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  XXVI. 
  — 
  Notice 
  of 
  an 
  Antique 
  Marble 
  Bust. 
  By 
  Andrew 
  Coventry, 
  Esq. 
  

  

  (Read 
  February 
  16, 
  1S52.) 
  

  

  Having 
  had 
  the 
  good 
  fortune 
  last 
  autumn 
  to 
  get 
  an 
  antique 
  marble 
  bust 
  of 
  

   extreme 
  beauty, 
  the 
  question 
  naturally 
  arose, 
  of 
  whom 
  it 
  might 
  be 
  the 
  portrait, 
  

   if, 
  indeed, 
  it 
  was 
  a 
  portrait 
  at 
  all, 
  and 
  not 
  an 
  ideal 
  head. 
  I 
  had 
  proceeded 
  some 
  

   way 
  in 
  this 
  inquiry, 
  when 
  it 
  was 
  suggested 
  to 
  me 
  one 
  day 
  that 
  it 
  might 
  interest 
  

   the 
  Society 
  to 
  know 
  something 
  of 
  it, 
  and 
  that, 
  though 
  a 
  little 
  foreign 
  no 
  doubt 
  to 
  

   its 
  usual 
  topics, 
  the 
  change 
  would 
  be 
  agreeable, 
  and 
  that 
  ancient 
  art 
  was 
  not 
  

   without 
  its 
  charms. 
  So 
  urged 
  I 
  yielded, 
  — 
  perhaps 
  too 
  easily 
  ; 
  but 
  of 
  this 
  you 
  will 
  

   judge 
  when 
  I 
  have 
  done. 
  

  

  Unfortunately 
  the 
  history 
  of 
  the 
  bust, 
  before 
  it 
  became 
  mine, 
  is 
  altogether 
  un- 
  

   known 
  to 
  me, 
  further 
  than 
  that 
  it 
  belonged 
  to 
  a 
  gentleman 
  in 
  Westmoreland, 
  who, 
  

   there 
  is 
  reason 
  to 
  think, 
  picked 
  it 
  up 
  whilst 
  travelling 
  in 
  Italy. 
  And 
  I 
  am 
  sorry 
  

   that 
  owing 
  to 
  his 
  absence 
  once 
  more 
  abroad, 
  wandering 
  about 
  with 
  uncertain 
  

   health, 
  and 
  often 
  changing 
  his 
  residence, 
  I 
  have 
  been 
  unable 
  as 
  yet 
  to 
  learn 
  any- 
  

   thing 
  of 
  its 
  early 
  history. 
  Before 
  going 
  further, 
  I 
  may 
  mention 
  that 
  the 
  bust 
  

   would 
  have 
  been 
  here 
  to-night 
  for 
  exhibition 
  if 
  I 
  had 
  found 
  it 
  possible 
  to 
  remove 
  

   it 
  from 
  my 
  house 
  with 
  any 
  safety. 
  It 
  would 
  have 
  been 
  attended, 
  however, 
  with 
  

   considerable 
  risk, 
  as 
  there 
  are 
  several 
  joinings, 
  particularly 
  in 
  the 
  back 
  of 
  the 
  

   shoulders, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  altogether 
  a 
  little 
  crazy. 
  But 
  in 
  its 
  place 
  I 
  have 
  brought 
  some 
  

   photographs 
  executed 
  by 
  my 
  friend 
  Captain 
  Scott, 
  R.N., 
  and 
  one 
  or 
  two 
  very 
  deli- 
  

   cate 
  photographs, 
  with 
  collodion 
  upon 
  glass, 
  by 
  Mr 
  Tunny 
  of 
  Newington. 
  These 
  

   really 
  leave 
  no 
  room 
  for 
  disappointment 
  or 
  regret. 
  In 
  truth, 
  they 
  shew 
  the 
  fea- 
  

   tures 
  more 
  perfectly 
  than 
  an 
  exhibition 
  of 
  the 
  bust 
  itself, 
  in 
  the 
  full 
  blaze 
  of 
  gas 
  

   light, 
  without 
  shadows 
  or 
  relief, 
  could 
  possibly 
  have 
  done. 
  A 
  single 
  light, 
  no 
  doubt, 
  

   from 
  a 
  torch, 
  or 
  day-light 
  entering 
  by 
  a 
  side- 
  window 
  and 
  casting 
  shadows, 
  shews 
  

   it 
  to 
  most 
  advantage 
  ; 
  and 
  I 
  only 
  hope 
  this 
  may 
  induce 
  any 
  gentleman 
  present, 
  

   who 
  feels 
  so 
  far 
  interested, 
  to 
  call 
  at 
  my 
  house, 
  when 
  it 
  will 
  give 
  me 
  the 
  greatest 
  

   pleasure 
  to 
  shew 
  it 
  him. 
  

  

  The 
  bust 
  is 
  that 
  of 
  a 
  young 
  woman 
  of 
  serene 
  and 
  pensive 
  beauty. 
  The 
  head 
  

   is 
  of 
  Parian 
  marble, 
  but 
  the 
  drapery 
  of 
  Carrara, 
  and 
  seemingly 
  of 
  a 
  later 
  age. 
  

   Probably 
  at 
  an 
  early 
  period 
  some 
  accident 
  befel 
  it, 
  for 
  the 
  Carrara 
  marble 
  extends 
  

   from 
  the 
  drapery 
  upwards 
  a 
  little 
  way 
  to 
  a 
  crack 
  in 
  the 
  neck, 
  and 
  the 
  nose 
  and 
  

   the 
  knot 
  of 
  the 
  hair 
  have 
  been 
  slightly 
  injured 
  and 
  restored 
  with 
  Carrara 
  marble. 
  

   It 
  was 
  not 
  unusual, 
  as 
  we 
  know,* 
  for 
  the 
  head 
  to 
  be 
  wrought 
  separately 
  from 
  the 
  

  

  * 
  Burton's 
  Rome, 
  2. 
  203. 
  

   VOL. 
  XX. 
  PART 
  III. 
  5 
  U 
  

  

  