blossoms of spring. He has no affection for the
schemes, or "vain imaginations" of other men--no one can ridicule
them more smartly--he loves only "flowers of his own gathering"--he
places them in his breast, and wears them there with miraculous
constancy--flaunts them in the eyes of his friends--woos the applause,
the admiration of every one at their charms--and the instant he
discovers that another feels a budding fondness for their beauties,
he dashes them from him, and abuses them for ever after, _sans_
mercy.--_Every Night Book_.

* * * * *

FINE ARTS.

* * * * *

THE WORKS OF CANOVA.

(_For the Mirror_.)

Canova, while living, was thought to be the first sculptor of the age,
and his works are still greatly admired--for their exquisite finishing,
and for their near resemblance to real life. They are certainly very
attractive, and may be contemplated a considerable time with delight;
but they never impose upon the beholder, and never raise in his mind
any of those sublime ideas which he invariably experiences while
contemplating the works of the ancients, or the modern productions of
Michael Angelo Buonarotti. Canova, in fact, though he possessed the
grace, the elegance, and the liveliness of the greatest masters of
Italy, could never surmount a certain degree of littleness, which
failure predominates in most of his works. The calm, tranquil, and
dignified pathos of Leonardo di Vinci cannot be traced in Canova's
countenances, which rather approach to those represented by Charles le
Brun, Eustache le Seur, and other French artists. Though his men were
generally deficient in dignity, the faces of his females were always
pleasing, notwithstanding

"The sleepy eye, that spoke the melting soul,"

peculiar to most Italian women, is never found in his productions. It
does not appear likely that Canova, although his present admirers are
very numerous, will be greatly idolized by posterity. Indeed, if we
may be allowed to predict, his name, unlike that of his countryman,
Buonarotti, will sink into oblivion. He, however, enjoyed a high
reputation as an artist while he lived, and his sculpture is now eagerly
sought for by the lovers of the fine arts, both in Great Britain, and on
the continent.

Canova died at Venice, in the month of October, 1822. His death was
heard with extreme regret in Europe, and indeed in all parts of the
globe where hi