it gradually came about that false judgment was corrected, enmities were defeated, and true merit, instead of being laid on the shelf, marched on triumphantly to the throne of the Presidency of the Royal Academy! How ashamed of themselves must have been this scorning, this malignant army of detractors! The same thing, with the same result, is unhappily to be found in the Navy, the Army, in law and in merchandise, in the learned and the unlearned professions.

What an active professional and social life was led by the skilful artist in his London chambers, his Perthshire houses; how welcome his hours of recreation in the rooms of the Garrick Club, or on the banks of the Tay; how interesting the numerous letters written to or received by him. They reflect the manner of the time regarding art, literature, the drama, politics, and warfare. Latterly, his name was like a household word, the society of the renowned artist was sought in the very best circles, and for long he continued the brilliant ornament of the set in which he moved. Fortune, favour, honour, high regard-all united to make him the most observed among many men of high distinction. Popular as the man was, however, it is as the great artist that he was best known, and is now best remembered. Listen to the graceful tribute paid to his genius by the Archbishop of Canterbury of the time (1864), who, at the annual festive gathering round the pictures, said, speaking of the high and noble purpose of art: "That man, I think, is little to be envied who can pass through these rooms and go forth without being in some sense a better and a happier man; if at least it be so (as I do believe it to be) that we feel ourselves the better and the happier when our hearts are enlarged as we sympathise with the joys and the sorrows of our fellow-men, faithfully delineated on the canvas, when our spirits are touched by the playfulness, the innocence, the purity, and may I not add " (pointing to Millais' picture of "My First Sermon ")" the piety of childhood." And when the palette was laid aside for ever, and the brushes had fallen from the hands that had only lost their cunning by the hand of death, Mr. W. Holman Hunt, whose picture "The Light of the World" was appreciated by an admiring nation, wrote: "After fifty-two years of unbroken friendship, the earthly bond has separated. New generations with fresh

struggles to engage in ever advance and sweep away many of the memories of individual lives, even when these have been the most eminent. It would be a real loss to the world if your father's manly straightforwardness and his fearless sense of honour should ever cease to be remembered. There are men who never challenge criticism, because they have no sense of individual independence. My old friend was different, and he justified all his courses by loyalty and consistency as well as courage-the courage of a true conscience. As a painter of subtle perfection, while his works last they will prove the supreme character of his genius, and this will show more conspicuously when the mere superficial tricksters in art have fallen to their proper level."

More than in any profession, save that of the actor, we have in that of the artist the mixture of romance and reality. For romance he has history to work on, and interesting living models to illustrate history. Poetry also comes frequently to his aid, and Millais delineated the features of Tennyson, the prince of modern poets. He has beautiful women, lovely children, stalwart men in his studio, and while transferring their lineaments to his canvas, the care, the toil of work is lightened by their companionship, their conversation. Statesmen, warriors, novelists, historians, come and go before him, leaving behind some impress of their mind and character. This romance he balances against the troublesome realities of coarse, illiterate models that he has perforce to make use of in some of his pictures, and the worrying details of position and costume so difficult to adjust. And above all he has to face detraction and envy, so apparent among the wielders of the brush as to call forth the comment of the cynic, “Artists are a peculiar people, jealous of good works." Apart, therefore, from the light and shade applied technically to the profession of the artist, he has abundance of light and shade in this bright romance, and that stern reality. But taken as a whole, and assuming that the artist is a versatile man (as he often is) with a cultured mind, an easy independence, then he can hold up his head among the favourites of fortune.

Long did the famous artist linger in Perthshire each autumn, whether sojourning at Bowerswell, Erigmore, or Murthly; the sport held him, the lights of the North, and the

exquisite scenery sometimes coated with snow, tipped with gold, procured him fitting subjects for his facile brush. In January he has been known to re-visit the beloved scenes; light as a bird would he fly to them in the lengthening days of April. Sir John had a refined taste for literature which was ever a favourite recreation. He was the life, the centre of the domestic and social circle. To the leading Scottish artists he extended the hand of cordial friendship, particularly to our distinguished President, Sir George Reid, who was one of the pall-bearers at the funeral of his friend in St. Paul's, whereat there was something akin to a national mourning.

"At last death brings his order of release,
And our great English painter lies at peace
Amidst a nation's sorrow.

A man in heart and art, in soul and frame,
By love encompassed, and secure of fame,
Through history's long to-morrow.

'English he was, and England best inspired
His skill unfailing, and his toil untired.

On his strong canvas live

Her loveliest daughters and her noblest sons,
All that to a great age which swift outruns
Its greatest glories give.

"And he among those glories takes high rank
Painter more masterly or friend more frank
Its closing scarce shall show.

Our good, great Millais gone! and yet not dead!
His best lives on, though that worn, noble head
In rest at last lies low."

Readily do we call to mind Gainsborough and Reynolds, Landseer and Leighton, Sydney Cooper, Calderon, Poynter, and other famous-some of them illustrious-" Brothers of the Brush." These men were some of them forerunners, some of them co-temporaries of Millais; but one and all would join in the national judgment which declares that Millais was entitled to take his place among the highest in the niches of the temple of fame. D. B. A.

NEW

ANENT SOME OF THE SCOTTISH
PARAPHRASES.

By A. M. M'DONALD.

EW light upon any subject which from various causes, it may be, has become a matter of controversy, should be welcome. It is with this hope that we now give publicity to a letter of the late Dr. Douglas of Galashiels, to Messrs. Bell & Bradfute, publishers, Edinburgh, through whose kindness a copy has been granted to us and permission given for publication of the contents.

This letter is interesting for several reasons. It shows that Dr. Douglas was concerned in the compilation, if not the writing, of a life of the Rev. John Logan; but of greater interest is the reference to the paraphrases. The authors of most of the Scottish paraphrases are well known. Concerning several of them, however, there has existed a divergence of opinion whether to attribute their composing to one or other of two young men-Bruce or Logan. This difference of opinion has arisen from the fact that nothing that Michael Bruce composed appeared in print until three years after his death. In 1770, John Logan, who was a college companion of Bruce, and to whom Bruce's MSS. were entrusted for revision, gave to the world the first edition of Bruce's poems, in which was included the exquisite lyric, "The Cuckoo," but from which were excluded what Bruce's father called his son's "Gospel Sonnets."

Bruce died in 1767, in the twenty-second year of his age. Logan, who was about two years his junior, became one of the ministers of Leith, and earned for himself (as his pupil and life-long friend, the celebrated Sir John Sinclair of Ulbster, Caithness, testifies,) the reputation of being one of the finest preachers of his time. Unfortunately, conduct judged inconsistent with his ministerial office caused his removal to London, where, after about two years residence there, he died in 1788, having been actively engaged in literary pursuits. Eight or nine years before this, and while still holding his charge in Leith, Mr. Logan delivered lectures upon "The Philosophy of

History," in which he showed much originality in his mode of treating subjects. His literary gifts were not few. It is in this latter connection that he comes before us in considering the paraphrases, many of which he is supposed to have revised along with Cameron. His own contributions are referred to in the subjoined letter. Unfortunately for their case, the friends of Bruce claim for him two of the collection as original, which are altered versions of hymns in existence before either Bruce or Logan was born. Were this the place to do it, one could easily, by quotations from Logan's published sermons, (where these paraphrases are freely used, or similar expressions of thought given effect to) develop the argument in favour of Logan's authorship, the weight of evidence in our opinion lying that way.

But with this very imperfect introduction to what has grown to be a much involved subject, we let Dr. Douglas speak for himself.

"GALASHIELS, 4th Feb., 1805.

"DEAR SIR,-I am favoured with your letter and books, of which I am obliged to return herewith 'Cowper's Life,' being of too small a size to bind with 'Chatham's Letters,' for which alone it was wanted. I am not quite determined what to do about the 'Death of Abel,' and 'Bruce's Poems.' The plates in the first are a temptation for children spoiling the leaves and binding, in searching for them. I wanted it unbound and without plates for a companion to the 'Sabbath.' Had the last (Bruce) been finer paper, it might have answered that purpose. If you can send me a finer copy of 'Bruce,' or any similar small volume of poetry to bind with it, and another volume of finer paper to bind with the 'Sabbath,' I shall keep all I have-if not, must return one of the two-i.e, either exchange the bound Abel' for an unbound one, or exchange 'Bruce' for a proper companion in poetry for the 'Sabbath' or in prose for 'Chatham.' [Some business matter is here omitted.]

་

"I return my best thanks to your uncle and you for the present of Logan. I had previously both his poems and Runnamede, consequently 'The Life' was the only new thing. From my cursory perusal of it, I can, from personal knowledge, correct many errors. (1) Ossian was uniformally the greatest