The Sun.
London, England, 1860-10-23 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

A Primer of the Art of Illumination, By F.
Delamotte. 4to. E. and F. N. Don.
Already we have had occasion
commend very cordially to tb' than once to
attention of our
readers the eloquent researe'
cation of this charact'er:
Dela-
motte in the art of Muir' Lips of Mr. F.
`nation His last publi-
illustrative of the "a remarkablei volume,
ornamental Alphabets, ancient
and mediae p' f
wards,
iranr.o, ~s a ver_y
r. om the eighth century down-
' .Aate pre considerable advance upon its
, namely,
- d i!Lecessor from the same skilled artist-
haa
very ingeniously arranged series
of " Examples of Modern Alphabets, plain and
ornamental. Here, however, is a work upon a
kindred theme far beyond either of those graceful
compilations. It is, as its simple and unassuming
title indicates, "A Primer of the Art of Illumina-
tion." We should, however, by the substitution of
the definite for the indefinite article, suggest that
its more appropriate title would be—as it really
awl truly deserves to be—" The Primer of the Art
of, Illumination." For the volume altogether is,
to our thinking, in its way, quite without any
competitor. Although it affects merely to be
" For the Use of Beginners "—it is, nevertheless,
worthy of the study even of proficients. As a
rudimentary treatise upon the art of illumination,
it is singularly complete and comprehensive. It is
replete in its earlier pages with the most precise
" Practical Directions" for the exercise of that
art —the later portions of the volume being
devoted to the presentation to view of coloured
and uncoloured examples taken from illuminated
manuscripts. Several of these last-mentioned being
in truth the very loveliest specimens—not merely
for instance in the simple but gorgeous effect of the
scarlet and gold initial letters from a Bible of the
12th century, or in the single ornate and won-
drously elaborated capital from the Hone of St.
Louis—but especially in two c)x.amples that ought
in justice to be particularised as really the glories
of this charming work—" Delamotte 's Primer of
Illumination." First of alb—Plate viii. from the
" Hours" of Henry VII.I 'with the white lilies and
the gold and silver butte :lies ! And secondly, and
finally, as worthy of particular admiration, Plate
ix. from the " Hour'" of Anne of Brittany, with
the thorny stalks, the delicate blossoms, and the
ripening fruit of t'ne blackberry, with here a lady-
bird, and here a green, coiling caterpillar. Re-
verting to the letterpress it should be remarked that
in his arrauf:oment of the elementary instructions
given to beginners, Mr. Delamotte first of all,
most judirAously, lays down the principles and sib-
sequenti.y defines with extreme exactitude the prac-
tice of the art of illumination. His particularity
exterads in this way to the precisest data in regard
to the requisite paper, colour, and implements of
the intended illuminator. For the artist's book
shelves, for his drawing-room table, for the table
I alike of the library and boudoir, Mr. Delamette's
admirable Primer of'lllumination will be found at
once eminently useful and eminently decorative.

The Family and School Geography. By T. IL
Staunton. One Vol., pp. 387. Richard Bentley.
Mr. Staunton's Family and School Geography
is incomparably the best----the fullest, the most
reliable, and the most admirably arranged
—among all the works of a similar kind
that have ever come under our observation.
We would very earnestly recommend it to the
attention, certain that it will secure to itself, in
very many instances, the ;inmediate adoption of
the chiefs of our public ocminaries.