elled the 'Joan of Arc on horseback,' of which | sit up at night to pursue it. Her settled dream the conception is entirely due to herself. The was, to lead the life of an elevated, conscientious figure of Joan' has much merit, but in the artist, and thus to exercise a beneficial influence manipulation of this model I gave the princess over high art in France. She chose for her a good deal of help." studies books calculated to ripen and develope her intellectual faculties. Scientific treatises, imaginative works. Every thing was read, and read with profit, by her. All that seemed great and worthy of admiration she prized at its fall value. Thus, on learning the sad end of Armand Carrel, the tears rose to her eyes, notwithstanding that he was, and that she knew him to be, perhaps the most formidable among the

We believe this group, together with some other studies by the princess, is now in the Duc d'Aumale's collection at Twickenham. The group here described represents Joan of Arc on horseback, at the instant she has, for the first time, dealt a blow which prostrates a man-at-arms lifeless at the feet of her charger. The mixed expression of enthusiasm, terror, and pity is very finely ren

dered.

"About this period, the king had bespoken of Pradier-our most approved artist in statuary -a monumental figure of Joan of Arc, for the muscum at Versailles. Pradier chanced to be in no happy vein at the moment, and so produced a design, which fell far short of the mark. The king, not feeling satisfied with it, asked his daughter to try and invent another; she accepted the commission, after consulting with myself, but coupled her acceptance with this stipulation -that should her design be successful, she should be entrusted with the execution of it in

the marble.

enemies of her house.

faith, such as became a noble, womanly heart. "In the heart of this princess dwelt a religious

Her pulmonary disease, which lasted several months-months of physical suffering-was borne with a resignation and courageous selfcommand worthy of herself. She was aware, in deed, of the inevitable fate which hung over her, even before she took leave of her family to go to her new home in Wirtemberg. A. S., 1839."Pp. 38-48.

Connected with the royal family by so many ties, though strongly opposed to the policy of the cabinet and the personal influwith what feelings of regret Scheffer viewed ence of the king, it may readily be imagined the fall of the constitutional monarchy in 1848, although that catastrophe had not been unforeseen by him. But those feelings of regret were still more deeply excited by the coup d'état of the 2nd December, 1851: the effect of that event on him was overpowering, and Mrs. Grote has described it with the utmost sympathy and force:

"She then set to work upon the modelling of her celebrated figure, 'Joan of Arc watching by her Armor,' in attempting which, both the fair sculptor and myself found ourselves very deficient in the mechanical experience required. Instead of moulding the form in clay, we took it into our heads to model it in wax. It fell to picces more than once, then it bent down at a third attempt; furthermore, living models were unattainable. For all this, the statue finally "I called at his residence within a day or two came out the finest modern figure to be found at of the terrible slaughter of the Parisians in their Versailles! Not alone does its impressivo atti-houses and in their streets-that is to say, as tudo, its simplicity, and its distinctive feminine soon as it was prudent to venture forth. I character contrast favorably with certain vulgar found Scheffer at home, and alone with his productions among which it stands, but it car-wife. The interview was, in a measure, at once ries upon itself the stamp both of the genius and the elevation of soul possessed by its author. "The success which attended the appearance of this statue was prodigious. The most flattering applause was lavished upon it, yet I never saw flattery received with greater indifference "It would have argued a want of reverence and than by this princess. Though always manifest- sympathy towards this noble but aching heart, to ing, more or less plainly, her contempt for the seek to maintain the conversation beyond a few 'official tribe' around her, she was as delighted minutes, and I accordingly withdrew. Madame as would have been any child, at the success of Sophie Scheffer followed me into the courther work among the people; and, more than all, You see how he suffers!' whispered she:with the admiration bestowed on it by the sol-pressed her hand, but said nothing-what was there to be said?"-Pp. 94, 95.

diers.

"Succeeding to the above came-I. 'The Peri' bearing the tears of the repentant sinner to the foot of the throne of grace. II. Angel at the gates of Heaven. III. Ahasuerus and Rachel. IV. Bust of her sister, with her son. V. Two small equestrian groups; and VI., the Pilgrim,' from Schiller. In cach of these performances, and in some which followed, decided and progressive improvement was discernible. The occupation had, indeed, taken such hold upon her that, unknown to her parents, she would actually

solemn and sad. The collective ruins of thirty years' illusory hopes and struggles stood before mo, as it were; whilst in the few broken phrases which Scheffer's emotion permitted of his uttering, was revealed tho anguish of final despair.

A friend present drew from his pocket a list of the persons just arrested by Louis Napoleon. It contained all the most eminent and illustrious names in France, of learned: whose destination nothing could then be

"The reading of this document aroused Scheffer's ire beyond control; his eyes seemed to flash fire; he paced the atelier with wavering steps, giving vent at intervals to his feelings by em

fer's real life, in as far as it concerns the public, is to be found in his works; and from the succinct remarks Mrs. Grote has here and there thrown out on this part of our subject, we are satisfied that she would have dealt more successfully with it, if she had dwelt upon it at greater length. at

phatic exclamations inspired by his honest, just lish, the friendship of an Englishwoman wrath. The scene was one not to be forgotten. should have paid the best tribute to his "If there be a spectacle touching on the mor- fame. But we regret that Mrs. Grote should ally sublime, it is that of a high-souled man, have treated the painter far more summarily conscious of having strenuously labored for his than she has treated the man. Ary Schefcountry's weal, in every way open to him, during his whole life, who beholds that country's laws and liberties abrogated by the audacious employment of military force. This was not, however, the only occasion on which I had the pain of beholding such a sight. Among the noble, patriotic, and pure-minded Frenchmen, with whom it has been my good fortune to be acquainted, three of the most distinguished may be said figuratively speaking-to have died of their wounds; namely, Leon Faucher, Ary Scheffer, and lastly, Alexis de Tocqueville, of whose mental anguish I have been, in each case, a sympathizing witness.

We have already indicated our own opinion of Scheffer's predominant excellence. It corresponds exactly with that of a friendly critic quoted in the concluding chapter of the "Memoir," who says:

"To my thinking, Scheffer is never so great, at least in creativo art, as where he employs scarcely any color, properly speaking. As a

The memorable event, which is commonly known as the coup-d'état,' has been the theme of such endless volumes of controversy, and is even now viewed in such different lights, accord-painter of heads I doubt whether there be any ing to the cast of sentiment of the individual living painter who has so successfully cultivated who judges of its complexion, that it would be the faculty of expressing profound emotion; quite out of place were I here to expatiate anew and this, too, coupled with a motionless position upon its character. I conceive that it will con- of the body. Here is the real triumph of Scheftinue, as hitherto, to divide the opinions of those fer's genius-the ability to inspire strong symtwo great sections of society-the upholders of pathy in the spectator by the power of delineat moral obligation on the one side, the partizansing the emotions of the soul. A gift which he of triumphant violence on the other-which are likely to compose the human family throughout all time. I only wish that it were permitted to me to hope that the former section would, one day, outnumber the latter!"-P. 96.

shared with Murillo, and which commands admiration, not only for its own sake, but also on account of its extreme rarity."-P. 148.5bni

An accurate survey of the works of Scheffer from his first entrance into life to his These events the loss of his noblest death, indicates the steady and constant friendships and of his noblest hopes for his growth of his talent, and especially of that country threw a gloom over the later years ideal power which was his noblest gift. His of his life, which neither his great fame, nor early works belonged to that class of paintconstant devotion to his works, could dis- ing which may be termed "anecdotical." pel; and before the closing hour arrived, on The very names of them remind us of that his return from the funeral of the Duchess period, already so remote from the present of Orleans in 1858, those around him felt time, when Walter Scott's novels and Lord that he was thoroughly weary of life. He Byron's poems inflamed the imagination of had barely completed his sixty-third year all Europe. It was not, we think, till after when he expired, retaining to the last, and 1880 that he rose to loftier conceptions, and in the highest perfection, the mastery of the executed them with unbounded power. The art which will hand down his name to the inspiration of these great works was first future. It was on the 15th June, 1858 (we drawn from the poems of Goethe. The borrow the touching language of his biog-"Faust in his Study," now at Claremont, rapher), "that this great and virtuous man and the "King of Thule," painted in 1836, yielded up his last breath. It was a beauti- are two of the finest examples extant of the ful summer's evening, the calm splendor of force he sometimes attained in color; the which irradiated the scene of his departure two pictures of "Mignon," bequeathed by from earth. Not more calm, however-not the Duke of Orleans to Count Molé, are not more serene, was the aspect of the heavens, less consummate specimens of his extreme than were the conscience and pure spirit of refinement in expression. The marvellous him who thus passed to his eternal rest, to picture of "Francesca de Rimini" belongs suffer, to strive no more." to about the same time; we well remember The warm interest felt by Mrs. Grote in the intense admiration and delight it occathe life and character of Ary Scheffer, she sioned on the opening of the Salon of Paris has successfully imparted to this record of in 1835. It may be inferred that in this and him; and it is remarkable, that though he the following year Seheffer was in the fullwas not exempt from the national prejudices est perfection and maturity of his genius. of the French democracy against the Eng-But his triumph as a great painter of ex

pression was not yet complete. As he ad-part painted with as high a feeling and as vanced in life the religious element assumed a stronger influence over his thoughts. Wat

genial a power as the finest efforts of his imagination, for he undertook no portraiture which did not touch his feelings, either by The books of the Old Testament were per- the stamp of intellectual power, historical inhaps those most frequently seen in his hand, terest, artistic sympathy, or personal affecduring the last eight years of his life. The study tion.* The collection of these works, though of pastoral, primitive, rude forms of society, not very numerous, is therefore of extreme with the touching episodes here and there occurring in the history of those early peoples, the "Duchess de Broglie," mentioned by interest; in addition to the fine portrait of had an unfading attraction for Scheffer; whilst it served to prevent his mind and thoughts from Mrs. Grote, it includes the memorable picbrooding over the actual state of things in France. ture of "Prince Talleyrand," recently beStill, it was from the New Testament that the queathed by the late Lord Holland to the larger number of his sacred compositions were Duc d'Aumale; the striking head of "Gentaken; for he loved to dwell upon the humaniz-eral Cavaignac," painted immediately after ing influences, and devotional feelings, con- the events of 1848; the inspired countenected with the mission of Jesus Christ, whose nances of such children of genius as "Maideal lincaments it was ever his loftiest ambition to portray."-Pp. 100, 101.

dame Viardot" and "Listz;" the maternal dignity of "Madame Guizot," the mother of the minister; and, above all, the touching and majestic picture of Scheffer's most venerated and constant friend "Queen Amélie.”

The "Christus Consolator," in which, with a divine sympathy, the painter has gathered the weary and heavily laden of every race and clime around the throne of mercy and love, The vicissitudes of the age have already -the "Augustine and his Mother," where caused not a few of the finest works of Ary he has combined in one intensity of gaze Scheffer to reach this country, where they the strength of filial piety and of Christian are deservedly held in high honor. In spite faith, the "Dante and Beatrice," and the of his ardent attachment to France, Scheffer "Temptation of Christ," the most mysterious lived long enough to feel that a man may and arduous of all his conceptions,-which endure the griefs of exile without leaving his indeed he vainly strove entirely to realize, own house. To a soul like his, eager in its mark the progress of his mind in the direc- aspirations for freedom and for honor, it tion of serious, we had almost said of ascetic was exile to breathe the air of an enslaved thought. How immeasurably distant are capital, for the yoke and burden of despotic such works of ideal grandeur as these, from power lies most heavy on the hearts of those the conventional attitudes and statuesque who, like Scheffer, unite the energy of genius forms of Guérin's studio or David's school! with an imperishable faith in the nobler destiThe return of But whilst we do ample justice to the exalted nies of society and of man. character of his latest works, they appear to the imperial despotism in France extinguished us inferior to some of his earlier productions the lustre of literature and the arts, as swiftly in manual dexterity, and especially in color. as the restoration of liberty in 1815 kindled His flesh became mealy and unnatural; his the genius of the nation into fire. In the figures faded into phantoms; and in the rising generation of Frenchmen we hear of pursuit of an ideal excellence and beauty he no rivals or successors to those poets, hiswas led to sacrifice something of the reality torians, philosophers, and painters, who have and truth of his second manner. On the ocmade the first half of the present century casion of a journey to Belgium and Holland, famous. An age of apathy and mediocrity which he made in 1849, he was painfully struck by the superior force of the Flemish and Dutch painters in the practical command of their art: he exclaimed, that in comparison with them he seemed "to feel himself but half a painter," and he applied himself with fresh energy to the improvement of his style. But to the last he scarcely realized his finest conceptions.

This brief notice of his works would be incomplete if we passed over in silence Ary Scheffer's portraits. They were for the most

has succeeded to an age of extraordinary activity and excellence; but the cultivated intellect of the world will long look back with deep interest to those who, like Ary Scheffer, belonged to the most brilliant epoch of contemporary history.

*In 1858, after Monseigneur Sibour, Archbishop of Paris, and an old acquaintance of Scheffer's in earlier days, had gone over to the court, a note arto paint his portrait. To this note the indignant Ary rived one day from the prelate requesting Scheffer replied that he would not paint the Archbishop, and begged him never more to set foot in his atelier!

CONVERSATION.

lamation was brilliant, instructive, marvelIt is said that the elder Matthews talked lous, but it was not talk. We must include so much and so fast as to bring on a painful a give and take, a certain balance of power disease of the tongue. We may wonder, in the conversers, an ease in expressing difperhaps, why the disease is not more com- ference as well as in nodding assent, before mon. Most Frenchmen and Englishwomen, we come to conversation. The history of for instance, have so much to say in the English literature supplies us with two inshort time which life allows them for saying stances of circles where conversation was it, that they may be very thankful if their really conversation. The famous Club was tongues keep constantly well. But still, perhaps a little overawed by Johnson, but although talking continues without inter- the talk never passed away from Burke, mission in the world, conversation, in its Reynolds, and Goldsmith. How they talked proper sense, is said to be dying out. So we know in some measure from Boswell, alin France, causerie, once the pride of French- though Boswell's partiality for Johnson makes men and Frenchwomen-the specially French it out that it was always the whale who spoke art unattainable by foreigners-is stated, by in the gathering of the fishes. We also those who know Paris best, to be gradually know of what they talked, and how freely becoming extinct. People meet and talk, they discussed all kinds of subjects. The but their talk is of a different kind. There conversation of the circle to which Pope and is no longer the play of wit and raillery, Swift belonged has not been handed down the brilliancy, the concentration, the rapid to us, but their letters and their writings glancing at a hundred subjects in turn which abound in allusions to it, and many of the there used to be. Very naturally those who best things they wrote were, we know, the are enamored of the literature which belongs fruit of friendly talks. The circles of Johnto the times when conversation most flour- son and Pope conversed well, not only beished-deplore the loss which they think cause they were composed of very clever modern society has sustained, and some en-men, but also because these clever men knew thusiasts seem to think that by exhortations, each other very intimately, and because they and by a judicious system of rules, they belonged almost entirely to the society in may revive the by-gone fashion which they which the conversation went The first admire. There is something, indeed, to be requisite for conversation that a small said on the other side. The talk of the knot of persons, having a fair amount of present day may be unduly depreciated, and principles in common, should feel perfectly the merits of the conversation of other times at ease and safe in the presence of each may be exaggerated. We talk in our way, other, should meet very frequently, and not and like it, and that is all our great-grand- have their interests divided, as must be the parents could have done. Then it must be case when each individual belongs to many remembered that the art of conversation is other knots and cliques besides the one apt to produce prodigious bores. There is where he chances to be at the moment. no greater nuisance than when a company This is the chief reason why conversation is set to listen while two wits, like the shep-now is not what it used to be. Society is herds in the Eclogues, vie with each other too large. Every group is only accidental. in the cleverness and smartness of their say- Every converser has to converse as much in ings. Of course this is not conversation- twenty other places. There is no security the very essence of the art of conversation that those who happen to be collected tois that all present should converse, all tri-gether will care for the same things, or that umph, and all be happy. But this is an any point that may be started will have the ideal seldom realized, and in the attempt to same freshness for any two persons. Conrealize it, the issue often is that great talk-versation has become extinct from much the ers and wits overawe, silence, and bore their same causes that have put an end to elegant friends. However, after every deduction of letter writing there is no one now to whom this kind is made, we do not pretend to doubt the elegant letters could be addressed. When that conversation once flourished both in England and France in a way that is now gone by, and it may be worth while to consider what were the conditions of its success, and what is the kind of talk within the reach of modern ambition.

We cannot call it conversation when a circle is gathered together to hear one person declaim. When Samuel Coleridge or the late Lord Macaulay declaimed, the dec

Pope penned a string of pretty sentences he knew that it would be handed about as the last and neatest production of the wonderful Mr. Pope. But in times when a man or woman is lucky who does not receive twenty letters a day, and have to answer ten of them, the sooner a letter gets into the waste-paper basket the happier it is for all parties. We have all of us so many people to write to that we cannot much care how we write.

And as society increases, and as each individual is brought into contact with a far greater number of persons with different views, opinions, and prejudices, the feeling of insecurity is increased, and a greater reluctance is entertained to say any thing that might give offence. The political immaturity of the French condemns them to break up into sections at least as bitter against each other as the Whigs and Tories of the days of Queen Anne. The consequence is, that they speak much more freely. They say things and use language on which no one would venture in England. We believe that ce fourbe et coquin is one of the most ordinary expressions which, as a mere matter of course, and as the expression of a fact, they apply to the head of their government. In England even Mr. Urquhart would hardly call Lord Palmerston a rogue and rascal if he wished to remain on good terms with his company.

will, or constructing a philosophy of being.

and reflection, and imagination it takes to hit on even a probable and temporary truth in great matters. To discuss them inadequately seems contemptible, and to discuss them adequately seems impossible; we therefore only discuss them so far as to hint at the difficulties which surround them, and this cannot lead to very brilliant conversation. Where, however, there is a strong interest in difficult subjects, and an absence of the experience that reveals difficulties, conversation, even in these days, has its charms. Perhaps no conversation is so delightful to the converser, and none possesses so many of the ingredients of the conversation of old times, as the conversation of young men at the universities or elsewhere when their thoughts have been casually directed to the biggest possible topics. Scarcely any human enjoyment is purer or higher, and certainly none is keener, than that tasted by a small party of intelligent youths, who, Another reason why conversation is dying at two or three in the morning, sit over tea out may be found in the dislike which at and marmalade, or whiskey and water, and present we feel to entering on great sub-flatter themselves they are making some jects. Dr. Johnson used to express un-progress towards solving the enigma of freebounded contempt for all talk that was not discussion. A subject worth talking about As we cannot suppose that the present was the indispensable condition of talking mood of society will last forever, and as it is well. Discussions on great subjects are not almost certain that a time when so much is welcomed now-a-days. The reason of this in suspense must be a transitory one, there is partly to be found in the enlargement of is no reason why the impediment to conversociety to which we have just referred. But sation which arises from intellectual hesitathere are circumstances in the present state tion should not be removed. But even then of opinion which contribute to the result. conversation can scarcely flourish as of old. In order that a great subject should be a For although much greater subjects may good topic of conversation, it must provoke come to be discussed very freely and warmly, an enthusiasm of belief or disbelief. People it is not probable that society can ever altomust have decided opinions one way or other. gether lose the reserve which the sense of During the earlier part of last century, the difficulty has once imposed upon it. That Christian religion was much talked of, be- human knowledge will become simplified, cause a general disbelief in it was unreserv- and that things generally will get plainer, is edly expressed, while it had still sufficient in the highest degree improbable. Society, hold of the public to make criticism at its too, will always keep getting larger and expense seem pungent. In the same way, larger; and as new classes and types are we can fancy that the existing state of the embraced, the conversation that is to suit papal government has provoked many sal- everybody must get more and more diluted. lies of wit among French talkers. It does And if it is vain to hope that conversation not do so among us, because, although we will return through natural means, it is still disbelieve in it, we are indifferent to it. more vain to hope to restore it through arBut the French are sufficiently Catholic to tificial means. An American book, the find an enthusiasm in their disbelief of the Rhetoric of Conversation, has lately been regoodness of the pope's rule. On the other printed in England, with a laudatory preface, hand, a great subject will furnish a good which professes to tell us how to talk. When subject of conversation, if it is enthusiasti- we come to examine the recipe, we find that cally believed in. But the mood of our day the right thing is to avoid all the sins of the is to feel the enormous difficulty of great tongue,-malice, slander, falsehood, indesubjects, and we cannot have any enthusiasm cency, and so forth, and to bring in enterof belief where we feel as much the difficulty taining anecdotes. Not only does this teach of believing as of not believing. We have nothing whatever that is valuable, but it is become aware how much research, what a directly opposed to all good conversation. wide concurrence of science, and learning, | In a general way, we ought undoubtedly to