The Sun.
London, England, 1845-05-19 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

FINDEN'S BEAUTIES OF THE POETS.
Part I.
This is a most delightful publication. It is not
" music married to immortal verse," but immortal
verse married to equally immortal art. It is the first
number of a series of beautiful engravings, from the
burin of Finden, illustrative of the beauties of the
British Poets, and Moore is chosen as the first poet
for illustration. A happy choice; for Moore is al-
most the last of the band of immortals who is yet
left to us. As a title, we have a beautiful and valu-
able portrait of the poet—valuable not only as a work
of art, but as a most characteristic and spirited portrait.
We have then a beautiful illustration of the song,
" Black and Blue Eyes," the characteristic expression
of the

" Brilliant black eye,
Which in triumph lets fly
Its darts without caring who heeds them;"
contrasted with

" The soft eye of blue,
Which scatters wounds too;
But is much better pleased when it heals them,'
is admirably presented. The illustration is accom-
panied by a critique on the song in which the writer
almost appears willing to join issue with the poet. We,
however, like good Catholics, eschew all such heresies,
and steadily adhere to the good Catholic creed of the
good Catholic poet. St. Jerome's Love is the subject
of the next illustration, and the artist, H. O'Neil, has
been thoroughly imbued by the spirit of the poet. It
is a study for a Magdalen. The next illustration is
Young Kitty, the heroine of the song of " 11l
Omens "

As she looked in the glass, which a woman ne'er misses,
Nor ever wants time for a sly glance or two,
A butterfly fresh from the night-flower's kisses,
Flew over the mirror and shaded her view.
Enraged with the insect for biding her graces,
She brushed him—he fell, alas! never to rise;
Ah, such, said the girl, is the pride of our faces,
In which the soul's innocence too often dies.

The artist, J. Wright, has made a most beautiful
picture of this. The butterfly lies dead on the table,
and the girl's features have a mingled expression of
coquetry and sorrow, which is beautifully executed.
The last illustration, " Laughing Eyes," by Frith,
is most characteristic. There is something perfectly
bewitching about the lovely girl, to whose laughing
eyes the poet calls upon us to drink a round. This
is " the illustrated book" of the season, and no draw-
ing-room or boudoir can be considered altogether '
comma it faut, on the table of which " Finden's
Bet.uties of the Poets" is not to be found.

AMERICAN FACTS. By George Palmer Putnam.
This is a very valuable work on the statistics of
America, replete with facts, which at the present
time, especially, are of very general interest. It
is in fact a resum6 of the social, financial, political,
military, and naval condition of the several republics
constituting the United States. The compiler
exhibits great industry and research, and defends his
countrymen stoutly against the accusations brought
against them. With regard to the existence of
slavery in the States, we believe it is admitted on all
hands, that that is rather their misfortune than their
fault. England certainly is guilty of having intro-
duced negro slavery into North America. For "repu-
diation," however, the North Americans are solely
responsible—on the principle of audi alteram partem,
we give the author's explanation :