The Express.
London, England, 1851-01-04 00:00:00

at nought those hygienic counsels which younger
writers are too much in the habit of despising. We
trust that Mr. Britton's health may permit him to
resume the narrative, which has a m,re than literary
interest; displaying as it does the triumph of
manly virtues over hardships and obstacles before
which hundredsdaily quail. Mr.Britton haat:nun from
the lowest point, and by resolute devotion to one object
has execa it d great and su betel, tial works. The lemon of
!such a life is not confined to a class, but is applicable
to every condition and calling of life. That lesson is,
that nu man need lie down in the idleness of despair,
and that 0 steady purpose is capaio!e of beading the
nr:st adverse circumstances, and even making them
contribute to the improvement of the struggler.
Mr. Brittod may be smiled at by some, be accused
of dulness by others, but no one can rt.ny that he has
lived a life if great literary labour, and deserves the
honour due to all who strive to do tLeir best iu their
generation.

The Court Album : Fourteen Portraits of the Female Arit•
r•eraey. Engraved by ibe best crusts, from drowivge by
JOHN HANTER. Bogue.
Although everybody praises the beauty of English-
women, it is only on returning, after a long absence
in other countries, that one discovers how b. autiful
they are. Of England, London is the head-quarti re
of beauty ; and of London the Opera. In the height
of the lesson there are here gathered together more
lovely faces than can be accumulated in any other
part of the world. We would, however, advise the poet
or the at t ibt who may wish to satisfy himself on this
point, to choose a subscription night for his purpose,
and avoid a "long nursday " above ad things.
Otherwise he will very probably—if he is a man of
taste—returns disappointed to his habitual Camden-
town, under the impres-inn that some possible Miss
Jones of the Minories is Lady Claud Hamilton, ar.d
some probable Nliss Nobel' of Mile-cud I. the
Marchioness of Watt rford.

Wilh regard to the fourteen fair faces a hich have
suggested the above observations, all we can say is
that they are flowers worthy of the parterre from
I which they spring ; aid that Mr. Hayter is a very
fortunate man to hate had so plemant a teak and so
successful a rerult. Die descriptions and historical
letter-press which accompanies each portrait, is read-
able and appropriate.

The Art Journal. Volume the Eleventh. Virtue.,

Though a single number of the Art-Journal gives
a great idea of the beauty of the publication, it is
necessary to me a volume to appreciate fully the
comprehensiveness and abundant artistic riches of the
work. In the days of the annual., it was thought
wonderful to find in a guinea WA a dczen good
engravings on capper or steel ; in the Art J'urnal
volumes we have thrice the number, thrice the size, to
say nothing of a very multitude of wood-blocks, and
some four hundred pages of literary matter. In a
journal devoted to art, a record of contemp,rary
advance must of course occupy a conspicuous place.
Accordingly we find in Mr. S. Carter Hull's volumes
Latices of those numerous exhibitions of painting
whose rh.l d'a•tir-es have till lately Well the staple of
critical journalism. In addition to there, the Art-
Journal contains a description of every work having
claims to excellence of pictorial illustration, with
selections, in many cases, from the best engravings.
Hut no feature of the work is more promi.ent than
the innumerable original designs for objects of every-
day use, intended to promote the naturalisation
of grace and beauty on the parlour table,
the aide-board, and even the kitchen dreraer.
The producer, of our " art-manufactures " certainly
cannot complain that their taste and industry have
been neglected or unappreciated. Mr. Robert Hunt.
of the Museum of Economic Geology, centributee a
number of article., deserving specific praise, in which
the resources of science aro unfolded in relation to
tit, as in other columns art is exhibited in its appli-
cations to mauufacturre. Amorg these are papers on
" Plastic Clays," " The Chemistry of Colours,"
Magneto-Electric Plating," and " Artificial Stone."
While, on one baud, modern science is invoked to
furnish new aids, on another the treasures of classical
and mi &meal invention are explored, not in the narrow
lone of mere antiquarianism, but in the pure eclectic
spirit of universal art. Nor are the labours of our
Teutonic cousins, in elaborating, defining, and directing
the Besot art, ignored, for Mrs. Jameson, in " Letters
to the Uninitiated," resumeathe views of Schelling and
Schlegel with English clearness and womanly grace.
Biographies and poi traits of the most emir cat artists
of our own country form another attract ton, evecially
when autobiographic d, as in the caw of Mr. Ray.
" Passages from the Poets" is the running beading for a
beautitul aeries of wool-cuts. The great distinguish-
' ing feature of this volume, however, is a series of
engravings from the Vernon-gallery, appro-
priately led off by a portrait of the donor
' of that now national collection, the lute Mr. Robert
Vernon. The volume for 1849 contains twenty-five
of these engravings from the Vernon pictures, among
' which we have Turner's "Venice," Landseer's " High
and Low Life," Mmlise's "Malvolio," Ward's " Fall
of Clarendon," and Cooper's " Cattle." The multipli-
cation of the works of our great modern artist, by the
graver is, to a large section of our countrymen, an
event scarcely less interesting than the original for-
' I maim of the gallery they compose.