1824.] 
as to occasion it to adhere too strongly; 
a sufficient gumming causes the skein 
to preserve its regularity of thread, too 
much will cause the thread to break in 
the winding, during the operation of 
throwing or preparing for the hands of 
the consumers. The skeinsshould also 
be banded, or bound round in various 
parts with threads. 
‘Bengal raw silk is by no means to be 
estimated by the lustre or brilliance of 
colour. Many have been deceived upon 
this point, it therefore becomes the 
more necessary to guard against similar 
errors. That these qualities are not 
essential, appears, when we consider 
that the silk will be dyed before it is 
manufactured, when both will be neces- 
sarily changed. Silk of indifferent co- 
lour is often clear and even, which the 
manufacturers most regard in their pur- 
chases, while silk of superior lustre is 
sometimes deficient in these desirable 
points: still colour and lustre are not 
to be overlooked; when combined with 
cleanness and evenness they give an 
additional value to Bengal raw silk. 
Foul silk, in the winding, is continually 
liable to break at the knibs or knots, 
which renders the workmanship both 
unpleasant and expensive. 
Hydrophobia may be cured by Vinegar. 
—A letter from an Italian gentleman at 
Venice to a friend in this country states 
that, “ A poor man, lying under the 
frightful tortures of the hydrophobia, 
has been cured with some draughts of 
vinegar, given him by mistake. A phy- 
sician of Padua tried the same remedy 
upon a patient that was brought to the 
hospital, administering to him a pound of 
vinegar in the morning, another at noon, 
and a third at sunset: the man was 
speedily and perfectly cured.” 
David slast Picture.— When David was 
onthe eve of departing from Parisinto ex- 
ile, he is said to have told his pupils that 
he was about to alter and improve his 
style, and that he would send them from 
the Netherlands,—the country which 
he had chosen for his future residence, 
—a specimen of colouring, which should 
‘be far superior to any thing which he 
had heretofore produced. In ‘ the 
pe picture, David has fulfilled 
is promise with a vigour of execu- 
tion that could scarcely have been 
expected in youth itself. On this piece 
he has devoted his whole time during 
his exile at Brussels. The following 
description will enable your readers to 
‘form some idea of the composition of 
this piece :—Mars having returned fa- 
Literary and Miscellaneous Intelligence. 
The value of the’ 
251 
tigued from the field of battle, has 
seated himself on a couch, from which 
Venus has apparently partly risen, in 
order to make room for him. The lat- 
ter has one hand resting on the former, 
and is with the other about to place a 
garland of flowers on the head of Mars, 
on condition that he forsakes for the 
future the pursuit of arms. Mars is 
with his left hand resigning his sword, 
as a token of assent to this proposition; 
and with the other, which is hanging 
over the head of the couch, holding a 
spear. Two of the Graces are taking 
hold of his helmet and shield, and the 
third presenting him with nectar. Cupid 
is seated at his feet, busily employed in 
unloosing one of his sandals. —The dis- 
position of the whole scene is admirably 
conceived, though the arrangement is, 
in my opinion, rather too studied. The 
drawing is as chaste as it is beautiful ; 
and the colouring, in variety, richness, 
and truth of tone, is truly admirable, 
and far superior in brilliance te any of 
his former productions. The head, 
body, and in short the whole person 
of Mars, are possessed of great beauties; 
but the Venus, though the back is beau- 
tiful and the feet admirable, is possessed 
of no portion of that melting voluptu- 
‘ousness which usually belongs to the 
Venus of Greece and Rome; for, in- 
stead of that, we find nothing but 
anxiety and dejection. Nor are the 
features of the Graces more agreeable ; 
and the figure of Love is both misplaced 
and badly embodied. But in spite of 
these observations, I must acknowledge 
that, taking into consideration the great 
age of the artist, and the novelty of the 
style of the present undertaking to 
him, that it is a great work, and will 
always be admired, as a splendid spe- 
cimen of colouring. This is said to be 
the last picture which David intends to 
undertake. ; 
Portrait of Lord Byron.— We learn, 
from a correspondent in Italy, that a 
most beautiful portrait, representing the 
above noble poet after his death, has 
just been finished by M. Pezzanis, who 
is said to have been with that « illus- 
trious author the moment before he 
expired. 
Cosmorama.—In point of principle, 
this exhibition is superior to the Dic- 
rama; but the execution of the paint- 
ings, generally speaking, is far from do- 
ing justice to the contrivance, which 
places them in so brilliant a point of 
view. This censure, however, is to be 
understood under some modifications. 
2K2 A 
