No. IV. PETER AND JOHN. Acts of the Apostles, Chap. 3, Verses 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. "Now Peter and John went up together into the Temple at the hour of prayer. "And a certain man, lame from his mother's womb, was carried, whom they daily laid at the gate of the Temple, which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them who entered into the Temple. "Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the Temple, asked an alms. "And Peter fastening his eyes upon him, with John, said, Look on us. "And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. "Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none ; but such as I have I give thee-In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." the picture suffers by it; and would have suffered if Raphael himself had done it. It is for the sake of this contrast, which is of great consequence in Historical Painting, that Raphael, in this Cartoon, has placed his figures at one end of the Tem ple near the corner, where we could not suppose the Beautiful Gate to be-But this varies the sides of the Picture, and at the same time gives him an opportunity to enlarge his buildings with a fine Portico, and to form altogether one of the noblest pieces of architecture that can be con ceived. No. V. ELYMAS, THE SORCERER. Acts of the Apostles, Chap. 13, Verses 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. The above scriptural account which is given of the miracle wrought by Peter and "And when they had gone through the isle unto John in the Temple, has been followed in Paphos, they found a certain Sorcerer, a false proall its leading circumstances by Raphael iphet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-jesus: this Cartoon. The moment of time is that in which Peter takes the cripple by the right hand, and lifts him up.-Never has the pencil expressed a more just or divine feeling than that which at this moment is painted in the countenance of the cripple; the miserable impotence and wretchedness of his situation are finely rendered in his figure; but, as if conscious of the power of Peter to heal him in the name of Jesus, his countenance is suddenly animated with hope, and he seems preparing to leap forward in his native strength, and to praise the wonderful act of God-The calm secu rity and divine confidence with which the Apostles work this miracle are no less admirably displayed. The naked boys in this scene are a further proof of Raphael's great judgment in composition. One of them is in such an attitude as finely varies the turns of the other figures; and there is, moreover, another kind of contrast which is produced by their being naked.-This has been objected to Raphael by those who pursue reason and propriety too far in some respects, but not far enough in others.-Notwithstanding its apparent singularity, the effect produced is marvellous-Clothe them in imagination; dress them as you will, "Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God. "But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith. "Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, "And said, full of all subtilty, and al! mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness! wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? "And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand. "Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord." THE great object of admiration in the present Cartoon is the figure of the Sor- cerer, Elymas. It is the figure of a man struck by the immediate vengeance of Heaven through the means of Paul, with an instantaneous and incurable blindness; and in the study and representation of this character, Raphael has had recourse to that deep knowledge of the principles and passions of human nature, which forms |