. tive-imbued throughout, not only with lively sensibility, amiable feeling, honesty, and candour, but mature and liberal taste." Such was the popularity of this work, that it has been extended to six volumes, considerably beyond the original design. This success may, indeed, be said to have established Mr. Cunningham as one of the most popular critics of the Fine Arts. In 1832, appeared the Maid of Elvar, a poem, in twelve books; of the merits of which we have already given testimony. Towards the close of the same year, Mr. Cunningham wrote, for the Athenæum, Some Account of the late Sir Walter Scott, which is by far the most interesting, original, and authentic biography that has yet appeared of the illustrious poet and novelist. In the following year, Mr. Cunningham also wrote, for the Athenæum, a series of biographettes of the chief literary men of the last fifty years. These papers are sketches, and, in some instances, slight; but they are always clever, and bear the impress of genius. For a living poet to write the memoirs of his contemporaries is indeed a delicate task; but, it gives us pleasure to add, that every column of these biographettes is marked by that love of independence, without suspicion of favouritism, which has ever been characteristic of Allan Cunningham. In the past year, Mr. Cunningham has edited an edition of the Works of Robert Burns, in 8 vols., to which he has prefixed an original Life of the poet, and accompanied the poems and pieces with illustrative notes. In this pleasant labour, Mr. Cunningham has been assisted by the communications of many friends, anxious to render justice to the memory of Burns; and among the aids which Mr. C. has received, must not be forgotten the intimacy of his father with the poet. Throughout this labour, he has evinced his usual critical acumen and good taste. Mr. Cunningham is now engaged in writing the Lives of the British Poets, not already written by Dr. Johnson, and his publishers announce, under his superintendance, the Songs of England and Scotland, collected and illustrated, in two volumes. We give these merely as announcements, but. tender to the amiable editor our most cordial wishes for successful publication. In domestic life, Mr. Cunningham is extremely fortunate; for, "The sum of all that makes a just man happy Consists in the well choosing of his wife." He was married about the year 1810, to a most amiable and excellent young lady of Dumfriesshire, by whom he has a fine and promising family. Two of his sons are now lieutenants in the East India Company's Engineers, situations obtained for them through the kindness of Sir Walter Scott: and not long since, we had the pleasure of congratulating his third son, Mr. Peter Cunningham, as the editor of a handsome edition of the Poems of Drummond, with an original Life of the old poet, throughout which composition runs a rich vein of true poetic enthusiasm.* The Portrait of Allan Cunningham prefixed to the present volume, has been engraved from a family drawing in the poet's 38th year, or about the period at which he first appeared in the literary world. The likeness is allowed to be excellent. To conclude our brief sketch, the life of Allan Cunningham has been one of great activity and private bustle, and much that regards him must only be said when a green grass hillock hides his head. His talents and his virtues will then be spoken of as they deserve. But, it has been observed, with forcible truth, that the subject of this memoir "needs no testimony either to his intellectual accomplishments, or his moral worth; nor, thanks to his own virtuous diligence, does he need any patronage."+ *Several passages from this delightful Life appear in vol. xxii. of the Mirror, accompanying the Engraving, of Hawthornden, at p. 113. A Second Edition of Mr. Cunningham's work has since appeared, with "much fresh information concerning the antiquity of the family of Drummond.” Quarterly Review, before quoted in the Mirror, vol. xvii., p. 135. Over and above this intellectual gratification, the cause to be benefited, in a more sterling sense, was that of charity, which cometh home to every bosom; for, -all mankind's concern is charity. The purposes were worthy of association with each other: or, to borrow words from a writer of simple truth, each purpose, like the natural charity of the sun, illuminated the other without obscuring itself. The proceeds of the Commemoration were principally devoted to "the Fund for the support of Decayed Musicians and their Families;" to which Institution Handel himself left a munificent bequest. King George III., an enthusiastic admirer of Handel's music, and himself a musical amateur, (for we have seen the programme of a concert in his Majesty's handwriting,) patronized the Commemoration with his august presence and a donation of 500 guineas. The success of the performance was so great, that similar Festivals were performed in Westminster Abbey in the following year, 1785, and in 1786-7. Concerts for charitable purposes were performed in the Pantheon in 1788-9; and festivals again in the Abbey in 1790-1; so that, for eight successive years London had its grand Musical Festival; and these performances are said to have benefited different metropolitan charities to the amount of 50,000%† The Royal Musical Festival that we are about to describe to our readers, is said to have originated with his present Majesty, who, in his patronage of the undertaking, has followed the munificent example of his excellent father. Her Majesty, the Queen, has likewise considerable taste in music; and certain noble persons attached to the Court are distinguished for their musical judgment; so that, all these circumstances have contributed to the completeness of the present Festival, and gained for it the sauction of royalty. Liberal subscriptions were entered into to promote the undertaking, which was designed in its pecuniary results for the benefit of the Royal Society of Musicians, the New Musical and Choral Funds, and the Royal Academy of Music; all institutions intended either to provide for the destitute members of the musical profession and their families, or to raise its character and contribute to its perfection as a science. At the Commemoration in 1784, the pre Sir Thomas Browne. The parent of all these was the Commemoration in 1784: but, one of the earliest Musical Festivals in England was that of Birmingham, for the benefit of the General Hospital in that town, in 1778; since which time the Festival has been repeated triennially. These performances have, however, taken place in the theatre; but, a magnificent Hall has just been completed at Birmingham, in which a Festival will be celebrated in the ensuing autumu. Festivals on a similar plan to that of Birmingham are now held at Chester, Derby, Liverpool, York, Norwich, and Manchester. sent King was in the flower of early manhood, which circumstance, in connexion with his Majesty's patronage of the present Festival, is of too interesting a nature to be passed over unnoticed. This lapse of fifty eventful years would afford pages of reflection; but, instead of any lucubrations of our own, we quote a few of touching sweetness and impressive brevity, from the pen of the Rev. W. L. Bowles, who was one of the audience in 1784, and journeyed from his delightful Bremhill to be present at the recent Festival. We have not yet numbered years enough to enjoy such a retrospect-the meditation of half a century-but that its pleasures must be great indeed will be conceded to the reverend writer of the following tribute : LINES WRITTEN AFTER HEARING THE CHORAL MUSIC AND CORONATION ANTHEM IN WESTMINSTER ABBEY, JUNE 24, 1834.* IT is full fifty years since I heard last, Handel, thy solemn and divinest strain Roll through the long nave of this pillar'd fane, Now seeming as if scarce a year had pass'd :And there He sat, who then wore Eugland's crown, The pious Father-for the soul of Prynnet Had not reviv'd, to judge these scenes a sinHe who has long to silent dust gone down, A man of sorrows, though a King. And there, In graceful youth, stood the same Kingdom's Heir, When I look back on the departed years, Since youth, beneath the jocund morning sun, Peal and expire, and while upon my ear, tails of the Festival; commencing with the We shall now describe the principal deappearance of that part of the Abbey in which the performances took place; next adverting to certain points of comparison of the Commemoration of 1784 with the Festival; and then proceeding to the most important features of the respective days' performances. To do this, will occupy another sheet, besides a further portion of the present. This extra sheet, or Supplement, is now publishing, with a well executed Engraving of the Royal Box. The sketches for this Engraving, and that of the Orchestra, which accompanies the present sheet, have been made by our artist, with his usual attention to the accessories of the scene; and we take this opportunity of publicly acknowledg Communicated to the Times. + Prynne, the Puritan, who wrote folios against ofane anthems and cathedral music. ing, as we have already privately done, the facilities obligingly furnished to the artist, by the Honorary Secretary to the Committee for conducting the affairs of the Festival. FITTINGS OF THE ABBEY. The space appropriated in Westminster Abbey for the performances was the nave, or that between the western door of the cathedral, and the entrance to the choir; the same in which the Commemoration took place in 1784. At a general glance, it may be observed that the area of the nave was occupied by seats raised upon, not the stone pavement of the Abbey, but an artificial floor of strong timber. At each side were spacious galleries, while one end was ocenpied by a gorgeous oratory, (if the Royal Box may be so denominated,) and at the other end, a vast orchestra climbed high towards the roof. To speak more in detail, the seats in the area ranged closely and transversely from side to side. In the aisles, the seats were placed in lines from east to west, and rose gradually one above another, as in the gallery of a theatre. At the back of these seats, a white drapery, looped and ornamented with gilt lyres, extended all round, close to the walls of the Abbey. "About halfway up the great roof tree clustered pillars, and in front of them a light gallery was carried along, hung with crimson cloth drapery, gracefully festooned, and richly fringed. Behind it, and within the space of the aisles, a still greater gallery was constructed, with seats rising abruptly and conveniently one over the other, until they reached more than halfway up the great side windows of the Abbey; so that the heads of persons occupying them were on a level with the capitals of the pillars, from whence spring the Saxon arches, which support the aisle roof. This gallery corresponded in appearance with the seats on the floor beDeath it."* The whole of the seats and their appendages were covered with crimson cloth, with bright yellow borders, and fringes, where used at all, of the same colour; but the latter sparingly. Turning towards the east end of the nave, might be seen the Royal Box, or place of reception for their Majesties. This was erected with the back to the back of the organ, used for the ordinary cathedral service, and with a smaller box on each side of it. It was elevated about six feet from the pavement upon • Morning Herald. These details of the fittings are abridged from the Herald and Times newspapers, which are allowed to have furnished the best reports of this description. As they have been compared and incorporated in making our abstract, we hope this general acknowledgment of our sources may suffice, except in case of entire and continued quotation, as above. a kind of low gallery, or dais, handsomely draped and carpeted. This contained rows of seats for the accommodation of the noble patrons, presidents, and directors of the Festival. Immediately above the Royal Box was a gallery capable of containing 100 persons. The Royal Box consisted of an apartment of pentagonal form, three of its sides projecting beyond the line of two lesser square apartments, one on each side of it, which altogether filled up the space between pillar and pillar. A kind of balcony was carried along them in front, and separated them from the dais of the Directors: this was ornamented with a rich festooning of crimson satin. The royal arms were raised in gold upon the centre projecting balcony: on the sides were the rose and the portcullis. The canopy was fronted with pointed (or Gothic) screenwork, exquisitely carved and gilt, and shooting into pinnacles and enriched finials. In the centre was a figure of St. George and the Dragon; and on the cornice, as it were, of the lesser apartments, were raised in circles, and on an ground, the stars of the Bath, the Garter, St. Patrick, and St. Andrew, and that of the Ionian islands. The upholstery of these apartments was in rich taste: the outer draperies were of crimson satin, and the linings of purple and scarlet; the seats and cushions were in purple velvet and gold; the floor was superbly carpeted, and light was admitted through the ceiling, or top, which was a transparency of the Royal arms. azure In the In the opposite direction rose the Orchestra, as in 1784, under the painted west window, from a gallery crossing the entire nave, and somewhat lower than the side galleries. In the front of this gallery was a row of seats for the principal singers, behind whom was ranged a semi-chorus of forty. centre, next them, was placed a grand pianoforte, at which sat or stood the conductor, Sir George Smart: on the same line were ranged the double-basses. Line after line then ascended-the violoncellos in double file, keeping next the wall on each sidethe violins inclining towards the centre. The chief flutes, oboes, clarinets, and bassoons, kept this company, while higher and higher still, rose other lines of instruments, until the eye arrived at a large organ of pointwork (or Gothic) front, and built for the occasion by Mr. Gray: "the organ keys were brought down to about the centre of the orchestra, and by an ingenious contrivance, the organist fronted the conductor instead of the organ." In the narrow spaces between the organ and the wall were the cymbal-men and drummers; and, at the top of all, "stood the master of the mightiest + Spectator, drum." Handsomely gilt music stands were placed before each couple of musicians, and relieved the dull and dusky appearance of the orchestra. The chief vocalists, as we have mentioned, were ranged in front of the orchestra gallery: the great body of the choristers were in a different position. At this end of the nave, the aisles at each side bend into it at their termination, so as to form an angular cul-de-sac; and in the spacious recesses so formed were closely stowed the choristers: the sopranos and altos on the left, and the tenors and basses on the right, as you faced the orchestra. This position of the chorus was a faulty arrangement: for, as observed by the Spectator, a journal respected for the excellence of its musical criticism, " in the Abbey, the long rows of massy pillars formed a screen which shut out the view of the chorus from the majority of the auditors. In a great part of the reserved seats, not a chorus-singer could be seen: while those of the company who were seated in the north galleries heard an immense preponderauce of tenor and bass, a similar overweight of treble and counter being the exclusive share of those who occupied the south galleries. The immense difference in height between the centre and side aisles, gave a different degree of reverberation to the voices and the instruments, as if they were in two different rooms. The power of the latter had ample space to expand in the lofty roof of the centre aisle, but that of the former was confined within very narrow limits. Hence, there was scarcely a place in the Abbey in which the true proportions of the band could be heard. The auditor might take his choice between voices and instruments, and in the latter, he might select either trebles or basses; but, to realize the entire effect of the orchestra was impossible." "Without any reference to this inconvenience, however," as observed in the Times, "the ensemble had a most picturesque and striking effect." The full accommodation in the audience part of the cathedral was prepared for 2,700 persons; of which 1,200 were reserved seats, the tickets for which were sold at two guineas each; the other tickets were sold at one guinea each. These were the prices on the days of performance: the admission to the rehearsals being half price.* The light was abundant everywhere in the Abbey, except in the lower galleries; and a refreshing coolness, which the state of the temperature without made peculiarly acceptable, was maintained in every part of the building. [Continued in the SUPPLEMENT, published with the present Number, with a large Engraving of the ROYAL BOX.] It will be scarcely possible to ascertain the precise number of persons who attended the Festival, until the accounts be made up and published. THE NAMELESS TOMB. With fervour on its strings, Or could he muse with feelings mute, Or did he hear the trumpet's sound If triumph's wreath adorned his brow, Or bound he in a dungeon dim His captive foes with chains; All this will be reveal'd in heaven, What boots it now! The cloudless sky But Death has closed the slumberer's eye, His attributes are lost in gloom, Her tears upon his nameless tomb.-G. R. C. EARLY ENGLISH SHIPPING. IT is easy to conceive that the first description A sort of wattled boat like this, is described by tourists as used to this day in many parts of Wales and Ireland, for the conveyance of light merchandise up the rivers, and called corragh, curragh, coracle, or corrack, carrack, &c. |