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    So spelt by Sir Joshua , but Miss Fisher " is also written in a different hand on the same page . Valuable information of this nature does Mr . Cotton exchange for the shillings of the ' delighted reader j' whose feelings on the transaction need not specially be indicated . An exact man is Mr . Cotton ¦ twaddling-, perhaps , but assuredly exact , and he corrects the random assertions of others : e . g . — Reynolds ' s application was indeed great , but Fariugton's assertion that lie frequently received five , six , or even seven sitters daily , and some of them . at the early hour of six . or seven in the morning , is not altogether borne out by Sir Joshua's diary , as we find no one instance recorded of a sitter coming before nine o ' cloc-Jk . The following extract from the pocket-book for the year 1761 , gives us the names of seven sitters in as many consecutive hours , on Saturday , March 7 th .

    At 9 o ' clock , Captain Wynn , At 1 Lord Waldegrave , 10 „ Captain Foot , 52 . Mrs . Trapaud , 11 „ Colonel Trapaud , 3 Mr . Fane . 12 „ Lady Waldegrave , Not-withstanding this extraordinary pressure of commissions , Sir Joshua ' s care and attention never relaxed ; and the great reputation he had gained only m ade him the more anxious to increase it . The same unabated desire of improvement occasioned frequent alterations in the progress of his pictures ^ and it wa 3 often long before he could satisfy himself : He was never so happy as when he was in his pannting-room , and he often confessed that -when he had complied with the invitations of the nobility to spend a few days of relaxation at their country seats , although every luxury was afforded which could possibly be desired , he always returned home like one who had been kept so long without his natural food . None of his hours were ever spent in idleness or dissipation .

    For so exact a man , who will control assertions by gleanings from diaries , does it not strike the by-this-time-not-at-all-delighted-reader tliat the last two sentences contradict each other ? If Reynolds spent a few days relaxing himself at country seats , how can Mr . Cotton , the exact man , say that ' ¦ '"none of Reynolds ' s hours were ever spent in idleness ?"

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    PICTURES OF BOHEMIA . Travels , in Bohemia , with a } Valk if trough ; the Highlands of Saxony . By an Old Traveller . 2 vols . Newby . Bohemia is one of the most picturesque countries , Prague one of the most picturesque cities , in Europe . It is the North touched wath Eastern colours . When first you meet its peasants on the road , their many-tinted costumes—red , green , lilac , yellow , purple—at once attract the eye ; even the men , with their long ; , blue garments , Hessian boots , solid countenances , and shadowy hats , make up a dramatic show . Then , the people inhabit the most extraordinary houses—tall narrow edifices , with high-pitched roofs , and windows dwindling from five in aline to one , that winks like a half-sbut eye from , under the eaves . The welcome of a Bohemian hotel is not unlike that of an Oriental caravanserai—begrimed with Northern smoke .. Under a broad arch , into a cavernous kitchen , through long stone corridors and galleries , into rooms of -vast dimensions , scantily and coldly furnished . But

    bound , he being condemned to an instant precipitation into the lowermost depths , that receptacle for the dead before me-ntioned , while it was the office of his companion to lift the trap-door and plunge him in , the limbs of the latter being left . free for that purpose . On one occasion two hapless brothers of a noble Moravian family were condemned to this hideous doom ; but when they had reached the floor of the uppermost prison , the younger , who had remained free , cut the bonds of the elder , who was bound , and refused to obey the commands of those who called on him to east his brother into the depths , on pain of being- thrown in with him . lirom that time says tradition , the miserable creature thus condemned to be the executioner of his fellovr was compelled to > fulfil the frightful . office imposed on him before receiving hia last wretched portion of food and drink .

    Another fortress of Prague is the Wyssehrad , which frowns over the Veltava . The legend . declares that it was built , in ancient times , by a young girl named Valasia , "who originated the Maidens' War , revolted against masculine rule , retired to her stronghold with a . beautiful army , and fought until conquered . Unhappily ; , the more muscular of the belligerents prevailed , the maidens were forced to surrender , delivered up their arms , and received a chastisement so severe and so njprtifying that they promised never again to rebel , and always to remember their punishment and repent their contumacy . These two volumes are of a light and entertaining character . They possess some novelty , and may refresh the reader weary of commonplace Nile , Rhine , or Rhone tours .

    the traveller understands little of Bohemia until ho reaches Prague of the Hundred Towers ; he hsis seen no city like it ; it is unique—a dim vision of Asia . The towers are neither enormous rotundities or squares of Norman architecture , nor aerial Gothic spires , but composites of dome and minaret , gracefully crowning the masses of private habitations , which , again , are sculptured and fretted , and quaintly wrought in traditionary forms . The bridge of the Veitava , crowded , perhaps , by a procession of pilgrims , lias a thoroughly Eastern aspect . Traversing it , and ascending one of the hills Along the river , you look down on the turreted roofs of Prague : — Conspicuous among them are the lofty towers of the Teyn church—a building of varied memories , that of John Huss predominating . Small turrets rise from the angles of the towers ; each of the latter has a spire , composed of eight planes , in its ¦ centre , and from four out of the eight , spring slender spiral shafts : the numerous points , presented by all , are profusely adorned with glittering balls , crosses , and stars of gilded iron , gleaming brightly in the sunshine , which here , and at thia season , rarely foils to add its life-giving touch to the landscape .

    The writer of these lively volumes admits , and proves , that his pictorial faculties are the slightest possible , lie praises , but does not describe . His book is chiefly amusing on account of its spirited narration of incidents and its store of legendary anecdotes . In his weak , fnint way , too , the " Old Traveller" conjures up an occasional scene ; he was charrfied by the white and purple stockinga of the pretty Bohemian girls , and their short , gay petticoats ; _ but . the hemp-coloured mou stachca of the men were abominations in hia sight . Wo suspect him one of those smooth-shaven Great Britaina , who hate prejudices , and hate bearded foreigners . ISTotes of this kind , however , are interesting to home-stayers : —

    Fow persons visit old German towns without remarking the middle-age aspect given to the houses by tho strong iron gratings which cover all the lower windows ; they are sometimes exceedingly handsome , and . almost always very massive , if not ot rich workmanship , but they ever suggest ideas of violence nndinsecurity . N " few of the older houses have besides their staircases secured at the foot , and others even at each landing-place , in the same manner , by strong iron doors or gratings namely , as was customary in the towns of llaly during ( ho atonny times of tho Italian republics : many instances of the practice may indeed be still seen in certain cities of Northern an well as Southern Italy at the present time . Here is a tradition of the Hradschin , or palace fortress of Prague , supposed to contain four hundred rooms , and in part as old as the heathen ages : ¦—

    A certain part of tho Hrndsbin , according to thin account , was in old times used as a dungeon , to which tho prisoner was let down from above by cords—a not unfrequent leatura in these places of confinement ; but the peculiarity in this ease , if tho tradition atill retained here may be credited , wna , that tho body of him who had been previously adjudged to the frightful death of hunger in thin dungeon—whence the tower itself ia called- tho Hunger-Tower—not being removed by thono = who had caul nun in , remained until tho descent of tho next sutlerer , who waa directed to hurl it into a lower depth , tho grated door of which ho was instructed to find and lilt , before being himself closed up in hia living tomb . A further addition is made to lh « horrors of tho Hunger Tower ; and prisoners aro 8 wd to hovo . bcon lot down into these duugcona in puirs . tho one with kianda and foot

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    TIME AND FAITH . Time and"Faith : an Tngntiry into tho Data of Ecclesiastical History . GroornJbridge and Sons ; The title of this book is calculated to mislead the reader ; if , indeed , it suggests any _ idea in his mind , a circumstance which we are inclined to doubt . It is a lengthy pamphlet in two volumes , more pedantic than , learned—interesting probably to the few who delight in questions of theological antiquarianisrn , but not inviting to the general reader . The author commences by an elaborate inquiry into the ¦ different cycles of time as known to the ancients at different epochs . He endeavours to show how utterly mistaken are our notions about their divisions of tirne . He attributes , for example , to the year" of the antediluvian patriarchs only the space of a " lunar month , " winch would reduce the age of Methusale h at the period of his death to less than half a century more than that of Thomas

    Jenkins , who died at the age of 169 . It is said that some of the Russian peasantry have attained this remarkable longevity . The Aztecs , or ancient Mexicans , who possessed a more perfect method of computing time than we had adopted before the introduction of the Gregorian . Calendar into this country , are also speciall y mentioned . The various festive seasons of the Ecclesiastical Year obtained a very remote and primitive origin , according to the author of : these volumes ; and he is severe upon Byron for being pleasant upon the word Carnival , which the poet interprets as " fai-ewell to flesh , " the author observing that traditional customs do not originate in puns . We fear that this censure ought to strike deeper than the facetious Byron , for what dictionary , from the oracular Doctor Johnson ' s downward , will not assign th . e same derivation to the word . More learned than Byron , or Johnson , or Walker , the author refers the origin of the term

    to the Greek Karneia ^ the name by which the nine days' festival of the Iaia was chiefly known among the Greeks . We prefer , however , if it he possible of attainment , a more modern solution of such words ' and ceremonies ; although plausible reasons for the former supposition may he found in the fact that Christianity , after it became patronised by the state , adopted and naturalized many of the institutions of the Pagan world . The complex . method of the writer ' s argument may be shown in "the following extract : Among the elders of a tribe there are always some who observe the stars and the ' order of the seasons with more attention than the rest ; and thus ^ in tho absence o £ almanacks , become indispensable authorities upon all the questions which almanacks now determine . Their knowledge on these subjects , acquired by experience , gives them a reputation for wisdom on others ; and they are in consequence consulted ia cases of sickness or other calamity , and appealed to as arbiters ia dispute * . Under

    the generic name of priests , therefore , we may discover the first astronomer , the first physician , aud tho first magistrate . He is tho Nestor . of a tribe ; the venerable father —Patriarch , Papa , Pape , and Pope . lie is the Sage or Sophist ( sojrfios , wise and skilful)—the Persian Sophi ; the Zoroaster and Confucius of his day ; the scientific . Mnjian ; the wonder-working Magician . lie is the Anchorite and tlio Star-seer , retiring from the villages of the valley to meditate in undisturbed solitude , and seeking some elevated spot where the stars can be best seen , lie is the Minister of Heaven , or his time is passed in watching the heavens and in investigating ; their phenomena . He traces intelligence in tho mechanism of the universe , and jirocluims it . Ilia hearers comprehend him imperfectly , and suppose that hu has discovered , and is in communication with some mysterious beinp-s in the sun and moon . The aged

    philosopher smiles at the error as im innocent delusion . Ilis less earnest-minded Biiccessora encourage it when they find it proiitable . The contributions of sons aud kindred , tho payments in kind exacted as magisterial fees and j udicial penalties , assume a religious character . They are now oflfuri ngs nnd sacrifices . The . old man's hut has grown into a tomplo . Tlie eminence on which it stood as nn observatory is a sacred mount and either Olympus or one of tho " high places" of Haul . Tho hearthstone on which . his provisions were dressed has become an altar . TLio first simple creed that tho laws of justico are the laws of Heaven , has expanded into u religious codflof miuuto and all-comprehensive regulations directly prescribed by the goda . Tho great i ' eaturo of those regulations develops itself in injunctions that oxen mid sheep , corn , "wine , and oil , and at luat titlms of all good things , shall bo brought to tho t « mple to propitiate the favour of the gods or avert the consequences of their displeasure .

    A groat variety of Bubj-eets relative to Biblical knowledge and ecclesiastical institutions , to the (> ld Testament , Zodiacal mythology , the Christian era , transitional Judaism , the Vespasian era , Trajan , Adrian , and the Antoninus , &c , are treated of in these volumes . Moreover , Gibbon is taken to tusk for his errors on Horn an administration and tho rise of the German nation . The _ historical portion terminates with tho death of Constantino . AVe arc promised , however , the continuation of the work down to the fall of Koine , should the author be encouraged to proceed . We must admit that the writer exhibits the results of considerable research ; hia reasoning is ingenious , if not always convincing ; and the whole in accoirnpauied hy varied aud interesting notes .

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    February 21 , 1857 . ] THE IE 1 DEE . 18 $ !

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Feb. 21, 1857, page 187, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2181/page/19/