THE GUIDE TO THE FINE ARTS COURTS.

The attempt on the part of the Directors of the Crystal Palace to present to the eye of the visitor exact representations of those varied forms which art has assumed in each nation of the world, and the transitions through which it has passed from the earliest down to the latest period, is not merely one of a novel character, but it is one the practical value of which cannot be too highly appreciated. Collected within this vast building are to be found, not merely, as in the Great Exhibition in Hyde Park, works illustrative of the point of development at which man has arrived, in subduing Nature to himself, but opportunity is also afforded for learning the peculiar mode in which, from the earliest ages, the rude materials of Nature have been fashioned in accordance with the prevailing tastes or religious feelings of the people; and they show how, progressing through the ruder forms, the love of ornament and decoration has at length developed itself in those famous productions of the sculptor, the architect, and the artist, which can never be gazed upon but with feelings of intense interest and delight. Confining attention to the broad distinctions of ornament or style, without entering into very remote details, which are to be met with, it will not be impossible, as the visitor enters each court with this "Guide" in his hand, to point out those more general features which are characteristic of each style. The whole of the architectural and fine arts courts may be ranged under three heads, as representing respectively ancient, medieval, and modern art. The courts devoted to ancient art comprise specimens of Egyptian, Assyrian, Greek, and Roman productions; the Byzantine, Saracenic, and the Gothic represent the middle age works; and, in modern times, there is the Renaissance, or the revival of the classic; the Cinque-cento, or style which prevailed in the 15th century, and which was predominant during the reign of Louis XIV. The broad features of each of these courts, and the subdivision of the styles, will be pointed out as the visitor proceeds round the building."

The visitor desirous of inspecting the varied contents and marvels of the Crystal Palace, will arrive at Sydenham by one of two routes-either by railway from London Bridge, or by omnibus or other conveyance from the West End. A small branch from the main Brighton line at Sydenham conveys visitors into the grounds of the Crystal Palace, and a covered way conducts from the station to the building. Travellers by the other route will pass through Camberwell, and Dulwich, or Brixton, Tulse Hill,

and Norwood, and enter the building from the opposite side to that which the railway conveys them. In either case we would advise visitors to proceed at once, and without stopping to pay more than a cursory inspection of the many objects which may attract their notice, into the central transept; arrived in the centre of which, they will have an opportunity of taking in at a glance the whole extent and beauty of the new edifice.

In order that the contents of the Exhibition may be examined in a regular order, and in such a manner as not, by producing confusion in the mind, to prevent that amount of instruction being afforded which it is the object of the Crystal Palace to furnish, it is essentially necessary that some plan should be adopted by the visitor." The best arrangement appears to be that which will admit, in the first instance, of an examination of those parts of the building where ancient and medieval art is illustrated; then proceeding gradually onward, to arrive at the productions of art and industry of the present time. Having sufficiently studied the works of man; the gardens, the geological island, the natural history, raw produce, and ethnological collection will afford a glimpse of the varied beauties and wondrous productions of nature. This arrangement is one which will be found to fall in more conveniently than any other general plan with the topographical distribution which prevails in the building. It is to be regretted, that in arranging the works of art and interest which abound in the building, greater attention was not paid to some order of succession, whether in point of time or style, so that the visitor, passing by regular gradation and by progressive steps, might the more easily retain those valuable lessons which may be obtained from almost every department. In passing through the various courts, we shall have occasion to notice the mistakes which have there been committed. The threefold arrangement which we have proposed, is one which may be extended at pleasure by the visitor, and each division may be made the subject of one or more visits. For those whose opportunities may be limited to three visits, the proposed plan will be found to be the most convenient, while for the unfortunate person permitted to snatch from his other avocations only one short visit, he will find by following the course indicated that he will be spared the fatigue of travelling over the same ground more frequently than is absolutely necessary. Adopting this arrangement, the visitor will proceed at once to the court devoted to the illustration of the earliest style of art, that practised by the Egyptians.

indicates the entrance pointed out in the Guide.

Through each and every phase which the different styles of architecture have passed, they will be found to have closely followed the changes which have taken place in the religious institutions of the period. In the earliest epochs architecture, like religion, was pure and simple; at later periods its style became majestic and allabsorbing; but in its days of decline in religious fervour and sentiment, a meaningless and decrepid character displayed the simultaneous degeneracy of man and of art. How striking an illustration of this fact is afforded as the visitor enters the first of the series

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of the fine arts courts, devoted to Egypt-the country which saw the first daybreak of civilization, and whose soil is hallowed by so many scriptural and patriarchal scenes. Here on the early temples of Egypt, every ornament is a religious symbol, showing by the exquisite taste and beauty of its execution, the earnest and loving faith of the hand that carved and coloured it; an intense feeling of calm repose is upon every feature, and traces of a local and national individuality arrest the visitor at every step. Passing from the transept a few steps along the northern part of the nave, the visitor's attention will be arrested by the sight of an avenue formed of eight sleeping lions; these figures mark the approach to the Egyptian courts, and they lead up to eight richly coloured pillars, forming one side of the great courts. These pillars, the capitals of which are formed of gracefully curved leaves, exhibit the influence of Greek notions of art upon Egyptian sculpture during the reign of the Ptolemies, and a certain degree of lightness and elegance has taken the place of the grand massiveness visible in an adjoining court, which illustrates the purer style of Egyptian art, in the palmy days of Sesostris and of the Pharaohs. In this open court are to be seen two models of the famous Rosetta stone, discovered by a French engineer during the time of the occupation of Egypt by the French army. The original stone is a tablet of basalt, now in the British Museum, bearing an inscription in hieroglyphic, demotic, and Greek characters, the latter affording the means of deciphering the mysteries recorded upon this and other monuments of Egypt. The upper line of the Rosetta stone records that a monument was set up to one of the Ptolemies during his lifetime. The literal English translation runs thus:

GOD-LOVED BY PTHAH-EVER-PTOLEMAIS-KING-TH-STATUE

On the principal side of the court there are eight colossal standing figures of kings, four upon each side of the truncated pyramidical doorway. The hands tranquilly crossed upon the breasts of these figures, somewhat like the effigies of our crusaders, bear a crook, the patriarchal sceptre, and a three lashed scourge, emblematic of authority and power. On the heads of these kings are the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt, a red conical knobbed helmet, with its golden circular diadem, and the regal adornments of the asp and the square hood which, covering the head, falls upon either side of the face, upon which a calm smile, as that of a pleasant dream, reposes. On the opposite wall is a low partition, on the border of which are represented gilded asps, each supporting a small golden sun, and round the curved cornice are gigantic crimson suns of fire, with the black wings of the vulture bearing a double tiara, while from each side of the fiery globe are seen protruding the flat heads of the asp, with the swollen hood,-emblems of eternal power.

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The seated figures at the sides of the smaller court are illustrations of a period of Egyptian sculpture later than that of the colossal standing figures; and some anatomical knowledge of the body is shown by the artist, especially in respect to the knees of the figures. These seated monarchs are decked with rich anklets, sandals, and wear an article of apparel not much unlike a Highland kilt it is a broad, fringed tunic, with a central boss, or ornament, in the shape of a lion's head. The fine tasselled helmets are secured under the chin by a broad lace, which also serves to keep secure an oblong beard-case, or false beard, which in that unsophisticated age was regarded as an emblem of regal power. The hair of these monarchs, like their beards, was, there is reason to suppose, also false, and is represented as worn like a turban for coolness. In other instances, the hair is plaited in long twills, and drawn into a club behind, or is altogether hidden by a large rounded headdress, with hanging square lappets. By the side of these figures are some works by Greek sculptors-Antinous, and one or two others, where the ideal of Greek beauty has been brought forward as the standard of comeliness.

The fluted pillars in the small court adjoining the nave represent a bundle of the stalks of the papyrus, bound together with blue fillets, the blue leaves forming the capital; and in small cartouches, or ovals, are carved and coloured hieroglyphics, the principal of which represent the names of some of the Ptolemies. Other of the hieroglyphics exhibit the monarch richly clad and girdled, with his mitre, crown, and vulture-guardian, offering vases of libation and lotuses to Osiris, who is represented as bearing his javelin and trident-like sceptre, and smiling benignantly on his worshipper. Behind the king are priests in flowing vestments of the fine linen of Egypt, and in another place is the queen, distinguishable from her redskinned consort by her fairer complexion, and a vulture's beak proceeding from her crown instead of the flat head of the regal asp. The hieroglyphics upon one side shroud in mysterious forms, "the prayers of the Lord of both Egypts, and the child of the sun to Osiris, the Lord of Life and Light;" or to Isis," who appears behind, crowned like Diana with the moon; and on the other, "the ever-living God, who giveth life to man, promises the everworshipping king power and glory, and declares that he will put all things under his feet."

The colonnade, consisting of twenty-two massive pillars, similar to those which form a portion of the temple of Karnak, is worthy of marked attention, on account of the beautiful manner in which its decorations are executed. The hieroglyphics upon them are principally the name of the king, Rhamses, called, "The son of the Sun, loved of Ammon, Rhamses -the name of the kings, as is the case with all proper names, being written in an oval, or square. On the upper parts of the frieze are the words, "Victoria and Albert," symbolically represented. The roof above the colonnade is painted a deep blue, and powdered with stars to represent the