Of the visitors of the fair sex who aid in making the gallery so delightful a lounge, we observe that few venture to give more than a glance at Mr. ETTY'S "Subject from Ovid's Metamorphoses." What is not proper to be seen, we apprehend it would not be quite correct to describe. The style is perfectly in character with the petit-soupé cabinet of some splendid voluptuary; but it is not a fit subject for public exhibition. We would not be understood to censure this picture on the score of its nudity: we love art too well to raise any such objection. What we complain of is, the absence of the degree of refinement of form necessary to divest this subject of whatever grossness may attach to its representation-a refinement essential in a work of art, professing, as all works of art should do, to gratify the intellectual, and not the sensual faculties. We willingly confess, however, that we have seen former works of Mr. ETTY even more amenable to such animadversions as these, than his "Hermaphroditus and Salmacis"; but he is still wanting in that refinement which constitutes the perfection of many of the old masters, and especially of Greek sculpture.

The Gallery contains some single figures well deserving notice. Mr. PARTRIDGE's "Satan," No. 472, which is hung at the end of the south room, represents the enemy of man when, having assumed the form of a beautiful angel to deceive Uriel, he alights on Mount Niphates, where his evil passions, which are excited in regarding the sun, betray him to the angel. The figure is in the act of addressing the sun, the left hand uplifted as towards the luminary, the right hand grasping a spear, the left leg stepping forward. The picture is elaborately painted, of rich and mellow tone; the figure is simple and grand, and in form calls to mind the wonder of the Vatican. Perhaps it is open to the objection of being somewhat studied.

"The Native of Missolonghi, painted at Rome," No. 155, J. HOLLINS, is a very attractive picture. It represents a single female figure, which, we conclude, is a portrait, reclining on an ottoman, in the splendid costume of her country. The head is extremely beautiful, the features perfectly regular, eyes large and dark, black tresses falling over the shoulder from below a splendid turban and red coif tasseled. The expression is characteristic of a female who must have passed a youth amidst horrors, and become in some measure inured to them. It presents a remarkable mixture, unknown in countries not accustomed to scenes of public trouble and atrocity, of feminine softness, passion, and fierceness. The colouring is exceedingly rich.

Mr. PICKERSGILL'S "Hookah Bearer," No. 78, is a black slave, treated in most masterly style. "Cottage Children going to bed," No. 51, Sir WM. BEECHEY, is a delightful domestic subject, painted, it is said, some years since, and treated with great simplicity of feeling, most artist-like effect, and with very agreeable tone. "Scene on the Coast of Kent," No. 22, W. COLLINS, R.A., is a very clever picture, but not altogether a very agreeable one. Mr. EDWIN LANDSEER shines as usual in his animal pieces. His "Deer Stalking," versazione," (of dogs)-"Faithful Dog," (a terrier over the grave of his Master,) "Dead Deer,"-are treated in the accustomed clever manMARCH, 1829.

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"Con

ner of that successful artist. Mr. CONSTABLE has one or two spirited landscapes, and such as would excite much admiration, were it not for the mannered and spotty whiteness which disfigures them. No. 58, a "Turk," by the deceased BONNINGTON, is a delightful morceau, purchased by Sir Thomas Lawrence. "The Hall of Cedric, Ivanhoe," Jos. WEST, is another clever little picture, evincing (perhaps too much evincing) a diligent study of the ancient masters. Mr. NEWTON'S Contributions are, as they never fail to be, delightful productions. Mr. BOADEN'S "Old Lady" is clever. His "Lavinia" is in a very different style, but clever also. The characteristic of the soft blue eye is very happily expressed-the melting mouth somewhat approaches the extravagant. Hayter, Nasmyth, Webster, Dearman, Linnell, and Fraser, with a long list of artists whose works, we regret, it is not in our power to do justice to, have contributed largely to the interest of the exhibition. We perceive no remarkable departure from their usual respective characteristics, either in style or degree. of merit. We rejoice to perceive, notwithstanding the unfavourable state of the atmosphere which has generally prevailed since the opening of the exhibition, that purchasers abound.

THE EDITOR'S ROOM.

No. XII.

We have several arrears to discharge (debts of honour) to the authors or publishers of very meritorious works, which have been for several months on our table. We will begin with some of these, without a word of preface :

THE CASTILIAN*.

In selecting the 'stirring times' of Alfonzo XI. and Pedro el Cruel, Kings of Castile, for the subject of an historical romance, it will at once be seen that the author of the "Castilian" has resorted to no unproductive quarry for his materials. The period is indeed most fertile in incident, and in incident of deep, and often of tragic interest. It presents us a King discarding the mother of his legitimate offspring for a mistress, who, in a second family, has perpetuated sources of strife and disaster to the royal house, and of distraction and trouble to the unhappy country cursed by its rule-a successor making the first use of his power to avenge the mother's cause on her ancient rival, and on the innocent issue of the unhallowed intercourse; yet blind to example and reckless of consequences, treading in the steps of his parent, and treating a new-married consort of powerful connexions with contumely and neglect, in deference to another's charms a tyrant disgusting, by violent and arbitrary sallies of temper the powerful of his kingdom-alienating his grandees by his rude austerity, and offending the clergy by his contempt of their ceremonies, while he is deprived by the artful wiles of a grasping and *The Castilian. By Don Telesforo de Trueba y Cosio. 3 Vols.

ambitious priesthood, working on the superstitious propensities of the vulgar, of the attachment of the people whose real interests were alone united with his. Hence conspiracies, popular tumults and atrocities, open rebellions, civil wars, foreign aids in which the chivalry of Christendom, knights rivals in prowess as by nation, arrange themselves on the respective sides, battles in which the leaders of the contending armies are brothers, the combatants compatriots and kinsfolk, victories, reverses, crowns lost and won, imprisonment, escapes, treacheries, deaths in the field, and on the scaffold, and struggles in which brothers are the personal and sole combatants, and finally-fratricide.

Such are the outlines of the picture of the epoch to which we have alluded. Accessiories well suited to fill up such a composition, spring naturally from the leading circumstances.

A portion only of this history, however, has been adopted by the author of the 'Castilian,' for the materials of the romance before us, -the second composed by him in the language of a people among whom he has been driven to seek an asylum from disasters which, in an age of general civilization, render his own country the scene of atrocities, but little if at all inferior in horror to those by which it was desolated in the times of general barbarity, which he has undertaken to portray.

The more particular period at which the story of the Castilian commences, is that when Pedro the Cruel, seeks, as a fugitive, the court of Edward the Black Prince, at Guienne, to supplicate the aid of that celebrated hero, and of the English knights, his attendants, to reseat him on the throne of Castile. At that time, death had already removed from him his Queen, Blanche de Bourbon, whose injuries formed the pretext of the rebellion that had dethroned him, and had also deprived him of his adored and haughty mistress, Maria de Padilla. He had been, moreover, defeated by his insurgent subjects headed by his natural brother, Enrique de Trastamara, now about to assume the crown. The cause of Don Pedro is espoused with eagerness by Edward and his knights. The Black Prince marches into Spain, and at the battle of Najara, with far inferior numbers, gives a complete overthrow to Trastamara, and the French knights his adherents under the banners of the famous Bernard Duguesclin.

Pedro, again on the throne, regardless of the engagements which the instances of his noble ally had extorted from him, instead of conciliating his subjects, imposes but a feeble restraint on his tyrannical temper, and betrays the reluctance with which he abstains from wreaking his vengeful and unassuaged wrath on those who had been his enemies. In spite even of the services rendered him by the English, and of a marriage solemnized between the Duke of Lancaster and his daughter, he soon becomes impatient of their presence, disgusts the Black Prince by his ingratitude, and outrages his own most faithful adherents. Fresh conspiracies are the natural consequence. Enrique de Trastramara, with his French allies, again appears in the field at the head of an army of malcontents. A second civil war ensues. Pedro, no longer succoured by the English, is defeated in every rencontre, and besieged in a fated castle, and is

at length decoyed to the tent of Duguesclin, where he is personally assailed by his brother. A single-handed contest takes place in the tent of the French chief. In this strife Don Pedro would have come off victorious and have overpowered his rival, but for the unknightly interference of one of the Frenchmen, spectators of the struggle, who, when the combatants were down, and the King uppermost, with the assent of Duguesclin, whose treachery was then consummated in spite of his reservation, "that he neither marred nor made kings," lent a hand to reverse their position. Trastamara, without delay, availed himself of his advantage, by plunging a dagger to the heart of his brother.

Much of the interest of the story depends on the character and adventures of Don Ferran de Castro, the Castilian, a knight of high principles and untarnished honour, and, on that account, with a zeal somewhat mistaken, a faithful adherent of Pedro through all his misfortunes, and under the most trying circumstances-in spite even of personal outrages the most irritating. Don Ferran is betrothed

to a high-minded lady, who returns his attachment with a fond devotion, being bound by the firmest of all ties by which the heart of a virtuous woman is to be held-the admiration of her lover's character. Don Ferran has a rival in the opposite party, a man by no means to be despised, either on account of the claim which a former intimacy with Costanza gives him to her hand, or of his personal qualifications, or the power with which the success in arms of the party he had espoused had invested him. The ungrateful king also becomes enamoured of the charms of the noble lady, and thwarts the desires of his over-faithful attendant. The division of motive engendered by these circumstances in the conduct of the Castilian, his resolute fidelity to his sovereign, and his anxiety for the possession and safety of his bride, through all the perils by which they are affected, afford an opportunity which has not been neglected for heightening the interest of the tale.

The work indeed is highly creditable to the talents of the author, who has produced a very interesting romance. The outline is well designed, and the details are filled in both with spirit and judgment. The incidents, although sufficiently romantic to be deeply interesting, are, at the same time, never improbable; and if the descriptions and characters want, in some degree, the vigorous delineation, the forcible portraiture, the warmth and glow of colouring from which we have been so long accustomed to receive with delight, and which have spoiled us in a measure for the enjoyment of historical romances from any pen but one, allowances are to be made for the fact, that the author does not write in his native tongue. Regarded, indeed, merely as a work in the English language, by a foreigner, "The Castilian" is a very remarkable performance.

The rare production of a work in the English language by a Spaniard (perhaps the best example of the command of English style by a foreigner, if we except the "Italy" of M. Vieusseux), naturally leads us to glance at the foreign talent now directed in this metropolis to literary undertakings. A pretty little French journal claims our attention :

LE FURET De Londres.

The appearance on our table of a series of this periodical, in the form of a volume, purporting to be the third since the commencement of the publication, will be received, we doubt not, as a fair excuse for reminding our readers of its existence. We hesitate the less in noticing a work which, in its original form, is merely a weekly paper, from the persuasion we entertain of the great advantage to the students of a foreign tongue, of the practice of resorting to journals and other ephemeral publications for their reading. Treating, as these do, of subjects of every-day occurrence and of the events of ordinary life, they afford facilities for acquiring speedily, and with little labour, the familiar terms of conversation-which facilities are not to be derived from the perusal of books in general, not even of the productions of the stage. Actual intercourse with native foreigners alone has the advantage over the habit we recommend. On this account, as on many others, we lament the difficulties thrown in the way of such publications by the operation of our stamp duties, and other anomalous regulations, by which the press in England is affected, and which in foreign, not less than in English, publications, have a tendency to check the growth of what is good and improving, if it happen to be connected in any way with intelligence or politics; while they fall almost innocuous on publications which pander to the lowest and coarsest tastes. It is clear that the readers of a publication in a foreign language must, under any circumstances, be small; and that, in order to make any return whatever to those who risk in it their capital or bestow on it their labour, it should embrace every class of information without a single exception. To exclude, therefore, articles of intelligence, or even political discussion, is to deprive them of what would be of one of their greatest recommendations; since it cannot be denied that, much as we owe to our daily journals, they afford us very imperfect records of the details, often highly interesting, of the transactions of foreign states. A well-conducted French paper, published in London, which should confine itself to imparting continental intelligence, is still a desideratum. The want, no doubt, would not long continue, but that the Stamp Act would step in to swallow up not the profits alone, but even the gross receipts. The "Furet de Londres" is as an agreeable substitute, as under all the disadvantageous circumstances can be expected. It is light and amusing, devoted principally to notices of the theatres and the opera, interspersed with diverting anecdotes, calembourgs, &c. &c.; but sometimes launching forth into the wide waters of criticism, and giving notices of literary and even scientific productions. It is very well calculated for the purpose, which, as we have hinted above, such publications might be well made to serve, namely, that of facilitating the acquisition of the French language.

While on the subject of journals in foreign languages, we are led to notice another, which, to use a phrase familiar in parliamentary language, has "caught the eye" of the Editor. The foreign postman has just placed on our table "The Hamburg Reporter," a journal in English, published in Hamburg twice a week and which, to