The Press.
London, England, 1853-06-11 00:00:00

140

somewhat on the decline. The illustrious
nobleman who at present presides over the
committee is no doubt deeply imbued with the
love of letters, although 1w nifty not have those
peculiar qualifications which his predecessors
possessed; and, in addition, ill-health forbids
his giving the requisite attention to a society
supported by few and cared for by still fewer.
Men like Lord Munster and Sir Gore Ouseley
are not easily replaced ; and, had it not been
for the energy anti activity of the late Lord
Clare, and the deep interest he took in all
matters connected with the East, the Oriental
Translation Fund would ere this have ceased
to exist. Let us, however, hope for better
times, and that, when crystal palaces have had
their day, the society may be benefitod, or at
least saved, by the exertions of its enlightened
President.

Annual Report (the 75th) of the Royal Ilaniane
Society. London : Printed for the Society.
Tut; interest of this volume depends upon other flout
its literary qualities. As the annual register of one
of the most meritorious and useful associations of
which the metropolis can boast, it relates n►nny
things which the public will be pleased to know, and
exhorts to others which the public would do well to
follow ; and deserves to be welcomed accordingly.

Wiltshire Tales. B John Yonge Aker►nnn. Lonilon
J. It. Smith.

•-•-
BY way of specialty, the author has sought to pre-
sent his readers with a transcript of the putt& and a
picture of the rustic life to he found among the vil-
lagers of North Wilts, Olotteestershire, Berkshire,
and Herts. Both the dialect Ulla the sticity, he
tells us, are passing away, so that his volume already
possesses some of the value of a history. Apart from
this, however, the tales are written in a lively style,
and eontain many passages of quiet and genial hu-
mour.

OUR I.IItILAItY TAME.

Chi hitimai at the Hall. T. el. Torrington.
I.rnoznool,liveen, and Co.
The ihylhelt lie.heernriste of the
mith, Istli Cealar!i.
S W. NEI.
WTleorkern).
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.I.eltirno4 me :Volley. Th“.. Wil+on. 1'31114{1 mm Wikon.
The sydeen el' Fell'lllill9 ia the comity 4 I'mm
W them
A. M Itielgway.
State Parer l'axatain awl 6'4,1, Pdpei. Mill i 'M. aekekli
Itiolip%rv.
T. itosmortie.

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f ',oration. livv. amia
saaforAtitairt urt SfitiMllll I.:4111'11*M.
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lint ;kris.

StECINIENI4 OF CMHtiETWORK, AND ill, THE STUPIE3
FROM THE fiCllooLpt OF ART, EMI LutTED AT OGRE-
HorSE, KENSINOToN.
THE public is indebted for this interestiog exhibi-
tion to the liberality of the Queen and of various
other proprietors who have consented to deprive their
apartments for a time of a portion of their most valu-
able contents, and to exhibit them for the instrue-
tion of our native artists. These beautiful objects,
removed from the places to which they belong, and
crowded together in a narrow slave, are necessarily
seen under the greatest disadvantage. 'ibis defect
is perhaps unavoidable, but we think we observe a
reilmulancy in the works of a more recent period
which migh4 have been retrenched, while we have to
regret a deficiency in those of an earlier date.
As the object of the exhibition is to familiarise the
student with the style of former days, and to stimu-
late his fancy by the variety of ancient models, no
work, however excellent, of the present century is
admitted ; but, as we are of opinion that the imita-
tion and adoption of the ancient style are advisable
only within certain limits, we shall hazard a few
remarks with the view of pointing out how far the
specimens in this collection are fitted to serve as
ut slels. The student should bear in mind that many
oNects which we luck at with pleasure, and even desire
to possess, are valuable only when original, and are
unfitted for reproduction. H. is only the intrinsi-
cally beautiful and the appropriate that should be
imitated, and the want of attention to this rule leads
our artists of all classes into error.
Very little of the domestic furniture of our remote
ante-tors has descended to us: succeeding fashions
have commonly consigned the moveables of the last
generation to neglect and destruction before they hail
acquired any antignariam interest. In the fifteenth
and sixteenth centuries (in England at least) the
furniture eN I'll of a royal palace was scanty. The
rooms were hung with tapestry or other rich stuffs,
hooked on the walls. and removed on the departure
of the guest for whose acrommodation they had been
brought out. A piece of carpet beneath the chair of
state, and a few chairs and st tuts of less cumbrous