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COLUMNS OF ST. PETER'S CHURCH. Each of the four columns that support the dome of St. Peter's Church, at Rome, takes up as much room at the base as a little chapel and convent; but yet they did not appear large, being proportionate to the rest of the building. They were designed by Michael Angelo, and he insisted earnestly that nothing should be added or altered in his design. Bernini afterwards undertook to make a staircase within each column, there being originally a well; but just as he had prepared the inside of one of them, the whole building gave a crash, which the Italian tradition says, was as loud as thunder. He put up the stairs in that column, but would not attempt it in any more of them.

ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL.

The side Oratories at St. Paul's were added to Sir Christopher Wren's original design, by order of the Duke of York, who was anxious to have them ready for the Popish service, when there should be occasion. It narrowed the building, and broke in very much upon the beauty of the design. Sir Christopher insisted so strongly on the injury it would do the whole, that he actually shed some tears in speaking of it; but it was all in vain. The duke absolutely insisted upon their being inserted, and the architect was obliged to comply.

SKETCHING ADVENTURES.

The late Mr. Brown, so justly famed for his knowledge of design, having often remarked in his neighbourhood a ruinous cottage, where the lines came in as one could wish, and admitted a fine breadth of light and shadow, he resolved to make a drawing of it. While he was at work, an old woman came out to him, dropping many a courtesy. "I am very glad your honour has come to look at it yourself. I have told the steward over and over again, that the house would fall down about my ears, but he did not mind me. I hope your honour will order it to be done up soon."

Mr. Brown came better off than a brother artist, who being on a sketching excursion, fell in with a mill which presented an admirable piece of picturesque. He was proceeding with a drawing of it very much to his satisfaction, when the miller with a stout stick in his hand, made his approach.

"What are you doing, Mr. Gentleman ?"

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'Making a drawing of your mill."

'Making a drawing! To be sure, my old mill is a pretty thing to take. No! no! Your business here is to peep at my windows, and see whether I ben't undercharged in the number. Come, sir, off directly and if ever I catch you here again," &c.

The time of the threatened invasion of England by the French, was a sad time for the hunters of picturesque, more especially along the coasts. To be caught taking a sketch of even an old pigstye, was

enough in some instances to get seized and carried before a magistrate as a French spy, engaged in stealing plans of all the strong points of the country; and as magistrates are not in all parts much more sensible than the ignorant rustic they keep in order, it happened more than once, that professional ardour was sent to cool itself within the walls of a gaol.

STATUE OF POMPEY.

The large statue of Pompey, in the Palazzo Spada at Rome, is believed to be the very same, at the feet of which Cæsar fell; for it was found on the very spot where the Senate was held, on the fatal ides of March. It was discovered in clearing away the ground to make some cellars for a house. The greatest part of the statue lay under that house, but the head of it reached under the ground belonging to the adjoining house. This occasioned à dispute between the two proprietors, which was at last decided by Cardinal Spada. He ordered the head to be broken off and given to the latter, and the body to the former. This decision was made very prudentially; for the Cardinal was very anxious to get the statue into his own possession, and by this means he got it much cheaper than he could otherwise have done, the whole only costing him five hundred

crowns.

J. BASSAN.

In the notes of Annibal Carracci on Vasari's Lives of the Painters, he pays the following flattering tribute

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to the skill of his contemporary, Jacques Bassan. Jacques Bassan was an excellent painter, and worthy of a much handsomer eulogy than Vasari has bestowed. In his paintings, he rivalled those miracles which are related of the ancient Greeks, deceiving not only beasts, but men; as I can myself attest, having one day been so deceived in his room, that I stretched forth my hand to take what I believed to be a book, but which was only a painting of one."

THE FLORENTINE BRUTUS.

At Florence there is an unfinished statue, by Michael Angelo, which it is erroneously supposed was intended for Marcus Brutus. It is a portrait of one of the Medici who assassinated his uncle, and was called the Florentine Brutus; but proving afterwards the oppressor, and not the liberator, of his country, M. Angelo laid aside the unfinished statue in disgust, and could never be prevailed on to complete it.

CAMEO MANUFACTURE.

At the celebrated baths of San Phillipo, there is a petrifying spring which is applied to the formation of cameos and various ornaments. The spring issues from Monte Amiato, about four miles from Radicofani, on the route between that town and Siena, and is situated about half a mile from the road. The water is in such quantity, as to form a large torrent; and so hot, that it cannot be borne by the human body at its source. The water is perfectly transparent, but holds

in solution a considerable quantity of sulphur, and an immense portion of carbonate of lime.

The manufactory of cameos, &c. from this petrifying water, was established by the late Peter Leopold, who so magnificently patronized all the sciences and arts. It is at present under the direction of Signor Pagliari, an artist of great ingenuity. The process is very simple. An impression of the medal is first taken in sulphur, or what is still better, on glass, and the impressed figure or mould is then placed in the course of the stream, so as to receive a continual and equable dash of water, which deposits its earthly matter on the impressed surface, and thus takes, with the greatest fineness and precision, the figure of the body on which it consolidates. The cast thus obtained, may be made of any thickness. The time employed in its formation, is ten or twelve days.

By an ingenious variation of the process, Signor Pagliari is able to form a cast of different coloured marbles, so as to represent a white figure in relief of a blue or yellow ground, and vice versa. This is done by first forming the cast white as usual, then separating from it all the parts not projecting in relief, and exposing it as before to a second process of decomposition from water previously coloured. The coloured carbonate attaches itself to the white figure, and this forms a ground on the stratum of coloured matter, on which the white matter rests; but in such a manner, as to form one solid and continuous substance. Pagliari charges in proportion to the dimensions of the cast; for a cast of one inch in diameter, one paul, or five pence English; and for one of eighteen inches, thirty pauls.

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