Back in the wood, on the left, Prince Arthur and Sir Guyon are approaching; the startled steed of the latter draws back; that of the Prince, less alarmed, has stopped, and turned aside his head. Florimel's horse is superb in form and action, and she herself is the very Florimel of Spenser.

'Donna Mencia in the Robbers' Cavern.' I have already hinted at the judgment shown by Allston in adapting the tone of color to the subject treated. Varying, from the icy coldness of the 'Swiss Scenery,' up to that seven-fold heated furnace of the 'Jeremiah,' it passes through every gradation of warmth, and is pleasing in each, because in each it is appropriately used. His treatment of the light and shadow is less varied, but with equal judgment; and here we have a Salvator Rosa; a gloomy cavern, banditti picturesquely grouped; the distribution of the light, from a lamp suspended above, splendidly effective; the coloring magnificent. The captain of the band is in the fore-ground, his back turned to us, his tall, powerful figure in dark relief. The light falling on his right shoulder, shows the rich color of the crimson cloak depending from it. We see his dark profile, as he steadily fixes his eyes upon Donna Mencia, who is just recovered from her swoon. She is supported by that hideous old hag, and looks very lovely in her distress. Her dress is rich, and there is something voluptuous in its slight disorder, and in the languid disposition of her limbs. We cannot help feeling that she must be very attractive to those lawless, satyr-like bandits grouped behind her, one of whom puts his arms half round her, while another, turning from her to the lamp, is wiping the sword yet wet with the blood of her husband. The isolation of Gil Blas, by the circumstance that no one attends to him in the least, and by his own abstracted look, and thoughtful posture, while he evidently meditates the means of escape, I consider a master-stroke. Not only is the previous action explained, but the result of the adventure is suggested; which is necessary, for many reasons, but chiefly for our comfort; for otherwise, the situation of the lady would affect us too painfully.

I had a highly interesting interview with Allston, to whom I had a letter from Mr. MORSE. His personal appearance would strike any one as remarkable and characteristic. He is above the middle height, slender, with brilliant, prominent eyes, and a high, pale forehead, shaded with silver hair. The expression of his face in repose is gentle, feminine, not effeminate;' but when conversing, the play of his features is extremely animated. What he said, I must take some other occasion to tell you; but I will mention his advice for yourself. 'Tell him,' he said, 'not to be satisfied with being one thing. The old masters did every thing. They were sculptors, and architects, as well as painters. Nay, they were poets, and philosophers, as Michael Angelo, and Leonardo da Vinci. They painted, also, all sorts of pictures, and succeeded in all. Titian, the best portrait, was also the best landscape, painter; at least, he was inferior only to Claude.' Allston himself is an instance, the only instance, among the moderns, of this completeness of character in an artist. A painter in every class of subjects, that come within the province of creative art, and greatly successful in all; a sculptor to all intents and purposes, for he first models the principal figures in his grand compositions; accomplished

in philosophy; an exquisite poet! He belongs,' said Mr. Morse, not to the present age, but to that of Michael Angelo and Raphael, There are two living artists, who, each in his peculiar province, work in the spirit of the ancients. What THORWALDSEN is in sculpture, WASHINGTON ALLSTON is in painting; and this, when he is dead, the world will acknowledge.'

New-York, July, 1839.

Affectionately Yours,

J, H.

A MOUNTEBANK called the good folks at a revel,
And promised that he there would show them the devil;
The magic sound drew them from far and from near,
And even the agéd and palsied appear ;
He takes out a purse, very broad, very long,
Holds it up to the gaze of the wondering throng:

Now tell me, good people, what see you within ?
All looked, and said Nothing was there to be seen.
“That's the devil, believe me,' the mountebank cried,
When you open your purse, and find nothing inside!

DESULTORY THOUGHTS ON CRITICISM.

'Let a man write never so well, there are now-a-days a sort of persons they call critics, that, egad, have no more wit in them than so many hobby-horses; but they'll laugh at you, Sir, and find fault, and censure things, that, egad, I'm sure they are not able to do themselves; a sort of envious persons, that emulate the glories of persons of parts, and think to build their fame by calumniation of persons that, egad, to my know. ledge, of all persons in the world, are in nature the persons that do as much despise all thai, as — a- In fine, I'll say no more of 'em!'

REHEARSAL.

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All the world knows the story of the tempest-tossed voyager, who, coming upon a strange coast, and seeing a man hanging in chains, hailed it with joy, as the sign of a civilized country.

In like manner we may hail, as a proof of the rapid advancement of civilization and refinement in this country, the increasing number of delinquent authors daily gibhetted for the edification of the public.

In this respect, as in every other, we are going ahead' with accele. rated velocity, and promising to outstrip the superannuated countries of Europe. It is really astonishing to see the number of tribunals incessantly springing up for the trial of literary offences. Independent of the high courts of Oyer and Terminer, the great quarterly reviews, we have innumerable minor tribunals, monthly and weekly, down to the Pie-poudre courts in the daily papers; insomuch that no culprit stands so little chance of escaping castigation, as an unlucky author, guilty of an unsuccessful attempt to please the public.

Seriously speaking, however, it is questionable whether our national literature is sufficiently advanced, to bear this excess of eriticism; and whether it would not thrive better, if allowed to spring up, for some time longer, in the freshness and vigor of native vegetation. When the worthy Judge Coulter, of Virginia, opened court for the first time in one of the upper counties, he was for enforcing all the rules and regulations that had grown into use in the old, long-settled counties. This is all very well,' said a slırewd old farmer; but let me tell you, Judge Coulter, you set your coulter too deep for a new soil.'

For my part, I doubt whether either writer or reader is benefitted by what is commonly called criticism. The former is rendered cau

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tious and distrustful; he fears to give way to those kindling emotions, and brave sallies of thought, which bear him up to excellence; the latter is made fastidious and cynical; or rather, he surrenders his own independent taste and judgment, and learns to like and dislike at second hand.

Let us, for a moment, consider the nature of this thing called criticism, which exerts such a sway over the literary world. The pronoun we, used by critics, has a most imposing and delusive sound. The reader pictures to himself a conclave of learned men, deliberating gravely and scrupulously on the merits of the book in question; examining it page by page, comparing and balancing their opinions, and when they have united in a conscientious verdict, publishing it for the benefit of the world : whereas the criticism is generally the crude and hasty production of an individual, scribbling to while away an idle hour, to oblige a book-seller, or to defray current expenses. How often is it the passing notion of the hour, affected by accidental circumstances; by indisposition, by peevishness, by vapors or indigestion ; by personal prejudice, or party feeling. Sometimes a work is sacrificed, because the reviewer wishes a satirical article ; sometimes because he wants a humorous one; and sometimes because the author reviewed has become offensively celebrated, and offers high game to the literary marksman.

How often would the critic himself, if a conscientious man, reverse his opinion, had he time to revise it in a more sunny moment; but the press is waiting, the printer's devil is at his elbow; the article is wanted to make the requisite variety for the number of the review, or the author has pressing occasion for the sum he to receive for the article; so it is sent off, all blotted and blurred; with a shrug of the shoulders, and the consolatory ejeculation : 'Pshaw! curse it! it 's nothing but a review !'

The critic, too, who dictates thus oracularly to the world, is perhaps some dingy, ill-favored, ill-mannered varlet, who, were he to speak by word of mouth, would be disregarded, if not scoffed at; but such is the magic of types; such the mystic operation of anonymous writing; such the potential effect of the pronoun we, that his crude decisions, fulminated through the press, become circulated far and wide, control the opinions of the world, and give or destroy reputation.

Many readers have grown timorous in their judgments, since the allpervading currency of criticism. They fear to express a revised, frank opinion about any new work, and to relish it honestly and heartily, lest it should be condemned in the next review, and they stand convicted of bad taste. Hence they hedge their opinions, like a gambler his bets, and leave an opening to retract, and retreat, and qualify, and neutralize every unguarded expression of delight, until their very praise declines into a faintness that is damning.

Were every one, on the contrary, to judge for himself, and speak his mind frankly and fearlessly, we should have more true criticism in the world than at present. Whenever a person is pleased with a work, he may be assured that it has good qualities. An author who pleases a variety of readers, must possess substantial powers of pleasing; or, in other words, intrinsic merits; for otherwise we acknowledge an effect, and deny the cause. The reader, therefore, should not suffer himself to be readily shaken from the conviction of

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his own feelings, by the sweeping censures of pseudo critics. The author he has admired, may be chargeable with a thousand faults; but it is nevertheless beauties and excellencies that have excited his admiration; and he should recollect that taste and judgment are as much evinced in the perception of beauties among defects, as in a detection of defects among beauties. For my part, I honor the blessed and blessing spirit, that is quick to discover and extol all that is pleasing and meritorious. Give me the honest bee, that extracts honey from the humblest weed, but save me from the ingenuity of the spider, which traces its venom, even in the midst of a flower-garden.

If the mere fact of being chargeable with faults and imperfections is to condemn an author, who is to escapo ? The greatest writers of antiquity have, in this way, been obnoxious to criticism. Aristotle himself has been accused of ignorance ; Aristophanes of impiety and buffoonery; Virgil of plagiarism, and a want of invention, Horace of obscurity; Cicero has been said to want vigor and connexion, and Demosthenes to be deficient in nature, and in purity of language. Yet these have all survived the censures of the critic, and flourished on to a glorious immortality. Every now and then, the world is startled by some new doctrines in matters of taste, some levelling attacks on established creeds; some sweeping denunciations of whole generations, or schools of writers, as they are called, who had seemed to be embalmed and cannonized in public opinion. Such has been the case, for instance, with Pope, and Dryden, and Addison ; who for a time have almost been shaken from their pedestals, and treated as false idols.

It is singular, also, to see the fickleness of the world with respect to its favorites. Enthusiasm exhausts itself, and prepares the way for dislike. The public is always for positive sentiments, and new sensations. When wearied of admiring, it delights to censure; thus coining a double set of enjoyments out of the same subject. Scott and Byron are scarce cold in their graves, and already we find criticism beginning to call in question those powers which held the world in magic thraldom. Even in our own country, one of its greatest geniuses has had some rough passages with the censors of the press; and instantly criticism begins to unsay all that it has repeatedly said in bis praise ; and the public are almost led to believe that the pen which has so often delighted them, is absolutely destitute of the power to delight!

If, then, such reverses in opinion as to matters of taste can be so readily brought about, when may an author feel himself secure ? Where is the anchoring ground of popularity, when he may thus be driven from his moorings, and foundered even in harbor ? The reader, too, when is he to consider himself safe in admiring, when he sees long-established altars overthrown, and his household deities dashed to the ground ?

There is one consolatory reflection. Every abuse carries with it its own remedy or palliation. Thus the excess of crude and hasty criticism, which has of late prevailed throughout the literary world, and threatened to overrun our country, begins to produce its own antidote. Where there is a multiplicity of contradictory paths, a man must make his choice ; in so doing, he has to exercise his judgment, and that is one great step to mental independence. He begins to

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