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268 Monthly Retrofped? 
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of the two which precede it. . It is well 
engiaved in mezzotinto, and has a {pirited 
and brilliant effect. 
Timolea brought before Alexander. H. Single- 
ton—Danicl. 
This, and its companion, of Chri 
Healing the Blind, are engraven in mezzo- 
tinto, and are of a large fize; but they 
have rather a heavy effect, and the de- 
figns are defective in drawing and cha- 
racter. 
The Dream of Eve. Lycidas—H Fuzeli R. A. 
pinxit. Lewis, aguatint. feulpt. é 
Thefe piétures formed a part of the 
Milton Gallery ; and of the Milton Gal- 
Jery, confidered as the produétion of one 
man, it was not~ealy to {peak in higher 
terms than it deftrved. It was the pro- 
duction of a mind fraught wich peculiar 
energy, of a man who was perfe&ly ac- 
quainted with the anatomy of the human 
figure, but who, in his zeai to mark his 
anatomical knowledge, and difplay the 
energy of his mind, fomet:mes foared into 
the regions of ablurdiry. To copy his 
ftyle demands a portion of his feeling,— 
and when an artift, neither gifted with 
his fpirit, nor qualified to draw corre&ly, 
attempts to transfer his figures from the 
canvas to the ccpper; he is in fome 
danger cf rendering what was charader 
in the picture, caricature in the print ; 
of out-Heroding Herod! and rencering 
that which was high art in the original, 
ridiculous in the copy: the picture of 
Lycidas was a chalte and beautiful per- 
formance; we are forry to tay, almoft 
every thing which gave value to the 
painting is loft*in the engraving. The 
Dream of Eve is not in a better ftyle; 
neither drawing nor effe&t feem to have 
been attempted—in truth, if they were, 
they are not attained. The manner of 
engraving is extremely fingular. 
fr. Ackerman has juit publifhed a 
pair of prints from defigns by Mr. 
Weftall; under the frit, which is enti- 
tled Tbe Birth of Shakefpeare, are the 
following appropriate lines, which were 
written by a comtemporary poet: 
«¢ Triumph, my Britain! thou haft one to fhew, 
To whom all fcenes of Europe homage owe. 
He was not of an age, but for all time; 
And all the Mufes ftill were in their prime, 
When like Apollo he came forth to warm 
Our ears, or like a Mercury to charm. 
Nature herfelf was proud of his defigns, 
And joy’d to wear the drefling of his lines.” 
Bzn. Jonson. 
The companion print is entitled The 
Birth of Otway.- The firlt is engraved 
of the Fine Arts; {April 1, 
by ‘Mr. S.. Phillips, of whom we have 
had frequent occafien to Speak as a very 
‘promiling, and improving young artilts 
and the fecond by Agar, whofe profef- 
fional talents are too well known to ren- 
der it necflary to recapitulate them 
here. With refpeét to the defigns, Mr. 
Weitall has ranged through ail the regions 
of Tafte, and been clafled‘as one of the 
priefts of her temple; and in thefe two 
prints he has given us two interefting and 
engaging female figures, and two beau- 
tiful children. The little Shakefpeare, 
holding a lyre in his right hand, and a 
laurel crown in his lef:, is charaéteriftic 5 
and the Otway is infantine and natural. 
It brings to our recollection the unfortu. — 
nate fate of the poet, who is faid to have 
dicd prematurely at 34 years ot age. As 
to the fubjeéts, they are allegorical ; and 
allegory is a mutual compact between the 
artift and {pectator, where cne agrees to 
receive in a certain charaéter a figure 
which preceding painters have agreed to 
baptize by a certain name fer time imme- 
morial, With this regard, a figure re- 
clined on the banks of a river, Ge. Ge. 
is received as the river itfelf; and thus, 
thefe figures muft be confidered as the 
river Avon, on the banks of which we 
know one of the poe:s was born ; and the 
fame river, it tas been faid, was the birth- 
place of the other. 
In our Ketropeét for January, we 
mentioned a book cf Miltary Evolutions ; 
another work engraved for the fame pub- 
lither, which is now completed, and unites 
with much fpirit and originality of con- 
ception a number of interefting fub- 
jects. It comprizes the various modes of 
fighting, as the attack, retreat, &c. &c. 
in various parts of Europe, from the fol- 
lowing very animated defigns, fome of 
which were formerly publifhed feparately, 
but -are now combined in one work, 
price feven guineas. . 
The defigns were made by a fon of 
Geffner, the German poet, and their ge~ 
nerai charateriftic is {pirit. . They are 
prined in a rich brown colour, and have 
a good effect; and in the prefent rage 
for military affairs are likely to be very 
popwar.- 
_ MILITARY EVOLUTIONS. ~~ 
1. German Horfe in Purfuit of theEnemy. Geffner. 
inConibat. Ziegler feulpt.Zregler. 
o_o in Pur fuit-of the Enemy. Ziegler. 
—--——— Combat. Ziegler. ib: 
-— Watering their Hor feshy Moonlight. 
. German Foot with Bayonets, and Horse with 
_ Sword and Piftel. Ziegler. ; 
. A Retreat of Horfe. Ziegler. . 
Ly ae #'S 8. Attack 
oer = ee 
Din - vo 
