The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-06-14 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE BRITISH PRESS.

Having read in your liberal and extensively circulated jour-
nal (inserted on the 9th instant), a letter signed A. Orland
Ilmtchinstm, " On the beat means of rendering Charitable
Institutions available to the poor," and addressed to Church-
wardens, and having devoted some attention to the same
subject, you will oblige me by suggesting to that corre-
spondent some observations which may chew that his plan
would not be so practicable as he seems to imagine. The
depositing a list of names and abodes of every hospital and
dispensary in this metropolis, of which, I believe, there
are not less in number than 76, and, forming them all into
sheet lists, would amount to about 37,500 names and
abodes. This labour would occupy the most attentive
clerk for a considerable time. The lists to be handed to
him are not all printed at the same time of the year, so that
his work would be continued. Sheet lists, whenever Made
out by him, would be so large as to fill much more than
the church-door, and thiA would oblige him in form them
into a book, and this fact alone would render them almost,
if not wholly useless to the poor ; but the daily attendance
of this clerk to give them information during a certain
number of hours, would complete the whole of his time,
the efore the necessary support of such a clerk might be con-
sidered as the first expense. if you look over the List of Sion
ICollege, in page '267 of Murphy's Coart Kalentlar, it trial
appear, that there are not fewer than 140 perishes to whielii
this plan is proposed. So many clerks might, therefore,l
be retained at salaries, if not maintenance. Every one of
the 75 Institutions must print an extra edition of their
Lists of OOVerllol'3, in order to benefit these 110 Vestries;
and if their f:ominittees should not Concur in the plan,
either from any objection or from negligence, these Lists
I would then be imperfect, in perhaps the very one which some
poor persons came to consulti It would be an easier way to
circulate amongst the poor a List of the Institutions, and
what they cure, amid where they arc to be found. But
although this has been done, they take so little notice of
any thing which so nearly concerns them, until the very
instant when it is wanes', that this step has not
any purpose. anawered
But in addition to these objections, the Churchwardens
would not be quite safe in keeping open the doors of the
church and vestry, and gates of the churchyards, during
the whole of the day or great part of it. This wotthl be
likely to prove a temptation to the ill-disposed to commit
degradations, or indecencies, and also to increase the crime
of sacrilege.
The alternative which I mean to offer is one which will
probably at first meet with some objection, arising from
a tenacity for the privilege required by every one, who be-
comes a member of any institution—of recommending
patients ; but there is little doubt, that when they consider
that their contribution is applied to its object, it must be
of very little moment, in fact, by whom those objects are
recommended, so as that the establishment is used for their
benevolent design. And although, by this open plan, the
house should even be full, which is not very certain, it
would not place any such subscriber either in a worse or
ilittiirent situation than if every other subscriber should at
that moment have sent in a patient—it would only impede
his turn until a next vacancy should occur. Nor would it
interfere with his superintendence, but rather form a sti-
mulus to the kind interest lie might take in its manage-
ment. It would chew to the public fresh evidence of its
utility, and would convince them that the benefits of their
generosity were duly valued by the poor and afflicted; and

this done, twill increase the bounty and number of its
benefactors.
If this open plan were adopted, the poor would be
wholly relieved from the difficulty and lose of their daily
labour, in seeking for recommendations, which is very fre-
iptently, in cases which need not be specified, of very se-
dons consequence, and the more so, from their own negli-
gence in °meting, till the lag moment, to begin their
'solicitations.
Upnn this principle, then, it is ;surfeited, that the pone
should take the previous trouble Of inqUiring at the Insti-
tution from which they seek relief, the day and hour, and
qualification for their admission, and attend punctually as
directed, with their proper papers of admiosion, such as,
mums, abode, occupation, certificate of marriage, or other
requisites, to afford correct entries in their reit-liters. These
cannot be deemed too difficult in general to be procured by
them; and they may be pecnisary in many other cases
than sickness, and are frequently asked for before a Ma-
giatrstt. or for baptism, marriage, or burial.
Mr. H. thinks that his plan would " be attended with
no expense, and very little trouble ;" but the contrary is to
hie most evident from what I !nem itated, and under his
impression he has not provided for the necessary expense
whirrs would be incurred, which could. not be leg to the
parishes than 8,400 i. per annum, at noi. salary to the
clerks, besides vestry fire daily, during nine months in the
year, which, for three chaldrons of coals at 40e. multiplied
by 140 parishes, woad cost stl,oooi. per annum. This, I
added to the salaries, would amount to the unexpected
total of 42,40 0/. exclusive of paper, pens, repairs, and in-
cidentals. !h*pitals are in relief of parishes, for if t'..ey
had not been instituted, parishes must hive refieved all
their sick paupers ; but Mr. H.'s plan would greatly in-
crease the burden of the poor upon them all, while the
hospitals would silk for support at the same time, and that
from the pockets of a generous and benevolent public, who
are charged with all their parochial rates likewise.
To a mind so liberally disposed as that of Mr. Copland
Hutchinson appears from his letter to be, I have no fear of
offence in thus trespassing is 'insure upon his parochial ac-
commodation. . Although I have not the honour of know-
ing him, yet he appears to have travelled much in the
path which has always been very familiar to me, without
our having yet met with each other—except in the last
number of the Gentleman's Magazine ; to which I have,
through my old friend Urban, offered remarks something
similar to these. Our objects and designs seem to be alike,
and probably we may together unite in one, which may
improve the institutions to which we arc attached, and as-
sist in a more free admission of the poor applicants, to the
satisfaction of their benevolent contributors.
June 12. IL A.

CELEBRATED PAINTERS.

CORREGIO.
Of the incidents in the life of the founder of the Par-
mesan school of painting, few are well authenticated, and
and a still smaller number is interesting. Antonio Allegri
was born somewhere about the year 1494, at or near the
town of Corregio; and, agreeably to the practice of the
time of dropping the family name and taking some other
distinction, he was generally called 11Corregio. He studied
and practised the art of painting chiefly at Parma, but his
career of fame was not of a much longer duration than
that of Rafaello, for he died about the age of forty. It is
not known exactly what had been his course of study, and
in what proportions diligence had co-operated with genius
to produce the full and grand result. As, in some respects,
particularly colouring, his manner was perfectly distinct
from those of his most celebrated contemporaries, it was
illiberal and false in the worshippers of Michelangiolo and
Bartell° to affirm, when Corregio was applauded, that he
borrowed his ideas from them. If Bonarruotti was trans-
cendent in grandeur, and Rafacllo in grace, Corregio was
equally original in h"rmony of colours; and it is consonant
with probability to think, that his own genius was as much
his guide in other branches of the art.
So much bad we admired at Rome the glories of the Va-
dean, and the Sistine chapel, that we thought the art of
painting in its grandest forms had been exhausted ; but
Corregio's frescoes in the cupolas of the cathedral, and the
church of San Giovanni at Parma, taught us never to set
limits to genius. The Ascension of Christ, in the church,
in respect of grandeur of design, fore-shortening, and
chiaroscuro, was, at the time of its performance, a miracle
of art, without example, for it was painted before the ter-
rible scene of the Last Judgment by Michelangiolo. But
this fresco of the Ascension is even inferior to that of the
Assumption of the Virgin, represented in the octagonal
cupola, in the cathedral of Parma, and finished in the year
1390. Veneration and wonder are marked in the counte-
nances of the Apostles in the former picture; so, in the
latter, heavenly joy is the chief expression. In the As-
sumption, the chastened gaiety, the holy rejoicing, the
Verity of the light, make every thing appear as of heaven.
In his design, Corregio was both grand and select; he
avoided with all care the hard manner of hiii predecessors,
all right lines and angles, and used a continually nudu-
lating line, sweetly melting into the ground. Giulio Ito-
mane preferred his colouring to that of any other painter.
It is as mellow as that of Giorgione, not unfrequently as
true, and as tasteful as that of Titian°, having withal a
superior breadth and suavity. No painter has surpassed
Corregio in fore-shortening. But what distinguislits his
colouring, from that of any of his illustrious contempo-
raries, is a mild, central light, which greasily disappear§
in the surrounding lucid demi-tints, and strongly And
splendidly reflected shades. He sacrificed design, compo-
sition, and elegance, to his love of harmony in colouring.
Hie groups are not, therefore, always in the best taste, nor
are his attitudes always graceful. But there is a sweet
naivete and in affecting innocefice in the faces of his Vir-
gins; and the eats oil the faces of his children are al-
ways delightful. As nature does not present the same ob-
jects with the same force of light, but varies that light
according to superatics and distance, so Corregio imitates
nature, by a harmoniously beautiful gradation of colouring,
which is particularly necessary in serial perspective. Thus,
too, in his shades, he often perfectly represents in one, the
reflection of a neighbouring colour, and therefore no part
of his Shades is monotonous. In i:one of his oil pictures
is this excellence so visible as in the Night, or rather the
I pawn of the Nativity.
The excellence of Corregio attracted so many imitators,
that the Parmesan school of painting became remarkable
for fore-shortening and chiaroscuro, and the sulwrilination
of Composition to mass and harmony. Michelangiolo An-
selrni, liernardo Gatti, Giorgio Gandini, and Girolamo
Marenoli, are &nisei who adopted the principles of Cor-
regio, and the results were in proportion to their respective
abilities and diligence.

PARMIOIANO.
Francesco Mssiuoli, called from his birth, at Parma,
II I'armi • cousin of t.irolamo Malmoli, merits a dis-
tinct notice. Rafaelesque grace of his manner might
justify me filth some, In classing him among the scholars
of the painter of the Vatican : but other circumstances
makes the present a proper place for mentioning hint. Ile
received his first lessens in painting from his uncles, but
his ambition took a loftier flight, when he saw the works of
Corregio. Ile learnt the blandishintius of colour, and the !
magic of chiaroscuro; and he then went to Mantua and
Rome, to nerve his mind with the ideas of Giulio Romano
and Rafaello. The designs of Pannigiano are full of gran-
deur, dignity, and ease, with a remarkable decision of
pencil. Iliasketches and his etches (for he could engrave
as well as draw) are therefore of high value. The striking
excellence of his style is grace: his attitudes are well
choien, and his figures are elegant, light, and spirited.
The fault into which his master quality of elegance dege-
nerates, is an affected length and tenuity of form, and this
fault is often visible. His colouring, also, is too often
subordinate to grace: he makes it low and moderate, think-
ing that strength and glare of light arc inconsistent with
elegance. Ile did not often tax his intention ; for we have
seen repetitions of his pictures, particularly of the mar-
riage of St. Catharine, in every gallery in Italy. His
women and children are generally as beautiful as those of
Corregio. None of his faults appear in his Moses breaking
the Tables, in the Madonna della Steccata, at Parma, or
in the altar piece of St. Mannterita, in llologns. In the
former, the grandeur of the conception, and the correct-
ness of the drawing, leave nothing for the spectator to wish
for ; while the fine tone of the chiaroscuro is equal to any
thing of Corregio; and such is the majestic grace of Mears,
that we often heard the admirers of Rafaello say, the spi-
i rit of Rafaello has transmigrated to Parmigiano. Scarcely
inferior in merit to the Moses are the Adam and the Sybil,,
l which form part of the same composition. The altar

pjeces by Parmigiano are not numerous; but at which
,we have mentioned may be compared with adv age witli
the celebrated St. Cecilia of jtafaello.
Pgrmigiano died young. Fond as he was of his art, he
sighed after quicker means of riches ; and rtiiched
hila-
self to the study of alcbymy. Ile fell a victim to the de-
mon of avarice. He lost his money in the putout of iimo
&nary gold ; disappointment bred melancholy, he diare4
carded di the exterior decencies of life, and Isis neglected
beard and hair gave him the lea of a savage. The brat
and the smells of the laboratory gradually ruined his cms-
stitution, and a fever closed ins life, at the early ige Cf
thirty-six, in the year 1540. - •