1815.] New Publications, with Critical Remarks. Arabia; a Poem: with Notes: to which are added several smaller Pieces. By Johnson Grant, M. A. of St. John's College, Oxon, and Domestic Chaplain to the Countess Dowager of Balcarras. 12mo. 2d edit. 5s. There are perhaps few countries, the scenery, manners, and history of which present suck striking objects for poetical description, as that which constitutes the principal article of this volume. It would be doing the author little justice to say, that he has treated his subject in a pleasing manner, and that his versification is harmonious. He certainly possesses the true spirit of poesy, which is happily under the guidance of a correct judgment; and while he brings under 1eview the rich stores of extensive reading, the whole is arranged and displayed with admirable simplicity. appendix of notes will also be read with advantage, both as explanatory of the piece to which they belong, and as illustrative of the sacred writings. Among the smaller poems which contribute to the volume, we were most pleased with the "Hypochondriac," which is highly pathetic and descripLive. The The Deserted Village Restored, The Blind Reggar of Bethnal Green, Pastorals, &c. By Arthur Parsey. 6s. The Feudal Hall. 8vo. 4S. Poems, by William Cowper, Esq. Vol. III. containing his Posthumous Poetry, and a Sketch of his Life by his Kinsman John Johnson, LL.D. British Heroism, exemplified in the Character of the Duke of Wellington and the Brave Officers under his Command. POLITICS AND POLITICAL ECONOMY. Reasons for establishing a Registry of Slaves in the British Colonies, being a Report of the Committee of the African Institution. 3s. On the Slave Trade, and on the Slavery of Blacks and Whites. From the French of M. Gregoire, syo. 3s. 6d. TOPOGRAPHY. A Guide to Burghley House, near Stamford, the Seat of the Most Noble the Marquis of Exeter; containing a complete Catalogue of the Paintings and Curiosities: also Biographical Sketches of the Family; Descriptions of the Historical Works; and a Critique on the peculiar Merits, interspersed with interesting Anecdotes, gathered from the most authentic sources, of the celebrated Artists whose works are here collected. By J. Drakard, of Stamford. With two fine Plates 8vo. 12s.; 4to. 25s. VOYAGES AND TRAVELS. Travels in Southern Africa, in the Years 1803, 1804, 1805, and 1800, by Henry 55 Lichtenstein, Doctor in Medicine and Philosophy, and Prof. of Nat. Hist. in the Univ. of Berlin. Translated from the original German, by Anne Plumptre. The Second and concluding Volume, with a Map and several Engravings. 11. 16s. boards. This volume cannot fail of a welcome reception from those readers who have been gratified by the translation of the first; and they will find in it the same clearness of description, spirit of observation, and freedom of discussion, which so strikingly characterize this intelligent traveller. This portion of the professor's researches in Africa comprehends a journey from Graaf Reynett through the Karroo to the Cape Town; in which, among other curious particulars, we have some interesting accounts of the ostrich and the lion, with a few very remark. able anecdotes of the Bosjesmans and their humanity. The next journey is to Zwillendam and the adjacent countries, in which occurs a very minute and pleasing narration of an old German botanist, who was then living there at the age of ninety three. Professor Lichtenstein's next route was through the country of the Bosjesmans, the Corans, and the Beetjuans, of whose manners, customs, and habits, many remarkable circumstances are related. The last division of this volume exhibits a more detailed report on the subject of the Beetjuan tribe, high priest. An Appendix is subjoined, containing an audience with their king, and a visit to the two essays on the separate dialects of the Corans, Bosjesmans, and Bectjuans. A copieus index com pletes the volume, A Voyage to Cadiz and Gibraltar, up the Mediterranean to Sicily and Malta, in 1810 and 1811 including a Description of Sicily and the Lipari Islands, and an Excursion in Portugal. By Lieut.-Gen. Cockburn. 2 vols. 8vo. with 33 Coloured Views, 21. 12s. 6d. We have been very much amused by these agreeable volumes, which abound with pleasing sketches of manners, lively descriptions of scenery, and many curious anecdotes told with considerable point and good humour. The principal feature of the work is Sicily, of which island it presents as much better account than we remember to have seen among the variety of tours which have fallen in our way, Mount Etna, and other volcanoes, scem to have engaged no small portion of the author's attention; and as he surveyed them with uncommon diligence, his observations on this sub. ject will be perused with pleasure by the lovers of science. The following account of an itinerant preacher at Catania is curious: "There are wooden moveable bridges placed in all the great streets, for the convenience of the people in rainy wea ther; the torrents which come from the mountains and frimaras into the streets are so great, it would be otherwise impossible to cross. One morning I walked out before breakfast to see the market; a Franciscau monk got on one of these bridges and preached to the people. I may say I never heard. and certainly never saw, a better sermon; for I could understand all his gestures, though not all his language. These people are really orators by birth-such action-such animation. This monk would make a figure in parliament, or be a minister in England, where we are so foolishly prone to estimate talent by the faculty of making long speeches, in which the lungs are frequently the only organs of the speaker which merit praise. The monk was well worth hearing and seeing. I did not know before that they ever preached like 56 New Musical Publications. mountebanks in the street; but it is at this time Naples and the Campagna Felice; in a These letters having been successively inserted in Ackermann's Repository of Arts, under the title of " Letters from Italy," are now, by the opinion of some who have a good opinion of them, collected into a separate volume. We very readily concur in thinking with those readers that the letters deserved to be embodied in a more substantial form than that of a periodical publication. They are, indeed, rich in description and exquisite in humour; painting the manners of the Italians with equal spirit and accuracy. But lively as the author is, and much given to joking, he does not lose sight of the great object of a traveller; and, in truth, he describes the scenes around him with a classic taste and a most correct judgment; as an instance of which, we shall not scruple to extract the description of the supposed cave of the Cumaan Sybil, on the borders of the lake Avernus, at a few score yards distance from the temple of Apollo. "Here," says the author," my expectations were greatly disappointed: tradition has been guilty of an egregious misnomer in proclaiming this excavation to have been the residence of the Cumaan gipsy; but you shall judge for yourself. What bears the name of the Sibyl's Cave, is nothing but a level subterraneous passage, cut in a straight line through the rocky mountain. Where it ended cannot at present be ascertained; since, [Aug. 1, after proceeding for about a hundred yards, the kennel is choked up by earth and stones; but before you come to this termination, and at about forty paces from it, there is an aperture leading to some excavated apartments, into which our cicerone carried me on his shoulders, the water on the ground being upwards of a foot high. Coming from a hot sun into this damp and cold grotto, a shivering fit in an instant seized my whole frame to such a degree, that I felt no inclination to explore the dreary recesses of this aquatic labyrinth at the peril of my life. I instantly sounded a retreat, aad presently joined my friends, who, more prudent, or less curious than I, had stayed at the outside with my donkey. I have ever since been angry with myself at this piece of folly; and at this moment am not free from dread, lest my inconsiderate antiquarian zeal be rewarded by an ague or some feverish illness, which might in earnest introduce me to the regions of the departed This soi-disant cave of the Sibyl is, in my humble opinion, nothing else but the identical canal of communication between lakes Avernus and Lucrinus; it is precisely in the direction of both; and if such a canal existed, of which many corroborative testimonies leave no manner of doubt, it can scarcely have existed in any other place: since lake Avernus lies in a deep hollow, on all sides surrounded by high rocks and mountains, like the crater of a volcano. The cir cumstance of the main passage of the cave being dry at present, is to be accounted for by the earth and rubbish which have raised its level, and by the volcanic concussions which have totally altered the face of every thing in this little peninsula. The aquatic apartments were probably baths; sea. baths, if they communicated with the waters of the canal; or mineral baths, if there was no connexion between both." Letters from France; written by a modern Tourist in that country, and descriptive of some of the most amusing Manners and Customs of the French, with Characteristie Illustrations from Drawings taken on the spot, 8vo. 45. REVIEW OF NEW MUSICAL PUBLICATIONS. Lord Stanhope's Principles of the Science of Tuning. (Concluded from p. 453.) An ingenious and useful tuning instrument, called a monochord, has long been invented, by means of which the relation between the lengths of strings or wires, which produce different musical sounds, can be accurately ascertained. The following are the Particularities of the Stanhope Monochord. The wine is of steel: it does not pull downwards on the bridges, but forms one straight and horizontal line, by which means a bridge may be moved without altering the tension of the wire. The ends of the wire are not twisted round the pins, but each end is soft soldered in a long groove formed on a piece of steel, which goes over its corresponding pin. One of these pins is fastened on a brass slider, which is moved by means of a screw with very fine threads, which screw has a large micrometer head divided on its edge, and a corresponding nonius; so that the tension of the wire may be adjusted with the greatest precision, in order to obtain an exact pitch. A slider is fixed across the top of the moveable bridge, and is moved by means of another screw with. very fine threads. This slider is adjusted to the steel rod, or scale, by means of mechanical contact against projecting pieces of steel fixed on the steel scale, Each bridge carries a metallic finger, which keeps the wire close to the top of the bridge whilst the wire is made to vibrate. The vibrations are produced by touching the wire with a piece of oork one inch from the immoveable bridge. There is a second steel wire, equal in size, which may be occasionally placed on this monochord. The reader may form an idea of the prodigious accuracy of this instrument from the following experiment :"I begin," says his lordship, "by stretching the two wires so precisely equal, that no beating is audible between them. I have generally made the length of each wire exactly twenty inches between the bridges; and each wire may be stretched so as to produce G in the hass. By means of a fine screw which has fifty threads to the inch, and which has a micrometer head divided very finely to its edge, I can move the slider on one of the bridges to such a minute degree, as to lengthen or shorten that wire as little as the one hundred and eightieth part of the one hundredth of an inch, without altering the tension. Such a very small alteration in the length of one of the two wires 1815.] Smart's Musical Chronometer. invariably produces an audible beating between them. The beating may not only be heard, but likewise distinctly felt. The best way to feel it is to support a small piece of steel wire about two inches on the sounding-board of the monochord with one of the finger nails, If the lower end of the piece of wire be semispherical, if its upper end be pointed, and if that pointed end be applied to the tender part of the nail, then the beating will be felt very sensibly." Forty Preludes for the Piano-forte in the Major and Minor Keys. Composed and fingered by Ferdinand Ries, Clementi and Co. 5s. The preludes are only intended to be used as small introductions to any movement. They exhibit a beautiful display of chromatic modulation, 57 simple-and extremely well calculated for board- The Rose had been Wash'd; a favourite These words have been set by Webb, and sung mutantur; and music has changed with other with great effect by Mr. Harrison. But tempora things. This air, if not intrinsically superior to the old one, is perhaps better adapted to the mo dern taste, aad displays the powers of Mrs. Ashe in an eminent degree. Cupid's Snare, Fair and Faithful too, The London Cries; sung at Vauxhall Gardens. Written and composed by John Parry. Bland 1s. 6d. each. in which delightful combinations and masterly and Weller. divisions continually succeed each other with endless variety. They are classed and numbered ac. cording to their keys. The title of prelude does not exactly apply to all of them. Some should rather be termed capriccios, particularly Nos. 9 and 33, which begin in the 4th or 5th of the key. We trust that Mr. Clementi, who is so good a judge of musical compositions, will prevail on this gentleman to favour the public with more of his charming productions, Tête-à-fête; a Selection of admired National Melodies arranged as Duetts, for the Use of Juvenile Performers on the Pianoforte. By J. Munro. 3s. This title is rather unlucky: tête-à-tête, according to Boyer, means face to face, and not elbow to elbow, which is the position of duet performers at a piano-forte. We have another crow to pull with Mr. Munro; had he studied the rule in Dr. Crotch's elements, (p. 30,) that "two consecutive octaves must not take place between the same parts," he would have detected the two palpable octaves in the second bar from the beginning. This is, nevertheless, a pleasing selection-perfectly easy and The returning season has brought a fresh supply of Vauxhall songs. Our room-garret we meanis strewed with them. Mr. Parry seems to have the exclusive privilege of composing for the gar dens. We hope no accident has befallen our vene. rable and worthy master, Mr. Ilook, whose name we have long been accustomed to see to this sort of songs. No. I. Albion, a new Medley Divertidies; arranged in a Familiar Style for the mento, composed of Popular English MeloUse of Young Practitioners on the Pianoforte. By J. Munro. 2s. However highly we may appreciate Mr. Munro's merit, we are sorry to see him altering Dr. Arne's basses. The bass part to "Rule Britannia" is a most beautiful melody of itself, independently of the treble. He has likewise been tampering with several other airs. No doubt he meant to improve them; but, as a worthy alderman observed the other day, concerning the new Post Office, an improcement ought to be for the better. Whether this is the case, in the present instance, we leave the admirers of old classical music to decide. 58 Review of the Fine Arts. divided into 60 degrees, by which the time may be accelerated or retarded to the greatest nicety. The whole is put in motion by internal machinery, and when wound up will continue in action for an hour; by turning the index of the left dial the chronometer is adjusted to any measure required, whilst in the same action the tablet shifts itself, and shows the gradation of notes in the required measure, and each hammer beats the exact time of the notes over which it acts. To prevent the confusion that might arise from the action of all the hammers at the same time, there is a little stud under each to restrain their motion, so that any hammer may be stopped at pleasure by merely slipping back the corresponding stud. The management of this instrument is very simple, but ample instructions for the use of it will [Aug. 1, be found in a little work recently published by the inventor, entitled "An Introduction to the Musical Chronometer, forming a selection of Airs, &c. from the most classical Authors;" in the course of which, the application and management of the machine are progressively explained. The clearness with which this machine demonstrates the principles of time renders it a most important acquisition in the study of music, particularly in the master's absence, as pupils have constant instruction before them in the hours of private practice, when, if necessary, they may ascertain the true time of every note they have to play.-It may be had, on sale or hire, of Mr. Smart, 39, Foley-place; or Messrs. Chappell & Co. 124, New Bond-street. REVIEW AND REGISTER OF THE FINE ARTS. "L'onore conferito da Grandi à bravi artisti dà vita e vigore alle Belle Arti; come poco incoragimento, e le critiche severe, le fanno languire." Christmas Eve; painted and engraved by JOHN BURNETT, and published by him and Messrs. BOYDELL and Co. May 1, 1815. Condivi, Vita di Michel Angiolo Buonarotti. MR. BURNETT, who is well known both as a painter and engraver, has here given us one of those domestic scenes for which the Dutch and Flemish schools are so celebrated. He has succeeded in presenting an English cottage, (Christmas Eve,) where a girl is playing cards with her aged mother, overlooked and directed by her sweetheart. The subject is simple and well treated, the accessories well introduced, and the engraving, particularly the old woman's head, is in a high style of excellence, and better than the drawing. A Print, representing His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, accompanied by his Illustrious Visitors their Imperial and Royal Majesties the Emperor of Russia and the King of Prussia, and attended by Marshal Prince Blücher, the Hetman Platoff, and several distinguished Foreign and British Officers, in Hyde Park, after the Review on the 20th June, 1814. Humbly inscribed to the British Nation, as a Memorial of that highly interesting Event, by THOMAS MACDONALD, of the Poets' Gallery, Fleet-street. Drawn and etched by ALEXANDER SAUERWEID, a Native of Russia; the Portraits en graved by EDWARD SCRIVEN, Historical Engraver to H. R. H. the Prince Regent; and the Landscape aquatinted by J. HILL. ers. This is the print announced by us in June last, and equals our expectations. The centre of the picture is occupied by the Prince Regent, with his illustrious visitors, the Emperor of Russia on his left hand, and the King of Prussia on his right, mounted on chargers. The heroic Blücher is near the King, and the Hetman Platoff by the side of the Emperor. The rest of the groupe is formed by the Prince of Orange, the sons of the King of Prussia, and other illustrious foreignIn the distance, on the right, are groupes of horsemen following on the gallop; and, on the left, several of Platoff's Cossacks, and the equestrian lady who excited so much attention by the boldness and elegance of her riding. The fore-ground is embellished with groupes of pedestrians, male and female, and children; and, with the picturesque scenery of the Park, forms one of the most interesting publications that have for a long time appeared. Mr. Sauerweid does honour to the native talent in art of Russia; and the portraits, though diminutive, and bearing but small proportion to the rest, are creditable to the well-earned reputation of Mr. Scriven; nor must the aquatinter (Mr. Hill) be 1815.] Exhibition of Pictures by Flemish and Dutch Masters. suffered to escape without his share of EXHIBITION OF PICTURES BY RUBENS, SCHOOLS, with which the Proprietors We resume our notice of this glorious exhibition from our last number but one, and regret that our limits will not allow us more than to notice a few of the finest brilliants in this invaluable collection of graphic gems. The names of the liberal contributors to this delightful scene we have already recorded, at page 457, for June last. No. 1, Portrait of King Charles on Horseback, VANDYKE, which has been pronounced from the highest authority (Sir Joshua Reynolds) to be the finest equestrian portrait which had ever been produced. No. 13, Earth and Water, the Parents of Plenty; an Allegory: RUBENS. No. 16, Bacchanalians, RUBENS.--This splendid masterpiece of the Prince of Colourists has been admirably engraved by HODGES, and published by BOYDELL and Co., who have also published Nos. 17, S1, 55, 58, 79, 98, 101, 124, 125, 131, and 141, of this exhibition. Among others most prominent in this series of wonders of art, may be enumerated, besides the foregoing, No. 32, The Wise Men's Offering, by REMBRANDT, from Carlton-house. No. 43, An Interior: a Woman opening Oysters. The figure in the red cap is we understand a portrait of Francis Mieris, the painter. No. 44, A Lady reading a Letter, TEERBURgh. No. 95, Conversion of St. Paul, RUBENS. No. 106, George Villiers Duke of Buckingham on horseback, with Allegorical Figures, RUBENS. No. 125, Dadalus and Icarus, VANDYKE. No. 130, Temptation of St. Anthony, and 131, An Incantation, both by TENIERS, the latter of which has been engraved by EARLOM. To enumerate more is not at present in our power, and to have mentioned fewer would have been injustice; but here every picture is a masterpiece; and it is probable there never was seen before, in one suite of rooms, such a magnificent collection; we shall, therefore, conclude with the following extract from 59 the address of the directors, stating their Let us PAINTERS IN OIL AND WATER COLOURS (the eleventh) AT THE GREAT ROOMS, SPRING GARDENS. Our general opinion of this meritori ous exhibition having been already expressed in June last, we shall now proceed to finish the enumeration of a few of the leading pictures, which we began in that number. No. 114, Library of Christchurch, F. MACKENZIE, 124 and 125, Durham and Bishops Auckland, G. F. ROBSON. 138, Pevensey Castle, Sussex, J. GLOVER. 160, View of Oxford from Headington Hill, W. TURNER. 167 and 168, Cottages and a River Scene, Mr. MULREADY. 170, The Fair in Hyde-Park, 1st of August, J. STEPHANOFF. 176, A View in Cumberland, looking eastward over Thurlspool-the Moon rising from the foot of Helvellin, N. T. FIELDING. 187, A View of Langdale: the Pass over Wrynose Head in the distance, from near Ambleside, Westmoreland, by C. V. FIELDING, is one of the best landscapes in the exhibition. 204, Capture of the French Artillery and Baggage at the Battle of Vittoria, J. A. ATKINSON. 227, View in Borrowdule, C. V. FIELDING. 235, From the Head of a Stug modelled by Himself, R. HILLS. 246, Girl going to Market: |