The National Register.
London, England, 1813-06-13 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER,.

audiences about • " the nice speculations of divinity, and controver-
les concerning filth "No such criminality attaches to them Con-
(lit to shelter under the old " storehouses and magazines of moral
.irines," hence they er rw out, as occasion serves, all manner of
ssistance for the accomplishment of a virtuous life : so that, ob.
a,rves another writer, sipee, 44 by the tyranny of custom, they arc
,ompelled to take their texts, and to produce their authorities froth
the canon of Scripture, I think it much to the praise of their dex-
terity, that, so often as they have occasion to discourse from those
offeosive writings, they contrive to give so Hilly offeHre."
Let the present preacher, however, anxiovsly av,,id this rock.
Having made as it were his election for life, by choosing that
profession how wine!! nothing can divorce bun, let him i.roseente
" the prize of his high calling !" Other points are still subordi-
mate. Stiffness of manner. or monotony of voice, susceptible of
correction, may be gradually improved ; and, in due time, arc
completely to be remedied. Religion inspires the truest eloquence.
The Rev. Mr. Crta ROW has puldished a Sermon before the A nni.
versary of the Royal Humane Society, delivered •on Sunday, April
19, 1812, at St. Andrew's, Holborn ; a copy of which lie presented
to the Prince Regent, as one of his Chaplains in Ordinary, on the
th of July following, at Carlton House. ONESIMUS.

FINE ARTS.

SOMERSET•HOUSE EXIJIBITION.

In our preeederit numbers, we have roamed with pleasure over
the principal districts of the graphic kingdom ; we have ascended
the highest grounds with the historical muse ; expatiated through
verdant meadows and ddightfid lawn, lounged and loitered on
hanks of rivers with the spirit of the landscape ; and, through • the
illiant prism of imitation, explored the multicolour pallet of por-
trait painters. Three unexplored provintes remain for us to visit—
Mimatures, Drawings, and Sculptnres.
De Marsy in his elerant Poem upon the Chromatic Art, says,
through a literal, translation :--
o:hers will elviose, their talents to-display,
A smaller field. and their inventions lay
0 prepared skins, on paper fine and smooth,
0 the thin plates of Elephantine tooth;
Reduce all figures to a pigmy size,
And hid, within a ring, a world compress'd arise.
These few lines contain both a description of and an encomium
upon miniature painting.; yet it is with pleasure that we find the
immense numbers under that head considerably reduced in the
rooms of the Royal Academy.
Among the principal artists we must mention S. J. STUMP, W.
M. CRAIG. J. HENNVNG, R. W. SATemwELT., withont detracting
auy thing from the equal and perhaps superior merit of others.
The Encaustic art has to boast of several very admirable pieces 17
H. 'Sots v., R. A. and H. Homt. A. and among tlw drawings. whe-
ther fancy or 'name has suggested the model, we admire consider.
able improvement. The portraits, by IL EDRIDOR, Wilt) has ani-
mated his elegant strokes of black lead uquarelles, claim an nn-
disputed superiority,—and a small drawing of fish, by T. HEATHY,
would obtain all mirestricted tribute of applause, had he not chosen
by a most unaccountable whim. to dress in the scarlet miiform of
the guards his river fencibles. the eray-fi•hes, just caught from the
water. Is it possible when he was ehborately painting the-e
two crustaceous beings, it never occurred to him that their natural
colour is far from being red ; or that he had no friend at his elbow
to awake him from his shimber? The Drawing, No. C 56, Samuel
presented to 1,71 i, by W. C. Ross, deserved a better place, and is
ssorthy of being attentively and closely inspected. The freedom of
hued, and knowledge of anatomy expressed here, do the artist great
credit.

In the Model Academy we have remarked and applauded a much
better arrangement and disposition of the exhibited pieces. The
Mercury of \V. THEED, R. A. Elect,--the Bacchus and Bacchante
of H. HOPPER,—wiII naturally attract the attention and obtain the
praise of,the visitor of judgment awl taste. The basso relievo, iu
marble, by J. FLAXMAN, R. A. Delieer usfrooa Evil, is conceived
with an uncommon strength of enthusiasm and power of execution.
'lle Boa Sirpeat of G. (irAnil A it I), A. presents itselfwi tit great claim
to appt'oboi:m, and is generally admired. The Busts of J. NOLLE,
KENS, OF TURN ERELLI, of J. BACON, &e. and the Models of R.
IVEST7IIACCTI', R. A. are sufficient proofs of the rapid piogress
which our contemporaries make in au art which has immortalized the
names of PnintAs, hRAXITELES, MICHAEL ANGZLO, ROUBILLAC,
&c. and give ifs occasion to hope thk Britannia will have one day
to boast of as men glory as Athens and itOille in the departEneut
of the Flu Arts.