ness. But we cannot admire the habit of dreaming about firebrands; or of having fortune-tellers, and astrologers, and prophets consulted, whenever a genius is to be born.

One ambiguous phrase may sometimes determine a man's character, if it be regarded and acted upon by his parents, in his childhood; a very ordinary boy, may thus be made an extraordinary one. What might not be expected, then, from the judicious treatment of a child, who really had an unusual portion of that which assimilates man to the Deity! We are particular in these remarks, because we believe, that an opinion, highly unfavourable to common mortals, prevails among those who had rather believe than take the trouble of reflecting; among very well meaning people, who are unwilling to let a genius appear, without some star-shooting, or other unequivocal manifestations of destiny, or heralds of future greatness-and because, the few cases, in which these ambiguous oracles have proved true, are all remembered; while the many, which have never been sanctified by fulfilment, are carefully forgotten. Master Benjamin might have lived and died in obscurity, had not every eye been fixed upon him, to discover something uncommon: and a single circumstance of that nature would suffice to prove, that the prediction concerning his destiny came from the source of all in. spiration and prophecy.

The first essay of the young artist was made in his seventh year. He was left, it seems, to rock the cradle of a sleeping infant, and to protect it from the flies, when the desire seized him to attempt to draw its likeness. In this he succeeded so well, that the resemblance was acknowledged by the mother. Now whether he really produced a likeness or not, is a matter of no sort of consequence; for the whole peculiarity of the thing consists in his manifesting so extraordinary a desire, at that early age; since there is nothing by which to measure the merit of the drawing, but the treasured exclamation of a partial parent. Any particular exhibition of genius, therefore, in the execution, s out of the reach of inquiry, at this distance of time; the conception, or rather the desire of imitation, is all that can be con sidered as remarkable, and this we shall now endeavour to ex amine. It is said that the child had never seen an engraving, or

a picture of any kind; but it can hardly be possible that he should have lived to that age, without having seen some attempts at drawing. We have seen children at a much earlier period, not only distinguishing one animal from another in a picture, but even attempting imitations.

The practice of the Friends, as the compiler relates, was that of universal hospitality; their doors were never closed; and this benevolent practice still exists, literally, in some parts of our country. This family received great numbers of the weary and wayworn; and it would be wonderful, indeed, if among so many, whose attention would naturally be directed to the entertainment of the children, as the most greatful return they could make to the parents for their hospitality, there should be none who could draw-none who could describe with a pencil, or a piece of chalk, some imitation of horses, birds, or faces. Something of this sort, it is highly probable, must have occurred; because the amusement was not only natural, but innocent, universally gratifying to children, and well calculated to encourage youthful enterprise. We cannot believe that a child of seven years, who had never attempted any thing of the kind before, could have had even the desire to imitate a whole face, and that, too, the face of an infant sleeping, and smiling. The first attempt of a man might, possibly, be to draw all the features of a face; but it is as improbable that a child should make such an essay, at first, as that he should attempt to make rhymes of ten syllables, or to fashion a whole house from a block, the first time that a penknife was put into his hands. We should be unwilling to detract any thing from the full harvest of fame, which Mr. West has reaped. We are proud of him as our countryman, but we cannot consent to believe that the fruit appeared before the blossom, or that such tales of unnatural precocity can add to his present reputation.

The following anecdote is not only probable, and entertaining, but highly interesting, inasmuch as it will serve to show that the efforts of genius are not to be restrained by obstacles:

"His drawings at length attracted the attention of the neighbours; and some of them happening to regret that the artist had no pencils, he enquired what kind of things these were, and they were described to him as sinall brushes made of camel's hair, fastened in a quill. As there were

however, no camels in America, he could not think of any substitute, till he happened to cast his eyes on a black cat, the favourite of his father; when in the tapering fur of her tail, he discovered the means of supplying what he wanted. He immediately armed himself with his mother's scissors, and laying hold of grimalkin, with all due caution, and a proper attention to her feelings, cut off the fur at the end of her tail, and with this made his first pencil. But the tail only furnished him with one, which did not last long, and he soon stood in need of a further supply. He then had recourse to the animal's back, his depredations upon which were so frequently repeated, that his father observed the altered appearance of his favourite, and lamented it as the effect of disease. The artist, with suitable marks of contrition, informed him of the true cause; and the old gentleman was so much amused with his ingenuity, that if he rebuked him, it was certainly not in anger."

The story of the first ebullition of his pride, in the scorn with which he treated his little school-fellow, because he made choice of the profession of a tailor, is natural enough, in regard to the circumstance; but the language attributed to him, on this occasion, is quite too lofty for one so young. The discovery of the camera was, indeed, a most decided proof of the activity of his mind. But the most unequivocal triumph of early genius, over deep-rooted prejudice, that we have ever known, was exhibited at the meeting of the Friends to determine upon the future profession of young West. It was certainly the most liberal and wonderful declaration of encouragement to early and untried powers, that could have been selected: for the Friends are, to a proverb, the opposers of musick, and dancing and painting. Yet, in this instance, in defiance of education and prejudice, a whole society, with one voice, pronounced a blessing upon this youthful and mounting spirit, and prayed for his success, in what they had been always taught to believe useless, if not criminal.

It is impossible to read the following story, without regretting that Mr. West has never had leisure or inclination, to imbody and perpetuate the conceptions, which must have entered into such a mind as his, at witnessing the scene related:

"After the taking of Fort Du-Quesne, to which the new name of Pittsburg was given, in compliment to the minister of the day, General Forbes resolved to search for the relicks of Braddock's army. As the European soldiers were not so well qualified to explore the forests, captain West [the brother of the artist] was appointed, with his company of American sharpshooters, to assist in the execution of this duty, and a party of Indian war

riours, who had returned to the British interests, were requested to con duct him to the places where the bones of the slain were likely to be found. In this solemn and affecting duty, several officers belonging to the fortysecond regiment accompanied the detachment, and with them major sir Peter Halket, who had lost his father and a brother in the fatal destruction of the army. It might have been thought a hopeless task, that he should be able to discriminate their remains from the common relicks of the other soldiers; but he was induced to think otherwise, as one of the Indian warriours assured him, that he had seen an officer fall near a tree, which he thought he could still discover; informing him at the same time, that the incident was impressed on his memory, by observing a young subaltern, who, in running to the officer's assistance, was also shot dead on his reaching the spot, and fell across the other's body. The major had a mournful conviction in his own mind, that the two officers were his father and brother, and, indeed, it was chiefly owing to his anxiety on the subject, that this pious expedition, the second of the kind that history records, was undertaken.”

"Captain West and his companions proceeded through the woods, and along the banks of the river towards the scene of the battle. The Indians regarded the expedition as a religious service, and guided the troops with awe, and in profound silence. The soldiers were affected with sentiments not less serious; and as they explored the bewildering labyrinths of those vast forests, their hearts were often melted with inexpressible sorrow; for they frequently found skeletons lying across the trunks of fallen trees, a mournful proof to their imaginations that the men who sat there, had perished of hunger, in vainly attempting to find their way to the plantations. Sometimes their feelings were raised to the utmost pitch of horrour, by the sight of sculls and bones scattered on the ground-a certain indication that the bodies had been devoured by wild beasts; and in other places they saw the blackness of ashes amidst the relicks-the tremendous evidence of atro cious rites."

"At length they reached a turn of the river, not far from the principal scene of destruction, and the Indian who remembered the death of the two officers, stopped; the detachment also halted. He then looked around in quest of some object which might recall distinctly, his recollection of the ground, and suddenly darted into the wood. The soldiers rested their arms without speaking. A shrill cry was soon after heard; and the other guides made signs for the troops to follow them towards the spot from which it came. In the course of a short time they reached the Indian warriour, who, by his cry, had announced to his companions that he had found the place where he was posted on the day of battle. As the troops approached, he pointed to the tree under which the officers had fallen. Captain West halted his men round the spot, and with sir Peter Halket and the other officers, formed a circle, while the Indians removed the leaves which thickly covered the ground. The skeletons were found, as the Indians expected, lying across each other. The officers having looked at them sometime, the major said,

that as his father had an artificial tooth, he thought he might be able to ascertain if they were indeed his bones, and those of his brother. The Indi ans were, therefore, ordered to remove the skeleton of the youth, and to bring to view that of the old officer. This was immediately done, and, after a short examination, major Halket exclaimed, "It is my father!" and fell back into the arms of his companions. The pioneers then dug a grave, and the bones being laid in it together, a highland plaid was spread over them, and they were interred with the customary honours."

The munificence of Mr. Kelly, Mr. Hamilton, then governour of Pennsylvania, and Mr. Allen, the early and free-hearted patrons of Mr. West, should never be forgotten. If we consider the situation of our country, the value of money at that time, and the little reputation of the artist, we must pronounce their liberality to be unexampled. Throughout the whole of his life, Mr. West has been peculiarly fortunate in commanding the resources of wealth and respectability.

Mr. West's discovery, of what constitutes the peculiar distinctness of Titian's colouring, may be attended with no danger to his own pupils, or to experienced artists; but, we fear, it will have a bad effect upon those who have not the advantage of so good a master to watch their experiments. We have seen so many fine tastes corrupted, and so much dexterity of pencilling misapplied, in fruitless attempts to imitate the clearness and evenness of Titian, that we feel sorry for this new temptation. The copiers of his style have produced only richness, magnificence and splendour, instead of his simple, spirited colouring. There is, indeed, no style so dangerous to pupils. Ambitious young men, full of adventure and experiment, with none of Titian's exquisite perception of propriety, with none of his ex perience or observation, when they attempt to imitate his brilliant softness, never fail to produce brilliance alone: when they attempt the brightness of nature, they are too apt to make it all sunshine.

We cannot conclude, without expressing our unqualified approbation of the manner, in which Mr. Galt has executed his work. His style is easy, simple and unaffected; his selection of anecdotes, judicious and characteristick; and his arrangement clear and perspicuous.

I.