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Article NOTES ON LITERATURE, SCIENCE AND ART. ← Page 2 of 3 →
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Notes On Literature, Science And Art.
must ever stand at the head of all the nations of the old Avorld for their pottery . "It is from Egypt that sound principles of pottery-making seem to have spread to the different nations ; first to the Phoenicians , who in their turn became famous for their knoAvledge in the art of
vitrifying mineral substances ; and then to the Assyrians , AVIIO seem to have applied pottery more especially to tbe ornamentation of their buildings . Gieece , who shortly after received her first notions of art from
the two former nations , did not deA'ote her energies so much to improvement of material and richness of colour , as to the refined beauty of the shape and the excellence of the painting . In pottery , the material is of little value , and it is only by
the art displayed iu shaping and decorating it that its price can be increased . In this respect the Greeks proved to what enormous value it could be raised , by making it the groundwork of their art , since sums equivalent to several thousand pounds of
our money were readily paid by Roman patricians for a single Corinthian vase . " For seven or eight hundred years the Greeks seem to have been the only people worth naming for the production of pottery ; and in the ceramic artsas in
sculp-, ture , they have never since been surpassed . " Although vessels of the same descri ption ivere largely produced in Italy , it was invariably by the Greeks , folloAving closely
the traditions and mode of decorations of their own country . It Avas only about a century before Christ that the Romans began to create a pottery on which they impressed their stamp , a pottery really their own . " I mean , " says Mr . Arnoux ,
" that which is so improperly called Samian , and so easily known b y its reddish colour and the embossed ornaments with which it is profusely covered . It is , however , genuine and characteristic , neatly executed , and possessing some standing
qualities which did not belong to the Greek . On the other hand , the refinement is deficient ; the forms are derived from the circle instead of the ellipse ; the plain surfaces are replaced by embossments , and the painting is absent . For four centuries
the Romans seem to have made this class of pottery in several of their European settlements , chiefly in Italy and in the provinces adjoining the Rhige , In the
operation they seem to have required some special material unknown to us , which imparted to its real surface a semi-shining lustre or glaze , and which has proved remarkably durable . " Then came " a time of darkness " for pottery in Europe . " Art was not quite dead , but it scarcely
breathed . " The revival of the art of pottery in Europe will afford us matter sufficient for a future Vote . In the meantime I Avould advise my readers to procure , not only the volume I am noticing , but the whole series of the " British Manafacturig ,
Industries . " Every volume , however , is complete in itself , and may be had through any bookseller for three-and-sixpence . Every Masonic Lodge Library should have the whole thirteen volumes of the series . The following beautiful verseson the
, death of our late beloved Brother , William Romaine Callender , appear in Ben Brierley ' s Journal , from the pen of the Edicor , and Avill be Avelcome to every Mason , especially those of my mother-province nf East Lancashire : —
" Bring out the flag , and hoist it halfmast high ; Muffle the bells , and let their solemn peal Wake mournful cadence ' neath this Avintry sky , And give expression to Avhat all must feel !
For Death , Avho values not affairs of State But commoner , and lord , and king , doth slay ; Who swerves not at the mansion ' s golden gate , Hath glean'd tbe land , and held hi gh harvest-day .
And one fair stalk bath fallen ' neath his blade , That in its summer promised a full ear , — Whose virtues might the reaper ' s hand have stay'd , Had angbt avail'd that human love holds dear .
He for whose fate we ask the mournful peal , Was meant for more than we have seen him do , Much as that may have been . Nerved to his steel , And to the plummet-line and compass true .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Notes On Literature, Science And Art.
must ever stand at the head of all the nations of the old Avorld for their pottery . "It is from Egypt that sound principles of pottery-making seem to have spread to the different nations ; first to the Phoenicians , who in their turn became famous for their knoAvledge in the art of
vitrifying mineral substances ; and then to the Assyrians , AVIIO seem to have applied pottery more especially to tbe ornamentation of their buildings . Gieece , who shortly after received her first notions of art from
the two former nations , did not deA'ote her energies so much to improvement of material and richness of colour , as to the refined beauty of the shape and the excellence of the painting . In pottery , the material is of little value , and it is only by
the art displayed iu shaping and decorating it that its price can be increased . In this respect the Greeks proved to what enormous value it could be raised , by making it the groundwork of their art , since sums equivalent to several thousand pounds of
our money were readily paid by Roman patricians for a single Corinthian vase . " For seven or eight hundred years the Greeks seem to have been the only people worth naming for the production of pottery ; and in the ceramic artsas in
sculp-, ture , they have never since been surpassed . " Although vessels of the same descri ption ivere largely produced in Italy , it was invariably by the Greeks , folloAving closely
the traditions and mode of decorations of their own country . It Avas only about a century before Christ that the Romans began to create a pottery on which they impressed their stamp , a pottery really their own . " I mean , " says Mr . Arnoux ,
" that which is so improperly called Samian , and so easily known b y its reddish colour and the embossed ornaments with which it is profusely covered . It is , however , genuine and characteristic , neatly executed , and possessing some standing
qualities which did not belong to the Greek . On the other hand , the refinement is deficient ; the forms are derived from the circle instead of the ellipse ; the plain surfaces are replaced by embossments , and the painting is absent . For four centuries
the Romans seem to have made this class of pottery in several of their European settlements , chiefly in Italy and in the provinces adjoining the Rhige , In the
operation they seem to have required some special material unknown to us , which imparted to its real surface a semi-shining lustre or glaze , and which has proved remarkably durable . " Then came " a time of darkness " for pottery in Europe . " Art was not quite dead , but it scarcely
breathed . " The revival of the art of pottery in Europe will afford us matter sufficient for a future Vote . In the meantime I Avould advise my readers to procure , not only the volume I am noticing , but the whole series of the " British Manafacturig ,
Industries . " Every volume , however , is complete in itself , and may be had through any bookseller for three-and-sixpence . Every Masonic Lodge Library should have the whole thirteen volumes of the series . The following beautiful verseson the
, death of our late beloved Brother , William Romaine Callender , appear in Ben Brierley ' s Journal , from the pen of the Edicor , and Avill be Avelcome to every Mason , especially those of my mother-province nf East Lancashire : —
" Bring out the flag , and hoist it halfmast high ; Muffle the bells , and let their solemn peal Wake mournful cadence ' neath this Avintry sky , And give expression to Avhat all must feel !
For Death , Avho values not affairs of State But commoner , and lord , and king , doth slay ; Who swerves not at the mansion ' s golden gate , Hath glean'd tbe land , and held hi gh harvest-day .
And one fair stalk bath fallen ' neath his blade , That in its summer promised a full ear , — Whose virtues might the reaper ' s hand have stay'd , Had angbt avail'd that human love holds dear .
He for whose fate we ask the mournful peal , Was meant for more than we have seen him do , Much as that may have been . Nerved to his steel , And to the plummet-line and compass true .