Without further preface, allow me in the first place to call your attention to a word, which, by adding a syllable, becomes shorter, viz. the word short—­on the other hand we have words of one syllable, which, by taking away two letters, become words of two syllables, as plague, league, both of which, by such an elision, leave ague.  By dropping the two first letters of the word monosyllable, we have no syllable remaining.

It has been remarked that heroine is one of the most peculiar words in our language, as it may be thus divided—­the two first letters of it are male—­the three first female—­the four first a brave man, and the whole word a brave woman.  Thus:  he, her, hero, heroine.  A beggar may address himself, and say, mend I can’t!—­leave out the apostrophe and he still remains a mendicant. Tartar, papa, murmur, etc. may be noticed as doubling the first syllable, and eye, level, and other words as having the same meaning whether read backwards or forwards.  Some few by a reverse reading give a different sense as leper, revel, etc.

W.F.

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FINE ARTS

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ADDITIONAL REMARKS ON THE SCHOOL OF PAINTING, AT THE BRITISH INSTITUTION.

(To the Editor of the Mirror.)

My first view of the copies at the British Institution being rather too cursory to allow me to do ample justice to several of much merit.  Another visit has enabled me to make a few additional remarks on the performances of many worthy young aspirants, who, it is presumed, will receive fresh stimulus from the approbation extended to them.

In my last notice, which appeared in No. 396, of the MIRROR, I adverted to Miss Sharpe’s water-colour drawing of the Holy Family, by Sir J. Reynolds; this is really an inimitable copy, possessing all the richness of tint, and even the boldness and texture, of the original.  It is unquestionably the finest copy in water ever executed in the Institution, to which, as well as to the talented lady, it is a very high honour.  From the numerous small copies in oil of the Holy Family, I regret not being able to select more than one—­that by Mr. Sargeant.

Mr. Heaphy, in all his drawings, evinces considerable artistical knowledge; his small study from Vandyke’s Portrait of a Gentleman is admirable in colour and execution.

Messrs. Drake, Fussell, and Sargeant, have cleverly imitated the fine Cattle Piece, by Cuyp; and Messrs. Pasmore and Novice deserve notice for their studies from Gainsborough’s large landscape with figures.  Messrs. Anderson and Woolmer are the best imitators of Berghem’s Landscape and Cattle; and the Interior of a Kitchen, by Maaes, has met with the greatest possible attention from Miss Alabaster, Mr. Bone, Jun., and Messrs. Novice and Buss.  The best attempts from the Canaletti are by Miss Dujardin, Mr. F. Watts, and D. Pasmore, Jun.  From the copies of Titian’s Holy Family, we may prefer Mr. Rochard’s, which is the same size as the original.