The Sun.
London, England, 1834-03-06 00:00:00

FAIRY MAB.

A very animated picture, engraved by Rad-
don,' in his best manner, from a painting by
Fuseli. In point of spirit and delicacy of
handling it is almost, if not quite, worthy to
vie with the famous engraving of Newton's
Dutch Girl, which appeared some months since.

ENGRAVINGS FROM THE WORKS OF
SIR J. REYNOLDS. PARTS 3, 4.

This, when completed, will form a valuable
addition to the stores of modern art. We have
here the best of Sir Joshua's paintings, engraved,
for the most part, in a style worthy of them.
The picture of the Prince of Wales (his late
Majesty we presume) is admirably executed.
He is represented as just in the act of mount-
ing a charger, whose look and attitude are full
of vigour, as if, like the war-horse in Job, the
noble animal " snuffed the battle afar off." The
portrait of Sir Joshua himself conveys also as
correct an idea of the original, as engraving,
with • its limited means, can convey. The
" Snake in the Grass" is remarkable for that
peculiar beauty and expression of eye, that the

late President knew so well how to give to his
female pictures.

HIDE AND SEEK.

This is clever as an engraving, but if we may
judge by it, the original must be sadly destitute
of character, though the painter has evidently
taken pains to show off " his learned lore" in
that respect.

FINDEN'S GALLERY OF THE GRACES,

PART 11,

Contains three lovely female faces, illus-
trated by as many appropriate pieces of verse.
The work, we perceive, is to be completed in
another part. It might be very advantageously
extended, for there are abundant materials for
such a work, and the room is just now unoc-
cupied.

MAJOR'S CABINET GALLERY.
A respectable number, and that is all we can
say of it.

LANDSCAPE ILLUSTRATIONS OF
THE BIBLE. PART I.

This is a good idea, and proportionably well
executed. The part before us (which is the
first) consists of four engravings, of which
Tadmor in the Desert is the most elaborately
and successfully finished, and the Dead Sea
the worst. There is a hard, stiff, formal look in
the mountains, which is very repulsive to the
eye. The group i►► the foreground exhibits
far more freedom and delicacy of touch.

ILLUSTRATIONS OF BYRON. PART 23.

Another part will complete this work, and we
shall then have as finely an illustrated edition of
the works of our great poet, as was ever yet
published—even by Murray himself. The
landscape portions of the embellishments are not
of so much consequence ; but the portraits of
the great writers who flourished in Byron's
times, with whom he was in habits of intimacy,
and to whom he perpetually refers in his cor-
respondence, are valuable, and indeed in-
dispensable additions to the work. The present
number contains portraits of Campbell and
Hobhouse, of which the last is the most charac-
teristic, and the first the most flattering. The
landscapes are engraved in the Findens' most
careful manner.

LITERATURE.

HELEN. 3 VOLS. LONDON, 1834.

Miss Edgeworth shows in this, her latest
production, that age has mellowed, without in
the slightest degree impairing, her powers. All
that acuteness of observation, sound good sense,
unimpeachable morality, and tact at piercing
below the surface, and analysing the motives to
action, that we admired in " Tales of Fashion-
able Life," are nearly to an equal extent to be met
with in" Helen." Perhaps we miss a little of Miss
Edgeworth's vigorous condensation in the matter
of dialogue ; here and there, too, we detect
" passages that lead to nothing," and stand in
the way of the narrative, encumbering, and
almost blocking up its progress ; but, then, to
make amends for this, we find a deeper vein of
reflection than is usual with Miss Edgeworth, a
more enlarged philosophy, and more luxuriant
powers of description. There are one or two
sylvan sketches in " Helen" worth all that the ac-
complished authoress has ever written in that line
She was always a niggardly landscape painter, deal-
mg chiefly with mannersand the human heart ; but
she here varies her theme, attempts the pictu-
resque, and, by way of back-ground, portrays
one or two sylvan scenes, with all the truth
and delicate finish of Cowper. The characters
in " Helen" are excellent, for character is Miss
Edgeworth's forte. Her males are the best,
and we might search far and wide before we
should find a more shrewd or skilfully developed
conception than that of Churchill. It is no
fancy sketch, but breathes of actual life. We
must not omit to mention that " Helen" con-
tains one of the most generous and eloquent
tributes to the memory of our great idol, Sir
Walter Scott, that we have ever read—and we
have read some hundreds.

OLD MAIDEN'S TALISMAN. 3 VOLS.
LONDON, 1834.

The merits of this work may be summed up
in a few words. They consist in great breadth
of humour, and extravagant powers of carica-
ture. The author is not without the skill to
delineate character ; but his love of fun
is perpetually leading him astray from
the right track. His sole object seems
to be to make one laugh, and, to do
him justice, he is pretty nearly always success-
ful. Those who can read the tale of the
" Lodging.house Bewitched," without giving
vent to many an outrageous laugh at its broad
humour, must be compounded of very strange
materials. This story should have been published
in November. It might have prevented many a
suicide.

J OHNST ONE' S EDINBURGH MAGA-
ZINE.

A periodical which is popular, but not a whit
more so than it deserves to be. Sound common
sense, blended with a dash of the satirical, are
its chief features, and both these attractions meet
in happy accordance i►► the masterly analysis of
Lord Brougham's character, which is completed
in the present number. There is no shrewder
article than this in any of the magazines of the
month. We wish we could give extracts ; but
space and time forbid.