further proof; for, say they, if the first bearer had performed any heroic action he need not have had recourse to a pun on the family name. Scotland possesses a Herald's Office, on the same establishment nearly as that of England, the principal officer is Lyon King of Arms, with six heralds and six pursuivants. In ad dition to the usual power of visiting the arms of the nobility and gentry, marking their proper differences, and registering them in their proper books, this college really possesses a power of preventing all persons from bearing arms who are not entitled to them, by seizing all moveables on which such arms are borne, and by levying a fine of one hundred pounds, or in default of payment, by imprisonment during pleasure. This power formerly existed in the English college of arms, or at least in the court of the Earl Marshal; nor has it been abrogated, only the practice has been left off since the office of Lord High Constable has fallen into disuse, as that officer alone could execute the decrees of the Earl Marshal's court. In Scotland, however, the heralds have another power, that of arresting for debt; which is performed by the messengers of the college instead of the Sheriff's officers; and all magistrates, if called upon, are obliged to assist them in the execution of this othce under a severe penalty. In Ireland there is little peculiarity respecting their heraldic customs. We have reason to believe that arms were known there as soon as in the other parts of Europe; the destruction of the ancient records, however, in the continued disturbances in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, has left few memorials of their progress in the art. The use of supporters among the ancient Irish families (and also in Scotland) is much more frequent than with us; and in Dublin there is also a Herald's College, formed on the same plan as those in London and Edinburgh. The establishment of these three colleges has produced a greater regularity in the heraldry of the United Kingdom than in any other country; we shall, however, close this concluding lecture with a slight view of armorial customs in other parts of Europe. In Spain, the greatest part of the ancient arms have been given, or assumed, in remembrance of some valiant undertaking for defence of the Christian religion, or against its enemies, the Turks, Saracens, infidels, and heretics; and many of their coats, instead of the usual heraldic bearings, are covered with Ave Maries, I. II. S. and many other religious devices. || or hieroglyphics, with witty allusions; whilst in Denmark, and in the northern countries, there is a wild extravagance which goes even beyond the extravaganzus of scientific heraldry. In Holland, before the late changes, all the churches were crowded with escutcheons ornamented with supporters; many of them with Marques's and Viscount's coronets, and some even with ducal ones. This, however, was all whim and fancy, for in Holland there was no law of arms, but every person who possessed a portion of land which had been the property of any of the ancient noblesse, assumed the arms of the ancient proprictor, together with all the badges, crests, and cognizances that had belonged to him. In Flanders there was some regularity, because they had a College of Arms at Brussels; notwithstanding this, however, there was nothing so easy as to purchase a title, because nobility did not confer power as in England; and we are told that even valets have purchased Viscounties and Marquisates; circumstances which should render us less indulgent to those foreigners who, with the title of Baron, which literally on the Continent implies no more than the English word Gentleman, if so much, pretend to place themselves above our gentry, and on a par with our legislative nobility! In Germany, heraldry is still much attended to, notwithstanding recent events; but their shields are always covered with a multitude of quarterings; this at first sight appears likely to create confusion; however, its use in society is obvious, for as the chapters of the clergy, and indeed most of the other public foundations, as well as lay and clerical offices, were only open to those who could prove a noble descent, as it was called, though nothing more than an English gentleman's pedigree, for a certain number of generations, it became necessary for every gentleman to shew that his ancestors for four generations at least, on each side, had borne arms; and this he did by quartering all their coats in his escutcheon, in direct opposition to the general rule of quartering those only which come by heiresses, a rule strictly observed in England. In Germany also, there was an affectation of ornamenting the arms with the Imperial Eagle, an ornament which conveyed neither privilege nor distinction, as it could at all times be purchased for a sum of money. Of the heraldic customs of ancient France we have already taken some notice; her anci. ent honours, alas! now lie buried under the rubbish of modern reform and false philo In Italy, the bearings are mostly emblems sophy! FINE ARTS. EXHIBITION OF THE ROYAL ACADEMY. HAVING gone through an examination of the principal pictures in the historical department of art, which the present Exhibition furnishes, we shall now take a short survey of the more subordinate and familiar branch of painting-Landscapes and common life. It must be confessed, that landscape painting has been carried to a very high point of eminence in this nation, and there is no reason why it should stop short of absolute perfection. There is no country in which the natural scenery is more magnificent and sublime-more picturesque and beautiful. We possess Nature in her wild irregularity, and sterile grandeur; we enjoy her, likewise, high- || ly improved by cultivation, and adorned by art. If the Flemings have succeeded in giving an universal interest, and a sort of perpetuity, to their meadows and fish-ponds, surely the British artist, whose country has the advantage of possessing nature in every garb, need not be at a loss for local subjects to select and to combine, which unite the recommendation of beauty with the merit of truth. Landscape painting may be considered under three leading divisions.—The poetical, the historical, and the familiar landscape. and compounded them into abstract forms. As Zeuxis, in the composition of his Helen, had a female deputed to him from every colony in Greece, so Claude, in his landscapes, borrowed from almost every province in Italy its local and particular beauties; but he borrowed them as examples from which to compose a whole, and not a single and independent representation. It was this standard of idle beauty, which he erected in his imagination, brought to the test of a liberal truth and nature in its individual parts and forms, which raised him to the summit of landscape painting, and preserves him his place in art. The two Poussins were not so refined and pure in their pencilling and colour as Claude, but they infinitely surpassed him in an elevated and classic taste. They united, in an eminent manner, the historical and poetical landscape; Nicolas Poussin, in particular, whose great excellence it was, that he gave to landscapes a sort of historical invention, and an epic grandeur. The compositions of the Poussins have the amenity of nature in her most pleasing local aspects, united with the actions and passious of mankind in the most striking and dignified passages of life. nothing of him at present. In the poetical landscape, considered in its more simple character, Claude Lorrain stands Salvator Rosa is not to be considered as a foremost. He observed truth in his land-painter of landscapes; we shall therefore say scapes more, perhaps, thau other painters in his line of art; but it was not a particular, but a general, or rather an universal truth.-The scenery of Claude's picture (and we have not often heard the observation made before) was always ideal; that is, there was no such existing local view in nature as Claude represented in his compositions; but each individual part || was faithfully natural and just-He combined and selected from every thing beautiful and sublime, with which his country made him familiar; but he never took uature at the disadvantage of a particular position-He amplified, combined, and improved her beauties, whilst (we speak it with all reverence) he disentangled her confusion, and reduced her irregularities. The Flemish painters saw nature, as it were, through windows of glass; and they could not penetrate beyond what they saw-Their imagination was bounded by the horizon which terminated their natural sight; they had no notion of the grandeur of a general image, or the selection and combination of particulars. But, as they saw with confined views, and limited organs, they did not fail to see accurately and closely; and landscape painting, under the perpetual brooding of this narrow contemplation, became the mere art of fac similes,—of local delineation, characterised by the most scrupulous minuteness, and particulars detailed with the most wearisome fidelity. The English Wilson was no unworthy competitor of Claude; he possessed an imagination fully as classical, and was infinitely more pure and skilful in mechanical execution. He was, if we except atmosphere alone, the superior of Claude in colour; and, in many of his compositions, he excels him both in fancy and judgment.-Wilson's Niobe, and his Villa of Mecenas, are far more classical and chaste than any production of the Italian school of landscape, and occupy a higher place amongst works of imagination. Turner, in his Marine paintings, displayed a very bold and masterly genius,-he delineated nature with a comprehensive and magnifi cent pencil, and shewed himself possessed of the powers of poetical generality, and indefinite vastness, as well as of individua! minuteness, and formal correctness-His Marine piece, in the possession of the Marquis of Stafford, is a noble effort of art. No. 21. Portrait of an Arabian Horse -J. WARD, R. A. elect -Nothing can be more admirable than the present portrait; it has life, fidelity, and vigour in all its forms. Every part of the anatomy is correctly delineated; but the outline, though in the most perfect symmetry and proportion, is not stiff and hard, but waving and graceful. The irongrey colour is happily expressed, and the back ground has considerable force.-Mr. Ward, as a painter of landscape, in which the representation of inanimate nature is made subordinate to animal figures, is withouta competitor in the country. No. 58. A Sea Nymph sporting with a Marine Monster.-S. WOODFORDE, R. A―This picture, though it does not occupy a very high place in art, is distinguished by some pleasing passages, and has a poetical invention throughout, which is peculiar to the productions of this master. No. 70. Mercury and Herse-by TURNER, R. A.-This landscape has, in some parts of it, the remains of that bold and masterly style, which once distinguished the compositions of Mr. Turner.-The back ground is very grand and magnificent; it is delineated in masses, and depicted with a powerful generality. The clouds, however, are very indifferent, and the fore grounds is without art, taste, or correctness. No. 90. Iris and her Train.-H. HOWARD, R. A This is a very elegant composition. The figures are well drawn, and the forms are after the models of the purest Greek art. There is, perhaps, a little academic stiffness in some of the figures, but this is a fault which Mr. Howard is daily correcting. The colouring is extremely good, and the arrangement of the groups displays taste and study. No. 102. View in Devonshire-FARRING TN, R.A.-This landscape is natural and pleasing, and is one of the best of the present artis!'s. No. 107. The Sand Pit.-WARD, R. A. elect. -This is, in truth, a composition which might vie with any of the ancient masters, for v gour, fide ity, truth, nd nature. For curselves we declare, that we would sooner pos sess this landscape than the best productions of Paul Potter. No. 112. Itchen Ferry-CALLCOTT, R. A This is an admirable landscape. It is a repre. sentation of local nature, and, we have no doubt, is exhibited with great truth and tidelity There is great clearness in the colour, and a general softness and amenity in the whole composition. It does great credit to the talents of Mr. Callcott. No. 128. The Weary Trumpeter.-W. COLLINS, jun. This is a composition of great truth, and possesses that sort of humour which pleases, because natural and unforced. promises extremely well from so young an artist. It No. 141. A View of Southamption By CALLCOTT, R. A―This is a landscape in the same style and purity as that of Itchen Ferry, by the same artist. No 150. l'iew of Lymouth.-By FARRINGTON, R. A―This landscape is externally well composed. The pencilling and the colour are very delicate and skilful. No. 209. A Composition.-By G. ARNOLD, A.-This composition displays a very promising genius, and talents which, when matured by study, will doubtless arrive at excellence. The whole-length Portrait of Mrs. Stratton -T. LAWRENCE, R. A.-This portrait has a powerful attraction from the extreme beauty of the lady whom it represents, and the splendour and richness of its colours. It appears, however, on a nearer inspection, to be somewhat too luxurious and ambitiously ornamented. It abounds too much in those licentious tones, which are not found within the grave and sober appearances of truth and nature. The head is very highly finished; but the pencilling, we think, is rather tasty than accurate. The drawing is directed to captivate, rather than to satisfy the principles of strict art. The female figure seems to want body, and the proportions are not at all correct. The foot of the dog overpowers the foot of the lady; but nothing can be more marked aud vigorous, than the drawing of this ani mal. |