The Sun.
London, England, 1844-12-24 00:00:00

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natively poor persons proprietors of India stock, to
whom a material reduction of their dividends would
be a heavy burden. Economy—severe economy—
therefore, is, in some respects, the duty of the /Min
Directors, and it is a duty to the faithful discharge of
which they will be strongly biassed by their present
personal interests. If, therefore, they feared a great
increase of cost in the military and civil government
of India, that fear alone would account for, and
almost justify, the violent step taken by them. The
existence of such a fear is, however, by no means
improbable. We may suppose that the Govern-
ment gave to Lord Ellenborough the same wide
latitude of discretion that they gave to Sir Henry
Pottinger, and which the latter so beneficially
exercised—that latitude of discretion in the agent
which, in great things as well as small, is indispen-
sable to success; but having given such freedom of
action to the Governor-General, the Cabinet would
be unable to satisfy the Directors upon the subject of
expense; and all know the power of uncertainty in
exciting exaggerated apprehensions. Thus, we
think, we have shown that Lord Ellenborough's ac-
quittal is not necessarily identified with the condem•
nation of the Directors—shown, too, that Lord Ellen-
borough's enemies have raised no fair presumption
against him, and having done this there is no more
that we wish to do.

PRESENTATION TO THE CAN-
TERBURY PHILOSOPICAL INSTITUTION
AND MUSEUM BY LORD STRANGFORD.
The Canterbury Museum has recently been en.
riched by a valuable and most interesting collection
of Greek and Egyptian antiquities, which are now
arranged for inspection in that building. They have
been most liberally presented by Lord Strangford.
The following description of them has been supplied
by the curator of the Museum :
"'The presentation to the Canterbury Museum, re-
cently made by the Viscount Strangford, consists of
sculptured marbles, terracotta figures, lamps, vessels
used in the interment of the dead, as well as others
for every day purposes, a metal mirror, parts of a
sandal, all of which are relics of Greek or, Egyptian
art ; a Mexican figure used as a water-cooler, a rude
Swedish copper coin (a two-crown piece), ti mask of
Charles 13th of Sweden, taken after death, with a few
other miscellaneous articles ; the whole forming the
most valuable addition to the Museum that has been
contributed for many years past. The antiquarian's
pleasure is often destroyed by a passing doubt, &dread
lest his treasures may be spurious, and ha imposed upon;
' but in viewing these relics of classic taste, there is no
such drawback, they having been dug and delved
up in various parts of Greece and Egypt' by the
noble donor himself. Such a collection was much
wanting, to illustrate the customs and manners of
people, to whom the civilised of all succeeding ages
are so much indebted. Of this the Philosophical and
Literary Society was so well aware, that they have
appropriated for them a new glass case, where they
will long remain a proof of Lord Strangford's gene-
rosity, and be of use to all students inquiring into the
state of the arts, religious ceremonies; or domestic
economy of ancient Egypt and classic Greece.-
" The marbles consist of commemorative tablets,
with various subjects sculptured upon them, illustra-
tive of their fabulous history or their modes of ,woe-
ship. On some of these are inscriptions In an early
Greek character. The figures are mostly carved in
that primeval style of art in which a succession of
ridges and furrows in the garments, made up fur those
bold and massive shadows which distinguish a later
and better period of the art. It was customary for the
convalescent to offer gifts, which remained in the
temple, for any disease from which they had been
ridded ; thus, portions of the body, es hands and feet,
were often presented in marble or in metal ; four of,
these, either broken from large subjects, or that had
been votive offerings, are amongst the collection.
" There are six small heads of various and inter-
esting character, and the lower parts of the figure of
a fawn of exquisite workmanship. One of the most
attractive of the marbles is a full length of a draped
figure, in a good style of art, and perfect in all says)
the head and arms. In another, which appears to
have been part of the frieze of a building, the artist
has shown perfect skill in the manner of tooling, so as
to give the effect of shadow from above to the specta-
tor below. It is a figure floating through the air sur-
rounded by fillets and flowers, and reminds us of the
sculptures on the Temple of the 'Winds, so called, and
which are so admirably engraved in Stewart's and
Revett's Antiquities of Athens.'
" Pottery—Of these there are seventy specimens,
and some of great beauty. Few persons, without
reflection, would be disposed to admit the power of
baked clay to resist the ravages of time in a superior
degree to metal or marble ; yet that such is the case,
the vases and other objects in this collection, as well
as in others, sufficiently attest. We can hardy bring
our minds to believe that it is two thousand years ago
that similar pottery to this was collected at Rome,
and prized for its antiquity. It is not improbable
that some of those very vessels might have been made
and painted before the building of Rome itself *as
commenced.
"It may be well here to notice the manner in
which the paintings on the vases must have been
effected. It will he seen that many of them are
really beautiful in design, and drawn with a mas-
terly hand. Now, to conceive that artists of' such
merit could be employed in designing and painting
this common ware, would be equal to suppose that
painters were employed to design each of our com-
mon cups and saucers. 'They must, therefore, have
had a mode of marking out by stencilling plat-
terns and forms that others had designed, and of
filling up the interior forms afterwards. The design
on the vase No. 9 is precisely in this state, and
a most spirited outline and vigorous drawing it
presents—let only a person attempt to copy it, and
he will then know how exquisite it is. Vases of this
shape are the most common in collections; nor can
it be wondered at when it is known that not only a
flat or patera-shaped one is placed at the right side of
the corpse, but that two whole rows of the long vases
are placed down the length of the skeleton, as well
as several between the legs: from twenty to sixty
are generally taken from the same sepulchre, the
greater part of which are of the lengthened form. It
is difficult to guess at the object of burying so great
a number, but doubtless the wealth of the interred
often was known by such display.
"This is a large pitcher-formed vessel, on which are
represented two sphinxes with a bird flying between
them ; this is in beautiful harmony of colour, and
squally correct in drawing. A dark coloured vessel,
No. 43, has been figured as a vessel to contain scent
The last office performed upon the &ad appears to
have been to anoint it with sacred oil, which was
contained in lengthened vessels, some of which are of
clay, and some of alabaster--examples of each are in
the collection.
"Terra Cottas—Of these there are thirty speci-
mens, of various degrees of excellence; but one—
probably the head of a Greek poetess, it being
crowned with a garland of berried ivy—deserves
pre-eminence. The face is of exquisite beauty : the
lips--the nostril—the eye, beam with inspiration.
Two tiles also demand minute inspection—the one a
mask, found at Rhodes ; the other a spirited sketch of
chariot racing. -
"'There are several small heads—some witleniuch
grace of expression, and one of considerable inte-
rest, it clearly being a representation of one of the
Hebrew nation. Another—a female figure with
Pan-pipes—is mirthful and peculiar in expression of
countenance, reminding us of the types from whence
the elder painters derived their forms. Amongst the
Terra Cottas are many of the Egyptian deities, some-
what rudely executed; but there are some of a Bac-
chanalian character of great merit. Among m nimals,
a dog's head, with a wolfish expression, aid a pig,
are the most remarkable.
"The cleft pomegranate, showing its grains, is here,
and very similar to the same fruit introduced in
modern festoons of fruit and flowers, both in wood
and stone.
" Lamps—The ancients evidently delighted to
multiply forms and elegant designs for their lamps..
We have here a collection of sixteen, and not two of
them are similar. On one is the representation of an
old man feeding the flame with oil; on another is
shown the manner in which burdens were carried.
But the most interesting of all is a square one,
on which, in low relief, is represented the
scene in the Odyssey,' where Ulysses, sailing off the
coast Ithaca, is delayed by the Syrens. One of these
seductive creatures is seen swimming close to the
prow of the vessel ; and the hero, having first com-
manded all possible expedition, both with oar and by
sail, appears turning a dead ear to the Siren, for
boll his hands are applied to his head, to prevent the
entrance of sounds that by their sweetness might
tempt him to relinquish his search.
" There are several other things equally curious in
themselves, that cannot so readily be classed, such as
a metal mirror e. idently of the same shape as that
depicted upon one of the vases (No. 7); it is now in
a very corroded state. A. small scarabteus, formed of
jade stone, and covered with hieroglyphics, reminds
us of the old Nile and its superstitions: At Naxos
was dug up a crucible of the same form as that in
present use, and what is no less singular, of the
same material, namely, pluinbago. Not the least in-
teresting of these miscellaneous articles are the casts
from a plate of copper engraved on both sides, found
in Sweden, covered with an inscription in what is
called in the north of Europe, the Nagry character,
but which appears to be a mixture of Egyptian and
Runic. A copy of these has been sent to Mr. Forster,
the gentleman who has so successfully deciphered
the engraved rocks of Syria, which had hitherto
defied all previous translators, and the Society hope,
through that gentleman's kindness, to know what it
coal!: emorates.
"An addition of so valuable a character will long
identify the Lord Strangford with the most ardent
well-wishers to the intellectual improvement of the
citizens of Canterbury."—Kent Herald.

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