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, r ?^^^ ^^^^ ^ P ^^ JT « r . By James Fexsusson ^ ^^^^ iiirajCB ^ da ri be expected now from thaj : side of the warlitferattire wWch is represented by books like Mrv Tayld ^ thar is themere ^ htyig s } de . Wfcat we ' wknt isa narraifve of the &iihbaigh by somfe one who c ^ and ^ ho at 10
dare * « 6 let usihiq the secretofinuchthat is mexplicawepresent . t&s ^ fcarWctSsr Mr : TaVlor h # no * , tte least pretension . As , an observer ^ fia ^ ecbrdpa ^ o the tjesfoffcis : ab ility what he observed . If he knew what weWnt tp , knbp :, we i are sure notEing would prevent him , from telling it . Sui % & does not , Joipw . Where he ceases to record what he- sees , he guesses at truth with more ouless of intelligence , and more or less of fault-finding . ge is very ^ frefc with his Ppinions : ; there is a rugged frankness and freshness , and evidence of honest intentions abont his pages which make them very welcome j bat -we * cannot * say that there is any ; grasp of- the ehief topics raised by the condutifc O *" the % Vai % or any viyid painting of its characteffsth Seeiiel : Mr ; Taylor was' in ' the thick of the battle of Inkerman , and he conirrjvgs to impart to the reader some ideiaof that tremendous straggle , not by nun * A 4 m < - -Kw minntd ' ' t . Airnf »« s . fliifi frVr somfi of the facts we are thankfuL
ge iwas also present at . the second expedition to . Kertph . and , the . first round theSjea , QfJiJzaF . He likewrse saw , if such phrase may be used , the taking of SepastojjQl ; . ^ and he wasqne of the lirst to , run in . and , -inspect ; . the yet explodingruins . Alluring : thesiege : he wenfc over to the coal minea in Asia Minor , ' and some of the best pages of his . volumes are those containing a description of the working of the Turkish coal-field . As an old soldier Mr . Taylor treats his subject with' a certain ease not attainable by amateurs ; and ottthe whole the readerwill find this not the least interesting offshoot of the Grhnean campaign . ¦' " " ¦¦¦ ' ¦ . ¦ ' ^ Che Russian account of the battle , of Inkerman was wr ^ ten in DeceniT
wlndh' tn ' at stupendous incident—the like of which , said Kossuth , hajd not occurred in the world ' s history since Agincourt—rhad made upon Europe . It is . intelligently written , and professes to go into details on authority . It develops the plan , it describes the execution , it arrays the causes of the failure of the enterprise . . Its two ^ great aims seem to be to convin «« Europe tj ^ tjhe 3 S , ussians w ^ ere not beaten by the ; EngUsh in a fair , stand-up fight ; l £ at , in fadt , the Victory , so far as mere fighting lay , went with the Russians ; htit thajfctfre I'ipiiktikitp , m $ iie' cq ^ mand ' ey ofoioe column : deranged the -whole plan of ibebattle , and that the' French saved the beaten English from destruction . Thesecdhd aimis to show that the Russians had fewer men in the battle ,
and lost fewer than was stated at the time ; and that the English had more men on the ground , and lost more . But taking the figures on the estimate of this Russian writer , the enemy w'as still upwards of two to one , with alt the advantage of a surprise on his side . The little brochure is worth reading . •'• ¦ '• ' . . ^ ^ J ^ t . Vpole ' s bpbk of memoirs consists of a couple of volumes , containing brief Diograpiiies of fourteen generals who distinguished themselves in the late War . The sketches are vnrittep with a soldier ' s pen , from which we s&fiom expect the arts and graces of literature . The novel ties , of the collection are the very interesting sketch of the life of that hero of a really brilliant and effective cavalry charge , Major-General Le Merchant , for
who&e early attempts to establish military schools we ought to be grateful ; Robert Craufurd , of the Light Division ; Lowry Cole , who led the famous fusilier-brigade in the attack that converted Albuera into a victory ; Ross and Fakenham , meritor ious officers , who were killed in America ; and Sir Thoma ^ Graham , Lord Lynedoch . Mr . Cole tells an anecdote of Le Marchant that illustrates a whole class of military absurdities . He served in early life in Germany , with the British forces co-operating with the Austrians . Here it was he first emraaed in actual warfare , at that time captain in the
Q » jeen ! s Bays .. On the occasion of an intended coup de mam against the French camp , " the troopa were ordered to begin their march before sunrise . Captain L , e Marcharit visited . , his men duv » ng the rirght-to see whether their < accontrement 6 were in proper condition for the expected day ' s work . He was surprised to find them all turned over on their faces . On inquiring the reason Ae was informed that they had just dressed their queues for the morrow , and they were 1 afraid of lying in any other position , lest it should become necessary tp dress them again . Such was the appliance of what was then considered discipline in the British army ! " Queues have ceused to exist , and soldiers no longer repose on their faces ; but while we laugh at this anecdote , let us remember that we have still some military institutions equally absurd . " ' ' , ' If any one wishes to certify himself on the pofyt , lot him read the letters of Jacob Omnium . Mr . Fergusson ' s pamphlet is also deserving of attention , and for , the same reason . If our science of fortificatipn be riot so useless as Mr . Fergusson would Jiave ua believe , at all eyexil | s it is riot perfect , and no irijaro prgudicea pf prpfygaion snould be Buffered to burke a reasonable proposal for . tblei strengthening of its weak places .
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: ¦ ;;; ... . tyP $ of ^ $ 0 ty ! LJiZ ^ iBVatBN Mr . Borfobd ' s Tight , hand shall forget its cunniiig ^ - ^> ag , hence may » lfae time be!—no other painter will arise in his place . Hia pencil is a " barren .-soepfcee in bis gripe " -r « t least , inasmuch as he , cauijot JbteqneatU ita .. power . - When th king is dead , we shall not cry , Long live the king ! Painters of landscap e city * ocean , lakei , , « nd river * there iwill-always toe * painters , ' too , ! who will mot disdain to carry thein art beyond the circle of the schools , and to employ it m producing " scenic effects . " But no painter , after . JBurfobi ^ will staad between the ( artist whose we 4- > 8 nisLied > vqrks in pil attract pur notice on the ( walls of an exlubitiony . and the rapid . worker in :: distemper ... colours , who ; paints enormous " flats" for the backgrpunds . ; of theatrical grpupinga , and / divides wUfr , the atagecarpenter the task pf-. J ' set-piepes ; " or , wb , o . rolls put Missi s sippi panoramaa by the , mile . Eyen before the days of , those stupenaous exhibitions , ^ r . Burfobu ^ s public , was limited . to a class .. .. There was np room for rivalry when he alone pretended to give representations , oh a , largei . and , conjprehensi . ve ( scale , of distant places of note . The rolling diorama , with its , theatrical ; effects , arrangements of artificial light , accompanying music , and other adjuncts , is so much more to the taste of miscellaneous visitors , " that the constant visitors of Bdrfohd ' s panoramic scenes ( exhibited . by j daylight , and with no adventitious aid ) are mpre thap ^ ever . reduced to . * , class . The conscientious labour bestowed by I ^ r . BijJKiFOJEtb ; on eacH . of his paintings , can ,, on _ ly be appreciated- " by person s , ;^ educated jaste . Those who go , again andiagain will generally be-found to haye some practical knowledge of arjt ,, and often to have an interest in the scene from having yisited thje . actual , Jtocality- , ., The picture of St . ,. Petersburg is one of the best that Mr . Bdkjfokd has ever painted . Its elaborate finish is amazing . The panorama is taken from the " observatory of the : Apademy o £ Science , on the island of Vasilie&koi , and tl > e immediate ipregrourid , looking south , ia . occupied . by the main stream of the Heva .,. The actistlias a special celebrity for his manner of painting water ; atid
he has here , done , . much , to increase , that celebrity , for a mpre , natural piece of art we neye ?? sa VT-1 Sweetly across the rivqr is . the . immease-yfard of the Admiralty , ( w > th ^ several launches ' , ai . completion . To the leftstretc ^ ps the Cpvu ' t Quay , a ^ ongwhicli ; stand , . first the Winter Palace , « then t , be , 3 gprnjitage , thentthp iTbeatre ,. and . then the JVIarble Palace Beyond are the Champ de Mars , flip naxrapkV of the ^ auV > ff 8 ki regiment , the Summer Gardens , ancl lastly , in the fax east of the magnificent perspective , the Taurida Palace . Working round towards the northrwest wp see , the graceful yacht of the Imperial fa ^ mily- ^ o , modpl nf T ^ nCTliah ^ osign'nndskill . TheKevaTr-in this direction . ai straightas a , canal—shows a long range of quays and , warehouses . StilLmayinff to the right , we gain a fine view of the great dqunre , with th 6 Ekchangb' and ltfng line of buildings 'Appropriated to the archives of the'Assembly of Directors . A curiously perfect illusion is caused by the straight lines intersecting the circular pictujre , an ( i crossing it everywhere at right angles . Of course the secret of this illusion lies in the skilful management of the perspective , which . quite puzzles the spectator who tries ta carry with him his preconceptions of a picture painted on the inside of a hoop . " . ,. .......
_ ,,, Where the life of St . Petersburg may be hidden away we were not told ; but that its five hundred thousand souls were not fairly represented by the groups in the oroad Pperi streets we are as sure as that the broad open streets thetnselves were not a type of the . whole ; city . The pervading brightness may be partially accounted for by a short sentence towards the end of the Guide-book . It is this : " Poverty and smoking are both strictly prohibited in the streets of St . Petersburg . "
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The third annual exhibition of French Pictures is now open at the Gallery , 121 , Pall Mall . It is very strong , in rworks ofai miniature aize , concerning which the best that can generally be said is that they are better than spurious higli art . But there is a want of dignity and earnestness , in this exhibition . We snail report on it next week , and will only now add that there »« , a total , absence ot the characteristic badness to be found at all our national displays ot now pictures . ' ¦• ' .. ' , . ^ . . . . '¦ ¦ I ., nil . ¦ ' ¦ - ¦ ' - " ¦ ' ¦¦ ¦ ' - ' ¦¦ , . , I , , . . . , — ¦ —¦— \ ¦ > - /! . ¦¦ - !
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_ ; r , . . HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE . TrtB opening night wasj on the whole , not unpropitious , although , there may ^ Je said to Jhavo been wanting sometHlhg of the old' tradition -of the pined , and of the old dclaL To the opera-goers of ten years ago who < w * re present laat baturday it was a spectacle fall of such mingled associations , as a lapse of . ' ten yeara musi bring back to any man ^ ho has long lived that . saddest of all lives , the We pi London , togtvze pnep mpre on those familiar ambpr-curtained boxosr 4 . K out tho house there was a pleased look of mutual congratulation at being tnere once mpre . Wedare saV it Was a satisfaction tb many to find that the old house had risen agairf uriglorlfied by new decoration and upholafory , although the e « ecn was undoubtedly a little dingy and faded , like Grosvenor-square or Belgravia in September . It must be said , too , that the audience boro small resemblance to the brilliant ofother and MrSnob ( in the pit ) was lain to avuw
array years , . that it was miscellaneous , and looked as if it had been sent for . The opera , Jm Cenerentola , was selected not injudiciously for the reappearance of AtnoNr , but , without Alboni , it must be confessed that the Cenercntol * . in spite of Its prpdigiitity bf fine music , enough to m ake the reputation ot no « dozen ordinary composers , is fatiguing . The libretto is absurd "' . "P ^^ action is dull , and the recitatives are positively boring . Madame Amwni . ^> Very heartily welcom 6 d as she discovered Jiersetf sitting at the old lamu ar fireplace , with the dear bid bellows hi her hand . She pong her flral ^ < ur with delicious expression ; and > if to the hypercritical she may _ have seemcj in - the course of the evening ? to have loab something of tho boy * and luscious fruitiriess ; of , that voico which has been called a . ncwr nightingales , it wns impercoptiblo to the general uudicnco , who wore . ciw . rw into content ! The Non ' piu mesta , sung to-perfection was o ^^ ^ ! . re ^ ncpred . 1 % Ss ^ possible tjo concelvP thparb of " ^ "f *™™ *^™^ - fection . , Xet us add ttliat Madame Avnom ia Jippklng : dp ) ightfu « yr . ^» e expv sion of bor face was always most winning , and she has now <^ ^* * 7 * in distinction and grace p t manner , and has lost what was , perhaps , gxccbbiy flgure . ¦ : , ''¦ ¦' . ., ¦ ¦ 11 ' Thoopera was , gofWjrally'Speaking rery frtirly porformed . Ga ^ zoHabi watt txtWaya a flwieheil singbri but his timbre was sickly ami cv
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[ Owing to » greatj > re » s of matter the Second Notice of the Royal Academy v > ' ! , ^ , hv . > im ! fEAtUititioh is postponed untijL next week . ] "' , . '' t ; '' ' ;; ::. . ¦ . ¦ i ,., ! ; iwj 1 tat £ k ? d . Notes on TfetEBxiiiBiTioN . ¦ . ;; - t . Bns ^ i ^ j bttbUsjilchi'the second fasciculus ' oif ''^ ties pri tho Principal . pictures Iblted in thp | tpM »' , of t 1 \ e Royal Academy and Society of Painters In Water our ^ for the proa « nf year ; with an intimation that the se Notes are to fo rm
( an annual ., -. JWfri s . haU , iffob ^ l ?| y ; iexanun 0 then » more in , detail . next weeks we ^ nly np tiea them now becausp . we , beliere that several of oar readers will be i ^ ' ^ ft so iAterestiipg a . copipj » nion ; to < the ; exhibition . j . W « . differ . ^ from Mr . ItoekiK at almpst > ye , yery Jijaxnjrr . buti , he has . knowledge , / obserwation , , eomo » and of Ian .. , guage ,, i distinctness , of meaning , earnestness , and sincerity t -and his , iittte bundle of conversation on the pictures is worth a ton of ordinary ,: ^ cciticism . ' ! ,
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Leader (1850-1860), May 17, 1856, page 476, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2141/page/20/
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