AURORA AND TITHONUS. Character, Young and Genial Beauty, contrasted with Age,-the accessories full of the mixed warmth and chillness of morning; Painter, Guido. The joyous day 'gan early to appear, Of aged Tithon 'gan herself to rear With rosy cheeks, for shame as blushing red. THE BRIDE AT THE ALTAR. Character, Flushed yet Lady-like Beauty, with ecstatic Angels regarding her; Painter, the same. Behold, while she before the altar stands, That ev'n the angels, which continually Forget their service and about her fly, Oft peeping in her face, that seems more fair 35 The more they on it stare; But her sad eyes, still fastened on the ground, Are governed with goodly modesty, That suffers not one look to glance awry, Which may let in a little thought unsound. 35 66 Oft peeping in her face," &c.- -I cannot think the words peeping and stare, the best which the poet could have used; but he is aggravating the beauties of his bride in a long epithalamium, and sacrificing everything to her superiority. The third line is felicitous. A NYMPH BATHING. Character, Ecstasy of Conscious and Luxurious Beauty; Painter, the same. -Her fair locks which formerly were bound Up in one knot, she low adown did loose, Which flowing long and thick, her cloth'd around, So that fair spectacle was from him reft, Yet that which reft it, no less fair was found: Withal she laughèd, and she blush'd withal,36 36"Withal she laughed," &c.-Perhaps this is the loveliest thing of the kind, mixing the sensual with the graceful, that ever was painted. The couplet So hid in locks and waves, &c. would be an excessive instance of the sweets of alliteration, could we bear to miss a particle of it. THE CAVE OF DESPAIR. Character, Savage and Forlorn Scenery, occupied by Squalid Misery ; Painter, Salvator Rosa. Ere long they come where that same wicked wight His dwelling has, low in a hollow cave, And all about old stocks and stubs of trees, *Teen, anxiety. Look'd deadly dull, and stared as astoun'd; His griesly locks, long growen and unbound, His garment nought but many ragged clouts, And made an open passage for the gushing flood. Still finer than this description are the morbid sophistry and the fascinations of terror that follow it in the original; but as they are less poetical or pictorial than argumentative, the extract is limited accordingly. There is a tradition that when Sir Philip Sidney read this part of the Faerie Queene, he fell into transports of admiration. A KNIGHT IN BRIGHT ARMOUR LOOKING INTO A CAVE. Character, A deep effect of Chiaroscuro, making deformity visible; Painter, Rembrandt. But full of fire and greedy hardiment, The youthful knight would not for aught be stay'd, $7 A little glooming light, much like a shade; Half like a serpent horribly display'd, But th' other half did woman's shape retain, Most loathsome, filthy foul, and full of vile disdain. 37 A little glooming light, much like a shade."- -Spenser is very fond of this effect, and has repeatedly painted it. I am not aware that any body noticed it before him. It is evidently the original of the passage in Milton : Where glowing embers through the room Observe the pause at the words looked in. |