EDITH.

  “Those stars, that moon, for me they shine
    With lovely, but no startling light;
  My joy is much, but not as thine,
    A joy that fills the pulse, like fright.”

ALFRED.

  “My love, a darken’d conscience clothes
    The world in sackcloth; and, I fear,
  The stain of life this new heart loathes,
    Still clouds my sight; but thine is clear.

  “True vision is no startling boon
    To one in whom it always lies;
  But if true sight of stars and moon
    Were strange to thee, it would surprise.

  “Disease it is and dearth in me
    Which thou believest genius, wealth;
  And that imagined want in thee
    Is riches and abundant health.

  “O, little merit I my bride! 
    And therefore will I love her more;
  Renewing, by her gentle side,
    Lost worth:  let this thy smile restore!”

EDITH.

  “Ah, love! we both, with longing deep,
    Love words and actions kind, which are
  More good for life than bread or sleep,
    More beautiful than Moon or Star.”

On the Mechanism of a Historical Picture

Part I. The Design

In tracing these memoranda of the course to be pursued in producing a work of the class commonly denominated “Historic Art,” we have no wish to set ourselves in opposition to the practice of other artists.  We are quite willing to believe that there may be various methods of working out the same idea, each productive of a satisfactory result.  Should any one therefore regard it as a subject for controversy, we would only reply that, if different, or to them better, methods be adopted by other painters, no less certain is it that there are numbers who at the onset of their career have not the least knowledge of any one of these methods; and that it is chiefly for such that these notes have been penned.  In short, that to all about to paint their first picture we address ourselves.

The first advice that should be given, on painting a historical picture, ought undoubtedly to be on the choosing of a fit subject; but, the object of the present paper being purely practical, it would ill commence with a question which would entail a dissertation bearing upon the most abstract properties of Art.  Should it afterwards appear necessary, we may append such a paper to the last number of these articles; but, for the present, we will content ourselves with beginning where the student may first encounter a difficulty in giving body to his idea.