THE Central Literary Magazine. No. 2. It must be borne in mind that this Magazine is neutral in Politics and Religion; its pages are open to a free expression of all shades of opinion without leaning to any. R. RUSKIN occupies the foremost place among the men of letters in England to-day. Perhaps his books are not very often to be seen on our shelves, but this is because it is difficult to obtain them. Some are scarce, for their publication has ceased, and the peculiar theory of the author has caused the others to be high in price. (1) Mr. Ruskin is also generally held to be our greatest critic on Art. The present writer does not attempt to deal with any technical Art question, because he is wholly unqualified for such a task. John Ruskin was born in London in 1819. His father was a wine merchant, a man of considerable culture, with a deep and discriminating love of Art. His son has given him this epitaph, that he was "an entirely honest merchant." The mother had something, though nothing very distinctive, of a literary turn. It is only necessary to add that they sent their son to Christ Church, Oxford, and left him a fortune of £157,000 in cash, a large amount of property, and a good many pictures. (1) Mr. Ruskin's books are to be obtained from Mr. Geo. Allen, Sunnyside, Orpington, Kent. A list can be got from him. Let me advise everyone who has not done so, to buy Unto This Last, 2s. 6d.; Frondes Agrestes, 3s. 6d.; and the small edition of Sesame and Lilies, about 4s. 6d.; for a beginning. |