Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 71, No. 436, February 1852Various
History
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 71, No. 436, February 1852
Various
England -- Periodicals; Scotland -- Periodicals
Artists and authors travelling in Spain may, for some time to come,
give their brushes and pens a holiday, so far as bull-fights go.
There remains little that is new to be written or painted concerning
them. Every phase and incident of the contest has been correctly
seized and vividly portrayed by Mr Price, who has fairly exhausted
his subject. As regards description, that given by Mr Ford is
exactly what is needed to accompany an artistical work. It tells us
all that is wanted, and, in conjunction with the pictures, gives to
fire-side travellers as good an idea of what a bull-fight really
is, as can possibly be obtained without actually witnessing one. It
has not suited our purpose, in the present brief paper, to extend
our examination of "_Spain as it is_" beyond the fourth chapter of
the second volume; but it is only fair to say, lest it should be
supposed the merit of the book is also confined to that chapter,
that Mr Hoskins' volumes contain a mass of useful information and
clever criticism on the public and private picture-galleries of
Spain.
CUPID IN THE CABINET.
AN ATTIC LEGEND.
[The incidents upon which the following little poem is founded, are
amusingly related by John Lydgate, monk of Bury, who flourished
about the year 1430. Warton has done full justice to his poetical
genius; but his prose works, though comparatively less known,
deserve equal attention.
"I will tell you now of a plesaunt story recorded by Plotinus. One
daye a certaine man of the cytie of Athens going forthe into an olde
foreste, wherein was many dyuers of byrdes synging, did hear, nye
unto a brokken Tempill, that tyme afore was dedicat unto a hethen
Godde, a voice as of a yonge chylde that was carolying swetely. How
be it, the man knew not the tonge wherein the lyttel chylde did
synge. Astonied at thys maruyl, for the place was not nighe unto
the cytie, so that chylderne colde furthlie passe thereunto, he
looked ovir the walle, and soughte al aboute what this myght mene.
Than sawe he sytting amonge the herbes, a fayre yonge boie, with
winges besprent with fetheris, behynde his sholderis, and noghte
lyving thynge besyde. Than sayde he: 'What doest thow here, chylde?'
but the chylde answered noght, but smyled. Soe the man, being in
perplexitie, for he knew not what it mycht bee, yet lyking not to
leeve so yonge a chylde in the wodes, where wylde bestes were manie,
did have him up into his mantill, and convaied him home until his
awn duellynge. There, in defaulte of anie cage, he did putte the
chylde into an olde Cabynett, that afore tyme stode longe there,
and dyd give hym mete and drynke. Yet the chylde waxed not, but
sange contynuously, soe that al the pepill of Athens maruyled at
hys mynstrelsye. But what was grete wonder, the Cabynett wherein he
was, which afore was brast in dyuers places, wherein chinkis and
riftis dyd appere, semed to become of a sodaine newe and stronge,
and was couered with gemmis and jowellis of grete prys, yet colde
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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