suited to the wants of Ireland, whose | town. On being thus alarmed, I inpoor population are mostly Roman stantly repaired to the spot, where I Catholics. Parliamentary grants of found the engines playing very briskly several thousand pounds have been to extinguish the flames. It was not expended, as mentioned, in the most long, however, before one of them was judicious manner. All the articles completely deserted by the men, for printed are sold at or under first cost, no other reason than this, which they in the shop of the depositary; together themselves assigned:-" There is no with paper, pens, slates, pencil, school- whiskey for us; and we will stand it marks, &c. &c. no longer." I remonstrated with them on the impropriety of their conduct, but found them obstinately resolved to quit their laudable exertion; and as my single endeavours could be of no avail, I left the engine, and repaired to another part of the building, and took my stand on a small eminence. By this time, the roof and floors had fallen in with a tremendous crash. As a seminary for training young men in the system, nearly 200 teachers have been qualified for schools in various parts of the country. The Society gave five guineas towards their travelling expense and support. About 200 schools have been supplied with lessons, and all other requisites; the Model School contributing £20 towards furnishing desks and seats, on the Lancaster plan, in each school which adopts that system. The West of England and Wales having facilities of intercourse with Dublin, may enjoy many of the advantages to schools held out by this society. BIBLE SOCIETY, DUBLIN. As the night was remarkably calm, not a breath of air being perceptible, I was instantly enveloped in a cloud of dust and smoke. After some time, when this began to disperse, I observed a man within the walls, guiding the pipe of one of the engines towards the lintel of window, which was burning with furious rapidity, and on which the water seemed to make but very little impression. rience, that as soon as these timbers Being well aware, from past expewere consumed, the walls would pro A Naval and Military Bible Society was instituted in Dublin, February, 1819, the Bishop of Elphin in the chair. The meeting took place at the Charitable Institution House, Sack-bably fall, I went forward, under the ville-street, which extensive building is devoted to the use of various com mittees of public good. Several eloquent speeches were made, with resolutions and subscriptions; and the best effects are to be hoped from the exertions of this society, to meet the want of Bibles among the Army and Navy in Ireland. ation, creeping through an aperture in conviction, to apprize him of his situthe back wall, through which the pipe of the engine had a communication in motion, treading on hot bricks and with the power which put the machine fallen from the roof and floors. At sparkling pieces of timber, which had length I reached the spot near which the young man stood whom I had previously discerned. This I found to be a person belonging to the Artillery, then stationed in Belfast. His name was Wallis. On approaching him, I had scarcely raised my arm to touch SHOULD the following incident be tention that I might warn him of his him on the shoulder, to arrest his atjudged proper to fill a place in your danger, when a dreadful shock, remost useful and highly-esteemed Maga-sembling an earthquake, created a zine, it is at your service. Remarkable Preservation. TO THE EDITOR OF THE IMPERIAL SIR, W. R. GAWTHORNE. Belfast, July 1st, 1819. ON the night of the the third of February, 1813, I was alarmed by the cries of Fire, which I soon found had broken out in the cotton factory of Messrs. M'Crum and Co. near this strange agitation in the remaining part of the building, accompanied with a most tremendous gust of wind, which blew the smoke, ashes, dust, and fire, so full in my face, and down my throat, that I was nearly suffocated. In this condition, without being able to touch Wallis, I was compelled to make a precipitate retreat, to recover my breath. This I effected with the utmost difficulty, groping my way through the aperture which I had previously en tered. I had scarcely passed this aperture, and begun to inhale the fresh air, before the front wall and part of the end wall gave way, with a thundering noise. In this catastrophe, poor Wallis, and another man, named Benjamin Grub, a well-known character in Belfast, were killed; the latter of whom at that time I had not observed near the place. If a few moments more had elapsed previously to my retreat, their fate would have been mine. these that we propose at present to direct the attention of the reader. The important value of the sister arts has been felt and acknowledged by the great and good in all ages: traces of them are observable in the most savage climes, and their progress towards perfection is concurrent with the civilization of our species. They keep pace with and assist the best qualities of our nature; and wherever virtue and knowledge have been conspicuous, there have they been most fondly fostered, and most proudly preeminent. In the best ages of Greece and Rome, SCULPTURE and ARCHITECTURE were at their highest elevation; and had not the materials of PAINTING been comparatively perishable, the evidence of the coequal station of that art, would have been trans The above, Sir, is a plain statement of facts, which I have never before made public; and my motive for doing it now is, that I may glorify God for his particular providence towards me, his unworthy servant; and add ano-mitted to us with the same certainty: other testimony to the tens of thousands of instances which appear to verify his Word, which says, "The very hairs of your head are numbered." ON THE FINE ARTS. Apelles and Teuxis were doubtless as highly gifted as Phidias or Praxitiles, though, unfortunately for us, their works have been swept away by the relentless and Gothic hand of Time. The beneficial and refining tendency of these arts is so universally acknowledged, that little need be said on that part of the subject. They speak a universal language; the rudest and most polished are within their influence; the savage and the sage are alike affected (though not in an equal proportion) by the sight of a fine painting, a statue, or a temple. The legitimate purpose of the arts, is in aid of virtue: thus, Alexander repented of his treatment of Aristonicas, on seeing a picture of Palamedes betrayed; and in our own, as well as distant times, we find their influence Patriotto be equally well directed. THE liberal, or polite arts, are so called, in opposition to those which are merely mechanical: one of the latter class, implies the intervention of but a sufficient portion of intellect to direct the operations of the hands, as in the case of brewing, shoe-making, and other occupations known by the names of trades: one of the former, demands the presiding influence of mind, is the child of genius and imagination; its medium is expression, and its object to delight and ameliorate our species: such are Poetry, Painting, Sculpture, Architecture, Music, &c. their influence upon the human mind is unbound-ism, filial affection, and all the virtues ed, and, as Horace truly says, and charities of life, have been awaPictoribus atque Poetis kened and sustained by the successful West's painting of Quidlibet audendi semper fuit æqua potestas." efforts of the arts. These arts serve mutually to assist the death of Wolfe, has lighted up and each other; as when the painter, catch-fed the flame of patriotism in a thouing the enthusiasm of the poet, em- sand bosoms: the statues and basso bodies his conception, and, by the relievo's of Flaxman and Chautery, confluence of genius, adds new lustre have often reminded us of departed to the subject: thus, the noble repre- worth, and excited a wish to emulate sentations of Dante's Ugilino, by Mi- their excellencies; and, when wanderchael Angelo and Reynolds, heighten ing amid those sacred edifices, and sublimate the original delineation of the poet. Of those which are liberal or polite, three are known by the name of THE FINE ARTS: they are, Painting, Sculptúre, and Architecture; and it is to No. 7.-VOL. I. 'Where, thro' the long-drawn aisle and fretted vault, The pealing anthem swells the note of praise," who is there but has been compelled to acknowledge the supremacy of hea ven, and the littleness of man? 2S The progress of art in other countries is not to us so replete with interest as in our own. We will therefore proceed to a slight review of the history of the FINE ARTS in our own island; and we cannot avoid remarking, that the present seems a time peculiarly fitted to such an attempt; when our great national institution for the nurture of the Arts, has reached the age of half a century: we allude to THE ROYAL ACADEMY, which was founded by our present venerable and beloved Sovereign; under whose auspices, and by whom, more has been done to promote the Arts than in any other epoch of our history. The arts are capable of being clearly | ble, but as necessary as are episodes traced to Greece; she probably ac- in a poem, yet the artist must be stuquired them from Egypt, but their de- diously careful, that they do not trench scent is indistinctly marked. From upon the principal, nor lose their subGreece they were transferred to Rome, ordinate and subservient character. where they maintained due eminence, until the wreck of that great empire, in which they, with all that was valuable, were merged. The buoyancy and vigour of the Fine Arts would not suffer them to remain long concealed; and, accordingly, on the earliest revival of literature, we find them also struggling for distinction; and as advances were made by learning and virtue, the Fine Arts maintained a similar progression. Italy, which had been their grave, at length beheld their resuscitation, their gradual recovery, and eventual possession of pristine maturity and vigour. Florence produced Leonardo da Vinci and Michael Angelo; Rome, the mighty Raphael; and Venice, her Tiziano, or Titian. Flanders, France, Germany, and England, caught the inspiration, and have each formed schools of their own. The Fine Arts are all originally imitative; but as they advance, the servile imitation of nature is rejected, and ideal beauty becomes the study of the artist; he aims at a selection and just arrangement of all those redundant beauties which nature presents to him; he gives loose to the powers of imagination and invention, and throws off the trammels of the mere portraiture of nature; an employment which is at best but the occupation of secondary talent, and unworthy the pursuit of a great and creative genius, whose province it is, to give to airy nothing A local babitation and a name.' In the infancy of art, we always observe a close and slavish resemblance of nature; in its maturity, we perceive a pictorial representation of the same objects, but they are refined, arranged, and sublimated, by the eye and hand of taste. The perfection of art is uniformly attained by simplicity and unity of design: whenever the arts become gorgeous or complicated, they arc depressed; they are seen to most advantage in naked majesty, and whatever be the sentiment to be excited, whether of severe dignity, or voluptuous beauty, the end is best gained by a simple and unbroken treatment of the subject; and although accessorial parts are not only admissi Architecture, which has its origin in the necessities of life, was, as may easily be imagined, the art first studied in this, and probably every other, country: Sculpture, which soon lent its aid to ornament buildings, followed. But we shall not give to these arts our primary attention, merely on account of their chronological precedency; but, yielding to custom, shall first direct our observations to the rise and progress of the art of Painting. The first account of Painting in this country may be traced to the reign of Henry 3d.; some would carry it back as far as the year 1228, and others, as early as 1062: both these theories are founded on imperfect materials, and the drawings to which they allude are so rude and tasteless, that they deserve no notice. Clear proof exists that Henry 3d, gave great encouragement to Painting; which seems to prove, that although his other qualifications were despicable, he had, in this respect, some claims to the character of a beneficent and patriotic monarch. From this period until the time of Henry 7th, the art of Painting was almost entirely neglected in England. The art, during this dull era, was confined to painting on glass, and the illustration of manuscripts. Some have attempted to appropriate to Britain, during this period, the invention of painting in oil: but the question is not deserving of disputation; nor would it be much credit to us to have been the inventors of a mode of ex pression, of which it is clear we made so little use. During the reign of Henry 7th, the bright epoch of Italian art, little of taste or elegance was observable in England. The meridian glory of Raphael illuminated the Roman school; but our island was unblessed with any painter of eminence. The only man who, at this time, could have the slightest claim to the title, was John Mabure; but his exclusive merit was in close and high finishing. (To be continued.) THE CONVERSION OF PRINCE CHRIS TOPHER RADZIVAL, OF POLAND, THIS gentleman being extremely sorry that a prince of his family had embraced the reformed religion, went to Rome, and paid all imaginable honours to the pope. The Roman pontiff, being also desirous of gratifying him in a peculiar manner, gave him at his departure a box filled with relics. Having returned to his house, and the news of the relics being spread abroad, certain friars, some months after, came and told the prince, that a man was possessed with the devil, who had been exorcised to no purpose; they therefore besought him, for the sake of the poor unhappy wretch, to lend them the precious relics which he had brought from Rome. The prince granted them very readily; upon which they were carried to church in solemn pomp, the monks all going in procession on that occasion. At last, they were laid on the altar; and, on the day appointed, a numberless multitude of people flocking to this show, after the usual exorcisms, the relics were applied. At that very instant, the pretended evil spirit came out of the man, with the usual postures and grimaces. Every one cried out, A Miracle ! and the prince lifted up his eyes and hands to heaven, to return thanks for bringing home so holy a thing, which performed such miracles. But some days after, as he was in that admiration of transport and joy, and was bestowing the highest eulogiums on the virtue of these relics, he observed, that a young gentleman | of his household, who had the keeping of that rich treasure, began to smile, and make certain gestures; which shewed he only laughed at his words. The prince flew in a passion, and would know the reason of his derision. A promise being made to the gentleman that no harm should be done him, he declared secretly to the prince, “ that in their return from Rome, he had lost the box of relics which had been given him to keep; and that, not daring to divulge this, for fear of punishment, he had found means to get one like it, which he had filled with the little bones of beasts, and such trifles as resembled the relics he had lost that seeing so much honour paid to that heap of filth, and that they even ascribed to it the virtue of driving away devils, he had just cause to wonder at it!" The prince believed this story to be true; but nevertheless being desirous of getting farther light into this imposture, he sent for the monks the very next day, and desired them to inquire whether there were any more demoniacs, who wanted the assistance of his relics. days after, they brought him another man possessed with an evil spirit, who acted the same part with him who had appeared before. The prince commanded him to be exorcised in his presence: but as all the exorcisms which are usually employed on these occasions proved ineffectual, he ordered this man to stay in his palace the next day, and bade the monks withdraw. After they were gone, he put the demoniac under his Tartarian grooms, who, pursuant to the orders which had been given them, first ex| horted him to confess the cheat; but, as he persisted obstinately in it, still making his furious and dreadful gestures, six of them chastised him so severely with rods and scourges, that he was obliged to implore the prince's mercy; who pardoned him the instant he had confessed the truth. A few The next morning, the prince sent for the friars; when the wretch in question, throwing himself at his feet, protested that he was not possessed, and had never been so, but that those friars had forced him to act the part of one who was so. The monks, at first, besought the prince not to believe this, saying, that it was an artifice of the devil, who spoke through that man's mouth. But the prince answered, that if the Tartarians had been able to force the devil to tell truth, they would also be able to extort it from the mouth of those friars. Now, these monks, seeing themselves put to it in this manner, confessed the im- | righteous and the wicked may both be posture, saying, that they had done in hades at the same time, though in all this with a good intention, and to distinct places: such was the case of check the progress of heresy. But Lazarus and the rich man. Even the the prince offered up his hearty thanks ancient heathens had this notion of to God, for having been so gracious as hades, or the invisible world, as apto discover such an imposture; and pears from Virgil and others. Hell, in now entertaining a suspicion of a re- its modern acceptation, implies a place ligion which was defended by such of torment, or perpetual punishment: diabolical practices, though they went but, that hades and hell (in this sense) by the name of pious frauds, said, that are quite distinct things, appears from he would no longer depend on any Rev. xx. 14. There will be no hades, person for his salvation, and therefore (or state of separation) when there began to read the scriptures with un- will be no more death: but hell (conparalleled assiduity. In six months sidered as a place of punishment) will time, all which he spent in reading exist when death and hades are no and prayer, he made a wonderful pro- more. gress in piety, and in the knowledge of the mystery of the gospel. After which, he, with his whole family, professed the Protestant religion. ON THE DESCENT OF CHRIST INTO When I use the phrase in the Creed, or in our third Article, I annex this idea to it: I believe our Lord departed into the invisible world, or state of the dead; that his human soul was separated from the body for a time; but on the third morning it reassumed or reanimated the body; and, therefore, he is said to have arisen from the In the Fifth Number of the Imperial dead, and become the first-fruits of Magazine, (column 492) a question them that slept. I use no mental rewas inserted respecting the word Hell, as used in Scripture, and of our Lord's servation in this; I take the word hell in its original signification, as implydescent into it. On this subject we ing the invisible world, or state of sehave received several letters from our Correspondents; who, while they coin- parate souls: but, that Christ descendcide in the general tendency of their ed into hell, (taking the word in its remarks, take distinct views of this If this my idea, here expressed, do not modern sense,) I by no means believe. important article. Three of these letremove the scruples of your Bristol ters we insert in this Number, reserving others for some future opportunity.in like manner, then let each act accorrespondent, or others who hesitate On the Descent of Christ into Hell. TO THE EDITOR OF THE IMPERIAL SIR, It is well known, that some words have changed their signification in the lapse of a few centuries; I have known some instances of this even in half a century. The word hell, according to its Saxon or German etymology, signified hidden, concealed, or invisible; and was, perhaps, the best that our language could afford to render the Greek word hades, when our translation of the Bible was made. I consider hades as implying a state, rather than a place; that is, the state of separate souls, or the invisible world. The cording to his conscience; for I do not require him to use words, conveying a sense which he cannot conscientiously receive. The Septuagint Translators of the Old Testament use the word hades, to render the Hebrew word sheol, which most commonly signifies the grave, or the state of the dead: and this translation was chiefly used by the writers of the New Testament. But the word used by these latter to denote hell (considered as a place of punishment) was gehenna. This term was formed from gehinnom, the valley of Hinnom, on the east side of Jerusalem, where idolaters of old used to sacrifice their children to Moloch, and caused them to pass through the fire: in later times the rubbish and filth of the city was carried there, and consumed by fires kept constantly burning. It therefore was used as a symbol or type of hell, (considered as a place of punishment |