The Sun.
London, England, 1833-02-02 00:00:00

own more shallow criticism, but refer the reader
at once to the book itself.

The " Puck," by Sir Joshua Reynolds,
admirably engraved by Marr, is one of the
finest things we ever saw. It is truly a Shakspearian
sprite. There is no mistaking the strange, wild,
arch gleam, half of fun, half of mischief, that
lurks in the elf's eye. In this respect it is a true
a sprite of the elements. Yet in regarding this
picture, we are required—such is the necessity of
the case—to concede an extraordinary license to
the imagination. We are required to have such
unbounded faith, as to believe that the weight of
a fat, chubby boy, a mass of material substance,
ponderous as a young Hercules, shall not even
bend, scarcely even indent, the mushroom—that
most delicate and fragile of shrublings—on
which he sits as on a footstool. When we are
told of this in poetry ; when, for instance, Scott,
meaning to convey a fine idea of the light,
buoyant figure of Ellen, assures us that
" E'en the slight hare-hell raised its head

Elastic from her airy tread,"
we admit the idea, as one eminently character-
istic and poetical, and coming within the limits
of propriety ; but when a far more exaggerated
idea than this is embodied, and (as in the
present instance), placed under our very
nose, our credulity is shocked, and we regard it
not so much in the light of a poetic conception,
as of a physical impossibility. Appeals to the
mere eye-sight are far more hazardous than those
to the fancy. The one makes far more allow-
ances than the other. When we read in
Shakspeare of Puck squatting on a mush-room,
we readily concede the point to the poet, but
when the painter places the urchin palpably
before us, and then bids us believe, we are
apt to become stubborn and incredulous.
Sir Josuah's "Puck," contains a world of beau-
ties,— but it is one of those conceptions which
belong exclusively to the poet. The painter
should have nothing to do with them ; for he is
sure to degrade the immaterial to the level of the
material. This is " cold criticism" perhaps, as
Mr. Cunningham phrases it, but it has at least the
merit of sincerity, and is put forth in no disre-
spectful spirit to Sir Josuah.
The remaining portions of these numbers we
must notice at some more leisure opportunity.

MADAME DE STAEL'S " CORINNE."
The New Volume of

THE STANARD NOVELS
and ROMANCES,
Published on February I, contains Madame DE STAEL'S
celebrated Romance, entitled,
" CORINNE, or ITALY ;"
complete in one volume, price only 6s. Translated ex-
pressly for this Serirs by Miss Isabel Hill, with metrical
versions of the " Chants" or Odes, by Miss Landon. A
Memoir of the Author, Including numerous anecdotes of
her life, also accompanies this Volume, which is em-
bellished with Engravings from the well-known painting
by Gerard, and a View of Copper, the seat of Madame de
Stael, from the pencil of Fielding.
This Work, which is printed and bound uniformly with
the Waverley Novels, contains the following esteemed pro-
ductions, revised and corrected, with new introductions,
in most instances written by the authors themselves, ex-
pressly f.r this edition.

By Cooper.—The Spy—The Pi- By Gait.—Lawrie Todd.
lot—The Last of the Mohi. By Misses Lee—The Canterbury
cans --The Pioneers--The Tales.
Prairie, and Lionel Lincoln. By B. Brown.—Edgar Huntley.
By Godwin.—Caleb Williams— By Schiller.—Ghost Seer.
St. Leon—Fleetwood. By Mrs Shelley —Frankenstein.
By Misses Porter.—Thaddeus of By Mrs. Brunton.—Self-Control
Warsaw--Scottish Chiefs-- Discipline.
Pastor's Fire-side--Hunga- By Miss Austen.—Sense and
nan Brothers. Sensibility.
The above Novels and Romances being the exclusive
copyrights of the Publisher, can only be obtained in this
Edition. Any volume may be had separately, price 6s.
Richard Bentley, New Burlington-street.
(Successor to Henry Colburn.)
Agents for Scotland, Messrs. Bell and Bradfute, Edinburgh;
for Ireland, Mr. John Cumming, Dublin.

WEEKLY NEWSPAPER FOR THE ARMY
AND NAVY.

On Saturday, February 9, will be published, the Firs
Number, price 7,1. of
THE NAVAL AND MILITARY GA•
ZETTE, and