-§20 
-with skin; a gentle relaxation pervades 
the whole recumbent image; while it 
‘represents that species of strength, which 
_ beiengs to bleed rather than to bone, 
Nothing can be more erroneous than the 
idea of its having any thing to = with 
the family of the Hercules’s; which 
some people have advanced, sd elks 
from seeing him seated on a skin; for- 
getting that the skin of the lion was the 
couch of every hero, and not perceiving, 
that even in one of the metopes, the cen- 
taurs use it as a shield. 
There are also, on this magnificent 
pediment, four or five other statues, par- 
ticularly two dressed figures sitting, that 
look as if the sculpter had worked in 
elay instead of marble, so profound are 
the folds, and so flowing the lines, of their 
draperies;—to speak “of the beauties 
f which, as they deserve, would, in this 
lace, take up too muh room. 
' may, however, 
._prognosticate, ‘that the art of sculpture 
will now take good footing in this coun-* 
‘try; our artists having before them in 
the British Museum, the high Egyptian» P 
antiques, the Greek and Roman speci-” 
‘mens selected by the late Mr. Townley; 
and, not to mention the numerous fine: 
casts we possess, Mr. Knight’s inestimable 
collection of bronzes in Soho-square; 
Tassier’s vast collection of gems;. and, 
lastly, these treasures of Lord Elgin’s 
snatched from the Turks; consequently 
we may now boast, that scarce any helps 
are wanting towards the revival of the 
noblest art that the faculties of man haye 
hitherto p¥oduced. 
_The temple of Minerva called Parthe-. 
non and Hecatompedon, was erected in 
the time of Pericles, who employed Cal-- 
licrates and Ictinus, as architects ; while 
Phidias directed and executed’ all the 
fine sculpture and ornaments, as well as 
the statue of the goddess, composed of 
ivory and gold, and which was, according 
to Pliny, twenty-six cubits high. There 
Memotrs of Prince Peter Tvonitch Bagration. 
We. 
venture from’ these to- 
[July 1, 
is no doubt, shar efore, that the models 
in clay from which they were worked, 
were chiefly by this excellent and re- 
nowned artist, perhaps all the finish of 
the work ; and we have reason, I think, 
to. velieve, that, in imitating these ex- 
amples, we follow his exquisite chisel. 
Such a treasure as we here have before 
us, would have gratified the ambition of 
_ any of the Roman Emperors ; and will at 
this day excite the envy of every Col- 
‘lector in Italy. Even the French, after 
all their depredations, must, at a peace, 
submit’to cross the: chanwel, if they wish 
to see such specimens of art, as Paris, 
with all its boasted splendour, cannot. 
exhibit. 
‘Ina plan for pr omoting the arts in. Eng 
land, annexed to‘the life of Julio Botim 
soni, it will be found, that I considered’ 
as a proof of the rapid advatices, ¥ ache 
in the year 1793, the French’ government 
_ were meking towards:a good taste, that 
they liad procured only casts in plaster 
‘of these fine models ; and I almost flatter 
ayself, that my invective against‘our in- 
dolence excited this. effort to possess the - 
originals. Permit me to quote a ica 2 
from that Essay. 
“ Refinement in-the arts could be pit 
ductive'to the Greeks of glory only; to 
us a good taste in them, superadded to 
this reward, will secure the means of our 
longer continuancé as a great people,” 
And as this sentitnent is now more than 
ever necessary, to inspire our mdtis- 
try, I trust that this opportunity of com- 
pleting our Studies, so as to rival our 
neighbours on the Centinent, will not be 
neglected ; and’ that the parliament of 
England twill, among other subsidies, 
consent to subsidize the arts; by pur- 
chasing, if possible, this entire colléction, 
and building a well-lighted museum to 
contain it, sosituated that the whole pub- 
lic nay benefit by the magnificent exhi- 
bition. ‘Your's, &c. 
: G. CumpentayD, 
MEMOIRS AND REN 
AINS OF EMINENT PERSONS. 
PRIN CE PETER IVONITCH. 
BAGRATION., 2 
HIS illustrious prince and general 
was born in Georgia, of the royal 
stock of that warlike nation, Like most’ 
of the princes who derive thei origin 
from the ancient dynasties of the vast em- 
pire of Russia, his family reside at Mos- 
cuw; where they have a spiendid palace, 
and live in all the: pony: of Eastern sovee 
zolenty: 
Moscow may be compared to the for= 
“mer labyrinth ot Thebes, not the residence 
of merely one king, but the abode of se- 
.veral, When the Emperor Joseph the Se- 
‘cond of Germany visited this city, he said 
toa nobleman who accompanied him, 
“¢ Here all the chief Princes of the 
Pe - country 
“ 2; 
Bere 
* 
