The National Register. — London, England, 1812-02-16 00:00:00

FEB. 16. to the set.ne of his future ministry. Commercial speculation forms no part of his ministerial occupation. Bence it seems clear, that his trea sun. is not laid-up in this world; for we well know that where the trea sure is, there will he the heart. Impressed with this view of the petsonal character of Mr. Spooner, it is impossible for one not to wish to speak highly of his clerical abilities. Mail must, however, speak out. Considerable ability he certainly li.t3, but then his ministerial qualifications are not sufficiently powerful to attract and attach a metropolitan congregation. Here he seems out of his sphere. He is a sensible, orthodox, and pleasing preacher, well fit d fora small country church, but whose eloquence will never per ceptibly operate on the town. His deportment is unexceptionable, his manner soothing and even winning; his sermons are ably premeditated, and clearly .delivered ; his piety is unquestionlle; and yet, strange though it may sound. criticism must pronounc , . han not likely to obtain eminence here. His voice is too weak. I'avl.stock chapel will call for an oratorical expansion to which he seems wholly incompetent. Remote from towns, using the words .of the poet, the Rev. Mr. Spooner has run, and, did his health permit, might still run, " his godly race," with more benefit to the interests of the church than he can rea sonably look for in London. Tile solitary simplicity of rural scenes, and the turn of rural minds, seem so suited to his deportment and character, professionally as well as individually, that it is to be regretted his lndis plsition sho'uld have induced MI - . Spooner to relinquish them. Am bition had no share in that determination which has directed his steps 'towards this great town, this mart of the earth; or else the rebuke of the critic might have been proportioned to the fault of the clergyman. Ile had done good whence he came, and came to do more good. Dis tinguished for their goolnesi and their disinterestedness, chara'cters like this deserve ottr best approbation. Shall men not here take the will for the deed ? Be it so. Providence is unarraignable for its distribution of character. Preachers are now living in obscurity, whose talents might enlighten and ame liorate the crowded haunts of men; whilst, on the other hand, there are preachers placed in the 41 post of observation," who, however otherwise estimable, are avowedly unqualified to move and guide mankind. 'Tis well when men are in their spheres, know their spheres, and have sense to keep to their spheres Providence is not chargeable with our aberra or.s. ONESINIUS. FINE AR T. BRITISH INSTITUTION. NORTH ROOM. No. 11. The Connoisseur, by M. W. SmAßP.—This ingenious ard im proving artist exhibited last year a small subject, in the department of painting called " Conversations," which was admired for high finishing and mellowness of tunes; but, if we are not mistaken, the correctness of the drawing was not (gull to the colouring—the piece was humour euely called " the Letter 0." (See catalogue of last yeur, No. 13.) We are much gratified to find that Mr. Sharp's genius has soared higher, that his talents display themselves with erester success, and that his " Con- 11 noisseur" will he to us a dge of his not stopping in the middle of 1 the career, when he has a fair chance to rival G. I)ow, the Mieris, a ferhurgli, and a Metzu. The subject is well told, with a mixture of 1 ssrioustiess and joke; the design is good, the perspective correct, and the various costume of the figures classical and true, the whole is will finished, and, although the eye of - criticism might still find occasion for reprehending, we will assert without restriction, that this performance does honour to the Artist, and is an ornament to the Room. We are sorry to see No. 13 at once so near to, and so distant from, No.ll. No. 7. The Angry Parcel, ur Disobedience Detected, and No. 74, The 47:xi las Parent, or Good rlda ce. By P. H etsozasoN.--lii thee. two small pieces, which, as it appears, are intended for companions, we re intrk the attempts of a young man who seems to struggle, with diffi culty, in order to improve; and his success is so clear that we doubt net but he will make soon a great proficiency in his art. Manta-nova virtztte,puer. No. 16. A Holy Family. By II PELLEGRINI.—The talents of this elegant Artist are well known, and it is proved by his former, and the present, performances, that the Italian muse, who breathed life and ge nius into the bosom of Raphael, Readilsarte, da Vinci, and many others, Who delighted in painting those snhjects, has not refused her blessings to those crbject , , tia‘ not rt:fti*etl her blet,Dings to 1 , 1 county of 114;tidlesex what; the,,olleuce WAS ta,a,,. nu LW; U‘. s THE NATIONAL 'REGISTER. 107 Mr. Pellegrini. This picture is well drawn, sweetly colountd, and has a most pleasing effect. There is, perhaps, a little roideur in the attitude of the Virgin, but this defect, if it exists, is fully compensated by the general merit of the composition, and the richness of the colouring. No. 18. The Detection. By L. Cosst.—The Exhibition of last 'year contained an admirable picture of the same Artist. The Refusal Marriage was justly applauded, and Mr. Cosse acquired by it, in the estimation of impartial judges, a place very near Mr. Wilkie. The same spirit has animated him in the composition of the piece here mentioned, and We doubt hot that this line of painting will arrive in this country to as great a degree of perfection, as it was once, in Holland and Flan ders on the Easels of the masters we have named above. Let us ob.. terve,however, that an Artist who wishes to become conspicuous in this sort of subject, ought never to forget that Ortade, Bega, and all the amversation Palate?* owed their unrivalled fame to their great skill itt keeping. Scattered lights may be prc.ved to exist in Nature, bttt vitiare. oscuro, floating around a bright focus of light, is sure to succeed. No. 10. r 4 Demoniac. By G. DANE. A. R. A ...This painting wza exhibited last year at Somerset House under No. 461. It has been justly observed that it is impossible for any man, either in orout of his sense*, to sit patiently to a painter, in the character here represented, long enough as to give the Artist a full Opportunity to study the distorted teay tures of the face s to catch the madening fire of the eyes, and to fix the whole on the canvas; therefore great praise is due to Mr. Dave, fat we must suppose that this ingenious Artist had, partly by gathered ob servations, partly, and mostly by strength of genius, turned an origioiil type in his mind and worked after it. We are sorry to confess that it Ps not a pleasing subject, and that no other place, but the gallery of a cony noisseur, is fit to receive such a performance; yet we arc proud to thlitt that the Artist, unmindful of pecuniary reward, worked fur his owes fame, and thus deserves for his performance the place wuich we taste pointed out for it—Connoisseur's Gallery. (To be continued.) LAIV REPOI?".IS. tOtTIZT OF KING'S BENCH, SAV2RDAV, FEB. SITTINGS, AT NISI PRIU Sp BEFORE LO RD EL LENBDROV GU, AT Wellr. Ml NS 1 k.R. BRAY T. HALT.. This was an action of replevin, - to recover back the value of gooda, amounting to 541.125. taken under a distress for non-payment of rent. The plaintiff rented some stables, in Holborn, from a Mrs-. Shepherd, and two days before she was entitled to distrait: for the quarter's rent, the plaintiff sent a person to her son, who was a Solicitor, to tender the rent due, which he did, by offering him Bank of England notes in pat ment ; hut this the son refused, insisting on being paid in the current coin of the realm; intimating, at the same time, that the rent should Ire paid in future in nothing but the current coin. A second tender wals made on the fallowing Monday, in a similar manner, and again refuseire and on the evening rat the next day the distress was levied by the defend ant, as agent for the landlady. • It appearing in evidence, that the tender was made in Bank of Englana notes, which, by the existing laws, was not a legal tender for rent — Lord P.I.LENBOROVOII, however much he regretted that in such k case as this the law should be so, yet lot must take the law as lie found it ; and, upon the evidence, the defendant was entitled to a verdict-; and the Jury found accordingly. 'TOVF.Y QUI-T.IM V. PALMER. This was a penal action, brought under the Stew' c of Elizabeth, against the defee.lailt, a master plasterer, for empleying in his serv:ce, role James Delahay, as a journeyman plasterer, he nut having served a regular apprenticeship to the trade, according to the provisions of the Statute. It appeared that Delahay, wit') had come from Ireland about eight years ago, was employed fur four years as a mere plasterers lai:ourer, but in bound himself apprentice to one Foley a plasterer, at d having served him in that capacity for about seve n months, abseundtd and went into the em ployment of the defendant. Vat ions applications were made to Foley to give up the indentures, whit k lie refused to do, but at last a s rt of fiction was resorted to, and to save his conscienee, a little :11E1 of four ye are old, helonging to Foley, lennied over the inden tures to Delahay, in the presence of Foley, and with his concurrence, for which Delallay gave the child two haif-crown pieces. Mr. Gai row fur die plaintiff, having here closed his ease, Mr. Geaste :per the defendant. under these circumsances, doubted whether it was necessary for Lim to addrees the Jury—but Lord Ellenborough thoweht there was fact for the .111; y. Mr. Gcaslee said he had another objection which was unneswerahle, and that if M wal i there was no e vidence IS one boors employment in ti.e coteddl e sex where the...offence WAS lail and the defeneent L''' I