414 
fome kindred poet; his lefs obvious ana- 
chroniims, and lefs glaring violations of 
the dramatic unities, would doubtlefs be 
detected with greater facility by a well- 
practuiled critic: but fill 1 contend, that, 
where human-nature is tne object of re- 
prefentation, the bench of juitice is not 
monopolized by artifts. That oft-quoted 
Jine of Terence is quite as applicable here 
as in thofe cafes where it has io frequently 
been ufed, in reference to the interett 
which every one ought to take in the con- 
cerns of humanity :—** Homo jum ; et nibil 
bumani @ me alienum puto.” 
How far this realoning is applicable to 
the third fifter-art, Muiic, I wall not pre- 
tend to determine: but, applicable or not, 
mulicians, painters, and poets, ali appeal 
to the public with confidence, and the 
fentence which their performances receive 
is allowed to be generally a juft one. 
For a man to form any tolerable efti- 
mate of a picture, it is obvioufly of in- 
difpenfa' le niceffity that he fhou’d be tho- 
roughly acquainted with all the circum- 
ftances of the ftory which the artift deli- 
neates, and with the characters of the 
principal perfonages introduced: the pre- 
cife inftant of aétion which is exhibited, 
will of courfe not efcape him. There is 
fo powerful a fympathy, or perhaps one 
might fay there is fuch a pliyfical con- 
nection between the mufcles of the body 
and the emotions of the mind in thofe 
firiking fituations in which the chief figure 
of a painting is ulvaliy pourtrayed, that 
moft people, furely, are capable of judging 
whether the artift has given in the one a 
jut and accurate repreientation of the 
other, 
But to obtain all this previous know- 
ledge, fo neceffary to the critical exami- 
nation of a picture, much attentive ftudy 
is requifite, and af courfe much time: al- 
though we are fortunately very near to 
the Louvre, you know how little time we 
ean devote to it—now and then a hafty 
hour, which is abfolutely fled before one 
can walk round thercoms!—And after all, 
the moft celebrated pictures in this gallery 
have been repeatedly defcribed by perfons 
of well-cultivated tafte, who have had 
every opportunity of ftudying them at 
their leiiure. 
You fee Tam labouring hard to excule 
myfelf for the difappointment you may ex- 
perience at being thus cheated; however, 
3f poffible, I will make my peace with 
you, by putting in my pocket for your 
perufal the Notice des Tableaux des Ecoles 
Frangaife, Flamande, et ltahenne, expofés 
dans la grande Galeri? 
An Excurfion ihrough France to Geneva. 
[June 1, 
This Notice,,I affure you, is not a mere 
catalogue, it is by no means fuch a bar- 
ren index as is given you in Somerict- 
Houfe ; but contains a neat and coneiie 
explanation of thofe hitorical pieces par- 
ticularly, which without fuch explanation 
on the fpot muft be uninterefting to nine< 
tenths of the fpeétators. Will you have 
a fpecimen? I think it will amufe you, 
and fhall therefore fele&, for tranflation, 
the Notice of my favourite piece, The 
Communion of St. Jerome, by Domeni- 
chino. What would I give that the group 
of adoring angels would finifh their ado- 
ration, and fly away! ’ 
‘¢ Domenichino (Domenico Zampieri) 
born at Bologra in 1581, and died at 
Naples in 3641. No. 763. The Com- 
munion of Saint Jerome. 
«© Arrived at the age of 99 years, and 
feeing his laft hour approach, St. Jerome 
caufed himfelf to be carried into the 
church of Beth!ehem, where he had been 
accuftomed to celebrate the holy mytteries. 
There, placed at the foot of the altar, the 
dying old man fummons all his ftrength, 
in order to receive, on his knees, the via- 
ticum: but exhaufted by faflings, age, 
and illnefs, it is unequal to this laft effort. 
Vainly does he attempt to raife his aris, 
that he may clafp his trembling hands : 
the coldnefs of death has already icized his 
extremities ; the relaxed mufcles, and the 
fiiffened joints, are no longer obedient: 
his arms are moticnleis, his knees bend, 
and, finking under the weight ot his body, 
he again falls backwards. In this ftaie 
of feeblenefs and agony the little life which 
yet remains to him feems altogether con- 
centrated in his eyes and on his Iips, that 
eagerly implore the Sacrament, which the 
prieft is preparing himfelf to adminifter, 
H-, cloathed in the facerdotal habit of the 
Greck Courch, advances towards the holy 
man, in order to communicate; with one 
hand he holds the Hoft on the patine, and 
with the other he ftrikes his bofom as he 
pronounces the facramental fervice. Near 
him the Deacon, ftanding in the Dalmatie 
veftment, bears the chalice ready to pre- 
fent it, when he fhall have received the 
Eucharift ; and before him the Sub-deacon, 
on his knees, holding in his hands the 
Miffal. aie to: 
'«¢ The affiftants participate in this 
pious ceremony: one fupports behind the 
fainting old man; another, on his knees 
before, wipes away the tears which his 
fituation has extorted. On his left hand, 
Saint Paulina proftrates herfelf, in order 
to kifs his hands: all feem moved by the 
affefting {cones “The compolition is com~ 
TE Ba seeing PL pleted 
