Stray Thoughts On The Origin And Progress Of The Fine Arts.

throne of Penelope ; and others , lA'ho kept up the practice of sculp ture during the heroic ages , though they appear to have made but little progress in the art . The schools of Crete , Samoa , and Chios I haA'e already spoken of . The Chian school claims the honour of having first introduced the use of marble in sculpture .

Malas and his sons , the progenitors of a race of sculptors , who , it is said , lived about 619 B . C ., took advantage of the beautiful marbles of their native island , and were thus able to outvie their contemporaries . 517 years B . C ., tivo brothers of Chios , Bupalus and Autheinis , brought to a high degree of perfection the art of

working in marble ; their ivorks were highly valued , and formed part of the treasures removed to Some by order of Augustus . Under the government of Pisistratus the arts flourished at Athens , and under his patronage ' many esteemed artists produced Avorks of great merit ; vieing with each other , the people in various parts of Greece

produced gradually inrproving ivorks of art , particularly sculpture . The victory of Marathon , 400 years B . C ., gave fresh life and vigour to the institutions of Greece , and by the artists of this pieriod , up to the time of Pericles , tho grand style Avas practised , and finally brought to perfection by the great Phidias himself . History has preserved the names of some of the

eontemporaries and earlier predecessors of Phidias , such as Critas , Calami ' s , Pythagoras , of Rhegium . and Myron . From the simple , . yet grand and majestic style of Phidias , aprogressive change commenced , ei'en in his ovni lifetime , to one of softer character , of more studied elegance . The graceful or beautiful style was

introduced by Praxiteles and Lysjmhus . who aimed rather at pleasing than astonishing by their performance , and tried to extort admiration by giving delight . Praxiteles was a native of Magna- Grrecia , born about 3 G 1 years ii . c . Finding the more masculine graces in his sublime art already depicted to perfection , he determined to ivoo

exclusively the gentler beauties , induced to this course more strongly by perceiving the taste of his countrymen tending in the same direction . In his object , he obtained eminent success ; none ci'cr succeeded so happily as he

m rendering elegance and refinement , combined with softness and purity . As examples of his Avorks there are : —Cupid , Apollo , the Satyr , Bacchus -with a Faun , the Lizard-killer , and the celebrated Venus of Gnidos . Lysyphus , tho contemporary and rival of Praxiteles , was a Sieyconian , andivrought onl y in metal . This artist

was born in the humblest circumstances , and was selftaught . Alexander shoivcd him particular favour ; and to him alone ivas granted permission to cast this Prince ' s statue . On the death of Alexander , a fatal and immediate decline ivas visible in the fine arts , extending from

the dismemberment of the Macedonian Empire , to the final reduction of Gvcece into u Rc-iranA p- 'ovmee . The unrivalled beauty and excellence of Greek sculpture is sufficiently attested by ancient works of art still in existence , the most highly-famed of which are ( usually coasidered in point of merit as iu rotation ) , the Apollo

Stray Thoughts On The Origin And Progress Of The Fine Arts.

Belvidere , justly deemed the most exquisite work of art in existence ; the Dying Gladiator , famed for truth , beauty , and admirable execution ; the statues of Venus , Diana , Mercury , and Bacchus ; the Faun , of the Florence Gallery , restored by Michael Angelo ; the Laocoon , the work of three artists , viz .: Apollodorus ,

Athenodorus , and Ageander , of Rhodes . This group , animated with the hopeless agony of the father and sons , is prized as one of the most exquisite works of art existing . The groups of Hercules , Dirce , Autaeus , Orestes , Atreus , etc ., are Hue specimens of character , form , and

sentiment . Niobe and her younger daughter , the " Wrestlers , and Cupid and Pysche , should not be omitted ; and last , though far from least , the Elgin Marbles may be regarded as exemplifying the achiei ements of the Greeks in the noble art of sculpture .

Brother Warren And The Craft In Tasmania.

BROTHER WARREN AND THE CRAFT IN TASMANIA .

Bro . "Warren has just received the following gratifying letter : — SIR AND BUOTIIEK , —It affords me much pleasure to transmit to you the copy of a resolution , which I had the gratification of proposing in the Tasmanian Union Lodge , No . 781 , on the first occasion of my rejoining it after

its restoration . I need hardly add that it was carried unanimously , the brethren being most anxious to testif y their respect for , and gratitude to , a brother , ivlio had exerted himself so strenuously on their behalf . I remain . Sir and Brother , yours fraternally ,

HENRY WILKINSON , W . M ., Tasmanian Union Lodge , 781 , R . U . G . L . E . llolart Town , Tasmania , Aug . 22 nd , 1 S 60 . EXTllAC'I HUM THE 3 JIXUTES OP THE TAS 3 IAXIAN , UXIOX J - ODCB so . 781 , 9 TH AUGUST , 1800 . The Tasmanian iLod

Unon go , No . 781 , on . the registry of the United Grand Lodgo of England , being desirous of recording its high appreciation and grateful " remembrance of Brother Warren ' s able , upright and independent advocacy and support of its cause during the late suspension , Unanimously resolved , —'' That the hearty thanks and acknowledgments of the lodge bo given to Brother Warren

for his truly Masonic feeling , at a time when sympathy and support were most needed , in vindicating the cause of us , his distant brethren , not only in Grand Lodge , but by means of the powerful aid at his command , through tho medium of the MASONIC MIHHOU , a- valuable and popular periodical , the columns of which Brother AYarrcn has always devoted , ( when required ) to succour oppressed and absent brethren

, ; and , that a copy of this resolution bo signed and transmitted In- the VYorsliinful Master , by the first opportunity . " HENEY AY 1 LKINSON , AA . M ., Tasmanian Union Lodge . Thos . B- Turlan , Sceretani .

Nvxs . —AVe were at several convents , and talked with some of tlie nuns ; their condition would liavo appeared less pitiable to mc if they had discovered any of that vivid spirit of enthusiastic devotion , which seems alone capable of supplying a vacation from the ordinary duties and enjoyments of life ; but of this there appeared no symptoms , and their cloistered state seemed a mere profession . The want of air and exercise gives them all a flat , cadaverous look

, which is very painful ; their behaviour is universally the same—an undistinguished kind of cheerfulness , which seems as much' a uniform as their habit , and consequently could give one but little pleasure . —Mrs . Carter , 17 C 3 .