The National Register. — London, England, 1818-01-04 00:00:00

FINE ARTS. .. Mr. REST S PICTURE of DEATH ou the PALE HORSE. IT has seldom if ever fallen to the lot of the critic, the amateur, or the simple gazer, to contemplate a performance art* Art on various accounts an interesting, as this picture : A subject at once so grand, so terrific ; so wild, so mystical, so eleinerical ; a representation to which, of all that ever came from the hands ot an artist, a kry, is perhaps the most indis. tensible. A thorough knowledge of the scriptural text from which it is taken can afford but a very faint idea of the pic ture by which its illustration is intended. Such indeed is the otrttrteieness of this part of sacred writ, that it seems rather ad:spied to afford the artist who should be build enough to Venture upon it, scope fin the exercise of the moat unbounded talents, than any useful purpose of instruction or edification in a religious point of view. Some will be ready to condemn the choice of our beneiable President, who after having in. dodged in themost benign soil interesting representations which the inspired writings afford, could at 1e01.91i fix on a portion of Scripture, so poi tentims, se apocarlyptical; while others will applaud the boldness of an imagination, which after hav ing accomplished all that could be done in the historic de partment of the art, his dared to soar beyond the ordinary 'where of human conceptinns, and grasp a subject intirely •Itrioriral, iti the delineation of which the most fervid ener• gies ot his capacities • I have been called into action. Of this latter opinion we are persuaded will be by far the greater part of those who visit the pointing of Mr. West ; nor will it be forgotten that it is the work of a veteran, in whom the order of maitre seems to be insisted, who rises in excellence; in proportion to Ins advance in years, and whose late produc tions lids e het a ten astonishment of his country, as they here after will be of ter civilized world. Sonic years have elapsed Since the orit:iiisl sketch of this picture wits produced, and such was the admiration in which it was held on the Conti. nest where it wits exhibited to the cognoscenti by Mr. Weld, th•lt lie etillid has r li , p4Artl of it at almost any sum which he chose to fix As Om , price ; but he was miiiMilling that his coun try stsiiiik lie deprived of this favourite elf.. tof his genius, and formed the resolution ot pa g the subject oil a large P rale with a view to the present puidie exhibstion. Were it not a norul Mos tact, it would hardly appear credible, that our worthy Plods-or painted this picture when verging towards kis tiOth year ! --a time when among the generality of those who advance so fir iii lite, many ate scarcely able to wield even a spoon for the taking their daily sustenance Ina the pencil is still firm in his hand, Ii:, fancy is yet vivacious and fertile, the powers of his mind have not skillet ed the least di mitmition. This gigantic production of transcendent genius is taken from the smile chapter of the Book of the Revelation, where the opening of the seven seals is described in the vision of the .tpostle John. The results of the opening of the first five only, is depicted in the painting. one of which has been added since the production of the mit:mai sketch. These form so many distinct parts of the sniuv el. but they site all so liar inomonsly blended by the skill of the artist, that almost es ery fi :ore which he has ittirmloceil *veins necessary to the form ing of oar grand represt ntation. The most prominent cha racter Is, of course, the mighty King of Terrors, seated on a fiery steed, terrible in aspect and impetuous in his course, dealing destruction rotund, and hurling death and devastation in every direction. " Behind him is welt an invidious de " mon bearing the Poch of discord, with a monstrous progeny " of the reptile would," " All prodigious things Abominable, unutterable, and wore Than fa!iles yet have or fear coneeied, Gorgon .> and Hydras and Cements' dire." " the Ministers of Hell, %ho had " power given to 4 ' them over tho Imo th part of the earth, to kill with sword "nod with hunger and with disease, and with the beasts of " the earth." A secondary character in the picture k mounted o n a It hate horse, and appears to represent the 3lessiall, hat not as io the last pictorial work of our artkt, " the in , ek and lowly Jesus, - bearing is resi.mat ion the "corn and halted of Vie semfilig multitude ; hot the King of Kings going fottli s. Conquering and to Couipset," to bruise the head of the• Serprid, and finally to put all things under his feet. This C.:twit, and the horse oil which he is seated, are painted in tile hunt agar, with exquisite taste Mid harmony of colour, The hor.e is of milk white, to distinguish it front the pair and 'shire avid c Amore , ' animal which bears the figure of I)rath. I. may hm uhs-r•eil of these figures, that however necessary t the making out the they have rather the effect of diverting the eye limn a contemplation olthe principal and the ititerestio4 groups towat ds the centre of flit pi, mil.. - rite character next in importance. is the matt on the Red , rse, who is repress:WM.4. a ‘‘,llrior armed with " the great sword."—" He is advancing in the rime direction as the Allessiali, then by intim din.; that those wan which have " acennipanietl the progress of tlic Christian K-ligion, and of 64 which he I S the type awl emblem, area part oldie Divine " scheme for effectually ditinsing it throughout the whole at enro l . The horse in this instanee is caparisoned as a war " horse, hut those of Duatb awl the Nlessiali, are without reins, being guided only by the will tif their riders. A prophetic vis:4 beyond this character, shews in one division the Hu " mans, ender Titus. returning with the spoils of Jerusalem, " and in the other,l:rusatlers contending with Saracens."— The ri ler on the block horse is a subordinate character, and is thrown more into the back gioutl. He is represented as pushing forward, bearing in Isis hand a pair of balances, and possess. • a en ea energetic and expressive countenance. A dont, stie glow in the foreground exhibits sonic tine and de. lic.lfe tonclics of the pencil, while the situation iu which they are I' u r.l , overwhelmed 1 -y the destructive career of the g: e., t l'lt, I,owrtfiully ese.tes the feelings, by the reflection to it n 6.11 vnnth, twenty, wealth, nor talent can eat ape the ravages of co. fed de•troyer. who, by his merciless shafts, I , sels all r inks, and who titertaius neither pity nor tompas Sinn for ally of the children of mew The i.e ion of the father in this group wlll call to flue m nd of the spect.itor, Nightin gale's Mo..ti new, t..• celebrat-d work of Kteibil lac, in West minster Abbey. Hof attitude bears a close crsemirlanee to that of the fixute of King Lear in a former composition of Mr. illpses, Amid- s onlr.h d nuns assemblage of figures, for the most pert miry. isitely painted, are tern p. nom representing Pri stine aad be.pe;r. Tor:w are ehdraeteristie, and but tUlb her(et)ic rt . :liiti I the soeeid tor of the numerous objects of rthery and wre•Cleilstep• 'edicts we air flail% in the habit of 'berm e . (• dash. tit tie• vl tda.ir aof on. p.v ish office. s) in our walks th aset the k re,: of he merrn,...114. A man at one and of the p stiii.•, who is rep • smite*, m. u lia at uppedre.l to the w it. lul t rmndi to., to iitar 1101110 tOletr.sl4lXo to the Ese.Eusii..rur Sdpuleun ; bu, a coun- I Tim NATiONAL REMOTE& Unarm. among the demos. in the train of Deer* has been said to resemble still more (and some will think from its situation more appropriately,) the features of the Atlantic exile. A►uong so much real escellence as is displayed in the composition, colouring, and grouping of this picture,it will not be surprising that same faults should be found ; but these are of minor inaportauce.—The horns of the bull who is toss ing a youth over his head, are by uo means calculated for such au operation, and Its dogs who are tearing him, are as unlike bull dogs as they are to any other that we have hitherto sees of the canine species. Other things equally unimportant might be pointed oat, bet in the contemplation of a subject so strikingly grand, it were onworthy the critic or the amateur to indulge in such trifling aad penrile objec tions. Every person who views this masterly production of our venerable artist, together with his picture of "CHRIST Rt./xi:Tao," which is exhibited in the same room, cannot fail of receiving the highest mental gratification ; and we have no doubt that all will join with us in wishiug oor worthy Pre sident an addition of yet many years to his already protracted life ; adorning as he does not oaly the circle of the arts, but human nature and society at large by his very many amiable and benevolent qualities. SHAILIIPICARIL—The following letter concerning a poor descendant of onr greet bard is from the Bath Herald, to the Editor of whicb it is addressed : " Having lately seen your account of the family of Shake ' pear, I cannot forbear troubling you with a hue relative to the same 'abject. Soon after I came to reside in Leaming ton, I was struck with the attentive deportment of a little girl at Mr. Bisset's newa-room, who appeared to be employed iu handing about the papers. Upon my accidentally notic ing the good behaviour of the child, Mr. Bisset excited my interest still more, by informing me that he had discovered, by a very singular occurrence, that she was the last scion of the immortal Sliakesr.are. This little girl, it appears, Mr. Bisset met with in the street about five or six years ago, in the most distressing condition, almost naked, and with only the scantiest means of subsistence. Being taken with the ingenious maintenance of the little pitiable object, Mr. B. made inquiries, and found she was the daughter of a pauper in the village, whose husband had enlisted for a soldier. In the fullness of benevolence, he took the child tinder pro• Whin', provided her with decent (loathing, and employed her in little errands in the summer, and sent her to school in the winter. She was about 7 years of age when first noticed by Mr. B.; and I understand that during the 5 subsequent years she has endeared herself to her generous patron by a willing proinphiess and a faithful integrity in his service.— Her sprightly obliging manners has also, 1 aon told, attracted the notice of several persons of distinction sisiiiug the histori cal pictu r e gallery and public newsroom. It the preced_ ing brief notice of this Shakespeareen scion be acceptable, I shall be satisfied; and will, with pleasure, if agreeable, en deavour to collect further pat Oculars for yam. future notice. The little girl's name is Betsey 8i11... " I. PHIPPS." " Montpelier-Academy, Leamington." ENGI.IsH TR AVELLEIts.—The last mail from Malta brought :toot/Its from several travellers, persons of the first distinc tion, through Syria, Egypt, and the Grecian Islands, some of which have reached our hands. Lady Hester Stanhope has taken up her residence at the- convent of Mar Elias, near Bay' colt, on the coast of Syria. Her ladyship's influence is considerable throughout the country, and her patronage a certain security. She does honour to English hospitality by her manner of living, and many of our scanals have. within the last year, left her abode with sentiments of gratitude and admiration. The Bail and Countess of Belmore, mud the whole of their party, were at Cyprus, diming the latter end of the summer. They then proceeded in his Lordship's yacht, to Sable. the ancient Sidon, on the coast of on their arrival, they found the Dragoman of Lady Hester Stanhope waiting to conduct them to her (.1 place of residence, whither Lord and Lady Delmore, .ltd the youths, their sons, (who accompanied them throughout their extensive and varied journey), the private tutor, pli s sician, and others of their party proceeded. 'in vigt Jrntsslcm W.lll the great object with which our travellers leached the port ut ; but it was discovered that there was no herhoer in the entire coast of Syria, sufficiently secure to protect a vessel from casualties which might occur during the tune tier e•saril% spent in a journey Itum the coast to the Holy City, and the design was given up tin consequelice. During their stay in Sy via, the noble teas emploveil themselves in geographical Mythic*, and we understand, they satisfied themselves that the Bible contains a better history of the country, with mote distinettiesa and precision, than is to be found in any oilier book, descriptive of the Pagan cimeitries of antiquity. From Sidon, Lord B r i nier , and his suite pro ceeded to 'Sere, nit tenowlic-1 for any thing so much as for the noble defetiee of it by Sir Siduey Smith. From the Sy riac coast his lordship set sail fur Alexandria, where the travellers Ira...enrol fur a fortnight; and from thence they all prOITI 11141 to Grand Cairo, in Egypt, vs here they were ear the ntli of October last. la this place they were waited for by a few persons well known for scientific researches. who were ready to pioceed on a mission set on foot by his Royal Highness the Prince Regent, to compare the accounts given by the French scares*, of the course of the Nile, with the real state of things. Here the two liarties having united, preparatione were mode to ascend the Nile for the purpose of scientific eviiitation, which was expected to be greatly fa cilitated by the mathematical apparatus which Lord Belmore had with him, more particularly for ascertaining the exact latitude of places. The expedition, it was calculated, worthd conelnile nbont Alarch ; after which Lord lielmore and his party were tenilerYlooti by our literary correspondents, who had isn't his lordship in Egypt, to linens, travelling by land across the Isthmus of Suet to Gaza : from thence to go to Jerusalem, aad passing by the lake of lienesseiath to Naza reth, to proceed to Sidon, to rejoin Lady H. Stanhope. A very serimos accident happened eat S lay morning mat the workhouse in Bl ac kl e i ars - roa d . E. Broth-, an appren lice to a COMptisitor eniploseil on a newspaper, came from Ins tether's tense, hi, st. jollies Street, Clerkenwell, ti it., his own phrase," to thy his pigeon in the New Cut." We ap prehend lie intends d to shoot at pigeons, as it appeals he was provided with a pistol, whit h, hosing been twice tried, missed fire each lime, when he placed a iu the sleeve of his coat, where it had not Ion.: remained before it exploded, laceratilig every muscle of the upper part of the arm, sir as to expose the whole surface of the hone up to the shoulder joint. In this dreadlin situation, he was taken to Mr. Gtllliam, the slur gout., in Gt. Sorry-duvet, where essay altruism, Was paid him, and the principal blood v essc Is being secured, hew as con yes ed to Gin's likspital, where emputation wood take place. —Mr.olllliaiii, we understand, vies of 01.1111011 that his lute might be saved, but that it until() be necessary to take (he ar,a out °Cam socket at the tlioulder. lAN. 4. THE FORTUNATE YOUTH. Many additional particulars of this extraordinary personage have been published in the course of the last week ; from the statements which are unnecessarily long, we have extracted all that appeared new and important, rejecting such matter as the public are already acquainted with. The story, however, of his first meeting with the mysterious old man being more circumstantial titan what has before appeared. we extract it : About three months wince a report prevailed that the young C. had game into pessession of an immense fortune under must extraordi nary circumstances. The father first mentioned the general fact, and the son soon afterwards authenticated the statement, and gave the following detail of tke adventure, which rendered him so fortutiously one of the richest subjects in the worlds— About la months previously he had been on his return to school. A school-fellow who was to have accompanied him had, by some mistake, preceded him the day before, end he was left to tiro alone in the stage. On arrival at Birmingham, he was shewn into an inn parlour, where an old gentleman was sitting, and who became his companion for the rest of the journey to Shrewsbury. In the course of it the old gentleman and himself entered into a warm altercation on the snbject of the South American isontest. The dispute coati. !mod to the joumey's end, and they parted as adeerearies ! The next morning, to his great surprise, the old man sent for hint, and on his coming into the room said, " Young man, you were riglst in your argument yesterday. I admire your spirit, candour, and bold maintenance of your opinions. You shall find in me from henceforth a friend." From that time he lavished many favours on him ; money to the amount which attracted Dr. B's notice and dis pleasure, and the envy of all his comrades, who, nevertheless, paid omage to the superiority which lee acquired by the power of con ferring favours ; and thus in his boyhood he proved the irresistible influence of gold, and found that the word perunin should have been substituted fotlthat of pradeatia, in the ethical maxim of the ancients. Some months afterwards, the old man, who had hitherto promised only a considerable establishment in the Church, sent for hon. and declaring, that he felt his life was ebbing fast away, announced his intention to make over to him immediately, by a deed of Oft, the while of his immense property. " If (added he) I should live, con. trary to my expectations, I shall !hen be a dependant on your gra titude and bounty." From that moment the old man initirted him in all his secrets directed him how to conduct his extensive pecuniary transactions, gave him a list of the various names he was obliged to assume to conceal his property in foreign couraries. and related all the adventures of his extraordinary, and in some respects, criminal life. Many of these secrets he had sworn never to divulge. and others he should only unfold as the developement became necesssary for the execution of his trust and management of his for. time. Six week. afterwards the old man died at a nameless village near Shrewsbury, and in conformity with his last commands, a lawyer of great eminence and respectability at Liverpool (Mr. S.) was sent for, and who took back with him all the parchments. papers, &c. belonging to the old man, except the deed of gill, which young C. would never part with out of his own possession. At the expiration of six months, the lawyer (Mr. S.) returned and gave him up all the title deeds, papers, &c., and at the same time curnmunicated to hire that he had almost bourdless wealth, but the preservation of the greater part depended on his prudence, secrecy, and conformity to the injunctions and proceedings of the old man, his deceased bene factor. The title deeds were immediately buried in a garden of one of the estates, and the only person (except one of his school fellows oft 1 years old, who saw the interment of the strong box) to whom he confided any part of the momentous story of his fortune, was his mother, and who avowed she had been in possession of the secret of his affluence without evare having betrayed the confidence. 'I Le moment was now arrivesl when he might extend that confi dence., but not yet give full publicity to the amount of wealth he possessed. Indeed soma of his property was derived from source. which affected the most serious interests of the highest personages in every country. The great object of the old man, his benefactor, had been to ac quire secret influence, by getting as many people as possible into his trammels, nay, the desire of this mysterious dominion had been in him a stronger passion even than avarice. al ostof the tiareasm Sovereigns, therefore owed hint money. The Empress of Russia was a debtor to the amount of 100,0001., but she maul:illy paid 6,0001. per annum interest. • Prince Eugene was also in his list fur a large sum, and on the King of Spain he had immense claims. His principal estate lay, indeed, in that country. but Ire had also large estates in Germany. Italy, Sicily, and in England; many great mortgages and reversions unknown to the presumed successors, and amongst the latter he cited the painful case of his being one day obliged to dispossess his dearest friend of an inheritance on which lie relied, or make hind dependent on his generosity for the restitution. To frustrate inquiry, be had thrbithlen all his agents, bankers, &c. to acknowledge any transaction with him; but still he was in conti nual anxiety on that subject. and had reason to apprehend that at tempts had already been made to intercept and peruse Iris papers and correspondence. The want of ready 'money was, no doubt, for some time a subject of much solicitude to the Cru•sus of 1817 ; but his tale lad acquired so mach ceutitlence, that a relative, to whom he said too,oool. had • been promised on the great pay day, entreated hint to make use of lying idle in (lake's bank at Bury. The offer was accepted, and so eager was young C. to grasp the - prize, that his servant arrived with the check at the bank before the doors were opened. This eircuireaance, and the employment of a common groom as the receiver of such a large sum, excited some suspicion, and the clerk - was sent over to young C. with the money. Young C. gave him 11. fur his trouble, put aal. in his purse, which was soon carelessly left about tube seen full of Bank -notes, and 1,1001, were placed in the hank of Messrs. Hammond and Eden, at Newmarket, who after- ' wards opened a credit of 1,0001. in favour of young C. with t'acit correspondent, Mews. Cox and llitldulph, Charing Cross. As the lat ofianuary approached, his character seemed to change; instead of usual gentleness, he 'displayed great violence of temper, and an Irritation on the most trithog subjsst,. t _at greatly alarmed all chant him for the state of his mind. At length his language was in extravagant, that it was f eare d t h e acqu i s i t i on o f fortune had over powersd hi,. faculties, mid his physicians were consulted, but they contradicted the opinion, anti vouched .or his sanity of mind. It was nevertheless revolved, on the 30th of November, to remove him, and terminate an intercourse which could no longer exist with any proe pect of happiness, whatever might be the wealth at his command, and Mr. a% . the solicitor, was sent the, teat a painful personal expla. nation with young Cawston might be avoh:tal. littore, however, this determination had been carried into mem- • tion. young C. had sent for the lawyer of the family. Mr. E. of Gray's Inn, and, after making him execute another will. gave him various instructions, amongst which was that of advertising for all claims on the estate of Gasper lati ntella IJ, as the old man, his benefactor, had powiessed an estate in that mune, and, from his books, appeared owed to some crettitors about 6,otail. which he, young C. was anxious to pay immediately. This trait of liont.sty, and iniagintal proof of redundant money at command, added to the cit.. cumstance of the solicitor being silt for to the house of the fimily by whom he was regularly employed on their own iniportant affairs, stifled every doubt of his mind, and he proceeded accord-og'y to exe cute the direction, he haul received. ..... Young L. for. seeing the I our of detection must arrive, had always insisted on Me necessity of a journey to Spain, that he might enter into posse,sion of his prop sty in that country ; and in hi interview with NI r. E., had requested him to piocure passports. Lot only for that country, but alto/or Germany, S , itacrland, Franuc, 1!:'I &e. which Nlr. declined, as not being in his l rovince, but he indicated the nrtilar mode to obtain them. A tsi . or two afterwards Cie foreign secretary came to the family. and announced hi.•, departure the tame night on a 1114403 to the Con