PROFESSIONAL CRITICISM.
iNorEsstorter. criticism is apt to be tainted by a lurking feeling of -4‘ I could do better than that." Hence, critiques of paintings by 'brother artists are seldom quite fair, and certainly far from con- ducive to good neighbourhood. Something of this fault may be traced in certain professional criticisms of the French operations at Tangier, by English naval officers, with which the public has this week been favoured.
It is far from improbable that the bombardment of Tangier may :lave been effected in any thing but a workman-like -style ; for the squadron is under the command of a young prince, and what is -worse, a pamphleteer. But when a French and an English fleet ,-were stationed together off the coast of Syria, the impression of the Loglish officers, if we remember accurately, was not that the French gunnery was perceptibly inferior to their own. Some ad- vantage, it was thought, the English fleet might have had in coming 'into action, owing to the greater proportion of landsmen among ',the French crews ; but in managing their guns both parties were thought much upon a par.
But the professional criticism of naval officers is more dangerous than that of artists. Terme is perhaps the only artist in modern days of whom it is recorded that he asked " satisfaction " for a critique : but criticisms of warlike operations both spring from a desire to "try conclusions" with the party criticized, and are apt /to-excite the same kindly sentiment in them. When Hawser Trun- 'Ilion grumbles over his bulwarks, "You lubbers, I could smash -you I " Johnny Crapaud will naturally feel inclined to confer upon 'him the benefit of the experience he is acquiring. There have been 'various occurrences of late calculated to precipitate such a catas- trophe. Off the coast of Africa, Captains BONET and Faosr have been pelting each other with scraps from VerreL, and Admiral Durrrrr TROIJARS and Captain Tour Nicolas have been simi- larly engaged at Otaheite. All parties would find themselves more .congenially employed in belabouring each other with the appropri- -ate weapons of their profession.
These bickerings between the French and English naval services -we not unlike the "biting of thumbs" between the retainers of the :Capulets and Montagues ; and they may end, like that, in a general
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