388 Miscellanies. 



hand, the faithful messengers of the mind — and to enrich the memory 

 with the best combination of lines and contour. Then it may be said 

 that we are best prepared to apply our graphic knowledge to many 

 of the pursuits and occupations of life. The contraiy effects would 

 be produced by the selection of irregular forms. Such as m fore- 

 ground, and distances in landscape, where thousands of forms being 

 invisible to the eye, we can only attempt to sketch a few ; as, for 

 instance, the ever moving clouds, cracks and appearances in large 

 masses of rocks, the variety of plants and foliage, the forms and 

 number of trees, &;c. This characteristic looseness of style in draw- 

 ing forever prevents the eye and hand from being correct. Conse- 

 quently the best schools of Europe have selected the human figure as 

 the best model to perfect our graphic faculties, our taste and coup d'ceii. 



Michael Angelo in speaking of this last property, has said that " a 

 good drafts-man always carries a pair of dividers in his eyes.'''' Fi- 

 nally, in this country, having no large armies to support, all its citi- 

 zens could be prepared, in time of peace, in the " science of war.^^ 

 The character of modern warfare depends no longer for its success, 

 as in former ages, on strength of body and personal courage ; it is 

 united with many scientific principles and applications ; as in the con- 

 struction of arms, of redoubts and of fortreses, combined with sys- 

 tematical means of attack and defence. By the aid of a good drafts- 

 man furnishing an exact configuration of the grounds on which forces 

 are to act, a small army may be able sometimes to resist a powerful 

 one. 



By cultivating, therefore, science and the arts, and maintaining the 

 majesty of the laws, we shall, in this favored land, lay the surest foun- 

 dation of national honor and glory. 



LITERARY NOTICES. 



1. American Translation of Ciivier^s Regne Animal. G. & C. Sz. 

 H. Carvill : New York. — Dr. McMurtrie is entided to the thanks of 

 the cultivators of Natural History, for his very faithful and able trans- 

 lation of this most perfect system of zoology; in which the entire cir- 

 cle of sentient beings is arranged according to their organization and 

 essential resemblances. The publication of the present work, we are 

 confident, will form an era in this country, as respects the popularity 

 of this department of knowledge. The American edition is hand- 

 somely printed, in four large Svo. volumes, of about five hundred pa- 



