promise of that silent Emperor who never utters an opinion until he sees the moment to make it a fact. After the most rigorous and judicious rejection, by which the number of exhibitors has been greatly reduced, France is represented by more than twice as many as in 1851, by nearly as many as the United Kingdom itself. Those who take alarm at this circumstance, and consider that France is leaving us behind, should bear in mind that, though our numbers are not much greater, unless indeed the Colonies be included, our space is much larger than that of our neighbour. The French have a compact eclectic exhibition within the building, which shows the greatest amount in the smallest space. It is probable that the careful exclusion of inferior and needless objects will give the French collection extreme importance. The best judges consider that while it shows great progress as compared with the same section in the Exhibition of 1851, it is also far better than that in the Paris Exhibition of 1855, from its eclectic character.

Italy takes her place as a first-class power. In 1851, Sardinia and Tuscany were equal in the number of exhibitors, and Rome had half as many as each. Rome is now represented by a somewhat lower number, which may be considered to show that she is stationary. The kingdom of Italy, making all allowance for the addition of the Milanese as well as Tuscany, but also making allowance for the terrible conflict from which she has not yet emerged,-for that war of arms and feelings that is still unfinished,-shows of all nations, save France and Portugal, the greatest progress. She has about seven times as many exhibitors as before, and in numerical strength follows the British Colonies, and is in almost the same position as Prussia and Austria. If she can do this in the very midst of her anxieties, and while her states are yet unsettled, what may we not expect from her in the future?

The Zollverein, or commercial union of Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony, Wurtemberg, the free city of Frankfort, Hesse, Luxemburg, and Nassau, can scarcely be held to show an increase, though it must be remembered that it was very strong in the former Exhibition. Then, however, it greatly outnumbered France; now it is left at a larger distance behind. Here, as before, political condition is the key to the state of industry; and it may be safely predicted, that if Germany does not find some solution to the question of unity, it will be soon overbalanced by its more enterprising but not more laborious neighbours. Prussia is by far the strongest state, and has reached the same number as Austria; its increase is, however, not so great; and if we consider the difficulty of transport, the old empire still more than beats its rival, which before was its superior in actual numbers.

Austria has twice her former number of exhibitors, and, considering the loss of a richly-productive part of her Italian states, the depression of the remnant, and her financial condition, she indicates greater activity than could have been anticipated, though kingdoms of less extent are not far behind her in the industrial contest. Switzerland does not show the

increase we might have anticipated; but the difficulties of transport, and the largeness of her first number of exhibitors, fully account for this, without the supposition of any decline. Belgium displays less activity than France, her exhibitors not being twice as many as in 1851; but she is well represented, considering the smallness of her territory. Holland, though showing a larger increase, is far below Belgium in numbers.

Hamburg, and the neighbouring northern states not in the Zollverein, have made an advance proportionate to that of the most prosperous nations. The Scandinavian kingdoms are well represented. Denmark, which can scarcely be said to have contributed to the former Exhibition, now takes its proper place, and Sweden and Norway show an increase to seven times their former number, which was not a very low one. Russia, contrary to the expectation that might be formed from the state of transition through which she is now passing, takes a good place, furnishing three times as many exhibitors as before; and the assertion of those who best know the country, that it is really rapidly developing its great natural resources, is here fully corroborated.

Spain and Portugal are among those states that have made the greatest numerical strides. The former has four times, the latter six times, its old numbers. Both have, we know, been rapidly recovering somewhat of their old commercial greatness; and it is satisfactory that the more liberal of the two has outstripped its fellow in the race, and now, with its smaller population, has almost the same number of exhibitors. Greece, which was before but nominally represented, now takes a place more than proportionate to its political importance; but, as we have already said, this is rather due to the activity of the Greek merchants than to the condition of the kingdom itself.

Until very recently there was no prospect that the United States would send a single contribution, Congress having refused to vote any money for the purpose. At the last moment some American merchants undertook to raise funds, and a small space will contain the result of their patriotic endeavours. Strange that what was the most forward of all young states should now be waging so great an internal contest as to be self-excluded from all peaceful rivalries, and should here be represented almost in the same manner as the barbarous countries of the far East, though the enterprise of the American merchants is national, not private, however ignored by their government. Where will the American exhibitors be in 1872?

The number of British exhibitors shows a decrease of about one-sixth; but this is no indication of declining prosperity. However great and active our industry, there must always be a limit to the amount of its results exhibited for competition, and in this case the limitation is due not to the manufacturers so much as to the Royal Commissioners. So long as there is no slackness in the public wish to compete, we have rather to look to the quality than the quantity of the national part of each Exhibition. The Colonies mark their progress by a great increase, having more than three times the former number of exhibitors, and this notwithstanding

that Canada had but lately an exhibition of her own. These new coun tries, however, relying as yet mainly upon raw materials for their exports, cannot be expected to rival Europe in the contest; for the nature of these products puts a narrow limit to their forms and conditions.

A critical view of the whole Industrial Exhibition can only be taken after repeated examinations and careful comparison of its contents when they are finally arranged. At present we can but gain leading ideas of the characteristics of the whole collection, and of the contributions of some principal states. It is difficult to recall the chief features of the former Exhibition, and the published illustrations do not convey a general impression, since they represent special objects, often far inferior in skill or taste to others which were passed by as less striking in appearance. Machinery will probably show the greatest advance. Engines, ship-building, gunnery, telegraphs, and photography,-here are names that recall the most important of the scientific triumphs of these late years. Manufactures will stand next, and beauty of form, and the use of recently-discovered colours, will show how greatly the general aspect of the chief objects of luxury has changed for the better; while pureness and fineness of material will prove the greater mastery the craftsman has gained over the rude matter which he has learnt to transmute into these beautiful forms. In raw materials, new vegetable products, and the constant discoveries of chemistry, will give proofs in every branch of the advance of scientific knowledge.

In the department of machinery, England will no doubt maintain her supremacy, though hard pressed by France, and, in a less degree, by Austria and other states.

In manufactures the contest will be closer; for the taste of France and Italy will make their fabrics excel ours in attractiveness, as these will be excelled by the Oriental ones in richness. In ceramic art, as a whole, we shall probably keep the first place. In glass, Austria will still leave all other states behind. In metal-work, we shall have several rivals; but it is to be hoped that we may take a high position; and if the Norwich Gates are to be matched in other portions of our display, our taste will be found to equal the excellence of our material and our work, and the result will be certain.

Looking at industrial progress as an indication of national prosperity, there is very much here to suggest new historical ideas. We have been accustomed to consider, with Plato, that the life of a nation, like that of a man, has its age of growth, of vigour, and of decline; and that, having once passed its maturity, it surely goes down until it perishes, to be succeeded by some young and stronger organisation. But here we see nations, long pronounced in their decrepitude, springing up in a second youth,-Spain, of which the world had despaired, once more a powerful state; and Italy, so long unable to free herself from foreign oppression, now rapidly growing into a first-class state. Is it that Christianity has neutralised the elements of decay, and by its lofty code has made Chris

tian nations indestructible? Ancient history furnishes but one exception to its laws, and that one exception proves the truth of our supposition. No nation, save that of the Jews, ever rose from ruin to flourish a second time, its religion, its polity, its national feeling, unchanged.

There is another curious consideration that forces itself upon observant minds. It has been held by many, that only Protestant states are capable of high industrial activity. The statistics of the Exhibition do not, at first sight, seem to bear out this idea; but such cases as that of Italy are scarcely to be quoted against it. Most branches of knowledge may be expected, on the whole, to flourish best in the free air of Protestantism; but it would be hard to deny that they can flourish elsewhere. The truth is, that certain nations began with religious freedom, and went on to political; while others have begun with political freedom, and are not unlikely to go on to religious; but the former certainly took the safer course. It may be a check to too great exaltation on either side, to remember that the Mohammadan nations of the Mediterranean coast, while they had the Indian trade, developed great commercial activity; and this notwithstanding that their governments, though nominally limited monarchies, were virtually absolute despotisms.

The art-exhibition, as we have said, is neither parallel to nor analogous with the industrial. It is mainly an exhibition of pictures of the last hundred years. These pictures are contributed, like the industrial objects, by the nations to which the artists belonged, and, like them, separately classed. Here, however, the similarity ends. It is difficult to see the reason for the limit of time chosen, unless the ungenerous one be suggested that a hundred years just includes our four great masters, Hogarth, Gainsborough, Reynolds, and Turner, while it shuts out all the greatest foreign masters, and leaves Italy, for instance, without even its second schools. We shall not further ask the motives of this exhibition, nor further show its absolute want of connexion with the Exhibition proper, when too, be it remembered, exhibitors have been crying out for space; but having protested against the plan, go on to the more pleasant duty of bearing witness to the success of the result simply as a collection of picWe will venture to say that, notwithstanding the absence of all the old masters, this is the most magnificent exhibition of the kind ever brought about, superior even to that at Manchester. To the managers great credit is due for the unwearied pains they have taken to secure completeness in the English part, of which one instance is worth recording here. A special Aet of Parliament was made to enable the trustees of the Soane Museum to contribute four Hogarths. In the English department this great artist will be admirably represented, as well as Reynolds; and Gainsborough's portraits being now, thanks to the British Institution, appreciated, he will be known by the many in England as he is abroad, for his portraits rather than his landscapes. It is much to be regretted that there are but few works of Turner. Nothing would have done more credit to the English school than the complete exhibition of

tures.

Turner's pictures, which is now unfortunately removed from South Kensington. In the foreign galleries it will be difficult to form a fair judg ment of the art of each country, as the same principle of selection has not been adopted for the small space allotted in each case: some commissioners have allowed but a fixed number to each artist; others have chosen the best works, with no such limitation. We must not pass by the extremely beautiful exhibitions of engravings and lithographs, and of architectural drawings.

The sculpture of this Exhibition will, we fear, be inferior to that of 1851. The German school will not be represented by such grand works as those which then astonished us. Italian sculpture then showed an extreme mannerism; and now this mannerism will be seen to have produced its natural result in weakness, and its works will not bear comparison with those of the English artists. Throughout the modern sculpture there will be perceived the false taste that prefers weak and incomplete types to strong and mature ones, a taste that sets the girlish and boyish forms above the womanly and manly, practically denying the excellence of Phidias and Michael Angelo, and the very truths of Nature herself.

If any reader should require more details, and wonder why there is no account here of the opening ceremony, we would remind him or her that at this present writing, at the very last moment when we can go to press, the Exhibition is still a heap of planks and cases. France alone has arranged her section with a rapidity and method that cannot be sufficiently praised, and which is rewarded by a beautiful result in the independent and symmetrical court. Germany and Northern Europe is advancing at a slow pace. Italy, Spain, and Portugal, with many lesser states, are represented alone by huge packing-cases. The pictures are not yet all hung. Outcries for space are heard in every direction. A missing commissioner has thrown the greatest of the Australian Colonies out of an excellent place into the background. Turkey must yield some space for the opening ceremony. Yet each day shows more progress towards completion; and if the temporary part of the building should not be blown down, it may be expected to look fairly complete on the 1st of May.

Now that another International Exhibition is near accomplishment, we may ask how much good the world and our own nation is likely to derive from it. No one will now question that every branch of industry will benefit by this great competition; those who won honours at the first Exhibition will not retain their posts without maintaining the excellence of their work in due relation to the general progress of their rivals; new discoveries will be brought into view, and materials gained for yet further progress and discovery. The great practical work of the age will be nobly furthered, and with it the happiness of mankind will be increased. So far, no doubt can be felt; but can we hope for more? Can we hope for positive moral good beyond that which must spring from all honest, earnest work? Eleven years ago, when all the nations of the world met in that wonderful Palace of Industry, there were not a few among us who