The Sun.
London, England, 1846-07-07 00:00:00

OF PICTURES.

The sale of the fine collection of pictures by the old mas-
ters, the propeity of Mr. W. Buchanan, took place yester-
day, at the rooms of Messrs. Christie and Manson. The col-
lection consisted of 67 subjects, mostly of gallery size, of
which the following were considered the finest specimens,
and were eagerly competed for :—" Christ curing the blind,"
by Ludovico Caracci, and its companion, " Christ raising the
widow's son," by Agostino Caracci, were sold for 4,000
guineas. These splendid pictures were painted for the Gins-
tiniani palace at Rome, where they remained until 1806,
when they were purchased for a large sum by Lucien Bo-
naparte ; they were subsequently sold by him to the ex-
Queen of Etruria, from whose son, the Duke ofLucca,Mr. Bu-
chanan purchased them. The " Noli me Tangere," of Frederico
Baroccio, well known throughout Europe, Mai the engrav-
ing by Raphael Moyhen, sold for 560 guineas. The portrait
of Justus Lipsias, painted by Rembrandt in 1644, the same
year in which he painted his celebrated picture of the Syn-
dics at Amsterdam, and the best period of the master, sold
for 700 guineas. The "Massacre of the Innocents," painted
by Nicholas Poussin, for the Borghese palace at Rome, and
subsequently in Lucien Bonaparte's collection, sold for 320
guineas. The "Return from Egypt," painted by P. I'.
Rubens for the Jesuits' church at Antwerp, and one of
the few pictures that escaped the fire by lightning, which
destroyed the roof of that church, sold for 360 guineas.
This picture was formerly in the possession of M. Danoot,
banker at Brussels, at whose sale it fetched 20,000
francs. " St. John and the Lamb," a small picture by
Murillo, recently brought from Spain, fetched 240 gui-
neas ; and another by the same master, painted for the
Franciscan Convent at Seville, representing monks visiting
Pope Gregory IX., 285 guineas. An Italian Landscape,
full of character, painted by Sir Nicholas Bercham for
Sir Kenelm Digby, a well-known patron of the fine arts in
the time of Charles 1., sold for 420 guineas. The portrait of
Madame Jacondi, of Florence, by Leonardo da Vinci, for-
merly in the collection of Sir T. Baring, and well known in
this country as " Leonardo's Flora," sold for 640 guineas.
The Holy Family, with Elizabeth and St. John, a beautiful
composition, painted a tempera by Bernardino Luini, and
formerly in the Zanini Collection at Milan, sold for 510
guineas. " Early Morning," a fine landscape by Gainsbo-
rough, 360 guineas. An Interior, by Adrian Ostade, with
two groups of card players and smokers, 560 guineas. "La
Vierge aux Roses," the well-known picture by Titian, for-
merly in the collection of Mr. W. V. Ottley, and purchased
by him in Italy, whilst the French army was at Rome, 240
guineas. An Alpine pass,. with figures and cattle, by Ni-
cholas Bercham, 330 guineas. A " Bouquet of Flowers,"
finely painted by Jan Van Huysum, 145 guineas. A portrait
by Titian of Henry 111. of France, at the time of his visit
to Venice, 140 guineas. St. Nicholas-day, by Jan Steen,
formerly in the collection of Mr. Walsh Porter, sold for 190
guineas. The other pictures fetched equally high prices.

JOHN TAWELL'S CONFESSION.

-
It will be recollected that John Tawell was executed for
the murder of Sarah Hart, of Salt-hill, at Aylesbury, now
nearly eighteen months ago, and that the subject of the con-
fession of the murderer, which was placed in the hands of
the Rev. Mr. Cox, the chaplain of the county gaol, just be-
fore his execution, and which the Rev. Gentleman has con-
tinually refused to lay before the magistrates of the county,
has been brought before the bench at every subsequent
quarter sessions. Various efforts have been made to induce
Mr. Cox to lay the document in question before the magis-
trates, but without success. At the last Easter sessions the
following resolution, upon the motion of Dr. Lee, seconded
by Mr. J. P. Derrin, was carried by a majority of exactly
two to one :—" That the chaplain be required to lay on the
table at the next (Midsummer) quarter sessions, any
written document received from John Tawell previously,
to his execution." The chaplain, who was present '
during the discussion which then took place, admitted
that a solemn promise had been made by him to
John Tawell not to give up possession of the document
in question; and further assured the magistrates that,
" whatever the consequences might be, nothing on earth
should ever induce him to part with the statement." At the
Midsummer Sessions, which were held on Thursday last,
the subject was again introduced, by Dr. Lee inquiring
of Mr. Acton Tindal, the clerk of the peace for the
county, if the Rev. Mr. Cox had laid the document upon
the table, relating to John Tawell, agreeably to the
resolution which was carried in April last. Mr. Tindal
having replied in the negative, Dr. Lee strongly ani-
madverted upon the uncourteous conduct of the chap-
lain, expressing his determination to propose a mo-
tion for the purpose of bringing the subject to a
final issue at the next sessions. It having been
elicited, however, that Mr. Tindal, as clerk to the
magistrates, had not officially communicated the nature of
the resolution to Mr. Cox, in consequence of instructions to
that effect not having been given to him by the bench, Dr.
Lee then gave notice that he should submit the following
motion at the ensuing Michaelmas Sessions, in September
next :—" That the clerk of the peace be instructed to com-
municate to the Rev. Mr. Cox the decision of the magistrates
upon his conduct with reference to the statement delivered
by John Tawell to Mr. Sheriff, the gaoler; and by Mr.
Re of the gaol, that
Rev.
Sheriffthe
magistratesto th the Rev. Mr.Rfetilviy expected
Cog,
chaplainthe
tthe
Mr. Cox would
have delivered up this statemept: to them, in consequence of
the request, or decision, to that effect, as made by the ma-
jority of the magistrates present atthe Easter Quarter-Ses-
sions; and that they consider his conduct, in still with-
holding that document, has been uncourteous and even con-
tumacious towards them." It is not expected that the Rev.
Mr. Cox, who was not present on Thursday last, will consent
to give up the document, after his determined and emphatic
refusal to do so at the Easter county sessions, held in April
last. Howesfer, thus the affair rests for the present.

ST. MARYLEBOI4 E BANK FOIL SAVINGS, 76, WELLB ECK-
STREET.—Established July 5, 1830.--Comparative State-
ment of progress, at specified periods, during the last seven
years.