The Press.
London, England, 1855-03-31 00:00:00

312

Annals of the Artists of Spain," but in its present
separate form it will be welcomed as a worthy
tribute to the memory of the great painter. The
contents of this volume have been thoroughly revised
and corrected, and many additions made, which
materially improve the biography and render it more
complete. The characteristics of Velasquez's art,
the beauty of his style, his power of colour, his skill
in grouping, and the very soul and spirit of nature
which he breathed into his historical works, as well
as the extraordinary versatility of his genius and his
unrivalled power of portrait, are done full justice to by
his ardent and devoted biographer, but we are disposed
to think that he claims for the courtly Velasquez
something more than his merits deserve. No doubt
he was a great painter, but he can scarcely be
classed as "the greatest" in that age which produced
Murillo, Vandyke, Claude, Rubens, and Guido. If
ever painter lived who ought to have succeeded in
his art it was Velasquez. The intimate friend and
constant companion of a sovereign who revered his
genius, Velasquez had every means and oppor-
tunity given to him to develop his talents. He had
no wants, and few cares ; and so firmly was he fixed in
the affection of his master, that for nearly forty years
he basked unclouded in the sunshine of royal
favour. With the most splendid collections of
paintings and sculpture, daily increased by the addi-
tion of the most famous works, fresh from the easel
of his great contemporaries, always open to him,
immense
advantages, one can deny that Velasquez enjoyed
advantages, and these deserve more consideration
than Mr. Sterling is willing to admit when he draws
a comparison between his hero and the other painters
of the age. From the intimate connections which
Velasquez had with the Court, much historical
matter is introduced by Mr. Sterling, so that the life
is as much a history of the period as of the
painter; and, indeed, the great charm of the book
consists in the vivid and brilliant descriptions given
of the magnificent Court of Philip IV. and in the
numerous anecdotes and reminiscences of the great
men of the age who patronised Velasquez.

The History of the War. Compiled from the
Public Documents. By George Fowler. London:
Sampson Low and Co.
THAT part of the present compilation which relates
to the origin and earlier phases of the war, and of
the diplomatic " carte and tierce " which took place,
is clearly and succinctly related; but this is followed
by rather a confused description of the campaigns
of 1854. However, the attempt to condense the
numerous descriptions and particulars which have
been published of the events of this war into one
readable narrative is commendable, and Mr. Fowler's
two-shilling volume is full of matter selected from
the best authorities. A map of the Crimea and a
plan of the allied pusition accompany the book.

PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED.
BOOKS.
Hardwicke's Shilling Peerage. Hardwicke.
North and South. Chapman and Hall.
Poems. A. Id . Morgan. Saunders and Otley.
Learning and Working. F. D. Maurice. Macmillan.
Annotated Edition of the English Poets, " Thomson."
Vol. 11. J. W. Parker and Son.
Sisters of Charity. Mrs. Jameson. Longmans.

AMATEUR TnEATnicAl.s.—This evening, the 31st
instant, an amateur performance, the actors in which
will be all members of two literary clubs, will take
place at. the Olympic Theatre, and the proceeds of
the entertainment will be devoted to the benefit of
the family of one of the most talented and prolific
writers of the day, who is, we trust temporary only,
incapacitated by illness from mental exertion. The
performance will consist of Mr. Shirley Brooks'
comedietta, Anything for a Change, Mr. Bunn's farce
of My Neighbour's Wife, and an attempt hitherto
unrisked by amateurs—a pantomime. Several of
the parts will be filled by literary men. The re-
hearsals have been most active, and from all we can
glean the performance promises to be the most sue
oessful yet attempted by amateurs. Every seat in
the house, though advanced prices are charged, has
long einile been engaged, and from a list of the
placeholders which we have seen, the audience would
appear to be as aristocratic as it will be numerous.
ALBoNt, after an absence of several years, is about
to return to England. She is engaged by Mr. Beale
for a tour in the provinces during the months of April
and May; Ernst is to be of the party. It is now
oertain that Madame Goldschmidt (Jenny Lind) will
not visit England this season.
M. JULLIEN has retired, pro tempore, to his estate
in Belgium, to take some repose after the fatigues of
his double winter season and long tour in the pro-

vimes.
MR. CHART.ES MATHEWS declares, by advertisement,
big inability to further encounter managerial respon-
sibilities. He assigns the illness of Mrs. Mathews,
the badness of the times, and the want of capital, as
the main causes of his failure.

THE PRESS.

lortign gtrt, Sittratute, fix.

THE FRENCH ACADEMY, in its sitting on Saturday,
elected M. Ponsard, the author of Lucrice, Agnes de
Meranie, Charlotte Corday, Honneur et Argent, and
other successful dramas, a member in the room of
M. Baour.Lormain, by sixteen votes out of twenty-
eight. M. Liadieres had seven votes, and M. Augier

five.
THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAM —A note from Genoa,
of the 21st, states that the submarine telegraphic
communications between the Continent and the
island of Sardinia are completed. Despatches have
been exchanged between La Spezzia and Cagliari.
A TRIFLE called Zvonne, composed by the Prince
de la Moskowa, has been produced at the Opera
Comique (Paris). For the Gymnase, M. A. Dumas,
junr., has written acomedy of the Dame aux Camelia.
school. It is entitled Le Demi Monde, a civil cogno-
men given by the author to a class in Paris, belong-
ing to the " best' society by their luxury and wealth,
and to the worst by their morals. M. Duprez has
composed an oratorio on the subject of Sampson.
The trilogy L'Enfance du Christ, by Berlioz, is to be
performed at the Opera Comique in Passion week.
In May, Berlioz proceeds to London, where he is en-
gaged to conduct the New Philharmonic Concerts.
A NEWSPAPER IN CHINESE AND ENOLISH was started
at San Francisco on the Ist of January last. It is
called the Oriental, or Tung Ngai-San-Luk. It is
published under the auspices of an English mis-
sionary society, for the purpose of converting the
Chinese in California to Chnstianito. Its Chinese
editor is one Lee-Kan, who was converted to Chris•

tie.nity at Hong-Kong.
LETTERS from Athens mention the discovery m
three hundred antique statues, or fragments of sculp-
ture, recently brought to light by excavations at
Argos, on the site of the Temple of Juno. These
precious remains of ancient art have been recovered by
the Greek Government; and, if it had any large spirit
or interest in archaeology, Argos possesses within its
classic soil quarries of invaluable works of sculpture
buried in the ruins of the ancient city, and which
might be reclaimed at no great cost. Indeed, the
sites of the old Greek temples in many districts,
excavated by the Government or by the capital of
associations, would probably, by sale of the works
discovered, amply repay the outlay. Evidence of
value on this point is derived from the enterprising
exertions of Sir Charles Fellowes and Mr. Layard,
and the rival labours of M. Botta and M. de Saulcy,
under the auspices of the French Government. The
small village of Argo stands on the ruins of the
ancient Argos. The old town is described by Strabo
as the principal city of Peloponnesus next to Sparta.
In number and magnificence of temples and public
edifices, in schools of art and great artists, it 'whops
only yielded the palm to Athens. In sculpture the
Sicyonico-Argive shool, under Polycletus, rivalled the
attic studio of Phidias and Praxiteles.
THE VIENNA CONFERENCES.-111 a group before the
Passage de l'Opera, the following telegraphic de-
spatches were read aloud on Saturday :—" Vienna,
2 o'clock. Nothing has transpired concerning
the conferences. The probabilities are in favour
of peace." " Vienna, 3 o'clock.—Nothing is known
of what has passed in the conference. The
probabilities of peace are becoming stronger and
stronger." "Vienna, 4 o'clock.—The deepest mystery
continues to prevail concerning the conferences. No
serious doubt can now be entertained of their pacific
termination." All this was very satisfactory, and,
the moment after, M. Gogo said to Prndhomme,
"Just imagine what I have just heard."—" I can't
say, do tell me."—" Count de Buol has pronounced
a pacific speech."—" I know that."—" But that is not
all."—" What is there more r—" The Russian and
allied plenipotentiaries saluted each other very cour-
teously."—" You don't say so !"—" Absolutely, Prince
Gottschakoff asked Lord Westmoreland how he did,
and M. de Titoff inquired of M. de Bourqueney how
his cold was getting on."—" Well, that is strange !"
"It is, I assure you, as I say. These, you must
admit, are pacific symptoms." —"Oh ! beyond a
doubt !"—" If this intelligence be true, we ought to
have a rise of at least three francs at the Bourse."—
"No doubt of it !" On the above system of interpre-
tation, the following, we are assured, are to be the
next telegraphic despatches :—" Vienna, Monday
evening.—Prince Gortschakoff has just issued from
the conference ; he had no appearance whatever of a
black eye."—" Vienna, Tuesday morning.—Count de
Buol has just left the third conference, without the
slightest mark of a contusion on the nose. There
cannot be any doubt of peace."—Charivari.
A PLEASANTRY upon the famous Peace Society and
the war is attracting crowds to the Folies Nouvelles,
called Pierrot Quaker, in which the laughable illus-
trations of Chem, the George Cruikshank of Paris,
are introduced, accompanied by some fooleries on the
part of Legiand as Pierrot. One of the points is
that the disciples of peace, laughed at, thrashed, and
angry, never lose their pacific equanimity until one

SATURDAY,

of their own general meetings, which, 'after much
quarrelling, winds up with a battle royal.
M. DiDor, the eminent French publisher, has just
issued a pamphlet against the projected paper duty
in France. In 1340, says M. Didot, Kiug Philip
ordered that " paper and books, being indispensable
to pupils, should be exempt from duty." King John,
in 1360, confirmed that privilege; and afterwards
Louis XII. and Francois I. declared books exempt
from every kind of impost. Henry 11., in 1652,
ordered that there should always be in France a
special favour shown to paper ; and, in 1789, when
an attempt was made to introduce a paper duty, the
idea was so unpopular that the proposed plan came
to nothing.
MADAME VilknoT has signed an engagement to
appear at the Royal Italian Opera this year.