Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-10-08
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
NEW AND INTERESTING WORK.

six Months IN Italy is the title Oh work
which has lately appeared in Boston from the pen
of GEORGE S. billiard. The author is an emf
nent lawyer of that city, who, amidst pressing pro-
fessona avocations, has found time for the pursuit
of letters proofs of which he has given in various
contributions to periodical literature, distinguished
by the richness and refinement of their STYLE their wide
range of observation and their elevated tone of criticism
Some few years since he paid visit to Europe; and
the fruits of it. of part Of this tour he gives TO
the public under the rather unpromisiDg title of SIX
Months in Italy" In the present state Of the world
when the power Of steam has enabled the tourist to put
grdle round the earth in almost short time as
Puck, of fairy memory able to do the press teens
with six months and six weeks speculatons Of travel
mongers destined most of them, to live short time
as that consumed in their composition.
The book before OF that class However short
may have been the period of the authors personal obser
vaton the work is clearly the result of much longer
preparation On every page Of it bears the marks of
rich and various scholarship, philosophical spirit
pable of penetrating and fairly estimating the character
of foreign and institutions with common power
of critical analysis the great topics of literature and
art Few well accomplished for the difficult
task which Mr.. Hiard has undertaken.
After few preliminary pages occupied with Lombardy
the tourist arrives at Venice that seaborn capital
orc recolections of the Middle Ages, and still inte
resting to English readers for the sway holds the
Imagination in the realms of poetry and romance. All
that is most worthy of strangers notice, the stately
architecture Of the city, its marble churches and palaces
with their long galleries of pictures its noble public
works its arsenal its bridges its canals its sadcoored
gondolas its picturesque and motley population, blend
ing together the civilization of the East and the cviza
tion of the West allure depicted with those brilliant and
,lo cln tba l,o,1 ara
On the paintings of the splendid Venetian school Mr.
Hiard dfuse Indeed the paintings of Italy receive
large share Of his attention throughout the work. quite
as large some readers may think, is desirable Yet
how could book be written Italy without ample
notice of that art which, in manner, constitutes the in
teectua expression of the nation the form in which the
genius Of the nation has fully and most successfully
been exerted One might well pass the schools
IN notice Of New England, the theatres in notice
of Paris.
1t is true the tourist of the picture gallery too often
weares us with mere catalogue of names at best by
such barren display of the technicaties of and
such cheap criticism the styles of the different schools
may be easily picked up less than SIX months tour
in the country Such is na the case with Mr. Hillard
who brings to his work mind endowed with keen SEN
sbility to the beautiful, and judgment ripened by
careful comparison of the best models of Instead
of wasting his strength the mechanical execution the
nae of the pictures he seizes the intellectual express
sion, and taking the Interpretation Of the artists
character he the consideration Of the peculiar
attributes Of his genius Thus in the course the var
works brought under review has rendered an eo
quent but discriminating homage to the merits Of the
great italian masters such is easily be found in
works professedy devoted the arts If his udg
mens may be thought sometimes delivered with too un
hesitatng air. he at least always ready with good
reason for his faith showing throughout acquaintance
with the true principles Of art Even those who may
differ from him in Of his conclusions will admit that
he has been guided by generous spirit Of criticism
which, far from fastening bemshes or on paltry de-
fciences in his subject directs his attention 70 what is
most worthy of admiration by this very proceeding show
ing true relish for art and his capacity 10 enter fully
into tho spirit of the artist
Leaving Venice, Mr. Hillard took the usnai route Of
travellers, pausng in such places had them to
invite the attention Of intelligent vister At Florence
he found Of abundant occupation in the study Of
her magnificent collections and in her beautiful envrons
Such traveller could not pass lightly BY the birthplace
Of those kindred spirits in the sister Of poetry and
sculpture, Dante and Michael Angelo II was Rome,
however the city Of recolectons that furnished theme
most grateful to the pensve eontemplave spirit of the
traveller With feelings equally removed from the ex-
ravagance of Eusce and the cold and causc temper of
Forsyth he surrenders himself with generous enhusi
asn to the genius Of the place As he wanders amidst
it's hoary ruins he sheds the light Of learning around
them, untinetured with pedantry while his pastic
nation, calling up the visions Of the past clothes the dry
skeleton Of its remains in all their primitive majesty and
beauty Here too he finds abundant scope for criticism
IN the collections Of the churches and palaces
above all Of the Vatican rich in the masterpieces
Raphael But he finds ample time for speculation on
other subjects than those connected with art Nowhere
do we recall animated picture he has given Of the
occupations and amusements of the pleasure loving
Italians, of the Carnival in particular entering into the
saturnaa with joyous spirit worthy Of modern Roman
Then comes glowing picture of the Canpdgna that
Of desoate beauty spread around the fallen city like
winding which nature has scattered her sweet
est wild flowers Finally, have disquisition on Roman
agriculture, altogether too elaborate composition to
have been concocted in his six months residence in the
country.
Naples with its sunny climate and glorious landscape
where nature has done much and man 50 little was
theme well suited to the powers Of writer possessed Of
30 warm an imagination and lively sensbility to ma
tural beauty. Her beautiful bay her mountains her
promontores the whole line Of her magnfcen, as
seen lighted in the glowing atmosphere Of the South
are all painted, as far words paint with color
ing as and true to Italian nature a. that Of
Claude.
In Mr. Hllards descriptions Of natural scenery there
breathes purity Of sentiment observable even in his
descriptions Of this SOFT voluptuous climate so intoxi
eating to the and fatally propitious to the
Sybarte indulgence Of the inhabitants The same health
full moral is visible in his criticisms on
art those rks eapeciallv throvu off h. ILL