The Sun.
London, England, 1866-01-23 00:00:00

The Late Mrs. C. Newton.

The short muster-roll of English female artists
has lost a name of high distinction, and still higher
promise, in Mrs. Charles Newton, who died prema-
turely at 33 of brain fever following' on measles,
just after the dawn of the new year. Mrs. Newton
came of a family of artists. Her father, Mr. Severn,
our present consul at Rome, is known both by his
pictures in oil and fresco and as the friend of Keats,
whose deathbed he soothed by his devoted care.
Her brothers are both artists, and Mr. IValter
Severn's etchings and designs of the Golden Ca-
lendar, and Mr. Arthur Severn's water-colour
drawings in the exhibition at the Dudley Gallery
last year have received very favourable criticisms.
Miss Severn early began the practice of art, and by
her heads in pencil, crayon, and water-colour, and
still more by her exquisite copies in water-colour
from the old masters, had already won
for herself
both reputation and profit, when five years ago she
married Mr. Charles Newton, the distinguished su-
perintendent of Greek and Roman antiquities at the
British Museum. After her marriage Mrs. Newton
became even a more devoted and conscientious la-
bourer in her art than before. Following her hus-
band's studies with the double interest of a devoted
wife and an enthusiastic artist, she learnt to apply
to the antique that rare faculty of rendering the
thoughts of great minds which till then she had
deciphered by means of the works of the great
Italian masters. How thoroughly she had ac-
complished the latter may be illustrated by an
anecdote, honourable alike to student and master.
When Ary Scheffer saw a small copy she had made in
the Louvre of the beautiful head, commonly called
Raffaele's ‘kFencing-master," but more probably a
work of the elder Francia's, he took it to his atelier,
and, holding it up to his assembled
pupils
il:vhat has an
e
example of what a copy should be, and of
had never succeeded. in getting from their labours
in the Louvre, asked them how they liked to be ex-
celled by a young English lady. Mrs. Newton
executed on a large scale a great number of draw-
ings from the finest antique sculptures and vase
paintings of the Museum 11.' illustrations of her hus-
band's lectures. These drawings have been pio-
nounced by very critical judges unsurpassed for
truthfulness and for their rendering by equivalents
of the untranslatable and inimitable qualities of the
finest antique art. There is the same rare quality
in her drawings from the sculptures discovered by
her husband at liudrun and Caidos, which are pho-
tographed in his history of these discoveries. In oil
painting Mrs. Newton was labouring energetically
up to the time of her lamented death. And though
her style in this difficult branch of the art was not
yet fixed, and her command of its materials and
methods imperfect, the portrait of herself exhibited
at the Royal Academy two years ago, and a large
half-length subject of Elaine, hung the same year,
but too high for fair appreciation, showed how
much of power, beauty, and sentiment she had
already qualified herself to express through this
medium. 'This notice is necessarily confined to
what the arts of England have lost in this gifted
woman. What her husband and friends have lost
in her is not, to be touched on in a record meant
only for the public. •

HER MAJESTY'S Sim, I.3cm.Doa.—The crew of
the late vessel Bulldog were paid off yesterday at Devon-
port, on board the Port Admiral's ship Royal Adelaide.
ALLEGED MURDER IN LI vERPOOL.—On Sunday
week a man and woman, named Nixon and Quinn, who re-
sided in a court in Blackstock-street, Liverpool, quarrelled
with a man named Michael Smith, residing in the same
house. They threw Smith violently down stairs and
kicked him so brutally that he died on Sunday morning
from the injuries he had received. Nixon and Quinn will
be brought up at the Liverpool Police-court to-day.
IRON SHIPBUILDING IN SOUTH WALES.—The iron
shnbuilling. trade has of late beoemo an important addition
to the prosperity of South Wales. It was not till recently
this comparatively new branch in the maritime art was in-
troduced into this district, and since then great progress
has been made at the several ports where iron shipbuilding
yards have been established. It has been proved beyond
a doubt that the district is capable of producing iron plates
suitable for first-class ships, and that in the course of a few
years the principality will be a strong competitor with the
North of England in the building of iron vessels. In addi-
tion to the ships already launched a fine iron bark has just
left the stocks of Messrs. Batchelor Brothers' yard, Cardiff.
The bark is the property of Messrs. Cory, of Cardiff, and
is destined for the copper ore trade. Her length is 140 ft. ;
breadth of beam, 24ft.; depth of hold, 17ft. A large iron
vessel is about being built at the East-yard, Newport, by
Mr. Spittle, and there are also iron ships on the stocks at
Caredff and Llanelly. This indicates that the advantages
of the district for iron shipbuilding are being gradually ap-
preciated by capitalists.
NAPOLEON'S DIFFICULTY WITH AMERICA.--The
ruler of France may be pleased with the reflection
that he, a creature of the Revolution, has flung one of the
richest territories of the world to a Prince of the House of
Hapsburg-Lorraine ; but this is a satisfaction which is
very vulgar in its essence, and must be very fleeting in its
duration. And, putting this aside, there is really nothing
to compensate him for the mistake he committed in going
to Mexico. It has perpetuated the financial disorder of
France ; it has displeased some of the stanchest and most
sagacious of his supporters ; it has irritated afresh the
enemies who were beginning to relent i❑ their opposition,
and it has raised up a spirit of resentment in a country
which has cherished an alliance with France over
since the days when Washington and Lafayette
fought side by side the battle of independence. The
intervention in Mexico was a mistake, though wo
are precluded from condemning it loudly. Our own
Government was ill-advised enough to concur in the
moderate attempt at first suggested, and We can only con-
gratulate ourselves that it had the discretion to retire a a
soon as it could with decency. It ought to have been
seen front the first that it would be impossible to restrict
the movement to its proposed dimensions, and even were
it possible the movement would still be impolitic. The
practical question is, however—What shall the Emperor
do? Luckily, it is not our function to determine his
future policy. There are some situations in which it
seems equally impossible to advance or retreat. Tho
Emperor may, however, persuade himself that he must
either advance or retreat ; it is impassible to do both, as
so many 'people would willingly do, and it is equally im-
possible to stand still, if he retreats, he exposes himself
to the imputation of failure, and must run the risk of the
disfavour which the French are very apt to feel towards
anything like a want of military success ; but he would be
relieved from considerable expense, vould mitigate some
domestic opposition, and would appease the American
people. If he persist, he must be prepared for growing
embarrrassments au(imust brave American resentment.—
Times.

LIEUT.-GENERAL GRANT.—The New York cor-
respondent of the London Standard writes of Gen. Grant :
—" The Radicals have opened an attack upon Lieutenant-
General Grant. The General's indorsement of .the Presi-
dent's statements has stirred up a groat'deal of wrath in
Radical minds, and certain Congress men have already
announced that they will endeavour to defeat Mr. Wash-
burne's bill for the establishment of the military grade of
General. This bill has direct reference to Grant. Some
of the Radical journals aro indulging in criticisms upon
Grant's generalship ; one (the Chicago Tribune) has asserted
that it will never be known how much or how little the
country owes to Grant—whether he is or is not a mere
accident. The slander set afoot by Butler, that Grant
was and is too fond of the intoxicating cup, ' either for
his own goal, or that of the country,' is repeated by many
newspapers. In short, the Radicals are ready to pronounce
their late hero a drunkard and a blunderer. Unfortunately
for their designs such attacks on the Lieutenant-General
will only recoil upon the instigators. Grant is an object,
of popular homage, and whether lie is or is not, as Radicals
assert, an ' accident,' it is sufficient for his own well-
being that he is considered by the majority a great captain.
Mr. B. F. Butler will deliver a speech in Lowell, Massa-
chusetts, to-day or on 'Monday ; and it is supposed that
the disgraced ruffian will attempt to reply to Grant's
charges of cowardice and incompetency. It may not be
generally known that General Grant is a very poor man,
but such is the fact. lla friends in New York are quietly
working to raise means to remove the mortgage upon his
horse-in Washington. The General's pay would be suffi-
cient for his maintenance as a private citizen ; it is grossly
inadequate to the support of the establishment he is com-
pelled to keep up as our highest military officer. He has
lived plainly, but he found it necessary, more than a year
ago, to mortgage his house. Some $50,000 or SGO,OOO
have been obtained hero by subscriptions, and if a sufficient
sum is accumulated, the general's house will be restored
(and a substantial additional gift tendered) as a 'New
Year's Present.'"

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