owe the publication of Some Account of Domestic
Architecture in England from the Conquest to the end of the
Nineteenth Century in a popular and pleasant manner,
and with abundant illustrations. Miss Martineau has
completed her History of the Peace by a valuable
introduction comprising the first fifteen years of the
century. And a very elaborate account of the Culture and
Commerce of Cotton in India and elsewhere, has been
published by Doctor Forbes Royle.

A new and complete translation of Schiller's Poems
by Mr. Edgar Browning, and a clever though somewhat
violent tragedy called Violenzia, appear to be the only
poetical products of the month worth mention. Of
Exhibition literature there has been not a little, but slight
in character, and not claiming particular mention.

The Art-Union of London had its fifteenth annual
meeting and drawing of prizes in the Lyceum Theatre
on the 29th ult.; Lord Monteagle in the chair. The
Report of the committee gave a flattering account of the
progress of the society, and stated that in fifteen years
they had raised £150,000. The prizes were then drawn
for: they consisted of works of art, of values from £200
to £10 each; and amounting in all to the sum of £4,000.

The Exhibition of the Royal Academy opened on the
5th. It is rich in works of merit, and one of the most
interesting that have taken place for several years. At
the dinner of the Academy, on this occasion, a speech
was delivered by Prince Albert, so remarkable for ability,
sound views, and delicate appreciation of what is
beautiful and valuable in art, that every lover of art will read
it with pleasure. After gracefully responding to the
toast of his health, and saying that he always derived
the greatest pleasure and instruction from his
visits to the Exhibition of the academy, though his
engagements allowed him but seldom to join their
festive dinner, his Royal Highness proceeded:—
"I have, however, upon this occasion, made it a point
to do so, in order to assist in what may be considered
the inauguration festival of your newly-elected
president, at whose election I have heartily rejoiced, not
only on account of my high estimate of his qualities,
but also on account of my feelings of regard towards
him personally. It would be presumptuous in me to
speak to you of his talent as an artist, for that
is well known to you, and of it you are the best
judges; or of his merits as an author, for you are all
familiar with his books—or, at least, ought to be so; or
of his amiable character as a man, for that also you
must have had opportunities to estimate; but my
connection with him, now for nine years, on her Majesty's
Commission for the promotion of the Fine Arts, has
enabled me to know what you can know less, and what
is of the greatest value in a President of the Royal
Academy—I mean that kindness of heart and refinement
of feeling which guided him in all his communications,
often most difficult and delicate, with the different
artists whom we had to invite to competition,
whose works we had to criticise, whom we had to
employ or to reject. Gentlemen, the production of all
works in art or poetry requires, in their conception or
execution, not only an exercise of the intellect, skill,
and patience, but particularly a concurrent warmth of
feeling, and a free flow of imagination. This renders
them most tender plants, which will thrive only in an
atmosphere calculated to maintain that warmth, and
that atmosphere is one of kindness—kindness towards
the artist personally, as well as towards his production.
An unkind word of criticism passes like a cold blast
over their tender shoots, and shrinks them up, checking
the flow of the sap which was rising to produce, perhaps,
multitudes of flowers and fruit. But still criticism is
absolutely necessary to the development of art, and the
injudicious praise of an inferior work becomes an insult
to superior genius. In this respect our times are
peculiarly unfavourable when compared with those when
Madonnas were painted in the seclusion of convents; for
we have now, on the one hand, the eager competition of
a vast array of artists of every degree of talent and skill,
and, on the other, as judge, a great public, for the
greater part wholly uneducated in art; and this led by
professional writers, who often strive to impress the
public with a great idea of their own artistic knowledge,
by the merciless manner in which they treat works
which cost those who produced them the highest efforts
of mind and feeling. The works of art, by being publicly
exhibited and offered for sale, are becoming articles
of trade, following as such the unreasoning laws of
markets and fashion, and public, and even private,
patronage is swayed by their tyrannical influence. It is,
then, to an institution like this, gentlemen, that we
must look for a counterpoise to these evils. Here young
artists are educated and taught the mysteries of their
profession; those who have distinguished themselves,
and given proof of their talent and power, receive a badge
of acknowledgment from their professional brethren by
being elected associates of the Academy, and are at last,
after long toil and continued exertion, received into a
select aristocracy of a limited number, and shielded in
any further struggle by their well-established reputation,
of which the letters 'R. A.' attached to their names
give a pledge to the public. If this body is often assailed
from without, it shares only the fate of every aristocracy;
if more than another, this only proves that it is even
more difficult to sustain an aristocracy of merit than one
of birth or of wealth, and may serve as an useful check
upon yourselves, when tempted at your elections to let
personal predilections compete with real merit. Of one
thing, however, you may rest assured, and that is the
continued favour of the crown. The same feeling which
actuated George III. in founding this institution still
actuates the crown in continuing to it its patronage and
support, recognising in you a constitutional link, as it
were, between the crown itself and the artistic body.
And when I look at the assemblage of guests at this
table, I may infer that the crown does not stand alone
in this respect, but that those feelings are shared also by
the great and noble in the land. May the Academy
long flourish and continue its career of usefulness."

The Comedy, written by Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton,
for the purpose of creating the nucleus of the Fund to
be raised for carrying into effect the objects of the
newly-formed Institution, The Guild of Literature and
Art, was performed for the first time at Devonshire
House on the 16th inst., through the kindness of the
Duke of Devonshire, who is a warm supporter of the
scheme. A spacious and magnificent room was
converted into a theatre, complete in all its parts—stage,
proscenium, orchestra, &c, the audience part being in
the form of a pit, with the seats gradually raised from
the front to the back. On one side, near the stage,
was a box, surmounted by a canopy, in which sat the
Queen and Prince Albert, attended by their suite.
The room was completely full, something above 200
tickets, at five pounds each, having been issued. It is
almost needless to say that the company was of the most
distinguished description, consisting of the aristocracy
of rank and fashion, literature and art. The comedy is
entitled, "Not so bad as we seem, or, Many Sides to a
Character." The actors were the Amateur Company,
whose previous performances for benevolent purposes,
are well known; the general management having been
undertaken by Mr. Charles Dickens. There was a
second performance at Devonshire House on the 27th,
when the above comedy was followed by a farce entitled
"Mr. Nightingale's Diary." The entertainments
concluded with a ball. A crowd of fashionable company
were present.

Mr. Thackeray has commenced a series of Lectures
on the English Humorists of the 18th Century. The
first Lecture, on the 22d inst., was on Swift.

Beethoven's celebrated opera, Fidelio, has been
produced at both the Italian theatres. At Her Majesty's
Theatre, the parts of the hero and heroine are performed
by Sims Reeves and Mademoiselle Cruvelli; at the
Royal Italian Opera, by F. Tamberlik and Madame
Castellan.

The Philharmonic Concerts of this month were on
the 12th and 26th inst. At the former, Signor Sivori
reappeared, after an absence of several years in America.
At the latter, much interest was excited by the wonderful performance, by Signor Bottesini, of a concerto on
the double-bass.