1807.] Account of the Marquis of Stafford’s Gallery of Pictures, 1 25 
tannic and Chinese, were drank with 
great glee; the Chinese drinking wine, 
in compliment to their guests: in gene- 
ral, however, they drink a spirituous li- 
quor called samsoo; a very favourite be- 
verage in this country. 
I here for the first time, among a va- 
riety of other luxuries, tasted the famous 
birds’-nest soup, so much esteemed in 
China, that it is said they pay an equal 
weight of silver for the nests; and it 
formsa considerable branch of commerce. 
It isthe nest of a small bird that breeds 
among the cliffs and rocks of the Philip- 
pine and other eastern isles. It is said, 
the bird collects this glutinous substance 
from the rocks on the shore, and likewise 
from the sea, while skimming along its 
level surface, and is supposed to come 
from the sea-weed; of this the bird forms 
its nest; which from its adhesive quality, 
sticks to the sides of caverns, and the pro- 
jecting parts of rocks and precipices, safe 
. from the rude assault of every animal but 
man! who no sooner found that it could 
be converted into that universal object of 
adoration money, than he was seen sus- 
pended from the craggy eminence, or ex- 
ploring the murky cave, and despoiling 
the poor innocent birds of their peaceable 
habitations, in order to indulge the pam- 
pered appetites of luxurious epicures! 
(Lo be continued.) 
= Be 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
accounrT of the PICTURES in the MARQUIS 
of STAFFORD’S GALLERY, ST. JAMES’S, 
By MR. GEORGE PERRY. 
T has been fora long period a deside- 
ratum with the lovers of the Fine 
Arts in England, that a gallery of excel- 
lent pictures should be obtained in the 
metropolis, capable of holding out to the 
student such examples of the ancient art- 
ists, as should supply a source of useful 
knowledge only to be obtained from a ge- 
neral view of the excellencies of each. 
That such a project has not sooner been 
carried into effect, has been owing chiefly 
to the great ditlculty of procuring the 
best works of the Italian School, and to 
the great expence necessary for such an 
undertaking, too much almost for any in- 
dividual, or even for,any society, to have 
effected, except through a long period of 
years. Owing to the French Revolution, 
and during the period of general rapacity 
and confusion, a large part of the Orleans 
collection found its way from France to 
England, by means which it is very natu- 
ral to suppose were kept mysteriously se- 
cret; from this excellent gallery several 
assortments have been made by the En- 
glish nobility, which would do honour to 
the palace of the greatest princes of Eu- 
rope. s\mongst the principal purchasers, 
the most emiment was the late Duke of 
Bridvewater, whose cotiection has de- 
scended to the present Marquis of Staf= 
ford, by whose liberality and muniticence 
an immense gallery has been fortued in 
Cleveland-row, consisting of the most 
eminent works of the painters of all ages, 
which is now open to the public one day 
in each week, with the most highly laud- 
able generosity, witheut any other restric= 
tion than a previous notice from the at- 
tending party. The advantage to the pub- 
lic, in point of amusement and recreation, 
must be considered as very great, and to 
artists, the encouragement held out by 
such examples is still more powerful, and 
only to be equalled by the great improve- 
ment to be found in an accurate examinas 
tion of the whole. The collection is ex- 
hibited in a large and extensive suite of 
rooms, ornamented with beautiful coe 
lamns, in imitation of the antient red por- 
phyry of Egypt; to these also are attach- 
ed several side rooms, and which contain 
chiefly the smaller cabinet pictures, com- 
bining all the excellencies exhibited in 
the different departments of the art, 
in all the periods of its developement. 
The gallery is particularly rich in the 
works of Nicholas Poussin, whois allow- 
ed to have excelled all other painters in 
the expression of the passions, and in 
the arrangement of his drapery and atti- 
tudes..  , 
THE ROOM OF POUSSIN. 
This room exhibits to view a charm- 
ing series of pictures, all done by 
the hand of this great painter, consist- 
ing of the Seven Romish Sacraments, 
and a picture of Moses Striking the 
Rock; and with this piece we shall com- 
mence our description. The spectator 
is surprized at the great genius of the 
painter displayed throagh all the different 
characters; the interesting time of infan- 
tine childhood and innocency, the full- 
erown period of manhood, and the imbecile 
decrepitude of age, 18 here faithfully pour- 
trayed, whilst the fine solemnity of the 
subjects is improved and heightened by 
the sombre darkness which accompanies 
the greater part of this interesting series. 
The painter has delineated a moral and 
interesting subject to all succeeding ages, 
more durable than the massive pyramid, 
or the empty laurels of the statesman or 
the 
: 
