tune with his friends, and revelling in the contemplation of undisguised nature. This disposition induced him to found the Bacchanalia that used to be held privately by the artists at Rome: they were kept twice a month at his own residence in that city; for, owing to the liberal pension allowed him by Gustavus III, and what he gained by his profession, his income was very considerable. Of these festive meetings Heinse has given us a faint echo in his Romance of Ardinghello.

Sergel's talent was highly esteemed in Sweden; where he was created by Gustavus a knight of the polar star. He was personally attached to that monarch, whom he regarded not merely as his patron but as his friend; and such was the grief he felt at his untimely death, that he seemed from that hour to lose all relish either for his life or for his art. Sergel died in 1813, in the 77th year of his age.

Johann Nicolaus Büström, his pupil, was born at Philippstadt, in the year 1783, and was intended by his parents for trade; but they dying, he was enabled to follow his own inclination--which led him to devote himself enthusiastically to sculpture. His circumstances enabling him to travel, he immediately proceeded to Stockholm for the purpose of attending the academy, and particularly of enjoying the instructions of Sergel. Endowed by nature with a mild and steady disposition, and with a pleasing exterior, the young artist soon acquired the friendship of his instructor, who felt himself attached to his pupil, and was anxious for his improvement. Büström studied under Sergel for three years, partly after the antique and partly from nature: but his master would not permit him to copy any of his own works, considering them-with a rare modesty-as models not of sufficient authority, and too little to be depended upon. In 1810, Büström proceeded to Rome, and it was in this "city of the soul" that the young artist's views expanded them selves. Hitherto he had only modelled in clay, but he now perceived that it was indispensably necessary for him to work in marble; for on the acquisition of facility and confidence in this manner of execution

depends not only animated expression, but likewise, in a great degree, the stamp of originality. Since even an excellently modelled figure must, when executed in marble by another hand, lose a considerable portion of its individuality, for want of that accordance with the original conception, and those Promethean sparks of vitality which impart life to the inert mass: consequently let such a work be ever so well arranged as to its ensemble, it will be apt to carry with it, to a discriminating eye, the constrained air of a copy. In order to avoid this defect, the young artist applied himself sedulously to this difficult province of his art; and, as nature had gifted him with considerable manual dexterity, and he pursued his labours incessantly and indefatigably, he overcame all his impediments much sooner than he himself had expected, so that he may now be classed foremost among those artists who work this material with facility and freedom. It was particularly fortunate for Büström, that he visted Rome at a period when an attachment to the fine arts was developing itself in Sweden, under the auspices of Gustavus and his royal brother, Charles XIII; for, in consequence of this, many of the Swedish nobility, and other rich individuals of that country, were induced, by a patriotic zeal, to encourage the young artist, by important commissions, most of which he has since executed. The regard which the student felt for his first instructor was returned by the paternal kindness of Sergel; who, not contented with imparting to him, in his letters, advice respecting the most advantageous prosecution of his studies, and with constantly encouraging him to unceasing perseverance, declared that he was worthy to succeed him; and obtained for him a grant of the residence which he himself occupied at Stockholm, and which had been erected for him on his return from Rome, at the expence of the government. It was for the purpose of taking pos session of this inheritance, after Sergel's death, and at the same time of carrying into execution some other designs that Büström returned to Stockholm in 1815. In his last letters to his pupil, Sergel had spoken

with such a lively enthusiasm of the great qualities of the newly-chosen Crown Prince, and of their beneficial ` influence over every department of the government,-particularly over the fine arts, that the young artist felt an irresistible desire to obtain the patronage of so illustrious a Me

cænas.

To this end, he prepared a colossal statue of this hero, finished entirely except the head, which he purposely deferred executing until his arrival in Sweden, in order that he might there execute it from nature. His plan was eminently successful, for on his arrival he was employed to model not only a likeness of the Crown Prince, but likewise those of the King and Queen. He had now an opportunity of employing himself secretly upon the statue at his leisure, and caused it to be presented one day to the Prince, when the latter had invited him to dinner. This trait of his attachment had its desired effect: the Prince not only thanked the artist for the agreeable surprize which he had thus procured him, assuring him at the same time, of his protection-but expressed his satisfaction, by declaring that he should wish to be considered as the purchaser of whatever works Büström might execute on his own account; at the same time, giving him a commission for colossal statues of the three heroes, Charles X. XI. and XII. But that neither courtly favour, nor his intercourse with brilliant society, abated his industry, is evident from the number of his works, of which the following is a list.

1. An intoxicated Bacchante, half the size of life, in a recumbent posture;-such was the admiration excited by this figure, that the artist has repeated it three times.-2. A drunken Cupid, who has seized the attributes of Bacchus.-3. A female dancer.-4. A groupe intended for a monument of the Montgomery family: it consists of a genius, support ing a mother, who is lamenting the premature death of a beloved son.3. Pandora.-6. Hygeia.-7. Bacchus.-8. Venus binding up her tresses, as preparatory to entering the bath.-9. Euterpe.-10. A sleeping Juno, with an infant Hercules at her breast.-11. Apollo playing on the

cithara.-12. A sitting statue of Ces res;-with the exception of the firstmentioned subject, all the preceding are of the size of life.-13. A colos sal statue of the present King of Sweden.-14. A colossal bust of the same Prince.

Of all these works, the artist not only formed the models himself, but likewise executed them in marble: if we consider besides the many busts which he has produced of private individuals, most of which are likewise in marble—and his journey to Stockholm, which occupied more than a year, we shall be suprised at finding how much he has accomplished in so short a period. Whoever has examined the productions or this artist, impartially and dispassionately, cannot but have perceived that, whether they have been immediately taken from nature,-have been the conceptions of his own imagination, or the suggestions derived from other works of art—they are free from all extraneous impulse, and from every thing resembling affected naiveté and artificial grace-conceived with gusto, and executed with spirit.

Faithfully adhering to the system introduced by his excellent predeces→ sor; namely, that nature and the antique together are to be considered as the career in which alone we may hope, according to the present situation of things, to attain that which is excellent and perfect in art, since the true and the beautiful is the soundest support for every style-adhering to this, he has constantly avoided all those bye-paths that would mislead him from this system, and endeavoured as much as possible to approach per fection in the manner most consonant to this principle. And although in many of the above-noticed worksfor instance, in his Drunken Cupid, his groupe of the sleeping Juno, and the colossal bust of the King of Sweden, in the first, for the inven tion, in the latter, for the beauty of the details,-he may challenge any productions of modern sculpture; yet the artist does not consider what he has already achieved to be so much the goal and aim, as it is an ad vance in his progress towards it, by means of which he is striving to raise himself still higher in his art; for, compared with what remains to

be done, that which he has done appears to him to be but inconsiderable. By this maxim has he been regulated in all his works, and no where are its effects more conspicuous than in the last, a figure of Ariadne, intended as a companion to the Bacchus, No. 3. This statue exhibits, as well in its ensemble, as in the motion of the different limbs, particularly in the beautifully turned body, which is exposed, and in the captivating features, evident proofs of the advancement which the artist has made in a more perfect knowledge of beautiful form, and of expression; for this delightful production recalls to the spectator many of the most charming figures of antiquity. The daughter of Mi

nos stands reclining with her right arm upon the trunk of a tree, and with her left gathering up her drapery, while she looks bashfully towards the engaging deity of wine.

Sweden, who had reason to be proud of Tobias Sergel, as the restorer of good taste, may also confidently boast that she possesses in Nicolaus Büström, a zealous preserver of purity of style,--one too, who, since he finds as generous a patron in Charles XIV, as his master did in Gustavus III, will not fail, by the more matured works of his genius, to render his name yet more distinguished in the world of art, and yet more honourable, than even now it is, to his country.

Ir is the intention of Mr. Frederick Webbe shortly to open his splendid mansion in Langham-place, with an evening conversazione, at which the literary and scientific world will be afforded an opportunity of inspecting the numerous and valuable specimens of taste and virtù, which have been collected by that gentleman during his late residence in Italy.

Something of this kind has long been a desideratum in this metropolis; especially as a point of meeting and communication with those distinguished foreigners who may happen to be visiting this country.

Tachydidaxy.We have invented this term in order to designate one of the most wonderful inventions, even in this age of invention and discovery. It will henceforward be mere obstinacy on the part of our readers, should they not be able, ere we commence' another volume, to read Homer and Plato in their original language, and their Bibles in Hebrew; since a German of the name of Kastner has written two works that may justly be called, a short cut to the learned languages. One of these is the art of learning Greek in two months!! the other, that of learning to read, and to understand Hebrew in four weeks!!! Perhaps as a climax to this celerity of the

acquisition of knowledge he may communicate to the world the art of comprehending Euclid in a fortnight.

The Ionian University at Ithaca.—— It is expected that the building will be completed in the course of the present year; and that the young Greeks, who have been pursuing their studies at Lord Guilford's expence for many years past, at the Italian, German, and English Universities, will be summoned thither to fill the part of teachers. For those acquainted with the historical and poetical interest attached to this island, it must be agreeable to reflect, that from this classic rock a light may arise to dispel that moral and political darkness which has so long overshadowed the once brilliant, and the still dear and honoured land of Greece.

Winkelmann's Monument at Trieste. Dr. D. Rosetti, who published at Dresden, in 1818, a biographical memoir of the latter period of the life of the illustrious antiquary Winkelmann, intends to erect a monument to him in the cathedral of S. Giusto at Trieste, in which city he was murdered in 1768. The artist employed for this purpose is the Venetian sculptor, Boza.

Byron's Giaour and Mazeppa in German. The works of our two most celebrated English living poets,

Scott and Byron, have, many of them, been recently translated on the continent. Versions of the Giaour and Mazeppa of our noble bard appeared last year in Germany; that of the former by Arthur van Nordstern, of the latter by Theodore Hell, the same who translated Manfred. Both of them are executed with great fidelity and considerable spirit.

Agriculture; Naturalization of the Balm Poplar.-M. Chal has succeeded in his meritorious and zealous endeavours to naturalize this beautiful tree (the balm poplar of Virginia and Carolina, populus balsamifera) in the department of Charente-Inferieure. It is to be hoped, that this useful species may become generally cultivated, it being as remarkable for the extreme elegance of its foliage, as for the delightful odour which it yields when in blos

som.

Catacomb at Nogent-les-Vierges.In 1816, a grotto was discovered at this place, containing a great quantity of human bones. Since then the excavations have been extended; by means of which a gallery has been cleared of about thirty-six feet in length, by seven in breadth, and running from north to south. The bodies, which were discovered in it, appear to have been placed in layers one above another, and covered with a kind of dry sand, undoubtedly for the purpose of preserving them. None of these were discovered in an entire state, all the bones being separated from one another; there were several heads, however, in very good preservation: all these had very sunken noses, and prominent chins, and the lower teeth appeared to be in most of them quite perfect. With in each of these bodies was found a small axe formed of a very hard, white flint, and another species of instrument, also of flint, but of much coarser workmanship.

Dutch Literature. This may be said to be almost terra incognita of late years, for so little has it been explored, that hardly any of the modern authors are known in England even by name. And yet there are some who deserve to be introduced to our acquaintance: among these are Bilderdijk and Tollens, both of whom have cast a consider

able splendour on the present æra of their national poetry. The former of these, long celebrated for his earlier productions, has lately published a new collection of pieces in two volumes 8vo. under the title of Dichtschakeringen, which afford fresh proofs of his powerful and inexhaustible genius. The latter author has composed a new volume of Ballads and Legends, many of them imitations or translations from the German, English, and French languages. M. Van Hall, too, ought not to be forgotten: this learned advocate, who had acquired so much reputation by his Pliny the younger, an admirable dramatic sketch of Roman manners, in which the author shows himself to be a worthy successor of Barthelemy, Florian, and Meisner, has produced another series of Roman pictures, under the title of M. Valerius Messala Corvinus. These interesting delineations cannot fail to delight the lover of classic literature, both from the importance of the events, and the celebrity of the characters who are introduced, among whom are Horace, Tibullus, &c. The work is elegantly printed, and embellished with engravings. M. Van Assen, another distinguished advocate, has published a small volume on the history and character of Pericles.

Tasso-Paintings of Subjects from his Life.-M. Ducis, the painter (nephew of the celebrated tragic writer of the same name, and brother-in-law to the no less celebrated tragic actor, Talma) has painted four scenes from the life of Tasso, forming an interesting dramatic series. The first subject is, Tasso reading an episode from his Jerusalem to the Princess Leonora: the second exhibits him in his captivity. In the third picture, he presents himself to his sister Cornelia, on his return home to Sorrento, the place of his nativity. For the subject of the fourth and concluding picture, the artist has selected the funeral of the illustrious bard, which was celebrated at the convent of St. Onufric on the very day appointed for his triumphant entry to the Capital, thus presenting us with a striking and pathetic example of the vanity of human desires and expectations.