The Press.
London, England, 1853-07-02 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

Meted on the same unfortunate literal in other
quarters depicted in the Massacre of the Innocents.
There is much pleasant fancy in the tracery-work
with which the various etched groups are bordered
and connected; and many of the flowers and leaf-
wreaths are very gracefully drawn. In his figures the
artist's drawing is noticeably coarse and incorrect.
The letterpress is far from good—hardly worthy, in-
deed, the pains that have been lavished on its dress
and decoration.

MAU AZIN k:S.

Illackwomrst Magazine for July. Loudon :

wood and Co.
A sTmstxo paper on the " Fine Arts and Public
Taste in 1,45:1" forms the centre-piece of the :fitly
number of Blackwood. It is written with abundant.
dash and cleverness, evidently by a lurid experienced
alike with pen and pencil, and, like most other art-
criticisms, is full of pungency and personality. The
only critics who retain in our polite days any traces
of the fierceness which characterised all literature in
times when men had strong (opinions, and spoke
them strongly, are those who deal with► art. The
present writer discourses upon Mr. Ruskin and his
" lamps," Turner's style and school, the vagaries of
public taste, the flayings at the National Gallery,
pre-Raphaelism, and Mr. Millais. The pictures of
the last-mentioned artist in the present Exhibition
are minutely scrutinised and treated, critically speak-
ing, just as the cleaners have practically done with
the Claude in the other wing of the building. With
all his savagery, however, the author has written an
essay which is well worth reading. Another art-
art icle, of milder spirit, is devoted to Mrs. Jameson's
" Legends of the Madonna." Two historical papers
on Mr. Weiss's " Histoire des Refugees Pmtestantes
en France," and the Castlereagh Correspondence ; a
Chapter on Life Assurances; and the usual political
article, in which the fertile subject of gold and emi-
gration is skilfully discussed, contribute to make up
an excellent number of the great magazine of North
Britain.

Fraiser's Mayazine for July. London : Parker and

Sot►.
THE contents of this month's Muter exhibit some-
thing more than the usual variety of treatment and
topic. A new chapter is added to the interesting
series on the natural history of fishes, devoted to the
investigation of the Carpiana and Letteisca species,
i'ulgo, the fresh-water carp and bleak. Another
paper contains much well digested information re-
garding the French naval forces. Hut the most
telling article at the present moment is on table-
turning, in which the writer, on abstract principles,
suggest: the same solution to the phenomena as Sir
Michael Faraday has reached after his carefully-
conducted experiments, viz., the involuntary action
of the muscles.

The Church of Englund Quarterly Review for July.

London : Painter.
WITHIN the limits of its peculiar domain this review
exhibits much spirit and literary talent. It is now
the recognised exponent of the opinions of a large
section of Established Churchmen, and it: writers
perform very ably the functions devolving upon them
under that character. Some of the articles in the
present number treat of topics possessing more ge-
neral and lay interest., and impart an acceptable
variety to its contents.