peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. But may we not look further? may we not cast a glance beyond this present scene of things? Is there not a state where sorrow and sighing shall flee away, and where pain and death shall be known no more?-0 yes! there is a world, the blessed inhabitants of which shall no more say, "I am sick," and where God shall wipe all tears from off all faces! These were my ideas-these were my consoling reflections, when I arrived at the skirts of a neighbouring hamlet. Many were the inquiries of those I met, respecting the health of my afflict sensations and feelings of the mind; happy to forego my former theme, and to abandon every idea of the subject that at first had so strongly prepossessed and engrossed my thoughts, while my whole soul, as it were, listened in my ear, with fixed attention, eager to drink in the least syllable that henceforth might drop from her lips. But, alas! the voice was now suspended-a short silence ensued— and was broken again only by a few words, faintly and inarticulately uttered, which, I am persuaded, was another petition offered up to heaven in behalf of the afflicted; but which I could not sufficiently make out, or understand, to my satisfaction.-An aired friend; and many were the petiof fervour and piety still dwelt in her looks, and I stood in anxious expectation of something more to follow; but, no! this sentence was the last. I now wished to address her-to entreat her longer stay-to thank her for her kind inquiries-to ask pardon for my inattention-and a thousand things -but words found I none! She withdrew from me, and I was left alone, a prey to the reproaches of my own heart, which now accused me of incivility, disrespect, and ingratitude!— Picture to yourself my feelings!—I moved slowly and pensively along, the pious wish of the Stranger still sounding in my ears. I now felt no desire to hold longer converse with Nature; in vain did her unfolded charms seek to engage my further attention;-my mind was now raised to spiritual ob-hee was put in mind to subscribe and jects to divine and heavenly things. Surely the Lord will give him consolation, said I to myself,-he will comfort him! This life, we know, is a state of probation; a scene of trials and of sufferings: happy for us, if we can meet them with pious resignation, and submit with cheerful acquiescence to the divine will; committing ourselves, in humble confidence, to the care of Him who careth for us! It is the Lord that sendeth afflictions; but are they the messengers of his anger? are they sent to us in wrath? Surely not! They are tokens and pledges of his love!—they are sent to us in mercy, to wean us from the world, and draw us nearer to himself; for, whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth; and though no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous, nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the tions sent up to heaven for his reco- Near Kingsbridge, Devon, CHARACTER OF NERO CESAR. (From a Work printed in 1635.) "NERO CESAR began his raigne with a glorious shew of piety and kindnesse. Those tributes and taxes which were any thing heavy, hee either quite abolished, or abated. Whensoeuer set his hands to a warrant for the execution of any person condemned to die, he would say, 'Quam vellem nescire literas,' (oh that I knew not one letter of the booke.) Seneca, bis tutour, did much extoll that speech of his, as if it had proceeded from a pittiful heart. "Hee was framed by nature, and practised by custome, (saith Tacitus,) to cloake hatred with false flattering speeches. "Many times hee saluted all the degrees of the city, one after another, by rote, and without booke. When the senate upon a time gaue him thankes, hee answered, 'Do so-cum meruero,' (when I shall deserve.) "Yet the tyrannous rage of this emperour was so fierce against the Christians, insomuch that a man might then see cities lye full of men's bodyes, the old lying there with the young, and the dead bodyes of women cast out naked, without all reuerence of that sexe, in the open streets. "In this persecution, James the greater and the lesse, Philip, Bartholomew, Barnabus, Mark, suffered. -66 'Christians were coured in wild beasts' skinnes, and torne in pieces with dogges, or fastned on crosses, or burnt in fire, and when the day failed, they were burnt in the night, to make them serue as torches to giue_light. They put a pitched coate upon the Christians, to make them burn the better, called tunica molesta, (a troublesome coate.) "He caused Rome to be set on fire in twelve places together, that hee might the better conceiue the flames of Troy, singing unto it Homer's verses, and being a pleasant spectator thereof, as at a feu-de-joy. Ad leuandam sceleris atrocitatem, (saith Polyd. Virgil-to avoid the infamy thereof,) hee layd the fault on the innocent, and suborned some falsely to accuse the Christians as authors of that fire; whereupon he put many of them to death. "Under Nero, to doe ill was not always safe; alwayes vnsafe to doe well. He was so hateful an adversary to all righteousness, that Eusebius, following the example and words of Tertullian, affirmeth, that if the gospel had not been an excellent thing, it had not been condemned by Nero: he was (as Augustine witnesseth) commonly reputed Antichrist. He came into the world an Agrippa, or borne with his feet foreward, and turned the world vpside downe before he went out of it. In him alone, all the corruptions which had been engendred in Rome, from the birth of Rome till his owne dayes, seemed drawne together into one impostume, or boyle. "At last, after many other cruelties, the senate proclaimed him a public enemy vnto mankind, condemned him to be drawne through the city, and to be whipped to death; which sentence when he heard of, finding no man to strike him, and exclaiming against them all, 'What! haue I neither friend nor foe? (said he ;) I haue liued dishonourably, let mee dye shamefully;' and then he strake himselfe through with his owne sworde, and was a horrible spectacle to all beholders. "Hee died in the thirty-second yeere of his age, (saith Suetonius,) and fourteenth yeere of his raigne, (say Tacitus, Clem. Alexan., Eusebius, and Eutropius,) the very day of the yecre on which he had murdered his wife Octavia, and by his death brought so great joy vnto the people generally, that the commons wore caps, to testify freedome recouered, and ran sporting vp and down throughout the city. "Some say that Nero is yet aliue, altho he did thrust himselfe through with a sword; yet some thinke that his wounds were healed, and that he surviued, according to that in the Rev. xiii. 3.; and that hee shall bee Antichrist. But Bellarmine himselfe saith, it is a presumptuous folly to say that Nero shall be reuiued, and receiued as Antichrist; and Suarez cals it anilem fabulam, (a foolish fable.)" Such is the antiquated language of our author, and such the superstition of those days, that I fear many of your readers would smile in perusing it; but if it will only serve to contrast the past with the present time of refinement and literature, it has gained its end, and I shall add no more. New Zealand Atrocities.-Shungie, the renowned sanguinary warrior and chief, who, some years since, visited England, early in 1826, in a sanguinary battle near the river Thames, in New Zealand, succeeded in carrying off the field of battle 180 heads! The women and children were indiscriminately slaughtered; and the former, who were far advanced in pregnancy, had their bellies ripped up, and the children dashed to atoms-Such is the state of the heathen nations, even in our day! How much does it behove the Christian world more strenuously than ever to propagate that cause which alone can remove such abominations? While they shed each others' blood, Christians should weep blood in their behalf, in order that the blessings of Christianity might more speedily be imparted-since, even for these creatures, the crimson tide of the Almighty's Son was liberally poured forth! Northern Expedition.-Letters lately received from Captain Franklin and Dr. Richardson state, that they were on the Great Bear Lake, and all well. Nothing of importance had been achieved, but no impediments appeared to ob. struct the progress of the expedition. Advice by Sir Walter Raleigh.-Except thou desire to hasten thine end, take this for a general rule-that thou never add any artificial heat to thy body by wine or spice, until thou find that time bath decayed thy natural beat; and the sooner thou beginnest to help nature, the sooner she will forsake thee. R. B. In Birds' Heads, and Rats' Tails.-It appears, from the Mauritius Gazette, that birds and rats are the great pests of that settlement. February, 1825, a proclamation was issued for their destruction, and in June, 1826, the following havoc was announced:-Birds' heads, produced, 238,549; rats' tails, 830,473. Burning of Widows.-The number of women who have been burned to death in the presidency of Bengal, in the four last years for which returns have been made, are-for 1820, 597; 1821, 754; 1822, 583; 1823, 575. In Bombay, there appear to have been sacrificed in 1820, 66; 1821, 50; 1822, 47; 1823, 38. Ancient Well-On Saturday, Sept. 30th, as some men employed about the repairs of the New Custom House, were digging for a foundation, they found, to their great surprise, an antiquated well, nearly under the middle of Thames-street. Its upper part, which was arched over with small bricks, bearing the marks of great antiquity, was twenty-two feet below the street. The well was fifty feet deep, making in the whole seventy-two feet, from the surface of the street to its bottom. Of its history and age, no probable conjecture can be formed. Irish Marble.-Rich and extensive veins of marble have been discovered in the mountainous parts of Colonel Martin's estate in the county of Galway. Several beautiful specimens have been brought to London. Straw and Clover.-It has been stated, that if green clover be placed alternately in layers, between straw in ricks or stacks, the moisture of the former will so impregnate the latter, that horses and cattle will eat it with avidity. By this method the clover is dried, and prevented from heating. A Sequel to the Diversions of Purley; containing an Essay on English Verbs, with Remarks on Mr. Tooke's Work, and on some Terms employed to denote Soul or Spirit. By John Barclay. Shortly will be published, in one vol. 12mo. with engraved emblematical Frontispiece, Death on the Pale Horse, a Treatise illustrative of Revel. vi. 8. By the Rev. John Bruce, of Liverpool. Nearly ready, in one vol. 12mo. Discourses on the Duties and Consolations of the Old. By the Rev. Dr. Belfrage, Falkirk, author of "A Monitor to Families; or, Discourses on some of the Duties and Scenes of Domestic Life," &c. Mathematical and Astronomical Tables, for the use of Students in Mathematics, Practical Astronomers, Surveyors, Engineers, and Navigators; with an Introduction, containing the Explanation and Use of the Tables, illustrated by numerous Problems and Examples. By William Galbraith, M. A. Teacher of Mathematics in Edinburgh. 8vo. 66 The long-promised and favourably anticipated new Romance, Paul Jones, by Allan Canningham, the well-known author of "Sir Marmaduke Maxwell," Traditional Tales," &c. Next month will be published, in one handsome pocket volume, with engravings on steel by James Mitchell, from drawings by J. M. Wright, Specimens of Sacred and Serious Poetry, from Chaucer to the present day; including the Sabbath, &c. of Graham, and Blair's Grave. The whole illustrated by Biographical Notices and Critical Remarks. By John Johnstone. Preparing for Publication. Immediately on the meeting of Parliament will be published, a Weekly Publication, entitled The Parliamentary Reporter, or Debates in Parliament. Mr. Tennant has nearly ready for press, a work which bids fair to be even more popular than his admirable poem of " Anster Fair." It is entitled " Papistry Storm'd; or, the Dingia Down o' the Cathedral." LONDON PRINTED AT THE CAXTON PRESS, BY H. FISHER, SON, AND CO. THE Emperial Magazine; OR, COMPENDIUM OF RELIGIOUS, MORAL, & PHILOSOPHICAL KNOWLEDGE. DEC. "THE TORCH OF LITERATURE ILLUMINATES THE PATHS OF WISDOM." MEMOIR OF JAMES NORTHCOTE ESQ. R. A. (With a Portrait.) A HISTORY of the British school of painting, from the accession of George the Third, to the foundation of the national gallery by his present majesty, would be a work of great utility, and furnish a complete triumph over those foreign connoisseurs, who, in the petulance of vanity, have asserted that the climate of England, and the disposition of its inhabitants, are insuperable impediments to the culture of the fine arts. In refutation of this illiberal and absurd paradox, we need only mention the names of Reynolds, Hogarth, Gainsborough, and West, to neither of whom can modern France or Italy exhibit a competitor. In addition to these masters, we can also proudly boast of living excellence in every department of the art; not even excepting history, which, though the most difficult and sublime, is at the same time the least lucrative branch of the profession, owing to the limited bounds of patronage, and the exelusion of pictures from our public edifices. Yet, notwithstanding the formidable obstacles thus presented as a barrier against the impulse of genius, the British school has produced, and continues to produce, compositions of the highest merit, in vigour of conception, harmony of colouring, elegance of forms, and felicity of grouping. At the head of this honourable phalanx stands the Nestor of art, who has been thus happily characterized, in conjunction with his illustrious preceptor, by a writer little inclined to play the panegyrist: 66 By Art controll'd, the fire of REYNOLDS breaks; And Nature's pathos in her NORTHCOTE speaks." But, from general observation, we must now descend to particular narrative. 98.-VOL. VIII. 1826. JAMES NORTHCOTE, the oldest member of the Royal Academy, was born at Plymouth, October the 22d, 1746. His father was a respectable clock and watch maker in that town, to which business the son also was brought up; and he followed it, not only till he was out of his time, but two or three years afterwards, in obedience to the will of his parents. When very young, he manifested a strong predilection for drawing, in the practice of which he was suffered to indulge himself at his leisure hours; so that, though wholly destitute of instruction in the art, he acquired an uncommon readiness in the use of the pencil, both in copying pictures, and taking sketches from nature. Among the intimate friends of the elder Mr. Northcote, one of the principal was the Rev. Zachary Mudge, the vicar of St. Andrew's in Plymouth, a man of great learning, and an ardent admirer of genius. This excellent divine, and his son, Mr. John Mudge, then a surgeon, and afterwards a physician, at Plymouth, were occasionally visited by Sir Joshua Reynolds, to whom they spoke of the young watchmaker in such warm terms of eulogy, as excited his curiosity. James Northcote had long wished to become known to the first painter of the age, and, whenever he saw him, wished exceedingly to touch the hem of his garment. What, then, must have been his feelings on being summoned to attend the great man, who was regarded by him with so much veneration? Flattering however as the call was, it produced mixed sensations of joy and trembling; for though the idea of being admitted to an interview with the president of the Royal Academy could not fail to exhilarate the young aspirant, the thought of being obliged to submit his crude performances to the scrutinizing eye of such a judge, made him dread the result. His kind friend and patron, Mr. 3 Y Mudge, cheered him up by assurances that he had every thing to hope, for that Sir Joshua was no rigid critic; and that even if he was, the drawings now to be laid before him would stand the severest examination. The event proved as favourable as the partiality of friendship could have wished or anticipated. Sir Joshua expressed his satisfaction in the most encouraging terms, and spontaneously offered to take the young artist under his own personal instruction. Such an opportunity was not to be neglected; and accordingly, after making proper arrangements, Mr. Northcote, who had never before been more than twenty miles from Plymouth, set out for the metropolis, where he took up his residence in the house of his preceptor, in Leicester Square. Here he worked assiduously, and at the same time became a student of the royal academy. placed high on shelves. One day, while at work in finishing the drapery of a picture, our artist was startled by a crack over his head, and he had barely time to run to the door, when a mass of these figures tumbled down, and demolished several paintings, as well as that upon which he had just been employed. The shock produced, quickly brought up Sir Joshua, who, at his entrance, viewed the wreck with a smile, when he found that no personal injury had been sustained. Many extraordinary stories are related, by ancient and modern writers, of the illusive effects of painting. Every body has read the tale of the boy and grapes, of Zeuxis; but Pliny also mentions the picture of a house, the roof of which was so happily represented, that the rooks, though remarkably sagacious, attempted to light upon it. We are also told, that a dog was deceived to such a degree by a piece of perspective, that, ex. pecting to find a free passage, he made towards the supposed steps in full speed, and dashed out his brains. Incredible as these things appear, they are confirmed by facts of a more recent date. struck with a beautiful whole-length picture of lady Kneller, and on observing that it was much scratched at the bottom, expressed his surprise, and asked the reason. Sir Godfrey said it was done by a favourite little dog, which, being used to sit in the lap of its mistress, always, on coming into that room, if she was not there, would scrape the picture, to be taken up. This led the bishop to mention the story of Zeuxis, and his picture of the boy and grapes at which the birds flew and pecked; upon which Sir Godfrey observed, shrewdly enough, "Ay, but if the boy had been as well painted as the grapes, the birds would have been afraid to come near them." With Sir Joshua he became a special favourite, and at his table he had opportunities of meeting some of the greatest luminaries of the age; particularly Johnson, Burke, Garrick, and Goldsmith. In regard to the lastmentioned eccentric character, Mr. Northcote had formed such high ex- Bishop Pearce, going once to visit pectations, from having read some of Sir Godfrey Kneller at Whitton, the his works, that he could not help say-country-seat of the painter, was much ing how glad he should be to see so notable a man. His meaning was obvious enough; but the word substituted for noted was so odd, as applied to Goldsmith, whose habits were irregular in the extreme, that Sir Joshua laughed heartily at the verbal lapse, and related it with glee to the doctor at their next meeting. Goldsmith, who was constitutionally very goodnatured, justly considered the blunder as a compliment, and ever after treated Mr. Northcote with respectful familiarity. Under such a roof as that to which our young artist was now transplanted, from a state of obscure seclusion, it would have been his own fault if his mind had not received an expansion by the reciprocations of We have been induced to give these wit, learning, and genius, that irra- anecdotes, as bearing an affinity to an diated the "noctes coenaque deum" incident in the noviciate of Mr. Northto which he was admitted. cote. Sir Joshua Reynolds had a faWhile in this happy situation, a cir-vourite macaw, which used to walk cumstance happened, that had very nearly proved fatal to the prospects of Mr. Northcote. In the painting room was a large collection of casts and models, many of which were at liberty about the premises. The housemaid and the bird were upon the very worst terms possible, and when ever they happened to be in the same room, the macaw would set up a |