683. In the mythology of the northern nations, Odin or Woden was the chief divinity. His exploits and adventures furnish the principal part of their mythological tales. He is supposed to have come from the east; and is represented as the god of battles, and as killing thousands at a blow. His place, called Valhalla, was situated in the city of Midgard, where the souls of heroes who bravely fell in battle enjoyed supreme felicity, and spent the day in hunting matches or combats; and at night, assembled in the palace of Valhalla, where they feasted on the most delicious provisions, and solaced themselves with mead, the Scandinavian nectar, out of the skulls of their enemies. 684. Sleepner was the horse of Odin. From Hela, their hell, comes our word hell; and from Sinna, the wife of the evil genius, comes our word Sin. They had giants also, called Weynar, Farbauter, Bilupher, and Hellunda; and a prophet called Fola, whence comes our word fool. Their Folaspa, or book of prophecies, contained the history of the world, the fairies, &c. XXXII. Drawing, Painting, &c. 685. Drawing is that art of polishing society, which teaches us to represent and preserve the likenesses of men and things. It is a source of pleasure; because it enables us to familiarize ourselves with the most beautiful and graceful objects; and it is, at all times, an agreeable recreation. It is practised on paper with chalk, black lead crayons, Indian ink, and water colours; and on board and canvas, with oil colours. *See Hamilton's Practical Elements of Drawing, with its numerous engravings, as exercises to copy from. 686. In learning to form the hand, the student should begin with circles, ovals, cones, cylinders, and globes; and these latter he should shadow, so as to give the effect of solidity. He may then proceed to inanimate objects, as flowers, fruits, trees, and houses, giving each its proper light and shade; thence, to animals; and, finally, to the human figure, at first naked, and then clothed. 687. To draw a landscape or groupe of figures, a knowledge of perspective is required; and this is nothing more, than the art of representing every object in its proper bearing, and under its proper angle, which angle is always in proportion to the distance of the object from the eye. Just conceptions should also be formed of light and shade; the foundation of which is the obvious principle-that the light always proceeds from one point; and consequently, that all shadows fall one way. true disposition of light and shade, is called relief. The Obs. To give effect to particular objects, the student must copy the subjects from Hamilton: and after doing this for some time, if he have genius or taste, he will begin to copy nature, and afterwards contrive for himself, and design originally, 688. The art of drawing in PERSPECTIVE purposes to represent every object in its proper place and relative size and figure, as it is seen from the spot where the view is taken. The eye of the draughtsman is supposed to be fixed; and he is to pourtray every object, as though he saw it on a pane of glass, the size of his paper or canvas. The general principles are not difficult, provided two or three technical terms are well understood. 689. The ground-plane, is the plane or level, on which both the spectator, and the objects that are to be drawn, stand. The perspective-plane is a supposed plane standing perpendicularly upon the ground-plane, and on this plane, as on a pane of glass, the images of objects are supposed to be intercepted; so that their perspective appearance, when drawn, is the appearance they would have on this plane. The ground-line is the line on which the perspective plane is supposed to rest. 690. The point of sight, is that point in the perspective plane which is nearest or opposite the eye; and is at the same proportional distance from the ground-line, as the height of the eye is above the ground-plane. The horizontal-line, is a line upon the perspective plane, drawn through the point of sight, and parallel to the ground-line. The perpendicular, is a line on the perspective plane, drawn through the point of sight, perpendicularly to the ground-line, and to the horizontal line. Horizon 'erpe' di'lar. A tal Line. Ground Line. The point A, where the perpendicular and horizontal lines eross, is the point of sight, or vanishing point, of all lines perpendicular to the perspective plane. 692. Points of distance are points on the perspective plane set off from the point of sight; sometimes on the horizontal line, sometimes on the perpendicular ;—at the same proportional distance from the point of sight, as the eye itself is from the objects. Measuring points are points, from which any lines in the perspective plane are measured, by laying a ruler from them to the divisions laid down upon the ground-line. Vanishing points are points, on the perspective plane, in which parallel lines seem to meet, or vanish : 692. The rules for drawing are, 1. That all lines perpendicular to the ground-plane, should be perpendicular to the ground-line; and all lines parallel to the perspective plane, must be drawn parallel to each other. 2. That all parallel lines meet, or have vanishing points, in some part of the perspective plane. 3. If the lines lie upon the ground-plane, they will vanish somewhere in the horizontal line; which is, therefore, called the vanishing line of the groundplane. 4. If parallel lines be perpendicular to the groundline, they will vanish in the point of sight. 5. If they be oblique to the ground-line, or have a declination from such perpendicular, then the angle of this obliquity or declination must be set off. 693. All the measures of lines upon the groundplane, are to be laid down upon the ground-line, and the measuring point of all lines parallel to the groundline, is either of the points of distance on the horizontal line, or the point of sight. The measuring point of any line, perpendicular to the ground-line, is in the point of distance on the horizontal line; and the measuring point of a line oblique to the ground-line, is found by extending the compasses from the vanishing point of that line to the point of distance on the perpendicular, and setting it off on the horizontal line. Obs. i he above rules committed well to memory, will, with some practical instructions from a master, or by practice only, enable the student in drawing to place all his objects in due perspective. 694. The art of painting in oil colours is the most deservedly admired of scientific arts, when carried to perfection. The requisites of a great painter are, Correct drawing, without which, all other arts are lost: Just perceptions of grace and beauty: Invention, which implies a perfect knowledge of his subject in all its relations, and a choice of the subject adapted to his art: Composition, or the agreeable distribution, and effective grouping, of his figures and objects, in his rough, preparatory design: Colouring, or the imitation of nature in her happiest modes; this branch of art avoids all violent transitions and unnatural glares, and renders distant objects less distinct than near ones. The Poet dreams-the shadow flies, And as he sees the shadow rise, 1 H. K. WHITE. 695. Paintings, in regard to their subjects, are called historical, landscape, or portrait; and to the painters they are divided into schools or countries: as the Italian school, the German school, the Flemish school, the Dutch school, the French school, and the English. • Each of these schools has treated the practice of |