of the day, that 

 the demand for shew and objects of display 

 is sure to multiply it will only be for the 

 sellers to look after payment. 



The engravings are merely outlines, with 

 just shading enough to show projections ; 

 but the effect is very good, and quite ade- 

 quate for common purposes. Among the 

 more conspicuous objects are Carlton House, 

 Somerset House, the Bank, India House, 

 Law Courts, Nash's Gallery, new Hall of 

 Christ's Hospital, Belgrave Square, the 

 Bridges, and Drury Lane Rotunda. The 

 descriptions, which are both historical and 

 descriptive, are chiefly written by Messrs. 

 Britton, Brayley, Moffat, and Leeds, in the 

 usual style of topographic writing. The 

 account of the Colosseum is by J. B. and 

 T. H. and is as fine a specimen of puffery 

 and balderdash as we have seen this twelve- 

 month. This Colosseum our country 

 friends must not confound the word with 

 Coliseum is the imposing building now- 

 erecting for the exhibition of Mr. Homer's 

 Panorama of London and its Environs, as 

 visible, when the smoke permits, from the 

 top of St. Paul's, and will be thrown open, 



