had been his bitter and unforgiven enemy. Exulting in his punishment, and unmoved by the torment of the wretch, he kicks him in the face, and adds a cruel jeer to the blow. Leigh Hunt, looking at it from his point of view, has attacked this act of Dante's with great severity, and said a great many hard things about the poet for writing such a story, or even having the heart to conceive it. Without excusing the act, we can sympathize with it, and understand how Dante could perform it. It was cruel, but it was natural. Virgil, anticipating Mr. Hunt's objections, somewhat rebukes Dante for the deed-if we remember rightly, the Italian remains unrepentHow admirably Flaxman has drawn the frozen victims! With what subtlety he has seized the distinctive effects of cold upon the face-sharpening the features and shrinking the lips into a crystallized and cheerless grin! The second great episode of the Inferno follows in two designs Count Ugolino Seized," and the "Death of Ugolino." "The Death of Ugolino" is in many points nobly conceived. The action of the blind father feeling for the heart of his dead son to see if it still beats, is full of pathetic truth, and is added by the artist to the poet's story. But, as a whole, the illustrations are infinitely below the subject, which indeed, as treated by Dante and Chaucer, is a tale that makes the heart sick. A childish drawing styled "Lucifer," and an indifferent one entitled "The Reascent," close the Inferno. The first two designs of the Purgatorio are of no great consequence. The third, "The Bark of Purgatory," is very beautiful. The boat with the angelic guide and its load of redeemed souls passes along the water with gentle motion. Dante and Virgil kneel reverently on the bank at the loud-spoken command of the angel : "He cried aloud: Quick, quick, and bow the knee! Henceforward shalt thou see such officers !'"** The next design brings the boat to land, the angel pronounces the benediction, the spirits are in haste to reach the shore. The two drawings are every way worthy of Flaxman's pencil. The occupants of the boat in the first plate are beautifully grouped, and in both the idea of a certain gliding, inaudible movement of the boat, is well carried out. * The whole passage, from which the above extract is taken, with two other fragments from the Purgatorio, has been admirably translated by Longfellow, and is to be found in his collected poems. Then comes our favorite in the Purgatorio-" Casella's Song of Heavenly Love "—a truly poetical creation, and one over which the "world-worn Dante " might have somewhat more than "grimly smiled." Casella, Dante's friend, stands in the midst of a group of souls in Purgatory. The Italian poet has left Virgil, and drawn near to listen to the song. Casella's face, beautiful as a god's, is lighted up with a divine enthusiasm. His attitude is noble, his hands move in gesture. The souls, listening intently, stand about him in various attitudes, expressive, for the most part, of tranquil enjoyment. One on the right, near Dante, seems racked by some memory of sorrow; a half smile curves the poet's lips, a tear rolls down his cheek. The whole composition is a masterpiece, and stands in winning contrast to the repellant character of the greater part of the book. Would there were many more such as this sculptured poem, a worthy translation of the Italian to the eye. Following "Casella" comes that crowd of astonished souls retreating in confusion before the visitants from another world. This is called "The Vestibule of Purgatory." This band of fleet, active souls is succeeded by "The Negligent," a fine, truthful study. These spirits recline against the rock, half sleeping, half waking, inert, dreaming, and without purpose to move. What could be finer in its way than the position of these figures-so natural, so perfectly easy, so indicative of indolent dispositions? We commend this design to the faithful study of the reader. Not a little knowledge and not a little genius went to its composition. We pass without notice six drawings in sequence. The seventh, "The Gate of Purgatory," shows the angel ushering Dante and Virgil through the gate-way. His attitude is noble and commanding all three figures have their backs turned to us-so skilfully are they drawn, however, that we seem to catch the full expression of their faces. That of Dante's is curiosity, that of Virgil's is reverence, that of the angel's is the calmness of perfect knowledge. So sure is Flaxman's line, so able to express, when he willed it, all he saw and all that existed, that its power seems almost unlimited. We have already spoken of the "Punishment of the Proud." Flaxman has evidently rejoiced in this anatomical study, and made the poor wretches look miserable enough. In the next plate, Lucifer, in the semblance of Mr. Daniel Lambert, slides down a flash of lightning with a celerity proportioned to his weight. We wish him, mentally, a safe arrival at the bottom. "The Region of Selfishness" represents a crowd of spirits in despair, floating to some distant goal. Each one is selfabsorbed, and meditates his own grief. Two, separated from the main body, stretch forward in advance. The whole group is airily poised, and the composition fine. We have spoken at large elsewhere of Flaxman's excellence in depicting flying and floating figures. This design is another proof of his power in this regard, added to those already brought forward. "The Carnal" is a graceful design-the unhappy souls, cruelly tormented, pass in procession through a sea of fire. Their hands are clasped in prayer, their eyes appeal to heaven. Dante, standing on the bank, gazes at them, as at all the suffering host, with calm indifference. "The Fiery Doom" is admirably treated. These souls of beings, who in life loved each other, are whirled in circles, one in one direction, the other in another, and as they pass, the inevitable doom tears them asunder after a momentary embrace. The swiftness of motion is given with truth, and the greedy lap of the streaming flames. Then come "The Poets Reposing," and after that "Matilda," a lovely woman, tall and graceful, who walks singing to herself and culling flower by flower. Next to "Casella," this design is the most beautiful in the whole Dante. "The Descent of Beatrice" and "The Mysterious Car" have much in them that is beautiful. The ease of Beatrice's attitude is noticeable, and also the exquisite grace of form and motion in the figures that dance about the car. Indeed, this whole composition is in Flaxman's highest vein. "The River Eunoe " has more graceful women, a lovely bevy, with the stern poet in its midst; and thus with beauty the Purgatorio closes. Cunningham says, "Between the Inferno and the Purgatorio Flaxman has inserted one of his own splendid allegoric visions-over the earth, consuming and rolling together like a scroll, appear Faith, Hope, and Charity, supported by guardian angels." In the copy of the "Dante " before us, this design is inserted at the close of the Purgatorio, but this is a matter of small moment. It is drawn with great care, and is very beautiful. Dante now takes a new guide, in the person of Beatrice; in the "Paradiso" the "Compositions" lose their interest, and, we may almost say, their merit. Flaxman was at this time deeply imbued with the religious views of Swedenborg, a mental state of half belief, which we are not inclined to join with Cunningham in ridiculing. Doubtless this belief brought him into sympathetic relations with Dante-in the Paradiso we see constant indications of a state of mind rapt, cloudy, and aspiring. This indefiniteness has proved injurious to the designs; they are many of them vague, unsatisfactory, poorly conceived, and poorly drawn. In some the subjects are chosen without judgment and without taste. They are thirty-three in number, and scarcely twelve worthy of Flaxman's genius in all. "The Lunar Sphere," "Souls returning to their Spheres," and "The Active Good," contain much that is fine. In "Beatrice and Dante," the Lady of Heaven' is lovely beyond description; all the other Beatrices in the series are poor beside it. "The Birth of Cacciaguida is full of tender pathos and refined beauty; "The Infant Saviour" is very admirable—there is something grand in the contrast between the shadowy Lion of the Zodiac and the earnest, childlike face of the Saviour. "Dante Conversing with Cacciaguida" contains three fine figures-Beatrice is lovely here also, and the attitude of the sitting figure is very graceful. "The Terrors of Guilt" contains one powerful piece of anatomical drawing. "The Conference with St. John " reminds us of Raphael, and is not unworthy of him-he could have made Beatrice no lovelier. We have noticed in our early pages some of the compositions from the Paradiso, and have omitted many in our notice in this place. We have stated our reasons fully for what may seem carelessness, and we must bear the blame of any imputed want of appreciation. It is sufficient that we have stated what, after many years of intimate acquaintance with these works, and patient, loving study of them, is our well-assured opinion. We have endeavored to do them justice, and to speak clearly what we think without fear, knowing well that an honest opinion is always worth something, and will have its weight somewhere. We desire to say more upon the subject of Flaxman's services to the cause of Art, of the influence he exerted in his time, and of the good he is still doing. We had intended to urge at length the desirableness of having his noble Outline Drawings given to the American public-feeling sure that such an enterprise, if rightly carried out, cannot fail, and that it must be productive of great good to our people, thirsting for information with regard to works of art-but for all these things there is no space, and we fear the reader is already wearied. Farewell, then, for the present, to JOHN FLAXMAN. "When comes there such another?" MISCELLANIES IN SCIENCE. THE quarter has not been unfruitful in valuable scientific discoveries. As usual at the spring of the year, the various learned societies have had meetings, at which many interesting facts were developed. Our review is necessarily contracted into the briefest possible limits. The record of ARCHEOLOGICAL discovery is unusually complete. The first of the monthly meetings of the Archæological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland was held carly in January, and among the subjects brought forward was a memoir of the Rev. W. Gunner, giving the results of late researches among the archives of the See of Winchester. The statements derived from this source are reported as bearing important relations to the ecclesiastical history of the country prior to the sixteenth century. We notice that the annual meeting of the Institute is announced to be held at Chichester this year. Among the proceedings of the British Archæological Association are noted the receipt of earthen vases, found in Cannon-street, and partaking of the Etruscan character, and a very early example of the Horn-Book of the seventeenth century. An interesting discovery of the vestiges of an ancient Gothic chapel has been made in Leadenhall-street, London. The investigation is said to have demonstrated the identity of the ruin with the chapel of St. Michael, built in the reign of Henry I., and now upward of seven hundred years old. The chapel consists of pillars and arches; its length from north to south is forty-eight feet, and its breadth sixteen feet. It was filled with dirt and rubbish, but had been partly unburied for the purposes of a storehouse. Excavations at Leominster have induced the discovery of the foundations of the ancient Priory Church in that place. The premises of the Union Workhouse now cover the site of the ancient monastery, founded in the year 658. Crowds have visited the spot.-Mr. Haywood, the surveyor of pavements in London, presented to the Archæological Association a collection of Roman and Medieval Pottery, consisting of amphora, lamps, and other vessels, found at Carter Lane and Little-Bridge-street, Blackfriars.-A letter from Naples announces the important discovery of a temple at Canna, one hundred feet in length, with porticos, besides the ruins of private houses and twenty tombs. The original discovery was laid to the account of a laborer, who dug a vine |