Weekly national intelligencer., 1848-03-18

could not be preserved, and survive only in copies
in the Vatican, by Piero Bartoli and his son Fran
cisco, drawn from earlier drawings Four of these
are described by Winkelmann, in the 9th chapter OF
his 4th book. Besides these, there seem to have
existed prior to the Caracci but two in the Barbe-
rini palace three in the villa Allieri, seven in the
gallery of the Roman College, and two in the villa
Alban. Indeed, the date OF the finding OF some OF
these is apparently posteror to the time of the Ca
racci Now, the rise of the eager taste for the an
tque was contemporary with the earliest revival of
Art. This began, we may say, with Cimabue and
Giotto, in the time of Dante and PetrarcIl--say
about 1900. The fanaticism which would have
DESTROYED any fine object of ancient art then exist
ed no longer; or, If it had existed, would never
have been shared for an instant by the painters,
who, on the contrary held every thing antique in
the supremest veneraon, and strove to perfect their
works out Of the Greek sculptures. To suppose
that there can have existed two hundred and fifty
years later, works of Zeuxis and Apelles, so unre-
garded as to be painted over old canvass, and
that by learned artists like the great founders Of the
Bolognese school, is perfectly preposterous. We
must therefore, set down the treasures Of our
!" wealthy Italian" as palpable counterfets-a fresh
branch Of that art Of antiquarian imposture which
Italy has carried on III gems, coins, vases manu-
scripts and every thing else of that Sort ever since
gotten Anius of Vterbo and his counterfeit authors
Or who amongst ourselves cannot recollect how
one of our own clever, but not learned country
men, the late Richard Henry Wilde was imposed
on by the pretended correspondence of Tasso and
the Princess Leonora
We meet, in the London Chronicle, the follow
ing account of peculiar branch of art carried to
very extraordinary perfection:
n-and Ink Portrait Of Shakspeare.-By ]. MIsAs-
sT-The extraordinary penandnk drawings of Mr.. Minassi
have long been celebrated in this country The effect pro-
duced by simple apparatus indeed wonderful The
most delicate touches Of the finest gaver compared
to his mpalpable lines; the soest shades of mezzoin
produced by Mnasss nnessima parallels and what artist
is fortunate enough have his lights udcousy distributed
when he has to submit 10 the mechanical operations of the
printing office We compare Mr. Minassi's drawings with
engrayngs Tor want OF more accurate analogy, but do
them injustice by the comparison, for both in minute deli
cacy and artistic sentiment there few engravngs indeed by
which they approached Our present observations
casoned by Mr. Mnass portrait of Shakespeare, with
of which we have been favored The execution of this work
is marvellous, but the artists enthusiasm has carried him.
hap too far The sacred flame which ascend from the head
OF the immortal bard surely belongs apotheosis rather
than to portrait The eye is knded with calm yet bril-
liant fire. and the whole expression eloquent with genius.
At the bottom Of the picture is introduced and
picturesque view Of shakpeares house. celebrity Of which
has been well revived Of late The whole forms one OF
the most interesting specimens have of Mr.. Mnass
peculiar aft"
There are few except our learned friend from
Vermont, Mr.. MARSH, whom being an accomplished
scholar has not hindered land why shoud it :? from
being diigent and useful politician, who will know
exactly how to appreciate our next excerpt Mr..
NJ, however in addition to the rare and beautiful
library which he has formed, possesses very val
liable collection of the matchless engravings of the
great masters in that art, and among them variety
of those mentioned below
GA complete collection the engravngs of FENBnaSpT
left by the late Count VERsroELK VAN SoELEy has lust
been publicly sold Amsterdam. The Rembrandt with the
sword went off at 36oO the Flight into Egypt, 752f, the
Resurrection Of Lazaruz otherwise the piece of the 100 ons
sold at ,202f; subject, 600f; subject 39SE the
Cure of the Sick Man, called the engraving at 100 FORMS
sold for only 3200f, although proofs of much dearer
during the lifetime of the author the Christ Presented the
People, l,9oOf portrait Of Frauze, 3,300f portrait
Zellg, 3G00 and several other portraits high prices.
The work Of Boz and that of LEvEN VAN Allies were sold
together for TO- 400 The entire collection of engrayings
the late NJ. VERsToELK VAN SoELEN produced 10 66Of
Almost the whole of purchased account of the Brit
ish Museum"
All that British Museum! We should like. as
mere piece of property, to swap our part of Mex
leo for it, and fling in Oregon. And, as for the
glory gotten by having triumphed over a feeble
neghbor, we would cheerlully resign it to the Turk
or the Russian, whose form Of Government it SO
much better SUITS for the pure, humane, and intel
lecual honor of cherishng Science Literature, and
the Arts by the establishment of such noble and
magnificent institution, emnently worthy of great
and enlightened people.
! The two following are paragraphs not of recen,
date, but still worth preserving:
"THE EerPrIAN PEA.-Severa wears ago Sir Gardiner
Wilkinson found vase and Egyptian sarcophagus s44
years old in mummy pit which he subsequently, presented
TO the British Museum On examination the vase was ounc
to contain few grains Of wheat few peas and other de
composed matter, supposed have been originally similar
substances Three of the peas presented by p j. Pet
tgrew, Esq. TO Mr. w. Crimsone of the Herbary High
gate, who the 9TH Of June 1874 planted them in com
post resembling the alluvia soil Of the Nile They were
placed IN forcing frame, and in exactly month he wal
most agceaby surprised by the sproung Of Of them
The product was nineteen pod from which yfve peas
were preserved Some Of these planted 23d April
ls45, and some, 4th June the open sir and in SINH
lar compost and all in hourishng condition
producing quite plentiful crop OF seed The Egyptian pea
s prolific, producing from seventy one hundred pods
The tree grows similarly to dwarf grape vine about three
feet IN height and has many three mother stems
generally springing from the parent salk.--Atias."
"CHISEsE LITERArURE-Leiters from the celebrated M
Guzaf missionary and coasuigenera Of England in the
Celestial Empire have just been received Munich They
are dated from Hong Kong and give Of the
bos Of that eminent individual which approach the marvel
ous He has just terminated voumnous history Of the
Chinese empire, and has sent The manuscript Of Gotta
the publisher, at Stugardt He has published at Hong
Kong universal geography, in the Chinese language with
sixty large maps He has begun 10 compose complete die
onary Of the Chinese language, which a he SAYS absorb
all his leisure for the three years is only in his lei