The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1820-02-24 00:00:00

PORTRAIT OP MS LArs MASESTY.

. .
Among the Midterm.s ptirtrairs of his late MA.
JESTT which hise re.appesired siuce his lamented
death, our of the Will lacerating we bare area is
is full length picture. at Mr. CoßLlsia's, .of Tem-
ple-bar. It represents the late Kin° in hta splendid
state tuber, rested in King EDWARD'S Chair, sod
bearing the sceptre. It Is painted upon glint, from
Sir JuSiltlA Itef1101:0V1 hue original portrait in
the Royal Academy. for winch his MAJeSTY wt ;
and we have nu doubt it was an excellent likeness,
at the early period of the late reign when it was
`executed. The buillosid effect produced by stain-
ing on glass is well adapted to display the rich
'magnificence of state decorations. and the purple
and yellow colours in the drapery of this picture glow
with the warm lire* of nature; the bold relief in the
buck-ground, the overhanging grandeur of the cur-
tain, present a good contrast to the sparkling and
transparent brightness of the predominating colours,
and give a force and depth to the picture which
impart to it considerable valor as a work of art.
The foreshortened parts, which are judiciously
thrown into the shade, are well drawn, and have a
good effect. 11'hen it is considered that, in works
of this kind, the colours are burnt in by a tedious,
anti often uncertain process, that the brittle mate-
rial on which they are imprePed, often yields to
the overpowering lien to which it is exposed, the
wonder rather is. at how much is done, than that
there should be little defects in the execution, which
do not frequently occur in oil painting. Such works,
at the moment when the notion bewails the loss of the
lustriou• object of theta, are interesting even beyond
their intrinsic merit, at all times, from the triumph
of art which they display, and the demonstrative
refutation they furnish, of the opinions of those who
fancy, that this inimitable art has fallen into com-
parative decay in modern times. This, and other
pictures in the same department of art which we
have recently seen, clearly shew, that our artists
possess, in full perfection, the power of making this
branch of wonting as useful and ornamental as it
ever was in the time of its more munificent pa-
trons.

TO THE EDITOR OP THE BRITISH PRESS.

Sin—Whether the privilege of the Lord Mayor of London,
in taking precedence in signing the first public Act of a
New Keiini is obsolete or not, 1 cannot determine; but as
the book from which the following extract is taken is con.
•IJrreJ ■otbentic, and the name of the Lord Mayor who
exercise.' it given, perhaps you may think It sailicically
curious to insert it in your widely circulated Journal.

I ant, Sir,
Yunr most obedient Servant and constant Reader,
Nrslan-rosine. M. W. B.

This great Magistrate, upon the death of the King., is
"Aid t.i be the prime person of England, aed therefore when
King 34mes was invited to come and take the Crown of
England, Robert Loe, then bird Mayor of London, sub•
scribes!. in she first place, before all the Great Officers of
the Co.erso and all the Nobility."—Rickard Burton's die-
tary of Loadon, 12mo. 1681, page 82.