carter; see how the old man grasps his protector's arm-he does not merely lay his hands upon it. What a tale the picture tells! We need scarcely read the story; and then, (barring the horse--Mr. Horsley is not at home in the stable) how well the whole is drawn! what excellently arranged masses of light and shade! and how well-and this is the pith of our praise-how well all is ma

The

naged for effect as a wood engraving! In the heading to the third chapter, how natural is the figure of the crying child, how simple and expressive of grief! Look at the compassionate face of the mother, and at the fine figure of the keeper. And who can dwell on the picture of the Ministration of the Sacrament, without admiring the religious feeling which must have inspired such a rendering of the subject! There is an air of devotion surrounding the whole group. longer we examine the more we must admire and praise it. The Death-bed is. truthfully and poetically told; we thank the artist for sparing us what many would have detailed with an excess of horror. Mr. Horsley's other three drawings are nearly equal to these; but we fancy he has not had quite so much justice done to him. In the first, by Mr. W. T. Green, who excels as an engraver of landscapes, we feel convinced that the artist has not been well treated.

Mr. Cope is more severe in his style, and more academic than Mr. Horsleyat the same time he is grander and more ambitious. The picture in "The King's Messengers," Euprepes distributing alms, is a composition worthy to be immortalised on canvas; so is the miser Philargyr. We can fancy that this subject, painted by Mr. Cope, would make an exquisite cabinet picture-the details are so appropriate and intelligible, the idea of the miser's hoard so well conveyed, that, as a picture telling its whole story, it would not be surpassed. We cannot commend this artist's method of rendering smoke, or steam, or clouds; they are all alike with him, and all mechanically done; but we must admire the dignity of many of his figures-the grace of the women, and the tender looks of the children; and we cannot but think that if he would draw a series of Bible Illustrations in his best style, he would go far to wipe away the reproach we

have often heard, that in England we have no painters who can paint Sacred Subjects.

The name of Mr. Palmer we do not often meet with among book-illustrators. He seems to want practice in the peculiar wants of the wood-engraver, and attempts to produce effects that are easy enough to the painter, but are most difficult to be rendered in lines of black and white; and although he has in some measure succeeded in producing very original pictures-as wood-cutsyet all his works are not pleasing. The best is certainly the bathing scene in the first chapter of "The Distant Hills," (we do not speak of the figures.

Was ever the idea of a stream running along its pebbly channel better conveyed, than in this exquisite little drawing? The glow of the early sunrise is shed over nearly the whole landscape; the "Distant Hills" are radiant with its brightness, and a feeling of gladness is imperceptibly conveyed to the mind. In the "Storm" we are forcibly reminded of some of the pictures of the old masters; we cannot praise either the lightning or the figures, but the

rest of the scene is full of much poetical feeling. The illustration in which Rhoda is crushed beneath the fallen stone is effectively drawn, and is one of Mr. Palmer's best contributions. The "Autumnal Sunset" is too ambitious for wood-engraving; but it is wonderfully engraved, and has many beauties, which deserve an attentive examination. The concluding piece, "Minna Asleep," is very charming. This is the only figure of Mr. Palmer's that we like; it

is gracefully and tenderly drawn, and the reader will linger over it as a beautiful conclusion to the beautiful Allegory. The engraving of these very difficult drawings is extremely creditable. Mr. Harral has succeeded admirably in rendering the face and hands of "Minna ;" and Mr. Green deserves great praise for the landscapes-especially the bathing scene.

Two out of Mr. Birket Foster's four large compositions are the most finished performances of his pencil that have ever come before us. The opening scene,the expanse of garden with the winding river,-displays his marvellous powers of rendering the effects of distance and sunny skies. The bold and luxuriant foreground, the middle distance and the horizon, are all conveyed at a moment's glance; the variety of detail is infinite, and the whole effect most pleasing. Our other favourite is " Wayward in the Wood "-we do not hesitate to claim for this piece of wood-engraving the very highest rank. Mr. William Measom has long been recognised as one of the best men of the day, and we know of no landscape of superior merit to this. Mr. Foster's drawing is very beautiful, and the engraving is perfectly brilliant. To judge of its merits effectively, it ought to be laid by the side of another good landscape of equal pretensions. It is after looking at such workmanship as this, that we have arrived at the conclusion that the art of Wood-engraving has arrived at its perfection. The other two drawings of Mr. Foster's are very good, but call for no special remarks.

Mr. Hicks, who gives us four smaller illustrations, we venture to prognosticate, will improve. There is a sweet pathos in his figure of "Innocence," with her cross lifted on high, and the drawing is simple and good. The action of the " Boy stung by the Wasp" is rather extravagant. The scene with the group of terrified children, is almost theatrical, and some of the limbs are not well drawn; and the last picture, "Charity leading Wayward," is too much a repeat of the first. When we next meet with Mr. Hicks as a bookillustrator, we anticipate that he will be more successful. Evidently he has not >tudied the art of drawing for the wood-engraver, still there is much promise in him, and we wish him better success. Mr. Macquoid's ornamental head and tail-pieces are not all good alike; but they pleasantly decorate a very beautiful volume.

To Sabbath Bells Mr. Birket Foster contributes no less than sixteen illustrations, which are all printed in colours after his own tinted drawings. For this part of the work and for the engraving, we are informed by the advertisement that Mr. Edmund Evans is responsible; the work does him much credit. William Savage, in his book "On Decorative Printing," mentions coloured pictures and initials produced by means of several wood-blocks four hundred years ago; and gives us very good specimens of his own work in 1819. In a book published a few years since, entitled "Christmas with the Poets," which was likewise illustrated by Mr. Foster, there were three sets of blocks used; one a cold tint, one a warm tint, and then the general, or, as

it is technically termed, the feature block; this work, we are told, was highly successful. In the volume now before us, we trace the impression of no less than seven blocks in some of the pictures; in others only four and five are used. In such minute work as there is in these engravings, the greatest amount of care must necessarily be bestowed; and we must do the printer the justice to say that he has equalled any attempt of the kind that

has hitherto been produced. In the opening scene, "How still the morning of the Hallowed Day!" there is really little to be desired; perhaps there is too great a prevalence of red, and too little green; but the whole effect is as pleasing as if we had before us the very work of the artist; it is indeed quite a picture. The "Sunday Evening," with the sunset, and the cattle wandering

*In the volume this picture is painted in colours.