will ever be made fine enough in texture to be applied to general purposes; but for particular uses it will soon be extensively employed. The sections of this work devoted to general and ornamental manufactures are throughout encouraging. Although in nearly every page we meet stubborn facts evidencing our very great inferiority in Ireland to Great Britain and some Continental countries, in most branches of industry, with almost the same frequency we encounter tokens of improvement. We are no longer descending the hill, or remaining stationary in a mean position near the bottom, but bravely contending for its higher prominences. The pulsations of a new life are felt in our social frame. The late Exhibition contained numerous indications of this returning vigour; and there can be little doubt that it materially aided the development of the country's resources, directly, by presenting to view our unworked wealth, and showing how in many cases it might be multiplied by skilful utilisation; and indirectly, by giving greater strength to the spirit of industrial enterprise, whose influences had begun to prevail over disorganising agitation and criminal inactivity. When, in another generation, a temple dedicated to the peaceful arts may again be erected in our midst, its halls will not be crowded with the products of other lands, but occupied by the trophies of our own victories. There is a tide in the affairs of nations as of individuals. We trust it has been "taken at the turn" in this country's chequered history, and will bear us forward on its bosom to wide-spread comfort, generating that truest national independence whose strength slumbers in the sinews of toil, whose rejoicings are the manyvoiced sounds of emulous labour, and the permanent prevalency of which is guaranteed by its own energies. We have yet made no reference to a part of this record of the Great Exhibition, which to many readers will prove the most interesting the section on Fine Art. Whatever doubt may have been originally entertained as to the propriety of introducing a collection of paintings into an exposition mainly intended to promote practical industry, none can now regret that the great works of the ancient and modern masters were assembled for our admiration and instruction. It was meet that the Spiritual should be acknowledged with the Material in a building which included in miniature the engagements and aspirations of mankind. It was necessary to place Art before the people of this country in its purity and power, because they have had no opportunities of holding communion with its richest beauties, such as those enjoyed in other lands by peasant as well as prince. It was our object, also, to educate the eye and the mind, to refine the taste, to elevate the ima gination, to exalt that appreciation of loveliness which our countrymen imbibe from their youth upward, as they gaze on the varied splendours enclosed within their narrow isle. We rejoice that Fine Art found a place in the Great Irish Exhibition; and we know that its influence has been civilising, as it must, indeed, ever be. The writer of the Essays on Art which are included in this volume, is a devoted disciple of all that is true, and beautiful, and pure. In his appreciation of the many remarkable conceptions which occupy his criticism, he manifests the spirit of an Artist. He can re-paint with the pen what the hand he admires has traced with the pencil; and while we read some of his descriptions of scenery, as of Turner's Italian landscape,--or his expositions of devotional feeling, as embodied in the works of the Masters,or his elucidations of the Idea worked out by the sculptor, in such exquisite pieces of statuary as the "Eve" of M'Dowell, Hogan's "Faun," or the "Sabrina" of Marshall, we recall every form and feature, every gleam of sunlight and shade of repose, every expressive attitude and line of significance. Although we cannot agree with some of his views, or fully sympathise with the vague mysticism in which he enwraps Art's Ideal beauty, we have more than once perused his reflections with a pleasure which increased with every returning examination. Whatever exception we might take to some of the principles here and there indicated by him, he displays in his special criticisms an acquaintance with Art (not that of the mere mannerist or affected connoisseur), a power of close observation, and a generous impartiality, which entitle his judgments to large respect. He speaks also as an "instructor to the Irish student, and points his ambition to the lofty eminences where alone Art is to be wooed. The Exhibition afforded ample scope for the judicious critic. Never before, in these countries, did Rafaelle and Rubens, Hogan and Turner, and the host of great names which lie within the period of time they embrace the princes of ancient and modern Art-meet together on the same stage. The comments of the writer to whose treatises we have been referring, were practically useful last summer in expounding their characteristic excellences, and in their new form will be not less valuable. It is now permitted us to speak of the Irish National Gallery as a certain fruit of the late display of Fine Art in Dublin. Once established with favourable auspices, and placed under the control of persons really familiar with Art-not amateurs, but artiststhere can be no doubt of its permanent success. That exhibitions of pure Art have been but poorly attended hitherto is no cause of discouragement taste must grow as education improves, and education will not be improved until the means are afforded. In ten years, perhaps, we may see the victory. At present Art is almost nothing in Ireland. It is unpatronised, undervalued, if not despised. Our great names adorn the English Academy; not that they prefer another country to their own, but because they are unappreciated at home. If, however, the love of Art should spread, and exercise as wide an influence among us as in some of the Continental states, then may we expect to mature a Barry, a Maclise, a Foley, and a M'Dowell, and retain them where all their sympathies are centred, in the land of their birth. To cultivate this extensive and intelligent appreciation of pure Art we have looked with sanguine hope to the Irish Institution, as the germ of a Public Gallery, founded on a proper basis, and open to all classes of the people. But we certainly did not anticipate that success would follow the exertions of the committee of that institution so rapidly as it has done, and the result, therefore, is all the more gratifying. The Irish National Gallery is now legally consti tuted by an Act, whose provisions seem to place it on a proper basis, and to guarantee its efficient management. Its governing body, which is to hold office for five years, contains the names of several Irish artists and well-known connoisseurs; and we trust that every lover of Art will promote their objects by all means within his power. We rejoice, in conclusion, that the practical nature of the Great Exhibition of 1853 has found a permanent embo. diment in the elaborate volume now before us. The salutary influences and direct instructiveness of the display will be continued by its means. It will tend to sustain that healthy tone of self-reliant energy which pervaded the public mind last year, and show in what channels it may be successfully exerted. It indicates, especially, the great importance to this country of those numerous branches of manufacture, of a minor kind, which demand no great amount of capital or superior skill, and are particularly suited to our position and resources. In attending to these, the British producer extends his trade, multiplies his profits, and provides labour for the many. Almost every English county is covered with large factories, crowded with workmen engaged in the manufacture of the simplest articles of personal or house. hold convenience, on a scale which ensures immense profits; and these leviathan establishments have grown up without the special advantages which we possess for some of their occupations, by the power of indomitable energy alone. The branches of industry peculiarly adapted to the resources of Ireland are numerous. We want but the same intelligence and activity to reap like rich rewards of personal and national prosperity. Let us not, however, look backward regretfully on the past, but rather hopefully enter the path of future improvement. Within a very short period returning life and vigour have thrilled the life-blood of our sickly state. The fearful depression of the years of famine and death has been succeeded by the most copious blessings. Everything is encouraging -the earth yields her increase with generosity, and the spirit of the toiler is glad. We are no longer gazing at the utopia of enthusiasts, or indulging in the day-dreams of idle folly: we have found at last the true panacea for our social ills; and the time, we believe, draws nigh when Ireland will be no longer a by-word and reproach, but a praise and an honour in Christendom. THE NOTT CORRESPONDENCE AND MEMOIRS. Ir has been laid down by received authority, and adopted as an axiom, that wars and battles are chiefly compounded of errors; that the best generals are sometimes at fault, and that the ablest practitioners in this complicated science, are those who commit the fewest mistakes. Now, the first invasion of Affghanistan was altogether a gigantic blunder: wrong in conception, unskilful in detail, and disastrous in result. The government started on a baseless foundation; the commanders executed a series of false movements; and for the first time since England ranked amongst conquering nations, an army of her soldiers, numerically sufficient, if well handled, to hold the country in which they were unwelcome guests, was annihilated even to the last camp follower. The catastrophe parallels with the retreat of Nicias from Syracuse, and the flight of Napoleon from Moscow. Yet, so flattering was the commencement of the campaign, that the capture of Ghuznee was pronounced a feat of arms equal to the storming of Badajos or St. Sebastian; peerages and red ribands were lavishly squandered, where courts-martial would have been more appropriate; and lucky accidents were lauded to the skies, as deeply-planned and skilful combinations. The first military authority in the world, the Duke of Wellington, pronounced decidedly against this war, as soon as he heard it was undertaken; and when he read of what was called the triumphant march to Caubul, he observed, "Iknow what British troops can do, and I never doubted that part of the business, but now their real difficulties will commence." The sequel showed that he spoke with oracular wisdom. The second war, the war of retribution, retrieved the errors of the first; because the Government, when finally roused to decisive action, and taught by experience, selected competent generals, to whom they delegated discretionary power, unfettered by the presence of political agents, envoys, or bewildering enthusiasts. Had they done this at first, England would have saved an army, and been spared a bitter lesson; but the double infliction will not be without its uses, if our Indian rulers, present and future, happen to have imbibed a little prospective wisdom, with the unpalatable draught of defeat and disgrace which they prepared for themselves, and were compelled to swallow in such unmitigated doses. Affghanistan is associated with the darkest chapter in the annals of British India; but when we turn over the gloomy pages, bright episodes occasionally present themselves, and the names of Nott, Pollock, Sale, and Dennie, stand boldly forward, to tell how reverses were retrieved, and through what gallant agency they might have been prevented from occurring. The right men were not wanting, had they been chosen, and allowed to act at the critical moment; instead of being held back, to repair the consequences of a blow which ought never to have been struck. In modern days, soldiers wield the pen as dexterously as the sword, and military writers are as abundant as military leaders. Accordingly, many publications issued rapidly from the press, on these "untoward events," in the form of narratives, journals, and correspondence, in all of which the authors described what they saw, felt, and thought, and the particular events in which each had participated. They all came under the head of insulated sketches, rather than consecutive history, but every deficiency was supplied by Mr. Kaye's elaborate and maturely digested work, which appeared towards the close of 1851, nine years after the conclusion of the last campaign, when passions had cooled down, prejudices had subsided with time, and sound conclusions were deducible from authentic sources. This writer had the good fortune to become possessed of ample documents, which * History of the War in Affghanistan, from Unpublished Letters and Journals." By J. W. Kaye. 2 vols. London: Bentley. 1851. he sifted with a fearless and truthful spirit, unbiassed by private feeling, or the trammels of official obligation. Having no place to lose, and no patron to offend or flatter, he could afford to venture an honest judgment, without apprehension of consequences. It is not often that a contemporaneous historian, whatever may be his inclination or opportunities, is so situated that he can venture to exercise the stern impartiality of Thucydides. The volumes recently given to the public by Mr. Stocqueler, comprise the personal biography and private correspondence of one of the ablest and most successful officers who held command, both during the temporary eclipse of England's glory, and in the subsequent vindication of her power and prowess. Sir William Nott combined all the requisites of an effective soldier. He had a clear head, a sound judgment, a resolute, enterprising spirit, and no nervous dread of responsibility, when called upon by circumstances to act promptly on his own discretion. This feeling of doubt and diffidence is a vice engendered by our system, and has marred the prospects of many English generals, who fear to strike, and suffer chances to escape, from the knowledge that defeat is never pardoned, and a second trial is rarely accorded after a first miscarriage. Lord Wellington, during the Peninsular campaigns, told the ministers that his officers lost their judgment, and became helpless when left to themselves. On this point, the historian, Sir W. Napier, has emphatically remarked, that "every officer knew that, without powerful interest, his future prospects and past services would wither under the blight of a disaster; that a selfish Government would instantly offer him as a victim to a misjudging public and a ribald press, with which success is the only criterion of merit." English generals are, and must be prodigal of their lives to gain reputation; but they are timid in command, because a single failure, without a fault, consigns them to shame and abuse. Nott was made of "sterner stuff" than to give way under any such apprehensions. He was confident of his powers, and ready to rely on them. But it must be admitted, even by his most enthusiastic admirers, that he was quick in temper and unguarded in speechqualities more in keeping with the blunt soldier than the astute diplomamist; and that, as is common with men of hasty temperament, he said more under the impulse of the moment than he himself would have sanctioned on mature reflection. Let this be reasonably weighed in estimating the value of his opinions. It may also be observed, that his confidential letters to the members of his own family and intimate friends, were not written with a view to publication; but this by no means divests them of their intrinsic value, as leaving a true reflex of the mind of the writer, or as throwing valuable light on transactions the real colours of which are not often por trayed in the public despatches which supply the material of a gazette extraordinary. English generals have not yet, according to the Russian rule, been instructed to compose two accounts of the same event. a flourish for the world, and the truth for the Government; but important details find their way into private communications which it would be equally injudicious and unnecessary to parade in an official document. These become essential evidence for the future historian, and assist him in the disentanglement of apparently mysterious occurrences. Many of the most remarkable facts have been established through the channel of what is commonly called "secret history;" but letters written at the time from actors in the scenes they describe, are much more to be depended on than gossiping journals, compiled at leisure long after the events, and derived from secondary sources. Private correspondence which treats of public characters in their public duties, must be considered as corroborative and legitimate testimony of the most valuable description. Carmarthen has reason to feel proud of two such townsmen as Nott and Picton, and has erected statues and columns in their honour with patriotic exultation. There was more than one point of strong similarity in the career and characters of these distinguished "Memoir and Correspondence of Major-General Sir William Nott, G.C.B." By J. H. Stocqueler, Esq. 2 vols. London: Hurst and Blackett. 1854. generals. The promotion of both was slow, and more owing to personal merit than incidental interest. Each served above twenty years before attaining the rank of regimental major; both arrived at command in the autumn of life; both were impetuous, plain-spoken, frank, and unpretending in manner, independent in spirit, and fearless in the expression of their feelings; both were decisive in action, and ready to act when permitted; unpopular with the superior authorities, but respected by the men under them, though strict disciplinarians-for the soldiers felt and knew that with such leaders there was little apprehension of defeat. The prestige of success has more attractive influence than stars, titles, and decorations. Picton was descended from an ancient family; Nott from a race of yeomen; but both were the artists of their own fortunes, and owed the honours they achieved exclusively to themselves. Nott, being a Company's officer, viewed the Queen's service with jealousy, and rather undervalued the commanders who were placed over him, through established regulations rather than superior ability. He had been accustomed all his life to sepoys, whom he considered quite on a level with European soldiers, and even better adapted to the peculiar warfare of their country. "With five thousand of these brave fellows," he wrote more than once, "I would meet twenty thousand Affghans in the open field, and thrash them to their hearts' content." On several occasions he proved that this was no empty boast, and was fully borne out in his judgment by facts; for under his own leadership his faithful followers never failed him. In the meantime, his free expressions made him enemies in the cabinet, frightened the high officials, and nearly induced them to remove the troublesome lieutenant who ventured to oppose some of their wild schemes, and to act on independent views. "I am decidedly of opinion," said he, without reserve or circumlocution, that a Queen's officer, be he ever so talented, is totally unfit to command the Company's army." This, we must confess, is rather a sweeping sentence, savouring somewhat of personal mortification and bitterness; and, though the conclusion is drawn on the supposed inexperience of the individuals preferred, the premises are not always applicable. When Lord Auckland in 1838, in an evil hour, determined that Shah Soojah was the desired" of the Aff ghans who had banished him, and, issuing his famous Simlah manifesto, of the 1st of October, rushed into the first war, Nott, who had hitherto only been distinguished as an efficient colonel of a regiment, was appointed to the command of a brigade, and subsequently, with the rank of major-general, to the leadership of a division. He had very recently lost his wife, with whom he had lived happily for thirtythree years, was in low spirits, in indif ferent health, and in the fifty-sixth year of his own age. He obtained his first commission as an ensign in 1800, and with the exception of a short residence in England of less than three years, between 1822 and 1825, the whole of his time and service had been passed in India. He had scarcely any oppor tunities of active employment in the field, but he was continually occupied in studying the science of war; and, when the hour of action came at last, he quickly demonstrated that his leisure had been profitably employed. The war commenced, and was carried on under circumstances which, without the intervention of a miracle, courted failure, and rendered ultimate success impossible. We crossed the Indus, passed into a land, of the nature, resources, and inhabitants of which we knew nothing, and entered on a long and distant enterprise, in a miserably poor and barren country, with inadequate means, deficiency of transport, and without a safe base of operations; above all, without a Roostum at the head of affairs, capable of conceiving or executing a great stroke, should the opportunity arise. The Punjaub and Scinde, then ruled by Runjeet Singh, and the Ameers, lay between us and our Indian empire. These princes were our ostensible friends, but the principal bond of amity was the conviction of our invincibility, which a single reverse might shake, if not destroy entirely. Runjeet Singh proved faithful under the disasters, but the Ameers were treacherous. The Indus has now become, for the present, our own frontier, and affords something like a secure line in the event of future contests, which none can foresee, and which Russian intrigues are constantly struggling to engender. It was at first intended that the "army of the In |