As an artist he is chiefly distinguished by vigour of conception, boldness of manner, striking contrast and happy union of light and shadow, clearness, and truth of colouring. He has lately paid more homage to the Graces than in his earlier works, and, by an attentive observation of female forms, and polished manners, he has softened the energy of his style with delicacy and elegance.

Mr. Opie has once appeared before the public in a literary cha racter, and with so much credit, that it is probable, with equal attention, the pen might in his hand have become as powerful as the pencil. When the plan for erecting a NATIONAL PILLAR, in honour of our naval triumphs, was first suggested, Mr. Opie, with a natural partiality for his own art, proposed the establishment of a NATIONAL GALLERY of painting, to be embellished with a representation of each action, and a portrait of each hero. The plan was comprehensively formed, and accurately detailed, in a letter which Mr. Opie published in the True Briton. The expences of supporting this establishment, according to the design of the ingenious artist, were to be supplied by the contributions of public curiosity; and the exhibition of it would of course have been a constant source of patriotic enjoyment, and a powerful incentive to martial emulation.

Mr. Opie has been twice married. In his first matrimonial connexion he was unfortunate, but in his second conjugal engagement, he seems likely to have a full compensation for his former disappointment.

The present Mrs. Opie is daughter of Dr. Alderson, a physician of eminence and great respectability at Norwich. The lady had signalized her poetical and musical abilities before her union with Mr. Opie; and, since that event took place, she has presented several compositions to the public, which have justly raised her name to a high rank among our literary females, and which may indeed be considered as the efforts of taste and talents, under the guidance of sensibility and benevolence.

SIR HENRY WOTTON.

SIR HENRY WOTTON, July 24, 1624, became provost of Eton. He generously encouraged those boys at the school, in whom he could discover the rays of genius and learning. For their use, he was at the charge of setting up in the school room, now used for the lower school, two rows of pillars, on which he caused to be drawn the pictures of many famous Greek and Roman authors.

He constantly invited one or two of the most promising boys to his apartment, to listen to his conversation, and attend him at meals. Mr. Boyle, who wrote the history of the early period of his life, under the fictitious name of Philaretus, tells us, that he and his elder brother, were sent "to be bred up at Eton college, near Windsor, whose provost, at that time, was Sir Henry Wotton, a person that was not only a fine gentleman himself, but very well skilled in the art of making others so, betwixt whom, and the Earle of Corke, an ancient friendship had been constantly cultivated by reciprocal civilities.”

The following very beautiful hymn was written by him in his

sickness.

O thou great Power, in whom I move,
For whom I live, to whom I die !
Behold me, through thy beams of love,
Whilst on this couch of tears I lie ;
And cleanse my sordid soul within,
By thy Christ's blood, the bath of sin.

No hallowed oils, no grains I need,
No rays
of saints, no purging fire ;
One rosy drop, from David's seed,
Was worlds of seas to quench thine ire.
O precious ransom! which, once paid,
That consummatum est was said;

And said by him that said no more,
But sealed it with his dying breath.
Thou, then, that hast dispung'd my score,
And dying wast the death of death,
Be to me now, on thee I call,

My life, my strength, my joy, my all!

He died in 1639, aged 72, and was buried in the chapel of Eton college, to the library of which he left all his MSS. and to each of the fellows a plain gold ring, enamelled black, all except the verge, with this motto-Amor unit omnia.

Cowley concludes his elegy on the death of Sir Henry Wotton with these lines:

And when he saw that he through all had
He died lest he should idle grow at last.

past,

AN ETONIAN.

:

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF

THE MARGRAVINE OF ANSPACH.

[Continued from page 294, vol. XI.]

THE next production of the Margravine's which we shall notice, is a little novel, presented by her Highness as a Christmas box to Lord Orford it was called A Modern Anecdote of the antient Family of the Thinkvervan kotsdar frachengodleck dern. Two editions of this were published in Germany, and the seventh in Ireland. This work was more admired, and more belied, than any trifle that ever came out of the press. The reviewers praised the style, but thought an English lady might have spared herself the trouble of teaching her countrywomen a new method of escaping out of a father's house. It must have been a high entertainment to the Margravine's youthful and playful mind, to have heard the several explanations that were given to this novel. Some people said it was written to turn family pride into ridicule; others, to deride German nobility. Some declared they traced evident malice in every line; while others, whose minds were more delicately tuned, like the sensitive plant, shrunk from the double entendres that, in our opinion, pervaded the whole. But the fact is, this production was not the offspring of the Margravine's fertility; it was literally a German anecdote, which she augmented considerably, and adorned by many little whimsical ideas. Careless of fame, and as careless of censhe took as little pains to write, às she afterwards did to preserve what she had written. Domestic concerns obliged her to reside on the continent, after having entirely devoted her time to her children, and the Muses, fourteen years in England.

sure,

At Anspach she had a more ample scope for her genius;-at Anspach, the residence of splendor, benevolence, and worth, she surrounded herself with all the talents and artists that could be found in that court; and, it is only justice to assert, that talents and merit found a home where the prince of the dominions reigned in the hearts of his people. In this place, then, so congenial to her mind, the Margravine gave full scope to her versatile thoughts: here she translated Cibber's excellent comedy of She wou'd and She wou'd not, into French, in a style so very superior, as to beggar all description to those who have not been so fortunate either to see of to read it; nor could Colley Cibber himself, were he living, feel hurt at the avowal of the candid critic, that the translator caught the spirit of the author so decidedly, that it would require a more than ordinary ability to decide the superiority of either. This play was repeatedly acted at the Anspach theatre, and with great success a combination of good actors gave life to every scene; and

B-VOL. XII.

the Margravine, in the character of Hypolita, exceeded all imagination, and reached the summit of perfection. We have been enabled to give the dramatis personæ of this elegant performance, which gave scope to the talents of the Court of Anspach, and was given as follows:

{

de la chambre aulique.
M. De Schirnding, Capitaine
des Gardes du Corps.

Mr. Le Baron Eichler D'
Auritz, Lieutenant des
Houssards.

Son Excell. Mons. de Freu

denberg, Conseiller privé.

Son Excell. Mons. de Fitz

Gerald, Vice Grand Ma-
rechal de la Cour.
Milady Craven, Pairess D'
Angleterre.

Mad. la Baroness Caroline de
Schilling.

Her Highness composed a beautiful drama, called Nourjad, and several others, in which she evinced the superiority of her taste, and her extensive musical science. She endeavoured to call out grace, life, and genius by her example, and encouragement of literati; the young nobility formed her company of comedians, and, as with the fascinating Mrs. Bracegirdle, of renowned memory, all seemed to have a téndre for, and to act with, Lady Craven, who cultivated singing, dancing, and declamation, to the utmost. We sincerely hope we may obtain a more minute detail of the productions of her genius, while absent from her country. The beautiful theatre at Brandenbourg House, near Hammersmith, has witnessed, and recorded, as much as the Margravine's reluctance will permit, the uninterrupted progress of her Muse.

The Brandenbourg House theatre may, indeed, with justice, be called the Temple of the tuneful Nine, and the Margravine presides as priestess. The scenery and machinery are excellent, and are so extensive, that even pantomimes have been given with most decided succes. That which was universally admired, was called Puss in Boots, written by the Honourable Keppel Craven, who also composed the music, both which reflected the highest credit on his critical taste, and gave field to the display of his excellent dancing, which may, perhaps, be equalled, but can be excelled by none. Every species of the drama has been largely dealt out, here, to the welcome visitors, who are received and treated in a style of princely magnificence. Though the lighter scenes of enchantment have more particularly predominated, in this elegant theatre, yet the fashionable and sombre writings of the German school' have not been neglected. The tragedy of the Robbers was given in a masterly style, both as to acting and decorations; and every individual that was concerned in it, deserved, and justly obtained, the palm of theatrical victory. Next to Schiller, Vanburgh took his place. The sterling comedy of the Provoked Wife was performed twice, with unbounded applause.→→ In this, the Margravine and Mr. Joseph Madocks performed the parts of Sir John and Lady Brute to admiration, and Mrs. Abington displayed, in the character of Lady Fanciful, her undiminished excellence.

"Tho' seen for ever, yet for ever new.”

The Margravine's friends have been much disappointed, in the hope they had formed of visiting the theatre of Brandenbourg,