The Sun.
London, England, 1836-06-02 00:00:00

FINE ARTS.

We have just received an engraving, published by Hodg-
son and Graves, of Leslie's fine painting—" May-Day, in
the reign of Queen Elizabeth." The graver is Watt, and
we have rarely seen a production which displays more ela-
borate finish, and which is so every way creditable to the
artist. As for the design, the merit of which belongs, of
course, to the painter, it is full of the most airy and
graceful fancy. There is no need to tell us the sub-
ject is May-day sports, for we see it in the gro-
tesque groupings, in the merry rustic morrice-dan-
cers, in the flickering sunshine, and the light, fleecy
clouds which hang like silver veils between earth and
Heaven. The perspective is exquisitely well defined,
being made up of rich, sylvan meadows, watered by glitter-
ing streams that wind away in a thousand truant mazes ;
and an old family house, whose thatched roof just peeps
through a thick umbrageous grove, while close beside
it, the village-church uplifts its modest spire to heaven.
In the fore-ground stand the merry-makers ; some dancing
round the flowery may-pole ; others making love in
sly nooks and corners ; and others, consisting of a
group of the neighbouring gentry, looking on with
manifest delight at the sight of so many happy faces.
Alas, for merry England ! Mammon has made it
grave, and Sir Andrew Agnew is doing his best to
make it hypocritical. By the bye, with the excep-
tion of the flowers with which it is enwreathed, Leslie's
May-pole looks uncommonly like Sir Andrew. No com-
pliment this to the pole, but Heaven forbid we should sacri-
fice truth to politeness ! The figure and face of the Young
May-Queen are in the artist's most graceful and witching
manner. An atmosphere of purity is shed around her.
She looks all peace and beauty, like a rainbow. Altoge-
ther, we have never seen a story better told, or more pro-
fusely studded with appropriate characters, than Leslie's
May-day. It sports upon the surface of rustic English
life, with the ease and airiness of a swallow across the
bosom of a sunny lake.

THE MAGAZINES.

BLACKWOOD.

We are. so much pressed for room that we must make
short work with the Magazines. Blackwood sends forth a
good Number, though somewhat deficient in light articles.
Jerrold concludes his " Job Pippins" with a spirit worthy of
its commencement. The love-letters between the buxom
widow and honest " Job" arc full of character, though bor-
dering a little on the extravagant. We subjoin an extract
from this sprightly, off-hand tale, wherein the author
ironically apologizes for not pourtraying humanity in the
Album, or honey-suckle style of maudlin sentiment :
" We like not to linger—though, in truth, we have been
accused of the low disposition—but we protest, we like not to
dwell upon the darker colourings of our nature ; no, had we
our own task to choose, we would distil the essence of our
brains into mottoes for thread papers;—we would prick sweet
natal verses with baby-pins in satin cushions;—we would in-
dite the philosophy of a quadrille ;—ancl pen the biography of
Lady Mary's bullfinch. And oh, ye twelfth cake images 1 how
truly—how beautifully would we paint this much mistaken
world I How would we prove the very flag-stones to be best
white lozenges ;—December mud, real black-currant jam ;
all Acts of Parliament sweet apple-fritters ;—Newgate itself,
a mass of barley-sugar ;—and bedlam hospital, a piece of mere
blancmange. The pillory should be a tasteful sweet- meat;—
and the very gallows built of candy ! A professed beggar of
twenty years' duplicity should be a worthy object of the pic-
turesque ;—and a man who lives by cutting throats, a person
with an eccentric turn of intellect ;—infanticide should be a
provident care of little children ;_and bigamy, in man or wo-
man, an ennobling spirit of universality. The world we in-
hnbit is really a paradise,—and yet—yet they issue four-penny
pieces !"

" Reminiscences of Stothard"are interesting and anecdotical,
and contain a capital ghost story. " What is our External
Policy and Condition," croaks in such a dull, lugubrious man-
ner, that it must have been written by a bull-frog. The
" Metaphysician," and the Review of Mayne's "Sree Gun"
are both admirable articles in their way.