is seldom passed over without censure. Then what shall we say of the painter who presumed to represent the miracle of Moses striking the rock in the desart, and the plenteous gushing out of the water, to the great astonishment and relief of the half famished Jews, who, according to this man's representation, appeared to be placed in a fertile country, abounding with little hills and vales, with trees and plenty of herbage, where neither water nor fruits could be conceived to be wanting?

The disposition of the figures in an historical work is still more essential, as the principal group ought to attract the eye so forcibly, as to engage the whole of your attention till you have fully contemplated the composition, and the characters that compose it. On observing the works of the greatest masters, nothing seems more easy, and yet in the execution there is nothing so difficult. It is easy to say, the first characters of the history or fable ought to possess the place of the principal group; but the difficulty lies in distinguishing and preserving a proper pre-eminence and subordination among these and the rest of the figures that compose the picture; and the difficulty will necessarily encrease in proportion to the number or multitude of the figures. For instance, suppose I was to endeavour to represent the miraculous fall of Manna from heaven, for the immediate relief and support of the desponding and almost expiring Jews in the desart; what a vast field would open here for invention,

design, expression, and colouring? and how difficult it would be to preserve order and prevent confusion in so complicated a subject? The first thing required would be to describe the natural appearance of the place, and the whole face of the country; abounding with mutilated hills and rocks, and mountains at greater distances; an uncultivated soil,, and, from its great exposure, the sterility of the ground, and the total deprivation of water, producing very little herbage, and at best, scatterings only of native but abortive trees and plants, and miserable shrubs, without any traces of inhabitants, either man or beast, or even of fowls of he air.

And in the next place, to form a proper foreground, with a perspective view of the whole landscape in its native simplicity; and then form a group of the principal figures, consisting of Moses their Prophet, Aaron the High Priest, the chief of the Elders, leaders and captains, and ministers attending: also a proper distribution of other figures, expressing by their activity, and other signs, the eagerness and joy with which they gather the miraculous food. Some also employed in administering tender relief and comfort to the aged, the weak and the infirm, who appear to be unable to assist themselves; whilst others, by various signs, are devoutly returning thanks to God for their miraculous deliverance from despair and death. Forming also a camp composed of

tents, and miserable huts, from whence they may be supposed to have issued.

Likewise other subordinate groups, and detached figures at proper heighths, openings, and distances, suitable to the occasion, diminishing the figures and the action in proportion to the dis

tances.

At the same time distributing the lights and shades in such a manner as to shew the whole composition at once: but chiefly the principal and the most active figures clothed and distinguished suitable to the dignity, the office, the rank, and the several qualities of the chiefs, according to the custom and the manners of the Jewish nation. Also observing a proper union and subordination in the habits and appearances of the rest. And in the first place expressing by the form, the gesture, and countenance of Moses, a sedate majesty and benignity, peculiarly becoming his character; a noble simplicity and devotion in that of Aaron; great gravity and intelligence in the countenance of the Elders; an air of subordinate command in the leaders and captains; and a real or feigned respect and obsequious obedience in the ministers.

And in the next place to express great penetration and judgment, and an unshaken fidelity and respect, in the countenances of many of the people; great sensibility and chastity of sentiment in others; an ungrateful, untoward, and perverse disposition in some; but an implicit submission, and a perfect resignation in general, and inattention

and inaction in all the rest, preserving a perfect correspondency and harmony of design and colouring throughout the whole.

All which order and decorum are faithfully observed by Raffaelle in his admirable picture of this subject.

But truth, which ought to prevail over all other considerations, obliges me to acknowledge, what I sincerely lament, that even Raffaelle, in a picture of his representing a scene in Rome, of the excommunication pronounced by Pope Alexander III. against the Emperor Frederic Barbarossa (and placed in the upper hall in the Pope's Palace, near a battle, painted by Titian), has, as I think, offended against the chastity of the costume, by introducing therein a number of Venetian Senators (who have no relationship to the subject) as assisting, or as mere spectators only, on this solemn

occasion.

TITIAN, on the contrary, has in his picture, where the same Frederic humiliates himself before the Pope, judiciously introduced Bembo, Navagero, and Sannazaro, as spectators, although the fact happened long before: yet there is no improbability in their being there at the time, and especially as two of them were Venetians, and the third so great an admirer of Venice, that in one of his epigrams he preferred it even to Rome itself, there was no impropriety in introducing them. Besides, it was very desirable, and no more than might be reasonably expected, that one of the first painters

should leave in some of his public works an idea of the faces and persons of three of the most illustrious poets of the age. There are in this extract some excellent notions on propriety and composition which may perhaps be useful to the young student. Those relating to the character of the country, &c. look very like the ideas of Raffaelle.

ART. IV.

On the Cartoons of RAPHAEL. By
B. R. HAYDON, Esq.

As we wish to have all that Mr. Haydon has written upon the Cartoons embodied in our work, we add the following short account of St. Paul preaching at Athens, and the Miraculous Draught of Fishes, and will give the others in succession, to complete the collection. ED.

THE Cartoons were executed by the desire of Leo X. in order to have tapestry weaved from them in the Netherlands; the tapestry now exists, and is exhibited during gorgeous festivals of the Romish church. The Cartoons were left in Flanders, and as RAPHAELL died very soon after their execution, from some unaccountable inadvertence, they were suffered to remain there. There were originally thirteen of them, seven of which now remain whole and perfect; a part of another, the Murder of the Innocents, is possessed by a gentleman of taste; and a fragment of a ninth is in existence some where in this country. When Rubens was in England, he told Charles the First