of the sky. At first agglomerated in a single confused mass, the lesser
part of this immense whole seemed, as we advanced, by degrees to unfold, to
disengage themselves from each other, and to grow into various groups,
divided by wide chasms and deep indentures; until at last the clusters,
thus far still distantly connected, became transformed, as if by magic,
into three distinct cities, each individually of prodigious extent, and
each separated from the other two by a wide arm of that sea whose silver
tide encompassed their base, and made its vast circuit rest half on Europe,
and half on Asia."

Since writing the above we have visited Mr. Burford's _New Panorama of
Constantinople_, which has lately been opened for exhibition in the
Strand; and although we cannot in this Number enter into the detail of its
merits, we recommend it to our lionizing friends as one of Mr. Burford's
most finished paintings, and equal if not superior in effect to any
exhibition in the metropolis; but we reserve an account of its pictorial
beauties for our next publication.


[1] See "Sailing round Constantinople," MIRROR, vol. x. p. 278. Engraving
and Description of the Castle of the Seven Towers, ibid, vol. x.
p. 361. Extent of Constantinople, vol. xi. p. 298. Lines on
Constantinople, vol. xii. p. 58. Taking of the City by the Turks, vol.
xii. p. 274.

[2] For an Engraving and full description of the Mosque of Santa Sophia,
see the MIRROR, vol. ii. p.p. 473, 486.

[3] Mr. Hobhouse has pointed out some remarkable points of similarity
between the funereal customs of the Greeks and those of the Irish; in