"The most that a Vandyke can arrive at is to make his portraits of great persons seem to think; a Shakspeare goes farther yet, and tells you what his picture thought; a Betterton steps beyond them both, and calls them from the grave to breathe and be themselves again, in feature, speech, and motion. When the skilful actor shows you all these powers at once united, and gratifies at once your eye, your ear, your understanding,--to conceive the pleasure arising from such harmony you must have been present at it; 'tis not to be told you."
Now compare this passage with the following lines from Mr. Campbell's "Valedictory Stanzas to J. P. Kemble, Esq.," composed for a public meeting held June, 1817:
"His was the spell o'er hearts Which only acting lends, The youngest of the Sister Arts, Where all their beauty blends: For ill can Poetry express Full many a tone of thought sublime; And Painting, mute and motionless, Steals but a glance of time. But by the mighty actor brought, Illusion's perfect triumphs come,-- Verse ceases to be airy thought, And Sculpture to be dumb."
_Legends of the Co. Clare_ (Vol. viii., p. 436.).--The Lake of Inchiquin, one legend of which has been already published in "N. & Q.," is said to have been once a populous and flourishing city, and still on a calm night you may see the towers and spires gleaming through the clear wave. But for some dreadful and unabsolved crime, a holy man of those days whelmed all beneath the deep waters. The "dark spirit" of its king, who ruled also over the surrounding country, resides in a cavern in one of the hills which border the lake, and once every seven years at midnight, he issues forth mounted on his white charger, and urges him at full speed over hill and crag, until he has completed the circuit of the lake; and thus he is to continue, till the silver hoofs of his steed are worn out, when the curse will be removed, and the city reappear in all its splendour. The cave extends nearly a mile under the hill; the entrance is low and gloomy, but the roof rises to a considerable height for about half the distance, and then sinks down to a narrow passage, which leads into a somewhat lower division of the cave. The darkness, and the numbers of bats which flap their wings in the face of the explorer, and whirl round his taper, fail not to impress him with a sensation of awe.