Star.
London, England, 1830-03-01 00:00:00

LITERATURE ARTS, 4.c.
THE FAMILY I=l7:', by AIURRAY.
An authentic history of the discovery of America by
Columbus, has been until the present time a desideratum
in the literary world. It was reserved for W ASHING-
To!: IRVING to supply the want, and this he has been
enabled to effect by his residence in Spain, and his
fortunate access to original documents hitherto carefully
withheld from the enquiring eye. His history under-
taken with this great advantage, is acknowledged to be
a work of sterling merit, and an abridgement of it by the
author forms the eleventh Volume of that valuable com-
pilation, " THE FAMILY LIBRARY," advertised last
week in our Paper.
Stratagem of Columbus to obtain supplies from the natives of
Jamaica.—" The horrors of famine began to threaten the terrified
crew, when a fortunate idea presented itself to Columbus. From his
knowledge of astronomy, he ascertained that within three days there
would be a total eclipse of the moon, in the early part of the night.
fie summoned, therefore,:the principle Casiques to a grand eon-
ference. appointing for it the day of the eclipse. When all were as-
sembled, he told them by his interpreter, that he and his followers
were wor,hippers of a Deity wholived in the skies, and held them
under his protection ; that this great Deity was Incensed against
the Indians, who had refused or neglected to furnish his faithful
worshippers with provisions, and intended to chastise them with
famine and pestilence. Lest they should disbelieve this warning, a
signal would be given that very night In the heavens. They would
behold the moon change its colour, and gradually lose its light : a
token of the fearful punishment which awaited them.
" Many of the Indians were alarmed at the solemnity of this
prediction, others treated it with derision; all, however, awaited
with solicitude the coming of the night. When they beheld a
black shadow stealing over the moon, and a mysterious gloom
gradually covering the whole face of nature, they were seised
with the utmost consternation. Hun ying with provisions to the
ships, and throwing themselves at the feet of Columbus, they
implored him to intercede with his God to withhold the
threatened calamities, assuring him that thenceforth they would
bring him whatever he required. Columbus retired to his
cabin under pretence of communing with the Deity, the fo-
rests and shores all the while resounding with the howlings of
the savages. He returned shortly, and informed the natives that
the Deity had deigned to pardon them, on condition of their fulfilling
their promises, in sign of which he would withdraw the darkness
from the moon. When the Indians saw that planet restored to its
brightness, and rolling in all its beauty through the firmament,
they overwhelmed the admiral with thanks for his intercession.._
They now regarded him with awe and reverence, as one enjoying
the peculiar favour and confidence of the Deity, since he knew upon
ear:l: what was passing in the heavens. They hastened to propitiate
hint with gifts; supplies again arrived daily at the harbour, and
from that time forward there was no want of provisions."—Family
I.l!,rary, No. XL—Columbus.
THE FINE ARTS.
Danby's Opensng of the Sixth Seal."
H. COLNAOHI.

While our ingenious neighbours almost contest the existence of
an English School, and that It is quite unknown in Italy, it is
gratifying for Englishmen to reflect that the sister arts of Painting
and Sculpture, have made a greater progress among us, than the
most sanguine could have anticipated, while we have not merely
kept pace with the most favoured of our continental rivals, but fat
exceeded them in more than one branch of art. In landscape, we
venture to say, that there are not two artists on the whole continent,
whose talents will bear even a remote comparison with Tultafta and
COLLINS, two names which we mention without any invidious
distinction among that galaxy which does such high honour to the
British school. If historical painting has not attained its highest
pitch of excellence in this country, the cause is both obvious and
simple. It is utterly impossible for the arts to flourish or acquire
perfection. without that species of patronage and protection which
can clone induce men to devote themselves to a 'profession, requir-
ing, above all others, long and laborious study. Why have the
schools of Italy so far outshone all others ? Not because her cli-
mate was blest by a brighter sun and purer air than ours : no,—the
perfection of art in that lovely and ill.fated region, is due to the
fostering encouragement it received from the highest authorities of
the state, we need scarcely name the government and priesthood, as
having at all times led the way as the patrons of the arts and artists
south of the Alps. Without such patrons, RAPHAEL and MI.
CHAEL ANGELO; LEONARD! DA VINCI and CORREGGIO,
would never have been heard of—nor would their divine productions
have ever conferred immortality on their country and themselves.
Convinced, as we are, that virtue and civilization have no more
pleasing incentives and auxiliaries than the "sister arts,"we have ever
been of opinion that their due encouragement, if not an object of le.
;;illative interference, should be one of warm solicitude with every en.
lightened government. And, feeling thus, we cannot but lament the
almost total absence of that encouragement in our own country.
While, however, the progress of art may be said to be a matter of
indifference to the Government, it has found some splendid patrons,
among whom we are proud to take this occasion of recording the
name of George IV. as at once the most exalted and liberal. Let
us hope that the establishment of a national gallery, entirely due to
the generosity of the King, marks a new era in our own school,taid
that future ministers will cause a certain number of pictures and
groups, illustrative of historical events, to be yearly added to the
grand depositary : and we venture to assure the Chancellor of the
Exchequer that, notwithstanding the universal distress which
unhappily prevails, the Parliament would not object to an
item of 5,0001 a year, for the encouragement of the " BRITISH
SCHOOL," anti the illustration of those events which have shed
such glory on the national character.
Having thus digressed on a subject which we have always thoug h
entitled to special attention, we now come to the principal object of
these remake, namely, Mr. DAN/IT'S last picture. Although, we
believe, Mr. -MARTIN has the merit of being the first to adopt a
style whi,li is above all others calculated to embody the flights of
poetical conception, he has certainly found a most successful fol.
lower and rival in 11 r. DANDY, whose:"Passage a phe Red Sca "
and " Oraine of the Sixth Seal," arc both admirable In their
way, and resplendent with beauties of the highest order. The en.
graving, of then, glorious specimens of the British school, are row
before us, and we cengratulate Mr. PHILLIPS on the result of his
labours. As the first named production must already be krown
to most of our readers, our remarks shall be confined to the second,
in which the "sublime, terrific, and beautiful," are as happily
blended as we ever recollect to have seen. We regret that our
limits do not admit of a 'detailed description of this grand um.
position ; we are, however, justified in saying, that it is en.
titled to the particular notice of amateurs and artists as uniting
in a pre-eminent degree, all those qualities which form the
Igau ideal in art. It is no trifling praise to the publisher, Mr.
Courant'', that he should have become so enlightened a patron of
art and artists ; nor do we doubt that his judgment and liberality
will be repaid by a discerning public. We conclude for the present
with the passages from the Revelation, which ha ve furnished Mr
Dawnye with the subject of his picture. They are among the.
most emphatic and sublime of the sacred volume, and convey a
lesson which ought to sink deep into the heart and mind of all those,
who, like ourselves, are impressed with the awful truths and terrible
warning of Christianity.
And I beheld when he had opened the Sixth Seal, and 10,
there was a great earthquake ; and the Sun became black u sack.
cloth of hair, and the Moon became as blood :
" And the Stars of Heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig-tree
casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
" Anti the Heaven departed as a scroll when it ts rolled to.
gclwa aid every mountain and island were moved out of their
places.
" And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich
•!nen, anti the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every
bondman. and every freemen, hid themselves in the dens and in the
rocks of the mount:dna ;
' And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall upon us, and hide
A fiord the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the
wrath of the Lamb :
" For the great day of His wrath is coma, and who shall be able
;.) stud

,111•111.1.21•1 •
CHILDREN OP I'HE DUKE OF HAMILTON, BY MOON
AND
, C',,—This print is engraved by LEWIS, from a
0'116" by Sir THOMAS LAW RENCE, representing the
`.°ll andt daughter of the noble Duke in an attitude
strongly expressive of mutual affection. The grace, the
delicacy, :led the sweetness which characterised the
pencil of this lamented artist, always rendered him pe-
bealY happy in the delineation of female and youthful
" In the present work he has been as felicitous
cases, and the graver of Mr. LEWIS has done
,tice to the original. There is an intellectual
. in the countenance, which, while it charms,
speaks forcibly to the heart.

beauty:
" in most
"'Pie just
expression
the eye, 81