The Press.
London, England, 1856-03-08 00:00:00

tinustmtuts, &t.

BURFORD.9.—A panorama of Sebastopol from
the Malakoff Tower, painted by the proprietor
and Mr. Selous from sketches by Captain Verschoyle
of the Grenadier Guards, aided by photographs, has
been recently added to this collection. The moment
chosen for the active portion of the picture is that
memorable one at which the French, in their first
assault upon the Malakoff, carried the works and
planted their standard on the highest portion. On
the right of the spectator, as he enters, the Zouaves,
the Chasseurs-i-pied, and the 7th Regiment of
the line, are seen driving the Russians in a fierce
band-to-hand struggle out of the Malakoff in all
directions before them. Still to the right a cloud of
smoke marks the British attack on the Redan, which
has just commenced; while just below in the fore-
ground are seen the Russian reinforcements march-
ing to the relief of the work. Turning to the left, on
entering, the visitor observes the whole of the south
side of the city, divided by the blue waters of the
inner harbour, in beautiful contrast to the clear
white of the long terrace of palace-like buildings
which rise one above another from the edge of the
harbour: the spires and domes of the cathedral and
other churches, and the beautiful Greek temple in
the extreme distance, aid in relieving the rather
monotonous effect produced by the uniformity of
colour and arrangement in the chief edifices. In
front of the entrance, and in the middle of the pic-
ture, is the great harbour : four large ships and a few
steamers are shelling the attacking parties ; and the
bridge by which the Russians afterwards crossed
from the south to the north side of the harbour is
plainly visible. On the nearer side of the inner
harbour all is ruin and desolation ; heaps of broken
stone, shattered walls, and rootless buildings, fill tile
space between the Malakoff and the inner harbour,
too plainly indicating the terrible effects of the long-
continued fire to which this portion of the city was
more peculiarly exposed. This panorama is painted
with all the skill and perfect effect for which Mr.
Burford has Worthily rendered his name famous, and
is well worth the study of all who desire to see a life-
like representation of that desperate struggle.
Scur.PruaE.—Whatever may have been the short-
comings of the city of London, and however low its
representatives may have fallen in public estimation,
they have, nevertheless, in these degenerate days,
done something worthy their ancient greatness, by
resolving to place in the Egyptian-hall of the Man.
sion house, a number of statues by the most emi-
nent living sculptors. Hereafter we shall have
occasion to go more particularly into the general
scheme and its accomplishment ; meantime we have
much satisfaction in drawing attention to one of the
works so commissioned—an admirable statue of

Comus, by J. G. Lough, with a private view of which
we have been favoured. The moment chosen by the
artist is that described by the poet when the enchanter
others the tempting cup to the lady. The head is well
set, calm, yet dignified, and thoroughly Greek. The
attitude is easy and vigorous, and the whole expres-
sion such as cannot fail to raise still higher the
reputation of the author of the " Milo." In a few
days it will be placed on its pedestal in the City, and
we shall be much deceived if the general voice dos
not declare it to be one of the finest specimens cf
modern att.

236

e orrtsponttott.
THE CURRENCY DEBATE.
TO THE EDITOR OF "THE PRESS."

•
Sir,—As you do me the honour in oue of your ar-
ticles to refer to some reports of a speech I mode on
the currency on Thursday last, I beg leave to inform
you that that report is erroneous. If I had made
use of the language attributed to me, I perfectly
agree with the writer of the article that I should
have been labouring under a most singular confusion
of ideas. I did not say that if the ounce of gold were
coined into four sovereigns the price would then be
fixed. What I did say when contending, as I do,
that the price of gold is not fixed, was, that I some-
times wished the ounce of gold were coined into tour
sovereigns, as it would at all events possess ono ad-
vantage, that of rendering the fact more clear to the
intellect of honourable gentlemen.—l have the honour
to be, your very obedient servant,

March 2, 1850.

0. M. W. PEACOCKE.

ROGERS'S "TABLE-TALK."
TO THE EDITOR OF THE PRESS.

Sir,—Your correspondent B. strangely misinter-
prets our poets whom he has quoted, when he
supposes that their sentiments sprang from a common
source with those of Horace. Elie former are not
contradictory of religion ; the latter are utteriy im-
pious. The former imply the facing Death with
resignation; the latter a constant struggle to clutch
each successive hour from his grasp, instead of
dwelling with deep rapture en the thoughts of some
great past enjoyment. Montaigne (livre ii., cap. xii.)
selects this passage of Horace for especial reproba-
tion, as expressing the opinions of those sceptics
who deny the omnipotence of God, because, say they,
He cannot undo what is past. Whereas, if they re-
garded the truth, they would see that time itself is
but one of God's created things, and that with Him
there is but one eternal Present, without Past or
Future. B. N. C.

[ln the ode from which the passage alluded to by
our correspondent is taken, Horace is dwelling on
the general uncertainty of human affairs—on the
'K(014,471 view of things—cetera flaminis rite feruntur.
But, as he was not acquainted with the only source
from which certainty can be derived—i.e. Revela-
tion—he may be pardoned for r:flecting with pleasure
on the one thing which even Deity cannot rob us
of—that is, the Past. Our correspondent shou d
remember that this maxim—that what has been
done, even God cannot make undone—is a very
ancient philosophical doctrine, and one that cannot
justly be stigmatised as impious, even on the
authority of Montaigne. We agree with our cor-
respondent in thinking that the sentiment of
Horace in this particular passage is hardly that
of either Rogers or Tennyson. They dwell on
the simple fact ; Horace on the only consolation
which that fact affords to man. But if Ten-
nyson had been a heathen, he would probably have
written in the same strain. The gods, he would
bare said, " are careless of mankind." Decs didici
aecurum ogere arum. We know not what to do. Let
us, at all events, make the best use of the present, and
solay up a store of reminiscences of which no tate
can deprive wt. But in these reflections, proceeding
from a heathen mind, there would be nothing
properly deserving, the name of impiety.]

THE ALLIES OFF ELTATORIA.—As we came closer
00, we had an opportunity of seeing the supeiiority,
and in a manner the opulence, of the town, the thild
in the Crimea. The houses were large and spacious ;
all were faced with or built o atone, had many win-
dows in their fronts, which, opening to the floor, led
into balconies overlooking the sea. To the north of
all some flue squares were b inn built: this speaks
well for the pro perity of the place. Since I have
been in Turkey I lave never seen a house built,
unless indeed it were to patch up those which had
fallen down from • hear dilapidation and decay. As
we pas-ed the Ru sian quarter, drifting very slowly
anti sounding eve!), minute, we bad ample time and
opportunity to admire the handsome gardens and
houses which are near the sea. The balconies of
the latter were crowded with ladies and gentlemen—
Russians, of course—who, siting in chairs, were
laughiog, chatting, and talking with a sangfroid and
good humour which we were certainly at a loss to
understand. Some of the gentlemen were in uniform,
but the majoiity were in the plain, morning dress of
London or Parisian society. The ladies were hand-
somely dressed—nearly all of them, however, in that
peculiar. melange of costume which prevails so much
at this time of the year at Son.hend, Boulogne, or
Margate. Sonie of them were eating fruit, pointing
out the colossal hne of-battle ships, thirty-seven of
which were now in the bay, and occasionally laughing.
Tee invasion evidently had no terrors for them.
However, if they and the inhabitants generally like
it, of course it is no business of ours; on the con-
trary, it is rather a pleasure to invade people who
take it so quietly.—Woods' Campaign in the Crimea