The Illustrations of Friendship's Offering are pretty enough as a
set of embellishments for a book ; but viewed as specimens of art, their merit is slender. The two scenic pictures are the best. A Claude-like sunrise over the sea in a classical landscape is one of BARRETT'S most elegant compositions: the repose of the scene and the sober splendour of the opening day are lovely. The engraving, by RICHARDSON, is exquisite. PURSER'S Indian scene, with temples, tombs, and an embarkation, is beautiful of its kind : the figures are touched in with spirit and delicacy, and the whole wears an Oriental air. " The Maiden's Vow "—a girl kneeling at her mother's feet, and looking up at the portrait of a man to which the old dame is pointing ...—has the appearance of being an intelligible design ; but the engraving is too imperfect to enable us to judge of its merits. "Jenny's First Love-letter," one of Wensrmt's admirable pictures ; but in the engraving the expression of the girl is marred : the father's glance of anger, and the grave look of the mother as she dips her hand into the money-bag to pay the postage, are conveyed with sufficient truth to tell the story. " The Secret," a pretty group of two lovely girls, with expressive faces, whose meaning the tale will doubtless unfold. " The Letter from home," is a pleasing picture of sisterly affection, by RICHTER, though somewhat tame and mannered. Mr. PENLEY'S " Rosolia" is a stately beauty, enthroned and enveloped in a flow of drapery ample enough for a tragedy queen. His "Donna Elena," we will charitably suppose, has been sacrificed to a young engraver. We would willingly find thr, same excuse for 11. HILL, but the name of CHARLES ROLLS to the plate forbids it. In "The Bridal Morn," Mr. JENKINS has attempted to represent a reflection in a glass ; but the shadow is so
substantial that the bride looks like a picture in a frame. _ . .
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