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THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


LIFE 


OP 


BENJAMIN   ROBERT   HAYDON. 


vol.  ni. 


London : 
Si'ottiswoodes  and  Shaw, 
New-UreeLSquai  3. 


LIFE 


OF 


BENJAMIN  ROBERT  HAYDON, 


listeria!  frato, 


FROM 


HIS  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  AND  JOURNALS. 


EDITED   AND    COMPILED 

BY      TOM     TAYLOR, 

OF    THE    INNER    TEMPLE,    ESQ. 


SECOND   EDITION. 


IN   THREE   VOLUMES.  — VOL.   III. 


LONDON: 
LONGMAN,   BROWN,   GREEN,   AND  LONGMANS. 

J      1853. 


HO 

CONTENTS      Ws*l\z 

v.3 


OF 


THE     THIRD    VOLUME. 


1835. 

Application  to  the  Duke  for  a  Sitting.  —  A  Difficulty  about  the 
Duke's  Clothes.  —  Correspondence  with  the  Duke.  —  The  Duke 
obliterated.  —  Another  Petition  to  the  Commons. — Petition  to 
the  House  of  Commons.  —  Achilles  :  Lord  Abercorn.  —  Death  of 
a  Daughter :  R.  Colborne.  —  Achilles  finished  :  Necessity.  — 
Meeting  of  Creditors.  —  Decorating  the  House  of  Lords.  —  Pie- 
view  of  1835  .....     Page  3 

1836. 

Sickness  and  Struggle :  Lecturing.  —  A  Commission  from 
Lord  Audley.  —  Working  up  for  the  Poictiers  Picture.  — 
Death    of    a   Child,  —  Mr.   Ewart's     Fine    Arts     Committee. 

—  Formation  of  the  Royal   Academy.  —  In  Straits.  —  In   the 
Bench.  —  A  learned  Head  Turnkey.  —  Scenes  in  the  Bench. 

—  Another  Statement  to  his  Creditors.  —  A  Letter  to  his  Land- 
lord. —  A  kind  Landlord :  Wilkie.  —  My  Landlord  -     28 

1837. 

The  School  of  Design.  — At  the  Mechanics'.  —  Successful  lectur- 
ing. —  The  Maid  of  Saragossa.  —  Letter-writing  in  the  Spec- 
tator. —  His  Liverpool  Commission  :  Lecturing.  —  Death  of 
Lord  Egremont      -  -  -  -  -  -62 

1838. 

At  Manchester.  —  A  Visit  to  Drayton.  —  Difficulties.  —  Death 
of  a  Step-son.  —  The  Picture  progressing.  —  Sir  Joshua's  Me- 
morandum Book.  —  An  ignoble  Ride.  —  Anecdotes  of  the 
Duke.  —  Wilkie's  General  Baird  and  Cellini. —  The  Liverpool 
Picture  finished.  —  Lecturing  at  Liverpool. —  Painting  the 
Picture  of  the  Duke  -  -  -  -  -     78 


If     '  t>  ■  ;•  -  >i-vi*  \ 


VI  CONTENTS    OF 

1839 

Picture  of  Milton.  —  Lecturing  at  Newcastle :  Chartists.  —  Cor- 
respondence with  the  Duke.  — The  Duke's  Clothes  and  Accou- 
trements.— The  Nelson  Monument. — The  Duke's  Clothes  again. 

—  A  Visit  from  D'Orsay. —  A  Run  to  Waterloo.  —  Artists 
Difficulties  with  the  Duke.  — At  Walmer  with  the  Duke. — The 
Duke  in  Walmer  Church.  —  Death  of  the  Duke  of  Bedford.  — 
Picture  of  the  Duke  finished  ...       Page  101 

1840. 

Opening  of  the  Year.  —  Haydon's  Political  Lucubrations.  —  Lec- 
turing at  Oxford.  —  A  Letter  to  Wordsworth  :  the  Reply.  — At 
Oxford.  —  Hamilton  :  Bronstedt :  Wilkie.  —  Mary  Queen  of 
Scots.  —  Benjamin  West.  — The  Prophets  of  Michel  Angelo. — 
Sibyl:  his  School.  —  Break  up  of  the  School.  —  Anti-slavery 
Convention. — Abolitionists. — The  Anti-slavery  Convention  Pic- 
ture. —  Sonnet  on  the  Picture  of  the  Duke.  —  On  the  Anti- 
slavery  Picture Solomon  after  twenty-seven  Years.  —  Review 

of  1840      -  -  -  -  -  -  -  133 

1841. 

Sketching    O'Connell.  —  With    Thomas   Clarkson    at    Playford. 

—  The  Inspiration  to  great  Deeds.  —  Note  from  Beaumont. 
— Death  of  Wilkie. — Feelings  at  Wilkie's  Death.  —  On  Wilkie. 
— Prospects  in  the  New  Houses.  —  Comparisons:  English  Art 
and  Foreign. — First  Lesson  in  Fresco.  —  First  Attempt  in 
Fresco.  —  Reconciliation  with  Mr.  Harman.  —  Retrospect  of 
1841  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  167 

1842. 

His  Hopes  and  Fears  in  1842. — Barry's  Pictures  and  Character. 

—  Discouragement  of  British  Art. — Vindictiveness  of  the 
Critics.  —  Alexander  and  the  Lion  begun.  —  Working  under 
Difficulties.  —  Good  Landlords  :  Rumohr's  Letters.  —  Rumohr 
on  Modern  Art.  —  Rumohr  on  German  Art. — At  AVork  at  Sara- 
gossa.  —  Sketches  for  Saragossa.  —  Wordsworth.  —  Words- 
worth's Knowledge  of  Art.  —  Rumohr  on  Modern  Art.  —  Details 
as  to  Wilkie's  Death.  —  Beginning  his  Cartoon.  —  Cartoon 
Drawing :  Necessities.  —  Rumohr  on  Cartoons.  —  At  his 
Cartoons.  —  Miss  Barrett's  Sonnet  on  Wordsworth.  —  Rumohr 
on  German  Art    -  -  -  -  -  -197 


THE    THIRD    VOLUME.  Yll 

1843. 
A   New   Year.  —  Obtains  Armour    from  the   Tower.  —  Letter 
to    Eastlake.  —  Finishes    Cartoons.  —  Misery   and    Relief.  — 
The   Cartoon  Exhibition.  —  Not   successful.  —  The   Struggle 

Do 

with)  Disappointment.  —  Still  struggles  with  Disappointment. — 
Sir  George  Cockburn  on  Napoleon. —  On  his  ill  Success. — 
Letter  to  the  Duke  of  Sutherland.  —  Turning  out  Napoleons.  — 
British  Institution  ....        Page  241 

1844. 

Letter  from  Sir  Joshua's  Niece.  —  At  Work.  —  More  Napoleons 
Musing.  —  Lectures  at  the  Royal  Institution .  —  A  Fete  with 

the  Buonarroti Large  and  small  Pictures.  —  The  Duke  in 

a  Passion.  —  Frescos  in  the  Royal  Exchange.  —  Decoration 
of  Houses  of  Parliament.  —  Illness  of  his  Son  Frank.  —  Picture 
Cleaning.  —  Sketches  Aristides.  —  Review  of  1844        -         268 


1845. 

At  Fifty-nine :  the  Blind  Fiddler.  —  Prayer  for  Success.  — 
Painting  the  Devil.  —  Plan   in   Substitution  of  the  Academy. 

—  Praise  from  "The  Times."  —  Wordsworth  in  a  Court  Dress. 

—  Harass.  —  Saved  from  an  Execution.  —  A  new  Pupil.  — 
A  Visit  to  Sir  Joshua's  Niece. — An  Application  to  Sir  R.  Peel. 
— At  Work  on  Nero.  —  Prayer  at  the  End  of  the  Year         293 

1846. 

Dining  in  the  Wellington  Statue.  —  Advertising  his  Exhibition. — 
Letter  from  Wordsworth.  —  The  Touchers  and  the  Polishers. — 
Beginning  his  Third  Picture.  —  In  Edinburgh.  —  Preparing 
for  Exhibition.  —  Failure  of  the  Exhibition.  —  At  Bay.  — 
The  End.  —  His  Will.  —  His  Character.  —  His  Times  in  Rela- 
tion to  Art.  —  Estimate  of  him  as  an  Artist  -  -    322 

Appendix  I.  -  -  -  -  -381 

II.  -  -  -  -  -     386 

„      HI.  -  -  -  -  -  -     389 


MEMOIRS 


OP 


BENJAMIN   KOBERT  HAYDON, 


FROM  HIS  JOURNALS. 


VOL.  III. 


MEMOIRS 


OP 


BENJAMIN    ROBERT    HAYDON, 

FROM  HIS  JOURNALS. 


1835. 

Haydon  inaugurated  this  year  with  a  picture  of  Achilles 
revealing  his  Sex  at  the  court  of  Lycomedes,  by  his 
sudden  forsaking  of  womanly  ornaments  for  arms.  But 
he  was  soon  compelled  to  quit  a  large  and  heroic  subject 
for  smaller  and  more  saleable  works.  His  necessities 
this  whole  year  through  were  severe  ;  and  embarrass- 
ments, continually  accumulating,  were  met  by  every  ex- 
pedient that  urgent  wants  and  sanguine  hopes  could 
suggest.  The  year  was  one  of  keen  political  excitement. 
The  Peel  Ministry  resigned,  and  the  Whigs  returned  to 
power  under  Lord  Melbourne.  The  burning  of  the 
Houses  of  Parliament  the  year  before  had  given  an 
opening  for  hope  that  some  arrangement  for  Art-deco- 
ration might  be  made  in  the  new  building,  and  provision 
for  this  was  urgently  pressed  on  the  Ministry  by  Haydon 
in  and  out  of  season. 

The  appointment  of  Mr.  Ewart's  select  committee  of 
inquiry  into  the  means  of  extending  a  knowledge  of  the 
arts  and  principles  of  design,  including  an  inquiry  into 
the  constitution  of  the  Royal  Academy,  and  the  effects 


4  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  E.  HAYDON".  [1835. 

produced  by  it,  (the  appointment  of  which  may  be  attri- 
buted in  a  considerable  degree  to  Haydon,)  afforded  him 
an  opportunity  he  had  long  sought  of  impressing  his 
views  on  Parliament  and  the  people.  But  these  pro- 
spects and  hopes  were  dimmed  by  the  loss  of  one  of  his 
children,  and  his  anxieties  were  not  lessened  by  the 
birth  of  another. 

"January  6th* — A  pupil  of  David  spent  the  evening 
with  me.  David  said  a  good  thing  to  him,  '  When  you 
cease  to  struggle,  you  are  done  for.'  This  is  more  like 
Napoleon. 

"  At  the  Polish  ball  the  Lord  Mayor  (who  squints) 
said  to  Lady  Douglas,  '  Which  do  you  prefer,  my  Lady, 
Gog  or  Magog  ? '  '  Of  the  three?  she  replied,  '  your 
Lordship.'    • 

"  Rubbed  in  Milton  and  his  daughter  selling  Para- 
dise Lost,  and  Eloi'se  and  Abelard  at  their  studies. 
Preparing  for  the  year's  work. 

"  The  people  are  in  a  dreadful  condition; — the  ex- 
citement beyond  all  belief.  I  have  not  stirred  from  my 
painting-room.  I  hate  to  have  my  mind  disturbed. 
The  Tories  say  the  people  must  go  through  a  crisis.  It 
is  their  obstinacy  which  has  produced  it. 

"  1th.  — Rubbed  in  two  new  subjects  —  Milton  at  his 
Organ,  dear  Mary  at  her  Glass.  Saw  Lady  Blessington 
to  borrow  an  armlet. 

"  10th.  —  Read  Mignet's  History  of  the  Revolution. 
Extraordinary  that  all  the  murders  of  the  French  Revo- 
lution were  perpetrated  according  to  law,  and  on  an 
abstract  principle  of  virtue.  '  La  terreur  sans  vertu  est 
une  crime :  la  vertu  sans  terreur  est  une  faiblessej  said 
Robespierre. 

*  The  21st  volume  of  the  Journals  begins  with  this  year,  with 
the  motto,  "A  man  shall  not  be  established  by  wickedness,  but  the 
root  of  the  righteous  shall  not  be  moved.  They  that  trust  in  the 
Lord  shall  be  as  Mount  Sion,  which  cannot  be  moved,  but  abideth 
for  ever." 


1835.]     APPLICATION  TO  THE  DUKE  FOE  A  SITTING.       5 

«  iQth.  —  In  the  city  on  business;  much  harassed  in 
money  matters. 

"  17  th. — Rubbed  in  Samson  and  Dalilah. 

"  Raced  the  town  to  raise  money.  Got  a  commission 
to  paint  the  Duke  on  the  field  of  Waterloo,  from  Boys 
the  printseller.      Sentiment  with  the  Duke  won't  do. 

"  '  4,  Burwood  Place,  January  19th,  1835. 

"  '  May  it  please  your  Grace, 

"  '  To  permit  me  to  intrude  a  moment,  and  to  inform  your 
Grace,  with  your  leave,  that  I  have  received  a  commission 
to  paint  your  Grace  musing  on  the  field  of  Waterloo,  to  be 
engraved  as  a  pendant  to  the  picture  I  had  the  honour  to 
paint  for  Sir  Robert  Peel,  of  Napoleon  musing  at  St.  Helena 
. —  conqueror  and  captive. 

"  '  1st.  May  I  presume  to  ask  your  Grace  to  give  me  leave 
to  make  a  chalk  sketch  of  your  sword  and  dress,  such  as  you 
wore  at  "Waterloo  under  your  cloak  ? 

'"2nd.  Would  there  he  any  hope  of  being  allowed  to  attend 
your  Grace  for  half  an  hour,  and  make  a  rapid  sketch  of 
your  Grace's  figure,  at  any  time  early  or  late  ? 

"  '  I  acknowledge  to  your  Grace  I  approach  you  with  every 
delicacy,  and  prepared  to  withdraw  with  every  apology, 
should  this  intrusion,  considering  my  feelings  as  a  conserva- 
tive  Reformer  and  Whig,  be  considered  unwarrantable  or  im- 
pertinent. But  as  I  never  scrupled  to  express  my  enthu- 
siasm for  your  genius  to  any  party,  I  anticipate  your  pardon, 
even  if  your  Grace  refuses  consent. 

"  '  With  the  same  respect  as  dictated  my  letter  to  your 
Grace  when  you  relinquished  the  Government  in  1830, 

"  '  I  remain, 
"  '  Your  Grace's  faithful  servant, 

"  '  B.  R.  Hatdon. 

"  '  To  his  Grace  the  Duke  of  Wellington,  &c.' 

"  '  The  Duke  of  Wellington  presents  his  compliments  to 
Mr.  Haydon,  and  has  received  his  note. 

"  '  The  Duke  hopes  Mr.  Haydon  will  excuse  him,  but  he 

really  has  not  leisure  at  present  to  sit  for  a  picture. 

"  '  London,  March  22nd,  1835.' 

B  3 


6  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  E.  HAYDON.  [1835. 

■'c31s£. —  All  of  a  sudden  yesterday  a  new  conception 
of  the  Duke  burst  into  my  head.  I  took  up  a  canvas 
and  in  two  hours  dashed  in  the  best  conception  by  far, — 
the  one  that  shall  be  engraved.  Wrote  a  strong  letter 
to  the  Times  on  the  National  Gallery. 

"  The  month  ends,  and  I  have  worked  well.  I  have 
had  comparative  peace.  I  consider  it  a  good  beginning 
to  have  had  an  order  connected  with  Wellington.  The 
next  month  begins  to-morrow,  and  a  dreadful  pecuniary 
want  I  anticipate  ;  but  my  old  fire  is  revived.  I  have 
begun  again  on  public  encouragement,  and  again  will 
I  be  in  the  thick  of  the  fight.  I  trust  for  extrication 
and  salvation  to  that  Being  to  whom  I  have  always 
trusted,  and  feel  confident  I  shall  not  trust  in  vain. 

"February  1st. — Sunday.  Called  on  Lord  Melbourne. 
He  was  lounging  over  the  Edinburgh  Review.  He 
began  instantly,  '  Why  here  are  a  set  of  fellows  who 
want  public  money  for  scientific  purposes,  as  well  as 
you  for  painting;  they  are  a  set  of  ragamuffins.'  '  That's 
the  way,'  said  I;  'nobody  has  any  right  to  public  money 
but  those  who  are  brought  up  to  politics.  Are  not 
painting  and  science  as  much  matter  of  public  benefit  as 
political  jobbing  ?  You  never  look  upon  us  as  equals  ; 
but  any  scamp  who  trades  in  politics  is  looked  on  as  a 
companion  for  my  Lord.'  '  That  is  not  true,'  said  he. 
'  I  say  it  is,'  said  I ;  and  he  then  roared  with  laughter, 
and  rubbed  his  hands. 

"He  had  been  to  Woburn,  where  he  had  met  Chantrey 
and  Landseer  ;  I  could  not  get  him  to  touch  on  politics. 
'  Lord  Melbourne,  will  you  make  me  a  promise?'  '  What 
is  that  ? '  '  Pass  your  word  to  get  a  vote  of  money  for 
Art,  if  you  are  premier  again.'      Not  a  word. 

"No  old  politician  ever  speaks  on  politics  so  as  to 
give  you  a  notion  of  what  is  going  on. 

"  After  chatting  a  good  while  about  everything,  I  bid 
him  good  bye. 


1835.]    A  DIFFICULTY  ABOUT  THE  DUKE'S  CLOTHES.      7 

"  3rd.  —  At  the  Duke's,  and  sketched  the  cloak  he 
wore  at  Waterloo,  the  coat,  plain  hat,  &c.  To-morrow 
they  are  to  be  sent  to  me.  The  contrast  of  his  house 
with  Lord  Grey's  was  extraordinary.  I  was  shown  into 
a  waiting  parlour  full  of  pistols  and  muskets.  All  about 
Lord  Grey  was  anti-military,  while  everything  seems  to 
be  martial  about  the  Duke. 

"  Mugford,  his  steward,  told  me  the  Duke  had  given 
him  the  cloak,  and  God  only  knew  where  the  hat  was. 
Is  this  simplicity,  absence  of  vanity  or  want  of  senti- 
ment in  the  Duke  ?  Napoleon  dwelt  on,  often  looked 
at  and  left  to  his  son  the  coat  he  wore  at  Marengo  and 
the  sword  of  Austerlitz. 

"  9th.  —  Worked  unsatisfactorily.  The  Duke  lent 
me  his  hat,  belt  and  coat." 

Unluckily  Hay  don  wrote  to  thank  him  for  his  kind- 
ness. 

This,  it  appears  from  the  next  letter,  was  rather  a 
mistake. 

"London,  February  7th,  1835. 
"  Sir, 
"  I  received  last  night  your  letter  of  the  6th,  in  which  you 
inform  me  that  you  had  applied  to  and  obtained  from  my 
servant  one  of  my  coats,  and  that  you  had  painted  a  picture 
of  me  which  you  wished  me  to  see,  and  which  was  ready  for 
the  engraver. 

"  You  wrote  to  me  on  the  19th  January  to  inform  me  that 
you  had  received  a  commission  to  paint  a  picture  of  me.  I 
told  you  in  answer  that  I  had  not  time  to  sit  for  a  picture. 
You  then  wrote  to  desire  that  I  would  order  my  servant  to 
let  you  see  my  coat,  &c,  to  which  letter  I  gave  no  answer. 

"  You  thought  proper,  however,  to  go  to  my  servant,  and 
procure  from  him  one  of  my  coats,  &c,  without  any  order  or 
consent  on  my  part,  and  you  now  come  to  me  to  desire  me 
to  inspect  the  picture  before  it  goes  to  the  engraver. 

"I  have  no  objection  to  any  gentleman  painting  any 
picture  of  me  that  he  may  think  proper  ;  but  if  I  am  to 

b  4 


8  jMEMOIUS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1835. 

have  anything  to  say  to  the  picture,  either  in  the  way  of 
sitting  or  sending  a  dress,  or  in  any  other  manner,  I  con- 
sider myself,  and  shall  be  considered  by  others,  as  responsible 
for  it. 

"  I  must  say  that  I  by  no  means  approve  of  the  subject  of 
the  picture  which  you  have  undertaken  to  paint.  Paint  it, 
if  you  please,  but  I  will  have  nothing  to  say  to  it. 

"  To  paint  the  Emperor  Napoleon  on  the  rock  of  St. 
Helena  is  quite  a  different  thing  from  painting  me  on  the 
field  of  battle  of  Waterloo.  The  Emperor  Napoleon  did  not 
consent  to  be  painted.  But  I  am  to  be  supposed  to  consent ; 
and  moreover,  I  on  the  field  of  battle  of  Waterloo  am  not 
exactly  in  the  situation  in  which  Napoleon  stood  on  the  rock 
of  St.  Helena. 

"  But  a  painter  should  be  a  historian,  a  philosopher,  a 
politician,  as  well  as  a  poet  and  a  man  of  taste. 

"  Now  if  you  will  consider  the  subject  of  the  picture  to 
which  you  desire  me  to  be  a  party  in  the  year  1835,  in  any 
one  of  these  characters,  you  will  see  full  reason  why  you 
should  not  choose  that  subject ;  and  why  I  should  not 
consent  to  be  a  party  to  the  picture. 

"  I  have  the  honour  to  be,  Sir, 

"  Your  most  obedient,  humble  servant, 

"  Wellington." 

Haydon  wrote  at  once  to  explain  the  impression  he 
had  been  under  that  it  was  with  the  Duke's  permission 
that  the  valet  had  furnished  the  clothes,  and  aTterwards 
sent  this  letter  in  addition  :  — 

"  London,  February  8th,  1835. 
"  My  Lord  Duke, 
"  Having,  I  hope,  exculpated  myself  from  the  accusation 
of  going  to  your  servant,  contrary  to  your  wishes,  to  obtain, 
by  tampering  with  him,  what  your  Grace  objected  to  grant, 
though  I  was  ignorant  of  such  objection,  may  I  now  venture 
to  reply  to  the  latter  part  of  your  letter  ? 

"Your  Grace  says  '  a  painter  should  be  a  philosopher,  a 
historian,  a  politician,  a  poet  and  a  man  of  taste.' 


1835.]  COEKESPONDENCE    WITH    THE    DUKE.  9 

"  It  really  appears  to  me,  your  Grace,  that  imagining  a 
great  general  visiting  the  field  of  his  greatest  battle  after 
many  years  is  both  natural  and  poetical ;  that  the  musings 
that  must  occur  to  him  there  would  be  philosophical ;  and 
though  it  would  not  be  strictly  historical  if  it  had  not  hap- 
pened, yet  there  is  surely  no  bad  taste  in  contrasting  the 
conqueror  with  the  vanquished,  or  in  showing  the  one  in  his 
deserved  desolation,  and  the  other  in  his  deserved  triumph. 

"  '  I  on  the  field  of  Waterloo  am  not  exactly  in  the  same 
situation  as  Napoleon  on  the  rock  of  St.  Helena,'  your  Grace 
adds.  Certainly,  I  reply.  It  is  because  your  Grace  is  in  a 
different  situation,  that  I  glory  in  placing  you  there,  and 
that  the  public  and  the  army  will  glory  in  seeing  you  there. 

"  With  respect  to  the  subject,  it  occurred  to  me  at  the  time 
I  painted  Sir  Robert  Peel's  picture  of  Napoleon.  I  had 
always  resolved  to  do  my  best  to  honour,  as  far  as  my  pencil 
could  honour,  that  man  who  dared  in  face  of  the  world  to 
break  the  chain  of  an  imagined  invincibility,  who  returned 
to  his  own  country  encircled  by  a  splendour  of  fame  which 
wrill  last  as  long  as  the  earth  he  inhabits,  who  came  back 
from  the  command  of  a  victorious  army  a  simple  citizen, 
subjecting  himself  to  the  same  laws  and  paying  allegiance  to 
the  same  sovereign  as  the  humblest  individual  in  the  land 
he  saved. 

"  Ah,  your  Grace,  you  were  wanted,  and  your  genius  had 
full  scope,  because  you  were  necessary ;  but  it  is  not  impos- 
sible to  imagine  a  genius  in  another  way,  who  loves  his 
country  with  equal  devotion  and  feels  equally  conscious  of 
being  able  to  honour  it,  but  whose  talents  are  not  in  demand 
and  who  is  only  aware  of  the  extent  of  his  power  from  the 
torture  of  suppression,  who  passes  his  life  in  vain  aspirations 
for  opportunities  which  will  never  be  granted  him,  and  who 
will  go  out  of  the  world  pitied,  disappointed  and  ruined. 

"  With  respect  to  the  immediate  facts  connected  with  the 
commission  alluded  to,  they  are  as  follows:  — 

"  It  was  accidentally  proposed  by  a  printseller  who  had 
purchased  the  copyright  of  Napoleon  that  I  should  paint 
your  Grace  at  Waterloo.  I  naturally  seized  the  order  with 
avidity,  for  I  was  totally  without  employment.    Your  Grace 


10  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  IIAYDON.  [1835. 

cannot  blame  me  for  this,  when  I  tell  you  I  have  six  children, 
one  a  midshipman  in  the  Wolf,  Captain  Stanley,  one  a 
scholar  at  Wadham  College,  Oxford,  and  four  at  home,  and 
that,  as  Johnson  said,  I  have  still  to  provide  for  the  day  that 
is  passing  over  me.  Your  Grace  cannot  wonder  then  that  I 
was  ready  to  do  what  I  conceived  would  honour  you,  as  well 
as  provide  subsistence  for  my  family,  at  least  for  a  month 
more. 

'  Two-thirds  of  the  purchase-money  was  paid;  so  that  there 
is  no  method  of  stopping  publication,  but  by  purchasing  the 
picture  of  them  and  the  copyright,  and  this  it  is  not  worth 
your  Grace's  while  to  do. 

"  With  respect  to  the  large  picture  which  I  have  begun 
and  prepared  for  completion,  the  same  size  as  Sir  Robert 
Peel's  Napoleon,  which  is  entirely  my  own  property,  that, 
note  I  know  your  feelings,  I  pass  your  Grace  my  word  of 
honour  to  proceed  with  no  further  without  your  leave,  and 
to  obliterate  it  without  delay  if  you  desire  it. 

"  1  trust,  therefore,  I  shall  now  regain  your  opinion  as  a 
gentleman,  and  remain 

"  Your  Grace's  admirer  and  servant, 

"  B.  R.  Haydon. 

"  His  Grace  the  Duke  of  Wellington,  &c." 

"  London,  February  9th,  1835. 
"  Sir, 

."  I  have  had  the  honour  of  receiving  your  letter  of  the  8th 
inst.  In  the  letter  which  I  wrote  to  you  on  Saturday  I 
stated  my  reason  for  disapproving  of  your  having  applied  to 
my  servant  for  my  clothes  without  my  previous  consent. 

"  The  same  reason  still  exists.  I  am  not  and  cannot  be  a 
party  to  or  an  encourager  of  the  picture  which  you  are 
painting  of  me.  Do  as  you  please  with  it.  But  I  have 
nothing  to  say  to  it. 

"  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  your  communication  with 
my  servants,  without  my  previous  permission,  was  not 
regular.     I  cannot  say  otherwise. 

"  I  have  the  honour  to  be,  Sir, 

"  Your  most  obedient,  humble  servant, 

"  Wellington." 


1835.]  THE    DUKE    OBLITERATED.  11 

"  I  wrote  his  Grace,  saying,  I  admitted  it  was  not  re- 
gular, but  that  I  certainly  had  an  impression  the  clothes 
could  never  have  come  to  me  but  through  his  leave ; 
that  my  thanking  him  for  them  was  an  evidence  of  my 
belief,  and  that  he  never  could  have  known  I  had  them 
if  I  had  not  informed  him ;  that  I  had  destroyed  the 
large  picture,  and  should  destroy  the  small  one  if  the 
purchaser  was  disposed  to  accede.  To  this  I  received 
the  following  answer :  — 


o 


"  <  Sir, 


"'Lonrlon,  February  11th,  1835. 


"  '  I  have  already  told  you  that  I  have  not  the  smallest  ob- 
jection to  your  painting  and  engraving  a  picture  of  me  in 
any  way  you  please,  and  in  any  costume.  It  is  impossible 
for  me  to  have  any  feeling  on  the  subject,  provided  that  it  is 
clearly  understood  that  I  am  no  party  to  the  picture. 
"  '  I  have  the  honour  to  be,  Sir, 

"  '  Your  most  obedient,  humble  servant, 

" '  Wellington.' 

"  \2th. — Worked  hard.  At  the  first  dawn  of  morn- 
ing had  a  flash  of  an  Imperial  Guard  musing  at 
"Waterloo,  as  a  fitter  companion  for  Napoleon.  Finished 
it  over  the  Duke !  This  is  the  first  time  an  Imperial 
Guard  extinguished  the  Duke." 

The  result  of  this  correspondence,  so  characteristic 
on  both  sides,  was  that  the  publication  of  the  print  was 
arrested  for  the  time. 

"  lAith.  —  Out  whole  day  ;  —  very  much  harassed;  — 
sold  the  Imperial  Guard  to  Ackerman  for  31/.  10s.  Came 
home  relieved.  To  work  Monday,  but  still  harassed. 
Thanks  to  God  for  this  relief! 

"21  st.  —  These  times  are  serious  indeed.  Never  were 
political  feelings  deeper,  more  determined,  or  more 
threatening.  Literature  and  Art  will  be  sacrificed.  I 
can  get  nobody  to  think  of  Art,  and  the  question,  which 


12  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1835. 

was  becoming  one  of  great  interest,  is  going  out  entirely. 
Individually  my  standing  in  society  is  decidedly  im- 
proved. But  my  want  of  employment  is  as  great  as  ever. 
I  feel  inspired,  elevated  in  divine  God  !  I  feel  inter- 
nally in  communication  with  the  Deity,  as  if  he  were 
near,  nearer  than  ever,  as  if  I  were  sure  of  support, 
though  in  trial. 

"  God  !  —  "What  can  these  mysterious  struggles  mean? 
Why,  if  gifted  with  high  power  in  my  art,  is  it  always 
to  be  developed  by  trouble  and  want  ?  Even  now,  I 
begin  the  day  with  only  one  sovereign  in  the  world,  and 
must  send  some  sketches  to  the  pawnbroker  for  exist- 
ence. I  wrote  to  Lord  Melbourne  and  offered  him  a 
study  of  himself  for  ten  guineas.     No  reply. 

"26th.  —  Began  Lord  Grey  Musing.  Worked  sot- 
tishly,  stupidly,  inefficiently,  leadenly. 

"  27th.  —  Went  to  the  city  in  a  state  of  misery  not 
to  be  expressed.  Called  on  Moon,  the  printseller.  I 
told  him  of  my  dreadful  situation.  He  is  to  call  this 
day.  I  had  written  to  Lord  Egerton,  offering  to  paint 
the  fire  of  the  Houses  of  Parliament  for  501.  He  an- 
swered he  had  not  room  for  pictures,  and  sent  twenty 
guineas.  Horrid  work,  this  perpetual  charitable  assist- 
ance. This  is  only  additional  evidence  of  what  I  have 
always  said:  when  a  house  is  full  of  old  works  there  is 
no  room  for  existing  talent.  Came  home  in  better  spirits. 
Went  to  Lady  Blessington's  in  the  evening. 

"Everybody  goes  to  Lady  Blessington's.  She  has 
the  first  news  of  everything,  and  everybody  seems  de- 
lighted to  tell  her.  No  woman  will  be  more  missed. 
She  is  the  centre  of  more  talent  and  gaiety  than  any 
other  woman  of  fashion  in  London. 

"March  1st.  —  Called  on  Lord  Melbourne,  and  found 
him  reading  the  Acts,  with  a  quarto  Greek  Testament 
that  belonged  to  Samuel  Johnson,  given  to  him  by  Lady 
Spencer. 


1835.]      ANOTHER    PETITION   TO    TIIE    COMMONS.  13 

"  '  Is  not  the  world,  Lord  Melbourne,  an  evidence  of 
perpetual  struggle  to  remedy  a  defect  ? '  '  Certainly,' 
he  mused  out.  '  If,  as  Milton  says,  we  were  sufficient 
to  have  stood,  why  did  we  fall  ?'  Lord  Melbourne  rose 
bolt  up,  and  replied,  '  Ah,  that's  touching  on  all  our 
apprehensions.' 

"  We  then  swerved  to  Art.  He  advised  me  not  to 
petition  before  E wart's  motion.  He  advised  me  to  see 
Ewart  and  judge  of  his  character.  I  told  him  that  all 
the  Ministers  began  with  enthusiasm  and  ended  by  doubt, 
because  they  first  saw  the  propriety  of  my  propositions, 
and  then  asked  advice  of  the  Academy,  who,  perfectly 
contented  with  their  monopoly  and  emolument,  denied 
the  necessity  of  State  support. 

('4th.  —  Nearly  finished  the  Duke  of  Sutherland's 
small  Napoleon. 

"5th.  —  Idle.  Went  to  Hamilton  to  consult  about 
this  Committee  for  the  building  of  the  Lords.  Called 
on  Hume,  who  was  knocked  up  a-bed. 

"  6th.  —  Called  on  dear  Hamilton.  Carried  him  the 
petition*,  and  we  laid  our  heads  together,  to  improve  it. 

*  The  following  is  the  petition  addressed  by  Haydon  to  the 
Commons'  and  Lords'  Building  Committee,  which  was  presented 
by  Lord  Morpeth  :  — 

"The  humble  petition  of  B.  R.  Haydon,  historical  painter,  to  the 
Rio-ht  Hon.  the  Chairman  and  Committee  of  the  House  of  Com- 
mons'  and  Lords'  Building  Committee, 

"  Showeth,  —  1.  That  it  is  now  nineteen  years  since,  at  the  period 
of  the  purchase  of  the  Elgin  Marbles,  the  committee  appointed  to 
make  that  arrangement  concluded  the  report  upon  the  subject  by 
recommending  to  the  attention  of  the  Legislature  the  great  ad- 
vantage which  had  accrued  to  painting  and  sculpture  in  so  small 
a  state  as  Attica  by  the  patronage  of  the  government. 

"2.  That  though  indisputable  talent  has  been  developed  in 
painting  by  very  liberal  though  private  patronage  in  England,  of 
those  branches  which  private  patronage  can  advance,  viz.,  portrait, 
peasant-life,  landscape,  sea  views,  animal  painting,  and  still  life  ; 


14  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1835. 

He  suggested  a  great  improvement.    I  went  to  Halket's 
and   wrote   a  fair  copy.     Drove  to   the   House.     The 


yet  in  historical  painting  enough  has  not  yet  been  done,  either  by 
painters  or  by  the  State,  to  establish  the  character  of  Great  Britain 
in  the  opinion  of  foreign  nations  as  a  historical  school :  this  cannot 
be  attributed  to  any  deficiency  of  genius,  because  great  excellence 
has  occasionally  been  shown  in  individual  and  insulated  works,  but 
solely  because  there  was  no  adequate  space  or  existing  necessity, 
it  is  supposed,  to  justify  the  State  in  affording  that  encouragement 
by  which  alone  in  foreign  countries  those  who  attained  eminence 
have  been  always  supported. 

"  3.  That  it  appears  to  your  petitioner  that  the  obligation  to  re- 
build the  two  Houses  of  Parliament  will  at  last  give  to  the  Legis- 
lature or  to  the  Government  the  most  favourable  opportunity  of 
developing  the  acknowledged  talent  now  in  England,  by  State 
employment. 

"  4.  That  if  spaces  were  assigned  in  the  old  House  of  Lords  for 
designs  in  tapestry  to  commemorate  a  great  national  triumph,  no 
just  reason  can  now  be  given  why  equal  spaces  should  not  be  left 
in  the  new  House  for  the  commemoration  by  painting  of  other 
national  triumphs  equally  important. 

"  5.  That  your  petitioner  has  no  personal  object  in  thus  intruding 
himself  on  your  notice,  having  for  thirty  years  of  an  anxious  life 
given  public  evidence  of  being  always  more  animated  by  a  love  for 
his  country's  honour,  than  by  any  desire  for  gain  or  emolument; 
but  there  can  be  no  dereliction  of  principle  in  respectfully  saying 
he  is  ready  at  a  moment's  notice  to  lay  a  series  of  designs  before 
your  right  honourable  Committee,  to  illustrate  the  superiority  of 
the  British  Constitution,  as  a  fit  ornament  for  a  British  senate- 
house  :  and  he  is  equally  ready,  if  others  are  considered  more 
worthy,  to  contribute  his  support  in  helping  to  execute  their 
designs ;  his  anxious  desire  being  principally  to  get  the  principle 
acknowledged  and  acted  on,  and  to  direct  the  attention  of  the 
Committee  to  the  value  of  the  great  opportunity  thus  placed  within 
their  reach,  and  to  urge  them  to  consider  the  vast  benefits  which 
may  accrue  to  the  arts  and  manufactures  e-f  this  country,  if  this 
favourable  moment  be  seized  for  the  encouragement  of  historical 
painting,  which  has  been  so  long,  so  ardently  and  so  helplessly  ex- 
pected, during  the  last  century,  by  all  the  greatest  men  in  the 
nation. 

"  6.  That  as  the  House  has  with  the  greatest  liberality  spent  a 


1835.]      PETITION   TO    THE   HOUSE    OF    COMMONS.         15 


Building  Committee  were  sitting.  I  sent  it  in  to  the 
chairman,  Lord  Granville  Somerset,  and  prayed  for 
success.  God  grant  it !  Thou  knowest  I  have  never 
given  in. 

«  7tfi._Finished  the  Duke  of  Sutherland's  Napoleon. 
Called  on  Hamilton,  who  advised  me  to  send  a  copy  of 
the  petition  to  the  Duke  of  Wellington,  which  I  did. 

"  I  am  most  anxious  about  this  matter,  because  it 
really  is  the  climax  of  my  efforts,  to  obtain  which  I  have 

vast  sum,  viz.,  153,000/.,  in  procuring  the  finest  examples  to  guide 
the  native  artists  —  as  follows:  viz., — 

"  Townley  marbles     -             -             -             -  £20,000 

"  Elgin  marbles           -  35,000 

"  Phygaleian  marbles              -             -             -  19,000 

"  Angerstein  pictures              ...  58,000 

"  A  Titian,  Poussin,  and  Coreggio      -             -  10,000 

"  Lord  Londonderry's  Coreggios        -             -  11,000 

£153,000 

surely  something  might  now  be  done  to  reward  those  whose  works 
have  proved  these  examples  were  not  afforded  in  vain. 

'•  7.  That  the  memorials  of  former  times,  which  a  few  months  ago 
received  their  last  blow,  and  are  now  lost  for  ever,  testified,  that 
even  in  the  middle  ages  the  Sovereigns  of  this  country  gave  large 
and  liberal  encouragement  to  historical  painting  ;  for  the  walls  of 
St.  Stephen's  Chapel,  and  the  Painted  Chamber,  were  evidences  of 
the  conviction  entertained  that  it  was  to  the  interest  and  honour 
of  the  State  it  should  be  fostered  at  that  time. 

"  8.  That  your  petitioner  begs  to  conclude  by  appealing  to  your 
right  honourable  Committee,  whether  it  will  not  be  subject  of 
regret  to  tlie  future  historian  if  an  age  so  far  advanced  in  know- 
ledge,  and  so  distinguished  in  talent,  as  the  present,  should  prove 
itself  less  sensible  of  the  great  value  of  history-painting  than  one  so 
remote  and  comparatively  uncivilised  as  those  of  Henry  III.,  when 
the  two  Houses  of  Parliament  would  certainly  not  have  been  re- 
built without  the  embellishment  of  historical  painting. 

"  And  your  petitioner  will  ever  pray, 

"  B.  R.  Haydon. 
"London,  March  6. 

"4,  Burwood  Place,  Connaught  Terrace." 


16  MEMOIRS   OF    B.  E.  nAYDOTST.  [1835. 

staid  in  England,  neglected  to  go  to  Italy  and  devoted 
my  whole  life  to  the  accomplishment  of  this  great  na- 
tional object.  If  the  Committee,  Lords  or  Commons, 
if  the  Duke  take  it  up,  it  will  go  on.  God  only  knows. 
The  misery  is,  the  art  is  considered  but  as  an  embel- 
lishment, —  a  sort  of  gilding,  —  nothing  more. 

"  9th.  —  No  answer.  AVent  into  the  city  for  money. 
Came  back  disappointed. 

"Rubbed  in  a  grand  subject —  Orestes  hesitating  to 
murder  Clytemnestra,  —  ghost  of  Agamemnon. 

t(llth. —  Advanced  Lord  Grey  Musing.  It  will 
make  an  interesting  thing.  ,  Exceedingly  distressed  in 
mind  on  money-wants.  Wrote  to  the  Duke  of  Devon- 
shire." 

Hay  don  had  painted  at  this  time  a  small  picture  of 
Napoleon  at  St.  Helena  for  the  Duke  of  Sutherland. 
Just  after  the  picture  arrived  at  the  Duke's,  who  should 
enter  the  room  where  it  was  placed,  previously  to  being 
hung  up,  but  Lucien  Buonaparte  !  The  Duke,  who  was 
there  at  the  time,  told  Haydon  that  he  had  just  time  to 
turn  the  picture  to  the  wall. 

"  ]8th. — Hard  at  work  and  completed  my  little 
picture  of  a  Statesman  musing  after  a  Day's  Fag. 

"  Cassandra  much  liked.  One  of  the  papers  said  the 
*  Veteran  Haydon.'  This  is  the  first  step  towards  the 
grave.  By-and-bye,  '  Old  Haydon  ;  '  then  '  Poor  old 
Haydon.' 

"20th. — Rubbed  in  Mr.  Cowper,  and  Mrs.  Leicester 
Stanhope,  from  a  tableau  vivant  I  saw  at  her  house,  as 
a  Scotch  girl  and  lover ;  very  pretty. 

"  2 3 re/.  —  Saw  Ewart,  and  had  a  long  conversation 
previous  to  the  motion  for  a  Committee.  He  is  a  sen- 
sible man,  and  regulated  my  enthusiasm.  The  diffi- 
culties are  great,  but  he  will  do  it. 

"25th. — My  trials  are  severe,  yet  I  trust  in  God 
with  all  my  heart ;  and  if  I  had  really  begun  a  picture 


1835.]  AGHILLES  :    LORD    ABERCORN.  17 

all  would  be  right,  for  mind  in  artists  pre}Ts  upon  itself. 
Nous  verrons  demain  matin. 

"  28th. —  Took  my  dear  little  Georgy — beautiful 
little  creature  —  to  Sir  Charles  Clarke ;  —  was  there  all 
the  morning.  Then  called  on  Lord  Grey,  who  was 
looking  well.  He  is  going  to  put  the  Banquet  in  the 
dining-room,  which  will  do  me  good.  Then  came  home 
and  made  a  drawing  for  the  Achilles ;  appointed  a 
model  for  Monday  ;  but  so  many  pecuniary  anxieties 
will  accrue  next  week,  I  dread  to  think  of  the  loss  of 
time. 

"0  God!  what  507.  would  do!  —  Float  me  entirely 
in,  and  lay  the  foundation  again  of  triumph. 

"  I  was  obliged  to  take  out  five  heads — dear  Harry's* 
collection  of  Napoleons  —  and  pawn  them  for  7/.;  and 
now,  Saturday,  I  am  reduced  to  II.  15s.,  with  a  dear 
infant  ill,  and  bills  to  meet  next  week  to  the  amount  of 
50/.  Good  heavens  !  But  I  despair  not.  Oh,  no  !  I 
shall  be  relieved,  Began  Achilles  again,  which  I  wish 
I  had  never  left  for  trifles.  God  bless  me  through  it,  as 
He  has  always  blessed  me  through  all  my  works,  in  spite 
of  every  misery. 

"29th.  — Drank  wine  with  my  old  friend  Billy  f,  the 
dearest  friend  I  ever  had,  and  went  in  the  evening  to 
Lady  Blessington's.  She  described  Lord  Abercorn's 
conduct  at  the  Priory.  She  said  it  was  the  most  sin- 
gular place  on  earth.  The  moment  anybody  became 
celebrated  they  were  invited.  He  had  a  great  delight 
in  seeing  handsome  women.  Everybody  handsome  he 
made  Lady  Abercorn  invite ;  and  all  the  guests  shot, 
huntsd,  rode  or  did  what  they  liked,  provided  they 
never  spoke  to  Lord  Abercorn  except  at  table.  If  they 
met  him  they  were  to  take  no  notice. 

"  At  this  time  Thaddeus  of  Warsaw  was  making  a 

*  His  dead  boy. 

t  Newton,  his  landlord, — a  Phoenix  of  a  man. 
VOL.  III.  C 


18  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1835. 

noise.  '  'Gad,'  said  Lord  Abercorn,  '  we  must  have 
these  Porters.  Write,  my  dear  Lady  Abercorn.'  She 
wrote.  An  answer  came  from  Jane  Porter  that  they 
could  not  afford  the  expense  of  travelling.  A  cheque 
was  sent.  They  arrived.  Lord  Abercorn  peeped  at 
them  as  they  came  through  the  hall,  and  running  by 
the  private  staircase  to  Lady  Abercorn  exclaimed, 
'  Witches,  my  lady !  I  must  be  off,'  and  immediately 
started  post,  and  remained  away  till  they  were  gone. 

"  April  4th.  —  At  work  at  the  Achilles.  I  omitted 
to  subscribe  to  Soane's  tribute.  I  wrote  to  tell  him  I 
was  too  poor.  He  enclosed  me  directly  a  cheque  for 
10/.,  for  which  I  shall  give  him  a  share.*  He  ought  not 
to  have  done  so,  and  I  ought  not  to  have  accepted  it." 

On  the  8th  of  this  month  the  Peel  and  Wellington 
Cabinet  resigned. 

"  May  1st.  —  Hard  at  work,  and  nearly  completed 
'  We  are  a  ruined  Nation.'  Being  obliged  to  put  in  a 
couple  of  portraits  spoils  it ;  but  to  such  hard  uses  does 
necessity  drive  one.  Lord  Grey's  help  to-day  has  se- 
cured me  from  immediate  ruin,  and  under  the  blessing 
of  Providence  I  will  get  through.  On  Monday  I  return 
to  Achilles.     There,  there  only,  is  my  energy  fixed. 

"  7th.  —  I  painted  a  sirloin  yesterday  on  John  Bull's 
table  in  style.     Finished  the  Old  Tory." 

This  refers  to  a  capital  humorous  picture  of  a  lusty 
John  Bull  at  breakfast,  surrounded  with  every  luxury, 
and  proclaiming  the  ruin  of  the  country. 

"  June  1st.  —  Anxious  the  whole  day  about  my 
dearest  Georgy.  Sir  Charles  Clarke  came  and  said  she 
ought  to  do  well.  She  looked  like  a  suffering  and 
prostrate  lily.  We  had  her  baptized  in  case  of  the 
worst. 

"  5th.  —  Dearest  Georgy  will  die  like  the  last  three 

*  In  Lis  picture  of  Xenopbon. 


1835.]      DEATH  OF    A    DAUGHTER:    R.    COLBORNE.         19 

from  suffusion  of  the  brain  —  a  dreadful  disease.  As  I 
watched  her  to-night  in  her  convulsions,  her  beautiful 
head  had  a  look  of  power  and  grief  no  one  could  forget. 
It's  dreadful  work.  I  tried  to  sketch  her  dear  head, 
but  could  not.  The  look  was  of  another  world,  as  if 
she  saw  sights  we  could  not  see  and  heard  sounds  unfit 
for  our  mortality.  —  Sweet  innocent. 

"  7  th. — My  dearest  Georgy  died  to-day  at  ten 
minutes  before  six. 

"  14th.  —  I  have  no  employment.  My  landlord 
allows  me  to  pay  off  my  debt  to  him  by  Achilles,  and 
allows  me  51.  5s.  a  week  for  five  months  to  do  it  in. 

"  1 7  th.  —  Called  on  Ridley  Colborne  and  had  a  con- 
versation. It  is  extraordinary  how  ingenious  men  are 
to  find  excuses  for  the  errors  of  power,  and  how  very 
ready  they  are  to  join  the  hue  and  cry  against  unsup- 
ported opposers  of  it. 

"  Ridley  Colborne  put  forth  all  the  most  common- 
place truisms  with  the  gravest  oratorical  assumption,  in 
answer  to  my  questions.  At  last  I  said,  '  T\rill  you 
vote  for  the  Committee?'  He  drew  in  and  said,  '  I 
make  no  promise.' 

"  The  fact  is  the  aristocracy  are  determined  to  carry 
the  Academy  through.  The  Academy  is  a  necessary 
appendage  to  the  spring  fashions,  and  people  of  fashion 
can  no  more  do  without  it  than  they  can  do  without 
their  valets  or  ladies'  maids. 

"  22?id. —  Excessively  distressed.  No  employment 
but  my  landlord's  charity.  The  Session  is  passing. 
The  Academy  has  advanced  in  power.  They  will  get 
into  the  National  Gallery  and  laugh  at  the  country. 

"  23rd. — Visited  the  tomb  of  my  dear  children.*  I 
hope  I  shall  be  able  to  leave  something  to  keep  it  in 
order. 

*  In  Paddington  new  churchyard. 
c  2 


20  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1835. 

"  24th. —  Opened  the  Bible  in  an  agony  of  despairing 
thought.     Hit  at  once  on  the  following  passage  :  — 

"  '  I  will  go  before  thee,  and  make  the  crooked  paths 
straight ;  I  will  break  in  pieces  the  gates  of  brass,  and 
cut  asunder  the  bars  of  iron.'     Isaiah,  chap,  xiv.,  v.  2. 

"  A  passage  like  this  sent  me  through  Macbeth  in 
the  middle  of  want,  when  my  father  left  me. 

"  (Note.  October  30th. — It  sent  me  through  Achilles, 
then  painting,  and  will  support  me  while  I  live.) 

"July  14th.  —  I  tried  an  experiment  in  1830.  I 
Avrote  to  Sir  Robert  Peel  I  was  in  prison,  and  begged 
his  protection  of  my  family  from  the  brutal  tax-collector. 
He  wrote  to  the  Treasury  instantly,  and  orders  were 
issued  to  the  collector  to  wait.  As  soon  as  I  returned 
to  my  family  I  kept  my  word  with  Sir  Robert,  and 
paid  up  all  my  arrears. 

"  Now  I  am  in  such  necessity  I  cannot  pay  up  my 
arrears  and  register  myself.  I  have  written  Charles 
Wood,  and  told  him  about  Peel,  and  asked  him  to  help 
me  with  17/.,  and  I  will  repay  him  it  51.  at  a  time. 
We  shall  see.  This  will  be  a  fair  specimen,  and  I'll 
bet  five  to  one  Wood  refuses. 

"  They  may  say  what  they  like  of  Peel ;  he  has  a 
good,  a  tender  and  a  feeling  heart. 

"  14th. — Hard  at  work.  Wrote  the  Duke  of  Devon- 
shire, Lord  Morpeth  and  Hume  for  help  to  pay  my 
taxes.     Not  a  sixpence  from  either,  I'll  bet. 

"  15th. — Lord  Morpeth  helped  me." 

At  this  time,  to  Haydon's  great  triumph,  Mr.  Ewart 
obtained  his  Select  Committee  "to  inquire  into  the 
best  means  of  extending  a  knowledge  of  the  arts  and 
principles  of  design  among  the  people  (especially  among 
the  manufacturing  population)  of  the  country;  and 
also  to  inquire  into  the  constitution  of  the  Royal 
Academy,  and  the  effects  produced  by  it."  Haydon's 
unceasing  efforts  had  no  little  share  in  producing  this 


1835.]  ACHILLES    FINISHED:    NECESSITY.  21 

result,  and  the  triumph  he  expresses  about  it  is  natural. 
To  aid  the  promoters  of  the  inquiry,  he  wrote  letters  to 
the  newspapers,  and  determined  on  giving  lectures  at 
the  London  Mechanics'  Institute,  under  the  auspices  of 
Dr.  Birkbeck. 

"  18th.  —  Hard  at  work,  and  finished  another  little 
picture  of  '  We  are  a  ruined  Nation.' 

"  20th.  — I  lecture  at  the  Mechanics'  Institute.  It  is 
quite  an  experiment.  God  support  me.  I  hope  I  shall 
get  through.  As  to  matter  I  am  quite  sure ;  but  self- 
possession  in  face  of  a  multitude  is  different  from  self- 
possession  in  a  study. 

"22nd.  —  Finished  Achilles,  thanks  to  God!  Began 
it  April  1st.  Painted  three  weeks  on  other  things. 
Two  weeks  idling,  i.  e.  not  painting,  but  not  idleness  of 
mind. 

"  At  half-past  nine  my  dearest  Mary  presented  me 
with  a  boy.     Shall  I  call  the  dog  B.  R.  Haydon  ? 

"26th.  —  Began  Christ  raising  the  Widow's  Son. 
God  bless  my  commencement,  progression  and  con- 
cluding, and  the  same  protection  and  courage  to  con- 
quer difficulties  as  He  has  ever  granted,  and  render  this 
picture  as  well  as  Achilles  beneficial  to  my  dear  land- 
lord, Newton,  for  whom,  and  to  pay  off  whom,  they 
are  painted.     Amen  with  all  my  soul. 

"29th. —  Such  was  my  necessity  last  Saturday  I  was 
obliged  to  take  down  all  my  drawings  in  the  parlour 
while  Mary  was  actually  in  labour-pains,  and  raise 
money.  But  I  shall  carry  my  great  object,  and, 
glorious  creature,  she  will  suffer  anything  rather  than 
that  I  should  fail. 

"  Made  another  sketch  of  another  conception,  and  a 
much  finer  one.  I  painted  it  in  one  continual  agony. 
I  was  threatened  with  an  execution,  and  expected  at 
every  knock  to  see  the  man  enter.  Heart-breaking 
apprehensions  seized  me  at  intervals  of   thought,   but 

c  3 


22  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  It.  HAYDON.  [1835. 

I  got    through,    something   constantly  saying,    'Work 
away  and  trust  in  God.'     I  did  so,  and  succeeded. 

"Sept.  8th. —  Worked  hard,  and  brought  on  my 
picture  to  a  resting-point.  This  evening,  at  last,  I 
lectured*  at  the  Mechanics'  Institute.  After  all  my 
humiliations  it  was  at  first  a  rather  nervous  affair. 
The  audience  paid  me  keen  and  intense  attention,  and 
ultimately  were  enthusiastic.  One  man  said  my  de- 
livery was  perfect ;  another,  who  was  deaf,  said  my 
delivery  was  the  only  thing  wanting.  Dr.  Birkbeck 
said,  as  we  went  out,  '  You  have  got  'em  :  it  is  a  hit ; ' 
and  I  think  it  was.  I  laid  down  principles  which 
must  reform  English  Art,  and  I  had  an  audience  who 
gloriously  comprehended  them. 

"  26th.  —  The  agony  of  my  necessities  is  really 
dreadful.  For  this  year  I  have  principally  supported 
myself  by  the  help  of  my  landlord,  and  by  pawning 
everything  of  any  value  I  have  left,  until  at  last  it  is 
come  to  my  clothes,  a  thing  in  all  my  wants  I  never 
did  before.  I  literally  to-day  sent  out  my  dinner  suit, 
which  cost  10/.,  and  got  21.  \5s.  on  it  for  to-night's 
necessities.  Oh,  it  is  dreadful  beyond  expression !  I 
could  not  go  to  dearest  Mary  and  ask  her  for  her  little 
jewelries;  but  I  am  now,  if  invited  to  dinner,  without 
a  dress  to  dine  in. 

"  I  finished  the  feet  of  the  widow's  son  capitally,  and 
if  I  can  complete  the  hand  left  I  shall  have  done  the 
picture  ;  but  these  wants  press  hard  indeed.  '  Great  is 
the  glory,  for  the  strife  is  hard.' 

"  Painted  all  day,  but  in  great  anxiety. 

"  28th. —  Lay  awake  in  misery.  Threatened  on  all 
sides.  Feared  the  dreadful  effect  on  my  dear  Mary. 
Doubtful  whether  to  apply  to  the  Insolvent  Court  to 
protect  me,  or  let  ruin  come.     Wrote  to  Lord  Spencer 

*  This  was  the  first  of  the  published  lectures. 


1835.]  MEETING    OF    CREDITORS.  23 

and  Mr.  Harman  in  a  state  not  to  be  understood.  Im- 
proved the  picture,  and  not  having  a  shilling  sent  a  pair 
of  my  spectacles,  and  got  5  s.  for  the  day. 

"  29th.  —  Sent  the  tea-urn  off  the  table,  and  got  10s. 
for  the  day.  Shall  call  my  creditors  together.  In  God 
I  trust. 

"30th. —  My  worthy  landlord  called,  and  I  told  him 
my  horrid  condition.  He  behaved  well,  but  was  hurt  I 
had  not  told  him  before.  Painted  after  he  was  gone, 
but  in  a  harassed  state  not  to  be  described.  To-morrow 
is  the  meeting  :  God  enlighten  them !  I  go  to  sleep 
something  like  a  culprit  in  Newgate,  who  expects  to  be 
awakened  by  the  execution  bell.  God  protect  us  !  Let 
me  get  out  of  debt  this  time ;  if  ever  I  get  in  again 
punish  me. 

"  October  1st. — Harass,  threats,  harass.  Woi'ked  hard 
and  finished  the  drapery. 

"  2nd.  —  Harassed.  Awoke  at  two  with  heated  con- 
sciousness of  approaching  ruin.  Listened  if  dear  Mary 
was  ill ;  all  dead,  silent.  The  children  expect  some- 
thing, and  are  nervous.  The  servants  lag.  What  an 
instinct  there  is  in  a  house.  The  creditors  met  last 
night.  Some  got  up  in  the  midst  of  examining  my 
statements  to  look  at  my  picture  of  the  Widow's  Son. 
A  little,  fat,  worthy  fellow  said,  '  Just  returned  to  life ; 
yes,  indeed,  beautiful ! '  All  that  came  granted  me 
time. 

"  3rd.  —  Out  all  day  to  see  creditors.  One  at  Mar- 
gate, one  in  Devonshire,  and  so  forth.  Came  home, 
tired  and  irritable.  By  way  of  a  comfort,  served  with  a 
writ  in  the  evening  by  a  fellow  (who  would  not  come  to 
the  meeting)  for  books.  Hail  Sunday  —  solace  of  the 
dray-horse  and  the  debtor  —  Hail ! 

"  5th.  —  Out  with  my  dear  landlord,  and  quieted  two 
important  creditors.  As  a  proof  of  this  man's  innate 
goodness  of  heart,  he  said  as  we  went  along,  '  I  hope  I 

c  4 


24  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  E.  HAYDON.  [1835. 

shall  get  you  through.'  Came  home  and  looked  at  my 
picture  in  sorrow.     Nothing  Saturday  or  Monday. 

"  6th. — Worked  hard,  and  finished  the  widow's  son. 

"  7th.  —  Out  and  got  another  creditor  to  sign  till 
June,  1836.  Came  home  exceedingly  tired,  and  fell 
asleep  from  sheer  want  of  repose,  as  if  my  brain  was  in 
a  stupor. 

"8th. — Out  uselessly;  —  fatigued  to  death.  Looked 
at  my  picture. 

"  9th. — Worked  deliciously,  as  I  was  resolved  to  paint, 
let  what  would  happen.     This  ruined  me  in  1823. 

"  Painted  the  mother's  head, 

"  10th. — My  wedding-day.  Worked  hard  and  finished 
the  mother.  This  week  ended  so  far  well;  —  nearly  all 
my  creditors  have  agreed  to  my  terms,  but  still  there 
are  some  who  harass.  Last  Saturday  I  did  not  expect 
to  get  through  this  week;  but  I  trusted,  and  have 
done  it. 

"  13th.  —  Hard  at  work,  and  put  in  a  beautiful  head 
of  dearest  Mary. 

"  Called  on  Lord  Melbourne,  and  had  an  hour's  in- 
terview. '  Is  there  any  prospect,  my  Lord,  of  the 
House  of  Lords  being  ornamented  by  painting  ? '  *  No,' 
he  thundered  out,  and  began  to  laugh.  '  What  is  the 
use  of  painting  a  room  of  deliberation  ?  '  '  Ah,'  said  I, 
'  if  I  had  been  your  tutor  at  college  you  would  not  have 
said  that.'  He  rubbed  his  hands  again,  looking  the  picture 
of  mischief,  and  laughed  heartily.  I  then  said,  '  Let  me 
honour  your  reign.'  He  swaggered  about  the  room  in  his 
grey  dressing-gown,  —  his  ministerial  boxes  on  the  table, 
—  his  neck  bare,  —  and  a  fine  antique  one  it  was,  —  look- 
ing the  picture  of  handsome,  good-natured  mischief. 
'  Suppose,'  said  he,  '  we  employ  Calcott.'  '  Calcott, 
my  Lord,  —  a  landscape  painter !'  said  I.  '  Come,  my 
Lord,  this  is  too  bad.'  He  then  sat  down,  opened  his 
boxes  and  began  to  write.     I  sat  dead  quiet,  and  waited 


1835.]         DECORATING    THE    HOUSE    OF    LORDS.  25 

till  his  majesty  spoke.  '  What  would  you  chocse  ? ' 
'  Maintain  me  for  the  time,  and  settle  a  small  pension  to 
keep  me  from  the  workhouse.'  He  looked  up  with  real 
feeling.  '  Let  me,'  said  I,  e  in  a  week  bring  you  one 
side  as  I  would  do  it.'  He  consented,  and  we  parted 
most  amicably.     God  knows  what  will  come  of  it. 

"  16th.  —  Worked  very  hard,  and  delightfully.  Made 
a  sketch  of  one  side  of  the  House  of  Lords,  as  I  propose 
to  adorn  it,  —  with  a  series  of  subjects  to  illustrate  the 
principle  of  the  best  government  to  regulate  without 
cramping  the  liberty  of  man  : 

Anarchy     -  Banditti. 

Democracy           -  -  Banishment  of  Aristides. 

Despotism            -  -  Burning  of  Borne. 

Revolution           -  -  La  derniere  charette. 

Moral  Right        -  -  Establishment  of  Jury. 

Limited  Monarchy  -  King,  Lords  and  Commons. 

"  God  grant  this  victory  at  last. 

"  20th.  —  Out  again  —  was  so  miserable  at  not  being 
able  to  paint  I  came  home  and  set  to  work,  come  what 
would,  and  left  my  dear  landlord  to  attend  to  it. 

"  2lst.  —  Worked  hard  and  delightfully  at  Christ's 
head.  God  only  knows  if  successfully.  What  a  con- 
dition mine  is  !  No  prints  —  no  books  —  all  gone  as 
security  for  loans  to  support  my  family.  Yet  '  Go  on  ' 
I  ever  hear,  as  I  have  ever  heard  for  thirty  years.  God 
bless  me  with  health  and  vigour  of  mind  to  my  last 
gasp. 

"  28th.  —  On  Sunday  I  sent  down  by  Lord  Mel- 
bourne's desire  the  sketch  of  one  side  of  the  House  of 
Lords,  containing  pictures  to  illustrate  the  best  govern- 
ment for  man.  He  saw  it,  and  seemed  more  nettled 
than  pleased  I  had  proved  its  feasibility.  He  objected 
to  the  picture  of  Revolution  being  taken  from  the 
French.     He  said  the  French  Government  would  think 


26  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1835. 

it  an  insult ;  and  said  the  subjects  ought  all  to  refer  to 
the  House  of  Lords  and  English  history.  I  replied  it 
should  be  an  abstract  idea,  illustrated  from  the  history 
of  the  world.  After  musing  some  time  he  said,  '  It  cer- 
tainly does  express  what  you  mean,  but  I  will  have  nothing 
to  do  with  it.  He  then  went  on  bantering  me,  and  I 
replying  in  the  same  strain ;  —  it  was  an  amusing  duel. 

"  30th.  —  God  protect  us  —  Amen.  Sold  some  prints, 
which  relieved  our  actual  wants,  and  nearly  finished  the 
figure,  though  being  so  dark  it  may  want  supervision. 
I  think  I  may  say  I  am  beginning  to  reap  at  last,  in  ex- 
ecution, those  delights  I  looked  forward  to  when  dis- 
secting;;. 

"  God  in  heaven  grant  me  twenty  years  more  of 
meridian  powers." 

At  this  time  Lord  Brougham's  Discourse  of  Natural 
Theology  appearing  engrossed  Haydon ;  and,  as  is 
usually  the  case,  when  any  book  deeply  interested  him, 
he  has  filled  many  pages  of  his  Journal  with  arguments 
and  reflexions  suggested  by  it,  at  the  end  of  which  he 
acknowledges  he  should  have  been  painting  instead  of 
writing  them. 

"  Nov.  4th.  —  Lord  Brougham's  book  threw  my  mind 
entirely  off  its  balance  for  painting,  and  I  have  not 
touched  my  brush  till  to-day,  and  then  very  feebly. 
Such  speculations  always  act  thus  on  me. 

"  6th.  —  Up  to  this  moment  I  have  not  actually 
painted.  Why  ?  Harass,  anxiety,  want  of  money, 
loss  of  time  in  being  obliged  to  trudge  about  and  sell 
my  own  prints,  at  fifty  years  old  nearly,  and  after 
thirty-one  years'  intense  devotion  to  the  art.  It  is 
hard  ;  but  God's  will  be  done. 

"  Dec.  5th.  —  Hard  at  work,  and  advanced  well.  An 
Academician  said  the  sun  of  Art  had  set  in  this  country. 
The  silly  creature  ! — It  has  never  risen.  The  first  streak 
of  the  dawn  has  but  just  appeared.     The  morning  star  is 


1835.]  REVIEW    OF    1835.  27 

still  glittering.  The  comets  Reynolds,  Hogarth,  Wilson, 
Gainsborough,  were  blazing  but  irregular  lights.  We 
have  never  had  the  steady  effulgence  of  the  sun. 

«  3i<tf.  —  The  last  day  of  1835.  Another  last  day. 
On  reviewing  the  year,  though  I  have  suffered  bitter 
anxieties,  I  have  cause  for  the  deepest  gratitude  to  my 
great  Creator  in  raising  me  up  such  a  friend  as  my  dear 
landlord,  who  has  helped  me  when  the  nobility  forsook  me, 
as  usual ;  and  employed  me  to  paint  the  Widow's  Son 
and  Achilles,  paying  me  five  guineas  weekly,  to  the 
amount  of  100  guineas,  and  then  striking  off  400 
guineas  for  each  from  the  gross  debt.  During  the 
whole  of  that  time  I  have  not  had  a  single  inquiry  as  to 
what  I  was  doing,  or  if  I  wanted  anything  to  do,  though 
they  all  know  my  necessities,  my  large  family  and  my 
misfortunes. 

"  I  close  this  year,  1835,  apprehending  an  execution; 
but  I  despair  not.  A  star  is  always  shining  in  my  brain, 
which  has  ever  led  me  on,  and  ever  will. 

"  Though  the  Melbourne  Ministry,  in  imitation  of 
their  head,  have  no  feeling  for  Art,  a  feeling  is  dawning 
among  the  mechanics  and  the  middle  classes.  Day  has 
broke,  however  far  off  may  be  the  meridian  sunshine." 

Through  all  the  sore  struggle  of  this  year  Haydon 
had  seen  more  of  fashionable  society  than  at  any  period 
since  that  of  his  early  successes.  I  find  constant  men- 
tion of  dinners,  and  routs  and  charade -parties.  Entered 
pele  mele  with  notes  of  invitation  to  such  gay  and  plea- 
sant assemblies  are  urgent  appeals  for  commissions  to 
great  patrons,  lawyers'  letters,  many  notes  refusing 
assistance,  not  a  few  giving  it.  No  wonder  that  the 
constant  battling  with  necessity  had  already  begun  to 
tell  as  well  on  Haydon's  mode  of  working  as  on  his 
powers.  lie  was  now  painting  pictures  for  bread, — 
repeating  himself,  —  dispatching  a  work  in  a  few  days, 
over  which,  in  better  times,  he  would  have  spent  months, 


28  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1836. 

— ready  to  paint  small  things,  as  great  ones  would  not 
sell,  —  fighting  misery  at  the  point  of  his  brush,  and 
with  all  his  efforts  obliged  to  eke  out  a  livelihood  by 
begging  and  borrowing,  in  default  of  worse  expedients, 
such  as  bills  and  cognovits.  In  short,  the  net  of  em- 
barrassment was  now  drawn  closely  about  him,  never 
more  to  be  struggled  quite  clear  of  while  he  lived, 
though  the  proceeds  of  lecturing  relieved  him  at  times, 
and  enabled  him  to  pay  his  way  for  considerable  pe- 
riods together,  A  less  elastic  temperament  and  a  less 
vigorous  constitution  would  have  broken  down  in  one 
year  of  such  a  fight.  Haydon  kept  it  up  for  ten.  One 
justice  must  be  done  him  :  if  he  pleaded  hard  for  him- 
self in  his  necessities,  he  pleaded  as  passionately  for  Art. 

1836. 

"  January  1st. — Prayed  God  to  bless  us  through  the 
year,  and  went  into  the  city  to  beg  mercy  from  a  lawyer 
till  Monday,  though  I  have  no  more  chance  of  paying 
then  than  now.  To-day  I  had  another  sum  due.  I 
must  beg  money  to-morrow  for  that.  I  came  home  to 
attend  to  my  sick  children,  relying  on  the  lawyer's 
honour.      So  has  passed  the  first  day  of  1836. 

"  2nd.  ■ —  Harass,  harass,  harass.     Fred  ill. 

"  5th. — Dashed  in  Adoration  of  Magi. 

"  7  th. —  Not  fairly  begun  yet.  The  canvas  came 
home  to-day.     God  bless  it,  and  what  I  put  on  it. 

"  8th. — Rubbed  in  the  Magi.  God  bless  me  through 
it.  Sketched  from  naked  model  the  figures  for  the 
picture. 

"  9th.  —  Completed  the  rubbing-in  of  the  picture,  and 
made  two  sketches  of  lion  and  man,  and  had  a  kind 
letter  from  the  Duke  of  Bedford,  with  51., —  a  real 
blessing.  I  took  my  dress  coat  out  of  pawn  with  it  to 
lecture  at  the  Mechanics'  Institution. 


1836.]        SICKNESS    AND    STRUGGLE:    LECTURING.  29 


(( 


10th. — My  house  in  great  anxiety,  from  so  much 
sickness.  I  hope  the  clear  baby  will  not  suffer.  Mar- 
riage entails  great  interruption,  but  I  think  it  prevents 
a  man's  mind  eating  him  up,  which  is  the  case  in  too 
much  solitude. 

"  11th.  — '  Italy  is  the  place  for  a  painter,'  said  my 
friend.  I  say,  '  No.'  In  Italy  everything  has  been 
done.  England  is  the  place  for  enterprise,  where  every- 
thing is  to  be  done. 

"  13th.  —  Read  my  second  lecture  at  the  Mechanics' 
Institution  on  the  bones,  with  great  applause,  and  in- 
troduced the  naked  figure. 

"  I  told  them  all  if  they  did  not  get  rid  of  every 
feeling  of  indelicacy  in  seeing  the  naked  form,  and  did 
not  relish  its  abstract  beauty,  taste  for  Grand  Art  would 
never  be  rooted  amongst  them  This  was  received  with 
applause,  and  I  broke  the  ice  for  ever.  I  always  said 
the  middle  classes  were  sound,  and  I  am  sure  of  it.  I 
was  obliged  to  take  my  black  coat  out  of  pawn  to  lec- 
ture in  ;  and  this  morning,  when  all  my  friends  are 
congratulating  me,  in  walks  an  execution  for  50/.  I 
wrote  to  Lord  Melbourne,  Peel  and  Duke  of  Bedford. 
Lord  Melbourne  sent  me  directly  a  cheque  for  70/. 
This  was  kind-hearted.  He  told  me  I  must  not  think 
him  hard,  but  decidedly  he  could  not  repeat  it.  I  con- 
cluded my  grateful  reply  by  telling  him  that  I  should 
think  nothing  hard  but  his  building  the  House  of  Lords 
without  pictures,  —  at  which  he  laughed  heartily  I  will 
be  bound. 

"  21th.  —  What  a  grand  style   the   artists    had  got 
into  their  heads  in  the  last  century ! 
Nothing  natural  was  the    -  grand  style. 

Bad  colour        -----     grand  style. 
No  light  and  shadow  -  grand  style. 

Clothing  a  king  and  beggar  alike         -     grand  style. 
Dislocated  knees,  hip,  wrists  and  neck     grandest  style. 


30  MEMOIRS   OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  ['836. 

"  25th. — My  birthday,  —  fifty  years  old.  Settled 
the  subject  for  Newton, — Samson  and  Delilah.  God 
bless  me  through  it !     Amen. 

"  26th. — Another  execution  for  221.  Wrote  Lord 
Lansdowne.  No  answer  yet.  I  shall  stand  it  out ;  but 
the  expenses  are  horrible.  This  is  always  the  way  after 
any  publicity. 

11 30th. — Rubbed  in  Cassandra.  (Released  from  exe- 
cution, after  a  week's  agony.) 

"  31  st. — Passed  the  day  in  divine  peace  after  the  tor- 
ments of  the  week.  Read  prayers  to  the  children,  and 
wrote  my  fourth  lecture.  How  will  the  academic  au- 
thorities of  Art  in  Europe  stare  to  hear  these  rebellious 
doctrines  promulgated  by  a  simple  Englishman  in  a 
Mechanics'  Institute,  No.  37,  Southampton  Buildings, 
Holborn.  Why  the  cocked  hats  of  all  the  presidents 
will  rise  up  like  Mahomet's  coffin,  and  be  suspended  in 
horror  between  earth  and  heaven,  uncertain  which  to 
fly  to  for  refuge  and  protection. 

"  Hail  immortal  cocked  hats!  —  the  last  of  an  illus- 
trious race — hail!  but  carry  with  you  this  consolation 
in  adversity,  —  nothing  human  is  stable.  Babylon,  in 
all  her  glory,  fell.  Why  should  cocked  hats  escape  the 
sentence  of  all  things  human  ? 

"  February  3rd- — 10^. —  Being  a  little  clear,  I  began 
to  glaze  the  Widow's  Son :  drying  oil  and  mastic,  half 
and  half. 

"  16th.  —  The  R.  A.'s  complain  I  do  not  go  on  in  'a 
cpjiet  gentlemanly  way.'  Exactly  so.  When  I  got  into 
a  prison  nothing  would  have  pleased  them  more  than  if 
I  had  died  in  a  '  quiet  gentlemanly  way.' 

"  19th.  —  Glazed  and  completed,  but  I  can  look  back 
with  little  satisfaction  on  the  passing  of  the  last  two 
months.  —  So  much  harass  and  thinking  for  lectures, 
though  they  were  triumphantly  received.  So  much  ne- 
cessity and  pecuniary  want  are  sad  occupiers  of  time. 


1836.]  A    COMMISSION    FROM    LORD    AUDLEY.  31 

However,  I  trust  in  God,  as  I  have  ever  done,  and  hope 
humbly  he  will  have  the  mercy  to  permit  my  two  last 
pictures  to  be  sold  for  my  sake,  and  for  the  encourage- 
ment of  my  worthy  landlord  to  go  on  helping  me  to 
finish  other  works. 

"  Called  at  the  Duke's  to  see  Cassandra;  was  not 
pleased.  Her  head  is  too  small,  and  that  is  the  fault  of 
all  the  heads :  and  the  foreground  kneeling  man  is  too 
large.  One  gets  flattered  so  in  one's  own  painting- 
room,  and  thinks  so  highly  of  one's  immediate  efforts ;  — 
I  was  abashed  at  seeing  so  many  faults.  They  shall 
not  occur  again. 

"  24th.  —  I  dined  with  Lord  Audley  last  night.* 
He  gave  me  two  handsome  commissions.  I  trust  in 
God  they  will  turn  out  satisfactorily ;  and  that  He 
will  bless  their  commencement,  progression  and  con- 
clusion. 

"  March  2nd.  —  Hard  at  work.  Lord  Audley  has 
given  me  a  handsome  commission,  —  the  Black  Prince 
thanking  Lord  James  Audley  for  his  valour  after  the 
battle  of  Poictiers.  This  subject  will  bring  me  into 
English  history,  which  I  have  long  wished  for. 

"  4th.  —In  the  City,  for  what  the  City  is  only  fit 
for  —  cash  —  and  disappointed. 

"  5th.  —  In  the  City  for  cash,  and  the  best  of  the 
joke  is,  got  it.  Lord  Audley  called  and  sat  while  I 
finished  his  second  son.  Settled  the  size  and  every- 
thing. All  now  afloat,  thanks  to  God  !  What  I  have 
gone  through  these  pages  testify !  Let  any  man  of 
feeling  reflect  that  on  the  loss  of  a  beautiful  infant  we 
were  obliged  to  pawn  our  winter  things  to  bury  her, — 
that  when  my  dear  Mary  was  screaming  in  labour  I 
rushed  into  my  parlour,  took  down  the  drawings  of  my 
children  and  raised  21.  on  them,  after  my  landlord  had 

*  Lord  Audley  was  undoubtedly  at  this  time  insane. 


OJS 


2  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1836. 


advanced  me  3/., — that  on  the  night  of  my  most  brilliant 
success  I  took  my  coat  out  of  pawn,  and  had  the 
torture  of  being  obliged  to  return  it  the  next  day,  with 
the  thunder  of  public  applause  ringing  in  my  ears. 

"  Lord  Audley  seems  quite  aware  of  all,  and  says  he 
hopes  his  example  will  be  followed  by  the  nobility  in 
recording  the  deeds  of  their  ancestors. 

« >jth.  —  Lord  Audley  dined  with  us,  an  old  George  IV. 's 
mailj  —  the  lineal  descendant  of  the  Lord  James  Audley 
who  fought  at  Poictiers.  He  told  us  all  about  his 
poverty  ;  —  of  Lord  Grey's  getting  him  300Z.  from  the 
King's  privy  purse,  and  his  losing  it  in  a  coffee-house ; 
of  his  going  to  Lord  Dudley  at  twelve  at  night,  and 
stating  his  misfortunes,  and  that  Lord  Dudley  went 
into  the  next  room,  and  wrote  a  cheque  for  15007. 
for  him. 

"  He  said  George  IV.,  one  day  when  he  dined  with 
the  King  in  company  with  Sir  E.  Home,  said  'Audley, 
I  must  kiss  your  forehead,'  and  did  so  in  honour  of 
Poictiers. 

"  He  drank  freely  and  fell  asleep.  I  could  not  help 
being  deeply  interested  at  seeing  the  descendant  of 
Lord  James  Audley  dozing  by  my  fire- side. 

"  He  said,  since  he  gave  me  that  commission,  he  had 
been  advised  not  to  do  so,  for  fear  his  picture  should  be 
seized.     He  told  us,  '  he  despised  the  scoundrel.' 

"  Lord  Audley  said,  '  Money  is  at  your  command.' 
He  talked  of  making  my  daughter  presents,  but  this  I 
shall  not  allow,  and  if  he  does  anything  out  of  the  way 
in  point  of  liberality  for  me  I  will  write  to  his  eldest 
son,  for  I  do  think  he  is  eccentric.  He  made  me  tell 
him  how  much  I  owed,  and  said,  '  Would  you  not  like 
to  be  cleared  ? '     But  it  is  a  large  sum. 

"  He  praised  my  daughter  (who  is  beautiful),  and 
said,  '  If  Bill  likes  her,  and  she  will  marry  him,  I  will 


1836.]    WORKING  UP  FOR  THE  POICTIERS  PICTURE.      33 

give  him  50,0001*  He  told  stories  capitally  well,  and 
laughed  heartily,  and  then  stopped,  and  laughed,  and 
looked  serious.  His  manners  were  peculiar  and  made 
me  melancholy.  What  seemed  to  dwell  on  his  mind 
was  his  former  poverty.  He  told  me  our  meeting  was 
providential,  and  that  I  should  never  want.  He  got 
excessively  tipsy  with  little  wine.  I  went  for  a  coach 
and  sent  him  to  the  New  Humnuims.  I  feared  after  I 
ought  to  have  seen  him  home. 

"  Poor  Lord  Audley,  he  means  to  do  us  a  service  if 
not  persuaded  out  of  it. 

"He  was  very  witty,  and  concluded  always  his  stories 
of  the  nobility  assisting  him,  by  saying,  «  You  know  I 
always  brought  in  Poictiers.' 

"  10th.  —  Lord  Audley  called  ;  was  highly  pleased, 
and  left  me  857.  He  talked  no  more  of  Bill  and  50,0007. 
He  saw  my  little  dear,  who  said,  'Lord  Audley  is 
different  to-day.'  I  did  not  tell  her,  but  the  fact  was 
he  was  sober :  • —  all  the  difference. 

"ilth. —  Spent  the  day  at  the  Museum,  and  read 
Hollinshed,  Stowe,  and  Froissart.  Stowe's  is  the  best 
account.  Looked  into  Stothard's  beautiful  Monumental 
Effigies,  and  into  Meyrick. 

"19th.  —  The  private  day  at  Suffolk  Street.  Sir 
Robert  Peel  was  there  in  the  morning  and  admired  the 
Achilles.  He  went  to  the  Falstaff,  and  said  to  a  mem- 
ber, '  I  don't  know  if  this  is  not  his  forte:  Now  this 
was  very  mischievous.  It  is  not  more  my  forte  than 
Napoleon,  or  the  head  of  Lazarus. 

"  2.0th.  —  Read  late  last  night  in  Stowe's  Chronicles 
and  hurt  my  eyes.  Sent  the  children  to  church,  and 
read  prayers  to  myself  with  the  greatest  delight.  There 
is  nothing  like  piety. 

"  Sir  Joshua  said  no  man  would  be  a  great  painter 
who  looked  to  Sunday  as  a  relief.     I  say  he  will  never 

*  My  simplicity  in  believing  the  vagabond!  —  B.  R.  II.  1845. 
VOL.  III.  D 


34  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  IIAYDON.  [1836. 

be  a  great  painter,  the  development  of  whose  powers 
will  be  injured  by  one  day  in  seven  devoted  to  religion. 

"  Rubens  arose  at  four,  prayed,  and  entered  his  paint- 
ing-room. Here  was  the  most  daring  spirit  in  the  art — 
a  man  who  had  only  to  use  his  brush  as  authors  use  their 
pens,  and  do  little  else  but  write  his  conceptions  on  can- 
vas—  not  venturing  to  begin  for  the  day  till  he  had 
prayed  for  blessing  on  his  efforts. 

"  I  always  used  to  remark  that  the  idlest  students 
worked  hardest  on  a  Sunday.  Call  on  them  in  the  week, 
they  were  never  at  their  studies  :  call  on  a  Sunday,  and 
you  were  sure  to  find  them  buried  in  all  the  grubbiness 
of  dressing-gown  and  dirty  slippers. 

"2lst. — Hard  at  work  and  advanced  rapidly.  Pictures 
that  used  to  take  me  years  I  do  now  in  months.  Those 
which  noxo  take  me  months,  I  hope  soon  will  only  take 
me  days. 

"  30th. — Lectured  at  the  Mechanics  on  Composition  ; 
tried  them  on  the  Academy,  and  succeeded.  The  com- 
mittee were  in  a  funk. 

"  In  the  committee  afterwards  they  said,  f  Your 
enthusiasm  carried  them  on,  or  they  would  not  have 
borne  it.'  No.  It  was  their  understandings  carried 
them  on.  They  have  an  instinct  against  oppression. 
They  know  I  am  the  victim. 

"  April  6th. — Lectured  at  the  Mechanics  with  great 
applause.  Hamilton  ('ce  cher  William  Hamilton,'  as 
Canova  called  him)  went,  and  seemed  highly  gratified. 
He  took  his  son,  Captain  Hamilton,  a  fine  sailor-like, 
manly  fellow.  They  seemed  astonished  at  my  hearty 
reception  from  the  audience.  They  are  of  a  different 
race  to  the  audiences  at  the  Royal  Institution. 

"  \2tJi.  —  In  the  city  and  succeeded.  Curse  the 
crowded,  stinking,  smoky,  golden  city,  with  its  iron, 
money-getting,  beastly,  under-bred  snobs  ! 

"May  3rd. — Finished  my  lecture. 


1836.]  DEATH    OF   A    CHILD.  35 

"  4fh.  —  Delivered  it,  and  concluded  the  series  tri- 
umphantly. Frank  and  dear  Mary  were  there,  and  when 
she  came  in  with  her  beautiful  face,  they  gave  her  a 
round  of  applause.  Ah,  would  my  dear  Harry  had  been 
present.  How  his  magnificent  young  soul  would  have 
expanded !  " 

The  picture  of  Xenophon  was  raffled  for  on  the  9th 
of  this  month  and  won  by  the  Duke  of  Bedford.  The 
amount  of  subscriptions  was  840/.,  and  the  noble  winner 
presented  the  picture  to  the  Russell  Institution,  Great 
Coram  Street,  Russell  Square,  where  it  now  hangs. 
There  is  great  vigour  in  the  work  throughout,  and  parts 
of  it,  such  as  the  head  of  the  horse  in  the  centre,  the 
back  of  the  rider  who  is  carrying  his  wife,  the  wounded 
soldier  and  the  female  figure,  are  admirable.  But  it  re- 
presents rather  an  episode  in  the  march  up  Mount 
Theches  than  the  discovery  of  the  sea  from  its  summit ; 
and  the  distribution  of  the  picture  is  not  pleasing  ;  the 
foreground  figures  look  too  large,  owing  to  the  want  of 
a  group  in  the  middle  distance  to  connect  them  with 
Xenophon  and  his  soldiers  on  the  hill-top  in  the  back- 
ground. 

On  the  16th  of  the  same  month  death  took  Haydon's 
youngest  child,  Newton.  Passionately  attached  to  his 
children  as  Haydon  was,  this  blow  fell  heavily,  and  left 
him  for  many  days  in  a  melancholy  apathy.  "  That 
dear,  innocent  quiet  angel  of  a  baby  haunts  my  ima- 
gination," he  writes  on  the  25th.  And  it  should  not 
be  forgotten  that  the  sorrow  came  at  a  time  of  grievous 
straits,  when  everything  on  which  money  could  be 
raised  was  often  pawned  for  necessaries.  The  success 
of  the  lectures,  it  is  true,  was  some  set-off  against  want 
and  family  griefs.  Haydon  was  a  most  effective 
lecturer.  His  confident,  energetic,  and  earnest  manner 
carried  his  audience  cheerfully  along  with  him.  His 
delivery  was  distinct  and  animated,  and  his  style  better 

D    2 


36  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1836. 

adapted  for  hearing  than  reading.  The  two  published 
volumes  of  lectures  will  be  found  to  contain  much  the 
germ  of  which  is  to  be  found  in  the  Autobiography 
and  Journals,  and  their  publication  renders  unnecessary 
more  detailed  notice  of  the  lectures  themselves  in  this 
book. 

The  lecturer's  power  of  rapid  and  vigorous  drawing 
also  stood  him  in  good  stead,  and  the  masterly  effect  with 
which  he  dashed  down  on  his  black  board  a  figure  or 
a  limb,  or  illustrated  the  leverage  of  a  bone,  or  the 
action  and  mechanics  of  a  muscle,  always  commanded 
interest  and  applause.  Then  he  wras  never  afraid  of 
his  audience ;  he  ruled  them,  sternly  enough  sometimes, 
and  never  shrunk  from  a  reprimand  when  he  thought 
they  deserved  it.  A  friend  who  attended  his  lectures 
at  Liverpool  has  described  to  me  how  once,  when  he 
had  got  up  two  wrestlers  on  the  platform  to  demonstrate 
the  laws  of  muscular  action  in  the  living  subject,  the 
audience  having  laughed  at  some  contortion  of  the  pair, 
Haydon  fiercely  addressing  the  laughers  as  "You  fools  !" 
checked  the  merriment,  and  ordered  his  hearers  to  ob- 
serve and  admire,  with  more  respect  for  God  Almighty's 
handiwork. 

Lecturing,  which  Haydon  had  now  fairly  begun, 
became  before  long  one  of  his  main  resources,  and  it 
must  be  added  to  the  other  means  he  took  of  inculcating 
his  views  of  Art  and  its  relations  to  government  and 
education. 

"June  2\st.  —  Out  on  business.  Came  home. 
Dashed  in  the  composition  of  the  Heroine  of  Sarra- 
gossa.  Did  little  to  Poictiers.  I  have  had  a  great  deal 
of  money ;  have  paid  a  great  deal  away ;  have  none 
left,  and  am  harassed  out  of  my  life. 

"  Mr.  E wart's  Committee*  commenced  its   sittings 

*  The  Committee  consisted  of  Mr.  Ewart  (chairman),  Mr.  Mor- 
rison, the  Lord  Advocate,  Mr.  Pusey,  Mr.  John  Parker,  Mr. 
YVyse,  Mr.  H.  T.  Hope,  Dr.  Bowring,  Mr.  Heathcoate,  Mr.  Strutt, 


1836.]  MR.    EWART'S    FINE    ARTS    COMMITTEE.  37 

in  June,  and,  as  may  be  supposed,  Haydon  followed  the 
progress  of  the  inquiry  with  interest.  What  parti- 
cularly pleased  him  was  to  see  the  Academicians  brought 

Mr.  Hutt,  Mr.  Brotherton,  Mr.  Scholefield,  Mr.  David  Lewis,  Mr. 
Davenport. 

It  examined  manufacturers,  connoisseurs,  picture-cleaners  and 
dealers,  Royal  Academicians  and  artists.  Its  report  adverted  to 
the  little  encouragement  hitherto  given  to  the  arts  in  this  country, 
to  the  close  connexion  between  arts  and  manufactures,  and  the 
want  of  means  for  instruction  in  design  in  our  principal  seats  of 
manufacturing  industry  :  and  suggested,  in  addition  to  the  Normal 
School  of  Design,  which  Government  had  now  taken  a  vote  for  es- 
tablishing, local  schools  to  be  assisted  by  grants  ;  the  formation  of 
museums  and  galleries  of  art,  and  further,  the  formation  of  a  cheap 
and  accessible  tribunal  for  the  protection  of  invention  in  design. 

With  respect  to  Academies,  the  Committee  inclined  to  the 
belief  that  the  principle  of  free  competition  in  Art  will  ultimately 
triumph  over  all  artificial  institutions,  and  pointed  out  strongly 
the  ambiguous,  half  public,  half  private  character  of  the  Aca- 
demy, without  directly  recommending  any  modification  of  its  con- 
stitution. 

"With  respect  to  the  National  Collections,  the  Committee  recom- 
mended the  compiling  of  a  catalogue  for  the  use  of  visitors,  the 
fixing  on  the  frames  of  the  pictures  the  names  of  the  school,  the 
master,  the  date  of  his  birth  and  death  —  the  purchase  of  the 
works  of  living  British  artists,  after  they  have  stood  the  test  of 
time  and  criticism  —  the  deposit  in  the  National  Gallery  of  the 
Cartoons  from  Hampton  Court  —  the  admission  of  practical  and 
professional  critics  among  the  persons  entrusted  with  the  duty  of  pur- 
chasing works  for  the  National  Gallery,  and  an  improvement  in 
the  constitution  of  commissions  for  deciding  on  plans  of  public 
works,  by  subjecting  them  first  to  the  test  of  public  criticism 
and  afterwards  to  a  tribunal  consisting  of  artists  in  general, 
assisted  by  persons  professionally  acquainted  with  the  subject  of 
the  work. 

In  conclusion  they  submitted,  that  in  the  completion  of  great 
public  buildings,  the  arts  of  sculpture  and  painting  might  be  called 
in  for  the  embellishment  of  architecture,  and  expressed  their 
opinion  that  the  contemplation  of  noble  works  in  fresco  and  sculp- 
ture is  worthy  of  the  intelligence  of  a  great  and  civilised  nation. 

It  will  be  obvious  to  all  readers  of  these  Memoirs,  that  many  of 
the  most  important  of  these  recommendations  were  the  very  things 

d  3 


38  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  E.  IIAYDON.  [1836. 

to  public  examination.  His  personal  grudge  and  Lis 
views  of  art,  education,  and  patronage  had  now  become 
too  completely  intertwined  in  his  mind  for  him  to  se- 
pai'ate,  or  for  us  to  unravel  them.  His  own  examination 
took  place  on  the  28th,  and  the  result,  he  says,  was 
glorious.  In  entering  this  fact  in  his  Journal  he  adds, 
— "  When  I  think  that  in  1804  I  went  into  the  new 
church  in  the  Strand,  and  on  my  knees  prayed  I  might 
be  a  reformer  of  the  Art;  that  often  and  often  I  have 
had  those  extraordinary  inspirations  of 'go  on'  super- 
naturally  whispered ;  and  that  now  I  am  permitted  to 
see  the  beginning  of  the  end  of  this  imposture,  I  must 
believe  myself  destined  for  a  great  purpose.  1  feel  it ; 
I  ever  felt  it ;  I  know  it." 

"  The  result  seems  to  be,"  (he  says  a  little  later,) 
"  that  the  artists  are  disposed  to  compromise  and  save 
the  Academy. 

"  If  they  do,  they  deserve  all  that  may  and  will 
happen  to  them  again.  After  thirty  years'  fighting, 
the  Government  have  done  all  they  wished ;  they  have 
granted  a  Committee ;  if  the  artists  have  neither  talent, 
skill  or  disinterestedness  enough  to  make  full  use  of  so 
vast  an  advantage,  then  let  them  no  more  complain, 
but  bend  their  necks  to  the  chain  and  the  padlock,  and 
submit  for  another  seventy  years  to  the  kicks  they 
have  so  valorously  grumbled  under  for  seventy  years 
past." 

His  learned  and  genial  friend,  Mr.  Gwilt,  whom 
Haydon  often  applied  to  for  information  on  the  History 
and  Antiquities  of  Art,  (on  which  he  could  hardly  find 


which  Haydon  had  most  vehemently  urged  on  Ministers  and  the 
public.  Haydon  in  his  evidence  suggested  a  constituency  of  artists 
who  had  exhibited  three  years,  to  elect  annually  twenty-four  di- 
rectors for  a  central  school  of  Art  in  London,  in  connexion  with 
branch  schools  in  the  country. 


1836.']  MR.    EWAET'S    FINE    ARTS    COMMITTEE.  39 

a  better  informed  or  more    accessible   authority,)  fur- 
nished him  with  matter  for  this  examination.  * 

Haydon  was  not  satisfied  with  the  results  of  this  in- 
quiry, nor  the  conduct  of  the  artists  examined.  He 
complains  that  they  showed  no  comprehension  of  a 
general  principle,  but  kept  driving  away  at  individual 
grievances  till  the  patience  of  the  Committee  was  ex- 
hausted. He  was  angry,  too,  that  the  anti-academic 
party  among  his  brethren  did  not  formally  apply  to 
him  to  be  their  leader  and  champion.  Thus  he  com- 
plains :  — 

*  Here  is  Mr.  Gwilt's  useful  summary  of  facts  in  the  history  of 
Academies  of  the  Fine  Arts. 

The  Academy  of  St.  Luke  was  founded  by  Girolamo  Muziano,  a 
native  of  Aquafredda,  in  the  territory  of  Brescia,  who  was  born  in 
1528,  and  died  in  1590.  Gregory  XIII.  made  him  superintendant 
of  works  to  his  chapel.  Muziano  endowed  it  during  his  life,  and 
at  his  death  left  all  his  property  to  it.  Muziano  was  of  Titian's 
school.  Louis  XIV.  having,  in  1665,  established  a  French  Aca- 
demy at  Rome,  with  a  pension  for  twelve  scholars  of  the  three 
arts,  induced  the  Academy  of  St.  Luke  to  let  it  be  bung  on  to  the 
original  foundation. 

The  Royal  Academy  of  Architecture  at  Paris  was,  through  the 
intercession  of  M.  Colbert,  founded  by  Louis  XIV.  in  1671,  and 
confirmed  by  Louis  XV.  in  1717.  It  was  the  practice  for  lectures 
to  be  delivered  constantly  by  the  members,  who  were  twenty-six  in 
number. 

The  Royal  Academy  of  Painting  and  Sculpture  at  Paris  was 
founded  in  1648,  and  confirmed  through  the  interest  of  Mazarin  in 
1653.  Colbert  procured  it  an  endowment.  It  consisted  of  a  di- 
rector, chancellor,  four  rectors,  a  treasurer,  twelve  professors,  &c. 
by  whom  daily  lectures  were  given,  and  the  model  set.  Prizes 
were  given  every  three  months.  It  sent  the  most  promising  stu- 
dents to  Rome. 

The  Academy  of  St.  Luke  at  Venice  was  the  earliest  regular  as- 
sociation for  the  study  of  the  arts,  and  was  established  about  1345, 
but  did  not  take  the  name  of  Academy  till  1350.  The  Academy 
"  delle  belle  art"  at  Florence,  was  founded  by  the  Grand  Duke, 
Peter  Leopold  in  1784.  Premiums  twice  a-year,  and  a  grand 
competition  every  third  year. 

d  4 


40  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  IIAYDON.  [l836. 

"  The  meanness  of  the  behaviour  of  the  artists  to  me 
is  extraordinary.  When  I  attacked  the  Academy  in 
1812,  they  all  rushed  to  the  Academy  as  to  a  father  for 
protection  from  this  madman, — predicting  my  death, 
my  ruin,  my  destruction,  &c,  but  finding  I  have  kept  my 
ground,  that  I  proposed  and  have  got  a  committee,  they 
now  hold  their  meetings  secretly  and  privately ;  never 
give  me  notice,  fearful  of  my  taking  the  lead,  as  I  should 
instantly  do,  which  they  know.  They  are  absolutely 
intriguing  to  do  all  without  me,  and  so  get  the  honour 
which  I  have  so  successfully  fought  for.  It  is  despicable, 
and  just  like  them.  They  have  been  so  cowed  by 
the  despotism  that  has  ruled  them,  that  they  are  like 
the  Portuguese,  not  fit  for  the  liberty  we  want  to  give 
them. 

"  In  consequence  of  disappointment  from  Lord  Aud- 
ley,  I  am  without  a  guinea  ;  and  now,  this  day,  have 
not  a  coat  in  my  drawer.      Shocking  ! 

"  1 5th. — This  day  Thou  knowest  what  is  to  happen. 

0  God,  I  ask  only  for  justice  and  truth  to  triumph. 
Amen. 

"  16th. — Justice,  indeed,  triumphed.  Shee,  the  Pre- 
sident, was  examined. 

"  I  came  down  at  one,  and  found  Evvart  in  the  chair, 
— the  room  full, —  Shee  sitting  in  the  bitterest  agitation. 

1  placed  myself  right  opposite   Shee,  which  seemed  to 
disturb   him.      He    arose,    bowing,    and    affecting    the 

The  Institute  at  Bologna  was  originally  founded  by  Eustachio 
Manfredi  in  1690,  but  did  not  bear  its  present  name  till  1714, 
when  it  was  joined  by  a  sort  of  College  bearing  that  name. 

The  Royal  Academy  of  Sciences  at  Turin  was  founded  about  the 
middle  of  the  eighteenth  century.  Its  memoirs  first  published  in 
1759. 

The  Academy  at  Padua,  end  of  the  eighteenth  century. 

The  Academy  of  Painting,  Sculpture  and  Architecture  at  Vienna, 
in  1705. 

Hoy al  Academy,  London,  1768. 


1836.]  MR.    EWART'S    FINE    ARTS    COMMITTEE.  41 

strongest  respect  for  the  Committee,  begged  to  know 
by  what  authority  he  was  summoned,  as  he  considered 
it  was  only  by  permission  of  the  King  he  could  be  there. 
The  chairman  ordered  the  committee  clerk  to  read  the 
authority,  which  being  conclusive,  poor  Sir  Martin  was 
obliged  to  bow.  He  then  entered  on  a  rambling  defence, 
and  was  repeatedly  called  to  order  by  Ewart,  and  told 
to  stick  to  the  point.  He  accused  the  evidence  of  being 
personal  and  partial.  Rennie  jumped  up  and  denied  it, 
and  was  called  to  order.  Shee  shaking  his  hand  at  me 
across  the  table,  in  the  most  extraordinary  manner,  said, 
*  That 's  the  respectable  man,'  alluding,  of  course,  to  my 
misfortunes.  Honourable  Sir  Martin  !  First  to  drive  me 
into  distresses,  and  then  grossly  to  allude  to  them  before 
a  committee  called  for  the  purpose  of  inquiring  into  the 
effects  of  institutions.  Mr,  Pusey  proposed  the  Court 
should  be  cleared.  Shee  begged  the  gentlemen  round 
him  might  stay.  The  absurdity  was  so  great,  that  leave 
was  granted  for  all  to  stay,  on  the  understanding  that 
no  altercation  or  personalities  took  place.  Shee  then 
dwelt  on  a  mere  incorrectness  of  diction  in  my  evidence 
which  gave  a  wrong  sense,  as  if  it  was  an  intentional  or 
gross  ignorance  of  mine. 

u  I  said  the  esprit  du  corps  of  portrait-painting  be- 
came embodied  by  the  Royal  Academy,  and  killed 
Hussey,  and  embarrassed  Hogarth.  This  reads  as  if  the 
Royal  Academy  killed  Hussey,  who  died  long  before 
it  was  founded,  whereas  I  meant  the  esprit  du  corps 
killed  him. 

"  It  was  too  gross  to  suppose  I  am  so  ignorant  of 
Hussey's  period ;  but  Shee  chuckled  over  this,  and  Phil- 
lips, Wilkins,  Hilton,  and  Howard,  laughed  inwardly 
with  a  delight  at  having  caught  Haydon  napping  which 
was  pitiable  to  see. 

"  Conscious  I  had  all  three  of  the  Committee  of  1809 
in  the  vice,  I  smiled,  and  was  dead  silent.    It  was  quite 


42  MEMOIRS   OF    B.  R.  IIAYDON.  [1836. 

a  scene.  Slice  went  on,  reading  the  diploma,  and  verbiag- 
ing  away  ;  Ewart  repeatedly  begging  him  to  be  concise. 
At  last  began  bis  examination.  '  Do  you  think  Acade- 
mies beneficial  or  no?'  'Extremely  beneficial.'  'Do 
you  think  the  Academy  is  conducted  with  a  feeling  for 
justice?'  'Certainly.'  '  Do  you  think  it  justice  that 
600  artists  should  be  kept  out  on  varnishing  days  ?  ' 
'  Certainly.   This  is  one  of  the  privileges  of  the  Academy.' 

"  So  may  say  Mahomet  Ali  when  he  bowstrings  a 
minister. 

"  '  Do  you  think  forty  enough?'  '  Certainly.  I 
know  no  man  of  great  genius  out  of  the  Academy.' 
'  Do  you  not  think  Mr.  Martin,'  &c.  c  Certainly, 
Mr.  Martin  is  most  respectable,'  &c.  And  so  it  went 
on;  —  blind  to  all  genuine  principle  —  seeing  only  the 
Academy  and  its  bounded  circle  and  including  all  that 
was  great,  illustrious,  or  immortal  within  its  walls.  He 
seemed  like  a  man  who  was  asleep  amidst  the  stirring- 
activity  of  mind  abroad  in  the  people.  All  he  saw  was 
the  Academy  and  its  members.  He  then  again  abused 
me  for  saying  the  Academy  was  founded  on  the  basest 
intrgue,  and  mentioned  Reynolds,  Chambers,  West, 
and  Paul  Sandby,  as  men  whose  characters  were  a 
security,  when  four  more  intriguing  old  rascals  never 
lived.  Why,  the  Academy  obliged  Reynolds  to  resign 
because  he  intrigued,  they  said,  to  get  in  Bonomi  to 
please  Lord  Aylesford.  Farringdon  was  a  thorough- 
bred intriguer. 

"  Shee  said  the  Academy  as  a  body  had  appealed  to 
the  King  about  High  Art,  and  no  answer  was  returned. 
Mr.  Ewart  asked  him  if  he  knew  Waagen's  opinion  of 
Academies.  Slice  imprudently  said  he  did  not,  and  he 
must  have  higher  authority  than  Mr.  E wart's  for  his 
having  an  opinion  against  the  Academy.  This  was 
gross.  Mr.  Ewart  ordered  the  committee  clerk  to  give 
in  Waagen's  evidence,  wherein  he  read  to  Shee,  with 


1816.]  MR.    EWART'S    FINE    ARTS    COMMITTEE.  43 

gusto,JWaagen's  opinion, —  that  he  considered  Academies 
destructive ;  that  Academicians  became  portion  of  the 
State;  that  it  had  been  known  that  men  of  medium 
talent  had  obtained  employment  and  distinction  who 
Avere  Academicians,  while  men  who  had  not,  though  of 
the  greatest  genius,  had  struggled  on  in  poverty  and 
without  employment.  There  was  I,  a  living  instance, 
and  was  not  the  whole  scene  a  scene  of  retribution? 
The  very  men,  the  very  hangers — Shee,  Phillips,  and 
Howard  —  who,  twenty-nine  years  ago,  used  me  so 
infamously  in  hanging  Dentatus  in  the  dark, —  by  which 
all  my  prospects  were  blasted  for  ever,  —  at  which  Lord 
Mulgrave  so  complained,  —  were  now  at  the  bar  before 
me  like  culprits  under  examination.  How  Sir  George 
would  have  relished  this ! 

"  Ah,  little  did  they  think  in  the  despotism  of  their 
power,  that  I,  a  poor  student  at  their  mercy,  would  ever 
have  the  power  to  do  this, — to  bring  them  face  to  face, 

—  to  have   them   examined, —  ransacked,  —  questioned, 

—  racked. 

"  Ah,  they  are  deservedly  punished ! 

"July  ISth.  —  Idle,  and  lectured  at  the  Milton,  a 
delightful  theatre — cool.  I  felt  like  a  lion  and  read 
like  one. 

"  Idth.  —  Attended  the  Committee;  the  impression 
Shee  had  made  was  decidedlv  unfavourable  to  his 
cause.  Sir  John  Paul  was  examined,  and  gave  very 
interesting;  evidence  as  to  the  state  of  design  m  manu- 
facture. 

"  Sir  John  alluded  to  the  fact  that  he  had  casts  of 
some  ancient  tombs,  and  that  he  had  given  them  to 
stone-masons ;  and  that  the  people  preferred  them,  and 
chose  them  for  the  tombs  of  their  friends.  Here  Mr. 
Hope,  with  his  peculiar  delicate  and  dry  manner,  asked 
Sir  John  Paul  if  the  shares  in  the  Cemetery  Company 
were  not  high.  He  said  they  were.  Sir  John  was  a 
director. 


44  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  E.  IIAYDON.  [1836. 

"  Old  Landseer  was  examined ;  but  he  was  prolix 
and  flowery.  He  quoted  Shoe  against  himself  as  to 
Academies,  and  made  some  good  hits. 

"  The  Committee  will  do  immense  good.  Would 
any  man  believe  that  Hussey  was  living  in  1774?* 
And  Shee  is  the  man  to  accuse  me  of  ignorance  of 
dates ! 

"20th.  —  Went  to  the  British  Museum,  and  found 
two  interesting  pamphlets  connected  with  the  Royal 
Academy,  by  which  it  appears  decidedly  that  the  di- 
rectors who  were  expelled  from  the  chartered  body  of 
artists  became  Academicians,  and  that  not  being  able 
to  carry  their  exclusive  intentions  in  the  constituent 
body,  they  resorted  to  the  scheme  of  an  Academy  of 
forty,  securing  a  majority  of  their  own  way  of  thinking, 
that  they  might  enact  their  exclusive  laws.  This  is 
indisputable  from  Strong's  pamphlet,  1775,  and  another 
in  the  Museum,  1771,  entitled,  '  Considerations  of  the 
Behaviour  of  the  Academicians  who  were  expelled  the 
Chartered  Body  for  1760-69.' 

"  Reynolds  promised  the  chartered  body,  of  which  he 
was  member,  not  to  exhibit  with  the  expelled  directors ; 
but  finding  the  King  protecting  them,  he  broke  his 
word, —  did  exhibit,  —  and  was  expelled  the  incorporated 
body.  This  is  not  known,  nor  did  I  know  it  till  to- 
day. Tickled  by  a  knighthood,  he  joined  the  directors, 
and  this  was  the  origin  of  the  Royal  Academy,  — 
founded  in  intrigue,  based  on  injustice,  treachery  and 
meanness. 

"  Dalton  seems  to  have  been  a  great  scoundrel,  and 
he  was  a  prime  instrument. 

"  Reynolds  was  properly  and  very  severely  punished 
after,  but  the  art  has  suffered  ever  since. 

"2lst.  —  Shee    objects    to    a    constituency    on    the 

*  The  Royal  Academy  having  been  founded  in  1768. 


183C]         FORMATION    OF    THE    ROYAL    ACADEMY.        45 

grounds  that  it  would  produce  all  the  evils  that  it  did 
before.  What  evils  ?  What  were  the  evils  ?  These 
were  the  evils:  —  Twenty-four  directors  got  in  and 
kept  in.  The  constituency  complained,  and  passed  a 
bye-law  to  make  eight  go  out.  The  Attorney-General, 
Grey,  gave  it  as  his  opinion  that  the  bye-law  was 
consistent  with  the  charter.  The  directors  had  pro- 
mised to  abide  by  the  opinion  of  the  Attorney-General, 
and  then  refused.  Sixteen  of  these  worthies  were 
voted  out,  and  became  Academicians,  and  eight  more 
joined  them,  and  these  formed  the  bulk  of  the  Academy  ; 
so  that  the  evils  complained  of  were  not  evils  proceeding 
from  a  constituency,  but  because  the  laws  of  that  con- 
stituency had  been  violated.  Therefore,  if  the  people 
who  were  conducting  were  improper  people,  these 
people  founded  the  Academy,  and  brought  all  their 
improprieties  into  the  Academy,  and  are  the  origin  of 
the  evils  which  we  complain  of  and  which  Sir  Martin 
fears  would  be  revived  by  a  constituency,  though  these 
very  evils  were  produced  in  spite  of  a  constituency  and 
not  in  consequence  of  it.      So  much  for  Sir  Martin. 

"  Sir  Martin  knows  well  that  he  and  all  of  his  col- 
leagues are  benefiting  by  the  very  evils  he  affects  to 
apprehend,  for  if  they  were  improper  people  who  took 
the  lead,  he  is  the  produce  and  offspring. 

"25th.  —  Finished  the  fair  copy  of  my  first  lecture 
and  improved  it  much,  but  idle  from  exceeding  harass 
about  trifles.  Lord  Audley  has  completely  deceived 
me  about  his  resources ;  after  telling  me  he  was  the 
richest  peer,  it  turns  out  he  is  the  poorest.  I  fear  his 
honour  and  his  character. 

"  29th.  —  The  artists  do  not  know  the  origin  of  this 
Committee.  All  are  claiming  the  honour.  They  all 
deserve  to  share  it,  —  Foggo,  Rennie,  and  all.  But  the 
morning  Lord  Melbourne  was  sitting  to  me,  he  had 
just  sent  out  his  circular  letters  about  municipal  cor- 


46  MEMOIRS   OF    E.  R.  HAYDON.  [1836. 

point  ions.  I  said,  '  Why  not  give  us  a  committee  for 
the  Academy?'  He  replied,  'You  may  have  one  if  you 
like ; '  and  this  is  the  real  origin. 

"30///, —  Out  the  whole  day  on  bitter  pecuniary 
harass,  and  yet  all  trifles,  41.  10s.,  8/.  10s.,  13/.  4s.,  10/., 
3/.  10s.,  41.  8s.,  and  suffered  all  my  old  agonies  of  tor- 
ture as  to  probable  ruin,  interruption  of  the  education 
of  my  dear  children,  loss  of  my  property.  If  I  could 
stick  at  my  pictures  I  would  not  care,  but  Lord  Audley 
lias  played  me  so  shabby  a  trick  that  I  fear,  unless  pro- 
tected by  my  Great  Creator,  in  whom  I  trust,  the  con- 
sequence may  be  ruin. 

"  These  Journals  testify  that  whenever  I  have  been 
free,  I  have  flown  to  my  canvas  as  a  relief  and  a  bless- 
ing. The  Mock  Election  was  the  fruits  of  the  peace 
I  enjoyed  in  1827.  The  Chairing  the  result  of  George 
VI. 's  purchase.  In  fact,  if  I  had  500/.  a-year  regularly, 
never  would  I  cease  painting,  morning,  noon,  or  night, 
and  never  have  a  debt. 

"August  30th. — Awoke  at  four  with  a  terrific  con- 
ception of  Quintus  Curt ius,  after  a  sublime  dream.  I 
dreamt  I  was  with  the  Duke  of  Wellington  near  the 
sea.  I  stripped.  It  was  a  grand  storm.  I  plunged  in, 
and  swam  as  I  used  in  my  youth.  I  saw  an  enormous 
wave  rising,  curling  and  black.  Suddenly  I  found  my 
Mary  close  to  me.  We  were  both  looking  at  the  sub- 
lime wave  as  it  rolled  towards  us;  at  last  it  came  quite 
close.  I  told  her  to  hold  tight.  She  smiled,  rosy  red. 
At  the  instant  it  was  overwhelming  us,  a  terrific  flash 
of  lightning  broke  from  its  top,  and  it  roared  in  by  us 
to  the  left  without  even  wetting  us.  We  saw  it  stretch 
in  its  gurgling  sweeping  glory  on  the  beach,  and  break 
harmless.  I  awoke,  and  the  moment  consciousness 
came  over  me,  Quintus  Curtius  darted  into  my  head. 
This  is  a  true  description, —  exactly  as  I  dreamt  it, — 
not  added  to,  nor  taken  from. 


1836.]  IN    STRAITS.  47 

"  I  know  a  storm  is  approaching,  but  I  feel  I  shall 
weather  it,  under  God.      Success  !     Amen. 

"  September  5th. — Worked,  but  in  an  agony  ;  at  two 
I  had  a  promise  to  keep  for  8/.  without  a  farthing ;  at 
four  for  51.  without  a  halfpenny.  I  paid  away  81.  on 
Saturday. 

"  I  worked  on  till  one.  Lunched.  Drove  away  in 
an  omnibus,  and  got  till  Saturday  for  the  8/.,  and 
put  off  the  51.  till  Wednesday.  I  rushed  home  and 
worked. 

"  6th.  —  Hard  at  work,  and  succeeded  in  the  fore- 
shortened figure.  At  one  time  of  the  day  my  anxieties 
were  hideous.  I  had  not  a  farthing,  and  taking  down 
some  valuable  Italian  books  worth  five  guineas,  I  sent 
them  by  my  'fains  Achates '  and  got  7s.  In  the  interval 
I  worked  away  in  great  torture,  and  succeeded.  There 
is  a  period  in  working,  Avhen  the  result  is  not  secure, 
that  is  excruciating.  No  wealth  or  honour  would  relieve 
or  ease  you.  If  it  turns  out  successfully  in  the  end  no 
torture  is  felt,  but  if  you  miss  it  no  happiness  is  re- 
membered. 

"  9th.  —  At  breakfast  with  the  dear  children  a  timid 
tingle  of  the  bell  made  us  all  look  anxiously.  A  whis- 
per in  the  hall,  and  then  the  servant  entered  with, 
'  Mr.  Smith,  sir,  wishes  to  see  you.'  I  went,  and  was 
taken  in  execution.  After  lingering  two  days  at 
Davis's  lock-up  house,  Red  Lion  Scpaare,  on  the  12th  I 
was  moved  again  to  that  blessed  refuge  of  the  miserable, 
—  the  Bench. 

"  Newton,  my  landlord,  offered  to  pay  me  out.  I 
refused,  and  proceeded  to  prepare  for  the  Court  directly. 
Rather  than  tro  out  to  endure  the  horror  this  Journal 
gives  evidence  of,  I'd  stay  here  for  ever. 

"  My  landlord  took  possession  and  moved  away 
my  brushes  and  grinding-stone.  Took  the  things  at 
133/.  10s.,  paid  the  difference  and  took  the  rest  for  his 
rent. 


48  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  E.  IIAYDON  [1836. 

"  What  a  fight  it  is  !  It  is  wonderful  how  my  health 
is  preserved,  and  my  dear  Mary's  too.  But  trusting  in 
God  and  doing  our  utmost  to  please  Him,  I  have  not 
the  least  doubt  of  carrying  my  great  object, —  a  vote  for 
money  for  Art,  and  perhaps  I  shall  then  sink  without 
tasting  its  fruits. 

"  From  14th  to  30th  in  prison. 

"  Head  Wraxall's  two  works  with  very  great  interest. 
Relieved  my  mind  much  after  the  harass  of  lawyers, 
insults  of  turnkeys,  and  torture  of  suspense.  My  mind 
in  a  state  of  blank  apathy.     Oh  God,  in  Thee  I  trust. 

"  October  1st — I  heard  from  Ewart  yesterday,  and 
I  fear  the  report.  The  fact  is  the  Whigs  arrest  the  keen 
edge  of  the  scalping-knife  of  reform  which  the  people 
have  put  into  their  heads.  They  will  hesitate,  and  be 
content  with  pricking  the  corruption  which  ought  to  be 
probed,  and  the  humours  let  out. 

"  10th.  —  The  last  time  I  was  here  I  fell  in  with  Dr. 
Mackay,  who  negotiated  the  commercial  treaty  with 
South  America  for  Canning,  and  as  we  used  to  walk 
about  by  night  in  the  racket-ground,  he  detailed  to  me 
the  interesting  particulars. 

"  Now  I  have  got  acquainted  with ,  a  species  the 

Continent  alone  produces,  dissolute  and  impious,  unprin- 
cipled and  reckless,  full  of  talent  and  full  of  diplomacy, 
speaking  seven  languages, — just  such  a  man  as  Napoleon 
would  have  seized,  and  turned  to  every  purpose  on  earth. 

"  He  says  he  was  chef  d'escadron  in  the  Garde  du 
Corps,  and  private  secretary  to  the  Due  d'Angouleme. 

"  He  is  evidently  possessed  of  state  papers  of  great 
importance,  —  how,  he  told  me  in  a  moment  of  drunk- 
enness. He  is  evidently  connected  with,  if  not  first 
mover  of,  the  Portfolio. 

"  He  showed  me  documents  which  prove  he  was 
acquainted  with  Fieschi's  attempt.  He  has  shown  me 
a  deed   signed   most  sacredly  by  three,  two  Spaniards 


1836.]  IN    THE    BENCH.  49 

and  one  Englishman,  Richard  Sheridan,  whereby  5000/. 
sterling  is  guaranteed  to  the  Spaniards  for  the  invention 
of  a  shell  and  machine  which  was  to  destroy  Don  Carlos. 
He  has  also  shown  me  a  letter  from  the  Carlton  Club, 
offering  3000/.  for  some  letters  he  has. 

"  I  believe  it.  And  does  not  this  prove  how  cautious 
Ministers  should  be !  I  believe  him  to  have  got  by  the 
means  he  told  me  the  whole  state  papers  already  pub- 
lished in  the  Portfolio,  and  what  he  showed  me  (affi- 
davits about  Fieschi)  is  coming  out  in  the  next  number. 
We  shall  see. 

"  24th.  —  The  faces  here  are  horrid ;  last  night,  all 
of  a  sudden,  just  after  midnight,  a  roar  as  of  fiends 
burst  out  from  the  racket-ground,  and  awakened  me. 
Good  God,  on  a  Sunday  !  —  swearing,  fighting,  cursing, 
drinking,  gambling,  and  strumpeting!  What  an  offer- 
ing to  the  Almighty  for  the  blessings  of  life  ! 

"  King's  Bench,  Oct.  26.  1836. 

"Ah,  Sir  Robert  Peel,  I  told  you  I  was  convinced  my 
absurd*  conduct  about  the  Napoleon  had  staggered  me,  and 
would  be  the  seed  of  future  embarrassment,  and  here  I  am 
again,  less  in  debt  than  ever  I  was  in  my  life,  yet,  being 
unable  to  meet  in  time  the  balance  due,  a  victim  to  that 
cursed  law  of  imprisonment. 

"  When  a  man  touches  my  property  it  is  just,  and  I  always 
exert  my  resources  to  pay  the  claim,  but  when  he  seizes  my 
person,  I  let  the  law  take  its  course,  and  ever  will. 

"  I  shall  begin  the  world  again  with  no  more  property  left 
after  thirty-two  years'  struggle  than  the  clothes  on  my  back. 

"I  appeal  to  you  if  I  have  been  idle  since  my  last 
troubles.  I  have  never  incurred  in  all  my  life  a  debt  of 
vice,  debauchery,  or  extravagance,  and  I  have  been  brought 

*  After  naming  1007.  as  his  price  for  a  whole  length  in  answer  to 
Sir  Robert  Peel's  incpiiry,  he  felt  discontented  that  more  was  not 
paid  him,  and  wrote  to  ask  for  an  additional  sum.  Sir  Robert  paid 
him  307.,  but  naturally  was  annoyed. 

VOL.  III.  E 


50  MEMOIRS   OP    B.  R.  HAYDOST.  [1836. 

to  earth  by  a  combination  of  circumstances.  I  assure  you 
I  calculated  on  receiving  more  from  you.  I  could  not  keep 
my  engagements,  and  then  came,  as  usual,  law  costs. 

"Since  1830  I  have  paid,  because  I  could  not  keep  my 
word,  303/.  8s.  Q»d.  in  pure  cash,  or  rather  impure.  On  one 
debt  of  7/.  10s.,  I  paid  8/.  10s.  costs  —  the  son  being  the 
lawyer,  who  acknowledges  the  father  shared  all  costs.  So 
that,  first,  there  was  the  father's  just  profit,  and  then  he 
received  4/.  5s.  as  his  share  of  the  legal  spoliation. 

"  While  I  was  in  confinement  in  Red  Lion  Square  I  saw 
them  go  by  in  their  carriages.  /  was  the  dishonourable, 
they  the  respectable. 

"  In  the  never  closing  and  inexorable  eye  of  our  Maker 
who  was  the  real  dishonourable  here  ? 

"  I  am,  Sir  Roberf  Peel, 

"  Your  grateful  servant, 

"B.  R.  Haybon. 

"  The  Right  Hon.  Sir  Robert  Peel,  &c.  &c." 


"  27th.  —  An  accomplished  Frenchman  came  to  my 
rooms  to  see  my  works.  '  I  have  none.'  '  Where  are 
they  ?  '  e  My  Solomon  is  rotting  in  a  carpenter's  shop — 
my  Lazarus  in  a  kitchen.'  '  When  I  found  you  were 
here,  I  thought  it  was  for  your  pleasure.  It  is  extra- 
ordinary. Why  does  not  Palmerston  do  something  ? ' 
*  He  has  done  Something.' 

"  '  It  is  wonderful  you  are  here.'  '  Not  at  all.  May 
I  ask  to  whom  I  have  the  honour  of  speaking?  '  '  Nea- 
vare  mind:  Edmund  Burke  introduced  me  to  Reynolds.' 
'  Will  you  call  again  ?  '  'I  will.  Have  you  no  work 
to  show  me  ?  '  '  Xenophon  at  the  Russell  Institution  ; 
and  read  the  report  on  Art.'  '  My  friend,'  said  he, 
'  You  will  neavare  make  this  trading  nation  love  high 
Art.'  <  My  friend,'  said  I,  « I'll  try.'  <  You  will  run 
your  head  against  a  wall.'  '  Perhaps  I  may  knock  the 
wall  down.'  He  lifted  up  his  hands  and  eyes,  and 
looked  at  me  as  if  looking  through  the  devil. 


1836.]  A   LEARNED    HEAD    TURNKEY.  51 

"  29th. —  One  evening  while  I  was  sitting  by  myself 
came  a  knock.  I  opened  the  door,  and  the  head  turn- 
key, (who  is  a  worthy  man,  for  I  have  found  him  feeding 
the  poor  prisoners  from  his  own  table,)  after  making- 
sundry  apologies,  begged  a  few  minutes'  conversation. 
He  sidled  in  and  sat  down,  big  with  something.  '  Per- 
haps, sir,'  said  he,  taking  out  and  putting  across  his 
knee  a  blue  cotton  handkerchief,  'you  would  scarcely 
suppose  that  from  seven  years  old  divinity  and  medicine 
have  been  my  passions.'  '  Certainly  not,  Mr.  Colwell.' 
'  Ah,  sir,  'tis  true,  and  I  know,  I  assure  you,  much 
more  than  most  of  the  doctors  or  parsons.  Why,  sir, 
you  would  little  think  I  always  cured  the  cholera.  You 
may  wonder,  but  it  is  a  fact.  I  never  lost  a  case,  and  in 
twenty-four  hours  they  were  as  well  as  ever.  I  do  it 
all  by  harbs,  Mr.  Haydon,  by  harbs.  You  are  a  public 
man  —  a  man  of  genius,  as  they  say,  and  perhaps  you 
will  laugh  at  a  man  like  me  knowing  anything.  But, 
sir,'  said  he,  looking  peculiarly  sagacious  and  half  know- 
ing, yet  trembling  lest  I  should  quiz,  '  I  gather  my 
plants  under  the  planets — aye,  and  it  is  wonderful  the 
cures  I  perform.  Why  there  is  Lord  Wynford,  he  is  as 
bent  as  an  old  oak,  and  if  he  'd  listen  to  me  I  'd  make 
him  as  straight  as  a  poplar.'  '  No,  Mr.  Colwell ! '  'I 
would  though,'  he  said  in  a  loud  voice,  reassured  on 
finding  I  did  not  laugh. 

"  By  this  time  he  had  got  courage.  He  assured  me 
that  he  was  blessed  in  a  wife  who  believed  in  him,  and 
that  he  had  cured  her  often  and  often,  and  here  his 
weather-beaten  face  quivered.  'Ah,  Mr.  Colwell,'  said 
I,  '  your  wife  is  a  good,  motherly  woman.  It 's  a  com- 
fort to  me  to  see  her  face  among  the  others  here.' 
Colwell  got  solemn  ;  —  assured  me  he  had  out-argued 
Taylor,  the  atheist,  before  the  people  ;  that  he  had 
undoubted  evidence  Joseph  of  Arimathca  landed  at 
Glastonbury,  for  at  that  time  the  sea  came  all  up  to  the 


52  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  E.  TIAYDON.  [1836. 

abbey,  and  what  was  to  hinder  him  ?  And/  said  he, 
'Mr.  Haydon,  would  you  believe  it?'  —  drawing  his 
chair  closer,  and  wiping  his  mouth  with  his  blue  hand- 
kerchief, which  he  spread  over  his  short  thighs,  that 
poked  out,  as  it  were,  from  under  his  belly,  —  '  would 
you  believe  it,  I  can  prove  Abraham  was  circumcised 
the  very  clay  before  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  were  burnt !" 
"'Will  you  take  a  glass  of  wine,  Mr.  Colwell?'  I 
replied.  Colwell  had  no  objection,  and  smacking  his 
lips  as  he  rose,  said  he  would  look  in  again,  and  bring 
me  some  books  which  would  tell  me  all ;  but  now  he 
must  go  to  14  in  10  to  give  the  gentleman  his  chum- 
ticket.  I  attended  my  guest  to  my  little  entrance,  and 
he  wished  me  good  night,  looking  an  inch  taller,  per- 
fectly convinced  he  had  made  an  impression  and  would 
certainly  have  a  convert. 

"  When  he  came  in  he  seemed  labouring  with  deep 
thoughts,  and  he  left  me  as  if  relieved,  —  as  if  he  had 
done  his  duty.  He  was  the  first  man  I  saw  in  1823 
when  I  paid  my  fees.  The  hideous  look  of  his  dark 
globular  eyes,  one  of  them  awry  like  Irving's,  gave  me 
a  horror.  He  looked  a  perfect  Schidone ;  but  I  have 
caught  him  in  perpetual  acts  of  benevolence,  where  he 
little  thought  any  eye  would  find  him  out. 

"  There  is  not  a  worthier  heart,  and  never  was  a 
rougher  case  for  it.  Strange  to  find  such  sensibilities 
in  a  gaol. 

"  30th.  —  My  dearest  love  came  in  nervous  dejection, 
and  left  me  to-day  affected  like  herself.  This  is  one  of 
those  occasional  variations  in  the  feelings  of  those  who 
love  with  all  their  hearts. 

"  November  2nd.  — -  Did  not  do  much,  but  thought 
deeply.  The  quiet  I  have  enjoyed  here  has  done  my 
brain  great  good. 

"  November  1  \th. —  A  poor  gentleman,  called  Phillips, 
a  writer  to  the  signet,  a  prisoner  in  consequence  of  Lord 


1836.]  SCENES    IN    THE    BENCH.  53 

-'s  irregularity,  as  much  as  I  am  from  Lord  Audley's, 


dropped  dead  in  his  room  last  night.  He  had  a  mild, 
benevolent  countenance,  and  was  detained  by  a  rich  man 
from  mere  vindictiveness. 

"It  might  have  been  thought  that  such  an  awful 
event  would  have  stopped  the  levity  of  the  vicious  and 
thoughtless:  not  it.  Gambling,  swearing,  and  drinking 
went  on  as  usual,  and  last  night,  when  I  was  musing 
(like  Byron  after  the  assassination  of  the  Austrian  com- 
mander) on  life  and  death,  the  bloods  and  blackguards 
of  the  place  were  singing  duets  outside  my  doors  at 
midnight. 

"  A  prison  is  a  perfect  world  compressed  into  a  nar- 
row space. 

"'In  the  midst  of  life  we  are  in  death.' 

"  1 2th.  —  Read  Byron's  Life  by  Moore.  To-day  was 
the  last  day  for  opposition,  and  when  the  books  closed 
at  four  there  was  none.  God  be  thanked ;  and  God  of 
his  mercy  restore  me  to  my  glorious  pursuit,  and  my 
dearest  Mary  and  children  before  the  week  is  out ;  — 
with  deep  gratitude  for  the  unexpected  mercies  to  my 
dear  family  and  myself  during  my  imprisonment. 

"  \±th. —  Lord came  in  prisoner,  and  brought  a 

beautiful  boy  with  him.  There  he  was  in  the  coffee- 
house, sinless  and  innocent,  watching  his  papa  smoking 
and  sipping  brandy-and- water,  up  at  eleven  o'clock, 
when  the  dear  ought  to  have  been  sleeping  in  bed.  I 
watched  him  with  the  feelings  of  a  father.  That  child 
will  have  his  horror  of  a  gaol  weakened  for  ever.  Yet 
there  was  something  interesting  in  seeing  a  fine  young 
man  keeping  his  dear  boy  close  to  him.  He  would 
have  him  sleep  by  his  side.  There  was  something  pe- 
culiarly innocent  in  the  look  of  the  boy  with  his  white 
collar. 

"On  Saturday,  an  old  man  dies  and  is  opened;  on 

e  3 


54  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDOX.  [1836. 

Monday  comes  in  the  son  of  a  noble  Lord  with  his 
innocent  boy. 

"16th.  —  The  English  are  base-minded,  where  money 
is  wanted  or  rank  concerned.  They  reverence  rank 
from  the  belief  that  wealth  is  the  consequence  of  it. 
But  when  they  have  evidence  wealth  is  wanting,  away 
goes  at  once  all  respect  for  my  Lord. 

"  Last  night,  Lord set  all  the  prisoners  agape. 

One  must  go  out  of  his  room,  for  my  Lord  wanted  three 
beds ;  another  was  applied  to  for  one  thing,  a  third  for 
another.  This  morning  the  bill  was  presented  as  usual, 
for  all  bills  are  paid  here  daily.  His  Lordship  looked 
astonished,  said  a  bill  was  a  nuisance,  and  as  soon  as  his 
friend  came  again  he  would  leave  51.  with  the  landlord, 
and  when  it  was  out  he  must  tell  him. 

"  The  evidence  that  my  Lord  had  no  money  was  pal- 
pable, and  immediately  my  Lord  fell  50  per  cent. 

"  17  th. —  I  went  up  to  Court  to-day,  and  was  treated 
with  the  greatest  humanity.  Commissioner  Law  seemed 
by  his  face  to  have  the  greatest  sympathy.  He  looked 
feeling  all  over.  He  never  asked  me  a  single  question, 
and  the  whole  Court  hastened  my  discharge  with  the 
rapidity  of  lightning. 

"  I  trust  in  God  this  will  be  the  last  time  I  shall  ever 
need  such  protection  again. 

"18th.  —  Returned  once  more  to  my  dear  home.  I 
opened  the  Bible,  which  I  found  on  the  chimney-piece, 
and  at  once  came  to  that  wonderful  blessing  and  cursing 
in  the  28th  chapter  of  Deuteronomy. 

"20th. — Went  to  church,  and  returned  thanks  with 
all  my  heart  and  all  my  soul  for  the  great  mercies  of 
God  to  me  and  my  family  dui-ing  my  imprisonment. 

"21st.  —  Routed  out  all  my  plaster  figures,  to  have 
the  room  cleaned,  which  has  not  been  done  for  two  years. 
Hope  to  be  ready  by  to-morrow  night.     Wrote  Law, 
nd  thanked  him  for  his  sympathy  and  firmness. 


1836.]       ANOTHER  STATEMENT  TO  HIS  CREDITORS.       55 

"22nd.  —  Got  all  ready  in  the  plaster-room.  Now 
for  the  painting  room. 

"23rd. — Cleared  out  and  re-arranged  my  desert  room. 

"  24th. — My  landlord  returned  my  brushes  and  grind- 
ing-stone.  Picked  up  a  second-hand  carpet  to  cover 
the  room.  Ordered  a  canvas,  sent  half  the  money  for 
it  to  Brown,  a  worthy  fellow,  who  abused  me  to  my 
man  for  not  settling  4Z.  15s.  (the  last  balance).  Fitz 
quieted  him,  and  he  promised  canvas  Saturday  night. 
Poor  Brown,  he  shall  have  his  money  as  soon  as  I  begin 
to  get  on.  Brown  and  I  have  been  connected  for  thirty 
years,  and  have  had  about  forty  regular  quarrels.  He 
is  sulky  and  coarse,  I  am  violent  and  unflinching.  It 
ends  by  his  trying  to  smile  through  the  sulkiness  of  his 
honest  face. 

"28th.* — Did  a  great  deal  of  preparatory  business. 
Paid  off  a  scoundrel  of  a  lawyer. 

*  The  following  advertisement  refers  to  his  affairs  at  the  time  of 
this  imprisonment. 

"  Mr.  Haydon  begs  leave  to  inform  his  creditors,  that,  out  of  the 
1220/.  6s.  6d.  correctly  stated  as  the  amount  of  debt  incurred  since 
1830,  5501.  must  be  deducted  as  renewed  liabilities  from  before 
1830,  and,  again,  84/.  14*.  6c/.  must  be  further  deducted  for  the 
fictitious  debt  of  law  cost :  the  real  balance  is  thus  brought  to 
586/.  14s.  6d.,  all  of  which  could  have  been  cleared  off  in  another 
year,  as  Mr.  Haydon  had  paid  off  more  than  that  sum  during  the 
previous  year.  It  has  been  a  matter  of  astonishment  to  Mr.  Hay- 
don why  he  should  never  have  been  persecuted  with  law  from 
eighteen  years  of  age  to  thirty-four,  a  period  of  greater  struggle 
than  any  since,  and  he  attributes  it  to  a  suspicion  among  London 
tradesmen  that  he  saved  and  secured  a  large  sum  of  money  from 
the  great  receipts  of  his  Entry  into  Jerusalem.  There  never  was 
a  more  absurd  belief — the  receipts  were  nearly  3000/.,  the  expenses 
of  the  exhibition  were  1100/.;  the  picture  had  taken  six  years,  and 
the  painter  was  supported  through  it  entirely  by  loans ;  the  balance 
of  receipts  was  paid  away,  and  did  not  liquidate  one-half  of  them. 
Mr.  Haydon  has  been  told  this  idea  got  abroad ;  there  is  certainly 
no  other  way  of  accounting  for  that  immediate  rush  of  law  cost 

e  4 


56  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1836. 

"29th. — Set  my  palette  to-day,  the  first  time  these 
eleven  weeks  and  three  days.  I  relished  the  oil ;  could 
have  tasted  the  colour;  rubbed  my  cheeks  with  the 
brushes,  and  kissed  the  palette.  Ah !  could  I  be  let 
loose  in  the  House  of  Lords ! 

"  I  hope  to  return  to  my  pursuits  under  the  blessing 
of  my  Creator.  My  conscience  will  never  be  clear  till 
I  have  paid  all  I  owe,  for  though  the  law  protects  me, 
the  debts  are  still  debts  of  honour." 

During  the  beginning  of  December,  he  was  working 
at  the  heroine  of  Saragossa  and  Falstaff  reproving  Prince 
Hal,  for  Mr.  Hope. 

I  insert  the  following  letter,  because  I  think  it  really 
throws  light  on  the  writer's  character.  It  should  be 
remembered,  in  reading  it,  that  it  was  addressed  by 
Hay  don  to  his  landlord,  W.  Newton,  from  whom  he  was 
in  the  constant  receipt  of  singular  kindnesses,  who  for- 
bore to  press  him  for  heavy  arrears  of  rent,  who  was 
always  ready  to  advance  him  money  in  his  worst  emer- 
gencies, and  who  was  not  to  be  provoked  into  harshness 

which  has  brought  him  four  times  to  the  earth,  for  the  first  pro- 
ceeding took  place  at  this  time.     Mr.  Haydon  incurred 

From  1820  to  1823,  law  costs  -  -  -  £377  0  0 
From  1823  to  1830,  ditto  -  -  -  450  0  0 
From  1830  to  1836,     ditto         -         -         -     303     8     6 

Altogether     £1130     8     6 
(An  actual  independence.) 

"  London  tradesmen  are  generous  men  if  they  think  they  are  not 
imposed  on.  Mr.  Haydon  appeals  to  them  if  they  consider  it  was 
a  reasonable  way  of  enabling  him  to  earn  the  means  of  paying  his 
debts  to  suddenly  lock  him  up,  and  keep  him  useless  to  himself  and 
family  for  ten  weeks,  and  all  for  a  debt  of  30Z.  15s.  6c??  after, 
too,  he  had  paid  all  of  947/.  received  this  year,  but  4s.  6d.,  the 
actual  sum  he  possessed  in  the  world  when  arrested.  Mr.  Haydon 
is  now  beginning  the  world  again  after  thirty-two  years  of  struggle, 
but  he  does  not  despair  of  doing  all  he  ought,  if  treated  in  future 
with  more  common  sense  and  common  discretion." 


1836.]  A   LETTER    TO    HIS    LANDLORD.  57 

even  by  this  letter.  Nay,  he  did  not  even  jump  at  this 
notice  to  quit ! 

The  letter  appears  to  me  to  be  one  which  could  not 
have  come  from  a  man  with  the  views  usually  prevalent 
about  money  obligations.  Such  a  tone  taken  by  a 
debtor  to  his  creditor  indicates  altogether  peculiar 
notions  of  these  relations,  and  explains  to  me  many 
passages  in  Haydon's  life  into  which  money  transactions 
entered. 

"Loudon,  21st  December,  1836. 
"  My  clear  Newton, 

"  Mary  came  home  last  night  with  the  usual  quantity  of 
gossip  and  scandal,  of  which  you  possess  so  abundant  a  fund. 

"  It  seems  it  is who  has  told  you  that  falsehood  of 

my  having  given  six  lectures  at  the  Milton  and  received  20 
guineas,  whereas  I  only  gave  three  lectures  and  received  10 
guineas,  101.  of  which  I  brought  you  next  day,  explaining  I 
had  only  received  half,  though  given  to  understand  it  would 
be  all  —  which  10/.  I  borrowed  of  you  again,  51.  at  a  time. 

"  And  this  is  the  way  to  excuse  your  own  abominable 
cruelty  in  doing  your  best  to  add  to  the  weight  of  degrada- 
tion and  misery  I  have  suffered  by  insinuating  to  my  wife 
these  abominable  lies. 

"  I  am  ashamed  to  use  so  gross  a  word,  but  your  forget- 
fulness,  your  confusion  of  memory,  your  jumbling  one  thing 
with  another,  your  making  me  write  notes  when  harassed 
with  want,  which  I  forgot  to  reclaim,  and  then  your  brin 
ing  them  forward  again  when  it  suits  your  convenience 
provoke  me  to  it. 

"  Don't  talk  to  me  of  your  affection.  Pooh !  To  let  a 
friend  come  out  of  prison  aften  ten  weeks  locking  up  —  de- 
graded in  character  —  calumniated  and  tortured  in  mind  — 
to  let  him  come  to  what  had  hitherto  been  the  solace  of  all 
his  distresses  (his  painting-room)  stripped  of  all  that  ren- 
dered it  delightful,  and  stripped,  too,  under  the  smiling  pre- 
tences of  friendship,  and  under  the  most  solemn  assurances 
that  everything  would  be  returned,  and  then,  on  the  very 
morning  I  came  home,  when  one  would  have  thought  all 


58  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  IIAYDOX.  [1836. 

beastly  feelings  of  interest  would  have  been  buried  in  the 
pleasure  of  welcoming  me  back,  at  sucli  a  moment  to  break 
your  word,  and  to  add  to  my  forlorn  wretchedness,  by  re- 
fusing to  keep  it,  is  a  disgrace  to  your  heart  and  understand- 
ing, and  will  be  even  after  you  are  dead,  as  well  as  while 
you  are  living.  Had  I  known  the  extent  of  Avhat  you  had 
been  guilty  of,  I  would  have  scorned  to  receive  the  balance 
of  Sampson.  It  was  only  when  I  came  home  I  saw  what 
you  had  done. 

"However,  Mrs.  Haydon  says,  if  I  will  only  say  you  shall 
not  be  a  loser,  the  pictures  and  sketches  shall  come  back 
directly.  I  told  you  so  in  prison,  and  still  tell  you  so  now. 
You  know  that :  but  your  delight  is  the  delight  of  the  tiger 
over  his  prey,  not  to  kill  at  once,  but  to  play  with  your 
victim.  I  tell  you  again  you  shall  not  be  a  loser.  Now 
keep  your  word  with  Mrs.  Haydon  and  send  back  the  things. 
I  did  not  intend  to  say  a  word  more,  but  as  this  proposition 
to  Mrs.  Haydon  is  not  unreasonable,  to  oblige  her  I  say  you 
shall  not  be  a  loser. 

"  Put  this  among  your  collection  and  bind  them  up.  Now 
you  have  made  a  step  and  I  have  made  a  step.  I'll  be  frank  ; 
a  threat  is  always  the  last  refuge  of  a  coward.  I  do  not 
threaten,  —  but  if  the  things  (pictures  and  sketches)  are  not 
all  in  my  painting-room  by  Friday  night  (I  allude  only  to 
those  you  took  away  writh  the  last  books  you  returned), 
without  any  asperity,  or  any  ungrateful  impertinence,  or  any 
wish  to  wound  a  kind-hearted  (at  bottom)  old  friend,  but 
solely  on  the  principle  of  justice  to  myself  and  family,  with 
a  wish  still  to  retain  our  affection,  on  Saturday  I  shall  be 
guilty  of  the  violence  to  my  own  heart  of  giving  you  notice 
to  quit,  according  to  the  terms  of  our  lease,  at  Midsummer 
next,  but  as  soon  as  possible  before. 

"  I  am,  dear  Newton, 
"  Yours  truly  and  affectionately, 

"  B.  R.  Haydon. 

"  Mr.  Newton." 

The  kind  Newton,  (though  he  made  show  of  sending 
a  notice  on  his  part,)  did  not  accept  this  notice  to  quit. 


1836.]  A    KIND    LANDLORD  :    WILKIE.  59 

He  sends  two  notes  in  answer,  written  not  with  ink  but 
with  very  milk  of  human  kindness.  Was  ever  reminder 
more  gently  conveyed,  passion  more  effectually  disarmed, 
or  undeserved  reproach  more  completely  turned  back 
upon  the  reproacher,  than  by  these  short  replies  ? 

"  '  Dear  Haydon, 

"  '  I  shall  send  the  pictures  and  sketches  to  you  to-day,  if 
possible. 

" '  Mrs.  Haydon  spoke  of  the  sketch  of  the  "Widow's  Son 
as  though  it  had  been  received  with  the  last  things  brought 
away.  I  referred  to  your  note  that  came  with  it,  and  others, 
to  assure  Mrs.  Haydon  how  it  came  into  my  possession,  and 
the  only  convenience  your  note  can  be  of  to  me  is  to  bring 
them  forward  to  rectify  any  misunderstanding.  This,  and 
your  promissory  notes  (stamped  and  unstamped)  being  un- 
pleasant truths,  I  suppose  you  call  scandal :  of  them  I  have 
an  abundant  fund. 

"  '  I  will  write  you  about  the  lease. 

" '  Yours  truly, 

"  '  W.  F.  Newton. 
"  '  22d  December,  1836.' 

"  '  Dear  Haydon, 
"  '  The  old  fashion  compliments  of  the  season.     A  merry 
Christmas  and  a  happy  new  year  and  many  of  them  is  my 
sincere  wish  to  you  and  yours,  and  I  hope  you  are  as  free 
from  ill-will  to  any  one  as  I  am. 

" '  I  have  yet  to  learn  what  act  of  mine  is  considered  an 
insult  to  yourself,  but  as  I  am  certain  I  am  incapable  of 
offering  one,  I  give  myself  little  trouble  about  it. 

"  '  Thanks  for  your  good  wishes,  and  the  ticket  for  the 
lectures,  of  which  I  have  omitted  to  acknowledge  the 
receipt. 

"  '  Yours  truly, 

"  <  W.  F.  Newton.' 

"  December  22nd.  —  Called  on  Wilkie  after  a  long 
absence.     He  seemed  much  annoyed  at  my  saying  in 


GO  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  E.  HAYDOIST.  [1836. 

my  evidence,  that  he  had  been  frightened  at  being  seen 
with  me  in  the  streets  after  my  attack  on  the  Academy. 
I  told  him  it  was  true,  which  he  did  not  deny,  because 
it  was,  We  had  breakfasted  on  a  Sunday  with  Seguier 
after  the  attack,  and  on  coming  out  he  said,  '  It  will  not 
be  right  to  be  seen  with  you,'  and  he  went  away.  I 
explained  to  him,  that  I  mentioned  the  fact  to  illustrate 
the  condition  of  abjectness  to  which  English  art  had 
been  reduced  by  such  a  man  as  he  being  terrified  by 
my  attack. 

"  The  fact  is,  he  is  sore,  for  since  the  appearance  of 
my  evidence  he  has  been  quizzed. 

"  He  was  occupied  with  several  interesting  subjects 
—  Sir  David  Baird  finding  Tippoo,  Mary  Queen  of 
Scots'  escape,  Cotter's  Saturday  Night,  and  an  English 
Bridal  Morning  —  all  of  which  he  is  as  fit  for  as  his 
footman.  What  a  pity  it  is  he  has  left  the  style  for 
which  he  is  eminently  qualified.  He  seemed  bitterly  to 
lament  my  attacks  on  the  Academy.  He  said,  '  Ah, 
you  would  have  been  an  old  Academician  years  ago,  had 
all  your  pictures  well  hung,  and  there  would  have  been 
no  disputes."     Poor  dear  Wilkie ! 

"  I  asked  him  about  his  knighthood.  He  said  the 
King  said  to  him,  '  Is  your  name  David  ? '  '  Yes,  your 
Majesty.'  '  Are  you  sure  it  is  not  Saul  ? '  said  the 
King.     This  was  very  well. 

"  Wilkie  described  his  feelings  after  like  a  child.  We 
had  a  very  interesting  conversation.  In  the  middle  of 
all  sorts  of  groans  at  my  rebel  apostacy  suddenly  he 
would  say,  of  something  in  his  picture,  in  the  exact  tone 
of  former  days,  '  Haydon,  I  think  that  ought  to  be 
dark.'  I  then  would  put  up  my  finger,  as  we  used  to 
do,  and  say,  e  Certainly  it  wants  deepening.'  Then  at 
it  we  would  go  again,  and  I  would  say,  *  You  want 
blue,  —  as  a  bit  of  relief.'  '  Ah,  but  wouldn't  that 
destroy  candle-light  ? '     c  No,  it  would    add.'     I    then 


1836.]  WILKIE  :    MY    LANDLORD.  61 

told  him  I  was  painting  Saragossa,  and  wanted  Spanish 
dresses.  He  rang  the  bell,  and  got  me  all  I  wanted. 
To  show  the  villany  of  print-sellers,  —  he  had  never 
seen  the  heroine  of  Saragossa,  though  she  was  advertised 
as  having  sat  to  him  for  his  picture  of  the  same  subject. 

"  I  reproached  Wilkie  with  his  utter  neglect  of  me  in 
my  misfortunes,  his  never  calling  to  see  me  in  prison,  or 
to  chat  with  or  console  my  wife.  These  are  unpardon- 
able things,  but  a  result  of  the  same  timidity  of  charac- 
ter. I  said,  in  allusion  to  something,  '  Would  you  bear 
this  ?  '  'Of  course,'  said  he.  '  Why,'  said  I,  *  what  a 
deal  you  must  bear.'  '  To  be  sure,'  said  Wilkie.  He 
then  lamented  I  had  not  consulted  him  before  attacking 
the  Academy  —  bitterly  —  as  if  he  would  have  stopped 
me. 

"  We  parted  good  friends  as  ever,  and  I  was  much 
interested.  In  his  art  he  has  certainly  gone  back  ;  —  in 
colour  he  is  yellow  and  heavy,  and  Frenchy  in  his  life 
works. 

"  He  seemed  croaking  as  to  the  little  prospect  of 
public  encouragement.  But  as  I  know  the  King  ap- 
proved of  designs  in  the  House  of  Lords,  I  shrewdly 
suspect  master  David  has  an  eye  that  way. 

"  23rd,  2-ith. — Lectured  last  night  with  the  greatest 
applause.  Was  heartily  welcomed.  My  dear  landlord 
and  I  will  separate  I  fear.  Nettled  at  my  perseverance 
in  resenting  his  insult,  he  has  given  me  notice  to  quit*, 
which  I  shall  do  ;  for  I  had  become  a  slave  to  his  caprice, 
from  suffering  myself  to  become  too  dependent  on  his 
assistance.  I  shall  feel  his  want,  and  he  is  the  last  man 
I  shall  ever  allow  myself  to  be  attached  to. 

"  Poor  Newton !  I  shall  miss  your  kind  heart  and 
honest  face.  He  never  would  have  acted  so  if  his  friends 
had  not  become  jealous. 

"Slst  —  The  last  day  of  1836.     A  year  of  bitter 

This  was  mere  "brutmnfulmen"  and  never  enforced.     Haydon 
died  in  the  house  in  1846. 


02  MEMOIRS   OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1836-7. 

sorrow, — great  promise,  —  great  mercy, —  shocking  dis- 
appointment,—  but  a  glorious  victory. 

"  I  have  lost  more  time  in  this  year  than  in  any  before 
during  my  life  from  eighteen  years  old.  I  began  several 
pictures,  and  have  finished  none.  I  have  never  had  so 
many  unfinished  pictures  at  once  in  all  my  life. 

"  In  all  my  troubles  I  have  had  reason  to  be  deeply 
grateful.  My  children  are  improved  and  good.  My 
eldest  boy  has  undoubted  and  high  genius,  and  my  dear 
Mary  is  spared  to  me  in  health  and  happiness.  In  fact 
I  can't  be  low-spirited.  I  can't  complain.  I  have  a 
tendency  to  feel  my  heart  warm  towards  my  good 
Creator  under  all  circumstances,  and  think  life  a  blessing 
even  in  a  prison." 

1837. 

There  was  little  in  this  year  of  Haydon's  history  to 
call  for  particular  remark,  if  it  be  not  the  unusual 
absence  of  money  cares  and  embarrassments.  This  was 
owing  to  his  lectures,  the  delivery  of  which  in  London, 
Liverpool,  Manchester,  Birmingham,  Leeds,  Hull,  and 
other  of  our  large  towns,  brought  him  in  the  means  of 
supporting  his  family,  while  it  gratified  his  strong 
craving  for  personal  display,  and  for  assertion  of  his 
views  about  Art. 

As  I  have  said  before,  these  lectures  have  been  pub- 
lished ;  and  any  elaborate  account  of  them  therefore 
would  be  out  of  place  here.  The  published  ones  are 
twelve  in  number;  on  the  state  and  prospects  of  British 
Art ;  on  the  skeleton ;  on  the  muscles ;  on  the  standard 
figure  of  the  Greeks ;  on  composition ;  on  colour ;  on 
invention  in  Art ;  on  Fuseli ;  on  Wilkie ;  on  the  effect 
of  societies  of  literature  and  Art  on  public  taste  ;  on  a 
competent  tribunal  in  Art ;  on  fresco  painting  ;  on  the 
Elgin  marbles ;  on  the  theory  of  the  beautiful. 


1837.]  THE    SCHOOL    OF   DESIGN.  63 

In  the  course  of  his  lecturings  Haydon  gained  many 
acquaintances  and  friends.  His  sti'ong  enthusiasms  and 
his  passionate  and  picturesque  expression  of  them  had 
commanded  attention  at  all  times  of  his  life,  and  now 
drew  about  him  many  of  the  more  ardent  natures  in  each 
town.  It  was  thus  that  he  obtained  this  year  at  Liver- 
pool, through  the  recommendation  of  his  friend  Lowndes, 
a  commission  to  paint  a  picture  of  Christ  blessing  little 
Children,  for  the  church  of  the  Blind  Asylum. 

"  January  2nd.  —  Spent  yesterday  at  Hamilton's. 
Read  a  lecture  to-night  to  some  society  at  16.  Tower 
Street — to  my  infinite  amusement  at  the  intense  atten- 
tion paid  to  me  by  a  set  of  dirty-faced  journeymen  and 
two  servant  girls.  I  had  promised  a  young  attorney 
to  do  so,  and  kept  my  word.  It  is  extraordinary  to 
think  of. 

"  When  I  really  made  a  good  hit,  I  saw  all  the  room 
nodding.  It  was  an  eating-house  till  six,  when  the 
master  (a  member)  cleared  out  for  a  lecture,  and  lent  it 
for  nothing.  The  company  filled  the  boxes,  and  I  was 
placed  at  the  head  on  two  or  three  boards. 

"  I  was  shown  up  into  a  library  where  was  a  likeness 
of  Tom  Paine.  I  saw  I  was  in  a  scrape.  If  that  had 
been  the  room,  I  would  have  insisted  that  the  fiend 
should  be  taken  down,  or  I  would  have  left  the  room. 
This  comes  of  promising  young  attornies,  to  soften  costs, 
without  inquiring  character. 

"3rd,  Ath,  and  5th.  —  Finished  my  tenth  lecture.  To- 
morrow I  read  it. 

"  6th. — Delivered  it  with  great  applause. 

"  Met  Ewart  yesterday  in  the  streets.  He  told  me 
all  was  going  wrong  with  the  School  of  Design.  Poulett 
Thomson  had  made  the  Council  exclusively  academical. 
Chantrey  took  the  lead,  and  had  utterly  ruined  it.  To- 
day I  called  on  Kennie  and  had  all  the  particulars. 

"  The  Council  has  resolved,  first,  that  the  figure  shall 


64  MEMOIRS   OP    B.  R.  IIAYDON.  [1837. 

not  be  the  basis  of  the  education  ;  secondly,  that  every 
student  who  enters  the  School  of  Design  shall  be 
obliged  to  sign  a  declaration  not  to  practise  either  as 
historical  painter,  portrait  painter,  or  landscape  painter! 

"  10th.  In  very  great  irritation  about  this  perversion 
of  the  School  of  Design,  and  was  going  to  give  Chantrey 
a  thorough  dressing.  But  now  comes  the  question. 
Shall  I  do  good  ?  Will  it  be  right  for  me  to  stop,  or 
ought  I  to  go  on  ?  If  a  blow  be  struck,  their  proceed- 
ings will  he  checked  at  the  beginning.  If  not  checked 
they'll  take  root.  Burke  said  to  Barry,  '  You  will 
find  the  same  contests  in  London  and  in  Paris,  and  if 
they  have  the  same  effect  on  your  temper,  they  will 
have  the  same  effect  on  your  interest.' 

"  It  keeps  one  in  such  continual  hot  water.  I  complain 
that  writing  my  lectures  hurts  my  pictorial  mind,  and  I 
really  would  give  the  world  never  to  be  disturbed  again, 
but  to  keep  myself  in  tranquillity  and  peace,  pursuing 
my  delightful  art. 

"  llth. — Worked  slightly,  but  advanced.  Wrote 
Lord  Melbourne,  telling  him  the  whole  conduct  of 
Poulett  Thomson. 

'•'  l±th.  —  Saw  Poulett  Thomson  to  day.  I  told  him 
that  I  had  heard  that  a  resolution  had  been  passed  that 
no  student  of  the  School  of  Design  would  be  admitted 
unless  he  signed  a  declaration  that  he  would  not  practise 
history,  portrait,  or  landscape.  He  denied  it,  and  said, 
'  Who  has  been  telling  you  these  stories  ?  '  *  But  has  it 
been  passed  ?  '  No  reply.  I  told  him  I  had  heard  it 
was  resolved  that  the  study  of  the  figure  was  not  neces- 
sary. '  And  is  it,'  he  said,  '  to  fellows  who  design 
screens  ?  '  My  God  !  what  would  Aristotle  have  said 
to  this,  after  declaring  the  study  of  design  increases  the 
perceptions  of  beauty  ?  I  did  not  say  '  You  ought  to 
know  it  is,'  as  he  ought. 

"  I  then  burst  out  and  told  him  the  figure  was  the 


1837.]  THE    SCHOOL    OF    DESIGN.  65 

basis  of  all  design,  of  which  he  seemed  totally  incre- 
dulous. He  said  he  would  consult  Eastlake  and  Cockcrell. 
I  told  him  Eastlake  and  Cockcrell  were  good  men  and 
true,  but  timid.  I  told  him  he  had  selected  Chantrey, 
the  greatest  bust-maker  on  earth,  but  the  most  incom- 
petent person  to  judge  of  principles  of  Art.  He  had  no 
invention,  no  knowledge  of  principles ;  and  I  understood 
that  when  Mr.  Bellenden  Ker  said,  e  We  must  first 
settle  the  principle  of  the  thing,'  he  said,  *  As  to  prin- 
ciple, I  have  been  thirty  years  in  the  art,  and  have 
never  got  hold  of  a  principle  yet.' 

" '  It  is  very  improper,'  said  Thomson,  '  for  gentlemen 
to  talk  thus  to  you  of  the  Council.'  '  I  tell  you,'  said  I, 
'no  gentleman  has  talked  to  me  :   I  have  seen  none.' 

"  I  said,  '  Is  it  consistent  with  the  principles  of  Lord 
Melbourne's  Government  to  make  a  Council  wholly 
academical  ? '  'I  selected  the  best  artists  ;  —  Calcott  is 
the  best  landscape-painter,  and  Chantrey,  surely,  at  the 
head  of  his  profession.'  'No;  he  is  not,'  I  replied. 
'  Who  is  higher  ?  '  '  Surely  TVestmacott  has  done  more 
poetical  things  than  Chantrey,  and  so  has  Bailey  ;  and 
why  are  not  Martin  and  Rennie  on  the  Council  ? ' 
'  What  pretensions  has  Rennie  ? '  *  He  does  the  naked, 
and  is  a  judge  of  what  is  necessary  for  a  school  of  design.' 
'  Why  is  he  against  the  Academy  ? '  '  On  principle.' 
'  But  he  has  no  subject  of  complaint.'  '  That  is  the  very 
reason  his  ojrinion  is  valuable,  because  his  objections  arc 
on  the  broad  principles  of  things.' 

" '  Depend  on  it,  if  the  figure  be  not  the  basis  of  in- 
struction it  will  all  end  in  smoke.  The  Government 
will  be  disgusted,  and  it  will  be  given  up.'  I  said,  e  I 
have  no  ultimate  object:  I  have  no  wish.  There  are 
delicacies  connected  with  my  misfortunes  that  make  me 
shy  of  intruding-,  but  I  do  think  that  if  you  put  only 
Academicians  on  the  Council  you  will  become  their 
tool.'     We  then  parted. 

VOL.  III.  F 


66  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  I1AYDON.  [1837. 

"  I  startled,  worrited  and  plagued  him.  He  flattered 
me,  but  it  would  not  do;   I  stuck  to  my  point. 

"  He,  like  all  Whigs,  seemed  inclined  to  soften  and 
oil,  in  order  that  they  might  keep  their  places. 

"  11th.  — I  made  a  clear  statement  to  Poulett  Thom- 
son, proving  that  the  figure  was  the  basis;  that  the  same 
principle  regulated  the  milk-jug  and  the  heroic  limb  ; 
that  the  ellipsis  was  the  basis  of  Greek  Art,  and  the 
circle  of  the  Roman  ;  that  if  the  figure  was  not  the 
basis,  the  Government  money  would  be  thrown  away, 
and  the  public  disappointed.  He  returned  my  state- 
ments with  his  compliments.  I  '11  state  the  same  thing 
on  Saturday  to  the  Mechanics,  and  we  shall  see.  I 
offered  Thomson  my  Lecture  '  On  a  Competent  Tri- 
bunal and  the  Taste  of  the  Upper  Classes,'  but  he  did 
not  take  the  hint. 

"  18  th. — Went  to  the  Bench  to-day,  and  saw -'s 

brother,  who  is  a  complete  character,  affecting  the  diplo- 
matist:  he  has  always  'a  letter  to  write,'  and  {Pal- 
merston  is  a  man  that  must  not  be  hurried.'  The  facts 
are,  he  is  in  debt ;  can't  pay  it ;  asserts  the  Government 
owes  him  a  great  deal,  and  pretends  it  will  pay  him.  I 
said  to  him,  e  I  hope  you'll  soon  be  at  work  and  with 
your  family.'  '  Yes,'  said  he,  with  an  air  of  supreme 
mystery  ;  '  I  dare  say  it  will  be  settled  this  session.'  I 
had  a  great  mind  to  say,  '  Does  it  precede  the  reform  of 
the  Lords  ?  '  I  was  amazingly  struck  at  the  squalidness 
of  the  place  after  being  at  home  and  at  work  in  comfort. 
It  was  shocking,  yet  I  did  not  think  so  when  there. 
After  being  long  there  they  seem  to  suffer  bitter  ne- 
cessity ;  after  a  certain  time  prisoners  are  forgotten  ; 
poor  fellows,  they  looked  like  moulting  birds. 

"  Poor  Lord  Audley  is  dead.  He  was  more  the  dupe 
of  villains  than  a  villain  himself.  He  died  of  apoplexy 
on  the  14th  inst.  I  should  think  the  late  exposure  must 
have  shaken  him  much. 


1837.]  AT    THE   MECHANICS'.  G7 

"20th.  —  Lectured  at  the  Mechanics'  — extempore,  and 
with  complete  success.  The  audience  seemed  amazingly 
impressed  with  the  description  of  the  eagle  in  Prome- 
theus. 

"25th,  —  This  is  my  birthday —  born  1786— fifty- 
one  years  old  to-day.  At  eighteen  I  surveyed  my  state 
of  mind  for  the  first  time  in  my  life,  and  have  never1 
ceased  doing  so  every  year  since. 

"  I  find  now  my  judgment  matured.  A  conviction 
at  last  has  arrived  that  the  Deity  cannot  eradicate  evil, 
and  that  the  mortal  can  only  make  a  compromise  with 
it.  But  this  is  no  reason  it  should  not  be  opposed  or 
checked  ;  resisted  or  turned  aside,  if  possible. 

"  I  find  after  thirty-three  years'  struggle  the  state  of 
Art  certainly  with  a  better  prospect; — the  Academy 
completely  exposed; — the  people  getting  more  en- 
lightened: —  a  School  of  Design  begun  ;  —  and  I  more 
than  hope  the  House  of  Lords  will  be  adorned  with 
pictures. 

"  O  God  !  spare  my  intellect — my  eyes  —  my  health 
—  my  life  to  see  that  accomplished ;  to  see  my  devotion, 
my  sincerity,  my  perseverance  rewarded  and  acknow- 
ledged :  to  see  my  honour  proved  by  the  payment  of 
my  debts,  and  my  dear  family  established  in  virtue  and 
credit,  and  I  will  yield  my  breath  with  cheering.  Amen, 
with  all  my  soul. 

"February  1 5th. — Worked  hard.  At  the  Mecha- 
nics' Institute  last  night  to  instruct  a  class.  I  thought 
they  would  have  smothered  me,  they  crowded  round  so 
with  their  drawings ;  the  horrors  I  have  suffered  come 
across  my  mind,  when  a  blaze  of  anticipated  glory  swells 
my  soul,  just  as  it  did  when  I  began  Solomon  at  twenty- 
six  years  old  without  a  guinea. 

"  Dear  Hamilton  called,  and  seemed  much  pleased." 

In  April  this  year  Haydon  visited  Edinburgh,  where 
he  lectured  with  great  success,  and  received  from  the 

F    2 


68  MEMOIRS   OF    B.  R.  IIAYDOJS".  [1837. 

directors  of  the  Edinburgh  Philosophical  Association 
the  honour  of  a  public  dinner  on  the  22nd  of  that 
month. 

The  following  entries  in  the  Journal  refer  to  this 
visit :  — 

"  April  6th. —  I  left  town  in  the  Clarence  steamer. 
Had  a  furious  gale  off  Flamborough  Head  ;  saw  many 
a  dandy's  dignity  prostrated  by  sickness  ;  was  sick  my- 
self, but  contrived  to  keep  it  secret,  and  was  amazingly 
impressed  by  the  black  and  foaming  wave  —  the  watery 
and  lowering  sky  —  the  screaming  gulls,  and  creaking 
rigging  —  while  the  persevering  energy  of  the  steam- 
paddles,  which  nothing  stopped,  gave  me  a  tremendous 
idea  of  the  power  of  science  contending,  as  it  were, 
with  defying  contempt  against  the  elements  of  God. 

"  The  gale  lulled  about  noon,  and  by  sunset  we  were 
clear,  and  making  way  in  style.  The  old  piper  came 
on  deck,  ready  to  strike  up  at  the  first  sight  of  Scot- 
land. We  just  got  a  view  of  the  Cheviot  Hills  as  the 
sun  gleamed  out,  and  up  screeched  the  piper,  as  if  all 
the  devils  of  Hades  were  trying  to  sing  through  their 
noses,  while  squeezing  them  with  their  fingers  and 
thumbs  —  and  yet  the  sound  was  original  and  poetical. 

"  I  had  not  been  in  Edinburgh  for  seventeen  years. 
The  town  was  much  altered  and  improved  —  Sir  Walter 
and  many  friends  were  dead  —  all  grown  older —  some 
scattered  by  disease,  and  others  distressed  by  poverty. 
Such  is  life,  or,  rather,  such  is  the  road  that  leads  to 
death. 

"  I  began  my  lectures  on  the  20th,  and  was  very  suc- 
cessful. I  brought  forward  a  naked  model,  and  was 
received  with  enthusiasm.  I  have  got  more  hold  of  the 
upper  classes,  because  they  are  concentrated  here  ;  and 
I  think  I  have  had  a  very  great  effect. 

"  13th.  —  Went  to  Holyrood,  and  bargained  with  the 
housekeeper  to  let  me  come  back  by  candle-light,  and 


1837.]  SUCCESSFUL   LECTURING.  69 

see  and  walk  up  the  very  staircase  which  Ruthven  and 
Darnley  stole  up  on  the  night  of  the  murder  of  Kizzio. 
It  is  extraordinary  this  desire  to  feel  a  grand  and  new 
sensation. 

"  loth.  —  Lectured,  and  the  audience  endorsed  with 
applause  my  attack  on  the  Academy,  which  was  severe. 
I  brought  them  to  this  last  assault  by  degrees. 

"  \6th.  —  Breakfasted  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ireland,  a 
friend  of  Campbell's  fthe  poet),  who  knew  him  in  his 
boyhood  —  spoke  highly  of  him,  and  said  he  supported 
two  sisters.  He  feared  he  (Campbell)  had  driven  his 
only  son  mad  by  too  eager  desire  to  advance  him  — 
very  likely.  Men  of  genius  are  bad  teachers  —  too 
quick,  too  eager,  and  too  violent,  if  not  comprehended." 

From  Scotland  Haydon  proceeded  by  sea  to  Liver- 
pool, and  thence  to  Leicester,  where  he  lectured  to 
crowded  and  enthusiastic  audiences. 

On  these  occasions  Haydon  rushed  about  with  his 
usual  impetuosity.  The  characters  he  met,  the  objects 
of  antiquity  or  historical  interest  he  saw,  the  manufac- 
tories he  visited,  are  always  referred  to  in  the  Journals, 
and  he  never  quitted  a  place  without  leaving  a  strong 
impression  behind  him.  His  lectures  seem  to  have  been 
uniformly  successful,  though  the  fierceness  of  his  attacks 
on  the  Academy,  as  might  be  expected,  was  not  always 
approved,  and  the  tone  of  his  criticism  upon  contem- 
porary painters  was  often  complained  of  as  unduly 
depreciatory. 

After  lecturing  at  Leicester  he  returned  to  town,  and 
thence,  on  the  16th  of  May,  proceeded  to  Manchester, 
of  which  he  says  on  the  26th  :  — 

"  I  find  Manchester  in  a  dreadful  condition  as  to  Art. 
No  School  of  Design.  The  young  men  drawing  without 
instruction.  A  fine  anatomical  figure  shut  up  in  a  box  ; 
the  housekeeper  obliged  to  hunt  for  the  key.  I'll  give 
it  to  them  before  I  go. 

j?  3 


70  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  1IAYDON.  [1837. 

"  Before  I  came  up  I  was  threatened  with  vengeance 
if  I  alluded  to  the  Academy.  I  began  the  first  lec- 
ture. No  hisses.  I  proceeded  last  night  and  got 
applause." 

In  Manchester  he  not  only  lectured,  but  agitated  for 
the  establishment  of  a  School  of  Design,  which  was 
founded  the  year  after. 

"June  \st — 5th. — Lecturing  till  I  am  sick.  I  am 
not  happy  in  Manchester.  The  associations  of  these 
hideous  mill-prisons  for  children  destroy  my  enjoyment 
in  society.  The  people  are  quite  insensible  to  it ;  but 
how  they  can  go  on  as  they  do  in  all  their  luxurious 
enjoyments  with  those  huge  factories  overhanging  them, 
is  most  extraordinary. 

"  17^,  ISth. —  This  was  imagination,  I  have  since 
examined  large  factories —  2,000  in  one  room,  and  found 
the  children  healthy  and  strong,  and  the  room  well  aired 
and  wholesome." 

The  month  of  July  he  spent  quietly  at  Broadstairs 
with  his  family,  principally  for  the  benefit  of  his  wife's 
health,  which  was  now  much  shaken. 

"July  6th. —  Not  being  able  to  pay  up  my  rates  in 
the  approaching  struggle,  and  keep  my  love  here  too,  I 
wi*ote  the  Duke  of  Sutherland,  and  stated  the  case. 
Directly,  like  a  fine  fellow  as  he  is,  he  took  two  more 
shares  in  my  Saragossa,  which  will  enable  me  to  do  it. 
Huzza !  " 

This  year  her  present  Majesty  came  to  the  throne. 
Haydon  applied,  unsuccessfully,  as  might  have  been  ex- 
pected, for  the  appointment  of  her  historical  painter.  It 
is  amusing  to  see  his  affected  struggles  and  doubts,  after 
he  had  taken  this  step :  — 

"  9th. —  Felt  degraded  in  my  own  estimation  in  con- 
descending to  ask  the  Duchess  of  Sutherland  to  in- 
terfere with  the  Queen  to  appoint  me  her  historical 
painter,  with  an  income  like  West.     If  I  succeed,  what 


1837.]  THE    MAID    OF    SARAGOSSA.  71 

will  become  of  my  liberty?  I  do  it  for  dear  Mary's 
sake,  as  her  health  is  feeble,  and  any  more  shocks  would 
endanger  her  life. 

"  If  the  Queen  were  to  say,  '  Will  he  promise  to  cease 
assaulting  the  Academy  ? '  I  would  reply,  '  If  Her 
Majest}'  would  offer  me  the  alternative  of  the  block,  or 
to  cease  assaulting,  I  would  choose  the  block.'  Nous 
verrons.  Nothing  will  come  of  it,  and  secretly  I  hope 
nothing  may.  I  have  not  played  my  cards  well  with 
the  Duchess  and  the  Queen.  I  had  a  fine  moment 
which  I  did  not  press. 

"  Went  up  at  one  —  Sunday  —  with  800  people. 
Paid  my  rates  and  taxes  before  nine  on  Monday,  and 
was  at  Broadstairs  at  seven  the  same  evening. 

"  The  utter  recklessness  of  the  Sabbath  by  the  people 
on  board  was  dreadful  —  betting,  drinking,  smoking. 

"  I  was  known  on  board,  and  addressed  ;  when  they 
knew  who  I  was  they  began  to  be  profound,  which  was 
interesting,  considering  they  were  half  drunk." 

On  his  return  to  town  at  the  end  of  July  Haydon 
got  a  large  canvas  on  his  easel,  and  began  a  picture  on 
the  subject  of  the  Maid  of  Saragossa  cheering  on  the 
besieged  in  an  attack.  Wilkie  lent  him  his  Spanish 
costumes  for  the  picture  (the  subject  of  which  he  had 
himself  painted  before  this),  but  he  could  not  set  to 
work  very  cheerfully,  for  his  resources  were  well  nigh 
exhausted.  Lecturing  furnished  just  enough  to  keep 
the  wolf  from  the  door,  and,  as  we  have  seen,  it  was 
only  by  the  kindness  of  his  staunch  friend  the  Duke  of 
Sutherland  in  taking  two  shares  in  this  picture  that  he 
had  been  enabled  to  pay  his  rates  and  taxes  the  month 
before. 

"August  6th.  —  Called  on  Hamilton.  He  seems  de- 
sirous I  should  leave  London  if  I  can  get  advantageous 
offers.  Never.  I  say,  as  Johnson  says,  '  Give  me  the 
full  tide  of  human  life  at  Charing  Cross.' 

r  4 


72  MEMOIRS   OF    B.  R.  II A  YD  ON.  [1837. 

"  7  th. — Made  an  oil  study  for  my  heroine.  She  must 
be  a  Spanish  beauty.  After  all  my  success  this  year  I 
have  returned  to  my  winter  studies  with  only  three 
sovereigns  left.  One  my  wife  got  to-day  for  the  house, 
and  thus  I  started  the  heroine's  head  with  21.  Is.  6d. 
capital. 

"  This  is  always  the  way.  If  the  Queen  would  but 
grant  me  a  pension  — something  to  rest  upon  — I  should 
feel  a  security  of  escaping  the  workhouse.  Now  I  do 
not.  I  am  nearly  fifty-two.  I  can  hardly  last  eighteen 
years  more,  with  all  I  have  gone  through. 

"  In  composition,  telling  a  story,  form  and  expression, 
I  know  myself  equal  to  the  great  men.  But  in  indi- 
vidual painting  of  heads  I  am  vastly  inferior. 

"  This  I  have  yet  to  accomplish,  and  accomplish  it  I 
will  by  God's  blessing. 

"  9th.  —  Never  disregard  what  your  enemies  say. 
They  may  be  severe;  they  may  be  prejudiced;  they  may 
be  determined  to  see  only  in  one  direction :  but  still  in 
that  direction  they  see  clearly.  They  do  not  speak  all 
the  truth,  but  they  generally  speak  the  truth  from  one 
point  of  view,  as  far  as  that  goes :   attend  to  them. 

"  They  sneer  at  my  success  in  lecturing,  and  say,  i  It 
is  a  pity  he  does  not  paint  more.'  Of  course  it  is  a  great 
pity,  considering  my  deficiencies.  That  is  a  sneer  I  can 
and  will  profit  by. 

"  10th.  — Mr.  Meek,  former  secretary  to  Lord  Keith, 
passed  the  evening  with  us,  and  amused  us.  He  went 
to  Napoleon  with  Lord  Keith  when  it  was  announced 
to  him  he  was  to  go  to  St.  Helena.  He  said  Napoleon 
kept  them  standing.  His  face  had  a  dead  marble  look, 
but  became  interesting  when  speaking.  He  said  it  was 
true  a  man  came  from  London  to  summon  Napoleon  to 
a  trial,  and  chased  Lord  Keith  all  day. 

"  He  said,  when  Napoleon  came  on  board  he  kept 


1837.]       LETTER-WRITING    IN    THE    SPECTATOR.  73 

asking  everybody  whether  they  were  going  to  St. 
Helena. 

"  17 th.  —  Studied  the  whole  morning  at  the  British 
Gallery;  —  Guercino  hung  between  Titian  and  Tinto- 
retto. It  was  curious  and  interesting  to  study  why 
Guercino  was  not  so  high  as  Titian  or  Tintoretto. 
Guercino  was  of  the  second  crop  of  Italian  genius.  He 
is  intrusive,  hard,  vulgar  and  gross.  Nothing  could 
exceed  Titian's  Philip  II.  It  was  perfect  in  drawing, 
colour  and  execution ;  just  real  enough,  without  being 
hard  ;  just  execution  enough  to  save  it  from  high  finish, 
and  colour  enough  to  prevent  its  being  dull.  Nature — 
nature  itself.  The  ground  on  which  he  stands  might 
have  been  a  little  lighter  to  advantage,  but  if  it  have  not 
cot  darker  Titian  thought  otherwise. 

"  30th. — In  the  city  to  raise  money  to  pay  my  dear 
Frank's  schooling.  I  succeeded,  returned  fagged,  and 
to  work  on  Mr.  Hope's  Falstaff  and  Prince  Hal. 

"  Thus  ends  August.  Seventeen  and  a  half  days  I 
have  worked.  Saragossa  settled.  Now  what  shall  I 
proceed  to  finish?     Poictiers  or  Saragossa?" 

During  this  month  Hay  don  was  writing  letters  in  the 
Spectator,  addressed  to  Lord  John  Russell,  commenting 
on  the  evidence  given  before  Mr.  Ewart's  Committee, 
with  especial  reference  to  that  of  the  President  of  the 
Academy.  It  appears  to  me  unnecessary  to  refer  more 
particularly  to  these  letters,  for  they  contain  little  but 
amplifications  of  topics  of  attack  with  which  the  readers 
of  these  Memoirs  must  be  already  familiar,  and  much 
of  the  reasoning,  even  if  sound  then,  has  ceased  to  be 
applicable  to  the  Academy  now.  Besides  there  intrudes 
in  all  Haydon's  attacks  a  personality  so  bitter  as  almost 
to  neutralise  the  truths  they  contain,  and  his  quarrel 
with  Sir  Martin  A.  Shee  has  now  lost  such  interest  as 
it  may  have  had  at  the  time. 

In  September  Haydon  had  the  great  gratification  of 


74  MEMOIRS   OF    B.  R.  IIAYDON.  [l837. 

receiving  from  the  committee  of  the  Asylum  for  the 
Blind  at  Liverpool  a  commission  for  a  picture  on  the 
subject  of  Christ  blessing  little  Children,  for  400  guineas, 
as  a  companion  to  Hilton's  picture  already  in  the  church 
of  the  Asylum.  The  offer  came  in  a  letter  from  Mr. 
Lowndes,  a  munificent  patron  of  the  arts  in  Liverpool, 
and  it  was  mainly  owing,  no  doubt,  to  his  exertions  and 
those  of  Mr.  Winstanley  that  the  commission  was 
offered. 

"September  \2th,  13M. — Let  me  survey.  I  came 
home  with  my  family  from  Broadstairs,  July  31st.  In 
August  I  got  10/.  10^.  from  the  Duke  of  Devonshire 
for  a  share  in  Saragossa,  and  that  is  all  professional 
receipts  for  six  weeks !  Since  then  I  have  received  a 
commission  for  400  guineas,  but  the  above  is  all  I  have 
actually  received  to  this  time. 

' i  The  interval  between  my  employments  —  as  I  have 
a  family  that  must  be  fed  and  educated  —  generally  pro- 
duces debts,  and  that  produces  embarrassment. 

"  I  had  to  pay  12Z.  *10s.  for  my  boy,  and  borrowed  it 
at  2s.  in  the  pound  for  two  months.  I  borrowed  51. 
more  to  that  10/. ;  so  that  I  have  incurred  a  debt  of 
32/.  10s.  before  I  begin  my  commission,  and  this  again 
is  a  nucleus  formed  for  future  embarrassment.  Half  the 
month  is  gone.  Falstaff  is  done.  The  sketch  for 
Liverpool  done.  Saragossa  quite  ready  to  do,  and 
Poictiers  nearly  done.  1  am  waiting  for  another  reply, 
and  then  I  fly  to  my  canvas." 

On  the  23rd  the  Liverpool  picture  was  begun  (with 
the  usual  prayer  fur  a  blessing  on  it),  and  on  the  5th  of 
October  he  visited  Liverpool  to  determine  the  place  it 
should  occupy  in  the  church,  and  to  see  Hilton's  work, 
to  which  it  was  to  serve  as  companion.  He  says  of 
Hilton's  picture  that  it  is  "  broad,  though  chilly  in 
colour,  but  a  good  picture  and  creditable  to  his  talent." 


1837.]       HIS  LIVERPOOL  COMMISSION  :  LECTURING.      75 

Before  the  end  of  October  the  composition  of  the 
picture  was  settled.* 

Haydon  was  now  busy  with  his  Liverpool  commission, 
and  preparing  for  a  fresh  round  of  the  great  northern 
manufacturing  towns,  where  he  never  failed  to  find  warm 
friends  and  applauding  audiences.  He  took  occasion  in 
these  tours,  wherever  he  could,  to  urge  the  formation  of 
Schools  of  Design ;  and  such  a  school  was  founded  at 
Manchester  in  this  year.  Probably  no  previous  attempts 
of  Haydon's  to  disseminate  an  interest  in  Art  were  so 
useful  or  successful  as  these  lectures,  and  what  con- 
nected itself  with  them,  or  followed  from  them.  Most 
of  his  efforts  in  this  way,  hitherto,  had  flowed  too  directly 
from  his  feud  with  the  Academy,  or  were  too  much 
mixed  up  with  his  own  quarrels,  distresses  and  disasters, 
for  the  truths  of  Art  which  they  asserted  ever  to  have 
full  effect.  But  in  several  of  his  lectures  he  got  rid  of 
such  disturbing  elements,  and  when  he  did  his  views 
were  sound  and  ennobling.  But  "  self  "  with  him  always 
so  distorted  judgments  and  estimates  as  to  provoke  in 
many  readers  and  hearers  opposition  or  indifference  to 
the  best  and  truest  things  he  could  say  or  write  about 
his  art. 

"  October  2hth.'\ —  Began  this  day  this  new  Journal. 
What  after  so  many  years  are  the  prospects  of  Art  and 
the  country  ?  The  art  has  decidedly  advanced  in 
public  opinion.     Amongst  the  upper  classes  the  feeling 


*  I  regret  that  in  a  recent  visit  to  Liverpool  (in  1852)  I  was 
unsuccessful  in  my  attempt  to  see  the  pictures,  as  they  were,  for 
the  time,  rolled  up  and  put  away  in  consequence  of  the  damp  of 
the  new  church,  where  they  should  be  hung.  —  Ed. 

f  The  Twenty-second  Volume  of  the  Journals  opens  at  this  date 
with  the  motto,  from  Ecclesiastes,  xxiii.  24. :  "  Fear  not  to  be 
strong  in  the  Lord  that  He  may  confirm  you :  cleave  unto  Him, 
for  the  Lord  Almighty  is  God  alone,  and  beside  Him  there  is  no 
other  Saviour." 


76  MEMOIRS   OF    B.  R.  HATDON.  [1837. 

for  it  has  decreased.  The  Court  and  the  nobility  are 
just  in  the  same  state  of  infantine  passion  for  portrait ; 
and  by  portrait,  and  by  portrait  alone,  will  any  man  make 
his  way  to  high  places  here. 

"30th. — Worked  hard,  and  at  the  head  of  Christ, 
which  is  the  best  I  have  done,  in  promise.  When  I 
remember  the  anxiety  about  the  head  of  Clmst  in  Jeru- 
salem in  the  art  and  in  fashionable  life,  and  reflect  on  the 
utter  apathy  now,  it  is  shocking. 

"3\st. — Last  day,  and  a  very  bustling,  idle  month  I 
have  passed.  I  have  lectured  with  great  success,  and 
to  overwhelming  audiences ;  especially  on  Friday,  when 
I  had  two  of  the  Blues, —  wonderful  men,  —  the  one  a 
Theseus,  the  other  a  Gladiator,  and  they  were  received 
con  furore. 

"November  4th. — Met  Rogers  in  the  park.  People 
are  beginning  to  peep  about,  and  heave  in  sight  for  the 
season.  I  told  him  I  had  just  been  to  the  Duke  of 
Sutherland's  to  see  Delaroche's  picture  of  Strafford.  I 
said  it  was  a  fine  work,  but  still  a  French  work.  In 
looking  round  at  the  Murillos,  the  difference  of  what  was 
and  what  is  raises  interesting  questions.  There  is  no  life 
in  French  pictures.  The  basis  of  all  French  x\rt  is  the 
theatre  and  the  lay-figure.  The  flesh  is  smooth  and 
bloodless.  Rogers  touched  me  in  the  side,  and  said, 
( Give  us  something  better  of  the  same  sort;  — you  could.' 
I  went  to  the  Velasquez  afterwards.  It  was  a  ripe  peach 
after  curriers'  leather.  The  Duke  has  given  a  high 
price.  It  is  large,  and  yet  such  is  the  perversity  that, 
like  Thomas  Hope,  he  objects  to  my  painting  large. 
Thomas  Hope  objected  to  my  doing  Solomon  the  size  of 
life,  and  yet  gave  a  French  painter  at  the  very  same  time 
800  guineas  for  Damocles,  full  size. 

"  I  ask  any  impartial  person  if  my  Solomon,  Jeru- 
salem and  Lazarus  are  not  greater  works  than  Dela- 
roche  has  ever  done.    Yet  where  are  they  all  ?    Solomon 


1837.]  DEATH    OF    LORD    EGREMONT.  77 

in  a  hayloft,  Lazarus  in  a  bazaar,  and  Jerusalem  out  of 
the  country. 

"5th.  —  Sat  for  my  portrait-bust  to  Park.  Sent  my 
children  to  church,  but  did  not  read  prayers  to  myself, 
which  is  wicked  and  ungrateful.  The  reason  is,  I  am  in 
no  danger  pecuniarily, —  feel  no  want  of  God's  protection, 
and  forget  his  past  mercies.  This  shows  what  human 
gratitude  is. 

"  9th. —  This  day  the  Queen  (who  will  never  forgive 
me  for  sending  her  a  ticket  of  admission  to  the  raffle  of 
Xenophon)  goes  to  dine  in  the  city.  The  day  has 
opened,  as  all  such  days  do,  in  nubibus.  When  Napoleon 
appeared  the  day  always  brightened,  and  I  sincerely 
hope  her  young  feelings  will  not  have  the  chill  a  bad  day 
always  gives.  God  bless  her !  As  the  Committee 
won't  let  me  into  the  hall,  my  dignity  won't  let  me 
stand  in  the  streets ;  so  I  shall  finish  my  drapery,  which 
looks  gloriously  this  morning. 

"  God  protect  the  dear  little  Queen  through  all  the 
perils  of  fog  and  feasting,  and  bring  her  home  safely, 
and  make  her  reign  over  us  long  and  lasting. 

"  l-ith.  —  Lord  Egremont  is  dead  ;  a  great  loss  to  all, 
especially  artists.  He  wTas  an  extraordinary  man,  — 
manly,  straight-forward,  tender-hearted,  a  noble  patron, 
an  attached  friend  and  an  affectionate  and  indulgent 
parent.  His  great  pleasure  was  in  sharing  with  the 
highest  and  humblest  the  advantages  and  luxuries  of  his 
vast  income.  The  very  animals  at  Petworth  seemed 
happier  than  in  any  other  spot  on  earth,  —  better  fed, 
and  their  dumbness  and  helpless  dependence  on  man 
more  humanely  felt  for.  Pie  was  one  of  those  left  of 
the  old  school  who  considered  a  great  artist  as  fit  society 
for  any  man,  however  high  his  rank,  and  at  his  table,  as 
at  Sir  George  Beaumont's,  Lord  Mulgrave's,  or  Sir 
Robert  Peel's,  painter  and  sculptor,  poet  and  minister 
and  soldier,  all  were  as  equals. 


78  MEMOIRS    OP    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1838. 

"  19  th  — At  Hamilton's  till  four.  He  had  been  to 
Drayton  and  saw  Napoleon  in  the  dining-room.  Sir 
Hobert  broached  the  subject  about  the  charge  after 
dinner ;  Lord  de  Grey  and  others  present.  He  said  I 
could  not  expect  to  keep  my  friends  if  I  raised  my 
charges  in  that  way.  This  was  not  fair,  as  Hamilton 
said  ;  he  got  the  picture  for  100  guineas  owing  to  a 
mistake.  I  told  him  it  ought  at  least  to  have  been  200/., 
and  after  all  the  fair  price  was  300/." 

With  this  explanation  it  has  a  very  different  air. 

"  20th.  —  Saw  the  Queen  pass  the  gallery  to  the 
Lords.  Her  appearance  was  singular.  Her  large  eye, 
open  nostril,  closed  mouth,  small  form,  grave  demeanour 
and  intellectual  look,  surrounded  by  nobles,  ministers, 
ambassadors,  peeresses,  statesmen  and  guards,  had  some- 
thing awful  and  peculiar. 

"  22yuL  —  At  the  British  Museum  all  day,  writing 
hard  for  my  History  of  Art. 

"  2ord.  —  At  the  British  Museum  again.  Copied 
materials  for  my  history." 

And  then  follow  many  pages  of  a  summary  History 
of  Art,  which  need  not  detain  us  here,  and  which  oc- 
cupied him  to  the  close  of  the  month. 

In  December  of  this  year  his  pictures  of  the  Black 
Prince  and  the  Lord  Audley  at  Poictiers,  and  of 
Falstaff  and  Prince  Hal,  were  sent  to  the  exhibition  of 
the  Edinburgh  Society  of  Artists. 

1838. 

"  January  25th. — Manchester.  Up  to  this  very  day 
I  have  neglected  my  Journal.  I  left  town,  and  arrived 
here  after  a  rapid  journey  by  train  from  Birmingham, 
and  was  received  with  the  same  enthusiasm  as  before. 
To-day  is  my  birth-day,  when  I  complete  my  fifty-second 
year.     A  meeting  took  place  in  the  committee-room  of 


1838.]  AT    MANCHESTER.  79 

the  Mechanics',  to  consider  the  propriety  of  founding  a 
School  of  Design.  I  read  my  proposition,  which  was 
received  with  cheers;  —  Mr.  James  Frazer  in  the  chair. 
Mr.  Heywood  was  present.  Some  one  wished  an  ele- 
mentary school  to  be  added  before  beginning  the  figure, 
but  I  urged  the  necessity  of  uniting  the  artist  and  the 
mechanic,  as  in  Greece  and  Italy,  and  I  think  I  im- 
pressed the  audience.  Finally  an  active  committee  was 
formed  to  take  the  matter  into  consideration,  preparatory 
to  calling  a  public  meeting.  This  I  consider  the  first 
serious  move.  Thanks  were  voted  me,  and  inwardly  I 
thank  God  I  have  lived  to  see  this  day.* 

"  28th. —  Dined  out  with  a  very  fine  fellow,  Darby- 
shire,  and  Heywood  (banker),  Fairbairn  (engineer),  and 
others,  with  some  nice  women,  one  with  a  fine  head, 
who  sat  opposite  me  at  table.  We  talked  of  the  School 
of  Design.  Heywood  said,  '  It  was  astonishing  how  it 
would  get  on  if  men  had  shares  bearing  interest; — not 
but  what,'  he  added,  e  I  prefer  donations.'  This  was  a 
regular  hint  for  starting  a  '  School  of  Design  Company,' 
and  after  all,  perhaps,  this  must  be  the  way  in  England. 
"We  shall  see.  Bankers  are  shrewd  ones.  Liked  Fair- 
bairn much  ;  —  a  good  iron  steam-engine  head.  To  see 
his  expression  when  they  talked  of  '  Ernest  Maltravers ' 
made  me  inwardly  rejoice.  '  I  cannot  get  through 
novels,'  said  he.  It  showed  his  good  sense.  He  has 
risen  from  a  foundry  labourer  to  be  master  of  as  great 
a  manufactory  as  any  in  the  world. 

"  2d tli.  Got  a  Celsus,  and  was  struck  more  strongly 
than  ever  with  the  evidence  of  the  dissection  of  the 
Greeks.     It  was  lent  me  by  a  young  surgeon  in  the 

*  It  is  in  favour  of  the  soundness  of  Haydon's  views  as  to  Schools 
of  Design  that  this  very  Manchester  school,  after  some  years'  lan- 
guishing under  a  system  the  opposite  to  that  here  indicated,  has 
lately  seen  and  acknowledged  the  necessity  of  coming  to  Haydon's 
principle. 


80  MEMOIRS   OF   B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1838. 

house.  He  refers  to  the  Greeks  about  the  diaphragm^ 
which  the  Greeks  call  htd^pa^fxa ;  —  (ppdy/xa  is  '  a 
fence.'  How  came  they  to  call  it  so,  but  from  internal 
examination  ? 

"  Lectured  at  Royal  Institution  and  Mechanics'.  Au- 
diences stuffed.  Laid  the  subject  of  a  School  of  Design 
before  them.  Enthusiastically  received.  Committee 
met  to-day.  All  goes  right.  Monied  men  must  not 
be  bullied.  Great  effort  to  keep  the  mechanics  tempe- 
rate. 

"  February  3rd.  — Dined  at  Fairbairn's,  after  passing 
the  morning  at  his  vast  engine  works.  Boilers  for  400 
horse  power  engines  ;  —  iron  melting  by  fire  that  would 
have  astonished  the  devils,  roaring  like  thunder,  dark 
with  brightness,  red  with  heat  and  licruid  like  lava. 
WTe  had  a  pleasant  party,  but  the  conversation  in  all 
country  towns  is  on  domestic  politics.  On  any  broad 
question  they  get  spitish,  and  you  see  the  aim  is  to  rival 
another  establishment,  or  mortify  a  political  opponent. 
Turner,  the  surgeon,  Frazer,  the  connoisseur,  and  Dar- 
byshire,  the  attorney,  see  things  broadly. 

"  5th. —  Left  Manchester  yesterday,  (Sunday,)  and 
arrived  here  (Leeds)  at  five.  After  the  spirit  of  London 
and  Manchester,  Leeds  seems  stupid.     Nous  verrons. 

"  6th. — Lectured  last  night.  They  seem  High  Church 
and  bigoted.  I  was  asked  after  if  I  meant  to  attack  the 
Church,  because  I  said  the  Reformation  had  ruined  High 
Art.  Hamilton  has  given  me  a  letter  to  Theodore 
Hook's  relative,  Dr.  Hook. 

"  10th. — Dined  with  Mr.  Bankes,  and  had  a  very 
pleasant  evening.  Spent  the  morning  with  Miss  Bankes 
in  looking  over  her  collection  of  shells,  according  to  La 
Marque.  I  gained  immense  knowledge,  as  I  went 
through  every  species  from  the  earliest  formation  to  the 
last.     The  people  here  think  her  cracked.     How  evi- 


1838.]  A   VISIT    TO    DRAYTON.  81 

dent  is  the  cause  of  learned  people  being  thought  magi- 
cians in  an  earlier  state  of  society  ! 

"  18th.  —  Left  Leeds,  where  I  have  met  a  kind  re- 
ception and  great  enthusiasm,  for  Manchester.  Attended 
to-day  the  first  considerable  meeting  for  a  School  of 
Design.  There  was  a  decent  muster,  and  everybody 
sincere.  I  seconded  the  last  resolution,  and  the  debate 
concluded.  I  then  ran  to  the  train,  and  was  at  Bir- 
mingham in  four  hours  and  a  half.  On  Tuesday,  20th, 
I  went  to  Tamworth,  and  thence  to  Drayton,  having 
found  Sir  Robert  Peel's  servant  waiting  to  conduct  me. 
My  Napoleon  looked  admirably.  Sir  Robert  had  placed 
it  in  the  centre  of  his  drawing-room,  in  the  place  of 
honour.  Lawrence's  Lady  Peel  looked  really  exquisite 
as  far  as  head  and  neck.  The  Teniers  and  Vandyke 
were  beautiful.  The  old  masters  ground  their  colours 
purer  than  modern  men.  All  the  modern  pictures  looked 
coarse  and  gritty.  The  house  is  splendidly  comfortable, 
and  a  noble  consequence  of  integrity  and  trade. 

"  2lst.  —  Set  off  for  town,  where  I  arrived  after 
being  thirteen  hours  outside,  and  after  having  accom- 
plished all  I  left  town  to  do  —  the  establishment  of  a 
School  of  Design  at  Manchester,  and  the  excitement  of 
the  people.  If  God  spares  my  life  I  will  raise  such  a 
commotion  about  the  Court  that  shall  make  it  ashamed 
of  its  miniature  trash  and  patronage.  It  is  quite  dis- 
graceful. 

"■26th,  27th,  28th.  —  Did  business  to  get  clear  for  de- 
voting myself  for  finishing  Christ  blessing  little  Chil- 
dren. Called  in  at  the  School  of  Design,  Somerset 
House.  My  Heavens  —  what  a  scene!  Eight  or  nine 
poor  boys  drawing  paltry  patterns; — no  figures, —  no 
beautiful  forms. 

"March  18th.  —  Went  to  church;  but  prosperity, 
though  it  makes  me  grateful,  does  not  cause  me  such 

VOL.  III.  G 


82  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HA  YD  ON.  [1838. 

perpetual  religious  musings  as  adversity.  When  on  a 
precipice  where  nothing  but  God's  protection  can  save 
me,  then  I  delight  in  religious  hope,  but  I  am  sorry  to 
say  my  ambition  ever  dwindles  unless  kept  alive  by  risk 
of  ruin.  My  piety  is  never  so  intense  as  when  in  a 
prison,  and  my  gratitude  never  so  much  alive  as  when 
I  have  just  escaped  from  one. 

"  2'lnd.  —  Out  the  whole  day.  Lectured  in  the  even- 
ing on  the  School  of  Design.  Wyse  and  Ewart  were 
present.  Wyse  made  a  capital  speech,  carrying  out  my 
principles,  the  principles  of  my  early  enthusiasm.  It 
was  a  complete  victory,  and  now  it  will  get  into  the 
House  effectually.  They  both  said  I  stirred  up  the 
people  in  the  country.  It  was  curious  to  find  Elmes, 
my  old  friend,  the  editor  of  the  Annals,  vice-president 
after  so  many  years.      God  grant  us  victory. 

"  25th.  —  My  picture  is  well  advanced,  and  I  have 
been  blessed  throughout  so  far.  God  bless  me  to  the 
end.  This  last  year  a  good  deal  of  money  has  passed 
through  my  hands,  out  of  which  I  cannot  save,  —  my 
boys  are  so  expensive.  If  I  think  what  is  to  become  of 
me  in  my  old  age,  something  whispers  me,  '  Trust  in 
God,  as  usual.'" 

An  agitation  was  about  this  time  started  for  a  monu- 
ment  to  Nelson.  Haydon  took  a  deep  interest  in  the 
proposal,  and  contributed  a  design  to  the  competition, 
which  resulted  in  the  selection  of  the  Trafalgar  Square 
column  and  statue. 

Haydon's  original  design  was  a  Greek  temple  with  a 
simple  statue  of  Nelson  in  the  cella,  and  on  the  walls 
pictures  of  four  of  the  most  remarkable  incidents  in  his 
career : 

1.  The  receiving  the  sword  of  the  Spanish  officers  on 
the  quarter-deck  of  the  San  Josef. 

2.  The  explosion  of  L'Orient  at  the  battle  of  the 
Nile. 


1838.]  DIFFICULTIES.  83 

3.  His  signing  of  the  letter  to  the  Crown  Prince  at 
the  bombardment  of  Copenhagen. 

4.  The  death  at  Trafalgar. 

This  design  he  communicated  on  the  9th  of  April  to 
Sir  George  Cockburn  in  a  letter,  but  did  not  then  ap- 
parently propose  to  enter  regularly  into  the  competition. 

"April  Wth.  —  Out  the  whole  day.  Spent  two 
hours  at  Sir  Robert  Peel's.  Studied  the  magnificent 
Silenus.  Good  God,  what  a  scale !  Studied  the  Cha- 
peau  de  Paille  ;  — model  of  painting  hands  and  head  ;  — 
bosom  not  beautiful ;  — hat  badly  put  on.  Miss  Peel  was 
with  her  French  governess,  —  a  beautiful,  domestic  and 
interesting  girl.  She  came  out  into  the  gallery  and  re- 
ceived me  most  kindly,  so  that  I  hope  Sir  Robert  and  I 
will  be  reconciled.  I  pursued  wrong  under  the  impres- 
sion of  right,  and  he  opposed  me,  convinced  he  was 
right.*  When  I  found  amongst  my  papers  indisputable 
evidence  of  my  feelings  at  the  time,  which  proved  I  was 
wrong,  I  told  him  so  at  once.  I  could  do  no  more,  and 
he  seems  to  think  so. 

"  Lady  Peel's  portrait  with  her  bonnet  was  very  sweet, 
but  bordering  on  manner.  Yet  it  was  tender,  and 
suited  the  nature  of  Lawrence :  whenever  Lawrence 
painted  the  Duchess  of  Sutherland  or  Lady  Peel,  he 
seemed  to  forget  all  his  coquettish  expressions." 

By  an  accident,  the  committee  of  his  Liverpool  em- 
ployers delayed  a  remittance,  and  at  once  the  old  diffi- 
culties recommenced. 

"  16th. — Advanced  by  finishing  last  week,  everything 
now  being  settled,  but  the  Liverpool  committee  not 
keeping  their  engagement  with  me  I  begin  to  be 
harassed.  They  promised  me  my  50/.  on  the  8th.  I 
promised  landlord  and  collector  of  rates  and  taxes.  I 
have  broken  my  word  with  all  of  them.     I  feel  lowered 

*  In  allusion  to  the  difference  touching  the  price  of  the  Napo- 
leon picture. 

g  2 


84  MEMOIRS   OF    B.  R.  IIAYDON.  [1838. 

again,  and  after  ten  months  of  prosperity  I  begin  to 
feel  the  usual  blessings  of  devoting  one's  self  to  a  large 
picture  on  contingencies.  I  raised  51.  on  my  prints. 
To-day  I  have  got  9s.  in  my  pocket,  and  out  go  my 
anatomical  studies  for  the  wants  of  the  week. 

«  ISth. — Heard  yesterday  from  Liverpool,  but  no 
cash.  This  is  careless,  and  unlike  men  of  business.  The 
consequence  was,  I  sent  out  my  dinner  suit  to-day  for 
17.  10s.  The  Manchester  men  told  me  that  the  Liver- 
pool people  were  all  show,  and  at  Leeds  Dr.  Hook  said, 
We  give  a  Liverpool  man  ten  years.'  JVous  verrons. 
Hard  at  work,  and  finished  the  legs,  but  not  satisfied. 
After  lunch  I  got  into  an  omnibus  and  drove  down  to 
the  National  Gallery,  and  studied  Coreggio's,  Rubens's 
and  Reynolds's  children.  Of  the  three  Rubens's  were 
best,  Coreggio's  beautiful  too.  I  came  back  like  a  lion, 
kept  down  the  off  leg,  softened  both,  and  greatly  im- 
proved them.  The  day  has  been  one  of  real  ecstasy.  I 
had  a  beautiful  baby  in  the  morning.  Studied  glorious 
works,  and  succeeded.  Laas  deo.  Now,  if  the  50/. 
comes,  I  defy  mortality. 

"  Really,  looking  at  Reynolds,  I  thought  the  head  of 
the  Infant  Jesus  as  finely  painted  as  anything  in  the 
world,  but  on  coming  to  him  again  from  Titian  and 
Coreggio  the  material  was  too  apparent.  But  for  manly 
breadth  nothing  could  be  finer. 

"  Those  three  ladies,  too*,  are  exquisite.  He  was  a 
great  man,  and  I  think  Reynolds,  Hogarth,  Wilson, 
Gainsborough  and  Wilkie  keep  ground.  The  English 
school  will  rise  now  they  are  fairly  hung. 

"  26th.  —  Lectured  last  night  with  great  success, 
going  into  the  whole  Academy  question.  It  was  con- 
sidered I  had  proved  my  position.  Took  out  my  great 
coat  to  go  to  the  lecture.     I  sent  it  back  again  by  my 

*  Reynolds's  Graces. 


1838.]  DEATH    OF    A    STEP-SON.  85 

old  Fidus  Achates  for  12s.  this  morning,  to  furnish  us 
for  the  day. 

"28th.  —  AujourcChui  fai  requ  cent  guine'es  sterling; 
hier  au  soir  actuellemerd  sans  quatre  schellings  I  Telle  est 
ma  vie :  un  jour  au  sommet,  pendant  le  jour  suivant  au 
bout  de  besoin  et  misere  ! 

11  Grace  a  Dieu  pour  sa  bonte  de  ce  matin  I  (Half 
past  one.)  Was  there  ever  anything  like  it  ?  This 
moment  J'ai  requ  de  Liverpool  V autre  501.  Cent  cin- 
quante  cinq  livres  dans  un  jour,  apres  la  plus  grande 
necessite  !      Grace  a  Dieu  encore. 

"  All  this  can  be  traced  to  human  causes.  The  trea- 
surer was  ill  and  forgot  me.  He  returned  and  sent  the 
money.  It  was  inclosed  by  post.  In  the  meanwhile  a 
young  lady  wished  to  be  a  pupil.  I  dine  there ;  the 
father  makes  me  an  offer.  I  propose  another.  He 
accepts  and  appoints.  Because  the  treasurer  was  ill, 
because  he  came  back,  because  he  sent  the  money,  be- 
cause it  was  put  in  the  post,  because  the  train  met  with 
no  accident,  because  the  postman  did  not  break  his  neck, 
was  not  a  thief,  because  my  servant  went  to  the  door 
when  he  knocked,  and  because  I  went  into  the  city  for 
similar  progressive  reasons,  I  got  100/.  first,  and  the  50/. 
came  after." 

But  now  came  a  heavy  blow — the  death  of  his  second 
step-son,  Simon  Hyman,  by  the  bite  of  a  serpent  in 
Madras  Roads,  thus  announced  to  him  by  the  lad's 
captain  :  — 

"  Her  Majesty's  sloop  Wolf, 
"  Trincomalee,  December  31st,  1837. 
"  My  dear  Sir, 

"  I  regret  much  indeed  the  painful  task  I  am  about  to 
take,  —  the  communication  to  you  of  the  melancholy  demise 
of  your  son  S.  Hyman,  which  took  place  in  consequence  of 
the  bite  of  a  reptile  on  board  Her  Majesty's  brig  Algerine, 
at    anchor  in  Madras  Roads,  Avhen  a  sea-serpent  came  on 

g   3 


86  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1838. 

board,  having  been  hooked  by  a  marine.  The  late  Mr.  S. 
Hyman  took  it  in  his  hand,  and  the  animal,  when  irritated, 
seized  hold  of  his  hand  over  the  metacarpal  bone  of  the 
forefinger,  and  held  the  doubled-up  skin  firmly  between  his 
jaws  until  he  was  forced  to  let  go  his  hold.  This  occurred 
at  7  30  A.  m.  Mr.  Hyman  held  the  occurrence  lightly,  went 
down  to  his  breakfast,  and  soon  after  felt  some  uneasiness  in 
his  throat,  which  quickly  began  to  swell :  the  patient  fell 
giddy,  not  long  after  insensible,  and  died  exactly  at  10  30  a.m., 
three  hours  after  the  accident.  A  few  exceedingly  small 
punctures  were  seen  where  the  animal  bit  the  hand.  Soon 
after  death  the  throat  was  discoloured,  the  body  spotted, 
which  in  a  few  hours  became  offensive,  and  it  was  found 
necessary  to  bury  it  at  4  p.  m.  the  same  evening.  There 
were  two  medical  men,  who  did  all  they  could  and  all  that 
was  possible  on  the  occasion,  but  so  very  rapid  and  deadly 
was  the  poison  that  no  good  arose  from  any  remedies,  and 
the  first  hour  was  necessarily  lost  by  the  patient  himself 
treating  the  thing  lightly,  and  as  of  no  material  consequence. 

"  The  snake  was  preserved,  and  examined  by  Mr.  Bland, 
surgeon  of  Her  Majesty's  sloop  Wolf,  under  my  command, 
and  found  to  be  six  feet  six  inches  in  length,  general  colour 
yellow,  with  forty-three  black  rings  nearly  equidistant.  Its 
thickness  about  six  inches  near  the  vent,  from  which  the 
tail  projected  vertically,  flat  or  compressed.  Upper  jaw  two 
rows  of  small  teeth,  the  inner  row  indented  in  the  inter- 
maxillary bones  like  the  common  adder,  but  no  fang  teeth 
could  be  detected,  nor  could  it  be  seen  whether  the  snake 
had  hollow  or  tubed  teeth  from  want  of  a  powerful  lens. 
Under  jaw  had  one  row  of  teeth,  many  broken  and  worn 
from  age.  In  the  above  account  I  have  given  you  every  in- 
formation in  my  power  (at  present).  And  as  for  his  effects 
(according  to  his  verbal  wish)  they  are  strictly  kept,  and 
will  be  sent  to  you.  His  clothes  (naval)  may  come  in  for 
his  brother,  as  my  poor  unfortunate  shipwrecked  brother's 
did  for  me. 

"  In  concluding  this  melancholy  detail,  I  beg,  my  dear 
Sir,  to  acquaint  you  that  your  late  son-in-law  was  very 
much  respected,  and  in  fact  beloved  by  all.     He  bid  fair  for 


1838.]  THE    PICTURE    PROGRESSING.  87 

a  fine  officer,  and  there  exists  no  doubt,  had  he  survived  the 
melancholy  catastrophe,  he  would  have  done  honour  to  the 
British  navy.  We  who  knew  him  shall  ever  feel  most  deeply 
impressed  at  the  loss,  and  his  memory  will  ever  be  much 
respected  by  all. 

"  "Wishing  you  will  be  in  time  reconciled  to  the  will  of 
One  who  calls  the  best  first  to  His  presence, 
"  I  remain,  my  dear  Sir, 

"  Yours  much  concerned, 

"  Edward  Stanley." 

"May  \?>th.  —  Read  prayers,  and  passed  the  day  in 
doing  nothing  but  moving  about,  then  looking  at  ray 
pictures  and  studying  effect.  It  is  extraordinary  the  in- 
disposition of  children  for  church.  Surely  I  had  no  such 
indisposition.  I  remember  going  to  prayers,  and  listen- 
ing to  Gandy  with  absolute  pleasure.  I  remember 
always  listening  to  his  sublime  reading  of  the  Litany 
with  delight.  Not  one  of  my  children  has  the  least  of 
it.  They  in  reality  hate  going  to  public  worship. 
Frank  says  he  hates  to  pray  with  a  parcel  of  fools  who 
come  to  be  looked  at.  Frederic  says  he  likes  it,  all  but 
the  sermon,  and  my  little  girl  says  she  goes  to  please  me. 
Thus  it  is.  If  I  read  prayers  and  a  Blair's  sermon  they 
all  join,  because  they  know  they  are  released  in  an  hour, 
but  Church  is  always  matter  of  discontent. 

"  20th.  —  My  poor  Hyman  haunts  us  all.  His  death 
is  afflicting,  dreadfully  so.  To  be  hurried  to  the  grave 
in  full  health  and  spirits  in  three  hours.  Poor  fellow  ! 
He  never  lived  to  receive  his  mother's  and  sister's 
letters.  Thank  God  he  got  mine,  and  his  last  breath, 
as  it  were,  was  a  blessing  on  me.  I  loved  him  like  my 
own  boy. 

"  2\st  —  Hard  at  work  and  finished  the  other  hand. 
Now  for  the  back  figure,  and  then,  huzza  for  the  con- 
clusion ! 

"  I  think  I  am  less  satisfied  now  than  ever  with  my 

G    4 


88  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1838. 

own  efforts.  Surely  I  must  be  on  the  eve  of  some  grand 
attempt.  I  am  dying  for  daring  foreshortenings  and 
desperate  actions. 

"22nd.  —  Dreadfully  anxious  and  hard  at  work.  I 
rubbed  out  and  rubbed  in  endlessly;  but  feeling  the 
benefit  of  admitting  all  classes  while  the  work  is  in  pro- 
gress, and  all  classes  having  pronounced  judgment  on 
the  muscular  beggar,  I  took  him  out,  after  engaging  a 
horseguard,  and  sending  for  a  female  model  put  in  a 
sweet  girl  looking  over  an  infant.  This  kept  up  the 
feeling,  and  this  morning  (23rd)  I  see  it  will  do ;  so  I 
shall  finish  it,  and  this  is  an  immense  anxiety  eased. 

"24th. —  Put  in  the  head  of  a  young  girl.  It  is  a 
great  improvement.  My  dear  Mary  still  continues  very 
low  about  poor  Hyman. 

"  25th.  ■ —  Studied  the  effect,  and  lectured.  Ewart 
proposed  a  petition  to  bring  up  the  Cartoons  to  be  pre- 
sented by  Wyse.      Success  to  it. 

"  21th.  —  Walked  and  looked  at  the  grand  entrance 
to  the  railway.  It  is  extraoi'dinary  how  decidedly  the 
public  has  adopted  Greek  architecture.  Its  simplicity, 
I  take  it,  is  suitable  to  English  decision. 

"  June  1st.  —  Called  on  Ewart,  and  told  him  strongly 
they  were  hurrying  on  the  art  too  fast ;  that  they  were 
going  to  petition  to  have  the  Cartoons  when  they  had 
no  place  to  put  them  in.  '  Turn  out  the  Academy,' 
said  Ewart.  '  What  is  to  become  of  the  Cartoons  in  the 
mean  time  ?  You  can't  turn  them  out.'  '  The  Chan- 
cellor of  the  Exchequer  said  they  would  be  ready  to  go 
if  the  public  wished.'  This  is  a  radical.  All  they  want 
is  movement.  Here  is  a  man  who  proposes  to  move  the 
Cartoons,  and  before  they  can  be  lodged  must  get  out 
an  Academy  which  has  just  got  in.  I  told  him  false 
movements  ruined  battles. 

"4th. — Went  out  early  on  business.  Winstanley 
called  from  Liverpool.     Called  on  Beechey,  who  was 


1838.]       sir  joshua's  memorandum  book.  89 

full  of  a  new  vehicle.  He  amused  me  excessively  by 
reading  extracts*  from  copies  he  had  made  from  a  me- 
morandum book  of  Reynolds'  in  the  possession  of  Mr. 
Gwatkin,  who  married  his  niece.  It  was  most  enter- 
taining. At  the  end  of  a  day's  work  and  a  new  portrait, 
he  put  down,  '  Sono  stabilito  in  maniere  di  dipingere? 
and  would  paint  the  very  next  portrait  in  a  totally  dif- 
ferent way.  In  the  same  work,  wax,  gum  copaiva,  oil, 
Venice  turpentine,  were  all  used  in  turn.  Often  first 
he  put  '  cerata ; '  that  is,  waxed  the  ground  before  he 
painted.  Often  prepared  with  black,  white  and  blue, 
and  glazed  with  yellow  lake,  and  then  painted  warm  and 
cooled  with  ultramarine  by  glazes.  I  never  saw  a  man 
so  uncertain  ;  and  the  beautiful  delusion  of  fancying  his 
manner  of  painting  was  fixed  ! — just  like  a  man  of  great 
genius  who  has  a  peculiar  weakness. 

"7th.  — Lord  and  Lady  Burghersh  called  yesterday 
and  suggested  removing  the  column,  and  the  improve- 
ment is  enormous.  Too  much  cannot  be  said  to  them 
for  their  thought  and  taste.  To-day  I  cleared  the 
picture ;  threw  the  whole  background  into  sky  and 
landscape,  and  the  flatness  gave  double  value  to  the 
foreground.  Every  day  one  learns  something  from 
one's  self  and  others. 

"  Duke  of  Sutherland  called  to-day,  and  said  he  was 
much  pleased  with  the  character  and  head  of  Christ. 
He  thought  the  children  not  Jewish  enough.  This 
was  a  sound  remark;  so  that  if  I  get  the  child  done  to- 
morrow, this  week  will  have  been  well  passed. 

"  If  a  foreground  be  flat,  let  a  background  be  compli- 
cated ;  if  a  foreground  be  complicated,  let  a  background 
be  flat. 

"  8  th.  —  Painted  in  a  head.  Is  it  equal  to  Titian  or 
Reynolds,  Vandyke  or  Rubens  ?     No  :  disgrace  that  it 

*  See  these  extracts  in  the  Appendix  to  this  volume. 


90  MEMOIRS   OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1838. 

is  not.  My  mind  is  teeming  with  improvement,  and 
something  will  come  of  it.  The  first  symptom  is  disgust 
at  what  I  do. 

"  9th.  —  Much  fatigued.  Worked  hard,  and  got  the 
boy  nearly  done.  This  week  advanced  well,  but  not 
enough. 

"  10th.  — Read  prayers.  Sent  the  children  to  church, 
and  Frank  and  I  walked  after.  My  eyes  irritable  from 
having  had  no  rest  Friday  or  Saturday.  I  am  convinced 
that  on  Friday  and  Saturday,  what  with  reading, 
writing,  painting  and  lecturing,  thirty  out  of  the  forty- 
eight  hours  were  constantly  employed.  Sometimes  such 
is  the  extreme  activity  of  my  brain  that  I  fall  dead  asleep 
like  Napoleon,  and  from  the  same  cause,  wake  refreshed 
and  at  it  again.  When  I  come  to  dinner  my  dear  Mary 
says  I  have  been  a  great  deal  alone.  Such  a  sensation 
never  enters  my  head.  I  never  feel  alone.  With 
visions  of  ancient  heroes,  pictures  of  Christ,  principles 
of  ancient  Art,  humorous  subjects,  deductions,  sarcasms 
against  the  Academy,  piercing  remembrance  of  my  dear 
children  all  crowding  upon  me,  I  paint,  write,  conceive 
and  fall  asleep,  start  up  refreshed,  eat  my  lunch  with  the 
fierceness  of  Polyphemus,  return  to  my  room,  go  on  till 
near  dinner,  walk,  dine,  read  the  paper,  return  to  my 
study,  complete  what  I  have  been  doing,  or  muse  till 
dusk,  then  to  bed,  lamenting  my  mortality  at  being 
fatigued.  I  never  rest,  I  talk  all  night  in  my  sleep, 
start  up  :  I  scarce  know  whether  I  did  not  even  relish 
ruin,  as  a  source  of  increased  activity.  '  Rest,  rest,  per- 
turbed spirit ! ' 

"  15th.  —  Got  up  so  wretched  in  my  eyes  from  over- 
work that  I  sallied  forth  to  seek  my  fortunes,  like  Cain 
with  his  family,  and  got  into  the  Great  Western.  The 
instant  the  engine  moved  I  felt  something  was  wrong;. 
It  laboured  and  jerked,  and  after  going  at  a  snail's  pace 
made  a  dead  stop  at  four  miles.     After  a  great  deal  of 


1833.]  AN    IGNOBLE    RIDE.  91 

time  it  proceeded,  and  arrived  at  West  Drayton  at  one, 
thirteen  miles  an  hour.  This  was  the  first  hour  of  an 
intended  day  of  pleasure.  Weary  of  the  idea  of  remain- 
ins  at  a  station  till  four,  I  determined  to  walk  to 
Hounslow,  but  rain  set  in ;  so  I  hailed  a  tax-cart,  in  fact 
a  butcher's,  and  asked  him  if  he  would  take  me  to 
Hounslow.  He  said  he  would,  and  as  it  was  all  by  by- 
paths I  jumped  in.  He  lent  me  a  sack  to  cover  my 
knees,  and  by  wiping  myself  continually  I  kept  the  rain 
from  soaking  in.  We  got  on  very  well.  He  told  me 
the  winter  had  been  10Z.  out  of  his  way.  All  his 
potatoes,  turnips  and  cabbages  had  been  ruined.  He 
said  he  was  married  and  had  two  children.  He  said, 
'  You  have  a  queer  coachman,  sir,  haven't  ye  ?  '  '  Never 
mind,  my  hero,  bring  me  to  Hounslow.'  After  a  long 
trot  he  plunged  into  the  open  road  —  Hounslow  two 
miles.  I  thought  it  would  be  rather  awkward  to  meet 
the  Duke  of  Sutherland.  Trusting  in  Providence  I 
should  escape,  I  did  not  get  out ;  and  while  I  was 
thinking  if  my  noble  friends  should  see  me  what  a  job 
it  would  be,  suddenly  the  butcher  bawled  out,  '  The 
Queen  !  the  Queen ! '  I  jerked  off  my  spectacles,  pressed 
my  hat  over  my  head,  hid  half  my  face  and  waited. 
First  came  the  Lancers,  then  outriders,  then  the  Queen, 
then  a  carriage  with  Prince  George  (I  think),  who 
looked  at  me.  The  Queen's  eye  I  escaped,  and  he  did 
not  know  me. 

"  At  Hounslow  I  fell  in  with  a  stage,  and  got  to  town 
at  five. 

"  I8tk. —  At  the  Gallery  at  night.  Sir  George, 
Lord  Mulgrave,  Duke  of  Sutherland,  all  gone !  and  the 
glory  of  the  Gallery  gone  with  them.  There  was  not 
one  beautiful  head  in  the  room. 

"  Studied  a  Bassano  till  I  smelt  its  colour,  and  to- 
day dashed  into  my  sketch  what  I  imbibed.  Oh,  what 
they  lose  who  do  not  glory  in  the  old  painters !     What 


92  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  E.  HAYDOX.  [1838. 

an  eye  !  What  a  nerve  for  colour !  How  I  sucked  it 
in,  how  I  tasted  it  on  the  tip  of  my  tongue  !  —  how 
fiery  were  the  crimsons  !  how  delicious  the  surface  !  how 
deep  the  tone !  Delaroche  made  me  sick.  His  dirty 
browns,  his  reds,  his  filthy  leathery  bricky  flesh,  — Yah  ! 
"  I  am  the  same  man  as  ever.  Thirty  years  ago  I  had 
just  the  same  feelings,  the  same  delusions. 

"  Last  night,  as  1  was  looking  at  Delaroche's  picture 
of  Charles,  which  is  not  equal  to  the  Duke's  Strafford, 

P was  standing  by  me.    He  said,  '  The  French  are 

approaching  us.'     I  replied,  '  The  French  have  decided 
merits  we  have  not.'     He  turned  away  in  a  rage. 

"  I  could  not  help  admiring  the  thorough-bred  imper- 
tinence of  R.  A.'s.  They  are  never  at  a  loss  to  keep 
up  their  dignity.  'Approaching  us,'  —  'Us!'  The 
immaculate  exquisite  !    They  are  clever  fellows. 

"  19th.  —  What  I  find  fault  with  is  my  tendency  to 
intellectual  deduction.  I  have  as  much  pleasure  in  that 
as  painting.  It  comes  on  in  spite  of  Titian,  Nature 
and  the  Elgin  Marbles. 

"19th.  —  Hard  at  work,  and  did  half  the  baby. 
Titian's  flesh  in  children  is  exactly  the  milky  tint — 
Rubens  not  so.  In  the  Three  Ages*  at  Bridgewater 
House  the  three  little  children  are  perfection.  The  flesh 
in  my  baby  being  near  a  red  cap,  the  .reflections  are 
red.  Mary  came  in,  and  said,  e  Children  who  suck  are 
not  red,  but  milky.'  This  was  the  sound  criticism  of  a 
mother. 

"  24th.  —  Dined  at  Mackenzie's  (an  old  friend),  and 

met  Lord   Paulet,    O ,  Matthews   (the   brother  of 

Lord  Byron's  Matthews),  Mr.  Coulton,  and  two  others. 
A  very  delightful  evening   we  had,  because  we  got  on 

the  Spanish   war.     O (though  one  of  the  Duke's 

croakers  evidently)  said  capital  things.     He  said  magis- 

*  By  some  attributed  to  Titian,  by  others  to  Giorgione. 


1S38.]  ANECDOTES    OF    THE    DUKE.  93 

trates,  priests,  people  and  nobility  were  all  with  the 
Duke,  and  the  French  could  not  move  without  the 
Duke  immediately  knowing  every  movement.  He  said 
the  French  never  fought  much  after  Salamanca  and 
Albuera.  He  said  he  knew  that  the  Duke,  before 
going  to  Waterloo,  when  ministers  asked  whom  they 
should  send  out  if  any  accident  should  happen  to  him, 
replied,  '  Beresford ; '  but  like  many  old  officers,  he 
ascribed  more  to  circumstances  than  to  Wellington's 
genius.     Absurd. 

"  Lord  Paulet  told  some  interesting  things.  Amono- 
a  parcel  of  aides-de-camp  he  heard  one  say,  '  They  ran 
away.'  The  Duke,  who  was  near,  turned  round  — 
*  Ran  away  !  to  be  sure.  I  saw  a  whole  regiment, 
officers  and  all,  run  like  the  devil  in  the  Pyrenees  till 
they  were  up  to  their  shoulders  in  furze.'  Lord  Paulet 
said  it  was  one  of  the  fifties.  The  Duke  said  directly 
after  he  saw  the  same  regiment  distinguishing  themselves 

O  DO 

highly.  He  was  supposed  not  to  have  seen  the  first 
scene,  but  he  saw  the  last,  and  noticed  their  gallantry  in 
orders. 

"  Lord  Paulet  said,  one  night  in  Paris,  at  the  Varietes, 
he  and  the  Duke  found  in  their  box  a  dirty-looking  fellow 
marked  with  the  smallpox.  He  was  going  to  say  the 
box  was  taken,  when  to  his  astonishment  the  Duke 
spoke  freely  to  the  stranger,  and  they  got  into  a  deep 
conversation.  When  the  Duke  came  out  he  said,  '  Do 
you  know  who  that  is  ?  That 's  Rostopchin,  a  devilish 
good  fellow.'  Mackenzie  then  said,  in  reply  to  some 
question,  Rostopchin  did  not  set  fire  to  Moscow.  That 
he  heard  him  declare  after  dinner,  upon  his  word  of 
honour  as  a  gentleman,  that  he  had  nothing  to  do  with 
it.  He  burned  his  own  villa  before  the  city  was  burnt, 
thus  setting  the  example,  but  he  says  it  was  set  fire  to 
by  thieves,  who  hoped  to  plunder.  Mackenzie  said  the 
question    with  Russians  was,  Moscow    was  the  head- 


94  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  IIAYDON.  [1838. 

quarters  of  the  nobility,  who  were  too  powerful  for 
Alexander's  independence.  It  was  suspected  the  burning 
was  not  disagreeable  to  him.  The  nobles  were  very- 
angry  at  the  Tilsit  scene,  and  remonstrated  ;  in  fact 
little  less  than  ordered  Alexander  to  have  nothing  to  do 
again  with  the  French  army,  or  even  to  see  Napoleon. 

"  O then   returned  to   the   running  away,  and 

said,  unless  keeping  the  ground  wras  an  object,  officers 
and  all  often  took  shelter.  But  if  the  orders  were, 
'  Keep  that  ground  while  alive,'  every  man  would  drop 
at  his  post. 

"  Mackenzie  said  he  was  present  when  a  French 
officer  of  artillery  was  taken  and  brought  to  Schwart- 
zenburg.  Among  other  questions  he  was  asked  what 
they  were  doing  in  the  South.  '  Don't  you  know  ? 
We  have  been  fighting  a  man  who  if  he  had  your  army 
would  have  been  in  Paris  a  month  ago.'  He  told  us  he 
heard  the  Duke  say  Massena  was  equal  to  120,000, 
Ney  to  20,000,  but  that  Soult  combined  the  talents  of 
both. 

"He  said  the  11th  volume  of  the  Despatches  was 
delayed  till  Soult  was  gone,  lest  it  might  have  injured 
him  with  English  people. 

"  O thought   nothing-  of  Vittoria  because  there 

was  no  fighting.  I  asked  him  if  taking  150  pieces  of 
cannon  and  Lord  Hill's  flank  movement  were  nothing. 
He  admitted,  unwillingly,  that  was  something.    Vittoria 

was  the  greatest  because  there  was  no  fighting.     O 

said  the  army  was  sick  of  it  before  the  battle.  I  dare 
say  all  the  croakers  were. 

"  O was  exactly  the  sort  of  man  to  hit  short- 
sighted prejudices  between  wind  and  water;  to  attribute 
the  success  of  a  great  genius  to  circumstances,  to  in- 
formation and  second-rate  causes,  instead  of  seeing  that 
but  for  the  innate  power  of  mind  to  wield  the  circum- 
stances nothing  could  have  come. 


1838.]       WILKIE'S    GENERAL    BAIRD    AND  CELLINI.        95 

"  What  "Wellington  must  have  had  to  contend  with  ! 
I  came  away  with  Matthews,  to  whom,  as  we  came  out, 
I  complained  of  the  disposition  of  old  military  characters 

to  underrate  the   Duke.     I    told   O that   I  heard 

from  Colonel  Aicheson  of  the  Guards  a  saying  of  the 
Duke's, e  No  man  who  is  not  an  ass  fights  a  general  battle 
unless  he  is  sure  of  getting  it.' 

"July  27  th.— Had  a  long  chat  with  Wilkie.  He  had 
a  lady  on  canvas  which  was  very  fair,  but  his  large 
work,  the  Discovery  of  Tippoo's  Body,  is  beneath  notice. 
He  has  no  notion  of  grace.  He  has  put  Baird  with  his 
head  the  wrong  way  for  ease,  just  like  his  George  IV. 
It  is  dreadful  to  see  such  a  genius  so  encumberino* 
himself.  I  suspect  from  his  tone  he  is  suffering  from 
want  of  commissions.  How  can  he  expect  otherwise 
when  for  ten  years  he  has  palmed  off  such  trash  as  he 
has  been  painting  ?  I  asked  him  if  he  had  read  my 
treatise  on  painting.  He  said  he  had  begun  it,  but  it 
was  very  learned. 

"  I  think  he  is  going  to  get  married.  Just  as  I  was 
going  he  showed  me  a  small  picture  of  the  Pope  and 
Benvenuto  Cellini,  as  exquisite  as  anything  he  ever 
painted  —  superior,  in  fact.  It  had  all  the  surface  Sir 
George  used  to  wish  for  in  him.  If  he  completes  it  as 
he  has  begun  it,  he  will  hit  what  he  has  been  floundering 
after  for  years. 

"  31  st.  —  I  have  got  through  all  the  figures  ;  painted 
ten  this  month.     I  am  grateful  I  have  accomplished  it. 

"  Now  for  improvements  and  alterations.  About 
seven  D'Orsay  called  whom  I  had  not  seen  for  long. 
He  was  much  improved,  and  looking  'the  glass  of 
fashion  and  the  mould  of  form,' — really  a  complete 
Adonis  —  not  made  up  at  all.  He  made  some  capital 
remarks,  all  of  which  must  be  attended  to.  They  were 
first  impressions  and  sound.  He  bounded  into  his 
cab,  and  drove  off  like   a  young  Apollo  with  a  fiery 


96  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  IIAYDOX.  [1838. 

Pegasus.     I  looked  after  him.     I  like  to  see  such  spe- 
cimens. 

"  August  Ath. — Wilkie  called  and  is  looking  very  old. 
His  mind  is  certainly  growing  feeble.  We  had  a  regular 
discussion  about  effects,  lights,  &c,  but  he  was  weak 
and  fat.  He  was  annoyed  at  my  saying  that  he  refused 
to  walk  with  me  in  the  streets  after  my  attack  on  the 
Academy.  It  was  truth  and  he  knows  it.  He  said, 
'  My  object  was  to  bring  you  right,  as  it  is  now.'  He 
actually  said  this  to-day,  as  if  he  was  sounding  me. 
'  You  have  kept  yourself  aloof  from  all  societies,'  said 
he,  e  very  properly.'     By  heavens  here  is  an  advance  ! " 

At  this  time  the  subject  of  a  statue  to  the  Duke  of 
Wellington  was  under  consideration,  and  a  model  of 
Wyatt's  equestrian  figure  was  erected,  without  the 
artist's  knowledge,  on  the  arch  where  the  statue  itself 
now  stands.  Struck  with  the  ungraceful  effect  of  the 
whole,  Hay  don  wrote  to  the  Duke,  enclosing  a  sketch 
in  which  he  showed  the  disproportion  between  statue 
and  pedestal  and  the  improvement  that  might  be  effected 
by  adopting  a  figure  of  different  size  placed  parallel  with 
the  roadway  instead  of  athwart  it.  The  Duke  acknow- 
ledged the  note  and  sketch  in  his  usual  incisive  style: — ■ 

"London,  August  11th,  1838. 

"  The  Duke  of  Wellington  presents  his  compliments  to 
Mr.  Haydon,  and  returns  the  drawing  enclosed  in  his  note  of 
the  10th. 

"  The  Duke  is  the  man  of  all  men  in  England  who  has 
the  least  to  do  with  the  affair  which  is  the  subject  of  Mr. 
Haydon's  letter  to  him." 


"  17 th.  — ■  The  session  has  ended,  and  nothing  has 
been  done  for  High  Art,  or  even  thought  of.  But  the 
law  which  enabled  a  reptile  to  enter  your  house  without 
notice  and   drag  you  even  from  your  bed  is  abolished. 


1838.]         THE    LIVEItrOOL    PICTURE    FINISHED.  97 

This  is  only  a  step  to  the  final  abolishment  of  arrest 
even  in  execution. 

"  I  have  helped  to  this  desired  object. 

"  Hume  read  my  Catalogue  on  the  Mock  Election  at 
the  House,  which  was  a  feather  in  the  scale. 

"29th. — Hard  and  anxiously  at  work.  Nothing  now 
left  to  finish  but  the  feet  and  legs  of  an  alteration,  and 
to  have  three  boy  models  together,  so  that  I  may  make 
my  own  more  separate  and  solid  in  light  and  shadow 
from  nature. 

"  Always  group  up  your  models.  No  ideal  light  and 
shadow  is  equal  to  the  truth  of  life. 

"  olst — I  have  fairly  got  through  my  picture,  for 
which  mercy  I  offer  God  my  grateful  thanks.  I  began 
8th  October,  went  out  of  town  in  January,  recommenced 
in  April,  and  got  through  it  in  August.  It  has  taken 
me  six  months'  fair  hard  work.  I  faddled  two,  was 
absent  six  weeks,  altered  and  rubbed  in  in  March  and 
began  to  finish  in  April.  For  the  health,  for  the  hap- 
piness, for  the  supply  of  money,  for  all  the  blessings  I 
have  enjoyed,  on  my  knees  I  bless  God,  the  cause,  the 
fountain,  of  all. 

"  September  6th. — When  the  vehicle  which  conveys 
the  thought  is  such  as  not  to  detract  from  the  full  value 
of  the  thought  by  its  imperfection  of  reseml dance,  but 
not  such  as  to  attract  by  its  mere  splendour  of  execu- 
tion, but  such  as  solely  to  convey  the  thought,  so  that 
the  thought  alone  shall  predominate  —  that  is  perfection 
of  Art.  Subsequent  examination  may  bring  fresh 
delight  at  finding  out  how  this  has  been  done. 

"  Titian  and  Apelles,  Claude  and  Vandervelde,  Wil- 
kic  in  his  Blind  Fiddler,  and  Landseer  in  his  dogs, — 
why  are  these  men  not  the  greatest  in  their  art  ?  Be- 
cause invention  requires  a  higher  power  of  mind  than 
imitation. 

"  16^.-1  bless  God  with  all  my  heart  that  I  have 
vol,  in.  h 


98  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  1IAYDON.  [1838. 

paid  my  rent,  rates,  taxes,  laid  in  my  coals  for  winter, 
and  have  enjoyed  health,  happiness  and  freedom  from 
debt  ever  since  this  commission.  If,  before  I  die,  I  can 
satisfy  my  old  creditors  (those  who  did  not  put  me  to 
law  costs,  though  there  is  something  of  revenge  in  this 
I  believe  and  fear)  I  shall  die  unloaded. 

"  October  9th. — Worked  hard  and  finished  my  sketch, 
and  thus  I  conclude  '  my  first  Liverpool  commission,'  as 
mv  friend  Lowndes  said. 

"\9th. — Left  town  in  the  train,  and  arrived  at  Liver- 
pool at  half-past  seven  —  nine  and  a  half  hours — 210 
miles.  A  young  American  sat  with  me  in  the  coupee, 
and  I  was  heartily  amused.  All  the  characteristics  of 
his  countrymen  came  out  in  perfection.  He  carelessly 
tumbled  about  bills  to  a  considerable  amount — boasted 
of  the  battle  of  Plattsburgh,  which  I  had  forgotten,  till 
I  was  obliged  to  pull  him  down  a  little,  tenderly,  about 
the  Chesapeake  and  the  Capitol.  His  face  altered 
instantly. 

"  He  said  he  could  animal-magnetise.  I  defied  him  : 
he  began  with  all  his  antics,  but  I  looked  him  sternly  in 
the  face  and  shook  him.  He  pretended  he  was  ill,  and 
finding  me  broad  awake  said,  '  Mayhap,  you  are  a  strong 
mind.'     '  So  they  say,'  said  I. 

"  At  lunch  he  went  and  found  out  who  I  was,  when 
his  altered  tone  amused  me.  He  drove  up  to  the  same 
hotel  and  announced  my  coming  (which  was  a  cursed 
liberty).     After  that  I  took  care. 

"  On  Tuesday  I  met  him  and  said,  '  Well,  you  did 
not  put  me  to  sleep.'  s  Ah,'  said  he,  '  I  did  not  do  it. 
I  was  too  ilL'     I  found  the  picture  arrived. 

"  21st. — Went  to  church  at  the  asylum. 
22?id. — Put  up  the  picture. 
23rd. — It  looked  capitally. 

"  24th.— Worked  at  it. 


Si 

a 


1838.]  LECTURING    AT    LIVERPOOL.  99 

"  25th. — Finished.  Thus  it  is  one  year  and  seven- 
teen days  since  I  began  the  picture.     Laus  Deo. 

"  27th,  28th  and  29th. — Spent  at  Liverpool  amongst 
a  spirited  set,  but  more  idle  than  Manchester  men. 
Dined  on  27th  with  Lowndes,  who  seemed  quite  happy. 
I  had  in  spite  of  calumny  honoured  his  election. 

"  30th. —  Set  off  for  Manchester,  where  I  stayed  for 
two  days  arranging  with  Fairbairn  about  my  dear  boy, 
Frank,  who  will  be  an  engineer. 

"November  1st. — Arrived  safely  at  Leeds,  where  I 
was  heartily  and  sincerely  welcomed.  The  Liverpool 
men  are  speculators  and  spirited ;  the  Leeds  men,  steady 
and  persevering ;  the  Manchester  men,  industrious  and 
wealthy. 

"  19th. — Left  dear  old  steady  Leeds  at  eleven.  Got 
to  Manchester  and  dined.  Set  off  by  train  and  came 
back  like  mad  in  the  hour  to  Liverpool.  Had  a  letter 
from  my  darling  Mary  which  charmed  me. 

•  <  2': st. — V*Tent  to  the  Mechanics'  and  got  all  right.  It 
is  a  magnificent  establishment. 

"  22nd. — Lectured  last  night  to  a  large  audience. 
The  room  is  too  large.  You  feel  pained  to  fill  it. 
There  are  too  many  boys  belonging  to  the  schools,  and 
the  savage  brutality  behind  is  dreadful.  No  attention 
or  common  civility.  I  was  astonished.  They  are  ac- 
customed to  so  many  teachers  they  look  on  a  lecturer  as 
on  a  porter.  I'll  teach  them  differently.  I  had  hard 
work  to  get  a  glass  of  water. 

"  December  5th. — Lowndes  came  the  other  night  and 
proposed  to  rne  to  paint  a  grand  historical  picture  of  the 
Duke.  The  very  thing  I  have  been  thinking  of  for  two 
years.  How  extraordinary  !  O  God,  grant  me  life  and 
health  to  do  this  thing  as  the  glorious  town  of  Liverpool 
deserves  it  should  be  done  ! 

"  4th,  5th,  6th,  1th  and  8th.— Sketched.  The  scheme 
for  the  Duke  goes  on  capitally. 

ii  2 


100  MEMOIRS   OF    B.  R.  HAYDON".  [lS38> 

"  Brought  forward  a  boy  at  the  Mechanics'  to-night 
who  is  a  great  genius  —  Huxley.  He  will,  if  ever  pro- 
perly assisted,  be  an  honour  to  English  Art.  I  offered 
to  educate  him  if  they  would  maintain  him. 

"  He  has  sketched  a  Rape  of  Proserpine  as  fine  as 
anything  I  ever  saw  —  Ceres  demanding  her  Daughter 
— Three  Fates — Three  Furies — not  a  figure  more  than 
wanted.     He  is  full  of  invention  and  no  manner. 

"  He  sees  the  principal  figure  at  once.  1  cannot  ex- 
press my  pleasure. 

"  His  father  is  a  cabinet-maker. 

"  \Ath,  loth. — Dined  out,  and  gave  my  last  lecture 
to  a  crowded  and  elegant  audience.  On  the  Thursday 
I  lectured  on  a  fine  living  model  called  Hickman,  six 
feet  two  and  a  half.  When  I  put  him  like  the  Theseus 
and  Ilissus  the  whole  audience  felt  his  superb  look.  He 
had  been  a  horse-guardsman.  The  success  of  these 
lectures  at  Liverpool,  and  the  success  of  the  Asylum 
picture,  and  the  victory  of  a  public  commission,  are 
really  so  glorious  that  no  gratitude  to  God  can  be  great 
enough.  I  prayed  sincerely  for  a  successful  end  of  this 
labour  and  it  has  ended  successfully.  Gratitude  to  Him, 
the  protector  of  all  his  creatures.  I  now  pray  to  Him 
to  bless  this  new  commission  of  the  Duke,  that  Liver- 
pool may  possess  the  best  historical  picture  and  my 
grandest  effort  of  the  pencil  in  portrait.  Inspired  by 
history  I  fear  not  making  it  the  grandest  thing." 

This  commission  for  the  picture  of  the  Duke  musing 
at  Waterloo  twenty  years  after  the  battle  was  a  great 
triumph  for  Haydon,  who,  as  has  been  mentioned,  had 
conceived  the  subject  in  1836,  and  had  begun  a  picture 
for  Messrs.  Boys,  the  publishers,  which  was  not  pro- 
ceeded with  in  consequence  of  the  difficulty  already  re- 
corded about  the  Duke's  clothes. 

A  commission  from  a  body  of  gentlemen  at  Liverpool 
was  a  very  different  thing  from  a  publisher's  speculation, 


1839. J       TAINTING    THE    PICTURE  OF    THE    DUKE.       101 

and  so  the  picture  was  rubbed  in,  with  great  exultation, 
before  the  close  of  the  year,  with  a  prayer  (in  allusion 
to  the  picture  painted  for  Sir  li.  Peel)  that  the  artist 
might  beat  Napoleon  as  much  as  ever  the  Duke  did. 

"  3lst. — The  last  clay  of  1838.  A  year  of  compe- 
tence, work  and  prosperity  comparatively.  Blessings 
and  gratitude  to  that  benevolent  Creator  under  whose 
merciful  dispensation  this  has  happened.  It  has  not 
made  me  ungrateful  or  vicious  ;  but  I  have  less  crime 
to  answer  for  than  any  other  previous  year  of  my  past 
life. 

"  Gratitude  for  ever  and  ever.  Amen. 

"  The  people  are  more  alive  to  Art  than  ever. 
Everywhere  have  I  been  received  with  enthusiasm,  and 
the  importance  of  High  Art  is  no  longer  a  matter  of 
doubt  with  them. 

"  Thus  ends  1838.  Could  I  hope  that  every  year 
would  be  equally  blessed  by  employment  and  compe- 
tence every  wish  would  be  gratified.  May  I  deserve  it, 
Amen." 


1839. 

This  year  presented  but  few  vicissitudes.  The  artist 
was  kept  above  embarrassment  throughout,  partly  by 
his  Liverpool  commission  for  the  Duke's  picture  and 
partly  by  his  lectures.  The  one  great  incident  of  the 
twelvemonth  was  the  visit  to  Walmer,  where  he  had  at 
length  his  long-wished-for  opportunity  of  sittings  from 
the  Duke. 

Now  that  "Wellington  has  passed  away,  details  which 
illustrate  his  character  and  habits  possess  an  interest, 
however  trivial  apart  from  the  man.  I  have  therefore 
given  the  Journal  of  this  visit  in  full.  But  before  this 
there  had  been  much  correspondence  between  the  Duke 

li  :3 


102  MEMOIRS   OF    B.  R.  IIAYDON.  [1839. 

and  the  painter,  characteristic  on  both  sides,  of  which  I 
have  suppressed  very  little. 

Haydon's  admiration  of  the  Duke  was  unbounded, 
and  the  pains  he  took  with  this  commission  were  in 
proportion  to  his  enthusiasm  for  the  subject  of  it.  The 
sketches  in  the  Journal  are  evidence  of  the  thought  he 
gave  to  the  arrangement  of  the  picture,  and  I  have  had 
placed  in  my  hands  (while  this  book  was  in  progress)  a 
collection  of  elaborate  chalk  studies  *  for  all  the  details, 
from  the  head  and  hands  of  the  Duke,  down  to  his  spurs 
and  the  minutest  parts  of  the  trappings  of  Copenhagen, 
partly  from  Haydon's  own  hand,  and  partly  from  that 
of  his  Liverpool  pupil  Huxley.  The  picture  seems  to 
have  been,  in  every  sense  of  the  word,  a  conscientious 
work.  It  is  well  known  at  this  time,  from  the  re-ap- 
pearance of  the  print  on  the  death  of  the  Duke  last 
year. 

"January  1st. — I  arose  at  daylight,  dressed,  and 
going  into  the  parlour  as  usual  opened  the  Bible  almost 
in  the  dark,  turned  it  on  its  face,  and  waited  for  light. 
I  then,  getting  impatient,  lighted  a  candle,  and  read, 
'Let  thy  mercy,  O  Lord,  be  upon  us,  according  as  we 
hope  in  Thee.' 

"  And  now  to  set  my  palette,  and  to  work.  Half 
past  eight." 

Wishing  to  consult  existing  portraits,  he  applied  to 
Sir  Robert  Peel  for  access  to  that  by  Lawrence  in  his 
possession. 

"  Drayton  Manor,  January  9th. 
"  Sir, 

"  I  found  your  letter  on  my  return  home  last  night. 

"  I  shall  have  great  pleasure  in  acceding  to  your  wish  to 
see  Lawrence's  portrait  of  the  Duke  of  Wellington,  and 
enclose  an  order  to  my  servant  to  admit  you. 

"I  am  glad  to  hear  from  you  that  the  main  object  which 

*  In  the  possession  of  Mr.  Spiers  of  Oxford. 


1S39.]  PICTURE    OF    MILTON.  103 

I  had  in  giving  you  a  commission  for  the  Napoleon,  and  in 
placing  it  in  a  conspicuous  and  favourable  light,  viz.  to  serve 
you,  by  encouraging  other  patrons  of  the  art  to  follow  my 
example,  has  been  answered. 

"  The  little  sketch  of  your  general  conception  for  your  in- 
tended picture  appears  to  me  very  good.  The  only  remark 
I  would  make  is  upon  the  action  of  the  horse.  Neither  the 
eye  nor  the  thoughts  of  the  spectator  should  be  diverted  from 
the  main  object  of  the  picture  by  any  vehemence  in  the 
action  of  the  horse,  or  even  any  peculiarity  in  his  position. 

"  I  am,  Sir, 
"  Your  obedient  and  humble  servant, 

"  Robert  Peel." 

"11th. —  Went  to  Sir  Robert's  and  saw  Lawrence's 
Wellington.  Whilst  Charles,  the  porter,  was  in  attend- 
ance, he  said,  '  The  Duke  is  getting  old,  sir,  but  he 
won't  allow  it.  The  valet  says  he  thinks  he  can  do  as 
well  as  ever,  but  he  cannot.  He  says,  "  Not  at  all 
old  !  "  This  amused  me.  I  hope  he  will  sit  before  he 
scets  too  old." 

In  the  intervals  of  work  on  the  Duke  Hay  don  painted 
small  pictures  —  one  of  Milton  at  the  Organ  with  his 
Daughters, —  and  also  made  sketches  for  his  design  for  a 
monument  to  Nelson. 

"  12th. — Drew  the  whole  day — filled  in  the  Nelson 
series  with  slight  water-colour  sketches.  How  wretchedly 
imperfect  is  water-colour  drawing! 

"  14^/i.  —  Put  in  Milton's  head  successfully. 

"  loth.  —  Put  in  the  daughters.  Little  pictures  tire 
my  eyes.  Hang  them !  Milton's  daughter  was  not 
handsome  ;  but  I  must  make  her  so. 

"  17th. — Worked  very  hard  at  Nelson's  monument. 

e(18th. — Worked  hard  —  without  breathing  almost, 
and  got  on  with  the  monument. 

19th. —  Worked  gloriously  hard,  and  finished  the 

ii  4 


it 


104  MEMOIRS   OF    li.  R.  TIAYDON.  [1839. 

sketches.  Oh,  if  my  mind  was  always  as  easy  I  should 
always  so  apply  myself. 

"  A  pupil  told  me  I  said  to  him,  '  In  background 
heads  the  leading  points  and  the  leading  details  in  the 
lights ;  but  in  the  shadows,  the  leading  points  only,' 
which  is  capital,  but  I  had  forgot  it. 

"  3lst.  —  Last  day  of  January,  1839,  in  which  I  have 
exerted  myself  well,  but  not  to  perfection. 

"  I  have  rubbed  in  the  Duke,  advanced  two  other 
commissions  and  finished  the  Nelson  design. 

"  Feb  2nd. —  The  Duchess  of  Sutherland  is  dead.  In 
her  I  lose  a  very  old  and  a  very  kind  friend.  To  her 
energy  and  decision  I  owe  the  matriculation  of  Hyman, 
my  son-in-law,  at  Oxford,  and  my  commission  for  Cas- 
sandra. Once  after  trouble  she  called  when  I  was 
out.  I  told  her  if  she  called  again  to  come  in  state 
almost.  She  drove  up  the  next  day  with  all  the  para- 
phernalia of  servants  and  equipage,  on  purpose  to  have 
a  dashing  effect  on  the  neighbourhood  and  be  of  service. 

"  7  th. —  Worked  hard,  and  got  in  the  other  Milton's 
daughter.  Wilkie  called  in  the  afternoon.  I  was  glad 
to  see  his  old  wizened  face.  He  looked  old  and  wrinkled. 
I  asked  if  what  the  present  Sir  Robert  Sinclair  told  me 
was  true — that  the  print  of  a  Highlander  first  turned 
his  thoughts  to  painting.  Wilkie  said  the  fact  was  the 
late  Sir  John  Sinclair  during  the  war  was  intending  to 
raise  a  regiment.  He  sent  a  print  of  a  Highlander,  by 
Dighton,  to  several  of  the  clergy,  and  amongst  others 
to  his  father.  Wilkie  regarded  it  with  awe.  It  was 
framed,  and  made  a  deep  impression.  It  increased  his 
love  for  his  art,  but  did  not  turn  his  mind  to  it  in  the 
first  instance." 

This  month  Haydon  lectured  at  Bath,  of  which  place 
he  remarks  that  it  is  amazingly  behind  the  manufac- 
turing towns  in  knowledge  and  intelligence. 

"Up  to  March  14th  occupied  in  busy  stuff  about  the 


1839.]     LECTURING    AT    NEWCASTLE:    CHARTISTS.      105 

Nelson  memorial.  Saw  Sir  George  Cockburn.  Had 
a  lono-  argument.  He  stuck  to  the  column,  but  was 
open  to  conviction.  1  told  him  height  alone  would  not 
do  ;  breadth  was  essential.  He  is  a  fine  fellow.  I  said, 
'  I  hope  you  won 't  delay  it  beyond  this  session  ;  if 
you  do,  the  Government  will  be  afraid  of  offending 
France.' 

"  I  asked  him  to  call.  He  said  he  wrould  go  in  to 
give  judgment  uninfluenced  in  any  way. 

"  One  always  feels  curiously  in  his  presence.  I  look 
at  him  and  think,  '  That's  the  man  that  said  "  General  " 
to  Napoleon.' 

"  I'll  ask  him  some  day  to  lend  me  his  Journal. 

"25th.  —  Left  town  with  my  dear  innocent  boy 
Frank,  for  Manchester,  by  train.  Arrived  in  little 
more  than  ten  hours.  Called  next  day  on  Fairbairn, 
who  was  going  to  Ireland.  Took  lodgings  at  99,  Mill 
Street,  and  was  much  interested  at  Frank's  utter 
ignorance  and  inexperience.  Though  I  have  educated 
him  religiously  and  classically,  I  almost  fear  the  vice 
of  a  manufacturing  town.  It  is  a  complete  sacrifice, 
though  his  passion  for  engineering  is  invincible  ;  but  it 
was  a  pity  to  leave  his  handsome  and  refined  face,  so  fit 
for  poetry  and  abstract  thought.  I  suffered  so  much 
from  the  opposition  of  my  parents,  I  resolved  he  should 
have  none  in  any  pursuit  wherein  he  showed  direct  and 
positive  evidence  of  talent. 

"  April  1st. — Lectured  last  night  at  Newcastle,  and 
was  received  with  great  enthusiasm.  The  fair  was 
coiner  on. 

"  The  Chartists  had  a  meeting  and  tea  party  ;  but 
the  people  to  see  the  wild  beasts  and  swing  beat  them  hol- 
low as  to  numbers. 

"  I  visited  their  room,  ornamented  with  laurel  and 
flags,  with  inscriptions  of  c  Liberty,'  '  The  labouring 
man  the  true  nobility,'  &c.  &c,  as  if  the  power  of  saying 
that  was  not  evidence  of  independence. 


106  MEMOIRS   OF    B.  It.  IIAYDON.  [1839. 

"  I  believe  in  my  conscience  politics  are  but  a  portion 
of  the  amusements  of  the  time. 

"  On  leaving;  Newcastle  I  came  to  Hull,  and  found  it 
very  far  behind  Newcastle.  The  first  night  the  audience, 
though  respectable,  was  scanty.  The  lecture  made  a 
hit  as  usual,  and  the  attendance  at  the  two  latter  in- 
creased prodigiously.  All  over  the  country  there  is  a 
desire  for  instruction. 

"  A  confederation  of  the  leading  towns  to  join  in  a 
petition  for  Schools  of  Design  and  state  patronage  for 
Art  would  make  a  move.  After  going  through  with 
lectures  I'll  try. 

"  May  3/y/.  —  The  last  night  at  Hull.  I  never  wit- 
nessed more  enthusiasm  anywhere  than  at  Hull,  the  last 
night.  The  people  are  slow,  but  feel  deeply.  A 
School  of  Design  was  begun,  and  I  do  not  doubt  its 
complete  establishment. 

"  4th,  5th,  6th  and  7th.  —  Lectured  at  Warrington. 
Enthusiasm  just  the  same. 

"  11th.  —  Finished  with  the  study  of  Copenhagen 
(done  1824  by  Webb),  and  sent  it  home  to  Lord 
Fitzroy.     Worked  7\  hours. 

"  The  superb  rapidity  of  steam  travelling  was  exqui- 
site. On  Monday  I  left  Warrington  for  Liverpool  — 
was  there  in  forty  minutes — settled  my  business,  re- 
ceived my  second  instalment,  heard  the  resolution  of 
the  committee  about  writing  to  the  Duke  and  flew  off 
to  Manchester.  Saw  my  dear  boy,  paid  up  his  affairs, 
dined  and  was  off  again  to  Warrington.  On  Tuesday 
night  I  lectured  till  near  ten  ;  and  at  three  on  Wednes- 
day morning  was  off  for  town,  where  I  arrived  by  half- 
past  two.  Here  I  arranged  for  beginning  on  Thursday, 
and  set  to  work  next  day,  and  to-night  have  accom- 
plished what  I  said  I  would.  There  is  no  higher  plea- 
sure than  a  duty  successfully  achieved.     Laus  Deo." 

The  Liverpool  committee  wrote  to  the  Duke,  through 


1839.]         CORRESPONDENCE    WITII    THE    DUKE.  107 

Mr.  Lowndes,   stating  the   subject  of  the    commission 
they  had  given  to  Haydon,   and   asking  the   Duke  to 
grant  him  sittings  for  it. 
The  Duke  replied  :  — 

"London,  lltli  May,  1839. 
"  Sir, 
"  I  have  this  day  received  your  letter  of  the  7th  inst. 
"  I  am  much  flattered  by  the  desire  of  the  gentlemen  of 
Liverpool  to  possess  a  picture  of  me  by  Mr.  Haydon. 

"  I  will,  with  great  pleasure,  see  Mr.  Haydon,  and  will 
endeavour  to  fix  a  time  at  which  it  will  be  in  my  power  to 
give  him  sittings  to  enable  him  to  finish  the  picture. 
"  It  is  not  in  my  power  at  the  present  moment. 
"I  have  the  honour  to  be,  Sir, 
"  Your  obedient  and  humble  servant, 

"  Wellington." 


"  I  wrote,  asking  the  Duke  for  an  hour  and  a  half. 
This  is  his  answer  :  — 

'"London,  17th  May,  1839. 

"  '  The  Duke  of  Wellington  presents  his  compliments  to 
Mr.  Haydon,  and  has  received  his  letter. 

"  '  Mr.  Haydon  shall  have  the  Duke's  attendance  as  soon 
as  he  is  able  to  give  it. 

"  '  He  might  as  well  ask  him  to  sit  for  ten  days  at  present 
as  for  a  sitting  of  an  hour  and  a  half.' 


"  You  deceitful  Dukey !  At  this  very  time  you  went 
to  Wyatt's,  and  gave  him  an  hour  at  his  own  room, 
while  you  tell  me  I  may  as  well  ask  you  for  ten  days. 
Wyatt  called  and  told  me  so." 

Not  satisfied  with  carrying  on  a  correspondence  with 
the  Duke  on  the  subject  of  his  own  picture,  Haydon 
(May  23rd)  wrote  to  him  on  the  subject  of  the  Nelson 
monument,  proposing  for  the  committee  of  selection  the 
plan  of  gradual  elimination  adopted  in  Paris  on  the  oc- 


108  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  IIAYDON.  [1839. 

casion  of  the  competition  for  a  monument  to  General 
Foy.     Next  day  the  Duke  answered  :  — 

"  London,  24th  May,  1839. 
"  The  Duke  of  Wellington  presents  his  compliments  to 
Mr.  Haydon.  The  Duke  is  a  member  of  the  committee  for 
the  execution  of  the  plan  for  the  erecting  a  monument  to 
the  memory  of  the  late  Lord  Nelson.  He  is  not  the  com- 
mittee, nor  the  secretary  to  the  committee ;  and  above  all, 
not  the  corresponding  secretary." 

"June  1st.  —  The  Duke's  picture  is  decidedly  and 
well  advanced  this  week.  In  spite  of  all  my  troubles 
I  have  had  great  happiness  in  life.  I  am  convinced 
existence  is  a  blessing,  and,  as  Parr  said,  if  men  were 
better  would  be  felt  as  a  blessino:. 

"  5th.  —  Worked  hard  at  Copenhagen's  head.  I  hope 
I  succeeded.  I  wrote  to  the  Duke  to  lend  me  his  ac- 
coutrements.    As  yet  no  answer. 

"6th.  —  Moved  all  my  books  upstairs  to  a  small  room 
out  of  my  painting-room,  as  they  seduced  me  to  read 
at  wrong  times.  I  felt  pain  at  the  separation,  but  it  is 
right.  I  can  now  retire,  read  and  write  after  due  labour  ; 
but  I  miss  my  books,  and  felt  melancholy  all  day. 

"  '  London,  June  6th,  1839. 
"  '  The   Duke   of  Wellington  presents  his  compliments  to 
Mr.   Haydon,    and  regrets  much  that   it    is   absolutely  im- 
possible for  him  to  do  what  he  desires  in  his  note  of  the 
3rd  inst.' 

"  I  sallied  forth,  and  calling  on  Lord  Fitzroy  Somerset 
(who  came  out  in  his  morning  coat  to  see  me)  explained 
to  him  my  position.  He  told  me  both  his  saddle  and  the 
Duke's- — cloth  and  all  —  were  eaten  by  moths.  He  ex- 
plained to  me  the  nature  of  everything,  — authorised  me 
to  use  his  name  at  Whippey's,  and  away  I  went. 

1  '  Whippey  was  a  blood  saddler,  thorough-bred,  and 


1839.]  THE  DUKE'S  CLOTHES  AND  ACCOUTREMENTS.  109 

made  all  the  Duke's  saddles  from  Salamanca  to  Waterloo, 
and,  like  a  fine  fellow,  said  he  would  fit  up  everything 
as  the  Duke  wore  it  at  Waterloo,  put  it  on  a  horse,  and 
let  me  paint  from  the  real  thing.  He  walked  home  with 
me  to  see  the  picture,  abused  Lord  Melbourne  as  he 
came  along  for  making  a  sneaking  speech  and  contrasted 
it  with  the  Duke's,  which,  he  said,  was  common-sense 
and  honour,  in  which  I  most  cordially  joined.  He  swore 
the  Duke  was  the  greatest  man  in  the  world,  and  that 
he  had  made  all  his  saddles,  which  so  increased  my  re- 
verence I  offered  him  my  arm.  He  took  it,  and  so  we 
walked  home.  His  dress,  manners  and  behaviour  were 
those  of  a  gentleman  tradesman. 

"He  found  fault  with  the  bit,  and  save  good  reasons. 
He  thought  the  head  of  Copenhagen  capital,  and  like 
the  horse. 

"  In  fact  Lord  Fitzroy  has  made  my  fortune. 
"  Lord  Fitzroy  said  the  Duke   had  a  daughter  of 
Copenhagen,  but  not  of  the  same  colour. 

"  Thus  from  the  depths  of  misery  and  despair  I  am 
again  on  the  top,  with  a  distinct  view  of  my  glory. 

"  Such  great  things  are  in  the  power  of  little  men. 
For  who  would  have  believed  what,  to  the  great  Wel- 
lington, was  impossible,  has  been  achieved,  or  will  be, 
by  his  saddler,  Whippey,  with  the  greatest  ease  ? 

"  I  do  not  feel  at  home  in  my  painting-room  with- 
out my  books.  I  used  to  look  up,  and  see  the  books, 
and  imagine  (as  each  name  came  on  my  sight)  I  saw 
the  author:  Dante,  Petrarch,  Homer,  Shakespeare, 
Milton,  Spenser  and  Tasso,  with  Vasari,  smiled  vividly 
like  phantasmagoric  visions,  and  my  brain  teemed  with 
associations  of  their  sublimity  or  charm.  I  look  now 
and  see  a  blank  wall. 

"I  mused  first  on  my  picture,  and  then  on  my  books, 
and  each  helped  the  conceptions  of  the  other. 

"  Such  is  habit.     By  degrees  down  again  they  come, 


110  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  It.  HAYDON.  [1839. 

but  I  feci  ashamed  to  do  it  after  such  an  expensive  re- 
moval.    What  folly  to  do  it  at  all. 

"  June  10th.  —  Worked,  and  certainly  with  more  ab- 
stracted devotion  to  my  art  than  when  my  books  were 
near ;  I  have  stuck  at  it  all  day,  and  in  the  evening 
walked  up  into  my  book-room.  There  they  were,  silent, 
yet  teeming  with  thoughts,  bursting  with  sublimity. 
Milton—  Satan  and  all  his  rebel  host  filled  my  mind. 
Shakespeare — Hamlet.  Lear,  Falstaff,  Cordelia,  Imogen, 
Macbeth  and  Puck,  crowded  my  imagination.  I  walked 
about  in  ecstacy,  but  read  nothing  ;  dwelt  on  what  I  had 
read,  and  was  content. 

«lltft._Iiad  bridle  and  saddle  sent  by  Whippey, 
and  put  them  on  an  old  hack.  Painted  a  study  in  the 
sun,  and  got  the  sketch  and  picture  right.  Was  dread- 
fully fatigued  at  night.  Whilst  I  was  hard  at  work, 
just  as  I  used  to  be,  who  should  call,  after  a  long  ab- 
sence, but  David  Wilkie,  looking  old  and  feeble  ! 

"  His  total  failure  this  year  seems  to  have  shaken 
him  a  little,  and  the  neglect  of  the  Court  has  brought 
him  more  to  the  feelings  of  former  times.  I  persuaded 
him  to  drink  tea,  and  when  David  Wilkie  stays  to  tea 
with  B.  K.  Haydon  13.  E.  Haydon  must  be  considered 
on  the  safe  side  of  the  question.  It  is  ten  years  since 
he  did  this.  He  was  amiable  and  entertaining,  as  he 
always  used  to  be. 

"  He  did  not  like  to  be  reminded  that  it  was  thirty 
vears  asro  since  we  were  in  Devonshire.  Pie  shrank 
from  his  age.  I  never  do ;  and  it  is  not  absurdity  to 
say  I  feel  stronger,  after  nine  hours'  solid  painting  yester- 
day, than  I  did  at  twenty-seven  years  of  age.  We 
talked  of  Merimee's  work.  He  knew  him,  and  consi- 
dered him  a  man  of  theory.  I  said  it  would  set  the 
young  men  losing  their  time  instead  of  studying  the 
figure.  He  said  young  men  were  too  lazy  ever  to  read. 
We  talked  of  the  effect  of  time,  and  both  agreed  Titian 


1S39.]  TIIE    NELSON    MONUMENT.  Ill 

painted  bis  pictures  to  look  well  to  his  eye.  and  never 
considered  how  they  would  look  one  hundred  years 
hence.  Pie  told  me  Northcote  said  e  If  Sir  Joshua  had 
known  the  effect  of  time  he  would  have  painted  dif- 
ferently.'    I  do  not  think  so,  nor  did  he. 

"  Sir  Joshua  could  not  have  painted  otherwise.  AVas 
not  his  Heathfield  as  fine  when  it  was  done,  as  now? 
Wilkie  did  not  know  oil  was  used  in  England  before 
Van-Eyk. 

"  19th.  —  Notwithstanding  the  seclusion  and  quiet  of 
my  little  room,  I  do  not  read  with  such  comfort  as  in 
my  painting-room,  smelling  of  paint  as  it  does.  I  have 
brought  down  my  writing-desk,  and  shall  have  about 
half  a  dozen  favourites  on  the  top  —  Milton,  Shake- 
speare, Dante,  Tasso,  Homer,  Vasari,  and,  above  all, 
the  Bible  and  Testament  always  to  refer  to,  and 
Wordsworth. 

"  20th. —  Sketched  the  plan  of  the  ground  from  the 
model  at  the  Egyptian  Hall,  and  finished  the  horse's 
head.  Wyatt,  who  has  succeeded  in  making  a  capital 
head  of  the  Duke,  told  the  Duke  of  my  picture,  and  lie 
seemed  pleased. 

"  Lord  and  Lady  Burghersh  called  on  the  18th,  and 
gave  me  joy  of  my  picture. 

"  22nd.  —  The  Nelson  monument  is  decided,  and  not 
in  my  favour,  though  my  belief  is,  had  I  been  able  to 
devote  myself  to  make  a  series  of  oil  sketches  of  the 
pictures,  with  a  grand  external  view  a  la  Canaletti,  the 
decision  wrould  have  been  in  my  favour. 

"  A  man  should  never  contest  for  anything  with  half 
his  strength ;  do  it  effectually  or  not  at  all.  I  could 
not  afford  the  time  to  do  it  well,  and  the  time  I  did 
afford  was  thrown  to  the  dogs ;  so  I  did  it  ill,  lost  my 
time  and  did  not  get  it ; — a  very  proper  punishment. 

"  Westmacott  told  Hamilton  my  design  was  the  only 
reasonable  one.     The  public,  when  admitted,  decidedly 


112  MEMOIRS   OF    B.  II.  HAYDON.  [1839. 

approved,  and  had  it  been  left  to  the  public,  I  think  I 
should  have  had  a  strong  support.  It  could  not  be 
done  for  the  estimate,  and  the  Duke  warned  everybody 
30,000/.  was  the  extent.     My  estimate  was  70,000/. 

"  So  ends  my  Nelson  affair.  What  a  grand  series  of 
pictures  I  could  have  made ! 

"  'London,  June  24th,  1839. 

"  '  The  Duke  of  Wellington  presents  his  compliments  to 
Mr.  Haydon. 

"  '  He  begs  that  Mr.  Haydon  will  write  his  commands. 

"  '  The  Duke  will  be  engaged  all  to-morrow  and  next  day 
in  attendance  upon  the  Naval  and  Military  Commission. 

"  '  The  Duke  must  beg  leave  to  decline  to  have  the  honour 
of  receiving  Mr.  Haydon  till  he  will  have  some  leisure.' 

"  28th.  —  Saw  Lady  Burghersh's  Alcestis.  It  is 
really  beautifully  conceived.  In  looking  at  a  sketch  of 
the  Duke,  she  said,  '  Whilst  that  was  sketching  he  took 
this  little  girl  on  his  lap.  He  is  very  fond  of  children. 
Don't  you  recollect,  my  love,  when  Dukey  took  you  in 
his  lap?' 

"  The  terror  of  Napoleon  —  Dukey  to  his  niece! 

"  '  We  call  him  Dukey,'  said  she, '  here,  Mr.  Haydon.' 
It  was  exceedingly  interesting. 

"  29th, — Felt  very  ill  from  over-strain;  so  I  only 
sketched  Barron,  the  Irish  member,  and  went  to  see  a 
line  Guido,  brought  by  Buchanan,  and  a  superb  Van- 
dyke and  Paul  Veronese.  The  Vandyke  Avas  exquisite. 
AVhat  tone!  what  colour!  what  handling!  Oh,  they 
were  divinely  inspired  men.  I  know  and  feel  their 
t-uperb  genius.     It  is  St.  Jerome. 

"  In  the  evening  I  lectured  at  the  Mechanics',  and 
had  three  fine  young  models  from  2nd  Life  Guards,  who 
went  through  the  sword  exercise  to  perfection.  The 
room  was  crowded. 

30///.     Last  day  of  the  month.*-  Let  me  look  back. 


.. 


1839.]  THE    DUKES    CLOTHES  AGAIN.  113 

I  have  worked  well  and  got  the  horse  accomplished. 
Now  for  the  Duke,  who  won't  lend  me  his  clothes.  I 
can  do  without  them,  for  I  have  already  drawings  of  all. 
He  has  not  seen  the  picture.  He  knows  not  if  it  be 
good  or  bad.  Till  he  sees  his  way,  he  declines.  The 
same  man  in  peace  or  war.     But  I'll  beat  him. 

"  Completed  my  horse,  but  not  satisfied  with  his  hind 
quarters ;  however,  I  have  got  through  it,  and  when  dry 
can  alter  it. 

"  'London,  June  27th,  1839. 

"  '  The  Duke  of  Wellington  presents  his  compliments  to 
Mr.  Haydon.  He  hopes  that  he  will  have  some  cessation  of 
note-writing  about  pictures. 

"  '  The  Duke  knows  nothing  about  the  picture  Mr.  Haydon 
proposes  to  paint. 

"  '  At  all  events,  he  must  decline  to  lend  to  anybody  his 
clothes,  arms  and  equipments.' 

"  July  4ith.  —  Went  to  Wilkie,  and  said,  '  How  did 
you  manage  with  the  Duke  ? '  '  Let  him  have  his  own 
way,'  was  the  reply.  '  He  is  fidgetty  about  lending  his 
things.  I  never  got  them  but  just  a  day  before  he  came, 
and  he  preferred  coining  in  the  regimentals  to  lending 
them  to  be  painted.'  These  were  Wilkie's  very  words, 
without  my  informing  him  of  what  had  passed.  So  here 
is  the  man.  We  had  a  very  interesting  conversation. 
He  advised  me  to  make  a  drawing  of  his  figure  and  dress, 
when  I  had  him. 

"  He  told  me  the  Duke  complained  of  the  loss  of  time 
sitting  occasioned.  'Yes,'  said  Wilkie;  'but  he  would 
be  mortified  if  he  was  not  asked  to  sit.  He  complains 
of  dining  out  so  much  and  making  speeches ;  but  he 
would  be  more  mortified  if  he  was  not  asked,  and  if  he 
did  not  make  speeches.' 

"  '  Has  he  promised  your  committee  ?  '  '  He  has.' 
'  Then  he  will  keep  his  word,'  said  Wilkie. 

VOL.  III.  I 


114  MEMOIRS   OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1839. 

"  Wilkie  said  he  had  always  the  greatest  trouble  with 
him.  The  Duke  told  Wyatt  he  had  sat  a  hundred  and 
fifty  times,  and  it  was  almost  time  to  leave  off.  I  hope 
not  before  he  has  sat  to  me. 

"  Went  into  the  city  to  Merchant  Tailors'  Hall,  and 
saw  Wilkie's  portrait  of  him  with  the  daughter  of  Copen- 
hagen. Verv  fine  indeed.  It  is  unlike  the  common 
English  portrait,  but  it  is  very  fine. 

"  8th.  —  Lord  Fitzroy  called  yesterday  with  his 
daughter.  She  is  a  judge  of  a  horse  as  well.  They 
both  thought  Copenhagen  leggy,  and  too  big  in  the  body, 
which  gave  him  a  heavy  look. 

"  They  seemed  both  to  understand  the  Duke.  They 
asked  me  if  I  had  had  his  clothes.  I  said,  '  No  :  he 
won't  lend  them,'  at  which  they  looked  at  each  other. 

'•'  I  said,  '  Wilkie  says  the  only  way  to  manage  him  is 
to  let  him  have  his  own  way,  and  that  he  prefers  coining 
in  his  clothes  to  sit  to  lending  them.' 

"  Lord  Fitzroy  said,  '  The  Duke  never  holds  his  own 
horse  :  Copenhagen  came  out  with  Lord  Londonderry, 
and  the  Duke  bought  him  for  200  or  250  guineas.'  He 
hated  other  horses,  and  Lord  Fitzroy  said  he  had  seen 
him  give  a  horse  '  a  broadside  of  kicks.' 

"  Lord  Fitzroy  said  the  Duke  never  came  into  the 
field  but  Avith  an  orderly  dragoon,  and  never  with  a 
servant.  At  Waterloo  the  dragoon  was  killed,  and  Major 
Canning  said,  e  I  have  got  the  Duke's  little  desk.  What 
shall  I  do  with  it,  as  the  orderly  is  killed  ?  '  *  Keep  it 
yourself,'  said  Lord  Fitzroy.  Canning  was  killed,  and 
the  desk  lost,  but  found  next  morning  with  the  lock 
broken  open.* 

"  Every  time  you  meet  a  Waterloo  hero,  pump  him. 

*  This,  I  presume,  was  the  rough  wooden  desk  which  attracted 
so  much  notice  at  Apsley  House  when  it  was  opened  to  the  public 
at  the  beginning  of  this  year. — Ed. 


1839.]  A    VISIT    FROM    D'ORSAY.  115 

In  a  few  years  they  will  all  be  gone  —  Duke  and  the 
rest. 

"  10th.  —  Worked  irregularly.  Saw  Hume,  who 
handed  me  a  petition  from  the  Royal  Academy  to  re- 
scind the  order  for  a  return  of  the  monies  received  and 
expended  in  1836-37-38. 

"  So  my  Academy  are  come  at  last  to  know  the  power 
of  the  House. 

"  He  wants  me  to  petition. 

"  D'Orsay  called,  and  pointed  out  several  things  to 
correct  in  the  horse,  verifying  Lord  Fitzroy's  criticism 
of  Sunday  last.  I  did  them,  and  he  took  my  brush  in 
his  dandy  gloves,  which  made  my  heart  ache,  and  low- 
ered the  hind  quarters  by  bringing  over  a  bit  of  the 
sky.  Such  a  dress !  white  great  coat,  blue  satin  cravat, 
hair  oiled  and  curling,  hat  of  the  primest  curve  and 
purest  water,  gloves  scented  with  eau  de  Cologne  or  eau 
de  jasmin,  primrose  in  tint,  skin  in  tightness.  In  this 
prime  of  dandyism  he  took  up  a  nasty,  oily,  dirty,  hog- 
tool,  and  immortalised  Copenhagen  by  touching  the 
sky. 

"  I  thought,  after  he  was  gone,  This  won't  do,  —  a 
Frenchman  touch  Copenhagen !  So  out  I  rubbed  all 
he  had  touched,  and  modified  his  hints  myself. 

"lU/i.  —  Saw  Hume  yesterday,  who  put  into  my 
hands  the  most  extraordinary  petition  that  ever  was 
presented  to  the  House,  from  the  Royal  Academy, 
praying  the  House  to  rescind  an  order  for  the  return  of 
their  receipts  for  1836-37-38.  Hume  promised  to 
present  mine  if  I  would  write  one.  I  returned  home, 
and  have  written  one ;  —  I  won't  let  it  drop. 

"  At  last  they  feel  the  voice  of  the  people,  do  they  ? 
This  is  coming  down. 

"  Worked  hard,  and  advanced  the  Duke. 

"  \2tlt.  —  Ordered  a  pair  of  trowsers  of  the  Duke's 
tailor,  exactly  like  his  own,  but  to  fit  me ;  so  that  I 

i  2 


116  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  E.  HAYDON.  [1839. 

shall  kill    two    birds   with    one    stone, —  wear 'em  and 
paint  'em.      So,  my  Duke,  I  do  you  in  spite  of  you. 

"  One  of  the  artists  got  his  trowsers.  I  told  him  he 
had  better  take  care  ;  it  turned  out  he  had  got  them 
from  the  valet.     In  a  fright  he  sent  them  back. 

"  Didn't  work. 

"  15th.  —  I  wish  they  would  let  my  mind  rest.  I  have 
no  confidence  in  Hume,  or  any  of  them.  They  want  to 
make  me  a  political  tool.  There  is  no  happiness  but 
with  a  brush  and  nature  before  you.  I  hate  petitions 
and  excitement,  and  I  shall  go  to  work  again  with  a 
relish.  These  sunny  days  have  been  murdered  by  re- 
viving in  my  mind  the  hatred  of  the  Academy. 

"IQth.—  Why  will  they  do  it?  After  the  Com- 
mittee they  messed  the  question,  and  now  they  want 
me  to  keep  them  out  of  the  mud. 

"  Saw  a  perfect  stallion,  Sir  Hercules.  I  thought  his 
neck  puffy,  hind  quarters  fine. 

"  I  have  sent  the  petition,  and  I  have  done.  I  wrote 
to  Sir  Robert  Peel  and  begged  him  not  to  sanction  the 
rescinding  the  order.  I  wrote  to  Lord  Melbourne,  and 
begged  him  likewise.  A  week  has  gone  since  Hume 
asked  me  to  petition,  and  my  mind  has  been  called  off 
from  my  art  ever  since.  It  is  shocking.  My  con- 
science has  deeply  wounded  me.  Mr.  Miller  and  my 
Liverpool  friend  called  to-day,  in  my  absence,  to  look 
at  this  stallion. 

"  17 tli. — Wilkie  said  to  me  after  my  first  attack,  'Is 
this  the  way  an  artist  ought  to  be  employed  ?  '  I  reply, 
'  Certainly  not.'  These  irritations  may  suit  the  radical, 
but  do  not  help  to  the  tranquillity  of  mind  Sir  George 
used  to  talk  of.  I  have  made  up  my  mind  to  inter- 
fere no  more  after  this. 

"  ISth. —  Thank  God!  the  House  granted  leave  to 
print  my  petition,  though  against  the  standing  orders 
regarding  single  ones.     Hume  presented  it  last  night." 


1839.]  A   RUN    TO    WATERLOO,  117 

Mr.  Hume's  motion  for  an  order  of  the  House  that 
the  return  which  he  had  moved  for  of  the  receipts  and 
expenditure  of  the  Royal  Academy  for  1836-37-38 
should  be  made  forthwith,  was  defeated  by  38  to  33, — 
those  who  opposed  it,  however,  admitting  that  the  House 
had  a  right  to  require  the  return,  but  considering  the 
case  one  for  the  exercise  of  a  discretion. 

"  Notwithstanding  this  defeat,"  says  Haydon,  "  the 
rights  of  the  Academy  and  the  House  are  defined  for 
ever.  The  Academy  has  no  right  of  property,  legally, 
in  the  rooms  it  occupies.  The  House  has  a  right  to 
call  for  returns,  and  to  turn  them  out  at  a  moment's 
notice." 

The  pressure  of  public  business  rendering  the  Duke's 
sitting  out  of  the  question  at  this  time,  Haydon  seized 
the  opportunity  of  visiting  the  field  of  Waterloo. 

"  August  16th.  —  Thirty  pounds  having  unexpectedly 
come  in,  and  Lady  Burghersh  having  told  me  that  at 
that  moment  I  had  no  hopes  of  the  Duke,  I  determined 
to  start  for  Waterloo.  My  dear  Mary,  who  is  a  heroine, 
agreed  to  endure  the  rapidity  of  my  journey ;  so  we 
packed  up  and  got  on  board  the  Ostend  packet  by  seven 
o'clock  on  the  7th  inst.,  and  after  the  usual  miseries  of 
a  wet,  stormy  passage  got  into  Ostend  at  nine.  In  the 
bustle  of  landing,  to  our  infinite  delight,  we  heard  a 
voice  roaring  out,  '  Monsieur  Haydone,  Hotel  des 
Bains  ! '  I  had  happened  to  express  a  desire  to  my 
neighbour  for  a  good  hotel.  He  promised,  if  he  could, 
to  secure  me  a  room  at  the  Hotel  des  Bains.  He  saw 
the  commissioner,  told  him  my  wants,  and  this  fellow 
thundered  out  my  name.  My  vanity  was  tickled ;  I 
landed  as  if  under  a  salute  from  the  batteries. 

"We  were  delighted  with  Brussels,  and  on  the  10th 
went  to  the  field  of  Waterloo.  I  examined  Hou^ou- 
mont,  recognised  the  locale  of  the  Inst  charge  of  the 
Guards,  and  made  my  sketch  from  Picton's  position.      I 

i  3 


118  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  E.  HAYDOiN".  [1839. 

then  drove  to  La  Belle  Alliance,  and  halted  at  Lecoste's 
cottage.  He  was  dead,  but  his  sister  was  living,  and 
had  the  house.  She  let  us  lay  our  cloth  there.  We 
dined  ;  and  she  gave  us  coffee.  I  then  returned  through 
Planchenoit,  by  La  Belle  Alliance,  to  Mont  St.  Jean 
and  Waterloo,  stopping  at  the  church  and  the  tomb  of 
Lord  Anglesey's  leg,  and  home.  I  shall  go  again  and 
spend  a  week,  and  indulge  my  poetry  of  imagination. 

"  We  went  to  Antwerp,  and  were  amazingly  im- 
pressed with  Rubens' s  great  works,  —  the  Elevation  of 
the  Cross,  Descent,  and  Crucifixion. 

"  Sir  Joshua  is  too  laudatory,  perhaps,  for  a  safe 
guide.  For  execution  of  the  brush  they  are  perfect. 
Nothing  ever  exceeded  the  touching  of  Mary  Magda- 
lene's yellow  drapery  against  the  ladder  for  vast  insight 
into  the  bearings  of  one  thing  against  another.  His 
master,  Otto  Venius,  by  his  side,  though  possessing 
more  sense  of  beauty,  not  having  the  same  understand- 
ing of  the  effect  of  a  whole,  never  will  or  can  rank  so 
high.  We  returned  the  day  week  after  leaving  Antwerp, 
at  three,  by  train  for  Ostend,  and  arrived  in  town  at  a 
quarter  to  five  next  day. 

"  I  shall  make  a  longer  tour.  My  object  now  was 
solely  a  background  for  the  Duke,  and  I  succeeded. 

"  20th.  —  Worked  decently,  but  I  regret  to  say  my 
mind  is  uneasy  about  the  Academy  question.  I  wish  I 
could  get  rid  of  it.  I  fear  it  will  fix  itself  too  deeply, 
and  destroy  that  peace  which  ought  to  be  the  state  of 
an  artist's  brain. 

"  I  could  weep  at  the  time  which  has  been  wasted 
over  this  question,  which  should  have  been  so  much 
better  employed. 

"  I  was  pursuing  my  studies  happily  when  this  motion 
came  on.  Why  did  I  interfere  ?  Because  if  I  had  not 
it  would  have  been  weakly  done.  But  see  how  many 
sketches  I  could  have  done  —  how  many  conceptions  I 


1839.]     ARTISTS'   DIFFICULTIES  WITH   THE    DUKE.     119 

could  have  realised  —  how  many  pictures  I  could  have 
painted  —  how  many  friends  I  could  have  made. 

"  The  sight  of  Rubens's  abode  —  the  quiet  seclusion 
of  his  summer-house  —  the  silence  of  Antwerp  —  the 
golden  splendour  of  its  altars  —  the  power  of  its  pictures, 
affected  me  deeply.  I  think  I  will  settle  there.  I  begin 
to  feel  a  yearning  for  the  Continent,  with  all  its  risks  of 
war. 

"  22nd.  —  If  I  once  escape  from  this  subject,  catch  me 
at  it  again.  I  am  never  let  alone.  The  party,  when 
they  want  me,  apply  ;  and  when  they  think  they  can  do 
without  me  I  never  hear  a  word.  I  hate  it  —  hate  it 
—  hate  it.  My  disgust  at  this  moment  is  not  to  be 
credited ;  and  yet  I  am  pointing  another  attack  in  my 
thirteenth  lecture ;  —  the  Devil  —  nothing  but  the  Devil. 

"  '  Walmer  Castle,  Sept.  26.  1839. 

"  '  The  Duke  of  Wellington  presents  his  compliments  to 
Mr.  Haydon.  He  will,  according  to  what  he  stated  to  the 
committee  at  Liverpool,  sit  to  Mr.  Haydon  for  his  picture. 

"  '  The  composition  of  the  picture  is  the  business  of  the 
artist ;  of  the  committee  of  gentlemen  who  asked  its  execu- 
tion ;  of  the  gentlemen  for  whom  it  is  intended ;  of  any- 
body excepting  the  person  who  is  to  sit  for  it. 

"  'The  Duke  begs  leave  to  decline  not  only  being  respon- 
sible for  the  composition,  but  even  to  have  a  knowledge  of 
the  subject.  When  he  will  be  able  to  receive  Mr.  Haydon 
he  will  write  to  him,  but  he  begs  leave  to  be  clearly  under- 
stood as  having  no  knowledge  whatever  of  the  composition 
or  subject  of  the  picture  for  which  he  is  to  sit,  excepting 
that  it  is  for  the  committee  of  gentlemen  at  Liverpool,  who 
have  desired  that  he  should  sit  to  Mr.  Haydon.' 

"  Sept.  30th.  —  The  Duke  done,  except  a  little  to  do 
at  one  glove  hand.  Wyatt  called,  and  we  revelled  in 
His  Grace's  peculiarities.  He  never  lends  his  clothes, 
but  always  comes  in  them.      He  promised  Wyatt  his 

hat,  and  never  sent  it.      The  next  time  he  came  Wyatt 

i  4 


120  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1839. 

said, '  Your  Grace  forgot  the  hat.'  He  replied, e  I'll  come 
in  it ;  for  I  have  only  got  one,  and  I  can't  spare  it.' 

"  Wyatt  informed  me  he  always  said  when  people 
tried  to  persuade  him  to  do  what  he  had  made  up  his 
mind  not  to  do,  '  The  rat  has  got  into  the  bottle  —  the 
rat  has  got  into  the  bottle.'* 

"  I  told  Wyatt  I  had  got  his  tailor  to  make  me  what 
I  wanted  in  clothes.  I  had  sketched  his  boots,  hat 
and  coat  in  oil,  and  was  quite  ready  for  him. 

"  All  the  artists  who  get  his  clothes  get  them  from 
his  valet.  If  he  knew  that,  there  would  be  the  devil  to 
pay." 

"  Walmer  Castle,  October  9th,  1839. 
"  The  Duke  of  Wellington  presents  his  compliments  to 
Mr.  Hay  don.  If  Mr.  Haydon  will  be  so  kind  as  to  come  to 
Walmer  Castle,  whenever  it  may  suit  him,  the  Duke  will 
have  it  in  his  power  to  sit  to  him  for  a  picture  for  certain 
gentlemen  at  Liverpool." 

This  invitation  was  eagerly  accepted,  and  the  Journal 
which  follows  contains  this  very  full  account  of  it :  — 

"  October  llth.  —  Left  town  by  steam  for  Ramsgate. 
Got  in  at  half  past  six,  dined  and  set  off  in  a  chaise  for 
Walmer,  where  I  arrived  safely  in  hard  rain.  A  great 
bell  was  rung  on  my  arrival ;  and  after  taking  tea  and 
dressing  I  was  ushered  into  the  drawing-room,  where 
sat  his  Grace  with  Sir  Astley  Cooper,  Mr.  Arbuthnot 
and  Mr.  Booth,  who  had  served  with  his  Grace  in 
Spain.      His  Grace  welcomed  me  heartily,  asked  how  I 

*  This  not  very  intelligible  expression  may  refer  to  an  anecdote 
I  have  heard  of  the  Duke's  once  telling  in  his  later  days  how  the 
musk  rats  in  India  got  into  bottles,  which  ever  after  retained  the 
odour  of  musk.  "  Either  the  rats  must  be  very  small,"  said  a  lady 
who  heard  him,  "or  the  bottles  very  large."  "On  the  contrary, 
madam,"  was  the  Duke's  reply,  "  very  small  bottles,  and  very  large 
rats."  "  That  is  the  style  of  logic  we  have  to  deal  with  at  the 
War  Office,"  whispered  Lord .  — Ed. 


1839.]  AT    WALMER   WITH    THE    DUKE.  121 

came  down  find  fell  again  into    general  conversation. 

They  talked  of ,  who  kept  the  Ship.     He  married 

an  actress  from  Astley's.  She  was  a  fine  lady,  and  the 
Duke  said,  '  I  soon  saw  all  would  go  wrong  one  day ; 
for  whilst  I  was  there,  somebody  said  he  wanted  some- 
thing, and  madam,  with  the  air  of  a  duchess,  replied, 
"  She  would  send  the  housemaid."  That  wouldn't  do. 
became  bankrupt,  and  there  were  trinkets  be- 
longing to  her;  but  she  preferred  her  trinkets  to  her 
honour,  and  swore  she  was  not  his  wife.'  The  Duke 
talked  of  the  sea  encroaching  at  Dover,  and  of  the 
various  plans  to  stop  it,  'What!  there  are  plans?' 
said  Sir  Astley.  '  Yes,  yes,  there  are  as  many  Dover 
doctors  as  other  doctors,'  said  he ;  and  we  all  laughed. 

"  The  Duke  talked  of  Buonaparte  and  the  Abbe  de 
Pradt,  and  said,  '  There  was  nothing  like  hearing  both 
sides.'  De  Pradt,  in  his  book,  (he  was  a  fureur  de 
memoires,)  says,  that  whilst  a  certain  conversation  took 
place  at  Warsaw  between  him  and  Napoleon  the  Em- 
peror was  taking  notes.  At  Elba,  Napoleon  told 
Douglas,  who  told  the  Duke,  that  the  note  he  Avas 
taking  was  a  note  to  Maret  (Duke  of  Bassano)  as  fol- 
lows:  ' Renvoyez  ce  coquin-la  a  son  arclieveche?  'So,' 
said  the  Duke,  '  always  hear  both  sides.' 

"  The  Duke  said,  when  he  came  through  Paris  in 
1814,  Madame  de  Stael  had  a  grand  party  to  meet  him. 
De  Pradt  was  there.  In  conversation  he  said,  'Europe 
owes  her  salvation  to  one  man.'  'But  before  he  gave 
me  time  to  look  foolish,'  added  the  Duke,  '  De  Pradt 
put  his  hand  on  his  own  breast,  and  said,  "  Cest  moi?  '  * 

"  He  then  talked  of  Buonaparte's  system.  Sir  Astley 
used  the  old  cant  — '  It  was  selfish.'  '  It  was,'  said  the 
Duke,  '  bullying  and  driving.'  Of  France  he  said,  'They 

*  The  Quarterly  Reviewer  doubts  the  accuracy  of  these  anecdotes, 
but  I  do  not  feel  the  force  of  the  reasons  he  gives  for  questioning 
them. 


122  MEMOIRS   OP    B.  R.  IIAYDON.  [1639. 

robbed  each  other,  and  then  poured  out  on  Europe  to 
fill  their  stomachs  and  pockets  by  robbing  others.' 

"  He  spoke  of  Don  Carlos  —  said  lie  was  a  poor  crea- 
ture. He  saw  him  at  Dorchester  House  two  days  before 
he  escaped.  He  advised  him  not  to  think  of  it.  He  told 
him  'All  we  are  now  saying  will  be  in  Downing  Street 
in  two  hours.  You  have  no  post.'  Carlos  said,  '  Zuma- 
lacarragui  will  take  me  on.'  '  Before  you  move,'  replied 
his  Grace,  'be  sure  he  has  got  one.'  (Here  wTas  the 
man.')  The  Duke  said  Carlos  affected  sickness  —  some- 
body got  into  his  be  J,  and  kept  the  farce  up  —  that 
medicine  came  —  that  the  French  ambassador  behaved 
like  a  noodle.  Instead  of  telegraphing  up  to  Bayonne, 
which  would  have  carried  the  news  there  in  two  hours, 
he  set  off  in  his  post  carriage  and  four  after  Don  Carlos, 
when  he  must  have  got  to  Bayonne,  or  near  it. 

"  The  Duke  talked  of  the  want  of  fuel  in  Spain  —  of 
what  the  troops  suffered,  and  how  whole  houses,  so  many 
to  a  division,  were  pulled  down  regularly  and  paid  for 
to  serve  as  fuel.  He  said  every  Englishman  who  has  a 
home  goes  to-bed  at  night.  He  found  bivouacking  was 
not  suitable  to  the  character  of  the  English  soldier.  He 
got  drunk,  and  lay  down  under  any  hedge.  Discipline 
was  destroyed.  But  when  he  introduced  tents  every 
soldier  belonged  to  his  tent,  and,  drunk  or  sober,  he  got 
to  it  before  he  went  to  sleep.  I  said,  '  Your  Grace, 
the  French  always  bivouac'  '  Yes,'  he  replied,  '  because 
French,  Spanish  and  all  other  nations  lie  anywhere. 
It  is  their  habit.     They  have  no  homes.' 

"  The  Duke  said  the  natural  state  of  man  was 
plunder.  Society  was  based  on  security  of  property 
alone.  It  was  for  that  object  men  associated ;  and  he 
thought  we  were  coming  to  the  natural  state  of  society 
very  fast. 

"  I  studied  his  fine  head  intensely.  Arbuthnot  had 
begun  to  doze.     I  was  like  a  lamp  newly  trimmed,  and 


1839.]  AT   WALMEB   "WITH    THE   DUKE.  123 

could  have  listened  all  night.  The  Duke  gave  a  tre- 
mendous yawn,  and  said,  '  It  is  time  to  go  to  bed.' 
Candles  were  rung  for.  He  took  two,  and  lighted  them 
himself.  The  rest  lighted  their  own.  The  Duke  took 
one  and  gave  me  (being  the  stranger)  the  other,  and 
led  the  way.  At  an  old  view  of  Dover,  in  the  hall,  he 
stopped  and  explained  about  the  encroachments  of  the 
sea.  I  studied  him  again  —  we  all  held  up  our  candles. 
Sir  Astley  went  to  Mr.  Pitt's  bed-room,  and  said,  '  God 
bless  your  Grace.'  They  dropped  off — his  Grace,  I 
and  the  valet  going  on.  I  came  to  my  room,  and  said, 
'  God  bless  your  Grace.'  I  saw  him  go  into  his. 
When  I  got  to  bed  I  could  not  sleep.  Good  God,  I 
thought,  here  am  I  tete-a-tete  with  the  greatest  man  on 
earth,  and  the  noblest  —  the  conqueror  of  Napoleon  — 
sitting  with  him,  talking  to  him,  sleeping  near  him ! 
His  mind  is  unimpaired;  his  conversation  powerful, 
humorous,  witty,  argumentative,  sound,  moral.  Would 
he  throw  his  stories,  fresh  from  natui'e,  into  his  speeches, 
the  effect  would  be  prodigious.  He  would  double  their 
impression.  I  am  deeply  interested,  and  passionately 
affected.     God  bless  his  Grace,  I  repeat. 

"  ]2th.  —  At  ten  we  breakfasted  —  the  Duke,  Sir 
Astley,  Mr.  Booth  and  myself.  Pie  put  me  on  his 
right.  'Which  will  ye  have,  black  tea  or  green?' 
'  Black,  your  Grace.'  '  Bring  black.'  Black  was 
brought,  and  I  ate  a  hearty  breakfast.  In  the  midst  six 
dear  healthy,  noisy  children  were  brought  to  the  windows. 
(  Let  them  in,'  said  the  Duke,  and  in  they  came,  and 
rushed  over  to  him,  saying,  '  How  d'ye  do,  Duke?  how 
d'ye  do,  Duke?'  One  boy,  young  Gray,  roared,  '  I 
want  some  tea,  Duke.'  '  You  shall  have  it,  if  you  pro- 
mise not  to  slop  it  over  me,  as  you  did  yesterday.' 
Toast  and  tea  were  then  in  demand.  Three  got  on  one 
side  and  three  on  the  other,  and  he  hugged  'em  all. 
Tea  was  poured  out,  and  I  saw  little  Gray  try  to  slop 


124  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDON-.  [1839. 

it  over  tlie  Duke's  frock  coat.  Sir  Astley  said,  '  You 
did  not  expect  to  see  this.'  They  all  then  rushed  out 
on  the  leads,  by  the  cannon,  and  after  breakfast  I  saw 
the  Duke  romping  with  the  whole  of  them,  and  one  of 
them  gave  his  Grace  a  devil  of  a  thump.  I  went  round 
to  my  bed-room.  The  children  came  to  the  window, 
and  a  dear  little  black-eyed  girl  began  romping.  I  put 
my  head  out  and  said,  '  I'll  catch  you.'  Just  as  I  did 
this,  the  Duke,  who  did  not  see  me,  put  his  head  out  at 
the  door  close  to  my  room,  No.  10.,  which  leads  to  the 
leads,  and  said,  'I'll  catch  ye  !  — ha,  ha,  I've  got  ye !'  at 
which  they  all  ran  away.  He  looked  at  them  and 
laughed  and  went  in. 

"  He  then  told  me  to  choose  my  room  and  get  my 
light  in  order,  and  after  hunting  he  would  sit.  I  did 
so,  and  about  two  he  gave  me  an  hour  and  a  half.  I 
hit  his  grand,  upright,  manly  expression.  He  looked 
like  an  eagle  of  the  gods  who  had  put  on  human  shape, 
and  had  got  silvery  with  age  and  service.  At  first  I 
was  a  little  affected,  but  I  hit  his  features,  and  all  went 
off.  Riding  hard  made  him  rosy  and  dozy.  His  colour 
was  fresh.  All  the  portraits  are  too  pale.  I  found  that 
to  imagine  he  could  not  go  through  any  duty  raised  the 
lion.  '  Does  the  light  hurt  your  Grace's  eyes  ?  '  '  Not 
at  all :  '  and  he  stared  at  the  light  as  much  as  to  say, 
'  I'll  see  if  you  shall  make  me  give  in,  Signor  Light.' 

"  'Twas  a  noble  head.  I  saw  nothing  of  that  peculiar 
expression  of  mouth  the  sculptors  give  him,  bordering 
on  simpering.  His  colour  was  beautiful  and  fleshy,  his 
lips  compressed  and  energetic.  I  foolishly  said,  '  Don't 
let  me  fatigue  your  Grace.'  'Well,  sir,'  he  said,  'I'll 
give  you  an  hour  and  a  half.  To-morrow  is  Sunday. 
Monday  I'll  sit  again.'  I  was  delighted  to  see  him  pay 
his  duty  to  Sunday.  Up  he  rose,  I  opened  the  door, 
and  hold  this  as  the  highest  distinction  of  my  life.  He 
bowed  and  said,  '  "We  dine  at  seven.' 


1839.]  THE    DUKE    IN    WALMEK    CHURCH.  125 

"  At  seven  we  dined.  His  Grace  took  half  a  glass  of 
sherry  and  put  it  in  water.  I  drank  three  glasses,  Mr. 
Arbuthnot  one.  "We  then  went  to  the  drawing-room, 
where,  putting  a  candle  on  each  side  of  him,  he  read  the 
Standard  whilst  I  talked  to  Mr.  Arbuthnot,  who  said  it 
was  not  true  Copenhagen  ran  away  on  the  field.  He 
ran  to  his  stable  when  the  Duke  came  to  Waterloo  after 
the  battle,  and  kicked  out  and  gambolled. 

"  I  did  not  stay  up  to-night.  I  was  tired,  went  to 
bed  and  slept  heartily.  It  was  most  interesting  to  see 
him  reading  away.  I  believe  he  read  every  iota.  We 
talked  of  Lord  Mulgrave,  whom  his  Grace  esteemed. 
Sir  Astley  had  left  in  the  morning,  and,  in  talking  of 
the  Duke's  power  of  conversation,  related  that  when 
some  one  said,  '  Habit  is  second  nature,'  the  Duke  re- 
marked, '  It  is  ten  times  nature.' 

"  I  asked  the  Duke  if  Cassia*  did  not  land  hereabouts. 
He  said  he  believed  near  Richborough  Castle. 

"  Thus  ends  ths  second  immortal  day. 

"  Sunday.  —  I  found  the  Duke  on  the  leads.  After 
breakfast  Mr.  Arbuthnot  told  me  to  go  to  the  village 
church  and  ask  for  the  Duke's  pew.  I  walked,  and  was 
shown  into  a  large  pew  near  the  pulpit. 

"  A  few  moments  after  the  service  had  begun  the 
Duke  and  Mr.  Arbuthnot  came  up  —  no  pomp,  no  ser- 
vants in  livery  with  a  pile  of  books.  The  Duke  came 
into  the  presence  of  his  Maker  without  cant,  without 
affectation,  a  simple  human  being. 

"  From  the  bare  wainscot,  the  absence  of  curtains, 
the  dirty  green  footstools,  and  common  chairs,  I  feared  I 
was  in  the  wrong  pew,  and  very  quietly  sat  myself  down 
in  the  Duke's  place.  Mr.  Arbuthnot  squeezed  my  arm 
before  it  was  too  late,  and  I  crossed  in  an  instant.  The 
Duke  pulled  out  his  prayer-book,  and  followed  the 
clergyman  in  the  simplest  way.  I  got  deeply  affected. 
Here  was  the  greatest  hero  in  the  world,  who  had  con- 


126  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  IIAYDON.  ["1839. 

quered  the  greatest  genius,  prostrating  his  heart  and 
being  before  his  God  in  his  venerable  age,  and  praying 
for  his  mercy.  However  high  his  destiny  above  my 
own,  here  we  were  at  least  equal  before  our  Creator. 
Here  we  were  stripped  of  extrinsic  distinctions  ;  and  I 
looked  at  this  wonderful  man  with  an  interest  and  fcelin^ 
that  touched  my  imagination  beyond  belief.  The  silence 
and  embosomed  solitude  of  the  village  church,  the  sim- 
plicity of  its  architecture,  rather  deepened  than  decreased 
the  depth  of  my  sensibilities.  At  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ  the  Duke  bowed  his  silvery  hairs  like  the  hum- 
blest labourer,  and  yet  not  more  than  others,  but  to  the 
same  degree.  He  seemed  to  wish  for  no  distinction. 
At  the  epistle  he  stood  upright,  like  a  soldier,  and  when 
the  blessing  was  pronounced  he  buried  his  head  in  one 
hand  and  uttered  his  prayer  as  if  it  came  from  his  heart 
in  humbleness. 

"  Arthur  Wellesley  in  the  village  church  of  Walmer 
this  day  was  more  interesting  to  me  than  at  the  last 
charge  of  the  Guards  at  Waterloo,  or  in  all  the  glory 
and  paraphernalia  of  his  entry  into  Paris.  I  would  not 
have  missed  seeing  him,  for  this  will  be  the  germ  of 
some  interesting  work  of  Art  —  perhaps  his  youth,  his 
manhood  and  his  age  in  a  series. 

"  The  Duke  after  dinner  retired,  and  we  all  followed 
him.  He  then  took  the  Spectator,  and  placing  a  candle 
on  each  side  of  his  venerable  head  read  it  through.  I 
watched  him  the  whole  time.  Young  Lucas  had  ar- 
rived, a  very  nice  fellow,  and  we  both  watched  him.  I 
took  Laidner's  life  of  him,  in  one  part  of  which  he  says, 
*  He  rode  in  front  of  fifty  pieces  of  artillery,  but  God 
protected  his  head.'  I  looked  up  and  studied  the  vene- 
rable white  head  that  God  still  protected.  There  he  was, 
contented,  happy,  aged,  but  vigorous,  enjoying  his  leisure 
in  dignity ;  God  knows  as  he  deserves.  After  reading 
till  his  eyes  were  tired  he  put  down  the  paper,  and  said, 
'  There  are  a  great  many  curious  things  in  it,  I  assure 


1839.]  WITH    THE    DUKE    AT    WALMEK.  127 

you.'    He  then  yawned,  as  he  always  did  before  retiring, 
and  said,  '  I  '11  give  you  an  early  sitting  to-morrow,  at 
nine.'     I  wished  his  Grace  a  good  night,   and  went  to 
bed.     At  half  past  five  I  was  up,  set  my  palette,  got  all 
ready  and  went  to  work  to  get  the  head  in  from  the 
drawing.     By  nine  the  door  opened,  and  in  he  walked, 
looking  extremely  worn  ; — his  skin  drawn  tight  over  his 
face ;  his  eye  was  watery  and  aged ;  his  head  nodded  a 
little.    I  put  the  chair  ;  he  mumbled,  '  I  'd  as  soon  stand. 
I  thought,  'You  will   get   tired,'  but  I  said  nothing; 
down  he  sat, — how  altered  from  the  fresh  old  man  after 
Saturday's  hunting !     It  affected  me.     He  looked  like 
an  aged  eagle  beginning  to  totter  from  his  perch.     He 
took  out  his  watch  three  times,  and  at  ten  up  he  got, 
and  said,  '  It 's  ten  ; '  I  opened  the  door,  and  he  went  out 
He  had  been   impatient  all  the  time.     At  breakfast  he 
brightened  at  the  sight  of  the  children,  and  after  distri- 
buting  toast  and  tea  to  them  I  got  him  on  Art.  He  talked 
of  a  picture  of  Copenhagen  by  Ward,  which  the  Duke 
of  Northumberland  bought,  and  which  he  wanted,  and 
suddenly  looking  up  at  me,  said,  'D'ye   want  another 
sitting?'    I  replied,  'If  you  please,  your  Grace.'  'Very 
well  ;  after  hunting,  I'll  come.'     Just  as  he  was  going 
hunting,  or  whilst  he  was  out,  came  Count  Brunow,  the 
locum  tenens  of  Pozzo  di  Borgo,  the  Russian  ambassador. 
Lady  Burghersh   came    in  and  Mr.  Arbutlmot  wanted 
her  to  go  and  talk  to  Brunow,  but  she  declined.      All 
of  a  sudden  I  heard   a  great  clatter,  and   the  servants 
came  in  to  move  the  great  table  for  lunch.     At  lunch 
I  was  called  in.       The  Duke,  Count  Brunow  and  my- 
self lunched.      At  three  he  came  in  to  sit,  having  sent 
Brunow    with   Arbutlmot  pour  faire    un    tour.     Lady 
Burghersh  came  in  also,  and  again  he  was  fresher,  but 
the  feebleness  of  the  morning  still  affected   my  heart. 
It  is  evident,  at  times,  he  is  beginning  to  sink,  though 
the  sea  air  at  Walmer  keeps  him  up,  and  he  is  better 
than  he  was. 


128  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  li.  HAYDON.  [1839. 

"  Lady  Burghersh  kept  him  talking,  but  the  expres- 
sion I  had  already  hit  was  much  finer  than  the  present, 
and  I  resolved  not  to  endanger  what  I  had  secured.  I 
therefore  corrected  the  figure  and  shoulders,  and  told 
Lady  Burghersh  I  had  done.  '  He  has  done,'  said  she, 
and  it's  very  fine.'  'Is  it  though?'  said  the  Duke; 
'I'm  very  glad.'  '  And  now,'  said  she,  '  you  must  stand. 
So  up  he  got,  and  I  sketched  two  views  of  his  back,  his 
hands,  legs,  &c.  &c.  I  did  him  so  instantaneously  that 
his  eagle  eyes  looked  me  right  through  several  times, 
when  he  thought  I  was  not  looking.  As  it  was  a  point 
of  honour  with  him  not  to  see  any  sketch  connected  with 
my  picture,  he  never  glanced  that  way.  He  looked  at 
the  designs  for  the  House  of  Lords  on  the  chimney- 
piece,  but  said  nothing.  He  then  retired,  and  appeared 
gay  and  better.  He  had  put  on  a  fine  dashing  waistcoat 
for  the  Russian  ambassador. 

"  At  lunch  the  Duke  said  in  the  churches  of  Russia 
he  never  heard  a  single  cough  in  the  coldest  weather. 

"  At  dinner  there  was  a  party,  —  Lord  and  Lady 

Mahon,   Colonel    D -,   a   captain  of  horse  artillery, 

Brunow,  Captain  V ,  and   several  others.     Colonel 

D had  the  Waterloo  medal  and  lesfion  of  Honour. 

He  was  a  spirited  fellow,  but  had  too  much  of  the  mess 
table,  which  is  all  affected  sentiment,  boasting  justice  to 
the  enemies  of  England,  and   in  fact  unideaed  chatter 

over  claret  and  champagne.     Captain  V wras   an 

honest  old  boy. 

"  The  Duke  looked  well,  and  told  some  stories.  As 
Lady  Stuart  wras  coming  from  the  tournament  with  a 
friend  they  got  into  a  railway  carriage,  where  sat  a  man 
who  did  not  move,  so  they  sat  down  beside  him.  At 
last  in  came  another,  who  begged  one  of  the  ladies  to 
get  up  because  he  must  sit  '  by  his  convict.' 

"  At  night,  as  I  took  leave  of  the  Duke,  he  said,  '  I 
hope  you  are  satisfied.     Good-bye.'     I  heard  him  go  to 


1839.]        DEATH    OF    TEE    DUKE    OF    BEDFORD.  129 

bed  after  me,  laughing,  and  he  roared  out  to  Arbuthnot, 
*  Good  night.'  I  then  heard  him  slam  the  door  of  his 
room,  No.  11.,  next  to  mine,  No.  10.,  but  on  the  oppo- 
site side,  and  a  little  further  on.  I  soon  fell  asleep  ; 
was  off  at  six  for  Kamsgate,  and  dined  at  home  at  five  : 
found  all  right. 

"  My  impression  is  that  the  Duke  has  begun  to  sink, 
though  he  will  hold  out  for  years.  His  memory  is 
healthy ;  his  intellect  unimpaired ;  but  his  physical 
vigour,  I  fear,  is  breaking  now  and  then. 

"  It  is  curious  to  have  known  thus  the  two  great 
heads  of  the  two  great  parties,  the  Duke  and  Lord  Grey. 
I  prefer  the  Duke  infinitely.  He  is  more  manly,  has  no 
vanity,  is  not  deluded  by  any  flattery  or  humbug,  and 
is,  in  every  way,  much  as  I  admire  Lord  Grey,  a  grander 
character,  though  Lord  Grey  is  a  fine,  amiable,  vene- 
rable, vain  man. 

"22nd. —  Improved  the  Duke's  head,  and  called  on 
AVilkie.  After  a  chat  we  got  on  the  old  story,  —  Hume, 
the  Academy  and  God  knows  what :  the  end  was,  that 
we  had  a  long  agitated  talk,  from  which  it  was  evident 
the  Academicians  felt  themselves  in  a  stew.  I  never 
saw  Wilkie  so  much  excited. 

"  He  blamed  me  for  not  going  abroad,  for  doing 
everything  I  had  done  and  not  doing  anything  he 
wished  me  to  do.  He  grumbled,  scolded.  I  was  as 
cool  as  a  cucumber,  and  we  parted  capital  friends. 

"  2<lth. —  The  Duke  of  Bedford  is  dead — a  sood, 
kind  friend  to  me  and  all  artists.  It  is  singular  that 
almost  his  last  letter  should  be  to  me,  and  that  he  should 
have  explained  to  me  he  was  the  originator  of  exhibiting 
old  pictures  at  the  Gallery.  He  was  one  of  the  old  set, 
and  felt  for  artists.     Hail  to  his  memory  ! 

"November  1th.  —  Wrote  hard  at  my  new  lectures. 
Colonel  Wyndham  called,  and  thought  the  Duke's  head 
beautiful   in   expression  ;  so  do  I  —  simplicity  without 

VOL.  III.  K 


130  MEMOIRS   OF    B.  R.  IIAYDON.  [1839. 

weakness,  and  energy  without  caricature.     I  think  it  is 
a  complete  hit. 

"8th.  —  Lectured  with  great  success  at  the  Mechanics'. 

"  9th.  —  Though  not  a  man  of  any  peculiar  modesty 
of  character  (as  Canning  said  apropos  of  the  House  of 
Commons),  I  never  begin  a  lecture  without  fearing 
I  shall  not  be  interesting. 

"  10th  —  \6th.  —  Worked  and  wrote  at  the  Museum. 
Colonel  Gurwood  called  to-day,  and  mentioned  two  or 
three  corrections  necessary,  but  thought  it  a  very  fine 
picture. 

"  I  said  it  was  only  necessary  for  the  Duke's  system 
to  come  in  contact  with  Napoleon's  to  split  it.  Colonel 
Gurwood  said  he  saw  that  a  long  way  off. 

"  22/ul.  —  Rogers  called,  and  was  pleased  with  the 
Duke.  He  said  it  was  the  man.  He  said  he  wished  I 
would  paint  Napoleon  musing  at  St.  Helena,  not  so  fat 
as  he  really  was ;  that  that  was  the  only  thing  Talley- 
rand and  the  Duchess  de  Dino  objected  to  in  my  pic- 
ture at  Sir  Robert  Peel's.  I  asked  him  what  they  thought 
of  the  picture.  He  said  most  highly,  but  that  the  fatness 
always  pained  them,  as  they  never  saw  him  so.  He  said 
he  saw  him  with  Mr.  Fox  in  1802,  and  nothing  could 
be  handsomer  than  his  smile.  Rogers  is  a  Whig ;  he 
lingers  about  Napoleon,  and  did  not  seem  to  think  the 
Duke  half  so  interesting.  Pie  told  me  I  was  a  great 
poet,  &c.  and  went  away. 

"  23rd.  —  Hard  at  work  again  and  improved  the 
Duke,  as  I  should  go  on  doing  to  the  last. 

"  Wrote  the  Duke  (who  has  had  a  severe  attack) 
a  frank  letter  expressing  my  joy  at  his  recovery,  and 
sorrow  at  his  illness,  but  telling  his  Grace  he  went  too 
long  without  his  food.  I  said  I  observed  it  at  Walmer, 
and  that  from  ten  to  half-past  seven  was  too  long  with- 
out intervening  sustenance.  I  begged  him  to  consider 
the  value  of  his  life,  and  that  we  who  had  looked  on 
him    for  forty  years  as  the   only    shield   from    France 


1839.]  PICTURE    OF    THE    DUKE    FINISHED.  131 

would  feel  wretched  and  at  a  loss  if  anything  happened 
to  him. 

"25th.  —  Depending  on  my  balance  at  the  conclusion 
of  the  Duke's  picture,  at  the  end  of  October,  and  not 
getting  it,  owing  to  the  pressure  of  the  times,  has 
obliged  me  to  incur  expense  to  delay  payments,  and 
make  arrangements  which  have  embarrassed  me.  Under 
the  blessing  of  God  I  may  escape  ruin,  but  it  may  lead 
to  it. 

"  Twice  out  of  three  times  this  is  my  fate.  Sanguine 
in  my  wishes,  sincere  in  my  intentions,  I  fling  myself 
at  a  picture  with  all  my  heart  and  soul,  and  thus  I  am 
treated. 

"  It  is  not  altogether  my  employers'  fault,  but  they 
might  have  managed  better. 

"  26th.  —  Lady  Burghersh,  Mr.  Arbuthnot  and 
Colonel  Gurwood  called  and  were  much  delighted. 
Lady  Burghersh  authorised  me  to  say  the  likeness  of 
the  Duke  was  admirable,  and  so  said  Arbuthnot. 
Gurwood  left  word  he  was  pleased.     So  far  good. 

"29th.  —  Finished  my  lecture  for  Leeds  on  the  his- 
tory of  the  arts. 

"  I  think  this  taste  of  the  Queen  for  historical  por- 
traits in  composition  is  an  advance  in  taste,  and  will 
lead  to  sound  Art  in  the  end. 

"  30th. — Last  day  of  November.  The  Duke  is 
fairly  done,  and  I  return  thanks  to  God  for  enabling 
me  to  carry  it  through  gloriously.  I  began  it,  and 
prayed  for  its  success  as  I  always  do,  and  therefore 
I  am  grateful. 

"  I  have  only  done  two  pictures  this  year,  Milton 
and  the  Duke,  but  lectured  much.  I  have  not  worked 
as  I  ought.  Then  that  cursed  Academy  business  called 
me  off.     Curse  the  affair. 

"  On  the  whole  I  am  pleased.  At  Court  there  is  a 
tendency  to  portrait  history,  which  is  an  advance  upon 

K  2 


132  MEMOIRS  OF  B.  K.  HAYDON.  [1839. 

the  vulgarity  of  the  Wilkie  taste ;  and  though  pictures 
are  small  as  yet  and  petty,  yet  it  is  generating  a  better 
and  higher  feeling. 

"  A  feeling  of  the  truth  is  spreading  in  the  country. 
To-day  I  have  been  requested  to  get  casts  of  the  The- 
seus and  Ilissus  for  Hull.  At  Leeds  a  strong  feeling 
is  roused.  All  this  will  gradually  fit  the  next  genera- 
ration  for  expecting  and   being  able  to  relish  better 

things. 

"  December  2nd.  —  It  is  now  twenty-seven  years  since 
I  ordered  my  Solomon  canvas.  I  was  young  (twenty- 
six).  Sir  George  had  treated  me  cruelly.  I  had  at- 
tacked the  Academy.  The  world  was  against  me.  I 
had  not  a  farthing.  Yet  how  I  remember  the  delight 
with  which  I  mounted  my  deal  table  and  dashed  it  in, 
singing  and  trusting  in  God,  as  I  always  do.  When 
one  is  once  imbued  with  that  clear,  heavenly  confidence, 
there  is  nothing  like  it.  It  has  earned  me  through 
everything. 

"  I  think  my  dearest  Mary  has  not  got  it.  1  do  not 
think  women  have  in  general.  Two  years  ago,  after  I 
returned  from  Broadstairs,  I  had  not  a  farthing,  having 
spent  it  all  to  recover  her  health.  She  said  to  me, 
'  What  are  we  to  do,  my  dear?'  I  replied,  *  Trust  in 
God.' 

"  There  was  something  like  a  smile  on  her  face.  The 
very  next  day  or  the  day  after  came  the  order  for  400 
guineas  from  Liverpool,  and  ever  since  I  have  been  em- 
ployed. I  say  so  now  I  have  no  grand  commission, — 
now  the  Duke  is  gone.  But  I  trust  in  God  with  all 
my  heart  and  all  my  soul. 

"  It  is  extraordinary  that  with  a  large  canvas  in  the 
house  I  always  feel  as  if  Satan  crossing  Chaos  was  ho 
match  for  me.  My  heart  beats ;  my  breast  broadens ; 
my  height  rises ;  my  cheek  warms.  How  I  would 
swell  in  a  Vatican  or  dome  of  St.  Paul's !  O  God  bless 
me  before  I  die. 


1840. ]  OPENING    OF    THE    YEAE.  133 

"  Why  such  talents,  —  why  such  desires,  —  such  long- 
ings, if  to  pine  in  hopeless  ambition  and  endless  agonies? 
In  Thee  I  trust,  O  God." 

1810. 

At  the  beginning  of  this  year  Haydon  was  delivering 
a  fresh  course  of  lectures  in  the  North,  and  mentions 
that  in  five  weeks  so  occupied  he  earned  81/.  17 s. 

"January  21th.  —  Rubbed  in  for  Rogers  a  small 
Napoleon  Musing.  He  wishes 'him  thinner  than  the 
Emperor,  who  was  fat  and  broad  in  his  latter  days,  be- 
cause Talleyrand  and  the  Duchess  de  Dino  did  not 
relish  him  fat,  as  I  have  made  him  at  Drayton. 

"29th.  —  Studied  at  the  National  Gallery.  I  would 
rather  be  the  painter  of  Lord  Heuthfield  than  of  Gevar- 
tius.  The  massy  breadth  —  the  deep  colour  —  the 
bronze  vigour  of  his  expression  and  air  are  glorious. 
Called  on  Rogers. 

"  Well  might  the  Duke  say,  '  Habit  is  ten  times 
nature.'  I  am  sure  the  difficulty  I  have  to  resume  my 
brush  is  laughable ;  it  is  ridiculous ;  it  is  shameful ;  it 
is  abominable !  I  march  about ;  look  at  all  my  pic- 
tures, sure  of  my  commissions  ;  put.  my  hands  in  my 
pockets;  talk  to  myself;  quote  Shakespeare;  read 
Hamlet,  Burke,  Vasari :  make  a  great  fuss  about 
nothing,  and  curse  my  being  obliged  to  lecture  for  my 
family's  sake ;  change  my  bed  till  I  am  sick ;  then 
write  an  attack  on  the  Whigs;  long  to  be  at  the 
Academy  ;  and  then  get  wretched  at  not  painting.  I 
shall  have  a  burst,  and  away  will  go  evil  spirits. 

"31  st.  —  The  last  day  of  January.  I  called  on 
Wilkie,  and  we  had  a  regular  set-to.  I  asked  him  who 
was  to  be  Keeper.  I  told  him  they  were  putting  men 
forward  who  were  supposed  to  be  likely  to  stand,  whilst 
the  real  man  was  concealed,  and  I  said  if  he  were  elected 

K    3 


134  MEMOIRS   OF   B.  E.  HAYDON.  [1840. 

I'd   be   at   the   Academy   again.      'Now   don't,'   said 

Wilkie,  '  interfere  in  the  elections.'    '  If be  elected 

I  will.'     '  Don't,'  said  he,  with  an  intreating  air. 

"  No  man  is  fit  for  it  but  Eastlake,  and  he  is  too 
timid.  lie  is  the  only  man  to  keep  up  the  high  feel- 
ing. If  you  elect  a  mere  drawing-master  he  will  keep 
the  boys  down  ;  if  a  man  of  poetic  views  he  will  elevate 
them.  The  feelings  in  the  country  are  high,  and 
whether  the  young  men  are  fitted  to  meet  the  feeling 
fast  growing  will  depend  on  the  instructor  chosen.  If 
the  Academy  do  not  elect  a  fit  and  proper  person  they 
will  betray  their  trust.     I  alarmed  Wilkie. 

"February  2>rd.- — Went  to  the  British  Institution, 
and  Catlin's  exhibition  of  Indians.  The  Institution  is 
become  the  common  sewer  of  the  Royal  Academy.  It 
is  lamentable. 

"5th.  —  Met  Leigh  Hunt  after  an  interval  of  many 
years,  looking  hearty,  grey  and  a  veteran.  We  hailed 
each  other.  '  Haydon,'  said  Hunt,  '  when  I  see  you 
hosts  of  household  remembrances  crowd  my  fancy.' 
'  Hunt,'  said  I,  'I  am  going  to  write  my  life,  and  I'll 
do  you  justice.  You  would  have  been  burnt  at  the 
stake  for  a  principle,  and  would  have  feared  to  put  your 
foot  in  the  mud.'     Hunt  was  affected. 

"  Hunt.     '  Will  you  come  and  see  my  play?'* 

"  Haydon.     '  I  will;  when?' 

"  Hunt.     '  Friday.' 

"  Haydon.     '  I  '11  applaud  you  to  the  skies.' 

"Hunt.  'Bring  your  wife;  I'll  put  your  names 
down.' 

"  Haydon.     '  I  will.' 

"  '  God  bless  ye.'     '  Good  bye.'     We  parted. 

"  8th.  —  Went  to  Leigh  Hunt's  play,  and  was  highly 
pleased.     The  audience  was  enthusiastic.     At  the  con- 


*  The  Legend  of  Florence, 


Z840.J  HAYDON'S    POLITICAL    LUCUBRATIONS.         135 

elusion  he  was  brought  on  the  stage — grey,  sturdy, 
worn  and  timid.  I  was  much  affected.  Think  of  poor 
Hunt  being  ruined  for  telling  mankind  what  George  IV. 
was  ashamed  they  should  know,  but  was  not  ashamed 
to  do  before  his  Maker  provided  it  was  unknown  to  his 
people. 

"  There  must  be  justice  hereafter,  and  to  this  man 
justice  is  due." 

As  an  example  of  the  political  lucubrations  of  Haydon, 
which  occupy  a  large  place  in  this  Journal,  I  insert  what 
follows : — ■ 

"  13th.  —  I  wish  I  had  put  down  everything  that 
had  passed  through  my  mind,  because  most  extraordinary 
coincidences  would  have  been  seen,  such  as  are  almost 
incredible  to  myself,  and  such  musings  as  one  rejects  as 
ridiculous  at  the  time  they  occur.  Every  Minister  of 
England  should  base  his  whole  proceedings  on  the  in- 
stinctive ambition  of  France.  In  dancing  and  cookery 
they  have  conquered  the  world,  and  they  believe,  from 
the  first  moment  of  perception  to  the  last  gasp  of  exist- 
ence, their  conquest  of  the  world  in  all  other  matters 
is  only  delayed  and  obstructed  by  England. 

"  This  was  Napoleon's  belief,  and  this  is  the  belief  of 
the  whole  French  nation.  This  is  the  true  key  of  their 
policy  towards  us,  and  after  having  in  vain  struggled  to 
conquer  us  as  enemies  they  have,  by  the  skill  of  Talley- 
rand, turned  their  whole  attention  to  compassing  the 
same  end  under  the  guise  of  friends. 

"  In  the  Mediterranean  the  affairs  of  England  are  so 
complicated  by  the  treachery  of  France,  that  there  is 
really  no  seeing  the  end ;  and  in  case  of  a  rupture  I  will 
bet  my  existence  France  would  join  Mehemet  Ali,  and 
then,  against  the  two  fleets,  what  could  we  do  with  our 


eight  or  ten  sail  of  the  line  ? 


1  I  have  no  doubt  there  may  even  be  a  secret  under- 
standing with  Russia  to  expel  us  from  the  Mediterranean, 

K    4 


136  MEMOIRS    OF    13.  R.  IIAYDON.  [1840. 

because  whilst  we  are  in  any  power  there  spoliation  or 
division  can  never  effectually  take  place  as  a  counter- 
poise to  our  empire  in  India.  The  only  chance  is  from 
the  age  of  Mehemet.  He  may  die,  but  then  his  genius 
would  die  with  him. 

"  Good  God !  that  the  affairs  of  England  at  such  a 
crisis  should  be  in  such  hands  as  Lord  Melbourne's, 
"with  his  apathy,  his  belief  in  the  irresponsibility  of  man, 
his  '  natural  course  of  things,'  his  roosting  after  dinner. 
God  knows  I  should  not  be  astonished  at  Mehemet 
making  a  dash  at  Constantinople.  If  Nelson  met  him 
with  the  Turkish  fleet  and  his  own,  it  may  be  conjec- 
tured what  he  would  do,  with  or  without  the  French. 
What  a  period  of  complication  for  such  a  genius  as 
Chatham ! 

"  After  the  investigation  of  the  Convention  of  Cintra, 
and  when  the  Duke  had  proved  his  genius  to  my  mind, 
I  lay  in  bed  one  morning,  and  clearly  saw  in  my  mind's 
eye  his  triumph  in  Spain  and  his  crossing  the  French 
frontier.  I  got  up,  and  determined,  young  as  I  was,  to 
write  to  him,  to  tell  him  my  conviction,  and  to  add  that 
if  it  turned  out  as  I  eaid,  as  my  views  in  Art  were  as 
grand  as  his  in  military  matters,  I  hoped  he  would  allow 
me  in  the  hour  of  victory  to  remind  him  of  my  pro- 
phecy. 

"  Subsequent  reasoning  made  me  believe  this  to  be 
absurd,  and  to  the  regret  of  my  whole  after  life  I  gave 
up  the  notion. 

"  This  morning  I  had  similar  foreshadowings  about 
the  affairs  of  the  East,  the  complication  of  which  I 
clearly  unravelled. 

(l  13th.  — News  to-day  that  twenty-nine  Chinese  junks 
attacked  the  Volage  and  Hyacinth,  when  our  boys  beat 
off  the  whole  and  sunk  and  blew  up  five,  sparing  the 
rest.  This  gladdens  my  heart,  and  I  hope  may  show 
master  Monsieur  what  he  may  expect  if  he  is  impudent. 


1840. J  LECTURING   AT    OXFORD.  137 

"  16th.  —  This  Volage  business  has  given  me  a  greater 
appetite  for  my  food.  This  is  doing  things  in  the  old 
style.  I  trust  I  shall  live  to  see  the  French  licked  once 
more,  and  I  shall  really  be  happy,  so  deeply  and  so  in- 
tensely are  early  associations  rooted  in  me,  from  cheering 
at  battered  frigates,  and  huzzaing  at  victorious  crews. 
God  protect  the  British  navy!" 

Now,  at  length,  came  an  opportunity  which  he  had 
long  sighed  for — of  lecturing  at  Oxford. 

"  23rd.  — Returned  from  Bath  yesterday,  after  a  very 
enthusiastic  reception,  and  not  numerous.  Had  great 
pleasure  in  forming  the  acquaintance  of  Mr.  Duncan,  an 
old  Fellow  of  one  of  the  Colleges  at  Oxford,  who  gave 
me  valuable  letters. 

"26th.  —  Started  for  Oxford; — a  day-dream  of  my 
youth, 

"  29th.  —  Received  by  the  Vice-Chancellor,  Dr.  Shut- 
tleworth,  and  Wardens,  with  every  kindness.  Leave 
was  granted  me  to  lecture  in  the  Radcliffe  great  room, 
but  this  could  not  be  done  without  a  meeting  of  trustees. 
Dr.  Shuttleworth  then  sent  me  to  the  Ashmolean, 
where  I  began  on  Tuesday.  God  grant  me  success.  I 
make  no*  charge.  My  object  is  the  art.  I  admit  all 
members  free.  If  I  succeed,  what  a  glorious  thing  it 
will  be  !  My  introduction  has  been  singular.  I  met  Mr. 
Duncan,  a  great  favourite  at  Bath.  He  gave  me  two 
important  letters,  which  have  opened  the  door.   Success  ! 

"28th. — Met  at  Parker's  'Dr.  Wells  on  adorning 
Churofees,'  and  the  journal  of  Dowsing,  one  of  a 
Committee  appointed  to  destroy  pictures,  1643-44, 
appointed  by  the  Earl  of  Manchester ;  by  his  own  ac- 
count they  destroyed,  in  Suffolk,  4560  pictures  in  little 
more  than  a  year  and  a  half. 

"  29th.  —  Got  on  well.  Oxford  affects  my  imagination 
vastly;  — such  silence,  and  solitude,  and  poetry  ;  —  such 
unquestionable  antiquity,  such  learning,  and  means  of 
acquiring  it. 


138  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  K.  IIAYDON.  [1840. 

"March    1st. —  Dined    with    Dr.     Shuttleworth   en 
famille  at  New  College,  and  spent  a  delightful   time. 
We  went  to  chapel,  where  is  Reynolds's  picture  of  The 
Virtues. 

"  We  got  on  the  Duke,  and  he  said  he  had  one  sin- 
gular ti  ait,  —  that  he  was  mean  in  money  matters,  and 
that  he  actually  suffered  himself  to  be  sued  for  the 
amount  of  his  silk  gown  before  he  paid  the  money.  It 
was  near  an  execution.  The  Duke  has  some  property 
at  Strathfieldsaye  eounected  with  the  University.  The 
Warden  said  the  trouble  they  had  to  get  the  money  was 
dreadful.  It  was  years  first.  His  Grace's  agent  was  so 
convinced  the  University  was  right,  that  he  gave  it  in 
their  favour.  Even  then  it  could  not  be  got.  At  last 
Dr.  Shuttleworth  wrote  a  plain  statement  of  facts  to  the 
Duke  himself.  He  (the  Duku)  sent  for  Parkinson,  and 
asked  if  it  was  correct.  Parkinson  said  '  Yes.'  '  Then,' 
said  he,  'pay  the  money.'  A  cheque  was  sent  with 
interest  from  the  time  it  ought  to  have  been  paid.  Per- 
haps this  may  account  for  his  indisposition  to  lend  his 
clothes  to  artists. 

"3rd. — I  began  to-day  at  the  Ashmolean  Museum, 
and  had  complete  success.  All  are  alive  to  common 
sense  and  nature  —  the  refined  scholar  and  the  humble 
mechanic  alike.  It  was  beautiful  and  triumphant.  And, 
O  God  !  how  grateful  ought  I  to  be  to  be  permitted  the 
distinction  of  thus  being  the  first  to  break  down  the  bar- 
rier which  has  kept  Art  begging  to  be  heard  and  attended 
to  at  the  Universities." 

In  his  delight  he  wrote  to  Wordsworth:  — 


o 


"  My  dear  Wordsworth, 

"  At  last  I  have  accomplished  one  of  the  day-dreams  of 
my  earliest  youth,  viz.,  lecturing  at  the  University. 

"  I  have  been  received  with  distinction  by  the  Vice- 
Chancellor  and  the  heads  of  colleges,  granted  the  Ashmo- 
lean Museum,  and  gave  my  first  lecture  yesterday,  which 
was  positively  hailed. 


1840.]    A  LETTER  TO  WORDSWORTH  :    THE  REPLY.     139 

"  There  are  four  honours  in  my  life,  first,  the  sonnet  of 
Wordsworth,  second,  the  freedom  of  my  native  town  for 
Solomon,  third,  the  public  dinner  in  Edinburgh,  and  fourth, 
my  reception  at  Oxford. 

"  The  first  and  the  last  are  the  greatest.  But  the  first  is 
the  first,  and  will  ever  remain  so,  whilst  a  vibration  of  my 
heart  continues  to  quiver. 

"  Who  said  '  High  is  our  calling'  when  all  the  world  was 
adverse  to  desert  ?  There  was  the  foresight  —  there  the 
manliness  —  there  the  energy  and  the  affection  which  have 
marked  the  poet's  career  from  beginning  to  conclusion. 

"  You  are  a  glorious  creature,  and  is  not  our  calling  high? 
Would  all  the  crowns,  and  kingdoms  and  jewels  on  earth 
have  brihed  you  to  say  that  of  a  man  if  you  had  not  felt  it  ? 
And  why  did  you  feel  it?     Because  you  saw  it. 

"  You  have  lived  to  your  complete  victory  on  earth  ; — you 
have  nothing  now  to  expect  but  '  Well  done,  thou  good  and 
faithful  servant.'  May  that  hour,  for  the  sake  of  your 
friends  here,  be  long  deferred ;  but  it  will  not  the  less  come. 

"After  the  distinction  of  yesterday  my  mind  instinctively 
turned  to  you.  Fancy  my  reception  here,  and  fancy  those 
fellows  at  the  London  University  conceiving  a  man  of  my 
misfortunes  would  have  injured  the  religious  and  moral 
purity  of  their  character,  if  I  had  lectured  there.  'An 
ounce  and  three  quarters  of  civet,'  or  rather  a  couple  of 
pounds. 

"  If  I  was  to  die  this  moment,  my  dear  friend,  I  would 
thank  God  with  my  last  breath  for  this  great  opportunity  of 
doing  my  duty.     Hurrah,  with  all  my  soul. 

"  Your  affectionate  old  friend, 

"  B.  R.  Haydon." 

Wordsworth  answered, — 

"Rydal  Mount,  Ambleside,  March  12tb,  1840. 

"My  dear  Haydon, 

"  Though  I  have    nothing   to  say  but   merely  words  of 

congratulation,   hearty  congratulation,  I  cannot    forbear  to 

thank  you  for  your  letter.     You  write  in  high  spirits,  and 

I  am  glad  of  it :  it  is  only  fair  that,  having  had  so  many 


140  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  IIAYDON  [1840. 

difficulties  to  encounter,  you  should  have  a  large  share  of 
triumph.  Nevertheless,  though  I  partake  most  cordially  of 
your  pleasure,  I  should  have  heen  still  more  delighted  to 
learn  that  your  pencil  (for  that,  after  all,  is  the  tool  you  were 
made  for)  met  with  the  encouragement  it  so  well  deserves. 

"I  should  have  liked  to  have  been  among  your  auditors, 
particularly  so  a?  I  have  seen  not  long  ago  so  many  first-rate 
pictures  on  the  continent,  and  to  have  heard  you  at  Oxford 
would  have  added  largely  to  my  gratification.  I  love  and 
honour  that  place  for  abundant  reasons,  nor  can  I  ever  forget 
the  distinction  bestowed  upon  myself  last  summer  by  that 
noble-minded  University. 

"  Allow  me  to  mention  one  thing  on  which,  if  I  were 
qualified  to  lecture  upon  your  art,  I  should  dwell  with  more 
attention  than,  so  far  as  1  know,  has  been  bestowed  upon  it 
—  I  mean  perfection  in  each  kind  as  far  as  it  is  attainable. 
This  in  widely  different  minds  has  been  shown  by  the 
Italians,  by  the  Flemings,  the  Dutch,  the  Spaniards,  the 
Germans,  and  why  should  I  exclude  the  English  ? 

"  Now,  as  a  masterly,  a  first-rate  ode  or  elegy,  or  piece 
of  humour  even,  is  better  than  a  poorly  or  feebly  executed 
epic  poem,  so  is  the  picture,  though  in  point  of  subject  the 
humblest  that  ever  came  from  an  easel,  better  than  a  work 
after  Michel  Angelo  or  RafFaele  in  choice  of  subject,  or  aim 
of  style,  if  moderately  performed.  All  styles,  down  to  the 
humblest,  are  good,  if  there  be  thrown  into  the  choosing 
all  that  the  subject  is  capable  of,  and  this  truth  applies  not 
only  to  painting,  but  in  degree  to  every  other  fine  art. 
Now  it  is  well  worth  a  lecturer's  while  who  sees  the  matter 
in  this  light,  first  to  point  out  through  the  whole  scale  of 
Art  what  stands  highest,  and  then  to  show  what  constitutes 
the  appropriate  perfection  of  all,  down  to  the  lowest. 

"  Ever,  my  dear  Haydon,  faithfully  yours, 

"  W.  Wordsworth." 

"  March  6th  and  1th.  —  Lectured  again  to  increased 

audiences.     I  dined  last  night  with  Mr.  ,  Tutor  of 

Exeter,  and  the  Fellows.  It  was  pretty  to  see  the  hall 
rise  at  our  retiring  to  the  common  room,  and  the  Tutor, 


1840.]  AT    OXFOKD.  141 

Fellows  and  myself  bow  on  reaching  the  door.  I  spent 
a  very  delightful  evening  with  Mr.  T ,  of  Magda- 
len, and    S ,  at  our  little  tabic.      S is  full  of 

Plato.  T had  travelled  in  Greece  —  a  mild,  intelli- 
gent and  gentlemanly  man.  We  talked  of  the  Aga- 
memnon gloriously.     I  knew  it  well.     To-day  I  dine  at 

Magdalen,  to-morrow  with  Mr.  S at  Exeter.    Thank 

God  at  last  I  have  made  my  way  to  society  where  I  am 
happy.  Though  evidently  not  a  classical  scholar,  the 
scholars  here  see   I   seize  the  thoughts  and  value  the 

beauties  of  the  Great  classical  writers.     S said  the 

Athenians  were  a  corrupt  and  vicious  people,  and  that 
all  their  great  men  were  great  in  spite  of  their  tyranny 
and  oppression,  and  devoted  their  lives  to  elevate  and 
improve  them.  He  said  it  was  curious  that  hardly  any 
boast  of  the  Parthenon  or  other  buildings  occurs  from 
authors  about  this  time.  Thucydides  once,  in  alluding 
to  Lacedasmon,  says,  '  They  have  not  buildings  like  our- 
selves,' and  that's  all.     This  is  odd.     T drank  tea 

with  me,  and  passed  the  evening  in  looking  over  my 
prints. 

"  Sunday,  8th — Dined  with  Professor  D at  Mag- 
dalen, and  spent  a  very  pleasant  evening  with  the 
Fellows;  —  surely  they  are  not  the  Fellows  of  Gibbon. 
I  saw  *  no  deep  and  dark  potations,'  but  a  very  pleasant 
quantity,  neither  deep  nor  dark ;  and  even  if  they  were 
so  then,  it  was  not  quite  fair  in  Gibbon,  after  sharing 
their  darkness,  to  betray  their  deepness. 

"  10th.  —  Lectured.  The  Vice-Chancellor  Gilbert 
came,  and  gave  authority  to  the  audience. 

"  Dined  with  Sir  Anthony  Croke.  near  Oxford,  and 
had  a  great  deal  of  fun.  He  took  me  out  in  a  close 
carriage,  and  telling  some  young  Oxford  bucks  they 
must  take  me  back  sent  the  carriage  away  to  Oxford. 
I  did  not  reflect  I  was  then  at  their  mercy,  and  when  I 
wanted    to    go  the  young  girls  and    boys,   heated    by 


1-12  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  IIAYDON.  [1840. 

waltzing,  began  to  think  it  a  good  joke  to  keep  the 
painter  late.  *  Never  mind,  my  dear  Mr.  Haydon,'  said 
one  young  dog,  (  we'll  secure  you  a  breakfast,'  and  we 
all  laughed.  As  this  was  rebellion  against  my  own  will, 
I  determined  to  bolt  quietly,  and  though  I  did  not 
know  an  inch  of  the  road  to  walk  it  I  remembered  Sir 
Anthony  drove  along  the  great  road  and  turned  to  the  left. 
So  watching  my  opportunity  I  bolted  out,  hurried  on  my 
great  coat,  and  putting  my  finger  to  my  lips  to  a  servant 
jumped  the  park  gate,  and  was  through  the  village  like 
a  race  horse. 

"  After  walking  two  miles  in  dinner  shoes  I  listened, 
but  heard  no  wheels; — so  going  on  I  got  into  the  main 
road,  and  all  was  safe  ;  about  a  mile  from  Oxford  I  heard 
distant  galloping  and  wheels.  I  knew  the  young  dogs 
would  glory  in  catching  me  ;  so  I  slipped  behind  a  tree, 
and  they  passed  me  at  a  devil  of  a  pace,  laughing  ready 
to  kill  themselves.  I  entered  triumphantly  about  twelve, 
having  had  my  own  way,  the  greatest  of  all  blessings. 

"  March  13th.- — Last  lecture  of  the  six;  —  audience 
quadrupled.  Dined  at  Dr.  Shuttleworth's,  and  spent  a 
very  pleasant  evening. 

"  Took  my  leave,  and  left  Oxford  with  deep  gratitude 
for  my  great  success.  I  came  to  try  a  new  ground.  It 
was  neck  or  nothing,  and  all  classes  rushed  to  hear  me 
till  the  mania  became  extraordinary. 

"  14th.  —  Arrived  home  full  of  enthusiasm,  and  ex- 
pecting to  find  (like  the  Vicar  of  Wakefield)  every 
blessing ;  —  expecting  my  dear  Mary  to  hang  about  my 
neck,  and  welcome  me  at  my  victory ;  when  I  found 
her  out,  not  calculating  I  should  be  home  till  dinner. 
I  then  walked  into  town  after  unstripping :  when  I  re- 
turned she  was  home,  and  was  hurt  I  did  not  wait ;  so 
this  begat  mutual  allusions  which  were  anything  but 
loving  or  happy.  So  much  for  anticipations  of  human 
happiness ! 


1840.]  HAMILTON  :    BRONSTEDT  :    WILKIE.  143 

"  Perhaps  this  necessary  bit  of  evil  was  a   proper 
check  on  my  vanity. 

"  11th.  —  Went  to  see  my  Samson  at  the  Suffolk- 
street  Gallery.  Met  Colonel  Sibthorp  :  I  asked  in  the 
course  of  conversation  what  was  the  principal  cause  of 
being  successful  as  a  speaker  in  the  House  of  Commons. 
'  Never  let  your  points  be  deferred  till  the  dinner  hour, 
said  he  :  '  always  finish  a  little  before.' 

"  2lst. — Went  to  church  at  George  Street,  Hanover 
Square.  Afterwards  called  on  Hamilton,  and  found 
Chevalier  Bronstedt.  Had  a  most  interesting  conver- 
sation about  the  Greeks.  He  agreed  with  me  as  to  the 
painting  of  the  Greeks,  that  it  was  quite  equal  to  their 
sculpture.  He  seems  to  have  new  theories  about  Theseus 
being  Cephalus.  He  told  us  by  calculation  the  gold  on 
the  statue  of  Minerva  was  150,000/.  sterling  in  worth. 
"  I  never  knew  that  water  was  kept  as  in  a  well 
under  the  great  ivory  statues,  and  a  trench  full  went 
round  them  to  prevent  their  cracking. 

"  He  thought  the  Minerva  might  have  been  moved 
by  Constantine.  We  talked  of  the  French  revolution 
and  of  the  bloody  horrors  of  it.  Hamilton  said  a  French 
bishop  offered  some  books  to  him  once,  and  in  recom- 
mendation of  them  said  one  was  bound  in  a  man's  skin. 
"  22?*c/.  —  Called  on  Wilkie.  He  kept  me  so  long 
waiting  that  I  rang  the  bell  and  asked  the  servant  if  he 
was  up.  She  said  he  was  at  breakfast.  I  said,  '  Have 
you  a  fire  anywhere?  I  am  cold  and  will  take  a  walk,' 
and  I  marched  off. 

"  This  was  nothing  but  his  want  of  manner.  Just  as 
I  was  sitting  down  to  dinner  a  knock  came  to  the  door. 
I  said,  '  That's  Wilkie.'  Mary  said,  'No,  no.'  In  came 
the  servant,  and  said,  '  Sir  David  Wilkie.'  I  went  up 
and  rowed  him  well  for  keeping  me  in  the  cold.  He 
said  'I  was  breakfasting.'  I  said,  '  That's  no  matter, 
you  should  have  come  out.' 


144  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1840. 

"  He  came  down  and  chatted.  I  asked  him  before 
Mrs.  Haydon,  if  he  remembered  my  lending  him  an 
old  black  coat  to  go  to  Barry's  lying-in-state,  which 
was  too  short  for  his  long  arms.  He  did,  and  seemed 
to  relish  it.  I  asked  him  if  he  recollected  dancing  round 
the  table  with  Jackson  when  I  read  his  name  for  the 
first  time  in  a  paper,  the  News.  He  said  he  did.  I 
asked  him  if  he  remembered  my  breakfasting  with  him 
the  first  time  in  Norton  Street  front  parlour.  He 
did.  He  told  some  capital  things.  When  Sir  Walter 
was  a  child  his  mother  and  family  were  all  dressed  one 
evening  to  go  out.  There  was  a  long  discussion.  Sir 
Walter  remembered  his  mother  saying, '  No,  no.  Watty 
canna  understand  the  great  Mr.  Garrick.'  Scott  used 
to  tell  this,  and  always  was  indignant  at  the  suppo- 
sition. 

"  He  told  us  in  the  rebellion  of  1 745  a  lady  from  the 
Highlands  came  to  his  father's  house  for  shelter.  She 
brought  a  herb  in  paper,  which  she  put  in  hot  water  and 
boiled,  and  gave  all  the  family  a  little,  and  they  were 
delighted.     This  was  tea  —  the  year  it  was  introduced. 

"  25th. — Finished  Rogers's  Napoleon.    Worked  hard. 

"  26th.  —  Saw  Faraday  about  lecturing  at  the  Royal 
Institution.     Found  him  frank,  lively  and  kind. 

"  2dth.  — Went  to  church  with  my  dear  old  landlord, 
Newton.  When  we  were  in,  I  was  aifected  at  all  the 
disputes,  kindnesses  and  fights  we  had  had.  He  has 
been  to  me  and  my  family  an  everlasting  friend,  a  pivot 
to  work  on,  an  anchor  to  trust  to,  such  as  I  believe  no 
other  human  being  ever  had  before. 

"  I  thank  God  for  it  with  my  heart.  He  does  not 
look  so  well  as  he  ought.  If  I  lose  him  I  shall  lose  a 
man  indeed. 

"  On  reviewing  this  week  I  have  done  well.  I  have 
worked  hard,  —  finished   Rogers's    Napoleon,    and  ad- 


1840.]  MARY   QUEEN   OF    SCOTS.  145 

vanced  the  picture  for  Miller  of  Liverpool,  and  made 
the  sketch  for  my  Leeds  commission. 

"  30th.  —  Breakfasted  with  Chevalier  Bronstedt  at 
the  Sabloniere.  He  explained  to  me  his  views  of  the 
pediments  of  the  Parthenon,  and  they  appeared  to  me 
excellent.  I  am  not  quite  sure  about  the  Cephalus, 
though  what  he  said  was  very  just, — that  there  was  a 
mythological  chronology,  and  an  historical  chronology, 
and  that  at  the  birth  of  Minerva  Theseus  was  never  in 
existence,  whereas  Cephalus  was,  being  taken  to  heaven 
by  Eos,  and  made  keeper  of  heaven's  gates. 

"  He  told  me  the  creed  of  the  Athenians  was  different 
from  Homer's  and  from  the  belief  of  Asia  Minor.  He 
is  an  intelligent  and  amiable  man.  He  did  Xapoleon 
when  musing  on  parade  for  me  capitally,  —  his  taking 
snuff,  his  walk,  his  looking  round,  &c.  I  took  him  to 
see  my  Lazarus  and  Xenophon." 

On  the  10th  of  April  Haydon  had  begun  a  picture  of 
Mary  Queen  of  Scots  showing  her  infant  (afterwards 
our  James  the  First)  to  Sir  Ralph  Sadleir,  the  English 
ambassador,  —  a  subject  which  had  been  suggested  to 
him  in  the  course  of  his  reading  while  in  Scotland  in 
1839. 

"  loth. — The  King's  College  Council  has  appointed 
a  professor  of  Fine  Art, —  huzza!  This  is  a  great 
point,  and  must  be  attributed  to  the  influence  of  my 
success  at  Oxford.  Have  I  not  struggled  to  attain  this  ? 
These  journals  will  show  it.     Worked  hard. 

"  16th. — Lectured  at  Islington  with  great  success. 
Worked  hard.  The  Scotch  picture  nearly  done.  I  am 
not  satisfied  with  my  mode  of  painting  a  head, —  not  at 
all.  It  has  not  the  system  of  a  practised  artist,  but  I 
will  conquer  it.  I  see  character  so  soon,  I  dash  at  it 
before  my  surface  and  colour  are  impastocd  enough,  and 
get  the  expression  before  my  preparation  is  ready  to 
receive  it,  and  then  don't  like  to  meddle. 

VOL.  III.  L 


146  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1840. 

"  This  is  for  want  of  perpetual  head-painting,  as  in 
portrait. 

"  \8th. —  Hard  at  work,  and  finished,  except  a  little 
to  a  hand,  the  picture  of  the  Highland  Lovers  for  Miller 
of  Liverpool. 

"  Now  for  Romeo  and  Juliet,  for at  Hull. 

"26th.  —  I  awoke  early  with  a  singular  bland  light 
on  the  truth  of  Christianity.  It  spread  over  my  soul  as 
if  ready  to  depart.  Had  the  angel  of  death  appeared,  I 
would  have  hailed  him  ;  but  years  of  struggle  are  yet  to 
come  before  I  shall  be  called  hence. 

"  The  past  week  has  been  well  passed.  I  have 
worked  beautifully,  been  rewarded  well,  and  bow  in 
gratitude." 

The  sale  of  West's  picture  of  the  Annunciation,  under 
the  circumstances  detailed  in  the  note  *,  produced  this 
comment. 

*  "Sale  extraordinary.  —  On  Wednesday  last,  the  grand  picture 
of  the  Annunciation,  painted  by  the  late  Benjamin  West,  President 
of  the  Royal  Academy,  was  brought  to  the  hammer,  by  Mr.  Graves, 
of  Mortimer- street.  This  picture,  which  is  of  very  large  dimen- 
sions, originally  cost  800Z.  It  occupied,  from  the  year  1 817  to  1826, 
a  large  space  in  the  centre  of  the  splendid  organ  in  Marylebone 
new  church.  It  was  subsequently  placed  in  the  Queen's  bazaar ; 
but  for  nearly  fourteen  years  past  it  has  been  lying  in  its  case, 
useless,  in  a  lumber-room  of  St.  Marylebone  court-house.  The 
auctioneer  read  the  following  extract  from  the  vestry  minutes  of 
St.  Marylebone,  in  reference  to  the  picture,  dated  Feb.  15th,  1817: 
—  'I  have  always  regulated  my  charge  for  historical  paintings; 
and  under  these  regulations  I  charge  the  parish  800/.  for  the  picture 
now  in  the  new  church  of  St.  Marylebone.  Were  I  a  man  of  in- 
dependent property,  I  would  request  the  vestry  to  honour  me  by 
accepting  this  picture  as  a  gratuitous  mark  of  my  profound  respect 
for  the  parish.  —  Signed,  Benj.  West,  Newman-street,  Feb.  14th, 
1817.'  Whereupon  it  was  moved  and  seconded  that  800Z.  be  paid 
to  Mr.  "West,  which  was  done  accordingly.  After  reading  this 
document,  the  auctioneer  proceeded  to  expatiate  on  the  great 
merits  of  the  picture,  and  the  fame  of  the  artist  by  whom  it  was 
painted.     A  considerable  time  elapsed  before  a  bidding  could  be 


1840.]  BENJAMIN    WEST.  147 

"  It  speaks  a  great  deal.  Had  the  picture  fetched 
800  guineas,  it  would  have  been  worthy  of  the  blindness 
of  1 8 1 7.  It  was  a  disgrace  to  Mr.  West  to  have  charged 
800.  West  was  a  man  of  no  deep  genius,  no  profound 
feeling,  no  refined  drawing,  no  radical  knowledge,  no 
colour,  no  expression.  His  Wolfe  and  La  Hogue  are 
his  greatest  works.  His  attempts  at  high  Art  are 
without  elevation  ;  his  characters  beggarly.  He  was  as 
incapable  of  conceiving  or  executing  the  character  of 
Christ  as  he  was  of  performing  his  miracles.  Exactly 
as  the  nation  gets  enlightened  will  West  sink.  He  could 
no  more  conceive  an  angel  than  he  could  execute  an 
apostle  ;  and  this  is  the  man  Shee  said  was  the  greatest 
man  since  Domenichino,  Rubens  and  Rembrandt  inter- 
vening ! 

"  This  is  a  specimen  of  what  I  call  the  imposture  of 
Academies.  Had  there  been  no  Academicians  to  en- 
cumber the  school  of  Art,  Reynolds,  Hogarth,  Wilson, 

got.  At  length  the  sum  of  ten  guineas  was  offered,  and  notwith- 
standing the  auctioneer  had  promised  the  receipt  with  the  auto- 
graph of  the  late  Benjamin  West  should  be  given  to  the  purchaser, 
not  a  bidding  could  be  obtained  above  the  first  sum  offered.  Thus, 
that  picture  which  cost  the  sum  of  S00Z.  finally  sold  for  the  80th 
part  of  its  original  cost.  It  is  understood  that  during  the  time  the 
picture  stood  in  the  Queen's  bazaar,  the  sum  of  1001.  was  offered 
for  it  and  refused.  The  purchaser  is  Mr.  John  "Wilson,  of  Charles- 
street.  Middlesex  Hospital,  who  we  believe  contemplates  trans- 
mitting the  picture  to  America,  the  native  land  of  the  artist,  and 
where  his  works  seem  to  be  better  appreciated  than  in  our  own 
country.  Surely,  while  so  many  new  churches  are  in  progress  of 
erection  here,  such  a  work  should  not  be  suffered  to  be  taken  from 
England.  It  speaks  but  little  for  the  state  of  the  Fine  Arts,  that 
such  a  chef-d'oeuvre  a?  the  Annunciation  could  be  purchased  at  a 
sum  so  ridiculously  beneath  its  value. 

"We  understand  the  picture  was  originally  removed  from  the 
church  fcf  St.  Marylebone,  at  the  instigation  of  the  then  rector  and 
several  of  the  congregation,  as  giving  the  church  a  Popish  appear- 
ance." 

l  2 


]48  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1840. 

Wilkie,  and  Landscer  would  have  been  as  great  as  ever, 
but  West  would  never  have  been  considered  a  great  man, 
or  Shee  a  man  at  all. 

"May  l\th.  —  Little  or  nothing  in  painting.  Sent 
off  the  Highland  Lovers  to  Miller  of  Liverpool  by  train. 
'  On  ne  fait  lien  que  ce  quon  fait  soi  meme?  I  went  to 
see  it  weighed  and  safe,  and  lost  a  morning. 

«  \2tli. — Worked  fairly,  but  not  furiously;  I  can't 
on  a  small  picture.  Life  is  really  not  long  enough  for 
Art.  I  feel  with  small  pictures  as  if  I  had  nothing  on 
my  shoulders,  which  I  always  like  to  have.  I'll  soon  be 
at  my  large  canvas. 

«2\st.  — Worked  and  finished  the  Juliet,  and  hope  to 
conclude  to-morrow.  100  guineas  in  five  weeks  is  twenty 
guineas  a  week ;  not  enough  to  save  out  of,  though  I  am 
grateful. 

"  24th.  —  Sunday.  Went  to  church  and  prayed  very 
sincerely. 

"  Called  on  Wilkie,  who  was  much  annoyed  at  the 
press  saying  he  could  not  paint  portraits,  in  consequence 
of  his  villanous  portrait  of  the  Queen.  Wilkie  is  un- 
fairly treated.  Surely  his  Lord  Kellie,  the  Duke  of 
Sussex,  and  George  the  Fourth,  are  fine  portraits;  yet 
the  public  voice  has  loudly  affirmed  he  cannot  paint 
portraits.  How  differently  John  Bull  treats  him  and  me. 
I  have  no  rank  or  station;  —  he  has.  I  am  overwhelmed 
with  abuse;  —  he  dandled  till  his  feet  touch  the  ground, 
and  then  put  down  on  velvet. 

"26th.  —  Finished  my  Romeo  and  Juliet,  and  now 
my  employer  (a  Hull  dealer)  won't  pay  me  my  balance, 
451,  till  I  deliver  the  work,  and  I  won't  deliver  it  till 
I  get  the  balance  How  unlike  the  nobility.  Everything 
with  Lords  Mulgrave,  Egremont,  Sutherland  and  Grey, 
with  Peel  and  all  of  that  class,  was  honour  and  faith. 
All  paid  me  long  before  the  work  went  home.  I  told 
this  noodle  it  must  dry  hard  before  I  glazed  it,  or  it 


1840.]        THE    PROPHETS    OF    MICHEL    ANGELO.  149 

would  crack  ;  and  for  this  bit  of  honesty  he  won't  pay- 
first.  A  bill  of  39/.  10^.,  due  the  28th,  I  can't  pay,  and 
now  begin  again  illegal  interest  and  all  the  distractions 
of  pecuniary  want.  The  Liverpool  men  are  twice  as 
liberal,  and  the  Leeds  men  too  ;  but  at  Hull  they  are  a 
fierce  democratic  race,  and  mistrust  their  own  fathers. 

"  Mr.  Rogers  called,  and  brought  home  his  Napoleon 
to  be  glazed.  He  paid  me  at  once,  and  waited  my  time 
of  toning,  like  a  man. 

"  29th,  —  The  Queen  Dowager  has  headed  my  list  for 
the  Duke.  I  admire  her  character,  so  I  feel  much 
honoured. 

"Lectured  at  the  Mechanics,  and  exhibited  two  power- 
ful young  wrestlers  stripped  above  and  below.  The 
effect  was  prodigious,  —  the  grouping  exquisite,  —  the 
tumbling  rapturously  applauded; — it  did  immense  good. 

"31st. —  Saw  Bewicke's  (my  pupil's)  copy  of  the 
Sibyls  and  Prophets  of  Michel  Angelo  —  very  finely 
drawn  and  copied  ;  but  it  is  wonderful  how  little  a  man 
who  copies  so  well  can  do  for  himself.  The  style  of 
Michel  Angelo  belongs  to  the  place  he  painted  in,  and 
was  necessary  to  render  his  designs  visible  or  effective. 
This  seen  in  rooms  seems  exaggeration.  In  the  naked 
he  was  not  as  deep  as  the  Greeks,  and  all  my  assertions 
are  confirmed.  But  the  Erythraea  and  Lybica  are  very 
fine  in  expression. 

"June  1st. — Went  again  to  see  Bewicke's  copies 
from  Michel  Angelo —  the  giant  barbarian  of  European 
Art — the  Attila. 

"  And  this  is  the  grand  style,  ■ —  figures  painted  to  be 
looked  at  sixty  feet  off  brought  into  a  drawing-room  to 
be  studied  at  six,  and  recommended  to  the  students. 

"  2nd.  —  Corrected  the  etching  of  the  Duke.  The 
effect  of  these  copies  of  Michel  Angelo  is  enervating. 
You  sit  and  muse ;  — -  such  a  glorious  opportunity  for  size, 
—  such  a  patron,  —  such  a  combination  of  genius  and 

■L  3 


150  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  It.  HAYDOX.  [1840. 

opportunity  rarely  happens  on  earth;  and  it  is  altogether 
so  much  out  of  the  reach  of  ordinary  opportunity,  that 
I  think  it  rather  overpowers  than  stimulates. 

"I  can  account  for  feeble  minds  becoming  feebler  from 
going  to  Italy.  The  gap  between  their  humbler  notions 
and  what  they  see  is  so  great  that  the  imagination 
crushes  their  hopes,  their  energies,  their  ambition.  They 
become  copyists,  imitators,  connoisseurs,  dealers,  or  slaves, 
and  the  remainder  of  their  clays  is  a  nervous  chatter  about 
the  grand  style.  Such  were  Otley,  Prince  Hoare,  and 
hundreds  of  others, — Wilkie  too.  God  save  me  from 
such  a  disease — from  such  a  horror.  Italy  was  Wilkie's 
ruin. 

"  3rd.  - — Went  to  the  drawings  from  Michel  Angelo  ; 
staid  an  hour,  and  full  of  their  style  went  to  my  own 
Lazarus.  The  drawing  in  the  Lazarus,  and  the  hands 
and  feet,  is  decidedly  more  correct.  The  head  of 
Lazarus  was  equal  in  its  way  to  the  Delphic  Sibyl's ; 
but  though  broad,  it  had  not  that  overpowering  breadth 
of  effect  which  I  saw  in  the  one  of  Jeremiah,  full  size, 
at  Mr.  Thompson's,  Belgrave  Street,  who  bought  it  at 
Lawrence's  sale.  That  figure  proves  Michel  Angelo 
had  an  eye  for  colour. 

"  But  what  absurdity  to  pull  things  from  dark  recesses 
sixty  feet  high — things  which  were  obliged  to  be  painted 
lighter,  drawn  fuller,  and  coloured  harder  than  nature 
warrants,  to  look  like  life  at  the  distance—  and  to  bring 
them  down  to  the  level  of  the  eye  in  a  drawing-room, 
and  adore  them  as  the  purest  examples  of  form,  colour, 
expression  and  character.  They  were  never  meant  to 
be  seen  at  that  distance,  or  in  that  space. 

"  Thus  the  student  is  perplexed,  and  seduced,  and  cor- 
rupted with  ridiculous  notions  of  what  is  truly  grand. 
The  works  of  this  wonderful  man  have  ruined  a  thousand 
artists  to  one  they  have  educated  and  improved. 

"  In  drawing   they    are  grossly   defective.     Daniel's 


1840.]  SIBYL:    HIS    SCHOOL.  151 

left  foot  and  leg  would  have  disgraced  Bewicke  before  he 
ran  from  my  tuition  to  the  shelter  of  Academical  wings. 
Had  he,  in  the  position  of  Daniel's  left  arm,  made  the 
biceps  with  that  contour,  he  would  have  been  quizzed  by 
the  Landseers,  by  Lance,  by  Harvey,  by  Chatfield,  and 
by  Prentice,  his  brother  pupils.  Had  he  put  that  undu- 
lation below  the  supinator  in  the  left  fore  arm  of  the 
Cumasan  Sibyl  two  inches  higher  than  it  ought  to  be, 
he  would  have  been  laughed  at  by  the  public.  Had 
he  marked  the  elbow  of  the  Erythraean  so,  my  old  life- 
guardsman,  Sammons,  would  have  told  him  he  was 
wrong,  and  made  him  alter  it. 

"It  was  in  1816,  now  twenty -four  years  ago,  during 
the  Elgin  Marble  controversy,  I  strolled  to  Burlington 
House  to  study  the  beauty  of  the  marbles  for  an  hour 
before  painting,  when  I  found  a  young  man  drawing 
amidst  the  fragments  with  great  truth.     I  asked  him  if 
he  were  an  artist.     He  replied  he  wished  to  be.     I  told 
him  to  brinsr  me  his  drawings.     Next  day  at  breakfast 
he  did.     I  was  so  pleased,  I  told  him  if  he  would  place 
himself  under  my  tuition  I  would  instruct  him.     He  did 
so.    I  educated  him  for  three  years  without  payment, — 
superintended  his  dissections  at  Sir  C.  Bell's, — gave  up 
my  time  to  him  ;  and  when  he  was  ready,  sent  him  and 
the  Landseers  to  the  British  Museum,  where  they  made 
from  the  Elgin  Marbles  those  celebrated  drawings,  the 
size  of  the  originals,  which  gave  them  so  much  reputa- 
tion, that  Goethe  ordered  a  set  for  Weimar,  where  they 
are  still  shown  in  his  house,  and  to  which,  just  before 
his  death,  he  alluded  in  a  letter  to  me.     Finding  my 
pupils,  and  Bewicke  especially,  doing  such  justice  to  the 
Elgin  Marbles,  I  resolved  to  endeavour  to  get  at  the 
Cartoons ;  and  stating  my  object  to  a  friend,  he  induced 
Lords  Stafford  and  Farnborough  to  go  to  George  IV., 
and  ask  leave  to  have  two  at  a  time  at  the  British  Gallery 
which  they  did,  and  got  it. 

i.  4 


152  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [i840. 

"  I  then  sent  my  whole  school  to  the  Gallery,  and 
there  they  drew  from  the  Cartoons  the  size  of  the 
original?,  and  I  led  the  way.  When  done,  the  rush  to 
see  the  copies  was  so  great  the  doors  were  closed  for  fear 
of  injury. 

"  I  then  exhibited  the  drawings  in  St.  James's  Street ; 
here  the  people  of  fashion  crowded  for  days.  The  next 
year  I  followed  up  the  hit  with  Jerusalem,  but  the 
picture  not  being  bought,  though  the  receipts  were  vast, 
I  began  to  get  embarrassed.  During  Jerusalem  Lord 
de  Tabley  gave  me  a  commission.  I  begged  him  to 
transfer  it  to  Bewicke,  as  he  was  a  young  man  of  promise. 
He  did  so ;  and  he  was  paid  sixty  guineas  for  his  first 
picture.  His  second  Sir  William  Chaytor  bought,  and 
during  his  third,  his  landlord  refused  to  let  him  proceed 
unless  I  became  security  for  his  rent.  I  did  so.  In  the 
meantime  I  was  becoming  rapidly  involved,  and  having 
helped  Bewicke  in  his  difficulties,  I  thoughtlessly  asked 
him  to  help  me  by  the  usual  iniquities  of  a  struggling 
man,  namely,  accommodation  bills.  Bewicke  and  Harvey 
both  did  so  ;  these  were  not  accommodation  bills  to  raise 
money  on,  but  accommodation  bills  to  get  time  extended 
for  money  already  owing.  When  in  the  hands  of  a 
lawyer,  if  I  wanted  time,  e  Get  another  name '  was  the 
reply.  As  I  wished  for  secresy  I  asked  these  young 
men,  into  whose  hands  I  had  put  the  means  of  getting  a 
living  without  charging  a  farthing.  As  the  father  of  a 
family  I  now  see  the  indelicacy  and  wickedness  of  this 
conduct.  But  at  that  time  I  was  young,  a  bachelor,  at 
the  head  of  a  forlorn  hope,  and  I  relied  on  the  honour 
and  enthusiasm  of  my  pupils.  I  had  reduced  Bewicke's 
liabilities  from  236/.  to  136/.,  and  Harvey's  from  284/.  to 
184/.,  and  whilst  in  the  act  of  extricating  them  I  got 
through  the  Lazarus  and  was  ruined.  There  is  no 
excuse  for  my  inducing  my  pupils  to  lend  their  names 


1840.]  BREAK    UP    OF    TIIE    SCHOOL.  153 

as  security  for  bills,  but  I  was  in  such  a  state  of  despe- 
ration that  I  wonder  at  nothing. 

"  Bewicke  hoisted  the  enemies'  colour  at  once ;  —  not 
so  Lance,  Chatfield,  Tatham,  or  the  Landseers.  Lance's 
friends  advanced  125/.,  Landseer's  father  70/.,  Say  50/., 
Chatfield  paid  up  his  premium,  210/.  They  all  rallied, 
but  too  late.  In  proportion  to  the  greatness  of  my  effort, 
so  was  my  fall,  and  the  boys,  who,  if  I  had  been  em- 
ployed, would  have  been  right  hands,  branched  off  into 
different  pursuits  to  get  a  living.  Lance  I  advised  to 
take  to  fruit ;  Chatfield  painted  portraits ;  Say  always 
meant  to  do  so  ;  but  they  never  recovered  the  shock. 
Chatfield,  just  before  he  died,  dined  with  me  and  talked 
of  it  as  a  glorious  dream  passed  by.  But  had  there 
been  no  Royal  Academy  to  calumniate,  oppose,  and  tor- 
ment us,  —  had  the  Art  been  as  clear  in  our  time  as  in 
that  of  Reynolds,  —  our  fate  would  have  been  different 
indeed. 

"  4th.  —  Worked,  and  finished  the  robe  of  Mary  of 
Guise. 

"  5th. — Put  en  effectually  the  second  layer  of  colour. 
Rubens's  method  is  the  best  for  rapid  work  :  Titian's  for 
slow  and  progressive.  Rubens  washed  in  over  a  white 
ground. 

"  6th. — Wrote  my  life  all  day.  No  money  came,  and 
I  have  bills  all  next  week. 

"  7th.  —  Went  to  church,  and  returned  in  a  better 
state  of  mind  than  I  went.  The  prospect  of  pecuniary 
trouble  again  harassed  me,  but  I  threw  myself  on  the 
mercy  of  God.  I  don't  deserve  it.  I  have  worked  hard 
for  it,  and  cannot  get  my  money,  on  which  I  depended, 
but  I  do  not  despair. 

"I  shall  get  rid  of  my  paltry  little  pictures,  and  then 
at  a  large  canvas,  which  is  always  a  blessing  and  a 
support.     God  bless  me. 

"  8th.  —  Reader,   you  see  I  always  trusted  in  God. 


154  MEMOIRS   OF   B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1840. 

This  day  I  received  751.  from  Miller,  the  Liverpool 
merchant,  the  balance  for  the  Duke,  and  this  has  saved 
me,  as  it  is  the  link  between  two  sums:  but  for  this  an 
execution  would  have  entered  my  house,  and  the  old 
scenes  of  horror  would  have  come  over  again.  Began 
the  Poictiers  for  dear  old  Billy  (Newton). 

"  12 th,  VMh. —  Exceedingly  excited  and  exhausted. 
I  attended  the  great  convention  of  the  Anti- Slavery 
Society  at  Freemasons  Hall.  Last  Wednesday  a  depu- 
tation called  on  me  from  the  committee,  saying  they 
wished  a  sketch  of  the  scene.  The  meeting  was  very 
affecting.  Poor  old  Clarkson  was  present,  with  delegates 
from  America,  and  other  parts  of  the  world.  I  returned 
after  making  various  sketches,  and  put  in  an  oil  one. 

"  13^.  —  I  breakfasted  with  Clarkson,  and  sketched 
him  and  his  dear  grandson,  and  his  daughter,  as  the 
most  beautiful  of  the  group. 

"  John  Beaumont  said,  '  We  will  guarantee  thee  from 
loss  for  the  sketch.' 

"loth.  —  Breakfasted  with  Clarkson,  and  made 
another  and  a  more  aged  sketch,  though  a  friend  said 
of  the  other,  '  It  had  an  indignant  humanity.'  I  said, 
'  Mr.  Clarkson,  those  who  have  a  great  national  object 
should  be  virtuous,  and  see  God  daily,  "  enduring,  as 
seeing  one  who  is  invisible." '  e  They  should  indeed,' 
said  Clarkson,  '  it  supported  me  ;  I  have  worked  day  and 
night,  and  I  have  awoke  in  convulsions  after  reading 
the  evidence  of  the  horrors  of  the  slave  trade.'  '  Chris- 
tianity,' said  I,  '  is  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation.  It 
is  of  heart  and  internal  conviction,  not  of  evidence  and 
external  proof.'  '  Ah,' [said  Clarkson,  '  what  a  blessing 
is  the  religious  feeling.  The  natural  man  sees  flowers 
and  hears  birds,  and  is  pleased ;  the  religious  man  attri- 
butes all  to  God.' 

"  He  looks  like  a  man  whose  nerves  had  been  strained. 
I  said,  '  I  have  a  cause  at  my  heart,  though  not  of  so 


1840.]  ANTI-SLAVERY    CONVENTION.  155 

much  interest  to  mankind  as  yours.  I  hope  God  will 
bless  it.' 

"  From  him  I  went  to  the  committee,  and  arranged  for 
four  sitters  to-morrow,  and  then  returned  home  to  re- 
ceive Lord  Burghersh.  From  Poictiers  we  got  on  the 
Duke.  He  told  me  the  Duke  says,  '  They  blame  me 
for  having  a  defile  in  my  rear,  the  forest  of  Soignies. 
With  10,000  for  a  rear-guard  in  that  wood,  I  would 
have  defied  Buonaparte  or  any  army  on  earth.  If  they 
blame  me,  what  do  they  say  of  Buonaparte,  who  fought 
a  battle  with  three  defiles  in  his  rear,  which  were  the 
ruin  of  his  army  ? '  Capital  sense  !  The  three  defiles 
were  Charleroi,  Gemappes,  and  Quatre  Bras. 

"16th. — Went  to  the  slavery  convention  at  seven, 
and  drew  till  four;  — breakfasted  with  them. 

"\7th. — Went  to  the  convention  again  at  seven. 
Drew  till  four.  Made  fourteen  sketches  of  heads  in 
one  day  till  my  brain  got  dazzled.  I  have  made  thirty 
sketches  in  three  days.  Whilst  I  was  sketching  Mr. 
Scobell,  M.  Cordier,  the  French  avocat,  came  to  arrange. 
'  Monsieur,  est-il  necessaire  de  venir  dans  mes  regimentaux 
de  pair  de  France  ?  '  I  ought  to  have  said,  '  Oui,  vous 
n'avez  pas  emancipd  les  esclaves  ;  mais  les  rigimentaux  de 
■pair  de  France  Tiquivalent? 

"  Good  God  !  In  such  a  cause  to  think  of  his  costume 
as  a  '  pair  de  France.'  I  only  ask  you,  reader,  if  that 
fact  is  not  enough? 

"  The  other  Frenchman  (M.  Cremieux)  made  an  ap- 
pointment at  nine,  at  44.  Piccadilly.  I  drove  up  and 
he  was  out.  Down  came  Madame  in  her  dishabille. 
She  assured  me,  '  Que  monsieur  ttait  sorti  touchant  les 
affaires  les  plus  imporlantes  du  monde,  —  mais  a  dix 
heures,  monsieur,'  and  I  took  my  leave. 

"  17 th  to  20lh.  —  All  passed  sketching  heads  at  the 
convention.     I  did  fifty-two  in  five  days. 

"  25th.  — Colonel  Gurwood  sat  to  me  for  my  Water- 


156  MEMOIRS   OF   B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1840. 

loo  Gallery.  He  said  the  Duke  never  liked  solicitation 
for  others.  He  liked  every  man  to  speak  for  him- 
self. Gurwood  said  he  lived  two  years  in  the  same  house 
with  the  Duke ;  and  he  always  stated  whatever  he 
wanted  in  a  letter. 

"  The  Duke  complained  to  Gurwood  that  liberties 
were  taken  with  him.  He  said,  when  he  went  to  Court 
after  William  IV. 's  death,  the  Duke  of  Cambridge  said, 
'  Why*  Duke,  why  d'ye  have  your  hair  so  short  ?  ' 
Directly  after,  the  Duke  of  Sussex  said,  '  Why  you  are 
not  in  mourning,  Duke  ?  '  The  Duke  said  ( I  ordered 
black,  your  Royal  Highness.'  «  Ah,'  said  he,  '  it  is  not 
black.  It  is  what  the  French  call  tete-de-negre:  '  The 
Duke  of  Marlborough,'  said  the  Duke  to  Gurwood,' 
'  because  he  was  an  old  man,  was  treated  like  an  old 
woman.  1  won't  be.  And  the  reason  why  I  have  a 
right  never  to  have  a  liberty  taken  with  me,  is  because 
I  never  take  a  liberty  with  any  man.'  Colonel  Gurwood 
said  that  the  Duke,  although  he  had  known  Lord 
Fitzroy  Somerset  from  a  boy,  always  called  him  Lord 
Fitzroy. 

"  He  told  me  the  Duke  keeps  the  key  of  the  glass  of 
his  Correggio,  and  when  the  glass  is  foul,  dusts  it  himself 
with  his  handkerchief.  He  asked  him  once  for  this 
key,  and  he  replied,  '  No  I  won't.' 

'  He  asked  him  once  for  a  cloak  to  paint  from,  and 
he  refused,  saying  he  would  not  lend  his  clothes;— thus 
confirming  Wilkie,  Wyatt,  and  myself. 

'  Upon  the  whole  the  Duke  has  been  made  too  much 
of  at  the  wrong  period  of  his  life,  and  too  little  of  at  the 
fine  time.  He  fears  insult  at  every  breeze.  Because 
he  knows  himself  old,  he  fears  people  take  liberties  with 
him.      Poor  dear  old  man. 

"  Gurwood  said  he  told  him  he  gave  1000/.  a  year 
away  because  the  Government  would  not  put  the  de- 


1840.J  ABOLITIONISTS.  157 

mands  relating  to  his  TVardenship  of  the  Cinque  Ports 
on  the  estimates. 

"  Gurwood  said  that  in  the  year  when  Alexander's 
house  failed  the  Duke  gave  away  at  least  6000/.  One 
day  he  found  the  Duke  sealing  up  bank  notes,  and 
sending  off  envelope  after  envelope,  and  the  Duke  said  he 
ought  to  be  as  rich  as  Croesus,  and  have  mines  without 
end. 

"29th.  —  Lucretia  Mott,  the  leader  of  the  delegate 
women  from  America,  sat.  I  found  her  out  to  have 
infidel  notions,  and  resolved  at  once,  narrow-minded  or 
not,  not  to  give  her  the  prominent  place  I  first  intended. 
I  will  reserve  that  for  a  beautiful  believer  in  the  Divinity 
of  Christ. 

"  30th.  —  Scobell  called.  I  said,  c  I  shall  place  you, 
Thompson,  and  the  negro  together.'  Now  an  aboli- 
tionist on  thorough  principle  would  have  gloried  in 
being  so  placed.  This  was  the  touchstone.  He  sophis- 
ticated immediately  on  the  propriety  of  placing  the 
negro  in  the  distance,  as  it  would  have  much  greater 
effect. 

"  Now  I,  who  have  never  troubled  myself  in  this 
cause,  gloried  in  the  imagination  of  placing  the  negro 
close  by  his  emancipator.  The  emancipator  shrank. 
I'll  do  it  though.     If  I  do  not,  d- — —  me. 

"  Scobell  is  a  fine  fellow,  but  he  and  Tredgold  felt  a 
little  touched  at  the  idea.  If  he  has  suffered  for  the 
cause,  why  object  ? 

"Lloyd  Garrison  comes  to-day.  I'll  try  him,  and 
this  shall  be  my  method  of  ascertaining  the  real  heart. 

"  Garrison  sat  and  I  succeeded,  and  hit  him.  I 
asked  him,  and  he  met  me  at  once  directly.  George 
Thompson  said  he  saw  no  objection.  But  that  was  not 
enough.  A  man  who  wishes  to  place  the  negro  on  a 
level  must  no  longer  regard  him  as  having  been  a  slave 
and  feel  annoyed  at  sitting  by  his  side. 


158  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  IIAYDON.  [1840. 

"■July  3rd. —  Put  in  the  negro's  head,  and  the  head 
of  delegate  from  Hayti.  Sketched  Lady  Byron  and 
Lucretia  Mott. 

"  With  Lady  Byron  I  was  deeply  interested.  There 
is  a  lambent  sorrow  about  her,  bland  and  touching, 
but  she  was  no  more  fit  for  him  than  a  dove  for  a 
volcano.  Poor  Lady  Byron  !  She  looks  as  if  she  saw 
an  inward  sorrow.  Perhaps  his  sublime  head  is  always 
haunting  her  imagination,  like  the  '  Dira  facies '  in 
Virgil.  ' 

"  \±tli. —  Put  in  Lady  Byron.  She  brought  Mrs. 
Jameson  and  wished  me  to  show  her  the  drawings.  I 
was  anxious  to  do  the  head  first,  which  was  thoughtless. 
Mrs.  Jameson  seemed  annoyed,  and  found  fault  with 
the  head.  I  thought  I  saw  Lady  Byron  look  knowing 
at  Mrs.  Jameson.  I  said,  'Come,  don't  look  criticism,' 
which  annoyed  her  more.  She  took  her  leave,  and 
thus  with  the  most  earnest  desire  to  please  her,  I  dis- 
pleased her.  Lady  Byron  was  fidgety,  I  got  fidgety, 
and  the  head  turned  out  bad.  Made  a  drawing  of 
Garrison  for  the  Duchess  of  Sutherland,  and  sketched 
Miss  Knight. 

"  19th.  —  Hard  at  work  and  well  advanced.  The 
Americans  are  intruding  and  inquisitive.  I  have  great 
trouble  to  parry  them,  except  Garrison.  Garrison  sat 
to-day  after  calling  and  seeing  the  Duchess  of  Suther- 
land with  whom  he  was  delighted.  Household  and 
Duchess  bewildered  his  republican  faculties. 

"10th. —  Very  hard  at  work.  How  delightful  it  is 
to  have  health,  employers,  and  to  work  hard.  I  hope 
Hume  won't  bother  me  about  the  Academy  question. 
If  he  do,  I  will  not  be  distracted.  O  God,  for  Thy 
mercies  accept  my  gratitude  from  my  heart. 

eellth.  —  Hard  at  work,  and  succeeded  in  Gurney's 
head.      I  perfectly  agree  that  such  a  number  of  honest 


1840.]    THE  ANTI-SLAVERY  CONVENTION  PICTURE.    159 

heads  were  never  seen  before.      So  said  the  Duchess  of 
Sutherland,  and  so  say  I. 

"  \4th. —  Hard  at  work.  Birney  and  Alexander, 
both  fine  heads,  all  good  hearts.  Birney  said  negro 
children  are  equal  to  whites  till  seven,  when,  perceiving 
the  degradation  of  their  parents,  they  felt  degraded  and 
cowed.  Dreadful.  Birney  had  discharged  all  his  own 
slaves.  These  delegates  are  extraordinary  men  in  head, 
feature  and  principle. 

"31st. —  Worked  hard  after  I  began,  but  did  not  set 
my  palette  till  after  breakfast ;  did  not  begin  till  twelve. 
Read  Bubens's  life  by  Waagen. 

"  Amelia  Opie  sat,  and  a  very  pleasant  hour  and  a 
half  we  had.     Mr.  Burritt,  a  keen  clever  fellow,  sat  too. 

"  Only  one  day's  rest  since  the  12th  June. 

"August  1st. —  Battle  of  the  Nile,  forty-two  years 


ago. 


"  Amelia  Opie  sat,  —  a  delightful  creature  :  — she  told 
me  she  heard  Fuseli  say  of  Northcote,  '  He  looks  like  a 
rat  who  has  seen  a  cat.' 

"22d. —  Excessively  and  gloriously  hard  at  work. 
Finished  a  head,  hand,  and  figure  in  two  clays. 

"  Nothing  astonishes  me  so  much  as  my  rapidity  with 
this  picture ;  it  is  truly  the  result  of  all  my  previous 
fagging  for  years. 

"28th.  —  Saw  the  three  Giustiniani  Caracci  to-dav. 
I  was  much  struck  by  them,  though  it  is  extraordinary 
how  little  they  understood  the  nature  of  Christ's  cha- 
racter and  expression.  The  idea  of  giving  Christ  such 
a  skull  is  dreadful;  none  of  the  Italian  painters  except 
llaffaele  had  any  notion  of  the  right  phrenological  de- 
velopement  for  such  a  being.  But  they  are  carefully 
executed,  and  very  proper  examples  for  young  men. 
They  ought  to  be  bought;  but  I  prefer,  in  my  Widow's 
Son,  my  conception  of  the  mother  falling  on  the  neck  of 
her  boy,  and  forgetting  Christ  in  her  maternal  feelings. 


160  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  II A  YD  ON".  [1840. 

"I  am  quite  convinced  the  art  of  painting  for  great 
distance  is  curious. 

"  Domenicliino's  St.  Cecilia,  near,  is  preposterous ; 
afar  off,  it  is  the  thing,  and  the  manner  of  painting  is 
expressly  like  Correggio's  ceilings,  —  holes  for  eyes, 
holes  for  nosti'ils,  holes  for  all  the  dark  parts  of  the 
features. 

"  September  4:th,  — Hard  at  work,  and  heard  from 
dear  Wordsworth,  with  a  glorious  sonnet  on  the  Duke 
and  Copenhagen.  It  is  very  fine,  so  I  began  a  new 
journal  directly,  and  put  in  the  sonnet.     God  bless  him. 

"  '  My  dear  Haydon, 
" '  We  are  all  charmed  with  your  etching.  It  is  both 
poetically  and  pictorially  conceived  and  finely  executed.  I 
should  have  written  immediately  to  thank  you  for  it  and  for 
your  letter  and  the  enclosed  one,  which  is  interesting,  but  I 
wished  to  gratify  you  by  writing  a  sonnet.  I  now  send  it, 
but  with  an  earnest  request  that  it  may  not  be  put  into  cir- 
culation for  some  little  time,  as  it  is  warm  from  the  brain, 
and  may  require,  in  consequence,  some  little  retouching.  It 
has  this,  at  least,  remarkable  attached  to  it, — which  will  add 
to  its  value  in  your  eyes, — that  it  was  actually  composed 
while  I  was  climbing  Helvellyn  last  Monday.  My  daughter 
and  Mr.  Quillinan  were  with  me ;  and  she,  which  I  believe 
had  scarcely  ever  been  done  before,  rode  every  inch  of  the 
way  to  the  summit,  and  a  magnificent  day  we  had. 

"  Sonnet  suggested   by   Hat/don's  Picture   of  the  Duke  of 
Wellington   tipon  the  Field  of  Waterloo  Twenty   Fears 
-    after  the  Battle. 

"  First  reading,  — 

"'By  art's  bold  privilege,  warrior  and  war-horse  stand 
On  ground  yet  strewn  with  their  last  battle's  wreck. 
Let  the  steed  glory,  while  his  master's  hand 
Lies,  fixed  for  ages,  on  his  conscious  neck. 
But,  by  the  chieftain's  look,  tho'  at  his  side 
Hangs  that  clay's  treasured  sword,  how  firm  a  check 


1840.]       SONNET  ON  TEE  PICTURE  OF  THE  DUKE.      161 

Is  given  to  triumph,  and  all  human  pride ! 
Yon  trophied  mound  shrinks  to  a  shadowy  speck 
In  his  calm  presence.     Since  the  mighty  deed 
Him  years  have  brought  far  nearer  the  grave's  rest, 
As  shows  that  face  time-worn.     But  he  such  seed 
Has  sowed  that  bears,  we  trust,  the  fruit  of  fame 
In  heaven ;  hence  no  one  blushes  for  thy  name, 
Conqueror !  'mid  some  sad  thoughts  divinely  blest.'' 

"  Composed  while  ascending  Helvellyn,  Monday,  August  31st,  1840. 

"  Wm.  Wordsworth. 
"  My  dear  Mr.  Haydon, 

"  Correct  thus  the  two  last  line3  towards  the  close  of  the 
sonnet — 

"'As  shows  that  time-worn  face.     But  he  such  seed 
Hath  sown,  as  yields,  we  trust,  the  fruit  of  fame 
In  heaven,'  &c> 

"  You  will  see  the  reason  of  this  alteration.  It  applies 
now  to  his  life  in  general,  and  not  to  that  particular  act  as 
before.  You  may  print  the  sonnet  where  and  when  you 
will,  if  you  think  it  will  serve  you ;  only  it  may  be  well  that 
I  should  hear  from  you  first,  as  you  may  have  something  to 
suggest  either  as  to  the  letter  or  the  lines. 

"  Yours  in  haste, 

"  Wm.  Wordsworth. 

"  Friday,  Sept.  4th." 

"  I  am  quite  ashamed  to  trouble  you  again,  but  after  con- 
sidering and  reconsidering,  changing  and  rechanging,  it  has 
been  resolved  that  the  troublesome  passage  shall  stand 
thus : — 

"'In  his  calm  presence.     Him  the  mighty  deed 
Elates  not,  brought  far  nearer  the  grave's  rest, 
As  shows  that  time-worn  face.     But*  he  such  seed 
Hath  sown  as  yields,  we  trust,'  &c. 

"  Faithfully  yours, 

"  W.  Wordsworth. 
"  Rydal  Mount, 
"  Monday,  Sept.  7th,  1840." 

*  "For,"  in  printed  version  of  the  sonnet. —  Ed. 
VOL.  III.  *M 


162  MEMOIRS   OF    B.  E.  HAYDON.  |~1840. 

"  My  dear  Haydon, 
"  I  could  not  otherwise  get  rid  of  the  prosaic  declaration 
of  the  matter  of  fact  that  the  hero  was  so  much  older.     You 
will  recollect  that  it  at  first  stood, 

" '  Since  the  mighty  deed 
Him  years,'  &c. 

"  I  know  not  what  to  do  with  the  passage  if  it  be  not  well 
corrected  as  follows: 

"  '  Him  the  mighty  deed 
Elates  not :  neither  doth  a  cloud  find  rest 
Upon  that  time-worn  face:  for  he  such  seed 
Hath  sown,'  &c. 

"  I  sent  the  sonnet  as  it  was  before  corrected  to  Mr. 
Lowndes,  as  you  desired.  When  you  print  it,  if  it  be  in 
course  of  next  week,  pray  send  a  copy  to  this  house  and 
another  to  me  at  Lowther  Castle,  whither  I  am  going  to- 
morrow. 

"Very  faithfully  yours, 

"  Win.  Wordsworth. 

"  Rydal  Mount, 
"  Sept.  11th.* 

"  The  space  for  alteration  in  this  troublesome  passage,  you 
will  observe,  was  very  confined,  as  it  was  necessary  to  advert 
to  the  Duke  being  much  older,  which  is  yet  done  in  the 
words  '  time-worn  face,'  but  not  so  strongly  as  before. 

"  W.  W." 

These  successive  corrections,  showing  the  poet's  ar- 
tistlike reverence  for  his  work,  suggest  to  Play  don  the 
remark  that  he  seems  anxious  to  make  the  sonnet  worthy 
of  himself,  the  Duke  and  the  painter  (this  last  followed 
by  a  "  hem  ! "  of  mock -humility). 

All  this  while  he  was  working  away  at  the  Anti- 
Slavery  Convention  picture.  I  find  among  the  heads 
painted  those  of  Knibb,  Turnbull,  Moorsom,  Sir  Eardly 
Wilmot,   Dr.  Lushington   and  a  Mr.  Crewdson,  who 

*  For  an  intermediate  letter  of  the    10th  of  September,    see 
Note  at  the  end  of  the  Memoirs. 


184U.]  ON    THE    ANTI-SLAVERY    PICTURE.  163 

came  from  Birmingham  to  sit  three  hours  and  go  back 
the  same  day. 

On  the  ]  Oth  of  October,  the  anniversary  of  his  wed- 
ding day,  he  writes : — "  Nineteen  years  this  day  I  have 
been  married,  and  I  love  my  dear  Mary  better  than  ever. 
She  has  had  great  trouble  and  affliction,  and  I  fear  her 
health  is  now  suffering.  She  has  been  to  me  a  solace, 
a  blessing,  a  salvation. 

"  I  hope  God  will  restore  her  to  health,  that  we  may 
both  descend  to  the  grave  together,  —  that  we  may  see 
our  children  married  and  settled,  and  that  we  may  keep 
our  intellects  and  eyes  to  the  last  moment  of  life.   Amen. 

"22nd. — The  Theseus  and  Fates  are  the  true  errand 
style ;   the  Moses  of  Michel  Angelo,  the  Gog  style. 

"  24th.  —  I  worked  yesterday  from  half-past  seven 
till  ten  at  night :  with  half  an  hour  at  lunch,  two  hours' 
reading,  five  to  seven,  including  dinner  —  fifteen  hours  ; 
in  re  dity,  I  had  but  half  an  hour's  rest,  for  I  never  am 
more  than  ten  minutes  or  a  quarter  of  an  hour  dining. 
I  then  read  while  dear  Mary  finishes,  because  it  makes 
her  ill  to  eat,  as  I  do,  at  a  gallop.  Had  my  eyes  lasted 
I  could  have  gone  on  all  night. 

"November  3rd.—  I  saw  to-day  at  the  Duke  of  Suthe  - 
land's  the  original  sketch  for  the  crowning  of  Mary  of 
Medici,  —  the  first  thought  before  the  introduction  of 
the  Genii,  and  side  group  above  the  heads  of  the  prin- 
cesses. This  shows  the  complete  progress  of  the  con- 
ception. 

"  5th.  — A  sixth  part  of  the  month  gone.  Two  days' 
work;  two  idle.  Worked  hard,  and  was  perpetually  in- 
terrupted, but  stuck  at  it.     Nothing  but  visitors;  M 

called,  fresh  from  Mehemet  Ali.  He  told  me  Mehe- 
met  Ali  could  not  get  sleep,  and  would  soon  go.  He 
said  the  French  ships  were  ill  manned,  and  could  not 
stand  before  ours,  which  delighted  my  soul.      He  spoke 

disrespectfully  of  Cremieux.      M is  of  that  Colonia 

m  2 


164:  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  IIAYDON.  [1S40, 

Office  class  ready  to  go  anywhere,  in  any  way.  What 
a  peculiar  class  they  are  !  I  never  go  clown  near  the 
Colonial  Office  but  I  meet  anxious  cadaverous  faces 
fresh  from  the  secretary's  writing  room, —  victims  pre- 
paring for  the  Cape,  Sierra  Leone,  Cuba,  —  West  or 
East,  North  or  South,  —  not  happy  at  home,  not  happy 
abroad, — carrying  English  notions  into  military  govern- 
ments, —  provoking  governors,  —  exasperating  colonial 
notions, — sent  home, — sent  out,  and  dying  at  last  to  the 
great  relief  of  Lord  John,  or  Lord  Dick,  or  whoever 
happens  to  be  the  bored. 

"9th.  —  Awoke  with  39/.  to  pay,  and  only  eight  sove- 
reigns in  my  snuff-box,  where  I  keep  my  money,  never 
taking  snuff.  I  trusted  and  prayed.  Before  twelve  I 
received  20/.;  then  15/.  15s.  more  on  a  commission  from 
Sir  John  Hanmer,  and  47.  4s.  came  by  post  from  Bath, 
for  a  proof  after  letters,  making  up  the  money. 

"  10th.  —  Had  my  picture  extended  on  a  new  frame. 
As  I  walked  along  the  streets  to-day,  and  saw  the 
general  effect  of  objects,  I  could  not  help  reflecting, 
how  Art  was  true  Art  only  when  the  leading  objects 
were  chosen. 

"  Supposing  all  nature  open  to  us  instead  of  the 
general  effect  only,  we  should  not,  and  could  not,  bear 
existence ;  but  Providence  has  wisely  adapted  our  eyes 
to  see  nothing  but  what  is  necessary  for  comprehension 
and  the  purposes  of  life.  Could  we  perceive  we  breathed 
nothing  but  animalcule,  drank  snaky  monsters  in  the 
purest  water,  and  eat  living  masses  in  the  freshest  flesh, 
life  would  be  insufferable :  but  see  how  wisely  our 
powers  of  vision  are  limited.  We  see  and  recognise 
objects  by  the  leading  characteristics.  The  great  painter 
does  the  same.  And  you  recognise  the  nature  of  the 
things  he  paints  on  such  principles  better  than  if  he  laid 
pen  pores,  hairs,  dimples,  pimples  and  wrinkles. 

13th. — Rubbed  in  a  Napoleon  for  Sir  John  Hanmer, 


a 


1840.]       SOLOMON  AFTER  TWENTY-SEVEN  YEARS.        165 

and  worked  at  the  Anti-Slavery  picture.  Their  bring- 
ing me  thirty-one  heads  more,  after  arranging  for  one 
hundred  and  three,  is  rather  a  joke ;  but  if  they  like, 
they  shall  have  heads  all  over,  like  a  peacock's  tail. 

"  17 th. —  Looked  at,  cleaned  and  put  in  order  the 
Solomon.  It  has  now  been  painted  twenty- seven  years. 
It  has  lately  been  in  a  warehouse  where  there  was  no 
fire,  and  the  damp  had  seized  on  the  robe  and  the  crown 
on  his  head. 

"  The  drapery  was  painted  in  oil  luckily,  but  being 
lake,  an  animal  substance,  the  damp  had  fixed  on  and 
mildewed  it ;  so  on  the  crown,  painted  in  Indian  yellow, 
a  vegetable.  All  the  rest  of  the  picture  being  in  earths 
or  minerals  was  not  in  the  least  affected,  and  Solomon's 
face  was  quite  pure  in  the  midst  of  the  mildew.  Had 
the  drapery  been  painted  in  gum  or  rosin,  the  whole 
would  have  run  or  dissolved. 

"  In  looking  again,  after  a  long  absence,  at  this  won- 
derful picture,  painted  at  twenty-six  and  twenty-seven, 
and  brought  out  at  twenty-eight,  I  candidly  acknow- 
ledge I  am  astonished.  Turner  said  to  a  friend,  '  Tell 
Haydon  I  am  astonished  ; '  and  so  he  well  might  be. 
Taking  into  account  all  my  difficulties,  necessities,  want 
of  instruction  from  any  master,  my  youth  and  the  fact 
that  I  had  only  painted  three  pictures  before,  when  I 
look  at  the  execution,  the  manner  and  firmness  of  the 
touch,  I  no  longer  wonder  at  the  uproar  it  made  at  its 
appearance.  Good  God  !  Ought  I  to  fear  comparison 
of  it  with  the  Duke  of  Sutherland's  Murillo  or  any 
other  picture?  Certainly  not.  But  I  want  humility, 
and  it  pleases  God  to  humble  my  mind  by  neglect  and 
obscurity  and  so  fit  me  for  another  world.  His  will  be 
done.  In  Him  I  trust,  with  all  my  heart  and  soul,  and 
know  it  will  please  Him  one  day,  that  when  I  am  dead 
it  shall  have  fair  play  for  the  honour  of  my  country.  I 
await  in  patience  and  submit.      Amen. 

M    3 


166  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1840. 

"  23rd.  —  Gave  my  first  lecture  at  Birmingham.  — 

Genteelly  but  not  numerously  attended,  and  coldly 
welcomed.  In  fact,  no  welcome  at  all.  I  was  perfectly 
cool,  and  at  last  warmed  them  up,  and  made  my  bow 
amidst  hearty  applause. 

"  2-ith. —  Dined  at  dear,  honest  John  Sturge's,  and 
spent  a  very  pleasant  evening.  They  were  all  teeto- 
tallers except  me  and  John  Sturge.  We  took  a  glass  of 
sherry  together;  and  after  dinner,  with  fruit  as  usual, 
we  chatted  away  so  pleasantly,  and  the  Quakers  seemed 
to  enjoy  my  stories  so  heartily,  that  in  spite  of  their 
gravity  they  burst  into  roars  of  laughter.  I  could  not 
have  believed  so  pleasant  a  dessert  could  have  passed 
without  a  glass  of  port.  At  the  conclusion  I  took  one 
glass,  and  that  was  all.  How  completely  it  is  habit ; 
but  I  felt  weak  on  arriving  home,  and  ordered  my  negus. 
I  have  no  time  to  feel  weak.  If  I  was  sure  the  feeling 
wrould  go  off  I  would  try  abstinence,  but  I  fear  the 
weakness  of  my  eyes  proceeds  from  scrofula,  and  alcohol 
is  a  necessary  stimulus. 

"  25th  to  30th. — Lecturing  and  visiting  manufactories. 
If  ever  any  town  needed  a  School  of  Design,  and  if  there 
is  one  where  it  would  be  more  useful  than  another,  it  is 
Birmingham." 

From  Birmingham  he  proceeded  to  Liverpool,  where 
his  lectures  were  again  attended  by  large  and  enthu- 
siastic audiences. 

The  diplomatic  out~generalling  of  the  French  by  the 
Foreign  Secretary  in  the  Eastern  entanglement  this 
year  delighted  Haydon  so,  that  he  expressed  his  satis- 
faction in  a  long  letter  to  Lord  Palmerston,  remarking, 
however,  "  The  two  great  pivots  of  Whig  policy  were 
friendship  with  France  and  toleration  of  the  Catholics. 
I  disbelieve  the  character  of  the  one  and  the  instinct  of 
the  other.  In  the  friendship  with  France  they  have 
been  proved  wrong,  and  so  they  will  in  their  reliance  on 
the  changed  character  of  Catholics." 


1841. j  REVIEW    OF    1840.  167 

At  the  close  of  the  year  he  was  at  Manchester,  whence 
he  dates  his  usual  summary  of  the  twelvemonth. 

"  December  ?>\st. — The  last  day  of  1840.  A  year  to 
me  of  great  blessings,  with  bitter  sorrow,  because  my 
dearest  Mary,  with  her  noble  heart,  tender  nature  and 
devoted  love,  has  been  prostrated  in  health.  How  grate- 
ful we  ought  to  be  that  our  daughter  has  been  well  and 
soundly  educated,  that  our  eldest  youth  is  good  and  in- 
nocent, and  our  youngest  boy  unstained  and  religious, 
and  that  my  step-son,  Hyman,  has  ample  provision  by 
his  classical  talents  and  application  at  Wadham.  In 
concluding  the  year  I  have  indeed  great  mercies  to  be 
grateful  for. 

"  "With  respect  to  the  prospects  of  Art,  my  lectures 
continue  to  excite  as  much  attention  as  ever.  Fresh 
engagements  pour  in,  and  wherever  I  go  the  same 
enthusiasm  is  roused. 

"  I  have  lectured  on  the  naked  model  in  London,  in 
Edinburgh  and  Manchester,  and  lately  had  wrestlers  to 
struggle  before  1,500  people  at  Liverpool,  with  immense 
approbation.  Fifty  years  ago  such  a  thing  would  not 
have  been  possible.  It  is  said  Cornelius  is  coming  to 
adorn  the  Lords.  I  shall  feel  it  if  I  am  not  selected 
after  what  has  passed  with  the  Duke  and  Lord  Mel- 
bourne and  Mr.  Canning.  But  I  am  become  a  thorough 
Christian  ;  and  if  this  darling  object  of  a  long  life  be 
missed  I  shall  consider  it  a  proper  check  to  my  pride, 
and  bow  my  head  in  submission.  Let  the  will  of  my 
Creator  be  done.  I  shall  not  the  less  continue  to  do  my 
duty  to  advance  the  taste  of  my  country." 

1841. 

During  this  year  he  brought  his  picture  of  the  Anti- 
Slavery  Convention  to  an  end  and  exhibited  it  without 
much  success.     His  lectures,  too,  went  on,  and  sufficed, 

m  4 


168  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  K.  nAYDON.  [l84l. 

with  his  commissions  from  Sir  John  Hanmer  and  Mr. 
Rogers,  to  keep  him  free  from  any  great  pecuniary- 
harass. 

This  year,  too,  the  Fine  Arts  Committee  for  the  de- 
coration of  the  New  Houses  of  Parliament  sat  and  exa- 
mined witnesses ;  but  Haydon  was  not  summoned.  He 
felt  this  severely,  and  it  gave  him,  as  it  were,  a  presenti- 
ment of  what  was  to  follow  on  the  appointment  of  the 
Fine  Arts  Commission.  He  set  about  experiments  in 
fresco,  trying  all  the  while  to  make  up  his  mind  before- 
hand that  he  was  not  to  be  allowed  to  reap  of  the  harvest 
which  he  had  certainly  done  more  than  any  of  his 
brethren  to  sow.  But  it  was  hardly  in  human  nature, 
certainly  it  was  not  in  Haydon's,  to  console  himself  for 
the  exclusion  he  foresaw,  by  the  thought  that  at  last  the 
public  claims  of  Art  were  recognised.  A  still  severer 
blow  this  year  was  the  death  of  David  Wilkie,  to  whom, 
notwithstanding  their  complete  antagonism  of  tempera- 
ment, Haydon  was  warmly  attached.  When  the  year 
opened  he  was  concluding  his  lectures  at  Liverpool. 

"  January  1st.  —  Lectured  at  the  Royal  Institution, 
and  took  my  leave.  Congratulated  them  on  the  success 
of  the  School  of  Design.  The  advance  is  extraordinary, 
and  yet  the  prejudices  in  the  manufacturers  and  society 
are  not  yet  got  rid  of.  Families  reject  drawing-masters 
because  they,  to  improve  themselves,  attend  the  school ; 
whereas  they  ought  to  employ  no  drawing-master  who 
does  not. 

"  2nd. —  AiTived  at  Sheffield  by  coach,  and  was  more 
tired  with  this  paltry  forty  miles  than  the  thousand  I 
have  travelled  by  rail.  But  I  saw  the  country,  which  is 
peculiarly  Scotch  and  romantic  after  Staley  Bridge. 

"  4th.  —  Heavy  snow.  The  air  is  sharp  and  cutting 
at  Sheffield.  No  wonder  they  are  celebrated  for  knives. 
Lectured,  but  the  audience  the  dullest  I  ever  knew. 

"  5th. — Dined  at  Manchester  with  Turner,  a  pupil 


1841.]  SKETCHING    o'CONNELL.  169 

of  Sir  Astley  Cooper.  Cooper  told  him  he  had  retired ; 
but  after  two  months,  being  miserable,  he  asked  himself, 
'  What  do  I  like  best  in  the  world  ?'  '  My  profession/ 
was  the  answer.  '  Then,'  said  he,  '  why  the  deuce 
should  I  leave  off  that  employment  which  gives  me  the 
greatest  delight  ? '  and  so  he  returned  to  practice. 

"  6th.  —  Lectured  again.  Audience  impressed,  but 
dull.  I  told  them  I  had  seen  no  casts  in  Sheffield,  and 
they  looked  at  each  other." 

On  his  return  to  town  he  resumed  work  on  his  Anti- 
Slavery  picture, — new  heads  presenting  themselves  every 
day,  until  at  last  the  picture  threatened  to  become 
nothing  but  heads,  without  room  for  bodies. 

"February  2nd. — Worked  fairly,  after  being  out  again 
in  the  morning  on  money  matters.  My  dear  landlord 
helped  me  as  usual.  What  should  I  do  without  him  ? 
I  have  no  right  to  complain  of  my  employers,  but  they 
should  prevent  my  losing  my  time  about  trifles  when 
100/.  would  clear  me, 

"  3rd.  —  If  Providence  always  interfered  free-will 
would  be  over.  But  if  required,  or  prayed  to,  He 
always  interferes.  If  asked,  He  grants  ;  if  you  knock, 
He  opens,  and  He  punishes.  But  He  lets  men  act  and 
often  whispers  to  save  them.  Would  men  could  all 
believe  this  as  /do. 

"  9th.  —  Sketched  O'Connell.  I  came  at  ten  and  he 
was  asleep.  I  went  at  eleven  and  he  came  out  as  usual 
—  rolling  and  good-natured.  I  went  up  to  his  breakfast 
room  ;  as  he  read  his  letters  I  sketched  him.  He  then 
sat  regularly,  and  when  I  said  I  was  sorry  to  keep  him 
so  long,  he  said,  '  I  have  used  you  so  ill  by  lying  a-bed, 
my  conscience  obliges  me  to  give  you  a  good  sitting.' 
We  talked  of  the  Catholics  and  Protestants.  He  said, 
'  If  you  apply  to  a  man's  reason,  you  only  apply  to 
half  of  him,  and  the  smallest  half.' 

"  '  You  English,'  said  he,  '  don't  know  what  is  going 


170  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  T1840. 

on  in  Ireland.  Repeal  will  triumph.'  He  is  grown 
older,  considerably,  but  there  is  in  his  look  inexpressible 
good-nature.  He  told  me  he  sat  to  Wilkie  for  his 
portrait,  at  the  same  time  as  the  Duke,  and  he  said  such 
was  the  Duke's  determination  to  be  in  proper  costume, 
that  he  used  to  come  for  the  Queen's  picture  of  her  First 
Council,  to  Kensington,  in  the  coldest  weather,  in  white 
duck  trowsers. 

"  Felt  unhappy  in  bed  at  my  approaching  diffi- 
culties. Just  like  the  Jews,  mistrusting  my  good 
Creator  who  had  delivered  me  so  often.  I  fell  asleep, 
and  awoke  about  three.  Something  whispered  me, 
'  How  can  you  despond  ?  Did  I  not  support  thee  in 
early  life  ?  Did  I  not  say  to  thee  "  Fear  not,  I  am  with 
thee  ?  Be  not  dismayed,  for  I  am  thy  God  ! "  I  replied 
'  Thou  didst ;  I  will  despond  no  more.'  My  low  spirits 
went.  I  arose  confiding,  and  by  post  came  a  remittance 
from  Sir  John  Hanmer,  which  prevented  my  being 
penniless,  after  matriculating  my  dear  Frank  at  Cains. 
— Gratitude  —  gratitude  —  gratitude  !  '  Knock  and  it 
shall  be  opened ;  ask  and  ye  shall  have.'     Amen." 

The  most  interesting  circumstance  in  connection  with 
the  Anti- slavery  Convention  picture  was  the  visit  the 
painter  paid  to  the  venerable  Thomas  Clarkson,  at 
Playford  Hall. 

"  April  8th.  —  Left  town  on  the  6th  by  steam:  ar- 
rived at  Ipswich  at  seven,  and  found  Clarkson's  car- 
riage waiting.  Got  to  Playford  Hall  at  eight.  Found 
the  dear  old  man  at  tea  with  his  niece  and  wife,  looking 
much  better  than  when  in  town.  Playford  is  a  fine  old 
building:  1593  the  last  date,  but  must  be  much  older, 
they  say.  It  is  surrounded  by  a  moat  with  running 
water.  Clarkson  has  a  head  like  a  patriarch,  and  in  his 
prime  must  have  been  a  noble  figure.  He  was  very 
happy  to  see  me,  but  there  is  a  nervous  irritability  which 
is  peculiar.  He  lives  too  much  with  adorers,  especially 
women. 


1841.]      WITH  THOMAS  CLARKSON  AT  PLAYFORD.       171 

"  As  he  seemed  impatient  at  my  staying  beyond  a 
certain  time  I  went  to  bed,  and  wished  him  cjood  night. 
I  slept  well,  and  the  next  morning  walked  in  the  garden 
and  fields.  He  breakfasted  on  milk  and  bread  (alone), 
and  I  breakfasted  with  Mrs.  T.  Clarkson  up  stall's.  I 
promised  to  sketch  him  at  ten,  and  at  ten  I  was  ready. 

"  He  seemed  much  pleased  by  a  letter  from  Guizot, 
wherein  he  had  said  Soult  and  he  meant  to  bring  in 
Abolition  next  year.  Dear  old  man !  no  praise  seemed 
lost  on  him.  He  wanted  to  show  me  other  letters, 
which  I  had  not  time  to  read. 

"  When  all  was  ready, —  the  windows  fitted,  he  said. 
'  Call  in  the  maids.'  In  came  six  servant  girls,  and 
washerwomen  (it  being  washing  day).  '  I  am  determined 
they  shall  see  the  first  stroke.'  In  they  all  crowded, 
timidly  wondering.  Clarkson  said,  '  There  now,  that  is 
the  first  stroke ;  come  again  in  an  hour,  and  you  shall 
see  the  last !' 

"  We  now  began  to  talk :  he  said,  '  When  Chris- 
tophe's  wife  and  daughters,  all  accomplished  women, 
were  brought  or  introduced  by  him  to  Wilberforce, 
and  others  in  high  life,  there  was  a  sort  of  shrink  at  ad- 
mitting them  into  society.'  I  told  him  I  believed  it, 
because  when  I  resolved  to  place  the  African  in  front 
of  the  picture  on  the  same  level  as  the  Europeans  there 
was  the  same  delicacy,  but  I  got  him  and  put  him  in  at 
once.      Shame  prevented  remonstrance. 

"  Clarkson  showed  no  envy.  He  spoke  of  Granville 
Sharpe  and  Wilberfcrce  with  affection  and  respect; 
'  But,'  said  the  patriarch,  'they  thought  of  the  slave,  I  of 
the  slave  traded     I  admired  this  distinction. 

"  I  think  Clarkson's  intellects  are  unimpaired,  and 
shine  through  his  infirmities.  He  told  the  whole  story 
of  his  vision.  He  said  he  was  sleeping  when  a  voice 
awoke  him,  and  he  heard  distinctly  the  words,  '  You 
have  not   done   all   your   work.     There   is    America.' 


172  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDOX.  ['S4I. 

Clarkson  said  it  was  vivid.  He  sat  upright  in  his  bed ; 
he  listened  and  heard  no  more.  Then  the  whole  subject 
of  his  last  pamphlet  came  to  his  mind.  Texts  without 
end  crowded  in,  and  he  got  up  in  the  morning,  and  began 
it,  and  worked  eight  hours  a  day  till  it  was  done, — 
till  he  hoped  he  had  not  left  the  Americans  a  leg  to 
stand  on. 

"  Now  come  the  causes  of  this  belief.  There  is  no 
doubt  all  men  who  devote  their  lives  from  boyhood  to  a 
great  cause  have  the  impression  of  being  called  or  led 
by  the  Deity.  Does  this  impression  come  from  the 
mere  physical  exercise  of  the  brain  in  one  direction,  so 
that  imagination  is  excited,  or  does  perpetual  solitude 
engender  the  notion  that  what  is  merely  imagined  is 
actual  ?  Clarkson  says  he  was  sleeping.  Might  he  not 
have  dreamt  strongly  ?  He  heard  a  voice,  and  sat  up- 
right, neither  asleep  nor  awake,  and  still  heard  the 
imagined  sounds  of  the  dream  before  his  reason  returned 
with  his  waking.  This  is  the  physical  explanation,  and 
is  always  more  gratifying  to  the  world  than  the  suppo- 
sition that  any  being  is  so  favoured  by  God  as  to  be 
called  and  selected.  On  the  other  hand,  Clarkson  has 
evidently  been  a  great  instrument  for  the  abolition  of  a 
great  curse.  A  whole  species  who  have  suffered  for 
centuries  have  by  his  exertions,  and  those  of  others,  been 
advanced  in  the  scale  of  human  beings,  to  liberty  and 
protection.  Is  such  a  cause  unworthy  the  interference  of 
the  Deity  ?  If  not,  is  it  improbable  he  would  select  for 
such  a  benevolent  purpose  a  human  being  as  his  instru- 
ment ?  The  men  who  do  these  great  things  universally 
have  the  impression  they  are  so  impelled.  For  instance, 
Columbus  believed  he  heard  a  voice  in  the  storm,  en- 
couraging him  to  persevere.  Socrates  believed  in  his 
attendant  spirit ;  and,  if  it  be  allowed  to  refer  to  Christ, 
the  Saviour  always  talked  as  of  an  immediate  communi- 
cation.    I  myself  have  believed  in  such  impressions  all 


1841.]    ON    THE    INSPIRATION    TO    GREAT    DEEDS.        173 

my  life.  I  believe  I  have  been  so  acted  on  from  seven- 
teen to  fifty-five,  for  the  purpose  of  reforming  and  re- 
fining my  great  country  in  Art.  I  believe  that  my 
sufferings  were  meant,  first,  to  correct  me,  and  then,  by 
rousing  attention,  to  interest  my  nation.  I  know  that 
I  am  corrected  and  a  better  man,  and  I  know  there 
exists  a  sympathy  for  me,  and,  by  reflection,  for  my 
style  and  object,  which,  without  such  causes,  would  not 
have  operated  so  soon.  At  seventeen,  I  could  not  write 
a  word  intelligibly  :  who  gave  me  the  power  to  thunder 
out  in  one  night,  as  if  by  inspiration,  my  thoughts  on 
the  Academic  question  ?  Who  guided  me  as  to  the  only 
sound  system  of  education  in  an  artist,  in  opposition  to 
all  the  existing  practice  of  the  day  in  England?  Who 
cheered  me  when  all  the  world  seemed  adverse  to  desert  ? 
God,  my  great,  my  benevolent,  my  blessed  Creator,  by 
the  influence  —  and  the  influence  only, — of  His  holy, 
holy,  holy  Spirit ! 

"  Perhaps  this  is  insanity  as  well  as  Clarkson's,  Co- 
lumbus's, Milton's,  and  others'.  Perhaps  we  are  all 
'  drunk  with  new  wine.'  No,  no.  We  are  all  more 
alive  to  the  supernatural  and  spiritual  than  the  rest  of 
our  fellow  creatures.  Where  could  I  see  the  prototype 
of  the  head  of  Lazarus  ?  I  had  never  seen  a  man  raised 
from  the  dead.  Who  was  my  inspirer  ?  God,  my 
blessed  Creator. 

"  How  often  in  prison,  in  want,  in  distress,  in  blind- 
ness, have  I  knelt  in  agony  before  Him,  my  forehead 
touching  the  ground,  and  prayed  for  His  mercy.  How 
often  have  I  arisen  with  *  Go  on]  so  loud  in  my  brain 
as  to  make  me  start.  How  often  have  I,  in  despair, 
opened  the  Scriptures,  and  seen,  as  if  in  letters  of  fire, 
*  Fear  thou  not.  I  am  with  thee.'  And  have  I  ever 
had  occasion  but  once  to  find  the  result  did  not  answer 
the  promises?  And  that  one  result  will  yet  be  accom- 
plished. 


174  MEMOIRS   OF    B.  R.  HATDON".  [1841. 

ie  I  believe  Clarkson  did  hear  a  voice,  like  other  se- 
lected beings  before  he  was  born. 

"  After  finishing  my  drawing  I  started  by  mail,  and 
was  in  town  by  eight  the  next  morning. 

"  Why  was  I  not  so  impressed  as  when  I  visited  the 
Duke  ?  Here  was  a  man  who  in  his  Christian  and 
peaceable  object  had  shown  equal  perseverance,  equal 
skill,  equal  courage,  and  yet  I  was  not  so  affected. 

"  Clarkson  has  more  weaknesses  than  the  Duke,  He 
is  not  so  high  bred.  He  makes  a  pride  of  his  debilities. 
He  boasts  of  his  swollen  legs,  and  his  pills,  as  if  they 
wrere  so  many  claims  to  distinction.  The  Duke  did  not 
let  you  see  him  in  his  infirmities.  He  was  deaf,  but  he 
would  not  have  let  you  see  it  if  possible  :  he  dined  like 
others,  ate  like  others  and  did  everything  like  others  ; 
and  what  he  did  not  do  like  others  he  did  not  do  before 
others. 

"  Lord  Grey  and  Clarkson  have  both  that  infirmity 
of  asking  questions  about  themselves,  as  if  they  had 
forgot  the  answers,  that  they  may  elicit  again  the 
answers,  for  the  pleasure  of  hearing  the  repetition.  The 
Duke —  never.  He  is  too  much  a  man.  Himself  seems 
the  last  thing  he  remembers,  except  when  others  presume 
on  his  modesty.  He  never  obtruded  Waterloo,  unless 
it  was  forced  on  him,  or  arose  out  of  the  conversation, 
nor  did  he  shrink  if  the  company  seemed  to  press  it. 

"  In  fact,  the  Duke  was  a  high-bred  man.  The  want 
of  this  is  never  compensated  for.     Never. 

"  Though  Clarkson  is  a  gentleman  by  birth,  and  was 
educated  like  one,  he  is  too  natural  for  any  artifice. 
He  says  what  he  thinks,  does  what  he  feels  inclined,  is 
impatient,  childish,  simple :  hungry,  and  will  eat ;  rest- 
less, and  will  let  you  see  it ;  punctual,  and  will  hurry  ; 
nervous,  and  won't  be  hurried  ;  positive,  and  hates  con- 
tradiction ;  charitable  ;  speaks  affectionately  of  all,  even 
of  Wilberforce's  sons,  whose  conduct  he  lamented,  more 


1841.]  NOTE    FROM    BEAUMONT.  175 

as  if  it  cast  a  shadow  over  the  father's  tomb,  than  as  if 
he  felt  wounded  from  what  they  had  said  of  himself. 

"  Of  the  three  venerable  patriarchs  of  great  causes, — ■ 
the  Duke,  Lord  Grey  and  Clarkson, —  the  Duke  is  the 
greatest  character  by  far. 

"27th.  —  There  is  always  something  to  do.  I  in- 
scribed the  names  of  Wilberforce,  Sharpe  and  Toussaint 
to-day,  and  that  completes  the  undertaking. 

"  The  moment  a  great  canvas  goes  from  my  house  I 
dread  to  look  at  my  painting-room.  When  a  great 
canvas  is  up  I  feel  sheltered,  though  I  have  not  one 
farthing  in  my  pocket.  How  extraordinary  is  habit ! 
Grant  me,  O  God,  a  long  life.  The  more  pictures  I 
paint,  the  more  worthy  my  mind  will  be  of  another 
world.  I  know  and  feel  it.  But  Thou  knowest  best. 
I  humbly  submit  to  Thy  will,  and  will  try  to  be  always 
ready. 

" '  27,  New  Bond  Street. 
"'28th,  1841. 
"  '  Dear  Haydon, 
"  '  I  have  just  received  thy  note  saying  that,  "  Wilberforce, 
Sharpe  and  Toussaint  "  are  inscribed  on  the  curtains.     I  am 
exceedingly  sorry  to  hear  it.     They  had  nothing  whatever  to 
do  with  the  Convention,  and  must  come  out.     I  shall  be  in 
Piccadilly  at  three  o'clock. 

"  '  Thine  truly, 

" '  John  Beaumont.' 

"  The  gratitude  of  posterity  !  Without  Wilberforce, 
Toussaint  or  Sharpe,  no  Convention  would  have  been 
held  on  the  subject.  And  here  is  my  friend  Beaumont 
insisting  on  their  names  (introduced  merely  in  allusion 
to  their  services)  being  struck  out. 

"  30th.  —  The  last  day  of  April.  I  have  finished  my 
great  work,  and  this  day  ends  the  month. 

"  The  delight  I  had  in  turning  to  one  of  my  historical 


176  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1841. 

compositions  after  I  had  got  rid  of  that  dreadful  collec- 
tion of  faces,  is  not  to  be  described." 

On  the  13th  of  May  he  records  the  failure  of  the 
Exhibition  of  this  picture  of  the  Anti-Slavery  Con- 
vention. 

"  May  5th.  —  After  the  bustle  of  a  work  of  portraits, 
the  lassitude  of  mind  which  seizes  one  is  extraordinary. 
Johnson,  after  completing  his  dictionary,  passed  two 
years  doing  little.  Sir  Joshua  thought  his  mind  would 
not  recover.  This  was  nothing  but  the  over-relaxation 
of  the  string  after  constant  tension. 

"  To  a  man  like  me,  used  to  solitude,  the  worry  of 
such  a  picture  is  dreadful,  and  nothing  could  keep  an 
artist  from  being  torn  to  pieces  by  138  sitters,  but  the 
utmost  decision,  by  which  they  are  made  to  perceive  he 
is  not  to  be  trifled  with. 

"  Spent  the  morning  in  studying  my  darling  cartoons. 
Oh,  what  a  blessing ! 

"  The  criticism  of  this  picture  has  been  absurd.  Be- 
cause it  looks  like  mere  nature,  the  critics  think  the  art 
has  been  overlooked  ;  whereas,  there  is  as  much,  or  more 
art,  in  this  artless  look  than  in  many  compositions  of 
more  profundity." 

It  was  at  this  time  that  the  news  of  Wilkie's  death 
reached  England.  Hay  don  was  deeply  shaken  by  the 
loss  of  hi3  old  friend,  for,  despite  rooted  differences  of 
character,  and  long  estrangements,  he  had  a  true  and 
deep  regard  for  Wilkie,  as  I  believe  Wilkie  had  for  him. 
The  thought  of  this  death  dwelt  in  Haydon's  mind  for 
months,  and  hardly  any  entry  of  his  Journal  for  the  rest 
of  the  year  but  contains  some  allusion  to  it. 

"  \2th.  —  Eead  prayers,  and  prayed  for  the  soul  of 
my  dear  old  friend  David  Wilkie.  The  last  week  I 
have  been  at  Dover,  and  one  evening,  at  Warren's 
library,  in  the  Chronicle,  I  read  an  accountnsof  the 
Oriental's  arrival.    I  rapidly  ran  over  the  names,  and  did 


1841.]  DEATH    OF    WILKIE.  177 

not  see  Wilkie's  ;  I  read  on,  my  heart  literally  thumping 
against  my  side,  till  I  came  to  '  Sir  David  Wilkie  ex- 
pired in  the  bay  of  Gibraltar.'  A  painful  trembling 
seized  me.  I  had  begged  and  intreated  him  before  he 
went  to  be  cautious  of  such  a  journey.  I  begged  him 
to  read  Madden,  to  understand  the  nature  of  the  diseases, 
and  consider  his  weakness  of  constitution.  In  fact,  I 
all  but  predicted  his  death.  In  my  mind,  privately,  I 
felt  convinced  he  would  not  return,  and  said  so  to  my 
family. 

"  Poor  dear  Wilkie  !  with  all  thy  heartless  timidities 
of  chai'acter, —  with  thy  shrinking,  cowardly  want  of  re- 
solution, looking  as  if  thou  hadst  sneaked  through  life 
pursued  by  the  ghosts  of  forty  Academicians, —  thy 
great  genius,  our  early  friendship,  our  long  attachment 
through  thirty-six  years,  thy  touching  death  and  ro 
mantic  burial,  brought  thy  loss  bitterly  to  my  heart. 

"  \5tli.  — I  dreamt  I  was  sleeping  in  the  tombs  of  the 
Kings  at  Jerusalem,  and  awoke  in  a  wild  confusion,  and 
thought,  in  the  dim  twilight  of  daybreak,  the  arch  of  my 
bed  was  the  cold  cave.  Poor  Wilkie !  he  seemed  to 
look  on  me  and  to  say,  '  Did  I  ever  give  you  cause  of 
offence  ?  Did  I  not  bear  and  forbear  ?  Did  I  not 
assist  you  with  money  ?  Was  not  our  friendship  un- 
alloyed till  you  tried  to  destroy  the  Institution  in  which 
you  where  brought  up  ?  Then  did  I  leave  you  ?  Did 
I  not  enjoy  your  genius, —  bear  testimony  to  your  great 
talents?  My  character  was  different  from  yours.  You 
have  no  right  to  reproach  me  for  not  being  willing  to  go 
to  the  extremes  of  your  hatred,  and  involve  myself  in 
suspicions  which  I  did  not  deserve.  No,  my  dear  Hay- 
don,  I  loved  you  as  much  as,  nay  more  than  any  man ; 
and  while  we  entertained  the  same  views,  saw  each  other 
daily,  and  pursued  the  same  objects,  nothing  disturbed 
our  happiness.  When  you  did  not  fear  ill-usage  as  I  did  ; 
when  worse  treatment  afflicted  and  nearly  destroyed  me, 

VOL.  III.  N 


178  MEMOIRS    OF    B.   R.  HAYDON.  [1841. 

you  ought  not  to  blame  me  for  wishing  for  that  peace  so 
natural  to  my  nature.' 

w  This  passed  through  my  imagination  as  I  lay  dozing ; 
and  I  hugged  my  pillow  and  seemed  to  wish  never  again 
to  wake. 

"  *  But,'  I  replied,  '  you  were  a  slave  to  the  great  and 
the  world.  You  feared  to  show  regard  for  a  man  the 
world  had  deserted.  You  shrank  from  an  ardent  heart, 
whose  only  fault  was  its  excess  of  affection.  You  were 
not  a  Christian  when  the  applause  of  men  was  concerned, 
and  fell  a  victim  to  dissappointment  at  Court,  which  you 
pursued  with  a  mean  adulation,  till  you  were  driven 
from  its  precincts.     I  acknowledge  you  bore  and  forbore 

—  not  from  Christian  duty,  but  because  it  was  to  your 
interests  the  less  dangerous  course  of  the  two.  You 
lent  me  money,  but  you  talked  of  it  with  a  gross  want 
of  delicacy.  When  the  world  complained,  you  abused 
me.  You  ridiculed  the  school  I  formed.  You  envied 
me  in  all  my  great  successes  —  Jerusalem,  Lazarus, 
Mock  Election,  pupils,  drawings,  lectures ;  and  at  all 
times  tried  to  prove  they  were  not  successes,  with  a  pale 
face  and  quivering  lip — more  pale  and  more  quivering 
than  usual.  There  was  no  occasion  to  join  in  the  cry  to 
prove  you  had  no  connection  with  me ;  our  known 
friendship  would  have  induced  my  bitterest  enemies  to 
pardon  in  you  a  delicate  and  affectionate  silence. 

"  '  These  were  frailties.  Your  virtues  were  great,  — 
your  love  of  art  a  passion,  — your  industry  unexampled, 

—  your  decorum  deserving  imitation ;  but  you  might 
have  had  virtues ;  you  might  have  loved  your  art ;  you 
might  have  been  industrious ;  you  might  have  been 
decorous ;  and  yet  not  have  deserted  your  sincere  and 
affectionate  old  friend  in  the  time  of  his  sorrow — sorrow 
brought  on  by  his  disgust  at  your  treatment  by  men 
whom  you  tried  to  conciliate,  afterwards,  by  calum- 
niating the  man  who  defended  you.' 


1841.]  FEELINGS    AT    WILKIE'S    DEATH.  179 

"  This  is  the  way  I  went  on  till  daybreak,  and  sprang 
up  to  dress,  saying,  '  Poor  Wilkie  ! ' 

"Yesterday  I  called  on  our  old  friend,  Collins. 
Collins  was  an  humble  adorer.  In  his  presence  Wilkie 
felt  all  he  said  was  listened  to ;  —  with  me  it  was  con- 
tested. Collins  was  affected,  and  so  was  I.  He  came 
to  the  Academy  in  1806,  we  in  1805;  but  he  was  one 
of  the  set  who  became  a  leader  in  his  department. 
Collins,  and  Jackson,  and  Wilkie  were  all  more  violent 
against  the  Academy  than  I  was ;  but  ail  deserted  me 
to  suit  their  interest.  Perhaps  they  got  wiser ;  but  at 
any  rate  I  was  firm,  and  suffered. 

"  Collins  said,  '  If  it  were  not  for  the  Academy 
depend  upon  it  artists  would  be  treated  like  carpenters.' 
There  was  some  truth  in  that,  but  I  fear  they  treat 
artists  like  carpenters,  and  keep  all  the  respect  paid  to 
themselves.  Wilkie  is  a  loss  indeed  to  me.  His  mild- 
ness soothed  anger,  checked  violence,  and  rendered  sar- 
casm a  cruelty.  I  feel  as  if  a  part  of  my  head  had 
fallen  from  my  shoulders  ;  I  miss  something  intellectual 
that  I  used  to  consult.     Hail,  and  farewell ! 

"  Poor  fellow !  He  was  coming  home  with  new 
views,  and  a  new  style  for  sacred  subjects,  for  which  he 
was  not  fit.  He  coidd  no  more  have  painted  Christ 
than  he  could  have  raised  Lazarus. 

"  I  offered  Murray  my  own  life,  with  all  Wilkie's  and 
Sir  Geoi'ge's  correspondence  with  me.  Wilkie's  life  I 
could  not  write. 

"  16th. — Another  dear  old  friend  gone  —  Thomas 
Kearsey,  for  whom  I  painted  the  first  Napoleon.  He 
died  characteristically.  He  came  to  town  to  attend  a 
meeting  of  directors  of  the  Regent  Canal ;  blew  up  the 
directors;  dined  with  them;  eat  twice  as  much  as  he 
could  digest,  as  usual ;  was  seized  with  a  vomiting  of 
blood  ;  died,  and  was  buried  in  the  corner  of  a  field  on 

N  2 


180  MEMOIRS   OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1841. 

his  own  farm,  detesting  the  being  herded  with  his  own 
species  after  death. 

"  Poor  Wilkie  !  I  miss  the  consciousness  of  his  exist- 
ence. Our  friendship  began  in  a  dispute,  continued  in 
Ions;  arguments,  and  ended  in  a  sarcasm.  Yet  we  were 
attached  to  each  other. 

"  \lth.  —  Nothing  can  compensate  me  for  the  loss  of 
Wilkie  in  the  art, —  though  latterly,  owing  to  my  views 
about  the  Academy,  we  were  not  together  so  much. 
We  never  met  but  we  lingered,  unwilling  to  separate. 

"  Old  associations  crowded  on  us.  While  he  lived, 
there  was  always  something  natural,  sound,  and  solid  in 
the  art.  Now  there  is  nothing  —  nobody.  The  loss  to 
the  Academy  is  irreparable. 

K  It  comes  over  me  fifty  times  a  day. 

"  I  feel  as  if  marriage,  children,  —  all  —  had  inter- 
rupted a  series  of  feelings  on  art.  I  feel  as  if  there  was 
now  no  one  to  talk  to,  to  consult :  —  he  was  so  pure, 
though  so  totally  different  in  style. 

"  Poor  Wilkie  !  Poor  fellow  !  I  looked  over  my 
prints,  and  remembered  his  doing  so  hundreds  of  times. 
I  remember  his  remarks  on  many  figures  in  Raffaele. 
He  relished  Raffaele  as  much  as  any  man.  I  read  some 
of  his  early  letters,  with  his  allusions  to  our  pleasant 
fortnight  at  Sir  George's,  his  remarks  on  various  things  ; 
all  of  which  brought  crowds  of  thoughts  to  my  mind. 

"  Poor  Wilkie !  —  Poor  fellow !  Could  one  have  im- 
agined he  would  have  been  flung  in  the  depths  of  the 
ocean!  When  I  think  of  his  long  illness  in  1810;  his 
patience,  his  meekness,  and  submission, — it  is  impossible 
not  to  forgive  his  frailties. 

"  \8th.  —  My  only  regret  is  that  the  thirty-nine  Aca- 
demicians were  not  flung  after  him,  as  they  ought  to 
have  been,  on  the  ancient  principle  of  sacrificing  to  the 
names  of  a  distinguished  man  ! 

11  Poor  Wilkie !     I  don 't  feel  my  heart  beat  so  much 


1841.]  ON    WILKIE.  181 

to-day ;  I  was  frightened  at  its  continuance  yesterday, 
and  last  night.  But  now  it's  gone.  Let  me  think  of 
his  virtues,  and  forget  all  his  abject  slavery  to  the  world. 

"  Peace  to  his  spirit ! 

"  May  we  meet  hereafter,  cleansed  of  our  earthly 
frailties ;  never  to  separate  more  ! 

"  Wrote  to  Sir  Robert  Peel  to  relieve  my  thoughts. 

"  Every  word  Wilkie  said  on  composition  should  be 
treasured  up.  Young  men  may  study  his  rustic  groups 
with  as  much  certainty  as  Pvaffaele's. 

"Poor  fellow  !  1  wonder  what  the  fish  think  of  him, 
with  their  large  glassy  eyes,  in  the  gurgling  deep. 

"  It  is  extraordinary  the  impression  the  man  has  made 
on  my  mind.  His  presence  haunts  me.  I  hear  his 
voice  fifty  times  a  day.  I  kept  a  journal  of  our  voyage 
into  Devonshire,  1809,  which  I  shall  look  out. 

"  Yet  taking  him  as  a  man,  he  was  not  worthy  of  such 
interest. 

"  19th.  —  Declined  signing  the  Address  to  Mrs. 
Wilkie ;  as  coming  through  the  President  and  Council, 
it  would,  on  my  part,  be  acknowledging  an  authority  I 
dispute. 

"  This  was  cunning.  They  thought  my  feelings 
would  hurry  me  away  to  sign  it  without  reflection  or 
reading,  and  then  they  would  have  turned  round  and 
said,  '  See !  he  acknowledges  our  authority.' 

"  A  well  known  model  came  to  me,  followed  me,  and 
said,  *  Have  you  signed  the  paper  ?  I  advise  you,  sir, 
to  make  haste,  as  it  will  only  lie  this  day.' 

"  A  whole  month  have  I  been  squandering  my  time : 
I  could  have  painted  a  hundred  guinea  picture.  I  could 
have  earned  five  guineas  a  day.  Wilkie's  death  and 
Mary's  illness  have  fretted  me,  but  those  horrid  fits  of 
having  no  sense  of  duty  sometimes  lay  hold  of  me. 

"  To  church  to-morrow.  To  the  launch  of  the  Tra- 
falgar, Monday, — and  then  to  work. 

N    3 


182  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  K.  HAY  DON.  [1841. 

"Like  Johnson  in  hypochondria,  there  I  sit,  sluggish, 
staring,  idle,  gaping,  with  not  one  idea.  Several  times 
do  these  journals  record  this  condition  of  brain. 

"  Wilkie  was  as  fine  an  example  as  I  ever  witnessed 
of  love  of  art.  Wherever  he  was  it  never  left  him. 
When  a  boy,  the  parishioners  complained  of  Master 
David  sketching  them  in  church ;  as  when  I  was  at 
Honiton,  the  clerk  complained  to  Haynes  of  my 
sketching  him.  When  on  intimate  terms  we  used  to 
excite  each  other.  We  used  to  go  to  church  together 
for  two  years  to  hear  Sydney  Smith  at  London-street 
chapel.  I  used  to  call  on  him  at  72  or  74  Great  Port- 
land Street  on  the  way. 

"  The  want  now  in  the  press  is  of  editors  independent 
of  society.  The  Hunts  on  that  point  were  noble  cha- 
racters. I  should  like  to  know  the  amount  of  the  bribe 
which  could  have  made  them  say  what  they  did  not 
think,  or  omit  to  say  what  they  knew  ought  to  have 
been  said. 

"  There  is  not  a  journal  now  existing  would  have 
published  my  attack  on  the  Academy,  as  first  written, 
for  fear  of  society.  This  was  a  paltry  fear  the  Hunts 
disdained  where  truth  was  the  object.  And  this  is  a 
tribute  they  deserve  most  heartily,  though  it  would  have 
been  better  for  my  worldly  interest  if  I  had  never  met 
them.     Noble  fellows ! 

"  When  Wilkie  was  alive  there  was  always  something 
existing  stirring,  sound,  of  high  repute. 

"  There  is  now  nothing  sound  or  of  high  repute.  He 
was  as  a  guarantee  in  the  Academy.  There  is  now 
none,  and  every  year  they  will  get  worse  and  worse. 
They  must. 

"  He  kept  them  right  as  far  as  he  could.  He  had  all 
the  novelty  and  originality  of  genius.  With  a  man  of 
real  genius,  you  know  not  what  he  is  going  to  come  out 
with  next.     He  does  not  know  himself.     But  with  a 


1841.]  ON    WILKIE.  183 

man  of  no  genius  nothing  comes.  There  is  not  a  man 
of  real  genius  left  in  the  Academy. 

"  The  perfection  of  Wilkie's  early  compositions  can 
only  be  accounted  for  by  his  careful  study  of  the 
Cartoons,  or  some  such  standard  works.  The  principles 
of  repetition  of  line,  of  quantity,  of  groups,  of  action  and 
repose,  of  light  and  dark,  show  deep  reflection.  But 
Graham  must  have  been  an  excellent  master  to  have 
sent  a  pupil  abroad  so  admirably  grounded. 

"I  never  saw  the  picture  he  won  the  ten  guineas 
prize  with  at  Graham's.  It  was  Macduff,  I  think.  I 
wonder  who  has  it.  From  his  own  description  of  it,  it 
must  have  been  quite  original.  He  entered  his  name  as 
student,  November  1805,  twenty-one.  I  was  entered 
March  9th,  1805,  nineteen.  I  saw  the  book  yesterday. 
If  twenty- one  was  correct  he  was  in  his  fifty-eighth  year. 
I  have  written  to  Cults  to  know. 

"  Wilfully  he  would  not  make  such  a  mistake,  and 
yet  be  told  me  he  was  a  month  older  than  I."  m 

Haydon  now  began  his  autobiography,  in  the  intervals 
his  working  at  the  picture  of  Mary  Queen  of  Scots 
showing  her  infant  son  to  the  English  ambassador. 

"  June  2-ith.  — Wrote  all  the  morning,  and  concluded 
the  first  chapter  of  my  intended  memoirs  of  myself, 
interleaving  Wilkie's  and  Jackson's  memoirs.  Sent  it 
to  Murray  as  a  specimen,  and  my  messenger  lost  it  in 
Portman  Square.  So  much  for  the  beginning, — what 
will  be  the  end,  Heaven  knows. 

"  25th.  —  My  object  will  not  be  to  paint  us  en  beau. 
Of  the  three,  Jackson,  Wilkie,  and  myself,  Wilkie's 
conduct  is  the  safest  to  hold  up  as  an  example  to  the 
modest  student,  mine  the  noblest  to  the  aspiring,  and 
Jackson's  the  most  warning  to  the  patronised. 

"I  sent  Murray  the  introductory  chapter  of  my  life, 
which  the  wife  of  my  poor  old  Irishman  Fitz,  lost  in 
Portman  Square.      Some  fellow  picked  it  up  and  carried 

n  4 


184  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  II  AY  DON.  [1841. 

it  to  Murray.  This  was  a  romantic  beginning.  Suc- 
cess !  Worked  five  hours  and  a  half,  pretty  well. 
Dearest  Mary  sat. 

"  30th. — The  last  day  of  June,  and  only  to-day  have 
I  worked  as  I  ought  since  the  great  picture  went.  It 
has  required  all  my  energy  to  get  over  a  dulness  and 
lassitude  I  can  only  account  for  from  the  reaction  after 
a  picture  of  that  sort,  which  has  caused  eight  or  ten 
months'  perpetual  excitement. 

"  Put  in  the  Queen's  two  hands  well ;  worked  nearly 
seven  hours  heartily,  but  it  ought  to  be  eight. 

"  I  have  not  recovered  Wilkie's  death. 

Multis  ille  bonis  flebilis  occidit 

Nulli  flebilior  quam  tibi. — B.  It.  Haydon. 

"July  2nd. —  As  I  painted  all  day  I  thought  how  we 
used  to  anticipate  each  seeing  the  other's  work  at  con- 
clusion ;  how  we  used  to  dine,  drink  tea,  and  talk  to- 
gether for  hours.  Called  on  Hamilton,  who  gave  me  a 
letter  to  Barry. 

"  He  said  Eastlake  had  been  examined,  and  that  I 
had  no  chance  of  being  employed  to  adorn  either  House. 

"  That  if  I  had  gone  twenty  yeai's  ago  to  Italy,  it 
would  have  made  all  the  difference. 

"  Where  did  Shakspeare  go?  Where  Raflfaele,  Phi- 
dias, Michel  Angelo?     What  absurdity! 

"  These  journals  show  I  first  proposed  in  the  House 
schools  of  design.  I  petitioned  the  Committee  to  adorn 
the  House.  Lord  Morpeth  presented  that  petition.  It 
was  seconded  by  T.  Duncombe,  and  sent  up  to  the  Com- 
mittee ;  and  now,  at  the  instigation  of  the  Academy, 
Eastlake,  my  pupil,  is  to  be  chosen,  because  being  my 
pupil  it  may  be  more  mortifying  to  my  feelings.  Good 
God!  Such  is  irritated  power.  However,  they  know 
not  the  resting  place  of  my  mind. 

"  I  have  nearly  passed  three  twenties  of  my  life.    The 


1841.]  PROSPECTS    IN    THE    NEW    HOUSES.  185 

life  of  man  is  but  three  score  and  ten,  so  fifteen  years 
more  may  finish  me.  I  have  sacrificed  myself  always 
for  the  art  and  this  is  my  reward.  Thou,  O  Lord, 
knowest  my  heart,  and  that  rather  than  the  thing  should 
not  be  done,  I  would  grind  the  colours  of  others. 

"  But  I  foresee  it  will  be  a  job,  like  the  National 
Gallery. 

"  They  are  now  talking  of  giving  every  artist  a 
chance.  A  pretty  melde  of  absurdity  it  will  be,  unless 
one  mind  has  the  entire  lead.  Nous  verrons.  I  am 
prepared  for  every  disgrace,  and  bow  humbly  to  that 
Creator  who  seems  to  think  I  am  not  yet  endowed  with 
humility  sufficient. 

"  8th.  —  Worked  and  advanced.  Called  on  Napier, 
and  was  amazingly  pleased  with  him.  He  put  my  boy's 
name  third  on  his  list,  and  said,  '  You  are  bringing  him 
up  to  a  bad  trade.'  '  Never  mind,'  said  I,  '  if  he  be  as 
distinguished  as  you  are.'  Heard  last  night  from  Lord 
Minto.  Wrote  to  Lord  John,  Lord  Palmerston,  and 
William  Cowper.  Innes  and  Barrow  are  trying  too. 
The  deuce  is  in  it  if  we  do  not  get  him  off.  Wrote  to 
Sir  C.  Adam  and  Sir  George  Cockburn.  Sir  George's 
letter  was  straightforward. 

9th. — It  may  be  laid  down  that  self-destruction  is  the 
physical  mode  of  relieving  a  diseased  brain,  because  the 
first  impression  on  a  brain  diseased,  or  diseased  for  a 
time,  is  the  necessity  for  this  horrid  crime.  There  is  no 
doubt  of  it. 

"  10th. — My  eyes  strained.  Saw  Barry  on  Thursday, 
with  a  letter  from  Hamilton.  Am  to  see  him  to-day, 
and  he  promised  me  sections  and  plans  of  the  Houses  of 
Lords  and  Commons.  We  talked  of  it.  He  said 
whether  anything  were  done  or  no,  he  would  leave  the 
Hall  and  House  of  Lords,  so  that  they  would  be  in  a 
mess  if  painting  was  not  introduced. 

"  It  seems  he  travelled  with  Eastlake.   I  said,  '  I  hope 


186  MEMOIRS    OF    B.   K.  IIAYDON.  [1841. 

you  won't  forget  mc,  Mr.  Barry.'  '  It  will  be  a  great 
shame  if  they  do,  Mr.  Hay  don.'  '  I  hope  you  won't 
forget  me,  Mr.  Barry.'     He  blushed  ! 

"27th. —  Called  on  Macdonald,  Wilkie's  old  friend, 
and  got  three  valuable  letters  of  Wilkie's  to  him  (1804 
and  1805),  written  just  before  he  came  to  town.  Went 
to  church  at  the  New  Church*  after  twenty-seven  years. 
I  went  there  when  first  I  came  to  town  and  prayed  for 
all  that  has  happened,  and  now  went  and  thanked  God. 
I  felt  as  if  I  had  opened  the  way  for  others,  and  might 
soon  be  done  with :  God  knows.  I  was  affected ; 
Wilkie's  death  has  broken  a  link  in  my  life. 

"  Called  on  my  dear  old  pupil  Eastlake.  He  was 
affected  at  seeing  me  ;  he  showed  me  a  passage  from  a 
German  author f,  referring  to  my  brochure  twenty  years 
as;o  on  the  Ilissus  and  Horse's  head,  which  Goethe 
alluded  to. 

"  We  talked  of  the  Houses  of  Commons  and  Lords, 
and  of  their  probable  ornament.  He  spoke  of  his  evi- 
dence, and  I  told  him  that  if  I  was  not  consulted  I 
should  come  out  as  on  the  Elgin  Marble  question.  The 
evidence  is  printing. 

"  28th. — Worked  heartily,  and  nearly  finished  Agave 
for  Sir  John  Hanmer.  I  hope  I  shall  be  able  to  keep 
from  attacking  or  writing,  though  the  Exhibition  just 
closed,  above  the  line,  is  a  disgrace  to  the  country. 

"  My  mind  is  in  such  a  beautiful  tone !  I  work  so 
delightfully  :  colours — ideas — brushes,  flow  like  a  river. 
How  grateful  I  am. 

"  August  4th.  —  Worked  hard  ;  went  to  the  Gallery 
to  see  Correggio,  Reynolds  and  Rubens.  I  studied 
well  and  saw  my  own  defects  when  I  came  home.  No 
boy  of  eighteen  is  more  eager  to  attain  excellence  than 
I  am,  or  more  alive  to  and  desirous  of  discovering  my 

*  St.  Clement's,  in  the  Strand. 

t  lluinohr's  Italienische  Forschvngen,  vol.  i.  p.  29. 


1841.]    COMPARISONS:  ENGLISH  ART  AND  FOREIGN.    187 

own  errors  :  I  trust  I  shall  always  be  so  to  the  day  of 
my  death.  I  want  to  get  that  broad  style  of  imitating 
nature  I  see  in  the  great  masters, — not  in  Vandyke,  but 
in  Titian,  Correggio,  Angelo,  Tintoretto,  Rembrandt, 
and  Reynolds.  Founded  as  I  am  I  know  I  could  im- 
prove on  it ;   I  '11  try. 

"  2nd.  —  My  boy's  head  looks  little  and  very  bad. 
How  inferior  to  Correggio  and  Reynolds.  God!  I'll 
remedy  this. 

"  Saw  a  Giorgione;  deep-toned  —  gorgeous  —  glitter- 
ing.    What  a  lesson  ! 

"I  nauseate  my  own  fresh-complexioned  English  look. 
Why  ?  Is  not  the  blooming  fraicheur  of  England 
as  beautiful,  in  its  way,  as  the  embruno  tint  of  Italy,  or 
Spain,  or  Egypt?  Sir  Joshua  looked  by  his  side  like 
milk  and  cream,  but  washy  and  faint. 

"  I  had  a  delightful  lesson,  and  I  will  try  to  profit  by 
it.  I  flew  at  the  arrangement  of  my  picture  and  im- 
proved it  wonderfully. 

"  The  glazing  of  Giorgione  is  rich  and  gemmy,  not . 
liquid  and  yet  not  dry.     In  the  head  of  a  man  with  a 
helmet,  the  flesh  is  wonderfully  kept  down,  to  give  effect 
to  the  armour,  and  yet  not  overdone.     The  subject  is 
the  Woman  taken  in  Adultery. 

"  Wtlu — Wrote  on  adorning  the  House  of  Lords. 

"  English  Art  never  stood  higher  than  at  the  end  of 
the  war.  Foreigners  were  astonished  at  our  condition, 
and  might  well  be.  The  reason  was,  blockading  kept 
the  rich  from  running  over  the  Continent;  our  energies 
were  compressed  and  devoted  to  ourselves,  and  we 
flourished  accordingly.  Wilkie  was  in  his  zenith  ;  so 
was  Lawrence  ;  so  was  Flaxman  ;  so  were  our  water- 
colour  painters  ;  and  so  was  I,  for  my  Solomon  was  an 
English  triumph  and  Landseer  was  beginning  to  bud. 

"  We  escaped  the  contagion  of  David's  brickdust 
which  infected  the  Continent,  and  the  frescoes  are  but 


188  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1841. 

a  brancli  of  the  same  Upas  root  grafted  upon  Albert 
Durer's  hardness,  Cimabue's  Gothicism,  and  the  gilt 
ground  inanity  of  the  middle  age.  All  the  vast  com- 
prehensiveness of  Velasquez,  Rubens,  and  Titian  are  to 
be  set  aside,  and  we  are  not  to  go  on  where  they  left  off, 
but  to  begin  where  their  predecessors  began  300  years 
before. 

"  The  great  cause  of  this  probable  change  is  the  per- 
nicious popularity  of  an  eminent  and  victorious  painter, 
the  exact  sort  of  genius  the  Academy  should  have  con- 
trolled.* 

"  It  is  too  late  now  ;  the  evil  is  done  ;  but  the  young 
student  should  be  eternally  cautioned  to  beware.  Yet 
what  a  state  the  schools  are  in  !  The  keeper  is  so 
amiable  in  private  life  that  one  dreads  to  find  fault.  A 
keeper  so  totally  inadequate  to  his  situation  will  throw 
the  student  back  an  age,  now  of  all  other  times,  when 
he  ought  to  be  advanced. 

"  If  Government  placed  me  at  the  head  of  a  school,  I 
would  soon  produce  a  race  capable  of  meeting  the  emer- 
gency ;  but  then  comes  the  pride  of  the  Academy,  and 
the  honour  of  England  is  not  to  be  compared  to  that. 
Had  I  been  perfectly  supported,  would  this  have  been 
the  condition  of  Art  ? 

"  Here  are  the  Patrons, —  after  having  for  fifty  years 
suffered  Barry  to  live  in  poverty  and  allowing  me  to  go 
to  prison  four  times ;  who  permitted  me  to  be  for  years 
without  an  order ;  who  deserted  me  because  I  told  them 
large  works  ought  to  be  executed  for  the  honour  of  the 
country  ;  who  have  pressed  down  genius  by  buying 
nothing  but  small  works ;  and  who  allowed  my  school, 
which  they  applauded  me  for  founding,  to  be  destroyed 
for  fear  of  the  Academy,  —  now  in  a  great  emergency 
turn  round  and  say,  '  We  want  great  works,  but  you 

*  I  presume,  from  other  passages,  the  allusion  here  is  to  M'Clise. 


1841.]  FIRST    LESSON    IN    FRESCO.  189 

can't  draw;  we  must  call  in  the  Germans,'  who  for 
twenty  years  have  been  patronised  by  the  King  and 
kept  at  work,  and  you  wish  to  bring  them  at  once  into 
a  contest  with  us  who  have  never  painted  fresco,  and 
put  us  in  competition  with  them  out  of  our  element, 
instead  of  employing  us  in  our  own  ! 

"  Shame  on  you,  to  trample  down  and  desert,  and 
calumniate,  and  ridicule  a  nature  that '  loved  not  wisely, 
but  too  well ! '  Shame  on  you  !  And  now  you  will 
reap  the  reward  of  your  folly.  To  whom  do  I  owe  my 
salvation  ?  To  the  people,  who  believed  in  my  truth, 
sympathised  with  my  sufferings,  and  gave  my  genius 
that  fair  play  which  you,  with  mortified  pride,  refused. 

"We  shall  all  meet  hereafter  stripped  and  without 
disguise.  May  you  be  able  in  the  presence  of  your 
God  to  say  you  have  done  your  duty  as  I  have  done 
mine. 

"  What  3*outh  did  I  ever  turn  away  that  wanted  in- 
struction ?  When  did  self-love  stand  in  the  way  of  my 
duty  to  art  ? 

"  '  Who  would  like  to  paint  in  fresco  ?'  says  Eastlake. 
I  do  not  know  who  would  like.    I  know  who  would  not. 

"  The  fashionable  portrait -painter  in  silk  stockings, 
and  the  president  in  cocked  hat,  how  would  they  feel 
in  mortar  and  lime  ?  How  would  they  like  to  exchange 
a  cocked  hat  for  a  paper  bonnet,  and  to  stand  up  like 
men  ? 

"13^A. — Wrote  Mr.  Labouchere  my  report  on  the 
report,  in  which  I  pointed  out  the  necessity  for  a  wall 
being  devoted  to  fresco  in  the  school  of  design  at 
Somerset  House. 

"  18^A. —  Got  my  first  lesson  in  fresco  from  Latilla,  a 
good-natured  fellow.  I  saw  him  put  in  a  head,  and  now 
I  fear  not.     God  bless  my  efforts. 

"19th.  —  Prepared  for  my    own  attempt.     Latilla's 


190  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  11.  HAYDON.  [1841. 

cracked  from  his  being  in  too  great  a  hurry  to  begin, 
and  not  <nvin2:  the  lime  time  to  mature. 

"  20th.  —  I  began  fresco  to-day  and  have  succeeded, 
and  taken  off  all  apprehension  as  to  the  process.  I'll 
take  to  ir.     God  bless  me  in  it.     Amen. 

"  Latilla  painted  a  head  and  mixed  some  cement, 
—  only  one  third  sand  and  two  thirds  lime.  I  said,  I 
have  painted  always  in  the  old  way  —  in  oil,  —  and  it 
never  cracked.  I  let  him  do  as  he  liked,  and  it  began 
to  crack  before  he  was  half  through,  and  in  the  morning 
was  blistered  to  atoms. 

"  To-day  I  followed. 

"Where  the  other  head  had  been  no  suction  took 
place,  and  the  intonaco  remained  soft,  nor  did  it  set  till 
it  was  scraped  off,  and  renewed  with  plaster. 

"  2lst.  — Eastlake  called,  and  thought  my  fresco  suc- 
sessful. 

"  It  was  interesting.  I  knelt  down  yesterday  morning 
and  prayed  God  with  all  my  heart  to  bless  my  beginning 
and  progression  in  fresco  with  all  the  ardour  with  which 
I  knelt  down  on  my  arrival  in  London  in  1804. 

"  25th.  —  Sir  Robert  Inglis  called,  and  was  much 
pleased  with  my  fresco.  Mr.  Bankes  called  with  Lady 
Spencer,  his  niece,  and  they  were  much  pleased  too. 
This  is  an  advance.  This  is  the  genuine  fresco  on  the 
wet  mortar. 

"  What  I  suffered  at  first,  lest  some  artist  might  get 
the  start  of  me !  My  excitement  has  completely 
knocked  me  up,  —  taken  away  my  voice. 

"  26th. — Mr.  Hawes  called,  and  was  much  pleased. 
He  said,  '  If  they  ask  about  fresco  —  there  it  is.'  I 
wrote  him  to-night,  and  offered  to  give  up  my  whole 
time  to  fresco  for  ten  years  for  a  certain  income.  That 
I  would. 

"27  th. — The  fresco  is  nearly  dry;  has  got  whiter, 
brighter,  and  more  unearthly.    Sir  John  Hanmer  called, 


1841.]  PIKST    ATTEMPT    AT    FRESCO.  191 

and  spent  an  hour,  and  I  showed  him  the  whole  system 
of  study  from  dissection  onwards.  He  made  many  in- 
quiries. He  was  amazingly  pleased  with  the  fresco, 
and  begged  me  to  go  on.  I  showed  him  the  system, 
ond   painted   an    eye    on  the   wet  mortar  before  him. 

D called  with  the  air  of  a  master  of  the  practice,  saw 

and  felt  nothing  of  the  poetry,  but  pointed  out  the 
colour  of  the  lips,  and  said  it  would  not  stand,  and  that 
I  had  too  much  impasto,  and  that  the  colours  ought  to 
be  like  stained  drawing,  hatched,  glazed,  and  thin.  He 
said  it  was  like  Michel  Angelo's  style  of  fresco,  and  not 
like  Raffaele's,  and  that  he  was  a  bungler  with  his  tools. 
I  replied  that  to  be  like  him  was  at  least  something  in  a 
first  attempt. 

"  This  is  the  comfort  of  professional  judgment. 

"  The  upper  part  of  the  face  is  improved  enormously. 

"  3rd.  —  Nothing-  could  be  better  hit  than  the  fresco. 
I  took  all  the  Committee  before  the  division,  so  that 
evexy  member  was  in  town,  and  up  they  came,  and  were 
convinced  it  could  be  done.  And  now  they  are  off  into 
the  country,  where  they  will  spread  it. 

"  I  have  been  compelled  to  sell  the  copyright  of  the 
Duke  to  fit  out  my  boys, — one  for  the  navy,  and  the 
other  for  Cambridge.  To  be  sure  it  is  hard.  I  took 
several  months  about  the  picture  when  a  portrait- painter 
would  have  taken  one.  I  went  to  Waterloo  to  be 
correct,  which  the  portrait-man  never  would  have 
undertaken.  It  has  been  one  year  and  a  half  engraving, 
and  I  can  only  get  200/.  for  the  result. 

"  I  was  engaged  to  paint  the  picture  for  600  guineas, 
and  they  only  could  raise  400. 

"  And  the  publisher  will  make  thousands.  But  then 
is  it  nothing  to  be  able  to  do  it  ?  Are  the  repute,  the 
delight,  the  sonnet  of  Wordsworth,  nothing  ?  They  are 
an  equivalent ;  but  still  I  have  thrown  away  a  trump 
that  might  have  been  a  property  fur  life. 


192  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1841. 

"4th.  —  Received  the  first  100/.,  and  made  up  my 
mind  to  the  loss  philosophically.  At  the  beginning  of 
this  week  I  had  hardly  a  shilling.  I  end  it  having 
received  171/.  Such  is  the  result  of  'seeing  One  who  is 
invisible.'    I  close  the  week  in  gratitude. 


"  London,  Sept.  20th,  1841. 
«  Sir, 

"  A  great  era  in  Art  is  coming  which  I  always  foresaw. 
Pray,  pray,  Sir  Robert  Peel,  put  yourself  at  the  head  of  it. 
That  which  I  begged  Lord  Liverpool,  Canning,  Lord  Ripon, 
Lord  Grey,  Lord  Melbourne  to  begin  is  beginning.  Let  the 
glory  be  yours.  Will  you  let  it  escape  ?  Fear  not  the 
people.  They  will  back  you  in  everything.  When  the 
cartoons  were  moved  up,  twenty-five  years  ago,  what  was 
the  universal  insinuation  ?  This.  '  The  people  care  nothing 
for  the  cartoons ; '  and  yet  the  people  crowded  to  such  excess 
to  see  the  cartoons  and  the  copies  of  my  pupils,  that  the  doors 
of  the  gallery  were  obliged  to  be  closed  for  fear  of  injury. 

"  Only  do  justice  to  the  English  people  or  the  House. 
Their  taste  is  in  advance  of  our  production.  I  know  it. 
Was  I  not  told  if  I  exhibited  the  naked  figure  I  should  be 
hooted.    I  did,  and  was  overwhelmed  with  shouts  of  applause. 

"  I  again  brought  in  two  wrestlers,  stripped  above  and 
below,  and  put  them  to  wrestle.  Nothing  could  exceed  the 
enthusiasm  in  London,  in  Liverpool,  in  Edinburgh. 

"  Do  not  have  any  doubt,  Sir  Robert  Peel.  Seize  this 
great  moment  and  carry  it  through.  For  my  part,  all  my 
agitation  and  complaints  are  over.  A  great  opportunity  is 
come,  and  complaints  must  cease.  I  give  all  mine  to  the 
winds  for  ever." 

"  Oct.  30th. — Called  on  Eastlake,  and  spent  a  delight- 
ful half  hour  :  lie  showed  me  a  report  by  a  pupil  of  Ma- 
ratti  on  the  state  of  the  frescoes  before  he  cleaned  them. 
All  the  lower  part  of  the  school  of  Athens  was  invisible 
from  scratches  and  dust.  Eastlake  saw  Cornelius,  who 
told  him  that  lime  of  less  than  three  years'  slaking  would 


1841].        RECONCILIATION    WITH    MR.  HARMAN.  193 

fail,  and  that  the  lime  for  his  Last  Judgment  was  twelve 
years  old. 

"  He  told  Eastlake  that  you  should  put  lime  in  a  bag 
and  dip  it  in  water,  and  if  the  lime  dried  instantly  to 
dust,  that  was  the  lime  fit  for  fresco. 

"  Slst.  —  Called  on  Hamilton,  who  said  it  is  not  true 
that  the  Germans  revived  fresco.  That  it  was  never 
extinct,  but  always  practised  in  Italy,  more  or  less.  He 
said  there  was  no  intention  of  employing  the  Germans. 

"  Cornelius  said  to  Eastlake,  '  Titian  and  Rubens  must 
be  put  aside ! '  Eastlake  showed  me  the  receipt  of 
Michel  Angelo  for  500  gold  crowns  or  ducats,  paid  to 
him  for  beginning  the  Sistine  ceiling  that  day  (oggi)  in 
the  June  (I  believe)  of  1508. 

"  Thus  ends  October.  I  finished  the  Quaker  picture 
in  April ;  June  and  July  I  finished  Infant  and  Mary 
Queen  of  Scots ;  August  was  passed  in  fresco ;  Sep- 
tember in  putting  my  boy  to  sea,  and  my  eldest  son  to 
Caius  College ;  and  this  month  in  writing  Wilkie's  life, 
and  lecturing  at  Sheffield. 

"November  1st.  — Worked  four  hours;  much  inter- 
rupted, but  got  on.  The  calls  to-day  were  incessant. 
The  letters  endless.  It  is  extraordinary  what  people,  of 
all  descriptions,  come  to  me  for  advice  and  information 
in  Art.  I  care  for  nothing  if  Art  is  talked  of;  but  when 
asses  call,  and  waste  my  time,  I  get  despotic. 

"  6th. — Dear  Jeremiah  Harman  advanced  me  1,000/. 
to  carry  me  through  Jerusalem  and  Lazarus.*  I  was 
ruined  and  he  lost  his  money.  He  was  angry  with  me, 
and  it  was  just ;  but  the  moment  he  heard  I  was  ruined, 
he  sent  over  to  Kearsey  and  Spurr,  my  solicitors,  and 
released  me  from  the  debt.  This  is  now  twenty  years 
ago.  Eastlake  told  me  he  had  a  fresco.  I  wrote  to  him 
to  see  it,  and  concluded  by  saying,  *  Are  we  to  descend 
into  the  grave,  my  dear  Mr.  Harman,  without  explana- 

*  See  vol.  i.  p.  373,  where,  however,  only  3001.  is  mentioned. 
VOL.  III.  O 


194  MEMOIRS   OF    B.  E.  HAYDON.  [1841. 

tion,  when  I  can  give  it  ? '  He  wrote  to  me  immediately 
to  come.  I  went ;  and  on  entering  his  library  he  held 
out  his  hand,  and  said,  '  Haydon,  I  am  glad  to  see  you.' 
I  was  very  much  affected  ;  he  would  not  allow  anything 
to  be  said,  but  remarked,  '  It  is  twenty  years  ago.  I 
believe  you  meant  honourably,  but  you  were  ruined.'  I 
replied,  *  My  dear  Mr.  Harman,  I  did,  and  now  you  say 
that,  I  can  leave  my  name  to  my  children  with  the  only 
questionable  thing  of  my  whole  life  cleared  up.' 

"  He  showed  me  his  exquisite  collection.  I  never  saw 
such  gems.  The  Correggio,  and  Perino  del  Vaga,  were 
of  the  most  essential  service  ;  and  after  lunching,  I  took 
my  leave  of  this  dear  and  venerable  man,  so  relieved 
of  the  burthen  on  my  mind  as  cannot  be  expressed. 

"  25th.  —  I  mixed  to-day  lime  and  marble-dust,  and 
lime  and  sand  equal  parts.  The  marble-dust  and  lime 
became  beautifully  smooth.  I  then  mixed  cement  and 
marble-dust,  and  cement  alone,  and  placed  all  experi- 
ments on  the  wall  against  my  next  attempt,  to  see  which 
cracks  and  which  does  not. 

"27th.  —  November  is  nearly  gone.  I  have  done  a 
good  deal.  Nearly  finished  Poictiers,  and  sketched,  and 
invented,  and  lectured.  To-morrow  I  go  to  Liverpool, 
and  on  the  6th  to  Birmingham. 

"  December  3rd. —  Went  to  Liverpool,  and  was  much 
delighted  with  my  reception.  Gave  the  lecture  on 
Wilkie. 

"  4:th.  —  Selected  drawings  and  papers  for  Birming- 
ham. Charles  Eastlake  elected  Secretary  to  the  Com- 
mission.    No  one  living  so  fit. 

"  10th.  —  Eastlake's  kindness,  as  can  be  seen,  is  great. 
He  frankly  writes  me  his'  continuous  knowledge  about 
fresco,  as  he  gains  it,  as  I  communicated  with  him  in 
early  life  about  art.  Now  Wilkie  is  gone,  his  mind  is 
the  only  one  I  think  of. 

"  17th. — Walked  to  see  Watt's  monument  at  Wands- 


1841.]  RETROSPECT    OF    1841.  195 

worth  church.  Bolton's  was  close  to  it.  It  Is  Chantrey's 
chef-cVcRuvre.  As  I  came  home,  the  booming  rattle  of 
the  train  seemed  like  the  spirit  of  Watt  still  animating 
inert  matter. 

"  The  statue  is  very  fine,  and  contains  the  essence  of 
Chantrey's  peculiar  power. 

"  ?>\st.  —  Last  day  of  1841.  I  have  had  great  pros- 
perity and  constant  employment.  The  health  of  my 
dear  love  is  much  improved.  I  have  planted  one  boy  in 
the  service,  who  promises  well,  and  has  obtained  the 
approbation  of  his  officers  and  captain.  I  have  placed 
the  other  at  Cambridge ;  he  has  got  through  his  first 
term.  I  have  paid  for  all  with  my  own  earnings.  For 
all  which  blessings  I  thank  God.  For  the  watching  over 
the  well  being  of  human  creatures  who  depend  on  you, 
and  have  been  brought  into  the  world  by  you,  is  after 
all  the  most  important  duty  of  man.  Every  boy  I  have 
educated  (and  I  have  brought  out  four  and  educated 
seven)  was  brought  up  in  the  fear  of  God,  the  love  of 
truth,  and  the  adoration  of  a  stern  morality.  For  all 
these  blessings  I  thank  God  with  all  my  heart,  and  I 
pray  Him  humbly  that  by  this  time  twelvemonths  I 
may  be  able  to  thank  Him  for  a  continuance  of  such 
mercies.     Amen. 

"  As  to  the  state  of  Art,  it  is  dangerous.  A  great 
moment  is  come  ;  and  I  do  not  believe  any  one  so  capable 
of  wielding  it  as  myself,  whe'n,  from  circumstances,  and 
the  prejudices  of  all  men,  I  have  the  least  chance  of  any. 
Because : 

"  1st.  I  have  loved  my  Art  always  better  than  myself. 

"  2nd.  I  dissected  and  drew  two  years  before  I 
painted. 

"  3rd.  My  pictures  of  Solomon,  Jerusalem,  and  Laza- 
rus are  indisputable  evidences  of  genius. 

"  4th.  I  educated  Eastlake,  the  Landseers,  Harvey, 
Bewicke,  Chatfield,  Lance,  and  founded  a  school,  the 

o  2 


196  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDON".  [1841. 

shattered  fragments  of  which  have  reformed  Art  in  Eng- 
land.    Therefore  I  have  no  claim. 

"  5th.  I  stood  forth  and  defended  the  Elgin  Marbles 
and  demolished  Knight. 

"  6th.  I  have  been  imprisoned  four  times  for  perse- 
vering to  improve  the  people. 

"  7th.  I  first  proposed  to  adorn  the  House  of  Lords. 

"8th.  I  have  had  a  plan  before  every  Ministry  for 
twenty-five  years. 

"  9th.  I  first  petitioned  the  House  by  Lord  Brougham, 
1823;  by  Lord  Durham,  1824;  by  Lord  Colborne, 
1826  ;  by  Lord  Dover,  1827  ;  by  Lord  Morpeth,  1833 
or  '34,  in  favour  of  High  Art,  and  the  Building  Com- 
mittee in  specific  favour  of  this  very  object  —  the  deco- 
ration of  the  House  of  Lords. 

"  1  Oth.  I  have  lost  all  my  property ;  have  been  re- 
fused the  honours  of  my  country  ;  have  had  my  talents 
denied,  my  character  defamed,  my  property  dissipated, 
my  health  injured,  my  mind  distracted,  for  my  invincible 
devotion  to  the  great  object  now  about  to  be  carried. 
And  therefore  I  cannot  be,  ought  not  to  be,  and  have 
not  any  right  to  hope  to  be  rewarded  by  having  a  share 
in  its  emolument,  its  honour,  or  its  glory. 

"  But  still  I  trust  my  merciful  Creator  will  not  let 
me  leave  this  world  without  an  opportunity  to  put  forth, 
to  the  full  extent  of  their  capability,  the  talents  with 
which  He  has  blessed  me,  to  promote  by  Art  the  cause 
of  virtue,  moi'ality,  patriotism,  or  religion.  In  Him  I 
trust,  as  I  have  always  done,  and  am  sure  these  jour- 
nals, which  have  so  often  recorded  His  mercies,  will  not 
cease  continuance  till  I  have  recorded  in  them  the  real- 
isation, under  His  merciful  blessing,  of  the  great  object 
of  my  being. 

"  I  feel  I  shall  realise  this  instinct  in  gratitude  and 
shouts  ! 

"  Oh  Lord,  let  not  this  be  the  presumption  of  imbe- 


1842.]  HIS    HOPES    AND    PEARS    IN    1842.  197 

cility,  but  the  just  confidence  of  anticipating  inspi- 
ration. 

"  Amen  with  all  ray  soul. 

"  This  year  —  1841  —  will  be  remembered  in  English 
Art  as  the  year  of  Wilkie's  death.  Poor  Wilkie  !  His 
loss  is  irreparable. 

"I  close  1841  in  gratitude  for  the  mercies  bestowed 
during  its  progress,  in  hopes  for  their  continuance  in 
1842,  and  in  earnest  prayer  for  that  national  employ- 
ment which  I  am  now  again  utterly  without ;  so  that  I 
may  be  spared  from  a  recurrence  to  those  dreadful  dis- 
tresses which  have  before  so  often  distracted  my  mind, 
harassed  my  spirit,  and  rendered  life  a  struggle  of  sorrow, 
degradation,  and  pain. 

"  Oh  Lord,  I  earnestly  call  on  Thee  to  avert  so  shock- 
ing an  anticipation.     For  Jesus  Christ's  sake.     Amen. 

1842. 

The  Fine  Arts  Commission  was  sitting  through  this 
year,  and  towards  the  end  of  April  issued  a  notice  of  the 
conditions  for  the  cartoon-competition,  intended  to  test 
the  capacity  of  English  artists  for  the  style  of  Art  suited 
to  the  decoration  of  the  New  Houses  of  Parliament. 
The  delight  with  which  Haydon  welcomed  this  first  step 
towards  achievement  of  the  great  effort  of  his  life,  was 
damped  by  painful  forebodings  that  he  was  not  destined 
to  share  the  fruits  of  the  victory,  after  having  so  bravely 
borne  the  brunt  of  the  battle.  This  fear,  winch  had 
been  working  on  him  all  the  last  year,  seems  to  grow 
stronger  and  stronger  through  this.  Still  he  continued 
to  pursue  his  researches  and  experiments  in  fresco  paint- 
ing, seeking  information  in  all  quarters,  —  from  students 
of  the  old  frescoes  in  Italy,  and  workers  in  modern  ones 
at  Munich,  — and  protesting  all  the  while,  with  his  usual 
vehemence,  against  any  infection  of  English  Art  with 
Germanism.     lie  also  carried  on  this  year  a  correspond- 

o  3 


198  MEMOIRS   OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1842. 

ence,  of  considerable  interest,  with  Rumohr,  the  author 
of  the  Italienische  Forschungen,  one  of  the  soundest  con- 
temporary German  critics  of  Italian  Art,  from  whose 
letters  I  have  extracted  freely,  as  they  seem  to  me  to 
convey  in  their  quaint  English  theories  and  opinions 
upon  Art  in  every  way  deserving  of  attention. 

During  the  year  he  finished  his  pictures  of  Mary  of 
Guise,  and  of  the  Battle  of  Poictiers,  both  of  which  he 
sent  to  the  Academy  Exhibition,  besides  painting  a 
picture  of  the  Maid  of  Saragossa,  another  of  Curtius 
leaping  into  the  Gulf,  and  another  of  a  subject  conceived 
many  years  before,  Alexander  the  Great  encountering 
and  killing  a  Lion.  He  had  also,  before  the  year  ended, 
finished  a  cartoon  of  the  Curse  pronounced  against  Adam 
and  Eve  for  the  Westminster  Hall  competition,  and  had 
begun  another  of  The  Black  Prince  entering  London  in 
triumph  with  the  French  King  prisoner.  I  think  that 
even  those  who,  up  to  this  point,  have  felt  little  admir- 
ation for  either  the  man  or  the  painter  Haydon,  will 
hardly  refuse  him  some  sympathy  at  this  moment  of  his 
life,  when  the  goal  was  appearing,  just  as  his  failing 
strength,  —  which  he  too  felt  to  be  failing,  in  spite  of 
his  vehement  assertion  of  unimpaired  powers,  —  whis- 
pered to  him  that  the  race  was  not  to  be  for  his  winning; 
that  he  would  have  to  stand  b}7,  while  younger  and 
fresher  runners  passed  him  to  take  the  crown.  Already, 
the  anticipation  of  this  fate  was  working  in  his  mind, 
let  him  strive  as  he  might  to  keep  it  down  ;  and  his 
assurance  that  he  bears  a  heart  made  up  for  either 
fortune  will  impose  as  little  on  those  who  read  his  jour- 
nals, as  I  believe  it  did  on  himself. 

"  January  2nd.  —  Went  to  Hanover  Square.  Heard 
Dean  of  Carlisle,  who  is  always  earnest. 

"  Evans  called,  who  made  distemper  copies  of  the 
Loggie  for  Nash,  and  he  told  me  many  useful  things  of 
Fresco. 


1842.]        BARRY'S    PICTURES,    AND    CHARACTER.  199 

"  1st.  Raffaele's  heads  are  impastoed  like  oil. 

"2nd.   Tints  are  mixed. 

"  3rd.  It  is  not  perpetual  glazing. 

"  4th.  EafFaele's  lights  in  foreheads  are  loaded. 

"  5th.  Fresco  never  extinct  in  Italy.  Always  prac- 
tised. 

"6th.  Students  given  a  lunette  in  the  Vatican  to 
paint  after  they  have  got  a  medal. 

"  7th.  Benvenuti  mixed  pots  of  tints,  as  I  do  in  oil 
on  my  palette. 

"  4th. —  Went  to  the  Adelphi,  and  looked  at  Barry's 
pictures.  Miss  Corkings,  the  housekeeper,  was  a  girl 
of  twelve  years  old  when  Barry  painted  the  work.  She 
told  me  many  anecdotes.  She  said  his  violence  was 
dreadful,  his  oaths  horrid,  and  his  temper  like  insanity. 
She  said  he  carried  virtue  to  a  vice.  His  hatred  of  ob- 
ligation was  such  he  would  accept  nothing.  Wherever 
he  dined  he  left  Is.  2d.  in  the  plate,  and  gentlemen  in- 
dulged him.  The  servants  were  afraid  to  go  near  him  ; 
in  summer  he  came  to  work  at  five,  and  worked  till 
dark,  when  a  lamp  was  lighted,  and  he  went  on  etching 
till  eleven  at  night. 

"  She  said,  when  coaxed  to  talk,  his  conversation  was 
sublime.  She  thought  the  want  of  early  discipline  was 
the  cause  of  his  defects.  He  began  his  work  in  1780, 
and  was  seven  years  before  he  concluded  it.  She  re- 
membered Burke  and  Johnson  calling  once,  but  no 
artist.  She  really  believed  he  would  have  shot  any  one 
who  had  dared.  He  had  tea  boiled  in  a  quart  pot,  and 
a  penny  roll  for  breakfast,  dined  in  Porridge  island,  and 
had  milk  for  supper,  which  was  prepared  in  the  house. 

"  There  is  a  grasp  of  mind  there  nowhere  else  to  be 
found,  as  Johnson  said,  but  no  colour,  no  surface,  beauty, 
or  correct  drawing,  Still,  as  the  only  work  of  the  kind, 
it  is  an  honour  to  the  country. 

"6th.  —  The  obstructions  in  fresco  do  not  deserve  the 

o  4 


200  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1842. 

name  of  difficulties.  They  are  useless  and  petty  annoy- 
ances. It  is  a  nuisance  to  have  a  colour  dry  one  thing 
when  you  mean  it  for  another.  It  is  a  nuisance  to  have 
a  seam  in  the  flesh,  and  to  have  no  depth  in  the  shadow. 
It  is  a  bore  to  copy  your  own  cartoon  when  the  fire  of 
invention  is  over,  and  can  never  be  recalled.  If  the 
difficulties  be  conquered,  it  is  by  luck,  not  by  Art,  or 
science,  or  skill. 

"  But  I  do  not  see  they  entitle  fresco  to  any  supe- 
riority over  oil. 

"  The  execution  of  the  great  Venetian  works  in  the 
Louvre  was  quite  equal  in  power  to  any  fresco,  and 
they  were  a  million  times  superior  in  tone. 

"  Called  on  D ,  who  is  very  amiable,  and  had  an 

interesting  conversation. 

"  He  said  the  early  frescoes  were  stained  drawings, 
having  the  ground  for  the  lights.    (Not  true.    B.  R.  H.) 

"  After  Giorgione  the  impasto  of  oil  was  copied  in 
fresco,  and  that  began  the  modern  system  of  Raffaele. 
Massaccio  and  Pinturichio  stained. 

"  I  then  saw  Barry.  He  laid  before  me  plans  and 
sections,  and  the  spaces  where  pictures  could  be  intro- 
duced. He  said  nothing  was  fixed  on,  but  as  soon  as 
the  Committee  met,  the  first  question  would  be  fresco 
or  no  fresco,  and  that  then  he  would  house  lime  in  two 
or  three  vaults.  He  asked  which  lime  I  liked  best.  I 
said,  chalk.     He  agreed  with  me. 

"  7  th.  —  Lectured  on  the  Elgin  Marbles  at  Mechanics. 
Wrote  my  Memoirs  —  hard.  What  a  lesson  they  will 
be  to  young  men  ! 

"  Barry  procured  me  sections  and  tracings.  I  fear 
the  spaces  will  not  be  large  enough  for  fresco,  the  great 
beauty  of  which  is  light  and  space.  Oil  and  fresco 
should  not  be  mixed. 

"  Fresco  will  make  oil  look  heavy,  and  oil  will  make 
fresco  look  mealy. 


/ 


1842.]  DISCOURAGEMENT    OE    BRITISH   ART.  201 

"  9tk.  —  I  called  on  poor  little  Macdonald,  Wilkie'a 
early  patron  and  friend,  for  he  first  gave  him  a  com- 
mission, in  Edinburgh,  for  the  first  Village  Politicians. 
I  found  him  ill  and  in  poverty,  with  an  early  picture  of 
Wilkie's  to  sell.  * 

"  There  certainly  seems  at  this  moment  a  general 
conspiracy  against  British  art,  at  the  very  time  it  re- 
quires all  encouragement.  I  suppose  foreigners  are  at 
the  bottom  of  it,  who  want  a  piece  of  the  cake  now 
making. 

"  When  Englishmen  go  abroad,  they  not  only  lose 
their  heart  and  feeling  for  England,  but  they  lose  their 
common  perception. 

"  Hezekiah  was  dying.  He  prayed,  with  tears,  to 
live,  and  fifteen  years  were  added  to  his  life.  There- 
fore prayer  is  available,  and  can  alter  the  apparent 
destiny  of  a  man. 

"  V2th.  —  Wrote  hard  at  my  lecture  on  Fresco  for 
the  Royal  Institution. 

"  \Wi. —  No  young  man  who  is  not  independent 
should  treat  his  superiors  in  rank,  wealth,  and  station  as 
if  they  were  his  equals. 

"  Men  are  all  equal  in  the  eye  of  the  law  and  of 
God,  but  by  the  gift  of  God  men  are  most  unequal. 
Honesty,  diligence,  talent  will  accumulate  wealth.  A 
man's  children  enjoy  it.  Men  of  honourable  station 
have  a  right  to  deference,  and  even  if  ignorant,  are  en- 
titled further  to  respectful  expostulation,  and  not  sar- 
castic exposure.  Such  deference  to  superiors  in  age 
and  station  is  not  servility,  but  good  sense,  and  proceeds 
from  a  just  modesty  in  your  own  pretensions.     I  might 


*  This  early  picture  of  Wilkie's  is  now  in  the  possession  of  Dr. 
Darling.  Though  clumsy  in  drawing,  it  is  admirable  in  composi- 
tion and  colour  —  finer,  perhaps,  indeed,  in  this  last  quality  than 
any  of  his  later  works. — Ed. 


202  MEMOIRS   OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1842. 

have  saved  myself  much  pain  had  this  been  inculcated 
on  me. 

"  I  passed  an  hour  and  a  half  with . 

"  It  is  extraordinary  the  eternal  disposition  of  the 
Academicians  to  see  nothing  in  my  character  but  what 
is  wrong.  It  amounts  to  a  morbid  insanity,  and  is 
caused  by  the  conscious  conviction  that  all  my  calamities 
in  life  have  arisen  from  their  injustice.  I  press  upon 
their  imagination  and  disturb  their  tranquillity.  My 
name  is  never  even  spoken  in  their  presence  but  a  sneer 
follows. 

"  People  are  never  charitable  enough  to  think  of  my 
neglect  of  my  own  interests.  They  dwell  only  on  the 
result ;  viz.  my  incapacity  to  attend  to  the  interests  of 
others.  Is  there  anything  worse  than  not  to  pay  a 
tradesman?  Yes, — (I  did  not  reply),  —  to  take  half 
price  from  a  Duke,  and  never  begin  his  picture.  This 
is  the  tone  of  society  adopted  towards  me;  and  it  is 
never  told  how  many  tradesmen  I  have  paid  off  since 
my  troubles,  —  of  the  dividends  I  have  shared  on  the 
receipt  of  any  large  sum.     It  is  shocking ! 

"  Whilst  the  Academy  exists  as  the  Royal  Institu- 
tion, —  whilst  the  President  is  by  right  a  Trustee  of  the 
Museum  and  National  Gallery,  —  their  influence  will 
ever  be  in  opposition  to  any  plan  which  will  endanger 
their  supremacy ;  and  no  plan,  however  beneficial,  will 
or  can  ever  be  adopted  which,  by  giving  a  chance  to 
the  genius  of  the  people,  will  place  their  portrait  iniquity 
on  the  right  ground.  This  scheme  of  Fresco  will  end 
in  air,  through  their  insinuations. 

"  '  How  many  wish  to  paint  in  fresco?'  said .  It 

is  not  what  the  artists  wish.  It  is  what  the  state  wants. 
That  is  the  question.  In  the  press,  now,  I  have  hardly 
a  friend,  except  the  Chronicle  and  the  Spectator.  I  have 
only  to  show  a  work  to  set  the  whole  press  in  an  uproar 
of  abuse.     I  attribute  this  entirely  to  the  students  of 


1842.]  VINDICTIVENESS    OF    THE    CRITICS.  203 

the  last  twenty-five  years  having  grown  up  with  literary 
men  of  their  own  age ;  and  the  general  tone  the  students 
imbibed  at  the  Academy,  as  a  pupil  told  me,  was  to  con- 
sider me  a  monster.  Their  literary  friends  have  issued 
out  to  their  duties  as  reporters  or  critics,  as  editors 
or  purveyors,  and  the  moment  Haydon  comes  before 
them,  he  is  denounced  before  the  pen  is  dipped  in  ink. 
The  last  picture  I  exhibited  was  the  Samson.  All  the 
sound  principles  of  its  composition,  its  colour,  its  story, 
its  drawing,  its  light  and  shadow  were  utterly  unnoticed, 
and  the  picture  was  held  up  as  an  abortion  not  to  be 
tolerated. 

"  Had  the  student  gone  to  it  with  modesty,  and  tried 
to  find  out  what  is  good,  his  mind,  his  practice,  and  his 
hand  would  have  been  improved.  The  object  was  clear. 
I  was  beginning  to  get  commissions  in  the  country,  and 
the  Christians  hoped  to  put  a  stop  to  them.  They 
boasted,  in  fact,  they  would  do  so.  All  the  principles  I 
have  advocated  for  thirty-eight  years  are  now  beginning 
to  bud.  They  know  I  have  been  the  most  prominent 
man,  and  they  cannot  bear  to  dwell  on  the  fact  that, 
when  the  plant  bursts  into  flower,  the  credit  of  watering 
the  germ  through  frost  and  snow,  and  wind  and  rain, 
belongs  to  Havdon. 

"  Many  years  ago,  on  my  knees,  in  an  agony  of  pain, 
I  prayed  I  might  live  to  see  the  great  principles  of  Art 
acknowledged,  —  I  cared  not  for  tasting  the  fruits;  — 
and  that  I  might  not  leave  the  world  with  the  talents 
with  which  God  had  blessed  me,  cruelly  ruined  or 
wasted.     Perhaps  I  shall  be  taken  at  my  word. 

"  '  Thy  will,  not  mine,  be  done.' 

"  15th.  —  Half  the  month  gone  —  wholly  occupied  in 
lecturing  and  writing  a  new  lecture  on  Fresco,  for  the 
Royal  Institution. 

"  16th.  —  After  my  mind  exhausts  itself  in  one  direc- 
tion, it  flies  off  in  another.    I  seized  chalk  all  of  a  sudden 


204  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1842. 

as  I  was  writing,  and  placed  the  leg  and  thigh  of  the 
angel  Gabriel  rightly,  and  immediately  my  mind  teemed 
with  thoughts  of  new  subjects.  Went  to  the  National 
Gallery,  and  came  back  disgusted  with  the  horny,  oily, 
heavy,  dull  look  of  the  finest  works  after  fresco. 

"  17th.  —  My  soul  begins  to  yearn  for  something  else. 
My  attempt  in  fresco  has  opened  my  eyes  so  completely 
to  a  power  I  knew  nothing  of,  that  all  Art  here  palls  on 
my  senses.  Great  and  good  and  merciful  Creator,  spare 
me  till  I  have  realised  what  I  now  foresee  I  can  do. 

"  20th.  —  There  is  no  desire  in  the  English  for  High 
Art.  Fresco  being  immovable,  is  no  property  ;  and  the 
commercial  feeling  connected  with  the  aristocratical  ren- 
ders them  insensible  to  any  feeling  for  characters  higher 
than  themselves.  I  am  very  discontented  all  of  a  sud- 
den, and  cannot  tell  why.  It  is  the  agony  of  ungratified 
ambition;  —  that  is  the  reason.  I  could  execute  now  a 
series  of  fresco  foreshortenings  with  terrific  power.  Why 
don't  you  ?     No  money. 

"21st. —  Set  my  palette.  Then  came  on  darkness 
visible,  which  lasted  all  day.  Eastlake  shall  be  my  safety- 
valve.  I  told  him  he  and  Sir  Robert  would  be  baffled 
by  the  portrait  influence,  and  that  fresco  would  be 
turned  to  the  right-about,  and  that  the  people,  at  last, 
disgusted  with  being  the  ridicule  of  the  Continent  for 
want  of  talent,  would  spontaneously  get  rid  of  the 
nuisance. 

"  As  the  time  approached,  the  cowards  shrink  from 
fresco.  I'll  give  it  to  them  if  they  do.  I  shall  make 
it  a  strong  point  against  them ;  but  for  the  present,  as 
Eastlake  says,  mum.  My  large  canvas  is  home,  and  up 
to-morrow.  There  is  nothing  like  a  large  canvas.  Let 
me  be  penniless,  helpless,  hungry,  thirsty,  croaking  or 
fierce,  the  blank,  even  space  of  a  large  canvas  restores 
me  to  happiness,  to  anticipations  of  glory,  difficulty, 
danger,  ruin  or  victory.  My  heart  expands,  and  I  stride 
my  room  like  a  Hercules. 


1842]  ALEXANDER    AND    THE    LION    BEGUN.  205 

"  Three  commissions  are  deferred,  and  I  am  again 
left  penniless  for  the  present ;  but  I  despair  not.  He 
who  carried  me  through  so  many  trials  will  carry  me 
gloriously  through  this.  I  know  it,  I  feel  it,  and  rejoice 
at  the  trial.     I  glory  in  being  tried.     Amen. 

"23rd.  —  Wrote  my  life  all  day.  Did  not  go  to 
church.  Eastlake  called.  Hall  of  the  Athenaeum  called. 
Eastlake  was  kind  and  affectionate,  and  begged  me  to  be 
quiet.  Pie  said  all  my  friends  were  in  alarm,  as  it  was 
a  great  moment  in  my  life.    I  told  him  he  need  not  fear. 

(t24th.  —  Oh  Almighty  God  !  It  is  now  thirty  years 
since  I  commenced  my  picture  of  Solomon ;  though 
deserted  by  the  world,  my  family,  father,  friends,  Thou 
knowest  well  that  I  trusted  in  Thee  ;  that  Thou  didst 
inspire  my  spirit  with  a  fiery  confidence ;  that  Thou 
didst  whisper  me  to  endure  as  seeing  One  who  is  invi- 
sible :  Thou  knowest  I  never  doubted,  though  without 
money,  though  in  debt,  though  oppressed. 

"  I  prayed  for  thy  blessing  on  my  commencing  la- 
bours. Thou  carriedst  me  through  to  victory,  and 
triumph,  and  exultation. 

"  I  am  at  this  moment  going  to  begin  a  grand  work 
of  Alexander  and  the  Lion ;  bless  its  commencement, 
progression,  and  conclusion  as  thou  blcssedst  Solomon. 
Grant,  in  spite  of  whatever  obstruction,  I  may  bring  it 
to  a  grand  and  triumphant  conclusion.  Spare  my  intel- 
lect, my  eyes,  my  health,  my  head,  my  strength.  Con- 
firm my  piety,  and  grant,  O  Lord,  that  this  work  may 
advance  the  feeling  of  my  great  country  for  high  and 
moral  Art,  and  that  I  may  not  be  taken  till  Art  be 
on  a  firm  foundation,  never  to  recede,  and  that  I  may 
realise  all  my  imagination  hoped  in  my  early  youth,  for 
Jesus  Christ's  sake.      Amen. 

«  26th.  —  The  mysterious  influence  under  which  I  al- 
ways begin  a  great  work,  is  hardly  to  be  credited,  in 
my  circumstances  of  necessity.     Here  wras  I  with  hardly 


206  MEMOIRS    OP    B.  E.  HAY  DON.  [1842. 

money  for  the  week,  —  with  commissions  deferred,  — 
with  a  boy  at  Cambridge  in  want  of  money  I  could  not 

send  him, — -and  a  boy  on  board  the  still  owed  31. 

of  his  quarter  (107.) — seized  at  daybreak  with  an  irre- 
sistible impulse,  —  a  whisper  audible,  loud,  startling, — 
to  begin  a  great  work.  The  canvas  was  lying  at  the 
colourman's  to  be  kept  till  paid  for.  I  could  not  pay. 
I  wrote  him  and  offered  a  bill  at  six  months.  He  con- 
sented;  the  canvas  comes  home,  and  after  prayer  —  ar- 
dent and  sincere  —  I  fly  at  it,  and  get  the  whole  in, 
capitally  arranged,  in  two  days,  about  twelve  hours' 
work,  owing  to  the  season  of  the  year.  Good  and 
merciful  God,  am  I  not  reserved  for  great  things? 
Surely  I  am.  Surely  at  fifty-sixtobe  more  active  than 
at  twenty-six  is  extraordinary.  Continue  Thy  bless- 
ings, and  grant  I  may  finish  both  Alexander  and  the 
Curtius. 

"27th. — I  rub  in  Curtius  to-day.  Oh  God,  bless 
me  at  beginning,  progression,  and  conclusion. 

"  February  1st.  —  Sluggish,  —  always, — after  lectur- 
ing. I  really  am  tired  of  lecturing.  Nothing  but  the 
wants  of  my  boys  induce  me.  When  I  am  in  that  in- 
fernal humour,  I  feel  disposed  to  stand  still,  think  of 
nothing,  do  nothing,  see  nothing,  speak  nothing,  hear 
nothing,  and  listen  to  nothing  for  hours.  It  is  a  sort  of 
catalepsy  of  brain. 

"  Lord  Melbourne  was  dining  where  Eastlake  was 
present,  when,  after  dinner,  as  Lord  Melbourne  was 
roosting,  they  began  to  discuss  fresco.  They  thought 
he  was  asleep,  when  suddenly  he  said,  '  Which  is  the 
lightest?'  'Fresco,  my  Lord.'  'Then,  damme,  I'm  for 
fresco,'  said  Lord  Melbourne. 

"  10th. — Worked  hard,  and  painted  hands  right 
heartily  from  nature,  better  than  I  ever  did.  When 
Wilkie  and  I  were  young,  after  such  a  day  of  hands  we 


1842.]  WORKING    UNDER    DIFFICULTIES.  207 

should  have  had  long  discussions ;  holding  the  candle 
close,  looking  in,  talking  of  touches,  surface,  tones,  — - 
how  to  touch  in,  and  take  a  body  at  the  right  time,  — 
and  then  drink  tea  with  all  our  souls.  These  were  the 
days  of  real  delight.     Poor  Wilkie  ! 

"  lltk.  —  My  hands  look  capitally  to-day.  I  declare 
my  feelings  about  Art  are  as  fresh  as  at  sixteen. 

"20  th. —  Lectured  on  Invention,  at  London  Institu- 
tion. Painted  in  the  morning  with  facility  a  boy's  head, 
and,  I  think,  finished  the  Poictiers. 

"24th. —  Awoke  at  four,  with  two  sublime  concep- 
tions. One  of  Nebuchadnezzar  walking  on  the  terrace, 
and  saying,  'Is  not  this  Great  Babylon?'  and  the  other 
of  his  spirit  visiting  the  Euphrates  now, — (  Was  not  this 
Great  Babylon  ?' 

"28th.  —  Last  day  of  the  month;  not  properly  oc- 
cupied, so  as  to  make  my  conscience  easy.  Lecturing, 
travelling,  want  of  money,  losing  commissions  from 
manufacturing  distress,  have  all  in  turns  harassed  and 
distressed  me,  and  kept  me  running  the  gauntlet  for 
money.  I  have  worked,  but  how  ?  By  snatches  as 
before.  The  reign  of  the  Tories  has  always  been  a 
curse  to  me.  I  never  get  employed  when  they  are 
uppermost.  What  I  have  done  shows  improvement 
and  power  of  hand  and  mind,  which  will  come  out  yet 
greater  than  ever. 

"  March  6th.  —  I  got  up  yesterday,  after  lying  awake 
for  several  hours  with  all  the  old  feelings  of  torture  at 
want  of  money.     My  boy  Frederick  was  unhappy  on 

boai'd  the .     A  bill  coming  due  of  44/.  13s.  for  my 

boy  Frank,  at  Caius  (half  of  a  tutor's  bill).  Three 
commissions  for  700/.  put  off  till  next  year.  My  Poictiers 
half  glazed.  My  dear  Mary's  health  broken  up.  Good 
God!  I  thought,  what  are  my  hopes?  A  voice  within 
said,  God.     I  turned  round  in  perfect  confidence  and 


208  MEMOIRS   OF    B.  E.  HAYDON.  ■      [1842. 

fell  asleep.  I  awoke  and  dressed  at  my  usual  time. 
Rushed  out,  longing  to  paint.  Went  to  a  man  who 
held  a  bill  for  71.  10s.  1  could  not  pay,  and  got  a  week. 
To  another  for  10/.,  and  got  another.  Called  at  the 
Admiralty,  and  stated  my  uneasiness  at  my  son's  being 
on  board  a  ship  in  such  a  state,  without  schoolmaster, 
chaplain,  and  the  captain  a  veteran  lubber.  Young 
Barrow  immediately  took  particulars.  Ascertained 
there  were  two  vacancies  in  the  Impregnable.  Mr.  Innes 
came  in,  and  both  joined,  and  sent  up  a  letter  to  Sir 
W.  Gage,  who  before  five  appointed  him  to  the  Impreg- 
nable, and  ordered  him  to  go  out  in  the  Formidable.  So 
that  anxiety  was  over.  I  rushed  home,  and  nearly  glazed 
Poictiers.  Yesterday,  Sunday,  I  went  to  church,  (I 
seem,  when  I  do  not,  to  lose  the  countenance  of  my 
Creator),  and  prayed  with  all  my  heart  and  my  all  soul 
for  relief.  I  knew  if  my  debt  to  the  Tutor  of  Caius  was 
not  paid,  the  mind  of  my  son  Frank  would  be  destroyed, 
from  his  sensitiveness  to  honour  and  right.  As  he  was 
now  beating  third  year  men,  I  dreaded  any  check,  and 
I  got  up  in  a  state  of  perfect  reliance  I  should  not  be 
deserted. 

"  7  th. —  To-day  I  went  early  to  John  Beaumont  the 
Quaker,  and  laid  before  him  my  situation.  I  offered  the 
drawings  of  the  Anti- Slavery  meeting  for  50/.,  though 
100/.  is  less  than  their  value.  He  gave  faint  hopes.  I 
called  on  my  publisher  of  the  Duke,  and  requested  an 
advance,  as  I  had  200/.  coming  in  as  soon  as  the  print 
was  out,  which  his  delay  retarded.  He  looked  as  pub- 
lishers do  when  you  want  money.  I  came  home  without 
despair,  hearing  and  believing  the  voice  e  Trust  in  God.' 

At  home  I  found  50/.  from .     I  had  written  a  rich 

banker,  a  manufacturer,  and  a  Duke  ;  —  who  assisted 
me  ?  The  Duke  of  course.  I'd  lay  my  head  on  the  block 
if  I  was  sure  a  race  of  fearless  designers  would  spring 
up  from  my  blood,  as  the  giants  from  the  iron  teeth  of 


1842.]       GOOD    LANDLORDS  :    RUMOHRS    LETTERS.      209 

Cadmus ;   though,  like  them,  I  fear  ray  progeny  would 
cut  each  other's  throats  directly. 

"  22nd.  —  Out  on  business,  and  my  dear  old  landlord 
Newton  took  the  Poictiers,  and  struck  off  525/.  of  debt, 
reducing  my  balance,  so  now  I  hope  to  get  clear,  and 
give  him  equivalents,  so  that  in  case  of  death  he  might 
not  be  a  loser.  What  landlords  I  have  had  !  Why  ? 
Because  they  knew  my  objects  were  public  and  honour- 
able. But  for  my  landlord  Solomon  would  not  have 
been  done.  But  for  my  landlord  I  could  not  have  been 
preserved  through  all  my  latter  troubles.  God  has 
indeed  blessed  me. 

"  Painted  two  hours  ;  finished  musket  and  bayonet. 
The  musket  fell  down.  I  did  not  see  it,  and  struck  my 
foot  against  it,  and  ran  the  bayonet  half  an  inch  into 
my  left  foot.  It  bled  copiously.  As  I  wanted  blood,  I 
painted  away  on  the  ground  of  my  Saragossa,  whilst  the 
surgeon  was  coming.  Never  lose  an  opportunity.  Lord 
Lansdowne  called  soon  after  to  see  my  pictures." 

The  following  is  from  Rumohr's  first  letter  of  March 
1st:  — 

"  '  You  offer  to  send  me  your  excellent  treatise  on  the 
two  horses,  which,  if  I  remember  exactly,  embraced  like- 
wise an  analysis  of  the  superior  beauties  of  the  statue 
believed  to  be  the  River  God,  Ilissus.*  Nothing  would  or 
could  be  more  agreeable  to  my  wishes  but  (than)  to  read 
again  a  book,  of  which  I  had  lost  the  notes  I  took  in  read- 
ing it  many  years  ago  at  Florence.  I  was  in  quest  of  it 
everywhere,  but  wanting  the  exact  copy  of  the  title,  nobody, 
neither  the  booksellers,  neither  the  bibliothecaries  (librarians), 
felt  inclined  to  give  themselves  the  trouble  of  finding  it  out. 
Yes,  my  dear  sir,  as  you  will  give  me  leave  to  address  you, 
it  was  in  your  work  I  first  and  perhaps  lastly  found  out 
a  striking  likeness  of  my  own  way  to  look  at  objects  of  the 


See  a  note  referring  to  the  Tracts  of  Ilaydon,  p.  29.  vol.  i.  of 
lohr's  Ita 
VOL.  III. 


Rumohr's  Italienische  Forschungen. 


210  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1842. 

fine  arts,  which  are  (with  the  only  exception  of  architec- 
tonical  decoration,  whose  principle  is  the  style  of  geometrical 
harmony)  nothing  else  but  the  expression  of  some  inspired 
mind  by  way  of  the  means  and  types  of  natural  forms  and 
combinations.  The  artist  who  knows  nature  the  best  will 
show  the  greatest  ability  in  representing  every  object  which 
strikes  his  mind  or  rises  out  of  its  depth  or  abundance.  If 
the  more  ancient  painters  of  the  fourteenth  century  please,  it  is 
not  for  their  ignorance  of  osteology  and  anatomy,  nor  for  their 
want  of  a  profound  observation  of  the  limbs  usually  covered 
in  modern  times.  They  please  only  because  their  ideas  were 
extremely  simple ;  —  such  as  might  be  made  perceptible  to 
others  by  the  most  simple  kind  of  drawing,  which,  notwith- 
standing, rose  out  of  a  great  attention  to  natural  attitudes, 
and  to  the  character  and  expression  of  human  features. 
But  a  mind  equally  rich  and  deep  like  (as)  Raffaele's  would 
have  been  at  a  loss  being  confined  to  that  simplest  kind 
of  study  and  observation  of  human  nature  peculiar  to  the 
early  painters. 

"  'I  admit  likewise  all  inspiration  rising  out  of  the  beauty 
and  interest  of  wholly  natural  apparitions  (objects),  and 
I  doubt  if  Art  in  our  times  be  capable  to  be  inspired  by  any 
other  way.  Even  the  love  of  our  own  country  and  its  olden 
times,  as  far  as  I  see,  is  unable  to  move  the  soul  of  a  modern 
artist.  Church  picture  f  religious  painting),  is  equally  bad 
in  the  southern  and  Catholic  countries  as  it  would  be  and 
is  in  Protestant,  where  it  is  occasionally  admitted.  But  in 
imitating  natural  visions  (objects)  modern  Art,  especially 
in  drawing,  often  is  excellent  and  surpasses  many  of  the  best 
paintings  of  better  epochas.  Modern  portrait-painting  I 
cannot  ascribe  to  the  enthusiastic  imitations  of  nature.' ': 

From  Rumohr's  second  letter  of  March  24th: — 
"  '  If  there  be  no  misunderstanding  on  my  side  there  is  a 
great  deal  of  real  analogy  between  your  principles  and 
mine.  In  the  two  treatises,  On  the  Horseheads  and  Ilissus, 
if  you  hold  nature  in  form  was  no  objection  to  ideal  con- 
ception, and  tasteful  arrangement  or  high  style,  then  must 
I  conclude  you  seem  to  be  in  my  way  of  thinking,  and  that 


1842.]  RUMOUR    ON    MODERN    ART.  211 

Art  is  the  expression  of  human  mind  through  the  means 
which  nature  offers  to  genius,  breathing  (inspiring)  an 
infinity  of  types  whose  signification  is  clear  and  open  to 
most  men,  and  even  to  many  animals,  —  partly  at  least,  —  as 
the  temper  and  state  of  mind  of  their  masters  to  dogs.  I 
speak  not  here  of  decoi*ative  art,  which  is  a  mere  subsidiary 
to  architecture,  and  submits  to  its  laws  of  tasteful  linear 
disposition,  but  of  representing  (representative)  art.  So  I 
think  that  the  conceptions  may  be  free,  or  if  dependent 
at  all,  dependent  only  on  the  general  impulse  given  to 
human  mind  by  the  spirit  of  nations  and  epochs :  but  that 
the  forms,  which  in  representing  them  are  made  use  of  by 
the  artist,  are  positive,  and  predestined  by  law  of  nature, 
and  any  form  beyond  nature  hideous,  and  without  the  least 
intelligible  sense  or  expression.  Beauty  is  not  the  source 
but  the  inevitable  consequence  of  true  Art ;  hence  the  fine 
arts  have  a  nobler  object  than  that  principle  of  all  mannered 
and  insufferable  modern  schools,  to  refine  and  polish  the 
shape  and  forms  of  natural  things.  Natural  forms  well 
disposed  geometrically,  and  well  adapted  to  the  conceptions 
of  a  noble  and  elevated  mind,  may  appear  to  be  somewhat 
superior  to  nature,  but  they  are  not  so  by  themselves.  If 
I  was  in  possession  of  the  whole  treasure  of  your  lively 
language,  I  should  propose  here  many  things  in  order  to 
have  them  answered. 

"  '  Since  your  last  I  understand  your  letter  as  far  as  your 
humorous  disposition  against  portrait-painting.     I  like  the 
portraits  of  the  great  historical   painters,  and  I  believe  a 
portrait  or  twro  a  year  to  be  an  excellent  exercise  for  them, 
especially  for  colour's  sake.     But  that  manufactured  kind  in 
use  is  detestable,  and  as  you  tell  me  has  become  in  your 
country  a  public  nuisance.     Your  perseverance  to  maintain 
the  right  tone  of  Art  does  you  great  honour.     I  am  of  your 
opinion  that  local  obstructions  have  the  greatest  share  in 
what  appears  to  the  common    observer  a  want  of  genius. 
But  between  (among)  these  local  obstructions  I  am  disposed  to 
place  the  political  greatness,  the  vast  extent  of  the  British 
Empire,    the    exertions    of  the    British    nation    to    obtain 
its  present  superiority,  which  begun  so  early  as  the  reign  of 

p  2 


212  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDON".  [1842. 

Elizabeth.  Never  so  far  as  historical  knowledge  reaches 
hath  the  thirst  of  wealth  and  power  combined  with  the 
fine  arts.  Power  more  than  once  hath  conquered  them, 
made  use  of  them,  giving  in  every  instance  a  false  decli- 
nation (direction)  to  talent  as  well  as  to  genius.  But  to 
foster  them  in  their  youthful  state,  to  give  them  a  proper 
occupation  in  their  upper  stages,  hath  never  been  the  merit 
of  mighty  peoples  or  sovereigns.  Look  at  the  Macedonian 
kings  or  to  imperial  Rome,  or  to  the  Popes,  especially 
Leo  X.,  who  absorbed  in  a  few  years  what  had  been  created 
in  two  centuries  by  Florence  and  Assisi. 

'"British  Art  must  be  public  and  authoritative,  and  perhaps 
your  New  House  might  produce  a  new  era.' 

"  April  ±th. —  To-day  I  have  sent  Poictiers  and  Mary 
of  Guise  to  the  Academy.  I  do  it  on  the  principle  that 
at  such  a  crisis  it  is  the  duty  of  all  to  burke  local  differ- 
ences, to  support  and  stand  by  each  other,  or  we  shall 
be  invaded  by  foreign  troops.  How  far  this  is  on  my 
part  a  dereliction  of  duty,  God  only  knows.  I  meant  it 
not  as  such.  I  meant  it  to  help  and  keep  up  an  histo- 
rical air  in  the  Exhibition,  and  prevent  the  sneers  of 
foreigners.  It  will  be,  and  may  be  called  succumbing, 
but  my  opinion  of  Academies  as  nuisances  is  the  same." 

From  Rumohr's  third  letter  of  April  9th:  — 

"  '  I  shall  not  deny  that  perfection  of  shape  and  form,  or  as 
you  call  it  nature  elevated,  can  be,  and  hath  been  effectually 
in  the  instance  of  true  Greek  Art,  the  very  object  of  repre- 
sentation in  Art.  But  even  in  that  justly  advanced  work,  in 
my  opinion  perfection  of  shape  was  an  inevitable  consequence 
of  far-spread  ideas,  of  a  general  turn  of  mind,  of  morals  and 
habits  far  distant  from  ours.  There  existed  in  those  happy 
times  a  general  admiration  of  nature's  most  accomplished 
forms  combined  with  multiplied  occasions  (opportunities)  to 
look  on  them,  to  enjoy  them,  to  notice  them.  Now,  even 
a  superficial  acquaintance  with  the  human  frame  is  re- 
stricted to  artists,  and  a  very  few  dilettanti.  Men  who  like 
yourself    combine    a    natural    genius    with    a   scholar-like 


1842.]  RUMOHR   ON    GERMAN    ART.  213 

breeding  may  understand  the  immense  superiority  of  Greek 
Art,  and  make  it  an  object  of  general  or  partial  represen- 
tation, or  may  represent  Greek  objects  to  high-bred  gentle- 
men. But  such  an  art  will  never  be  a  popular  one,  —  will 
never  be  deservedly  appreciated  by  the  great  mass  of  the 
people,  so  as  Art  once  hath  been  in  Greece,  and  Catholic 
Christian  Art  in  Italy,  and  in  whole  Europe.  And  so  I  beg 
your  leave  to  conclude  that  perception  of  shape  in  our  time, 
and  perhaps  for  ever,  hath  ceased  to  be  the  prevalent 
object  of  representation.  The  head,  the  face,  hath  become 
more  essential  than  what  the  Italian  calls  the  "  isnudo,"  and 
I  feel  some  tendency  to  defend  Cornelius  so  far  as  he  denies 
that  excellence  of  form  in  the  sense  of  true  Greek  Art  ever 
was  to  be  combined  with  modern  subjects,  but  his  own 
forms  are  perhaps  less  able  than  Greek  ones  to  express  the 
noble  conceptions  of  his  own  mind.  lie  knows  not  an  iota 
of  nature.  He  wanted  occasion  (opportunity)  in  his  youth 
and  leisure  in  his  advanced  age  to  acquire  a  profound 
knowledge  of  the  human  frame,  and  he  neglected,  perhaps 
by  a  false  principle,  the  study  and  constant  observation  of 
heads  and  characters,  essential  to  a  painter  of  Christian 
subjects.  He  is  my  friend,  and  I  shall  never  cease  to  admire 
his  superior  intellect  and  the  vast  capacity  of  his  mind. 
Overbeck  at  Rome  hath  less  energy  and  invention,  but  far 
more  acquired  knowledge  of  the  human  frame.  I  saw  a 
number  of  years  past  a  transparent  picture,  poetry  with 
many  accessories;  —  the  invention  was  Cornelius's,  the 
picture  and  the  drawing  on  a  larger  scale  executed  by 
Overbeck.  It  was  far  the  finest  production  of  modern  Art 
I  ever  saw  in  my  life.  The  energy  of  the  one  was  softened 
by  the  sober  reflection  of  the  other. 

"  '  Our  German  painters  surely,  at  least  those  pretended 
admirers  of  the  middle  age,  understand  not  the  true  merit 
of  the  old  painters.  They  notice  them  superficially  and 
have  used  them  only  to  excuse  and  cover  their  own  defici- 
encies. I  have  passed  great  part  of  my  life  in  Italy,  and 
have  known  some  hundreds  of  that  numerous  class,  but  none 
of  them  spent  much  time  in  observing  or  studying  the  older 
pictures  as  they  might  have  done,  and    pretend  to   do.     I 

p  3 


214  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  P*.  HAYDON.  [1842. 

flatter  myself  that  I  know  them  somewhat  better,  and  I  have 
done  my  best  to  show  their  merits  and  their  faults  to  my 
readers.  I  cannot  help  to  continue  an  admirer  of  your 
nation,  and  perhaps  its  last  misfortunes  in  the  East  may 
rouse  a  new  set  of  feelings,  and  even  a  stronger  feeling  of 
the  moral  value  of  Art,  which  in  a  country  like  yours,  will 
take  a  political  or  no  turn  at  all.  Your  navy,  your  army,, 
part  of  your  statesmen  are  somewhat  beyond  the  line  of  com- 
mon merit.  I  cannot  read  the  clear  and  intelligent  speeches 
of  Sir  R.  Peel  in  the  present  difficulties  without  emotion.  He 
feels  what  he  thinks,  and  thinks  what  he  feels.  And  so  did 
your  great  patron  the  Duke  of  Wellington  in  his  glorious 
mid-career.  I  hope  yet  to  expose  to  you  what  may  be 
called  my  system,  but  leave  it  to  my  next.'  " 

''22nd.  —  Finally  succeeded  in  composition  of  Sara- 
gossa,  balancing  both  sides.  Good  heavens  !  when  I 
think  how  my  pictures  are  abused,  and  know  the  deep 
principles  on  which  I  arrange  and  paint  every  iota  in 
them.  The  young  men  little  know  what  they  might 
learn  if  they  would  —  as  they  will  bye-and-bye  —  study 
them." 

On  the  25th  of  April  appeared  the  notice  of  the  Fine 
Arts  Commission,  setting  out  the  conditions  of  the  com- 
petition for  cartoons  intended  as  trial  works  of  candidates 
for  employment  in  the  decorations  of  the  New  Houses 
of  Parliament.  Haydon  naturally  exulted  in  this  con- 
summation of  hopes  cherished  for  so  many  years. 

"25th.  —  This  is  indeed  a  glorious  Report  for  me. 
Here  is  my  pupil,  Eastlake,  —  whom  I  instructed,  whose 
dissections  I  superintended,  whose  ambition  I  excited, 
whose  principles  of  Art  I  formed, — putting  forth  a  code 
by  my  influence  and  the  influence  of  his  own  sound  un- 
derstanding, which  will  entirely  change  the  whole  system 
of  British  Art. 

"  The  whole  of  these  journals,  petitions,  and  prayers 
and  confidences  will  show  how  this  Report  must  make 
my  heart  leap  with  gratitude  and  joy  to  the  good  and 


1842.]  RUMOHR    ON    GERMAN    ART.  215 

great  Creator,  who  has  blessed  me  through  every  variety 
of  fortune  to  this  first  great  accomplishment  of  my  ar- 
dent hopes. 

"  O  God  !  Bless  me  with  life,  and  health,  and  intel- 
lect, and  eyes  to  realise  the  wishes  of  the  Commissioners. 
Bless  my  pupil  Eastlake  also,  and  grant  we  may  both 
live  to  see  the  English  school  on  a  basis  never  to  be 
shaken,  and  no  longer  liable  to  the  unjust  suspicion  of 
some  alive. 

"  Amen,  O  Almighty  God  ;  with  all  my  heart  and 
all  my  soul,  Amen. 

"May  1st.  —  Cartoons  are  a  means  and  not  an  end, 
and  wherever  they  have  become  an  end  instead  of  a 
means,  they  have  been  the  ruin  of  the  Art  of  a  country. 

"  The  German  school  at  this  moment  makes  them 
too  much  an  end,  so  does  the  Italian  ;  and  the  art,  as 
an  art  of  imitating  nature  by  painting,  may  be  said  to 
be  ruined  in  both  countries. 

"  The  great  Italians  always  treated  cartoon  drawing 
as  a  means.  The  model  of  all  cartoons  is  the  one  for 
*  The  School  of  Athens'  at  Milan,  which  I  saw  in  the 
Louvre. 

"  From  laziness,  from  want  of  genius,  from  incompe- 
tence of  colour,  lack  of  power  of  imitation,  or  ignorance 
of  light  and  shadow,  the  modern  Italians  dwell  for  days, 
and  months,  and  years  over  finished  cartoons.  There  is 
nothing  so  delusive  as  this  sleepy  practice,  and  after  all 
this  'trouble,  this  learned  trouble,'  said  Lawrence,  'there 
comes  a  d d  bad  picture.'  " 

From  Rumohr's  letter  of  April  23rd  :  — 

"  I  looked  to  Art  and  knew  artists  from  my  first  youth,  and 
I  knew  in  that  time  many  hundreds  of  fine  talents,  especially 
among  the  Germans  of  every  part  of  that  vast  country.  But 
nobody  of  them  will  fix  much  attention  after  a  fifty  years. 
Talent  is  not  enough  if  not  sustained  by  true  enthusiasm  and 

p  4 


216  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  E.  IIATDON.  [1842. 

of  a  decided  kind.  I  knew  them  Grecians  in  my  first  days, 
afterwards  Michel  Angelos,  then  Romanists  and  imitators  of 
the  second,  and  finally  of  the  first  period  of  the  Italian  middle- 
age  picture  (Art),  and  now-a-days  there  is  a  new  tendency 
in  vogue,  very  flat,  very  sentimental.  Wherefore  are  there 
so  many  talents  lost,  so  many  pictures  which  are  merely 
toys  for  children  —  fashionable  amusements?  The  only  rea- 
son to  be  adduced  is,  the  want  of  a  decided  tendency  in  the 
nation  as  such.  The  artists  in  modern  Germany  are  obliged 
to  invent  first  of  all  an  object  of  representation,  and  such  a 
one  as  may  impose  as  new,  or  as  in  the  fashion.  Patriotic 
feelings  are  but  feeble,  where  a  universal  interest*,  histo- 
rical as  well  as  geographical,  hath  subdued  them  more  than 
even  persecution.  In  England  it  is  quite  the  contrary.  To 
love  your  country  is  a  merit  not  subject  to  suspicion.  You 
may,  more  than  ourselves,  avoid  that  dangerous  shallow  and 
hidden  shoal  of  the  artists, —  learned  distraction.  And  I 
cannot  but  applaud  your  country  taking  up  the  most  memor- 
able points  of  modern  history." 

"Sunday,  May  8th. — Read  prayers;  but  I  am  not 
content.  I  feel  as  if  I  had  been  slighted.  After  so 
many  years  of  devotion  as  these  Journals  exhibit,  never 
to  be  thought  of  in  the  examination,  or  given  any  status 
by  official  consultation,  pains  my  heart. 

"  Perhaps  it  may  be  a  proper  punishment  for  having 
made  Art  so  great  a  god  of  my  idolatry.  Perhaps  God 
may  bring  me  to  a  right  appreciation  of  human  fame  by 
mortifying  my  pride  and  ambition.  I  bow ;  but  I  am 
pained. 

"  The  press  too  —  exactly  as  all  my  early  aspirations 
are  realising  —  turns  round,  and  by  the  grossest  abuse, 
and  most  unjust  criticisms,  endeavours  to  deny  my  pre- 
tensions and  prevent  my  employment.  One  would  think 
the   press  would  congratulate  the  man  they  have  sup- 

*  Where  an  interest  in  all  countries  has  weakened  the  feeling 
for  Germany  in  particular. 


1842.1  AT    WORK    AT    SARAGOSSA.  217 

ported  all  their  lives.  No  ;  they  are  jealous  of  the  very- 
rank  to  which  they  helped  to  raise  me.  They  now  turn 
round,  and  blacken  my  fair  repute. 

"  1 3th.  —  I  begin  to  feel  right.  Finish  Saragossa, 
and  then  to  fresco  and  cartoons  for  the  remainder  of  the 
year  ;  and  God  bless  me  through  them.     Amen. 

"  In  truth  I  have  been  much  hurt  that  my  services 
have  not  been  acknowledged  in  the  evidence,  or  other- 
wise. But  I  have  recovered  the  balance  of  my  mind 
asain,  and  feel  I  am  born  for  whatever  is  arduous,  and 
that  I  must  be  actuated  by  higher  feelings  than  trust  in 
human  gratitude. 

"  17th.  —  Worked  gloriously  at  Saragossa,  and  fi- 
nished the  dead  chasseur  in  six  hours  outright.  My 
model  knocked  up.  I  felt  the  old  divine  spark  as 
powerfully  as  in  1822,  in  Lazarus.  God  be  thanked 
for  this  happy  day.  I  have  33/.  lis.  to  pay  Newton  — 
15/.  fur  schooling,  1/.  Is.  Sd.,  10/.  and  6/.  ;  and  have 
only  one  sovereign.  A  lawyer  has  offered  for  60  per 
cent,  to  help  me  !     Good  God  ! 

«  18th.  —  Borrowed  50/.  on  70/.  worth  of  chalk  stu- 
dies, framed  and  glazed,  and  paid  11.  for  three  months — 
60  per  cent.  Was  forced  to  do  it.  The  reptile's  mouth 
watered  as  he  drawled  over  the  sketches,  longing  for  me 
not  to  pay,  that  he  might  keep  them. 

"  Engaged  a  model  for  to-morrow,  and  at  it  again. 
Huzza  ! 

"  After  thirty-eight  years  of  bitter  suffering,  perpetual 
struggle,  incessant  industry,  undaunted  perseverance, 
four  imprisonments,  three  ruins,  and  five  petitions  to  the 
House,  —  never  letting  the  subject  of  state  support  rest, 
night  or  day,  in  prison  or  out ;  turning  everything  be- 
fore the  public,  and  hanging  it  on  this  necessity,  —  the 
wants  of  his  family,  the  agonies  of  his  wife,  the  oppres- 
sion of  the  Academy,  directing  all  to  the  great  cause,  it 
is  curious  to  see  that  the  man  who  has  got  hold  of  the 


218  MEMOIRS   OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1842. 

public  henrt,  —  who  is  listened  to  and  hailed  by  the 
masses,  —  who  has  been  mainly  instrumental  in  founding 
Schools  of  Design,  and  whose  evidence  before  the  Com- 
mittee was  followed  by  the  institution  of  a  head  school 
in  London,  —  who  fought  the  battle  of  the  necessity  of 
the  figure  to  the  mechanics  as  well  as  to  the  artist,  —  it 
is  curious  as  a  bit  of  human  justice,  to  find  chairman, 
committee,  witnesses,  pupils,  avoid  throughout  the  whole 
inquiry  any  thought,  word  or  deed,  which  could  convey 
to  a  foreign  nation  or  a  native  artist,  a  noble  lord  or  an 
honourable  member,  that  there  was  such  a  creature  as 
Haydon  on  earth ! 

"And  do  they  suppose  that  their  unjust  omission  of 
me  will  make  the  British  people  forget  me  ?  No,  no. 
I  defy  them.  I  am  too  deep  in  the  hearts  of  the  public, 
and  the  very  omission  will  in  all  reason  bring  me  more 
ardently  to  their  minds. 

"  22nd.  —  Wordsworth  called  to-day,  and  we  went  to 
church  together.  There  was  no  seat  to  be  got  at  the 
chapel  near  us,  belonging  to  the  rectory  of  Paddington, 
and  we  sat  among  publicans  and  sinners.  I  determined 
to  try  him,  so  advised  our  staying,  as  we  could  hear 
more  easily.  He  agreed  like  a  Christian  ;  and  I  was 
much  interested  in    seeing;    his   venerable   white    head 

CD 

close  to  a  servant  in  livery,  and  on  the  same  level. 
The  servant  in  livery  fell  asleep,  and  so  did  Words- 
worth. I  jogged  him  at  the  Gospel,  and  he  opened  his 
eyes  and  read  well.  A  preacher  preached  when  we 
expected  another,  so  it  was  a  disappointment.  We 
afterwards  walked  to  Rogers's  across  the  park.  He 
had  a  party  to  lunch,  so  I  went  into  the  pictures,  and 
sucked  Rembrandt,  Reynolds,  Veronese,  Raffaele,  Bas- 
san,  and  Tintoretto.  Wordsworth  said,  e  Haydon  is 
down  stairs.'  '  Ah,'  said  Rogers,  *  he  is  better  em- 
ployed than  chattering  nonsense  upstairs.'  As  Words- 
worth and  I  crossed  the  park,  we  said  '  Scott,  Wilkie, 


1842.]  SKETCHES    FOR    SARAGOSSA.  219 

Keats,  Hazlitt,  Beaumont,  Jackson,  Charles  Lamb  are 
all  gone;  —  we  only  are  left.'  He  said,  '  How  old  are 
you?'  ' Fifty-six,'  I  replied.  'How  old  are  you?' 
'  Seventy- three  ;  '  he  said  ;  '  in  my  seventy-third  year. 
I  was  born  in  1770.'  '  And  T  in  1786.'  'You  have 
many  years  before  you.'  '  I  trust  I  have  ;  and  you, 
too,  I  hope.  Let  us  cut  out  Titian,  who  was  ninety- 
nine.'  s  Was  he  ninety-nine  ? '  said  Wordsworth. 
'  Yes,'  said  I,  '  and  his  death  was  a  moral ;  for  as  he 
lay  dying  of  the  plague,  he  was  plundered,  and  could 
not  help  himself.'  We  got  on  Wakley's  abuse.  We 
laughed  at  him.  I  quoted  his  own  beautiful  address  to 
the  stock  dove.  He  said,  once  in  a  wood,  Mrs.  Words- 
worth and  a  lady  were  walking,  when  the  stcck  dove 
was  cooing.  A  farmer's  wife  coming  by  said  to  herself, 
'Oh,  I  do  like  stockdoves!'  Mrs.  Wordsworth,  in  all 
her  enthusiasm  for  Wordsworth's  poetry,  took  the  old 
woman  to  her  heart ;  '  but,'  continued  the  old  woman, 
'  Some  like  them  in  a  pie ;  for  my  part  there's  nothing 
like  'em  stewed  in  onions.' " 

Wanting  real  cannon,  shot,  shell,  &c.  for  his  Sara- 
gossa,  he  goes  to  Woolwich. 

"  23?t/.  —  Saw  Colonel  Cockburn,  who  gave  me  a 
letter  to  Colonel  Paterson,  at  the  Rotunda,  and  there 
I  was  provided  with  twenty-four  pounders,  shells, 
screws,  ramrods,  matches,  and  everything.  Made  most 
useful  sketches,  and  returned  ready  for  to-morrow.  I 
flew  about  with  all  the  vigour  of  my  youth,  and  much 
more  strength. 

"  How  the  real  object  clears  your  head.  Some  stu- 
dents said  Wilkie  had  no  imagination,  because  he  could 
not  do  a  particular  thing  without  seeing  it.  What 
stuff!  Imagination  is  not  shown  in  a  brass  pan; — a 
brass  pan  must  be  seen  to  be  painted ;  and  if  painted 
without  being  seen,  cannot  be  true.  An  artist  may 
imagine  everything,  but  will  it  be  true  ?  will  it  be  like  ? 


220  MEMOIRS    OP    B.  R.  1IAYDOX.  [1842. 

Truth  of  imitation  is  the  basis  of  all  Art  —  imaginative 
or  imitative.  How  untrue  was  my  cannon  before  I 
went  to  Woolwich,  and  studied  one,  and  drew  one,  and 
questioned  artillery  men  and  officers,  and  got  at  the  ana- 
tomy of  the  thing. 

"  I  could  now  fire  one  myself,  and  direct  the  men." 
From  Rumohr's  letter  of  May  12th.  :  — 

"  I  am  of  your  opinion  in  all  that  concerneth  the  pictures 
for  the  great  Hall  in  your  Parliament  House.  I  hope,  how- 
ever, the  subjects  you  indicated  will  be  chosen  in  your  own 
history,  the  richest  in  the  world  in  picturesque,  striking,  and 
decisive  facts.  Examples  and  not  allegories.  Symbolic  and 
allegorical  figures  may  be  disposed  in  the  accessories  and 
subordinated  to  the  general  disposition  merely  of  architec- 
tonics! facts,  but  fill  not  large  spaces  with  cold  reasoning. 
Allegories  would  be  tedious  even  to  those  few  able  to  under- 
stand their  sense,  if  there  be  any.  Allegory  being  a  kind 
of  writing  by  emblems  is  an  agreeable  thing  interwoven  in 
the  architectonical  divisions  of  large  walls  or  ceilings. 
But  the  human  mind  likes  not  to  read  mere  thought  in  cha- 
racters of  immense  length  or  breadth  ;  what  is  written  to 
be  understood  abstractedly  can  be  written  down  with  a  few 
tokens  and  signs  sufficient  for  the  intellect,  and  is  graceful 
because  subordinated.  How  amiable  was  Raffaele  in  any 
thing  of  that  kind.  But  as  the  most  interesting  and  result- 
ing (important  in  results)  parts  of  your  history  are  very 
modern  facts,  with  broad  and  picturesque,  not  statuesque 
costumes,  so  I  wish  to  know  you  free,  in  the  execution,  from 
any  kind  of  middle-age,  or  Greek  or  Roman  style.  The 
Flemish  or  the  Spanish  school  in  their  large  picturesque 
way  should  be  the  models  of  the  style.  But  of  the  style  — 
not  of  the  cold  mannerism  of  Rubens,  nor  of  the  extrava- 
gancy of  Murillo  and  some  pictures  of  Velasquez." 

May  29th,  —  Went  to  church  with  dear  Wordsworth, 
who  is  dearer  than  ever  and  more  venerable,  to  hear  a 
sermon  by  Mr.  Boone.  He  was  much  pleased.  He 
had  breakfasted  with  us.      We  afterwards   called   on 


1842.]  WOEDSWORTH.  221 

Hi .     L is    lively,    handsome,    malicious,    and 

melancholy.  He  took  us  to  the  Zoological  Gardens. 
During  the  walk  we  talked  of  some  great  defects  in 
Cunningham's  Lives  of  the  Painters.  Wordsworth 
said,  '  I  could  have  told  him  of  Gainsborough.'  He 
then  sat  down  and  looked  up  like  an  apostle,  and  said, 
'  Gainsborough  was  at  the  house  of  a  friend  in  Bath 
who  was  ill  and  very  fond  of  his  daughter ;  she  was 
going  to  school.  Gainsborough  said  to  the  child,  "  Can 
you  keep  a  secret?"  "  I  don't  know,"  said  the  little 
dear,  "  but  I  will  try."  Said  he,  "  You  are  going  to 
school.  Your  father  loves  you:  I  will  paint  your  por- 
trait." The  child  sat.  When  she  was  gone,  the  por- 
trait was  placed  at  the  bottom  of  the  bed  of  the  sick 
father,  who  was  affected  and  delighted.' 

"  Wordsworth  told  this  in  so  beautiful  and  poetical 

a  way  that  L for  a  moment  forgot  his  sarcasm  and 

his  melancholy,  his  evil  and  his  mischief,  and  in  casting 
my  eye  I  saw  him  leaning  and  looking  at  Wordsworth, 
and  smiling  at  the  purity  of  his  nature  with  something 

like  the  look  of  the  Devil  at  Adam  and  Eve.     C 

N 's  eyes,  L 's  melancholy,  Byron's  volup- 
tuousness, Napoleon's  mouth,  Hay  don's  forehead,  and 
Hazlitt's  brows,  will  make  a  very  fine  devil. 

"  30th.  —  L told  us   Sydney  Smith  said  he  had 

got  rid  of  the  two  great  bores  of  society,  invitation  and 
introduction,  and  that  he  literally  went  to  routs  without 
either. 

"31s*.  —  End  of  May,  1842.  The  great  cause  is 
advanced.  State  support  has  been  decided  on.  My 
clear  pupil  has  been  the  manager,  following  my  foot- 
steps with  more  temper  and  prudence.  There  can  be 
no  doubt  that  my  perpetual  agitation  of  the  principle 
kept  it  alive,  but  these  journals  bear  testimony  I  have 
never  shrunk,  and  will,  if  not  burned,  bear  evidence  of 
my  tenacity. 


222  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1842. 

"  June  1st. —  O  God,  bless  me  through  this  month, 
and  extricate  me  from  its  coming  difficulties.  Grant 
by  the  end  my  Saragossa  may  be  nearly  done,  in  spite 
of  any  obstruction,  and  relieve  me  in  mercy  from  my 
pressure  and  the  miseries  which  must  come  if  I  do  not 
keep  my  pecuniary  engagements.      O  Lord,  Amen. 

"  9th. —  Painted  a  Napoleon  musing  (front),  and  sold 
it  for  twenty  guineas, —  all  in  six  hours.  A  blessing-. 
How  I  have  struggled  up  under  difficulties !  I  was  out 
to-day  to  beg  mercy  of  a  lawyer  for  8/.  2s.  6cl.,  who 
gave  me  till  ten  to-morrow.  I  then  came  home,  and 
touched  at  Napoleon  and  completed  it,  ignorant  how  I 
was  to  keep  the  promise.  At  four  I  was  out  again  to 
defer  25/.  Came  home  to  dine.  Dined;  as  I  was 
promised  peace  to-morrow   till   half-past  eight   in   the 


evening. 


"  My  friend  came  in  the  evening,  and  paid  me  10/., 
half  for  Napoleon.  Thus  I  clear  off  8/.  2s.  6d.  How 
I  am  to  manage  the  25/.,  or  561.  Ss.  8d.,  for  Frank's 
College  bill,  I  know  not. 

"  Lord  Brougham  has  helped  me  for  the  last  with 
half,  16/.  the  balance  of  87/.  Dear  Mary  raised  10/. 
on  her  watch  for  Frank,  and  I  10/.  more,  so  we 
brought  him  clear  home,  crowned  as  first  prize  man  in 
mathematics  at  Jesus,  first  year,  but  were  drained. 

"  11  th.  —  Worked  well  and  successfully  till  one, — 
four  hours.  I  then  started  on  business  to  a  money- 
lending  old  dog,  to  get  renewals.  Succeeded  at  the 
cost  of  51.  in  getting  peace  for  three  months  ;  I  consider 
it  well  spent.  Wrote  Hope  and  Sir  John  Hanmer  for 
help.  College  bills  are  coming  in,  The  Duke  of 
Sutherland  helped  me  with  one,  —  Lord  Brougham  with 
the  other  ;  and  all  this  is  owing  to  putting  out  both 
boys  relying  on  three  commissions  which  were  deferred. 
In  God  I  trust  by  hard  work  and  good  conduct  to 
get  through.     Saragossa  nearly  done  through  all  of  it. 


1842.]  WORDSWORTH'S    KNOWLEDGE    OF    ART.        223 

"  \-ith.  —  Out  on  business.  Saw  dear  Wordsworth, 
who  promised  to  sit  at  three.  Wordsworth  sat  and 
looked  venerable,  but  I  was  tired  with  the  heat  and 
very  heavy,  and  he  had  an  inflamed  lid  and  could  only 
sit  in  one  light,  —  a  light  I  detest,  for  it  hurts  my 
eyes.  I  made  a  successful  sketch.  He  comes  again  to- 
morrow. 

"  "We  talked  of  our  merry  dinner  with  C.  Lamb  and 
John  Keats.  He  then  fell  asleep,  and  so  did  I  nearly, 
it  was  so  hot ;  —  but  I  suppose  we  are  getting  dozy. 

"  16th.  —  Wordsworth  breakfasted  early  with  me, 
and  we  had  a  good  sitting.  He  was  remarkably  well, 
and  in  better  spirits,  and  we  had  a  good  set-to. 

"  I  had  told  him  Canova  said  of  Fuseli,  '  Ve  ne  sono 
in  gli  arte  due  cose,  il  fuoco  e  la  Jtamma.'  '  He  forgot 
the  third,'  said  Wordsworth,  'and  that  is  il  fumo,  of 
which  Fuseli  had  plenty.' 

"  His  knowledge  of  Art  is  extraordinary.  lie  detects 
errors  in  hands  like  a  connoisseur  or  artist.  We  spent 
a  very  pleasant  morning.  We  talked  again  of  our  old 
friends,  and  to  ascertain  his  real  height  I  measured  him, 
and  found  him,  to  my  wonder,  eight  heads  high,  or 
5  ft.  9|-  in.,  and  of  very  fine,  heroic  proportions.  He 
made  me  write  them  down,  in  order,  he  said,  to  show 
Mrs.  Wordsworth  my  opinion  of  his  proportions. 

"  The  time  came  and  he  went,  wishing  me  prosperity, 
and  blessing  me  with  all  his  honest  heart. 

"  Perhaps  I  may  never  see  him  again.  God  bless 
him  ! 

"  2\st. — Longest  day  ;  and  thus  ends  the  first  half 
of  1842.  I  have  worked  well  and  advanced,  and  I 
think  that  my  exhibiting  again  has  not  done  harm  but 
good. 

"  The  Commissioners  are  a  long  time  making  their 
report.  I  hope  it  will  be  a  good  one.  At  present  all 
is  mystery,  but  I  will  not  be  trifled  with,  and  I  keep 


224  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1842. 

myself  quiet  to  be  effective  at  the  right  time,  —  only 
when  it  arrives  !  — 

"  Went  to  Windsor  Caslle  ;  —  a  fine,  gloomy,  old 
Gothic  palace,  but  I  was  disappointed  with  the  inside. 

"  The  Waterloo  Gallery,  from  not  being  arranged 
as  a  gallery,  is  a  disjointed  failure.  No  one  portrait 
has  reference  to  any  other;  there  is  no  composition 
as  a  whole ;  they  are  separate  pictures,  painted  as 
separate  pictures,  and  it  is  melancholy  to  see  so  total 
an  absence  in  king  and  painter  of  all  comprehension  of 
mind. 

"  The  rapidity  of  railroad  communication  destroys 
the  poetry  and  mystery  of  distant  places.  You  went 
to  Windsor  as  an  exploit  for  two  days.  Now,  down 
you  go  in  an  hour,  see  it  in  another,  and  home  in  a 
third.  It  is  painfully  attainable,  and  therefore  to  be 
despised. 

"  The  way  to  visit  a  palace  is  to  take  a  Testament, 
and  read  the  Epistles  as  you  walk  about.  Never  does 
the  insignificance  of  all  human  splendour  diminish  to 
such  a  degree  as  at  such  a  time. 

"  The  view  over  Eton  is  splendid,  and  the  whole 
Castle  has  a  fine  gloomy  bai'barism ;  but  the  public 
rooms  disappointed  me.  The  ceilings  by  Verrio,  the 
Gobelin  Tapestry  from  Coypel,  and  the  paltry  ceilings 
with  gilt  tridents  are  ludicrous.  The  finest  portrait  is 
Wilkie's  William  IV.,  in  the  Waterloo  Room. 

"  2&th.  — They  must  not,  they  cannot,  do  justice  to 
me.  I  offended,  assaulted,  and  refuted  the  aristocratical 
principle  in  my  Art,  and  the  aristocracy  out  of  the  Art 
feel  it  a  duty  to  withhold  all  support  from  me.  This  is 
the  secret  of  all  the  neglect  and  opposition  I  have  met 
with ;  added  to  this,  that  the  aristocracy  have  no  judg- 
ment, and  are  always  putting  off  making  a  selection  or 
coming  to  a  judgment.  It  is  all  '  prizes  next  yeai-,'  or 
*  competition  the  year  after.' " 


1842. j  RUMOUR    ON    MODERN    ART.  225 

From  Rumohv's  letter,  8th  June :  — 

"  I  am  in  opposition  to  the  artists  of  these  modern  times 
in  that  one  and  single  point  that  whatever  may  be  the  taste, 
manner,  opinions  of  the  different  schools  prevailing  actually, 
there  is  no  artist  in  the  present  world  who  does  not  hope  to 
acquire  that  divine  and  primitive  inspiration,  which  conduces 
to  what  you  call  High  Art,  by  imitation  of  some  period  of 
ancient  and  old  Art.  Yourself,  you  hope  in  the  true  Greek 
Art  (your  pure  feeling  of  its  excellence  hath  been,  to  my 
great  advantage,  the  origin  of  our  warm  and  frequent  active 
correspondence) ;  others  in  the  Dutch  or  the  mediasval  Art. 
It  is  all  the  same  :  artists  may  form  their  tastes,  clear  up 
their  ideas,  acquire  many  technical  accomplishments  by  ad- 
miring, observing,  studying  excellent  works  of  any  kind. 
But  that  mental  principle,  —  that  genuine  inspiration  not 
personal,  but  natural  and  coeval,  —  cannot  be  acquired  in- 
tentionally, and  without  it  there  is  but  one  kind  possible,  the 
imitation  of  nature's  infinite  beauties  ;  and  I  fear  that  in  our 
times,  and  in  every  part  of  the  world,  there  is  (with  very 
few  exceptions)  not  much  inspiration  left,  besides  that  strong 
feeling  for  nature  characterising  our  epoch. 

"  One  of  these  exceptions  may  be  found  in  the  strong  sen- 
sation of  a  British  heart  for  political  and  patriotic  subjects." 

"  29M.  —  Nearly  the  last  day.  For  the  last  fortnight 
it  is  extraorclinarv  how  harass,  anxieties,  and  distractions 
have  interrupted  my  studies.  Saturday  week  was  the 
last  day  I  put  a  touch  to  Saragossa ;  since  then  all  has 
been  begging  friends  for  help,  dwelling  in  agony  (when 
my  family  thought  I  was  sleeping)  on  the  certainty  of 
ruin  at  the  end  of  my  great  cartoon,  and  yet,  with  that 
pertinacity,  which  has  been  the  characteristic  of  my 
whole  life,  ordering  the  paper,  canvas,  frame  13  feet  by 
10g,  to  begin  as  soon  as  possible,  though  ruin  will 
follow. 

"  I  confess  I  feel  it  cruel,  after  thirty-eight  years  of 
devotion,  to  be  tried  again  before  I  am  employed. 

VOL.  III.  Q 


226  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  IIATDON".  [1842. 

"Burke  said,  there  was  hardly  a  point  of  pride  which 
was  not  injurious  to  a  man's  interests. 

"  I  say  there  is  no  point  of  pride  which  is  not  whis- 
pered by  the  devil. 

"  July  1st.  —  Worked  in  great  anxiety.  Three  bills 
due  this  month  and  no  funds.  Called  on  William  Wood- 
burn,  and,  as  the  subject  was  comparatively  new,  he 
gave  me  a  touching  account  of  Wilkie's  last  journey  and 
death.  Poor  fellow  !  Woodburn  said  he  quacked  himself 
to  death ;  his  only  anxiety  wherever  he  went  was,  if 
there  were  a  medical  man  in  the  town  ;  and  if  there 
were  none,  he  bought  medicines  of  his  own. 

"  At  Jerusalem  he  was  delighted  like  a  child,  believ- 
ing everything  told  him.  They  embarked  at  Jaffa  on 
board  a  Greek  vessel  laden  with  sonp,  and  encountered 
a  terrific  gale.  Neither  of  them  spoke  to  each  other  the 
whole  night :  however,  they  got  safe  to  Damietta  and 
to  Alexandria. 

"  Mehemet  Ali  Woodburn  spoke  of  with  a  sort  of 
pleasure  and  respect :  he  appointed  them  at  eight  in  the 
morning;  they  went  and  had  pipes  and  coffee.  Wood- 
burn  told  him,  through  his  dragoman,  it  was  early  for 
European  manners.  He  said,  '  I  have  been  an  early 
riser  all  my  life,  and  shall  be  ever  so.' 

"  When  they  embarked  on  board  the  Oriental,  Wood- 
burn  said,  '  Now,  my  dear  Wilkie,  I  consider  you  safe 
in  England  ;  I  will  go  to  Cairo.'  Wilkie  became  so 
alarmed  at  being  left  alone,  and  begged  so  hard,  that 
Woodburn  agreed  to  go  home  with  him.  Woodburn 
said  he  often  talked  of  me,  and  alluded  to  our  journey 
to  Paris,  1814. 

"  As  they  entered  the  bay  Woodburn  went  down  to 
call  him,  and  found  him  up  with  his  pantaloons  on. 
Woodburn  said,  'It  is  a  beautiful  morning;  join  us  at 
breakfast?'  He  replied,  eI  should  wish  to  see  the 
doctor  first.' 


1842.]  DETAILS    AS    TO    WILKIE'S    DEATH.  227 

"  The  doctor  was  sent  for,  and  shortly  came  up  to 
Woodburn,  and  said,  '  Your  friend  is  in  considerable 
danger.'  They  then  resolved  to  call  up  the  medical  at- 
tendant of  Sir  James  Carnac  (I  think),  and  after  going 
in  he  came  out,  and  said,  '  Has  your  friend  made  his  will  ? ' 

"  Woodburn  said  he  lost  his  faculties  ;  he  went  in  and 
found  Wilkie  stretched  on  his  back,  his  eyes  fixed,  his 
hand  hanging  by  his  side.  The  medical  man  put  a  towel 
on  his  breast,  leant  down  and  listened  to  his  heart,  and 
after  a  minute  or  two  said,  '  Your  friend  is  gone.'  Wood- 
burn  said  he  looked  at  his  hand,  and  thought,  '  Good 
God  !  what  that  hand  has  done  ! ' 

"  Poor  Wilkie  ! 

"  Woodburn  then  went  to  the  captain,  after  trying  to 
get  the  body  ashore  and  delaying  a  few  hours,  and  begged 
a  coffin  might  be  made.  He  replied  that  one  was  nearly 
done.  The  body  was  stripped  and  placed  in  the  coffin 
in  a  clean  sheet ;  iron  and  weights  were  placed  in  ;  a 
clergyman  read  the  service,  and  David  Wilkie  was 
lowered  to  his  last  refuge  from  worldly  anxiety  in  the 
depths  of  Trafalgar  Bay. 

"  I  envy  him  his  entombment,  and  I  hope  I  may 
follow  him  in  some  way  equally  extraordinary  and  ro- 
mantic.     Peace  to  his  spirit  ! 

"  He  had  endeared  himself  to  the  crew,  the  captain, 
and  passengers. 

"  6fh.  —  Called  in  to  see  my  dear  old  painting-room, 
at  41.  Great  Marlborough  Street,  where  I  painted  my 
Dentatus,  Macbeth,  Solomon,  and  a  part  of  Jerusalem. 
Perkins,  my  dear  old  landlord  (who  behaved  so  nobly 
through  Solomon,  and  whom  I  paid  off  after,  but  who 
lost  in  the  end)  was  dead. 

"  The  house  was  bought  and  undergoing  repair;  the 
rooms  stripped  and  desolate  ;  the  cupboard,  the  little 
room  where  I  slept,  and  the  plaster  room,  with  all  their 
associations,   crowded  on  me.     Watson  Taylor  lodged 

q  2 


228  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  It.  HAYDON.  [1842. 

there  before  me,  with  his  mother.  Farquhar  lived  near. 
I  thought  once  of  putting  up  a  brass  plate,  c  Here  Hay- 
don  painted  his  Solomon,  1813.'  For  want  of  engraving, 
the  picture  is  now  forgotten,  and  the  surgeon  who  has 
bought  the  house  would  perhaps  have  papered  it  up.  So 
much  for  the  brass  plate. 

"  Just  as  I  had  really  brought  the  whole  country  to 
see  the  value  of  the  figure,  come  these  Gothic  ferocities, 
which  stop  the  whole, —  but  I  hope  not. 

"  dth.  —  How  delightfully  time  flies  when  one  paints. 
Delicious  art  —  the  bane  and  blessing  of  my  life  ! 

"  Painted  in  delicious  and  exquisite  misery.  A  bill 
due  and  no  money.  Went  out  for  it  last  night,  and 
came  home  wet,  weary,  and  disappointed.  Succeeded 
in  the  head  of  the  Heroine  of  Saragossa.  I  made  it  a 
splendid  head. 

"  The  greatest  curse  that  can  befall  a  father  in  Eng- 
land is  to  have  a  son  gifted  with  a  passion  and  a  genius 
for  High  Art.  Thank  God  with  all  my  soul  and  all  my 
nature,  my  children  have  witnessed  the  harassing  agonies 
under  which  I  have  ever  painted  ;  and  the  very  name  of 
painting, — the  very  name  of  High  Art, — the  very  thought 
of  a  picture,  gives  them  a  hideous  and  disgusting  taste 
in  their  mouths.  Thank  God,  not  one  of  my  boys,  nor 
my  girl,  can  draw  a  straight  line,  even  with  a  ruler, 
much  less  without  one.  And  I  pray  God,  on  my  knees, 
with  my  forehead  bent  to  the  earth,  and  my  lips  to  the 
dust,  that  he  will,  in  his  mercy,  afflict  them  with  every 
other  passion,  appetite,  or  misery,  with  wretchedness, 
disease,  insanity,  or  gabbling  idiotism,  rather  than  a 
longing  for  painting, —  that  scorned,  miserable  art, — 
that  greater  imposture  than  the  human  species  it  imi- 
tates. 

"  lO^A.  —  At  church,  and  prayed  from  my  heart.  As 
I  prayed,  1  felt  uneasy  at  risking  labour  on  a  cartoon, 
with  the  uncertainty  of  reward  and   with  my  family, 


1842.]  BEGINNING    HIS    CARTOON.  229 

however  much  my  duty  may  involve  my  executing  such 
a  cartoon  ;  when  suddenly  a  ray  of  light  seemed  to  pass 
into  my  heart,  and  I  felt  inexpressible  joy  and  encourage- 
ment to  go  on.  Go  on  I  will,  and  from  this  instant  all 
doubt  has  vanished.  I  shall  proceed  with  the  certainty 
of  success ;  reward  and  employment  will  follow,  as 
surely  as  if  it  were  announced. 

"  I  put  this  impression  down  to  judge  of  results,  be- 
lieving and  trusting  in  God  with  all  my  heart. 

"  11th.  —  I  finished  the  Saragossa  as  far  as  figures  go 
on  Saturday.  Thus  I  have  painted  it  in  four  months, 
deducting  one  for  my  foot  and  its  consequences,  leaving 
three  for  actual  work  ;  and  grateful  I  ought  to  be,  and 
grateful  I  am.  Now  for  my  cartoon.  Edward  the' 
Black  Prince  entering  London  with  John  —  Conqueror 
and  Captive  — or  the  Curse;  which?  The  one  is  suit- 
able to  the  building,  the  other  is  interesting  to  the 
world. 

"13th.  —  Huzza — huzza  —  huzza;  and  one  cheer 
more  ! 

"  My  cartoon  is  up,  and  makes  my  heart  beat,  as  all 
large  bare  spaces  do,  and  ever  have  done.  Difficulties 
to  conquer.  Victories  to  win.  Enemies  to  beat.  The 
nation  to  please.  The  honour  of  England  to  be  kept 
up. 

"  Huzza  —  huzza — huzza  ;  and  one  cheer  more  ! 

"  22nd.  —  Began  my  cartoon  in  reality.  Tried  a  bit 
first,  and  steamed  at  it  most  successfully,  so  that  the 
sized  part  is  all  right.  I  got  the  whole  in,  feeling 
extreme  agony  of  mind  at  my  necessities  at  intervals. 
I  sent  out  my  portrait  of  RafFaele  and  poor  dear  Wilkie, 
to  raise  something  for  the  day.  It  is  dreadful ;  but  it 
can't  be  helped.      After  what  I  have  suffered,  it  is  cruel 

of and  Sir  Robert  Peel  thus  to  put  me  to  the  test 

again.  Darling  called  (one  of  my  oldest  friends)  and 
lent  me  57. 

q3 


230  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  IIAYDON.  [1842. 

"25th. —  Began  Adam's  head  to-day.  I  hope  God 
will  bless  me  through  it,  and  through  the  week.    Amen. 

"  I  have  a  15/.  8s  8d.  bill  I  promised  on  Saturday 
and  could  not  pay  it;  and  71.  due  to-day  at  four.  Can't 
pay  it.  And  these  ai*e  the  agreeable  sensations  I  must 
abstract  my  mind  from  before  I  can  invent  and  execute 
the  grandest  and  weakest  of  human  beings.  Yet,  under 
God's  blessing,  I'll  succeed. 

"  Eight  o'clock.  Got  on  capitally,  and  arranged  the 
71.  by  paying  5s.  for  a  month's  renewal,  after  drawing 
six  hours  and  three  quarters,  and  allowing  a  quarter  for 
lunch. 

"  29th. — Lockhart  liked  my  Adam,  and  I  think  it 
good.  In  how  extraordinary  a  way  was  it  produced. 
Good  heavens !  But  I  conscientiously  believe,  under 
the  blessing  of  God,  that  all  this  row  about  Art  will 
be  a  working  up  of  glory  for  me.  I  feel  it,  and  know  it. 
In  Him  I  trust. 

"August  1st.  —  Worked  hard  and  well  advanced. 
Tortured  by  having  only  7s.  in  my  pocket,  and  4s.  of 
that  raised  on  one  of  my  two  pair  of  spectacles.  Lord 
Grey  says  he  can't  help  me.  Lord  Colborne  won't 
double  his  raffle  money.  Leader  has  not  replied. 
Under  all  these  torments  my  landlord  forbears  and 
helps;  but  it  is  painful  to  be  in  such  a  situation  again. 
However,  let  God  grant  me  health,  intellect,  and  eyes, 
and  eight  hours  free,  and  I'll  do  it. 

"  4th. — My  eyes  strained  dreadfully.  In  great  distress 
of  mind,  having  only  10s.  Called  on  an  old  friend,  and 
told  him  the  truth,  —  that  owing  to  the  quarrel  of  en- 
graver and  publisher  I  was  kept  out  of  my  money  for 
the  Duke's  print.  He  was  distressed,  but  he  and  his 
wife  squeezed  out  51.  for  a  month.  His  name  is  Illidge 
—  a  good  mild  creature.  I  hope  I  shall  be  able  to  repay 
it.  My  bill  of  15/.  8s.  8d.  went  back.  As  I  came 
along  in  anxiety,  I  thought  it  would  improve  my  com- 


1842.]  CARTOON    DRAWING:    NECESSITIES.  231 

position  to  lower  Christ  in  the  design.     But  for  this  in- 
ternal delight  I  should  have  gone  mad  long  ago. 

"  5th. — Having  finished,  steamed,  and  settled  Adam, 
my  principal  figure,  I  see  my  way  in  cartoons.  And 
I  now  see  why  Europe  has  produced  no  colourist  or 
great  executor  with  the  brush  since  the  great  Flemish 
eras  of  Rubens  and  Rembrandt. 

"  Cartoon  pictures  in  chalk  are  the  abuse  of  a  noble 
principle,  —  a  modern  lassitude. 

"  Cartoons  are  a  means,  and  not  an  end.  When  they 
become  an  end  they  ruin  the  artist  and  the  art,  and  the 
great  cartoon  drawer  becomes  a  helpless  infant  with  the 
brush. 

'•'To-morrow  a  rowing  letter  about  my  bill,  151.  8s.  &d. 
In  the  meanwhile  I  have  finished  Adam,  and  placed 
Eve  in  a  better  position,  and  improved  the  whole  thing. 
I  never  answer  letters  till  four.  I  will  work  seven 
hours  in  delight,  and  then  answer  about  my  bill.  Pay 
it  I  shall  as  a  point  of  honour,  as  it  is  my  last  bill  of 
education  (a  sacred  debt)  for  dear  Fred.  But  I  must 
and  will  have  time.  All  this  would  make  a  bill-broker 
(S.  Gurney  for  instance)  look  grave.  It  is  irregular; 
but  what  is  a  man  to  do  who  has  700  guineas  deferred 
till  next  year,  and  owing  to  the  squabbling  of  publisher 
and  engraver  can't  touch  125/,  due  on  the  Duke's  print? 

9th. —  Put  in  the  head  of  Eve;  but  instead  of  shut- 
ting the  eyes  as  I  first  conceived,  I  opened  them  to  show 
her  beauty,  and  made  a  common  ad  cajitandum  vulgus 
thing.  Obliged  to  go  out  as  I  put  in  the  eyes  to  arrange 
about  a  50/.  bill.  Come  home  in  the  heat,  and  finished 
the  head,  my  model,  a  sweet  girl,  wondering  what  I 
was  doing. 

"  In  the  midst  of  the  grossest  misery  my  landlord 
called  and  gave  me  31.  II.  15s.  lOd.  I  paid  my  rates 
with  in  the  evening ;  the  rest  left  for  necessaries. 

U  4 


232  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1842. 

"  20th. — Completed  Adam  and  Eve.  Now  for  Satan 
on  Monday,  with  only  1*.  6d.  in  my  pocket.     Huzza! 

"22nd.  —  My  want  of  money,  and  want  of  means  of 
raising  money,  is  dreadful.  I  have  now  got  Satan's 
head  to  do.  In  the  middle  of  the  night  I  saw  his  large, 
fiery,  cruel,  rimmed  eye,  and  kept  staring  at  the  dark, 
where  nothing  was,  for  an  hour. 

"  24th.  —  Worked  very  hard,  and  got  the  Devil's 
figure  in.  Wrote  the  Dukes  of  Devonshire  and  Rich- 
mond  about  my  necessities.  Made  an  accurate  study 
first  from  life. 

"21th.  —  Very  hard  run  for  cash,  so  I  sent  out  to 
Woodburn's  a  frame  containing  the  first  sketch  in  chalk 
of  Rent-day,  Distraining  for  Rent,  and  two  more.  I 
asked  him  fifteen  guineas,  but  he  would  only  give  me 
five,  so  relieved  at  any  rate  for  a  day,  I  hurried  away  to 
Wilkie's  Exhibition,  and  spent  three  hours.  This  is  the 
last  time  we  shall  ever  see  Wilkie's  works  together 
again.  Hail  and  farewell,  the  only  friend  of  my  youth ! 
A  higher  and  deeper  Art  is  breeding  in  England,  but 
full  justice  has  been  done  to  thee. 

"31st.  —  Woodburn  had  just  received  7000/.  from 
Oxford  for  Raffaele's  drawings.  Last  day  of  August. 
I  have  worked  not  as  I  ought,  but  as  well  as  I  could, 
considering  my  dreadful  necessities.  I  borrowed  4/.  last 
night  of  my  landlord  to  pay  a  servant,  10/.  to-day  of  my 
butterman,  Webb,  an  old  pupil,  recommended  me  by 
Sir  George  Beaumont  twenty-five  years  ago,  but  who 
wisely,  after  drawing  hands,  set  up  a  butter-shop,  and 
was  enabled  to  send  his  master  10/.  in  his  necessities. 

" '  Webb,'  said  I,  '  when  you  wei*e  a  poor  youth  I 
gave  my  time  to  you  for  nothing.'  'You  did.'  '  I  want 
10/.'  'You  shall  have  it,  Mi*.  Haydon.  I  shall  ever 
feel  grateful.' 

"I  paid  11.  out  of  the  10/.,  and  borrowed  10/.  of  the 
man  I  paid  11,  to,  to  meet  my  son's  bill  on  board  Im- 


1842.]  RUMOHR    ON    CARTOONS.  233 

pregnable,  due  at  Coutts'  to-morrow.  Came  home, 
took  out  our  Saviour,  and  tried  him  walking  in  the 
garden.  He  would  not  do,  so  put  him  in  again  sitting 
and  reposing.  Better  than  ever.  Satan  looked  power- 
fully. It  is  a  blessing  to  get  ease  for  twenty-four  hours, 
which  Webb's  10/.  has  caused  to  my  mind. 

"  Thus  ends  August." 

From  Rumohr's  letter  of  August  22nd:  — 

"  I  have  been  struck  by  what  you  observe  on  the  conse- 
quences of  cartoons,  and  find  it  just,  in  as  far  as  the  last  and 
present  century  are  concerned  in  the  question  ;  modern  car- 
toons with  few  exceptions  are  licked  (smoothed)  and  polished 
intentionally,  and  modern  artists  would  rather  subject  them- 
selves to  some  heavy  fine  than  to  stray  one  line  of  (from) 
their  precious  and  beloved  preparations  on  paper  or  cartoon. 
Their  tenderness  for  paper  drawings,  or  rather  paper  itself, 
is  in  great  part  the  occasion  of  certain  distortions  peculiar  to 
modern  Art.  They  fear  to  become  unclean,  to  miss  that  de- 
licious Chinese  neatness,  by  correcting  any  line  of  chalk  (?) 
most  evidently  incorrect,  ugly,  detestable.  Wherefore  should 
they  swerve  in  painting  from  such  perfectly  clean  and  neat 
models  ? 

"  Notwithstanding  this  coincidence,  I  must  needs  object  to 
the  application  you  made  of  that  remark  to  objects  of  the 
noble  period  of  Raffaele,  and  especially  on  that  celebrated 
piece  of  cartoon  containing  the  middle  group  of  the  school 
of  Athens.  You  did  not  observe,  or  forgot  after  so  many 
years  past,  that  yonder  admirable  piece  of  masterly  hand 
(handiwork)  arrived  at  Paris  in  but  indifferent  state  of  pre- 
servation, and  truly  unfit  to  be  exposed  to  a  northern  eye, 
inasmuch  as  (insomuch  that)  the  judicious  French  found  it 
convenient  to  be  retouched  by  some  clever  Academicians, 
who  had  appropriated  to  themselves  that  wondrously  perfect 
kind  of  drawing  with  prolonged  large  parallel  strokes,  imi- 
tated from  the  fine  metallic-lustre-looking  manner  of  the 
best  modern  engravers.  To  arrive  at  perfection  they  chose 
to  recopy  some  of  the  numerous  copies  existing  at  Paris  of 
the  original  picture  at  Rome,  and  in  that  way  the  cartoon 


234  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1842. 

was  made  to  look  like  the  picture,  and  the  picture  might 
appear  to  yourself  to  be  a  mere  copy  of  the  cartoon,  viz.,  in 
its  present  adulterated  state. 

"  I  have  seen  a  great  deal  of  ancient  studies,  drawings, 
cartoons,  and  sketches  of  such.  The  outline  and  the  masses 
of  light  were  everywhere  defined  with  great  exactitude,  viz., 
if  predestined  for  the  fresco  execution ;  but  there  was  left  in 
the  spaces  between  the  outlines  and  masses  an  infinity  of 
points  still  to  decide  (open  for  decision),  with  exception  of 
such  cartoons  as  were  worked  to  guide  the  hand  of  scholars 
and  manuals  (handicraftsmen).  The  great  painters  in  Raf- 
faele's  period  chose  when  drawing  everywhere  the  materials 
and  the  manner  that  suited  best  their  ends.  They  were 
wild  or  collected,  rough  or  delicate.  Since  a  century  draw- 
ing is  become  a  manner ;  intelligence,  beaut}',  sense,  vivacity 
of  conception  have  been  subjected  to  that  idle  and  tedious, 
neat  and  soft  manner.  And  so  no  doubt  what  hath  become 
insipid  in  the  cartoon  ought  to  become  intolerable  in  its 
pictorial  copy. 

"  The  most  perfect  painter  of  fresco  (though  not  the  best 
of  all  painters)  hath  been  Domenico  Ghirlandajo,  a  Flo- 
rentine. He  used  to  light  up  his  pictures  in  the  afternoon, 
when  the  local  tints  began  to  dry,  being  still  wet  enough  to 
assimilate  those  last  pastose  (fat)  touches,  somewhat  like  to 
the  oil  manner  of  Paolo  Veronese.  But  Raffaele,  in  his 
Mass  of  Bolsena  and  in  some  parts  of  the  Heliodorus,  was 
likewise  admirable  by  the  intelligence,  hardihood  and  taste 
of  his  colouring  in  fresco." 

"September  13th  — Called  in  Lombard  Street  on 
Gurney,  who  broke  his  word  after  giving  me  an  order. 
I  told  him  I  wanted  561  2s.  107/.,  to  pay  my  son's  bill 
at  Cambridge.  I  asked  his  help.  He  refused.  I  asked 
Lord  Melbourne.  I  asked  Lords  Shrewsbury,  Digby, 
and  Carlisle  to  take  shares  in  Saragossa.  Lord  Carlisle 
only  did.  I  was  harassed  to  death,  and  came  home  ex- 
hausted. I  then  set  my  drapery  for  Christ  by  putting 
up  two  plaster  legs,  my  lay  figure  being  in  pawn,  and 


18-2.]  AT    HIS    CARTOONS.  235 

sallied  forth  again  to  put  off  11/.  10s.,  which  I  could 
not  pay.  Yet  I  will  finish  Christ  this  week,  and  I 
trust  in  God  pay  my  dear  Frank's  bill  too.  The 
moment  a  disappointment  takes  place,  my  mind  springs 
to  a  new  hope.  It  is  this  elasticity  which  supports  me. 
In  God  I  know  I  shall  not  trust  in  vain,  as  this  week 
will  show. 

" i  Then  they  cried  unto  the  Lord  in  their  trouble, 
and  he  saved  them  out  of  their  distresses.' 

"  Most  cordially  do  I  believe  it. 

"17th.  —  Thus  I  have,  by  the  blessing  of  God,  ac- 
complished my  cartoon  figures,  four  in  two  months. 
Had  my  mind  been  at  rest  I  could  have  done  all  four  in 
a  month,  or  had  I  wanted  them,  in  less  time.  When  I 
look  back  and  think  under  what  miseries  and  distress  I 
began  the  cartoon,  without  money  or  employment,  I 
must  believe  nothing  but  the  Almighty  blessing  me 
throughout,  with  friends  to  help  and  aid  me,  could  have 
accomplished  it. 

"  Grateful  I  am  beyond  expression,  and  I  trust  to  go 
on  to  a  triumphant  conclusion,  and  that  I  may  be  ulti- 
mately victorious  in  my  great  object,  which  has  been  so 
long  my  hope  and  prayer. 

"  Think  of  my  influence  with  my  species  to  induce 
them  to  trust  me  for  papers,  canvass,  chalk,  labour,  rent, 
models,  to  get  collectors  to  pay  my  taxes,  and  landlords 
to  abstain  from  rent;  but  I  always  show  them  my  work, 
and  they  acquiesce.  I  then  work  away  in  ecstasy  till 
some  other  dun  comes,  who  is  shown  in,  and  equally 
vanquished.  A  woman  came,  and  on  seeing  the  cartoon, 
lifted  up  her  hands  and  eyes,  and  said,  '  Oh !  what  a 
sublime  genus.'' 

"  But  it  is  not  my  influence.     It  is  not  human. 

"  23rd.  —  Worked,  steamed,  and  splashed  oil  colour 
over  Adam's  leg.  It  was  evidently  too  short,  and  being 
nicely  worked,  I  hesitated,  with  that  lazy  apathy  which 


236  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  E.  HAYDON.  [1842. 

comes  over  one,  to  alter  it  as  I  ought.  The  splash  of 
oil  decided  it,  so  I  pasted  paper  over  it,  and  on  Monday 
a  new  leg.  Now  the  short  one  is  gone,  the  figure  looks 
right. 

"27 th. — Worked  hard,  and  put  in  the  new  leg,  and 
the  whole  figure  fell  into  proportion  and  fitness ;  but  for 
the  oil  splash  I  should  perhaps  have  sullenly  risked 
public  disapprobation  of  a  short  leg.  It  was  out  of  per- 
spective. Is  it  not  extraordinary  a  man  of  my  expe- 
rience should  conceitedly  suspect  he  need  not  take  so 
much  trouble  as  when  young,  and  is  it  not  proper  to 
find  he  requires  it  as  much  as  ever  ?  Why  did  I  not 
put  my  model  thirty  feet  off,  as  I  did  in  Lazarus  when 
I  made  my  first  drawing?  I  did  it  yesterday,  but  why 
did  I  not  do  it  at  first  ?  Impudent  conceit.  And  the 
oil  splash  brought  me  to  my  senses. 

"  October  2nd.  —  Finished  my  letter  to  the  Sheffield 
Mercury,  on  a  school  of  design.  It  is  my  conviction, 
if  sound  Art  be  not  combined  with  practical  science  at 
the  schools  of  design,  from  the  facilities  given  by  them 
both  to  artists  and  mechanics,  the  art  will  be  seriously 
injured  in  the  next  three  years,  —  which  I  hope  to 
prevent.- 

"  5th.  —  The  cartoon  is  laid  aside,  and  now  my  mind 
begins  to  fret.  I  can't  sleep  for  want  of  another  over- 
whelming subject.  Which  shall  I  fly  at  —  Alexander 
killing  an  enormous  Lion,  or  Curtius  ?  A  single  head 
is  misery  to  me.  I  get  sick.  My  imagination  aches. 
Worked  at  a  head  —  a  sketch  —  all  trifles. 

"  11th.  —  Collins  called  to-day,  and  in  course  of  con- 
versation, said,  '  I  really  think  you  ought  to  join  us  ! ' '  I 
said  nothing. 

"  The  state  of  the  question  is  this.  All  the  objects 
I  have  fought  for  are  coming.  If  they  are  realised 
without  the  Academy  claiming  me  as  a  member,  I  am 
victorious,  isolated,  unsanctioned  by  rank  or  station.     If 


1842.]  miss  baerett's  soxnet  on  wordsworth.  237 

they  induce  me  to  join  them,  and  the  victory  comes 
after,  they  will  claim  a  share  in  the  honour  of  an 
achievement  they  have  always  tried  to  oppose.  So  if  I 
am  quiet,  and  let  things  take  their  course,  whether  I 
benefit  or  not  individually,  my  character  is  consistent 
before  the  country.  I  would  not  lose  that  character  in 
dear  old  England  for  all  the  treasures  of  the  earth. 

"  My  dear  old  friend  and  fellow  student  Collins  is 
anxious  for  me  to  join  the  Academy.  But  how  can  I  ? 
It  is  too  late.  After  having  brought  up  my  family 
through  every  species  of  misery  to  distinction  and 
honour,  am  I  now  to  show  that,  after  all,  their  honours 
were  necessary  ?  Oh  no,  no,  —  the  compromise  of  prin- 
ciple would  be  dreadful.  Let  me  die  as  I  have  lived, 
O  God,  and  give  me  strength  of  mind  to  resist  temp- 
tation, for  I  see  it's  coming.  And  let  me  live  in  the 
hearts  of  my  countrymen,  like  John  Milton  and  William 
Shakspeare !  Ah  !  may  I  be  worthy  !  May  I  be  worthy  ! 
Amen." 

His  first  cartoon  being  now  complete,  he  next  began 
his  picture  of  Curtius  leaping  into  the  Gulf.*  He  sent 
his  sketch  for  the  picture,  at  the  request,  I  presume,  of 
Miss  Mitford,  to  her  friend  Miss  E.  B.  Barrett  (now 
Mrs.  Browning),  together  with  the  portrait  of  Words- 
worth on  Helvellyn,  painted  this  year.  The  portrait 
inspired  this  sonnet :  — 

"  Wordsworth  upon  Helvellyn  !     Let  the  cloud 
Ebb  audibly  along  the  mountain  wind, 
Then  break  against  the  rock,  and  show  behind 
The  lowland  valleys  floating  up  to  crowd 
The  sense  with  beauty.     He  with  forehead  bowed 
And  humble-lidded  eyes,  as  one  inclined 
Before  the  sovian  thoughts  of  his  own  mind, 
And  very  meek  with  inspirations  proud, 
Takes  here  his  rightful  place,  as  poet-priest, 

*  This  picture  is  now  in  the  possession  of  Mr.  Barrett,  a  dealer, 
in  the  Strand. 


238  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  K.  HAYDON.  [1842. 

By  the  high  altar,  singing  praise  and  prayer 
To  the  yet  higher  heavens.     A  vision  free 
And  noble,  Haydon,  hath  thine  art  released. 
No  portrait  this  with  academic  air, 
This  is  the  poet  and  his  poetry." 

"  October  25th.  —  Out  to  National  Gallery.  After 
dwelling  on  the  rawness  of  fresco,  the  tone  of  Titian 
went  into  my  soul  like  the  tone  of  an  organ.  How  I 
gloried  in  the  Bacchus  and  Ariadne !  How  I  tasted  the 
Ganymede  with  its  fleshiness,  its  black  eagle  against  a 
clear  sky.  Nothing  in  fresco  can  equal  these  —  their 
juicy  richness,  their  delicious  harmony.  Oh  I  shall  get 
sick  of  lime,  but  duty  calls." 

From  Riumohr's  letter  of  December  4th  :  — 

"  Germany  is  a  terra  incognita  to  you  as  to  most  of  your 
countrymen.  You  have  lived  so  many  centuries  in  a  com- 
pact political  union,  you  will,  even  when  present,  find  it 
difficult  to  think  clearly  of  German  things.  Here  is  no  cen- 
tralisation of  any  but  an  ideal  kind,  not  existing  in  reality, 
but  merely  in  mind.  There  are  epidemical  infections  of 
errors  which  appear  to  become  tolerably  universal,  but  not 
so  much  as  to  destroy  every  particular  turn  of  mind.  I  have 
outlived  in  Art  at  least  five  different  periods  of  that  kind. 
Firstly,  the  passage  of  (from)  Winckelman's  and  Mengs' 
theory  to  a  determined  predilection  for  old  Grecian  things, 
which  then,  in  want  of  the  Athenian  Marbles,  not  yet  known 
or  brought  into  a  European  place,  were  chosen  amongst  the 
ancient  vases  and  potteries.  Then  they  went  admiring 
Leonardo  and  Raffaele,  doing  their  best  to  imitate  them. 
After  these  models  a  passage  to  the  elder  Italian,  and  finally 
to  the  Germans,  until  Durer.  Artists  generally  spohe  much 
of  ancient  painters ;  I  observed  mostly  a  singular  aversion 
from  studying  and  observing  them  with  some  attention  ;  all 
this  ended  with  the  superficiality  of  the  new,  pleasing, 
Dusseldorf  school  manner.  But  neither  sculpture  nor  land- 
scape nor  Genre-painting  shared  all  these  passages.  So  that 
you  may  find  in  every  corner  of  Germany  individuals  of 
great  merit  in  their  way  who  acquired  their  art  and  know- 


1842.]  RU3J0HR    OX    GERMAN    ART.  239 

ledge  in  perfect  independence  of  the  prevailing  epidemic. 
These  very  generally  will  preserve  their  credit  in  a  future 
period :  their  studies  after  natural  subjects  are  truly  inter- 
esting, and  superior  perhaps  to  everything  produced  with  an 
ideal  tendency. 

"  The  reason  of  that  (this)  superiority  of  naturalism  is 
this.  There  hath  not  been  existing  in  Germany  during  the 
last  thirty-five  years,  neither  a  patriotic,  nor  a  religious,  nor 
even  an  intellectual  want  of  pictures  and  statues ;  there  hath 
not  been,  for  the  same  reason,  any  uninterrupted  flow  of  a 
rich  and  irresistible  inspiration  among  artists.  Your  British 
artists,  beginning  a  new  era  in  the  new  Parliament  House, 
might  obtain  such  a  flow  of  inspiration,  by  their  object  being 
a  patriotical  one,  and  their  minds  susceptible,  so  I  hope,  of 
an  exalted  feeling  for  their  country  and  for  its  history,  for 
its  polish,  its  importance,  and  avenir.  I  cannot  endure  the 
thought  of  such  a  work  executed  by  foreigners,  even  if 
Raflaeles  and  Leonardos  were  to  be  procured.  Notwith- 
standing, I  must  acknowledge  the  modern  German  painters, 
and  especially  Cornelius,  to  have  had  the  first  hand  in  his- 
torical and  monumental  fresco  painting,  —  to  have  acquired 
a  vast  deal  of  experience  in  conception,  disposition,  and 
execution  of  such  things,  not  to  be  neglected  by  your  coun- 
trymen.    You  may  learn  even  by  their  errors." 

"  December  15th.  —  I  have  this  moment  completed 
Curtius  before  I  put  out  and  proceed  with  Alexander. 
I  humbly  and  gratefully  return  thanks  to  Almighty  God 
for  enabling  me  to  bring  another  picture  to  conclusion  ; 
that  He  hath  blessed  me  with  eyes,  intellect,  health, 
strength,  and  piety  to  get  through  with  it  in  spite  of 
many  pecuniary  difficulties  deep  and  harassing.  Grant, 
O  Lord,  it  may  be  purchased  and  add  to  the  fame  of 
my  great  country,  and  help  me  to  discharge  the  debts. 
incurred  during  its  progress,  and  to  maintain  my  dear 
family  in  respectability  and  virtue.      Amen. 

"25th.  —  In  the  middle  of  the  night  I  awoke  rather 
depressed  from  the  multiplicity  of  anxieties.     I  put  my 


240  MEMOIRS   OP    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [l842. 

hand  on  the  Testament  I  always  sleep  with,  and  opened 
a  passage  in  the  dark,  folded  down  the  leaf,  and  at  day- 
light found  this  blessed  consolation :  "  and  our  hope  of 
you  is  steadfast,  knowing  that  as  ye  are  partakers  of  the 
sufferings  so  shall  ye  be  also  of  the  consolation? 

"29th.  —  My  canvas  up  for  my  new  cartoon.  O 
God,  bless  its  beginning,  progression,  and  conclusion. 
O  God,  enable  me,  aided  but  by  Thee,  to  bring  it  to  a 
grand  and  triumphant  conclusion,  that  it  may  elevate 
the  honour  of  the  country,  and  enable  me  to  support 
my  family  with  honour.  Grant  that  no  difficulties  may 
daunt  or  obstruct  me,  but  that  under  Thy  blessing,  I 
may  vanquish  them  all ;  and  grant  these  things,  and 
above  all  health  of  body  and  mind,  for  Jesus  Christ's 
sake.      Amen. 

"3\st.  —  On  reviewing  the  past  year  it  is  wonderful 
to  think  how  I  have  been  assisted  by  my  Creator  in  the 
most  trying  situations  January,  I  wrote  my  lecture 
on  Fresco.  February,  I  began  to  prepare  to  do  some- 
thing, having  had  three  commissions  deferred  amounting 
to  700  guineas.  I  plunged  at  the  Saragossa  and  got  it 
done.  I  then  in  July  began  a  cartoon  in  appalling  ne- 
cessities, and  by  His  blessing  who  always  blesses  me  I 
erot  through  that.  I  flew  at  Curtius  and  finished  that, 
and  this  day  began  to  sketch  the  arrangement  of  a 
second  cartoon ;  so  that  I  have  worked  well,  happily, 
and  gloriously. 

"  I  have  finished  two  great  works,  one  cartoon,  one 
small  picture  of  the  Duke,  half  done  a  humorous  picture 
of  The  First  Child,  and  sketched  in  The  Black  Prince. 

"  I  have  lived  to  see  a  vote  by  the  State  for  High 
Art,  for  which  I  have  laboured.  I  have  lived  to  find 
myself,  though  the  very  cause  of  the  movement,  utterly 
forgotten,  as  if  I  had  never  existed  at  all.  Such  is 
human  gratitude.  The  first  victim  in  all  revolutions  is 
he  who  caused  them. 


1843. j  A    NEW   YEAR.  241 

"  In  Him  I  trust  who  has  always  blessed  me  when  I 
deserved  it,  and  who  has  punished  me  when  I  wanted 
correction. 

"For  all  the  mercies  of  the  year  past  accept  my 
deepest  gratitude,  O  God !  and  grant  in  concluding  the 
year  1843,  I  may  have  less  to  complain  of,  more  to  be 
grateful  for,  and  in  every  way  have  proved  myself 
worthy  of  the  continuance  of  thy  advice,  protection  and 
help.     Amen." 

1843. 

In  no  year  of  Haydon's  life  had  he  severer  distresses 
to  encounter  than  in  this  of  1843.  It  brought  the  con- 
summation of  what  he  had  so  earnestly  fought  for,  —  a 
competition  of  native  artists  to  prove  their  capability  of 
executing  great  monumental  and  decorative  works,  but 
with  this  came  his  own  bitter  disappointment  at  not 
being  among  the  successful  competitors. 

In  all  his  struggles  up  to  this  point  Haydon  had  the 
consolation  of  hope  that  better  times  were  coming.  But 
now  the  good  time  for  Art  was  come,  and  he  was  passed 
over.  The  blow  fell  heavily,  — indeed,  I  may  say,  was 
mortal.  He  tried  to  cheat  himself  into  the  belief  that 
the  old  hostile  influences  to  which  he  attributed  all  his 
misfortunes  and  difficulties  had  been  working  here  also, 
and  that  he  should  yet  rise  superior  to  their  malice. 
But  the  anticipation  that  had  led  him  on  thus  far  was, 
in  truth,  henceforth  impossible.  He  would  not  admit 
to  himself  that  his  powers  were  impaired,  —  that  he  was 
less  fit  for  great  achievements  in  his  art  now  than  when 
he  painted  Solomon  and  Lazarus.  But  if  he  held  this 
opinion  himself  he  held  it  alone.  It  was  apparent  to 
all,  and  to  none  more  than  to  his  warmest  and  truest 
friends,  that  years  of  harass,  humiliation,  distraction,  and 
conflict  had  enfeebled  his  energies,  and  led  him  to  seek 

VOL.  III.  R 


242  MEMOIRS   OP    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1843. 

in  exaggeration  (to  which  even  in  his  best  days  he  had 
been  prone)  the  effect  he  could  no  longer  attain  by  well- 
measured  force.  His  restless  desire  to  have  a  hand  in 
all  that  was  projected  for  Art  had  wearied  those  in  au- 
thority, and  even  his  old  and  sincere  friend,  the  secretary 
of  the  commission,  was  unable  to  put  forward  his  name 
without  the  chance  of  doing  him  more  injury  than  service. 
He  had  shown  himself  too  intractable  to  follow,  and  he 
had  not  inspired  that  confidence  which  might  have  given 
him  a  right  to  lead. 

And  thus  the  cloud  settled  about  him,  and  grew 
darker  and  denser  every  month  of  his  few  remaining 
years  of  life.  It  is  so  painful  to  follow  day  by  day  his 
struggles  with  disappointment,  despondency,  and  em- 
barrassment that  I  feel  it  due  to  the  reader  to  be  as  brief, 
in  my  extracts  from  the  Journals  of  these  last  years,  as 
I  can  be,  consistently  with  distinctness.  The  last  two 
volumes  of  the  Journals  are  little  more  than  a  record  of 
desperate  struggles,  alternating  with  despondency  and 
angry  protestations, —  all  pointing  to  the  sad  catastrophe 
which  brought  this  stormy  career  to  a  close. 

He  began  with  the  year  his  second  cartoon  of  The 
Black  Prince  entering  London  with  the  French  King 
Prisoner. 

"  January  A.th.  —  Full  of  anxiety  on  money.  Two- 
thirds  of  my  income  diminished.  Last  year,  no  com- 
mission. Curtius,  Saragossa,  and  cartoon  done  without 
order  or  return,  except  four  or  five  shares,  and  now  I 
have  prepared  a  fresh  cartoon,  and  am  to  begin  it  to- 
morrow,—  as  I  began  Solomon, —  without  a  shilling. 
Fifty-seven  years  old  on  the  25th. 

"  In  God  I  trust  as  before.     Amen. 

"  5th.  —  Got  my  cartoon  in,  grumbling  all  the  time  at 
what  I  consider  the  loss  of  brush  power  which  must 
accrue,  but  yet  going  on,  as  I  always  do,  trusting  in  my 
Protector. 


1843. ]        OBTAINS    ARMOUR   FROM    THE    TOWER.  243 

"  I  had  exactly  13s.  6d.  — all  the  ready  money  I  have 
in  the  world  —  in  my  pocket.  So  I  was  13s.  6d.  better 
than  when  I  began  Solomon  thirty  years  ago. 

"  9th.  —  What  I  fear  is  that  my  thinking  always  under 
the  harrow  of  pecuniary  necessity  will  at  last  affect  my 
understanding.  I  trust  in  God  ;  but  to-day  I  had  a 
dulness  of  brain  and  torpor  of  thought  quite  frightful. 

"10£A.  — What  is  High  Art  in  England  but  a  lonof 
Khyber  Pass,  with  the  misery  of  a  passage  in,  but  no 
passage  out  ?  Thirty-nine  yeai*s  have  I  struggled  to 
raise  my  country's  tastes,  and  thirty-two  have  I  been 
utterly  without  employment. 

Went  to  the  Tower  to  get  armour,  which  I  selected, 
but  when  (after  an  order  from  the  Ordnance  had  been 
issued)  I  was  told  I  must  deposit  the  amount,  I  refused 
to  do  so.  After  having  had  armour  from  the  Tower  for 
thirty-five  years,  and  always  returned  it,  I  considered 
this  a  dirty  resolution  as  applicable  to  myself.  I  had  no 
objection,  had  I  been  informed  of  it ;  but  to  come  down 
and  be  taken  by  surprise  was  disgusting.  I  told  them 
it  was  worthy  of  a  nation  of  shopkeepers.  I  was  in  a 
passion  and  poured  forth. 

"  Wth.  —  Got  my  order  from  the  Ordnance  to  get  my 
armour,  and  I  go  down  to-morrow  and  bully  the  store- 
keepers. 

fi12th.  —  Went  and  got  my  armour,  and  brought  it 
home  in  victory.  I  asked  them  if  it  was  the  last  act  of 
the  Whigs,  or  the  first  of  the  Tories.  They  were  as 
polite  as  before  they  were  insolent.  Mr.  Byam  of  the 
Ordnance,  who  has  known  me  thirty-five  years,  brought 
it  before  the  Board,  and  they  accepted  me  and  granted 
my  wish.  Lord  Colborne  took  a  second  share  in  Sara- 
gossa  and  my  dear  Talfourd  sent  me  effective  help  ;  — 
so  I  return  thanks  to  God  I  have  escaped  ruin  at 
present. 

"28th.  —  Worked  very  hard  and  got  on  powerfully. 

it  2 


244  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  K.  IIAYDON.  ["1843. 

Worked  the  whole  week  gloriously,  with  all  the  fury, 
constancy,  and  vigour  of  earlier  days,  and  to-morrow 
must  pay  the  penalty  of  having  deferred  all  pecuniary 
matters  till  I  have  not  2s.  6d.  in  the  house.  My  dearest 
Mary  bears  it  pretty  well, — very  well, —  but  it  tries 
her.     I  only  hope  she  will  hold  out  like  me." 

He  exhibited  his  Curtius  at  the  British  Institution. 

"  February  3rd.  —  Out  early  in  the  morning  to  glaze 
my  picture  of  Curtius.  Found  Etty  in  the  hall  waiting 
like  myself  to  go  up.  Chatted  with  Etty,  who  said  my 
example  and  Hilton's,  in  early  life,  had  greatly  influenced 
him.  At  the  time  I  mounted  to  go  up  and  was  looking 
at  the  Curtius,  I  felt  somebody  pat  my  shoulder,  saying, 
*  Well  done.'  I  turned  round  and  found  Etty.  I  toned 
the  picture  like  lightning.  In  one  hour  and  a  half  I  had 
107.  to  pay  upon  my  honour  and  only  27.  15s.  in  my 
pocket.  I  drove  away  to  Newton,  paid  him  27.  1 5s., 
and  borrowed  107.  I  then  drove  away  to  my  friend,  and 
paid  him  the  107.,  and  borrowed  51.  more,  but  felt  re- 
lieved I  had  not  broke  my  honour.  Then  home,  took 
out  all  my  proofs,  called  on  my  subscribers,  and  saw 
them  left. 

"  Thus  I  have  done  my  duty  to  everybody  to-day ; 
and  what  is  life  but  a  struggle  of  duty  to  your  God, 
your  country,  and  your  species,  day  and  night,  till  death?" 

"March  1st* — Bless  me,  O  Lord,  through  this 
month,  in  spite  of  its  awful  pecuniary  necessities.  But 
I  trust  in  Thee.  Grant  I  may  get  through  my  cartoon, 
and  fit  Saragossa  for  the  public,  and  keep  my  health, 
and  never  lose  my  confidence  in  Thee,  Thou  great  and 
beneficent  Creator.     Amen. 

*  The  Twenty-fifth  volume  of  the  Journal  begins  at  February 
15th,  1843,  with  motto  from  Amos  ix.  v.  15.,  and  from  the  78th 
Psalm  :  "  But  He  being  full  of  compassion,  forgave  their  iniquity, 
and  destroyed  them  not :  yea,  many  a  time  turned  he  his  anger 
away,  and  did  not  stir  up  all  his  wrath." 


1843.]  LETTER    TO    EASTLAKE.  245 


. . 


10th. —  Went  out  and  paid  in  107.  for  Coutts  for 
my  dear  Fred.  Came  home  and  flew  at  the  Saragossa. 
Glazed  it  beautifully.  At  one  flew  out  and  raised  15/. 
of  a  draper  whom  I  dealt  with  (taking  41.  in  goods). 
Drove  home,  and  by  three  Saragossa  was  done.  Rushed 
up  and  paid  my  rates  ;  —  a  warrant  would  have  been 
issued  to-morrow.  This  is  the  life  of  High  Art  in 
England.  Refused  by  my  Prince*,  to  whose  income  I 
contribute,  threatened  by  a  collector,  helped  by  a  draper, 
and  two  judge's  orders  to  pay  on  Saturday,  with  only 
25.  to  meet  32/.  Yet  do  I  cheerfully  rely  it  will  be 
done,  and  this  book  will  prove  it." 

From  a  letter  to  Eastlake,  March  13th :  — 

"  My  dear  Eastlake, 

"  I  am  delighted,  because  being  a  permanent  plan  it  has 
broken  the  ice,  and  will  ultimately  end  in  decoration.  I  de- 
pend on  your's  and  the  commissioners'  judgments;  it  was 
doing  the  thing  rightly  and  with  energy  ;  no  mincing  the 
matter.     Go  on,  and  God  prosper  us  all. 

"  I  appeal  to  the  Eoyal  Commission,  to  the  First  Lord,  to 
you  the  secretary,  to  Barry  the  architect,  if  I  ought  not  to 
be  indulged  in  my  hereditary  right  to  do  this,  viz.,  that  when 
the  houses  are  ready,  cartoons  done,  colours  mixed,  and  all 
at  their  posts,  I  shall  be  allowed,  employed  or  not  employed, 
to  take  the  first  brush  and  dip  into  the  first  colour,  and  put 
the  first  touch  on  the  first  intonaco.  If  that  is  not  granted 
I'll  haunt  every  noble  Lord  and  you,  till  you  join  my  dis- 
turbed spirit  on  the  banks  of  the  Styx.  Keep  that  in  view 
if  you  regard  my  peace  of  mind,  my  ambition,  my  pride  and 
my  glory. 

"  Ever  yours, 

"  B.  R.  HA5TD0N." 

"  \5th.  —  Hard  at  work,  and  got  through  my  second 
cartoon.     O  God,  I  bless  Thee  with  all  my  heart  and 

*  Alluding  to  an  unsuccessful  application  to  II.  R.  H.  Prince 
Albert  just  before. 

E  3 


246  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  11.  HAYDON.  [1843. 

soul  for  Thy  mercies  in  thus  bringing  me  through  the 
difficulties  and  troubles  which  have  pursued  me  up  to 
this  moment.  O  God,  still  protect  and  support  me,  and 
carry  me  through  to  the  full  realization  of  all  the  conse- 
quences of  these  attempts.  O  God,  spare,  protect,  and 
bless  me  to  the  end,  and  accept  my  deepest  gratitude. 

"  2Ath.  —  Dined  at  Lupton's  with  Carew  and  Clint, 
and  had  a  very  pleasant  night.     Carew  told  us  a  capital 
story  of  the  Duke.     The  Duke  was  at  the  Marchioness 
of  Downshire's,  and  the  ladies  plagued  him  for  some  of 
his  stories.     For  some  time  he  declared  all  his  stories 
wrere  in  print.     At  last  he  said,  '  Well,  I'll  tell  you  one 
that  has  not  been  printed.'     In  the  middle  of  the  battle 
of  Waterloo  he  saw  a  man  in  plain  clothes  riding  about 
on  a  cob  in  the  thickest  fire.     During  a  temporary  lull 
the  Duke  beckoned  him,  and  he  rode  over.     He  asked 
him  who  he  was,  and  what  business  he  had  there.      He 
replied  he  was  an  Englishman  accidentally  at  Brussels, 
that  he  had  never  seen  a  fight  and  wanted  to  see  one. 
The  Duke  told  him  he  was  in  instant  danger  of  his  life; 
he  said  '  Not  more  than  your  Grace,'  and  they  parted. 
But  every  now  and  then  he  saw  the  Cob-man  riding 
about  in  the  smoke,  and  at  last  having  nobody  to  send 
to  a  regiment,  he  again  beckoned  to  this  little  fellow, 
and  told  him  to  go  up  to  that  regiment  and  order  them 
to  charge,    giving    him    some    mark    of   authority    the 
colonel  would  recognise.     Away  he  galloped,  and  in  a 
few   minutes  the   Duke  saw    his    order   obeyed.     The 
Duke  asked  him  for  his  card,  and  found  in  the  evening, 
when  the  card   fell  out   of   his   sash,   that   he  lived  at 
Birmingham,  and  was  a  button  manufacturer  !     When 
at    Birmingham   the   Duke    inquired    of  the   firm   and 
found  he  was  their  traveller  and  then  in  Ireland.    When 
he  returned,  at  the  Duke's  request  he  called  on  him  in 
London.      The  Duke  was  happy  to  see  him  and  said  he 
had  a  vacancy  in  the  Mint  of  800^.  a-year,  Avhere  ac- 


1843.]  FINISHES    CARTOONS.  247 

counts  were  wanted.     The  little  Cob-man  said  it  would 
be  exactly  the  thing  and  the  Duke  installed  him. 

"1  will  ascertain  if  the  facts  are  correct.  If  true,  it 
redounds  much  to  his  Grace's  honour. 

"25th.  —  Two  months  more  would  not  keep  me  too 
long  from  painting  ;  so  to-day,  under  that  mysterious 
influence,  I  took  out  my  cartoon,  and  before  I  was 
aware  had  got  in  a  Virgin  and  Child.  So  I  have  be- 
gun ;  but  I  was  in  miserable  want  of  money,  as  usual. 
I  had  money  to  send  to  my  son  at  Cambridge,  and  out 
I  went,  feeling  a  culprit.  Is  it  not  better  to  paint 
things  of  five  guineas  a  head  than  go  on  in  this  condi- 
tion ?  It  is  certainly  ;  and  if  this  stake  fail,  I'll  astonish 
my  friends  at  the  ease  with  which  I'll  come  to  do  things 
for  subsistence  and  to  save  a  competence  for  old  age. 

ee27th.  —  The  moment  I  touch  a  great  canvas  I  think 
I  see  my  Creator  smiling  on  all  my  efforts.  The  mo- 
ment I  do  mean  things  for  subsistence  I  feel  as  if  He 
had  turned  His  back,  and  what's  more,  I  believe  it. 

"3lst. —  Last  day  of  March.  I  have  worked  well, 
have  suffered  great  necessity,  but  here  I  am  by  God's 
blessing,  with  my  cartoons  both  done,  and  effectually 
done.  I  am  now  preparing  for  a  new  work,  but  have 
not  yet  decided  whether  it  shall  be  fresco  or  not.  I 
hanker  after  lime  and  have  begun  my  third  cartoon  for 
it,  and  have  to-day  been  busy  preparing  lime. 

"  If  ever  artist  was  fit  for  fresco  I  am.  I  have 
always  done  everything  at  once.  For  all  Thy  mercies 
and  trials  this  month  I  bless  Thee,  O  God,  with  all  my 
soul.     Amen. 

"  April  14th,  Good  Friday.  —  After  thirty-one  years 
I  this  day  received  the  Sacrament,  sincerely  asked  par- 
don and  promised  a  new  life.  The  Dean  of  Carlisle 
administered,  —  an  old  friend  and  admirer,  —  after  an 
admirable,  nay,  beautiful  sermon.  It  was  interesting, 
because   to   him    I   wrote,   years  since,  in  an  agony  of 

R  4 


248  MEMOIRS   OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1843. 

doubt  and  apprehension.  I  had  one  sovereign  (all  in 
money  I  possess),  and  no  silver,  when  the  churchwarden 
(an  old  friend,  Stanley)  held  out  the  plate :  I  gave 
nothing ;  —  ought  I  not  to  have  given  all,  and  have 
trusted  in  God  ?  Surely.  But  in  the  dread  of  being 
without  any  at  all,  and  in  the  belief  that  a  sovereign 
was  more  than  my  necessitous  condition  warranted,  I 
gave  nothing.  This  tormented  me.  It  proved  the 
devil  had  power  yet.  I  will  make  amends.  I  reviewed 
my  life  for  thirty-one  years.  I  had  married  and  brought 
up  a  family.  I  had  been  four  times  in  prison.  I  bad 
injured  friends  by  not  paying  their  loans.  I  had  been 
swallowed  up  by  ambition,  but  not  on  selfish  principles. 
All  these  things  were  crimes,  and  I  repented. 

"  I  had  educated  and  planted  four  boys,  and  will  edu- 
cate a  dear  girl.  I  had  not  made  an  improper  use  of  the 
money  borrowed ;  but  what  right  had  I  to  borrow  at  all, 
if  not  to  repay  ?  I  had  paid  1000/.,  but  there  was  more 
yet,  and  one  good  man  had  lost  some  hundreds. 

"  All  these  things  came  across  me,  and  I  felt  as  if  my 
soul  was  blackened ;  but  a  ray  of  brilliant  hope  sup- 
ported me,  and  I  went  up  in  quiet  self-possession,  be- 
lieving; that  if  I  believed,  the  atonement  would  reconcile 
me  to  God,  and  I  trust  it  may.  I  never  wilfully  in- 
jured either  man  or  woman, 

"  This  day  is  a  remarkable  day  in  my  life,  and  on  this 
great  sacrificial  day  I  will,  as  long  as  I  live,  repeat  this 
act.     God  bless  my  resolution.     Amen." 

Wilkie's  Life  by  Allan  Cunningham  appeared  about 
this  time. 

"  16th.  —  Prayed  in  private,  and  arranged  papers  to 
collect  my  life,  as  Wilkie's   memoirs   have  roused  me 


again. 


17th.  —  Made  a  study  for  Alexander's  head  from 
life.  Borne  down  by  necessity — apprehensive  of  an  ex- 
ecution for  11.  11 5.  6d.  and  5s.  6cl.  costs.  Wrote  ten 
pages  of  my  Life  and  copied  two  letters  of  Wilkie's. 


1843.]  MISERY   AND    RELIEF.  249 

"18th.  —  In  the  city  and  deferred  a  payment,  but 
suffered  excruciating  agony  for  want  of  money. 

"  20th. —  Went  out  in  great  misery  to  raise  6/.  10s., 
the  balance  of  a  judge's  order.  Dr.  Darling,  my  old 
friend,  helped  me.  Just  as  I  was  going  to  set  my  palette 
I  was  served  with  a  copy  of  a  writ  for  another  debt.  I 
came  home  and  corrected  my  figure,  and  prepared  for 
the  model  to-morrow. 

"  21st. —  Awoke  in  the  night,  my  heart  beating  and 
my  head  aching  from  my  anxieties ;  but  in  God  I  trust, 
as  I  have  always  done  and  always  will ;  and  this  Journal 
will  again  bear  testimony  I  do  not  trust  in  vain. 

"  22nd.  —  Now  reader,  whoever  thou  art,  —  young 
and  thoughtless,  or  old  and  reflecting,  — was  I  not  right 
to  trust  in  God  ?  Was  it  vanity  ?  Was  it  presumption  ? 
Was  it  weakness  ?  To-day,  —  this  very  day,  —  I  have 
sold  my  Curtius,  when  only  yesterday  I  had  no  hope ; 
and  my  heart  beat,  and  my  head  whirled,  and  my  hand 
shook  at  my  distress.  I  had  taken  the  butter  knife  off 
the  table  to  raise  3s. 

"  '  Then  they  cried  unto  the  Lord  in  their  trouble, 
and  he  saved  them  out  of  their  distresses.' — Ps.  cvii. 
v.  17. 

"  How  often  have  I  occasion  to  write  this  ! 

"  27th. —  Would  any  man  believe  that  for  the  thirty- 
five  years  I  was  intimate  with  Wilkie,  for  twenty  of 
them  most  intimate,  I  never  knew  he  kept  a  journal  of 
the  weaknesses,  follies,  and  habits  of  his  friends  ? 

"May  3rd. —  Out  the  whole  day  on  money.  Sold 
Curtius,  but  got  a  bill  at  six  months,  which  in  the  city  is 
awful.  Came  home,  weary, hot,  penniless;  lunched  and 
fell  asleep:  awoke  by  the  servants  fighting  in  the  kitchen; 
went  to  my  painting-room  and  looked  at  Alexander, 
and  remembered  a  beautiful  day  lost.  Brunskill,  my 
model,  obliged  to  go,  as  I  could  not  attend  to  him. 
Called  on  a  lawyer  and  begged  for  mercy  for  27/.  till 
Saturday  ;  —  refused.      At  dinner,    Bishop   came  and 


250  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  E.  HAYDON.  [1843. 

sent  in  a  note.    I  came  out  and  was  served  with  a  writ. 
As  I  came  down  Chancery  Lane,  a  cab  wheel  came  off 
and  down  came  horse.     The  horse,  in  his  struggles,  put 
himself  in  the  action  of  Bucephalus.      I   studied  him 
gloriously.     The  very  thing,  and  shall  try  it  at  once. 

"  8th.  —  Monday,  Exhibition  opened.  Went  down, 
and  found  Saragossa  placed  so  disgracefully  high  that 
its  execution,  expression  and  tone  were  utterly  lost. 
This  will  be  the  last  malicious  bite  of  my  bitter  enemies, 
early  and  late,  even  to  the  grave.  Felt  great  agony  at 
my  necessities.  I  have  every  chance  of  my  cartoons 
being  laid  hold  of  after  all  my  necessities  and  struggles. 
"10th.  —  Called  on  Leslie  to-day  and  was  much 
amused  at  his  accounts  of  Wilkie.  Leslie  said  capitally, 
'  Wilkie  was  so  anxious  to  do  everything  exactly  like 
other  people,  he  made  himself  odd  in  trying  to  be 
natural.'  At  Lawrence's  funeral  Constable  was  his 
pendant.  Cope,  the  city  marshal,  stood  before  them  in 
a  splendid  cocked  hat  and  black  scarf.  Wilkie  was 
fond  of  painting  cocked  hats  ;  and  while  looking  down 

with  all  the  semblance  of  woe  said  to  Constable,  {  Just 

look  at  that  cocked  hat.     It's  grand  ! ' 

«  18th. —  A  young  pupil  came  to-day  and  paid   me 

100/.  part  of  2007.  premium.    Io  Prcan  !  was  I  not  right 

to  endure  as  seeing  One  who  is  invisible  ? 

"  Made  a  capital  sketch  of  Nelson  at  Copenhagen. 
"20th.  —  Laid  up  with  a  burnt  foot   from  steaming 

the  cartoons  the  last  time.     Another  blessing  attending 

on    100/.     Could  not   stand   to   paint,    so  I   wrote  my 

memoirs, —  eight  hours. 

"22nd. —  Laid  up; — wrote   all   day.     I   really   am 

astonished  at  my  thinking  at  twenty-six,  now  I  extract 

from  my  Journal. 

"  June  \st.—0  God,  I  thank  Thee  that  this  day  I 

have  safely  placed  my  cartoons  in  Westminster  Hall. 

Prosper  them !     It  is  a  great  day  on  my  mind  and  soul. 


1843.]  THE    CARTOON    EXHIBITION.  251 

I  bless  thee  I  have  lived  to  see  this  day.  Spare  my 
life,  O  Lord,  until  I  have  shown  thy  strength  unto 
this  generation,  and  thy  power  unto  that  which  is 
to  come.  Am  in  deep  gratitude  to  have  lived  to  such 
a  day. 

"  I  found  Eastlake,  my  pupil,   walking  about.     He 
was  most  happy  to  see  me.     I  said,  '  Do  you  recollect 
drinking  tea  with  me  in  1808,  and  telling  me  my  con- 
versation had  made  you  a  painter?'     e  I  do,'  said  he, 
'  and  there  is  no  doubt  of  it.'    And  '  Do  you  remember,' 
said  he,  '  coming  with  me  into  Westminster  Hall,  and 
drawing  a  gigantic  limb  on  the  wall  with  the  end  of 
your  umbrella,  saying,  "  This  is  the  place  for  Art"?'   I 
did  not.      He  said  I  actually  did  so,  thirty  years  ago ; 
and  he  remembered   my  jumping    up   to    reach   high. 
Now  here  we  were,  master  and  pupil,  marching  about, 
and  the  first  act  of  this  great  drama  of  Art  just  be- 
ginning.    O  God!  when  I  reflect  on  thy  leading  me  on 
so   many  years  from  the  beginning,  I  must   believe  I 
ever  have  been,  and  ever  shall  be,  protected  by  Thee. 

"  How  interesting  that  we  were  both  from  Devon ; 
both  having  finished  our  schooling  at  Plympton  Gram- 
mar School,  where  Reynolds  was  educated. 

"  7  th. —  Wrote  my  Life  —  vol.  ii.  Three  weeks  of 
nothing  but  thinking.  Dead  thinking  without  the 
excitement  of  painting  fatigues  me.  I  hope  soon  to 
get  to  work ;  —  painting  is  such  a  delight.  Since 
March  15th,  when  I  finished  my  cartoon,  I  have  ad- 
vanced and  rubbed  in  Alexander  and  prepared  for  my 
fresco,  but  have  not  done  much  else.  My  foot  better." 
The  day  for  the  opening  of  the  Cartoon  Exhibition 
was  now  approaching. 

"  10th. — "Wyse  said  the  exhibition  (at  Westminster 
Hall)  would  honour  the  school.  I  thank  God  for  it. 
These  Journals  bear  testimony  to  my  belief  in  British 
genius.     I  have  never  spared  any  instruction  or  expense 


252  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  IIAYDON.  [iS43. 

to  advance  it.  Another  pupil  for  a  short  time  paid  251. 
to-day.  God  be  thanked  for  it !  Things  are  looking 
well,  and  I  shall  live  to  see  my  dear  country's  glory  yet, 
as  I  always  predicted. 

"  15^. —  Six  months  of  the  year  gone !  I  have  done 
one  cartoon,  one  sketch  of  Curtius,  one  sketch  of  Nelson, 
advanced  Alexander,  which  ought  to  have  been  done ; 
and  have  finished  my  first  volume  of  memoirs.  For 
three  months, —  since  March  15th,  —  I  have  not  ex- 
erted myself  as  I  ought,  and  for  the  last  month  I  have 
been  lame.  Truly  have  I  been  wounded  in  the  service. 
Last  year  I  ran  a  bayonet  through  my  foot  while 
painting  Saragossa;  and  this,  I  burnt  my  other  foot 
while  steaming  my  cartoon. 

"  17 th.  —  Perhaps  God  may  punish  me,  as  he  did 
Napoleon,  as  an  example,  for  pursuing  a  great  object 
with  less  regard  to  moral  principle  than  became  a 
Christian,  —  that  is,  raising  money  to  get  through, 
careless  of  the  means  of  repaying,  though  I  had  reason 
to  hope  the  aristocracy  would  have  helped  me  by  pur- 
chase to  keep  my  word.  The  decision  will  take  place 
in  a  few  days.  What  ought  I  to  have  done?  Kept 
my  cartoons,  and  showed  them  alone  ?  It  would  have 
been  a  wiser  plan  ;  but  it  would  have  been  shrinking 
from  a  contest  with  my  brothers,  which  might  have 
turned  to  my  disadvantage.  It  is  my  policy  to  go 
through  without  complaint  all  the  steps  degradation 
points  to,  to  give  them  no  excuse  for  not  employing 
me,  —  and  what  then?  Shall  I  be  employed?  No, 
indeed ;  but  have  the  door  slammed  in  my  face,  while 
my  enemies  will  chuckle  at  my  degradation  and  sub- 
mission. 

"  This  is  the  last  time,  I  think,  I  will  compete. 

"  I  have  made  up  my  mind  to  a  reverse.  Though  I 
trust  in  God  with  confidence,  yet  I  am  not  sure  I  am 
yet  sufficiently  cleansed  by  adversity  not  to  need  more 


1843  ]  NOT    SUCCESSFUL.  253 

of  it.  For  the  sake  of  my  boys,  and  only  daughter, — 
and,  above  all,  for  the  sake  of  my  dear  Mary,  —  I  hope 
not.  To  have  exhibited  cartoons  alone  would  have 
been  an  act  of  defiance  to  the  Royal  Commission  and 
of  mistrust.  But  would  I  not  have  been  justified  when 
there  were  Academicians  amongst  the  judges,  though 
the  Prince  has  the  casting  vote? 

"  18th. —  Went  to  church  at  St.  George's,  Hanover 
Square,  and  felt  the  most  refreshing  assurance  of  pro- 
tection and  victory.  The  last  time  I  was  there  I  received 
the  Sacrament  and  did  not  give  my  only  sovereign  in 
charity  as  I  ought,  which  gave  me  great  pain.  To-day, 
when  the  Dean  of  Carlisle  implored  assistance  for  the 
Church  Fund,  saying  550,000  persons  by  it  had  been 
provided  with  seats  where  none  had  been  erected  before, 
I  thought  I'd  give  Is.,  then  2s.  6d., —  10s.  6d.  At  last 
said  a  voice  within  me,  *  That  sovereign  you  ought  to 
have  given.'  '  I  will,'  I  felt,  and  took  it  out  and  gave 
it  to  the  plate  with  as  pure  a  feeling  as  ever  animated  a 
human  breast.  O  God,  prosper  it !  Thus  have  I  ex- 
piated my  neglect. 

"26th.  —  In  great  money  distress,  having  paid  away 
all  my  receipts,  — 125/.  in  five  weeks.  I  have  now 
21/.,  117.  3s.,  101.  to  pay  this  week,  and  not  a  pound. 
How  I  am  neglected  in  employment  large  or  small !" 

The  opening  of  the  Cartoon  Exhibition  was  fixed  for 
the  3rd  of  July.  On  the  27th  of  June  Haydon  received 
intelligence  from  Eastlake  that  his  cartoons  were  not 
included  among  those  selected  for  reward  ! 

The  next  entry  in  the  Journal  is  three  days  later:  — 

"  30th.  —  I  went  to  bed  in  a  decent  state  of  anxiety. 
It  has  given  a  great  shock  to  my  family,  especially  to 
my  dear  boy,  Frank,  and  revived  all  the  old  horrors  of 
arrest,  execution,  and  debt.  It  is  exactly  what  I  pre- 
dicted, and  it  is,  I  think,  intentional.  I  called  on 
William  Hamilton,  and  found  he  had  adopted,  with  ex- 


254  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDON".  [1843. 

quisite  tact,  the  tone  of  society.  He  told  me  Sir  Robert 
felt  annoyed  at  my  restless  activity  about  the  arts  ;  that 
I  interfered  in  everything  I  had  no  business  to  do.  I 
said,  I  had ;  that  the  School  of  Design  had  gone  to  ruin 
as  I  predicted,  and  that  they  had  been  obliged  to  adopt 
the  figure,  which  they  never  would  have  done  but  for 
my  repeated  interference.  He  said,  '  You  wrote  about 
the  Arabesques :  now  we  had  settled  to  buy  them  before; 
and  it  was  intrusion  ! '  Good  heavens  !  —  no  feeling  for 
my  enthusiasm  for  Art ;  —  but  such  is  Sir  Robert's 
dignity  a  natural  impulse  is  an  offence.  Hamilton  said, 
if  he  mentioned  my  name  it  was  an  insult.  He  really 
gives  me  up.  He  stuck  to  me  to  the  last,  but  this  de- 
cision has  proved  to  him  the  hopelessness  of  defending 
me  any  longer.  Hamilton  had  no  objection  to  my  in- 
trusion on  the  Elgin  Marble  question,  and  gave  me  the 
motto.  He  said,  '  You  should  write  to  Sir  Robert 
Peel.'  Yes  —  'We  did  not  give  him  a  prize,  but,  poor 
fellow,  we  relieved  him.'     That  won 't  do. 

"  I  am  wounded,  and  bein<2-  ill  from  confinement  it 
shook  me  ;  but  not  more  than  the  decision  of  the  Gallery 
at  twenty-six  (in  1812). 

"July  1st. —  A  day  of  great  misery.  I  said  to  my 
dear  love,  '  I  am  not  included.'  Her  expression  was  a 
study.  She  said,  '  We  shall  be  ruined.'  I  looked  up 
my  lectures,  papers  and  journals,  and  sent  them  to  my 
dear  ^Eschylus  Barrett,  with  two  jars  of  oil  (1816), 
twenty-seven  years  old.  I  burnt  loads  of  private  letters, 
and  prepared  for  executions.  Lords  A 1  ford  and  North- 
ampton and  William  Hamilton  took  additional  shares 
in  Saragossa.  11.  was  raised  on  my  daughter's  and 
Mary's  dresses. 

"  On  Monday  I  went  down  and  was  astonished  at 
the  power  displayed.  There  are  cartoons  equal  to  any 
school.  My  own  looked  grand,  like  the  effusion  of  a 
master,  —  soft  and  natural,  but  not  hard  and  definite; 


1843. J       THE    STRUGGLE    WITH    DISAPPOINTMENT.      255 

too  much  shadow  for  fresco; — fit  for  oil;  but  there  were 
disproportions.  I  gained  great  knowledge.  The  Death 
of  Lear,  Alfred  in  the  Danish  Camp,  Constance,  were 
never  exceeded.  But  the  great  mistake  —  and  it  has 
been  a  tremendous  one  —  is  the  selection  of  a  pupil  of 
De  la  Roche's  for  the  prize.*  The  injury  it  will  do  is 
incalculable,  for,  instead  of  destroying  the  prejudices 
against  British  genius  it  will  root  them  deeper  than 
ever.  For  what  has  the  Commission  done?  It  has  unjustly 
preferred  a  foreign  production  to  the  splendid  produc- 
tions of  natives,  and  thus  excited  the  power  of  Britain 
only  to  mock  it  and  expose  it  to  more  ridicule  than 
ever  insulted  it  before.  Thus  this  Royal  Commission 
has  backed  Winkleman  and  Du  Bos,  and  done  more 
injury  than  was  ever  done  by  the  bitterest  enemy.  I 
was  introduced  to  the  young  artist  and  his  father,  and 
had  a  long  and  interesting  talk.  I  found  out  the  system 
of  De  la  Roche  and  do  not  wonder  at  the  bad  drawing 
of  his  school. 

"  13^A.  —  Worked  a  little ;  —  the  only  day  I  have  been 
able  to  stand  for  two  months.  Began  Nelson  Sealing 
the  Letter  at  Copenhagen  and  improved  Alexander. 
God  be  thanked  ! 

"  1 5th.  —  Worked,  but  unhappily.  I  am  ashamed  to 
own  how  the  attacks  of  the  press  wound  me.  Curious 
that  now  the  press  sees  all  that  I  fought  for  is  coming 
to  pass,  they  seem  to  have  particular  pleasure  in  pre- 
venting my  tasting  any  of  its  fruits.  How  cruel  it  is  ! 
What  a  pleasure  they  seem  to  take  in  preventing  people 
from  accomplishing  the  darling  object  of  their  existence. 

"  \6th.  —  Prayed,  but  felt  harassed.  One  struggles 
still  to  trust  in  God,  but  I  am  afraid  to  do  so  any  longer, 


*  This  is  an  error.  Mr.  Armitage,  who  is  here  referred  to,  ob- 
tained one  of  the  highest  premiums,  Mr.  Cope  and  Mr.  Watts  car- 
rying off  the  others,  and  all  three  being  equal. 


2.56  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  E.  HAYDON.  [1843. 

from  my  own  un worthiness.     '  Ask,'  Christ  has  said,  '  it 
shall  be  given ;  knock  and  it  shall  be  opened.' 

"  (  If  a  child  asked  a  father  for  food,  would  he  give 
him  a  serpent  ?  How  much  more  would  your  heavenly 
Father?' 

"  I  ask  from  my  heart,  Thou  good  Being,  to  be 
saved,  with  my  family,  from  the  fatal  ruin  which  must 
overwhelm  me  and  them  without  Thy  interference,  pro- 
mising repentance  sincere  and  intense. 

"  22nd.  — '  I  sought  the  Lord,  and  He  helped  me,  and 
delivered  me  from  all  my  fears.'  It  is  indeed  cruel  of 
Sir  Robert  Peel  to  have  sanctioned  such  decisions,  and 
to  have  left  out  my  cartoons,  deserving  as  they  are,  after 
the  battle  I  have  fought  for  so  many  years.  It  is  a  blow 
at  me,  and  a  warning  to  others  how  they  presume  to  tell 
truth,  to  fight  for  truth,  or  persevere  for  truth's  sake. 

"  23rd.  —  I  knelt  down  and  thanked  God  for  His 
merciful  blessing  this  week.  I  have  got  through  its 
difficulties  up  to  this  instant,  eleven  o'clock,  Saturday, 
as  I  prayed.  Ought  I  not  to  be  grateful  ?  Indeed  I 
am.  25/.  I  received  from  a  pupil,  15/.  wras  lent  me, 
and  13/.  to-day  our  dear  Mary  had  from  our  sons, — 
53/. ;  48/.  of  which  I  have  paid  away,  and  saved  myself 
up  to  to-night.      O  God  !  accept  my  gratitude.     Amen. 

"  28th.  — With  my  experience  of  the  world,  with  my 
knowledge  of  the  aristocracy,  connoisseurs,  and  Acade- 
micians ; — the  aristocracy  angry  because  I  told  them  at 
Oxford  they  went  out  knowing  as  little  of  Art  as  they 
came  in;  —  the  connoisseurs  angry  because  I  proved 
them  fools  on  the  Elgin  Marbles; — the  Academicians 
thirsty  for  revenge  because  I  brought  them  before  a 
committee,  —  how  could  I  be  so  weak  as  to  give  these 
three  classes  an  opportunity  of  inflicting  a  blow,  in  hopes 
that  my  age  would  not  be  able  to  bear  it  so  well  as  at 
twenty-six  ?  O  Haydon,  Haydon !  Your  love  of  Art 
and  your  willingness  at  fifty-seven  to  think  better  than 


1843.]    STILL  STRUGGLING  WITH  DISAPPOINTMENT.  257 

you  knew  of  your  species,  got  the  better  of  your  com- 
mon sense.  I  imagined  at  such  a  bright  epoch  all 
hearts  would  unite,  all  hearts  rejoice,  all  hearts  forget 
and  forgive  for  the  sake  of  the  great  object  of  advancing 
the  standard  taste  of  the  country.  What  was  there  to 
forgive  ?  A  too  ardent  zeal  and  over-anxious  ardour 
for  the  principles  of  High  Art,  —  offensive  to  the  autho- 
rities who  wished  to  check  it.  Shocking,  but  true  ! 
Three  times  did  Sir  Charles  Bell  struggle  to  get  ap- 
pointed lecturer  to  the  Academy,  and  failed ;  three 
times  did  I,  and  failed  likewise.  Bell  said  he  was  con- 
vinced the  old  members  wished  to  obstruct. 

"  Made  a  sketch  of  Lord  Willoughby's  head  for  ten 
guineas,  and  got  another  order  for  20/. ;  so  that  I  have 
escaped,  so  far,  the  executions  I  dreaded.  I  have  been 
blessed  this  week  :  —  God  be  thanked  heartily.  Amen. 
I  have  been  humiliated  by  this  disappointment,  but  cor- 
rected.    We  were  all  too  high.     I  bow. 

"  Aug.  5th.  —  Finished  my  lecture,  but  much  harassed 
in  money  matters.  Went  out  in  all  the  horrors  of  an 
execution,  which  I  got  delayed  till  Tuesday.  Came 
home  and  finished  my  lecture.  Yet  I  trust  in  God. 
He  will  carry  me  through. 

"7th. — Occupied  all  day  with  preparations  for  lec- 
ture,—God  grant  it  success.  Heard  of  Rumohr's 
death. 

"  8th.  —  Thank  God,  my  lecture  was  the  most  brilliant 
success.  How  mysteriously  am  I  influenced !  O  God, 
accept  my  deepest  gratitude.  Amen.  Many  members 
were  there  and  cheered  me  much.  It  was  the  com- 
pletest  success  in  a  lecture  I  ever  had. 

"  llth. —  Hankered  after  my  divine  art,  but  feel  op- 
pressed by  my  ill-treatment.  I  hope  in  God  I  shall 
recover  my  enthusiasm,  but  at  present  I  am  exceedingly 
shocked,  though  my  lecture  proved  I  still  stood  in  the 
public  feeling  higher  than  ever. 

VOL.  III.  8 


258  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  E.  I1AYDON.  [1843. 

"  14^A.  —  Another  day  to  go  through.  Stale,  flat 
and  unprofitable  are  days  to  me.  I  want  change.  A 
fortnight  by  the  sea  would  restore  me.  My  wife  and 
daughter  want  it  too;  but  we  have  little  hope.  I  am 
waiting  for  sitters  I  detest,  and  could  vomit  over.  As 
poor  Ingres  said,  '  Je  vomirais  pour  trois  jours,''  I  say, 
1  Pour  toujours.''  All  this  is  wicked,  for  I  trust  in  God. 
My  sitters  came,  but  I  was  so  nervously  disgusted  I 
told  them  frankly  it  was  not  my  forte.  I  presented 
them  with  a  drawing,  and  begged  them  to  let  me  off. 
They  were  so  kind,  they  saw  the  propriety.  They 
shook  hands  ;  and  when  they  were  gone  I  hurried  away 
throne  and  chairs,  and  felt  as  if  I  had  got  out  of  a 
thunder-cloud  that  oppressed  me.  I  breathed  and  looked 
up  at  Alexander  with  glory.      Huzza  !  huzza  ! 

"  15th.  —  I  went  to  Southwell  to-day  to  get  lodgings 
at  a  farm-house  for  my  daughter,  and  was  so  delighted 
with  the  air  and  freshness  I  sucked  it  in  like  nectar. 

"  It  was  a  long  time  before  the  turbulent  ambition 
of  my  mind  could  relish  it ;  but  at  last  I  was  fairly 
vanquished,  and  this  day's  air  has  completely  revived 
me.  The  buds,  the  sun,  the  meadows,  all  have  sunk 
deep  into  my  nature,  and  made  me  a  new  being. 
Thanks  to  God ! 

"  16th. — I  felt  yesterday  exactly  as  Satan  felt  when 
he  entered  Paradise  — '  Saw  undelighted  all  delight.' 

"  31  st.  —  Last  day  of  August.  Sir  George  Cockburn 
sat  three  quarters  of  an  hour  at  the  Admiralty.  I  was 
determined  to  bring  him  out  about  Napoleon ;  so,  after 
a  little  preliminary  chat,  I  said,  '  Sir  George,  this  is  an 
opportunity  which  may  never  occur  again.  May  I  ask 
you  one  or  two  questions?'  '  You  may.'  '  Why  did 
you  think  meanly  of  Napoleon?'  '  I'll  tell  you,'  said 
he.  '  When  I  went  to  him  with  Lord  Keith,  I  went 
prepared  to  admire  him.  He  behaved  violently  ;  said  I 
should  pass  over  his  cadavre,  that  he  would  not  go  to 


1843.]       SIR    GEORGE    COCKBURN    ON    NAPOLEON.       259 

St.   Helena,  and  so  forth.      Not  caring  for  all  this,  I 
said,  "  At  what  hour  shall  I  send  the  boat  ?"  '     I  forget 
Sir   George's   continuation,   for    the    servant   came    in. 
After  answering  the  servant,  rather  nettled  at  the  in- 
terruption, he  went  on  to  say,  '  I  came  at  the  hour  next 
day  to  take  him  on  board  the  Bellerophon,  prepared  to 
use  force  and  ready  even  for  bloodshed.     To  my  utter 
wonder  he  skipped  away,  and  went  on  board  without  a 
word.     After  all  those  threats,  what  do  you  think  of 
that  ?     At  dinner  he  talked  indecently  before  women, 
and   burst  forth   and   gave  me   a  whole  history  of  his 
Egyptian  campaign,  puffing  himself  grossly,  —  in  fact, 
he  would  talk  of  nothing  but  himself.     When  we  sot 
to  St.  Helena  we  rode  out  to  choose  a  situation.     He 
wished  to  have  the  house  in  which  a  family  were,  in- 
stantly.    I   explained  that    a  week's    notice   was    only 
decent.     He  said  he  could  sleep  under  a  tent.     As  they 
rode  down  the  hill  I  showed  him  the  room  I  meant  to 
occupy.    Napoleon  said,  "  That  is  the  very  room  I  should 
like  ; "  so  it  was  given  up  to  him.     Then  he  complained 
of  the  sentries.     They  were  withdrawn,  and  Serjeants 
put  instead.     Then  he  complained  of  them,  and  gave  his 
honour,  if  they  were  removed,  he  would  never  violate 
his  limits.     I  yielded,  and  that  very  night  he  went  into 
the  town.     He   then    asked    for   the  4,000    napoleons 
taken  from  him,  which  was  granted ;  and  he  bought  up 
all  the  gold  lace  and  green  baize  in  the  town  to  dress 
up  his  suite,  and  spent  da}^s  in  carving  and  arranging 
this  gold  lace.     Now,  these  are  my  reasons  for  thinking 
meanly  of  him.     He  told  me  lies  repeatedly  ;  and  after 
granting   him  my   own   room   at  his  own    request,  he 
wrote  the  Government  that  he  had  been  forced  into  one 
room.' 

"  September  1st.  —  Sir  George  sat  again  to-day.  He 
said,  of  the  three  (Nelson,  Collingwood  and  St.  Vincent) 
Collingwood  was  the  best  seaman.      He  said   Nelson's 

s  2 


260  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  E.  IIAYDON.  [1843. 

Agamemnon  was  not  in  the  best  order.  He  knew  Sir 
Sidney  Smith  well ;  admired  him  ;  but  would  not  have 
entrusted  him  with  a  fleet.  He  said  Acre  was  the  very- 
place  for  him.  He  was  not  of  that  high  order  of  mind 
the  others  were. 

"4th. — Went  and  removed  my  cartoons.  Thus  ends 
the  cartoon  contest ;  and  as  the  very  first  inventor  and 
beginner  of  this  mode  of  rousing  the  people  when  they 
were  pronounced  incapable  of  relishing  refined  works  of 
Art  without  colour,  I  am  deeply  wounded  at  the  insult 
inflicted.  These  Journals  witness  under  what  trials  I 
began  them,  —  how  I  called  on  my  Creator  for  His 
blessing, —  how  I  trusted  in  Him,  and  how  I  have  been 
degraded,  insulted  and  harassed.  O,  Lord !  Thou 
knowest  best.     I  submit.      Amen. 

"5th.  —  Awoke  severely  pained  at  the  insult.  Went 
out  of  town  to  see  Mary.  The  air  and  peace  relieved 
me. 

"6th. —  Awoke  again  physically  depressed.  I  got  up, 
saying,  '  Is  this  Benjamin  Robert  Haydon  ?  I  '11  see  if 
I'll  be  conquered  by  cartoons.'  I  resolved  to  do  some 
violent  bodily  exercise  ;  so  I  moved  out  all  my  plasters, 
cleaned  the  windows  myself, —  (I  don't  wonder  servants 
have  good  appetites),  —  dusted,  and  got  smothered ; 
lifted  till  my  back  creaked,  and  rowed  the  servant  for 
not  cleaning  my  plate  (2  forks,  1  table-spoon,  and  6  tea- 
spoons; 1  pepper-box  and  1  salt-spoon).  In  fact,  by 
perspiration  and  violent  effort  I  cleared  out  the  cobwebs 
and  felt  my  dignity  revive.      Now  I  am  safe. 

"  \9th.  —  Perhaps  I  have  presumed  too  much  on  the 
goodness  of  my  Creator,  —  appealed  to  Him  too  much 
and  too  freely. 

"  People  wonder  why  I  have  been  so  treated  ;  but  a 
moment's  reflection  would  explain  it.  Authority,  pro- 
perty and  law  have  been  so  long  established  in  England, 
and  such  great  results  have  been  the  consequence  of 
their  security,  that  it  is  considered  better  to  put  up  with 


1843.]  ON    HIS    ILL-SUCCESS.  261 

any  oppressions  from  authority,  however  infamous,  than 
to  endanger  its  dignity  by  any  resistance,  however  just. 
I  was  oppressed  by  authority  ;  I  revenged  it  successfully, 
and  exposed  my  oppressors  before  a  committee  of  the 
House.  It  was  necessary  that  I  should  be  punished  as 
a  warning  to  others.  My  oppressors  are  acute  and 
talented,  malignant  and  envious  men.  They  are  ever 
on  the  watch  to  see  that  I  am  not  patronised  or  employed 
or  distinguished,  because  I  am  as  acute  and  talented  as 
they  are,  without  their  envy  ;  and  inasmuch  as  they  are 
determined  to  prevent  any  appearance  of  my  being 
sanctioned,  however  indirectly,  by  commission  or  reward, 
I  am  determined  to  give  every  reward  a  tendency  as  if 
it  were  a  sanction  against  them.  Though  I  first  planned 
the  decoration  of  the  Lords  (18 12),  made  sketches  (1819), 
and  put  them  on  canvas  (1835),  and  laid  them  before 
all  the  Ministries  in  succession,  down  to  Sir  Robert 
Peel,  —  though  in  my  evidence  I  first  planned  a  central 
school  of  design  and  branch  schools,  and  first  mentioned 
the  Lords'  decoration, — the  Academy,  the  Government 
and  the  Commission  thoroughly  understand  each  other. 
They  have  all  made  up  their  minds  that  I  must  be 
sacrificed  as  a  successful  rebel,  because  I  have  succeeded 
in  spite  of  four  ruins,  and  will  keep  my  ground  in  spite 
of  four  more.  My  cartoons,  therefore,  it  was  clearly 
predetermined,  were  not  to  be  rewarded,  on  the  principle 
of  authority  being  supported  at  all  hazards.  Every 
artist  of  any  fueling  saw,  whatever  merit  there  might  be 
in  my  cartoons,  1st.,  that  they  were  the  cartoons  of  a 
painter  who  could  execute  them  with  the  brush  ;  2nd, 
that  no  principle  of  Art  had  been  neglected,  as  applicable 
in  them  ;  and  3dly,  that  though  there  were  two  or  three 
disproportions,  from  the  smallness  of  the  room  in  which 
they  were  executed,  a  day's  labour  would  have  remedied 
them :  and  because  a  shoulder  might  be  a  trifle  too 
heavy,  or  a  calf  a  trifle  too   large,  to  deny   reward  to 

•       6  3 


262  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  IIAYDON.  [1843. 

works  whose  character,  expression  and  knowledge  of 
construction  were  self-evident,  was  unjust,  tyrannical ; 
particularly  taking  into  consideration  that  they  were 
known  to  be  by  a  man  who  made  the  very  first  cartoon- 
display  ever  made,  and  who,  wherever  the  art  was  in 
danger  from  any  cause,  has  shown  fight,  whatever  were 
or  might  be  the  consequences. 

"  If  among  the  English  nobility  there  had  ever  ex- 
isted a  desire  for  High  Art,  why  did  no  commission 
follow  Reynolds's  Hercules  strangling  the  Serpents, 
Flaxman's  Designs,  Hilton's  Christ  Rejected,  Etty's 
Holofernes,  my  Solomon,  and  Lazarus,  and  Xenophon, 
or  West's  Lear?  s  We  have  no  houses,'  said  the  Duke 
to  me ;  I  could  have  said  to  him,  '  How  comes  it  your 
Grace  hangs  up,  in  your  staircase  at  Strathfieldsaye, 
Fuseli's  conception  of  Satan  calling  up  the  Rebel  Angels, 
a  picture  of  gigantic  size,  which  you  bought  for  a  trifle 
at  his  sale  ?  '  It  is  not  that  there  is  no  genius.  It  is 
not  that  there  is  no  room.  It  is  not  that  there  are  no 
houses.  It  is  that  you  have  no  desire  —  no  taste  —  no 
sensibility  to  the  honour  of  your  great  country,  where 
Art  is  concerned.  Your  Lordships  throw  the  blame  on 
the  artists  where  you  alone  are  concerned  and  to  blame. 
You  subscribe  to  British  Galleries,  to  societies,  to  raffles, 
and  to  benevolent  funds,  as  you  would  to  Grisi's  benefit 
or  Lablache's  concert,  —  because  it  is  a  part  of  your 
duty,  as  men  of  fashion,  to  keep  up  your  splendour 
during  the  season  ;  but  you  have  no  love  of  Art  further 
than  as  it  ministers  to  your  vanities,  or  transcribes,  for 
th  e  admiration  of  posterity,  the  grace  and  beauty  of 
your  wives  and  children. 

"  The  whole  effervescence  will  be  allowed  to  die  away 
again,  and  nothing  will  do  but  the  people  taking  Art  in 
their  own  hands,  and  commissioning  artists  to  execute 
great  works  for  great  public  places.*     At  present,  with 

*  See  on  this  subject  the  remarks  of  Mr.  Watts  towards  the 
close  of  this  volume. 


1843.]     LETTER    TO    THE    DUKE    OF    SUTHERLAND.    263 

all  their  enthusiasm,  they  are  not  educated  enough  to 
prevent  their  becoming  the  victims  of  jobbers ;  and 
therefore  I  fear  to  push  such  a  principle  yet  (though  it 
is  the  only  plan  to  be  effected),  from  the  condition  of 
the  aristocracy,  who  are  totally  unfit  to  conduct  such  a 
scheme. 

11 20th. —  Spent  the  whole  day  with  a  lion,  and  came 
home  with  a  contempt  for  the  human  species.  Before 
the  day  was  over  we  got  intimate.  He  showed  me  his 
hideous  teeth,  and  affectionately  leaned  his  head  aside 
as  I  patted  him,  suffered  me  to  touch  his  paw  and 
smooth  his  mane.  The  lioness  was  in  heat,  and  as 
playful  as  a  kitten,  and  on  my  stooping  down  to  get  my 
port  crayon  gave  me  an  affectionate  pat  on  the  head 
like  the  blow  of  a  sledge  hammer,  but  I  luckily  had  my 
hat  on.  The  lion  and  lioness  were  kept  separate.  I 
made  most  useful  studies,  and  came  home  rich  in  know- 
ledge and  readv  to  begin. 

"30th. —  Last  day  of  the  month.  During  a  few 
days  at  the  latter  end  I  have  worked  well,  but  since 
loth  April  I  have  never  done  my  duty.  Two  months 
laid  up,  and  the  rest  harassed,  disappointed  and  tor- 
mented. But  I  have  now  recovered  from  the  pain  and 
shock  of  being  so  badly  treated,  and  am  fairly  at  work, 
Did  Bucephalus  to-day  by  completing  the  head.  For  the 
blessings  of  this  month  accept  my  thanks,  O  God,  and 
may  I  remedy  soon  the  evil.      Amen  with  all  my  soul." 

From  a  letter  to  the  Duke  of  Sutherland  (October 
2nd):  — 

"  Be  assured  I  have  broken  a  hard  shell,  and  found  more 
ashes  than  fruit. 

"  Different  treatment  when  I  was  a  diligent  and  obedient 
student  would  have  made  me  a  different  man. 

"  My  education  was  imperfect  :  I  was  never  taught  the 
properties  of  self-command,  and  I  flung  myself  from  my 
home  on  the  world  ready  to  revenge  insult  and  keenly  alive 
to  oppression. 

s  4 


264  MEMOIRS   OF    B.  K.  HAYDON.  [1843. 

"  Oppression  is  always  more  likely  to  elicit  the  vices  than 
the  virtues  of  the  most  gentle. 

"I  am  now  hard  at  work  on  Alexander  killing  a  Lion,  as 
the  only  subject  likely  to  make  me  bear  up  under  a  cloud  of 
mental  tortures  which  make  me  wonder  my  faculties  remain 
clear.  I  believe  I  am  meant  to  try  the  experiment  how 
much  a  human  brain  can  bear  without  insanity,  or  a  human 
constitution  without  death." 

"  4th.  —  Finished  ray  sketch.  As  I  wanted  advice,  I 
wrote  to  Collins  to  come  and  see  the  picture,  as  I  al- 
ways considered  Collins  one  of  us, — Wilkie,  Jackson 
and  myself,  —  and  sound  in  imitation.  He  called,  and 
we  talked  as  usual  about  the  Academy.  Whenever 
Wilkie,  Jackson  and  I  met,  that  was  the  first  question. 
An  Academician  comes  to  me ;  or  I  ask  him  to  come ; 
he  immediately  supposes  I  have  an  ulterior  view.  I 
may  regret  and  do  regret  the  loss  of  early  friendships, 
which  my  advocacy  of  my  principles  occasioned ;  but  I 
never  regret,  and  never  will,  the  impulses  which  inspired 
it.  They  always  mistake  my  private  regrets  for  public. 
I  would  do  exactly  as  I  did  if  I  had  to  act  over  again, 
but  I  regret  the  position  which  obliged  me  to  do  it.  I 
should  like  to  have  kept  my  position  in  private  friend- 
ship, but  I  would  sacrifice  it  again,  as  I  have  done,  on 
a  principle  of  public  duty,  if  it  were  required. 

"  If,  therefore,  1  say  to  Collins  or  to  any  old  friend, 
'  I  regret  our  separation,'  it  is  not  that  I  regret  the 
cause,  but  that  separation  was  the  consequence  of  the 
cause. 

"  17  th.  — ■  Went  to  Brighton  to  sketch  Nelson's  secre- 
tary, Wallis,  who  wrote  and  sealed  Lord  Nelson's  cele- 
brated letter  to  the  Crown  Prince  at  Copenhagen.  I 
sketched  him.  He  has  a  fine  head.  I  returned  to 
dinner;  so  much  for  steam. 

"  1 9th.  —  Lectured  at  Greenwich  on  the  Elgin 
Marbles.     The  people  exceedingly  enthusiastic.     The 


1843.]  TURNING    OUT    NAPOLEONS.  265 

people  of  this  great   country  are   more   fit   to  receive 
Grand  Art  than  the  aristocracy  are  to  grant  it. 

"  30th.  —  Out  the  whole  day  on  money,  as  I  have  to 
pay  Frank's  term  money,  or  he  loses  it. 

"  The  last  day  of  the  month.  In  September  I  did 
the  Lion.  In  October  I  have  done  Bucephalus,  and 
ought  to  have  concluded  Alexander,  but  money  dis- 
tresses have  hindered  me.  I  conclude  the  month  in 
gratitude  to  God  for  still  having  food,  clothing,  a  bed,  a 
house,  a  love  and  a  brain. 

"  November  6th.  —  O  God,  bless  me  this  day.    Amen. 

"  A  day  lost.  I  went  into  the  city  to  get  time  as 
usual,  and  returned  in  doubt.  Worked  at  my  picture 
in  sorrow,  set  rny  drapery  for  to-morrow,  and  under 
God's  blessing  will  paint,  if  the  Lord  Chancellor  and 
all  his  host  knocked  the  door  down. 

"  7th.  — Worked  delightfully  hard.  Threatened  with 
a  writ  at  one  ;  begged  till  to-morrow  ;  worked  away, 
and  got  Alexander  nearly  complete.  The  writ  came  at 
eight.  The  delight  I  had  to-day  is  almost  a  com- 
pensation for  months  of  sorrow.  At  it  again  to-morrow 
morning  at  eight,  with  God's  blessing. 

"  18th.  —  The  Alexander  is  neai'ly  done.  How  grate- 
ful I  feel  to  God  for  all  his  mercies  during  its  pi-ogress. 

"Put  in  Alexander's  head  19th  April;  worked  till 
middle  of  May  ;  then  burnt  my  foot ;  laid  up  and  wrote 
till  July.  The  Cartoon  decision  (being  ill  from  long 
confinement)  shook  me  by  its  injustice  ;  began  again 
September,  till  now,  —  altogether  four  months  at  the 
picture.  July  and  August  out  of  town,  now  and  then. 
Painted  several  sketches;  rubbed  in  Nelson. 

"28th.  —  Painted  a  little  Napoleon  in  four  hours; 
wetted  a  little  wax  in  oil,  but  I  don't  like  it.  Alexander 
still  laid  aside  till  I  fly  at  the  ground  in  a  day  or  two; 
I  have  every  prospect  of  getting  through  my  weekly 
payments.     I  trust  in  God  with  all  my  heart.     Did  He 


266  MEMOIRS   OF    B.  R.  HAYDON".  [1843. 

ever  fail  me  except  when  I  angered  him  by  sin  ?  Never. 
I  got  two  orders  last  night,  cheap  ;  but  it  is  better 
to  work  for  small  payment,  and  to  get  out  of  debt, 
than  to  stand  on  your  pride,  and  then  be  obliged  to 
borrow  after  doing  the  Grand  Seigneur. 

"  December  6th.  —  Nearly  finished  another  Napoleon 
in  four  hours,  —  nine  to  one. 

"  13th. — Worked  hard,  and  finished  another  Napo- 
leon, — '  Haydon,  patent  for  rapid  manufacture  of  Na- 
poleons Musing.'  This  is  the  eighth  :  Kearsey's,  from 
which  the  engraving  is  made,  the  first ;  Sir  Robert's, 
second  ;  Duke  of  Sutherland's,  third  ;  Rogers',  fourth ; 
Sir  John  Hanmer's,  fifth ;  Bennoch's,  Twenty  man's 
and  Hardy's,  three  city  friends,  sixth,  seventh  and 
eighth. 

et  16th. — Worked  furiously  for  seven  hours,  and 
nearly  did  a  repetition  in  small  of  Curtius.  Sent  home 
two  Napoleons,  in  small,  —  seventh  and  eighth.  I  have 
resolved  to  paint  cheap  and  small,  rather  than  borrow  ; 
so  far  it  succeeds,  and  I  hope  God  will  bless  it,  and  that 
I  may  get  out  of  debt.  This  week  I  have  been  blessed, 
and  have  worked  hard. 

"  19th. — Worked  and  finished  a  small  Curtius,  and 
rubbed  in  a  Napoleon  ;  the  ninth. 

"'22nd.  — '  How  to  paint  a  Historical  Picture,'  and 
'  How  to  make  use  of  ancient  sculpture  applied  to  the 
forms  of  High  Art,'  would  be  two  capital  subjects  for  new 
lectures.  Composed  a  letter  on  professors  of  Art  at 
Oxford  and  Cambridge  before  going  to  sleep,  between 
four  and  five,  and  awoke  again  at  seven,  brimming. 
Worked  and  finished  Napoleon ;  got  in  another  Napo- 
leon. Met  a  friend  in  Pall  Mall  who  possesses  that 
head  of  Lorenzo  di  Medici ;  I  collared  him,  and  said, 
'  Your  life  or  a  Napoleon  ? '  He  burst  out  a-laughing, 
and  said,  '  A  Napoleon,  of  course  ; '  so  I  went  home  and 
got  it  in  before  four. 


1843.]  BRITISH    INSTITUTION.  267 

'■  30th. — Finished  Alexander  to-day  at  the  British 
Institution,  by  toning  down  the  sky,  and  the  whole 
looked  strong  and  rich  ;  how  Sir  George  would  have 
relished  its  mode  of  colour  and.  touch  !  I  thank  God 
for  all  his  mercies  during  the  whole  thing.  Had  I  not 
had  a  great  picture  to  fly  to,  I  could  not  have  stood  my 
ground.  I  have  Macbeth  and  Napoleon  rubbed  in  for 
instant  application  ;  I  carried  my  lunch  with  me,  and 
did  what  no  mortal  ever  did  before  in  that  room,  broiled 
it  on  the  coals,  and  with  a  pint  of  the  coldest  pump 
water  lunched  heartier  than  the  Queen.  It  was  the 
south  room,  where  all  that  were  illustrious  and  great 
have  walked  on  those  splendid  nights  we  used  to  have : 
—  Davy,  Wilkie,  Talma,  Lamb,  Hazlitt,  Beaumont, 
Madame  de  Stael,  Talleyrand,  Canning,  Wellington, 
Lady  Jersey,  and  my  own  love,  Mary.  Such  is  human 
destiny!  —  Alexander  the  Great  was  before  me,  —  a 
mutton  chop  on  the  coals.  I  had  just  written  to  Words- 
worth,  full  of  poetry  on  my  reflections  at  being  alone 
in  a  gallery  where  I  had  seen  such  splendid  scenes,  and 
such  illustrious  people.  My  chop  was  cooked  to  a  tee ; 
I  ate  it  like  a  lied  Indian,  and  drank  the  cool  trans- 
lucent with  a  gusto  a  wine-connoisseur  knows  not.  I 
then  thought  the  distant  cloud  was  too  much  advanced ; 
so  toning  it  down  with  black  I  hit  the  mark,  and  pro- 
nounced the  work  done.  —  lo  Pacini  —  and  I  fell  on 
my  knees  and  thanked  God,  and  bowed  my  forehead, 
and  touched  the  ground,  and  sprung  up,  my  heart  beat- 
ing at  the  anticipation  of  a  greater  work,  and  a  more 
terrific  stru£2;le. 

"This  is  B.  R.  Hay  don  —  the  real  man  —  may  he 
live  a  thousand  years!  and  here  he  sneezed  —  lucky  ! 

"  30th.  —  It  is  past  two,  and  lam  retiring  to  rest. 
In  less  than  sixty  minutes  1843  will  be  swallowed  up  in 
the  gulph  of  time;  1823  was  my  first  ruin;  — 1843 
nearly  brought  me  again  to   prison ;  but  I  never  was 


268  MEMOIRS   OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1844. 

better,  and  have  got  through.  I  have  lived  to  carry 
the  great  principle  of  state  support,  and,  as  "Wilkie  said, 
to  be  convinced  I  shall  be  the  least  likely  to  taste  its 
fruits.  Such  is  the  gratitude  of  mankind  to  those  who 
tell  them  the  truth,  and  devote  themselves  to  their  ser- 
vice. My  sons  are  doing  well ;  my  Mary  is  as  lovely 
as  ever ;  my  own  health  stronger  than  at  eighteen ;  my 
faith  in  God  now  become  an  instinct,  and  my  want  of 
money  the  same ;  I  have  got  through  another  great 
work,  if  not  the  greatest,  Alexander,  and  am  now  fit 
for  others.  O  God !  bless  the  beginning,  progression 
and  conclusion  of  1844;  and  though  I  have  less  sin  to 
repent  of  than  ever  I  had  before,  let  me  at  its  conclusion 
have  conquered  even  that ! 

"  Amen,  in  gratitude  and  peace,  amen. 

1844. 

"  January  1st.  —  Worked  and  nearly  did  a  large 
Napoleon's  head ;  had  a  rough  canvas  with  a  delicious 
tooth. 

"  2nd.  —  Finished  the  body  of  Napoleon  ;  went  out 
on  business  in  snow  and  sleet.  The  head  and  hat  looked 
well. 

"  3?t/. — Finished  the  Napoleon  figure  in  three  days  ; 
I  could  do  it  in  one  summer  day  ;  to-morrow  for  the 
sea,  the  next  for  the  sky. 

"  4:th.  —  Another  day  of  work ;  God  be  thanked  ! 
Put  in  the  sea,  —  a  delicious  tint.  How  exquisite  is  a 
bare  canvas,  sized  alone,  to  paint  on ;  how  the  colour 
drags  over ;  how  the  slightest  colour,  thin  as  water, 
tells ;  how  it  glitters  in  body ;  how  the  brush  flies,  — 
now  here  —  now  there;  it  seems  as  if  face,  hands,  sky, 
thought,  poetry  and  expression  were  hid  in  the  handle, 
and  streamed  out  as  it  touched  the  canvas.  What 
magic !  what  fire !  what  unerring  hand  and  eye  !  what 
fancy  !  what  power !  what  a  gift  of  God  !  I  bow  and 
am  grateful. 


1344.]  LETTER    FROM    SIR    JOSHUA'S    NIECE.  269 

"  10th. — It  is  extraordinary  what  a  guard  I  am 
obliged  to  keep  on  myself.  The  moment  the  excite- 
ment of  a  great  work  is  over,  if  I  do  not  go  at  another, 
I  am  sure  to  burst  out  in  writing.  My  brain  seems  to 
require  constant  pressure  to  be  easy,  and  my  body  in- 
cessant activity.  In  a  great  public  work  alone  I  shall 
ever  find  rest,  which  will  never  be  afforded  me. 

"  Moved  the  Napoleon  to  the  Gallery ;  it  looked  well. 

"  14th.  —  Half  the  month  is  gone,  and  I  have  done 
my  duty :  carry  me  through  the  remainder,  O  thou 
most  merciful  Being!  Amen.  I  have  income-tax  and 
Heaven  knows  what  to  pay ;  but  I  trust  where  I  have 
trusted  so  often  before.  These  first  fourteen  days  I 
have  done  my  duty  well ;  I  have  prepared  two  pictures 
for  completion,  and  I  hope  to  get  successfully  through 
them.  I  am  convinced  my  mind  would  have  sunk  had 
I  not  had  Solomon  in  early  life,  and  Alexander  last 
June,  to  contend  with  and  fly  to :  a  great  work  under 
all  circumstances  is  a  stimulus  to  exertion." 

The  question  of  Sir  Joshua  Reynolds's  authorship  of 
his  Discourses  was  revived  this  year  by  an  assertion  of 
the  Times  reviewer  of  Wilkie's  life,  that  Burke  "  had 
touched  up  and  revised,  if  he  did  not  altogether  write, 
Sir  Joshua's  Discourses."  The  subject  had  before  this 
occupied  Haydon's  attention,  but  he  Avas  now  lucky 
enough  to  obtain,  through  Sir  Joshua's  surviving  niece, 
Mrs.  Gwatkin,  conclusive  evidence  that  the  Discourses 
were  entirely  of  Sir  Joshua's  own  composition,  written 
indeed,  in  great  part,  in  his  niece's  presence,  and  with- 
out any  assistance  from  Burke.  Mrs.  Gwatkin,  then 
living  at  Plymouth,  and  in  her  eighty-ninth  year,  writes 
(on  the  11th  of  January)  :  — 

"  Intimately  associated  as  I  was  with  my  uncle  Sir  Joshua 
Reynolds,  and  conversant  as  I  was  both  with  his  occupations 
and  habits,  I  can  take  upon  myself  positively  to  assert  that 


270  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1844. 

he  was  the  author,  the  unassisted  author,  of  the  Discourses 
on  Painting.  The  numerous  MSS.  that  I  have  in  my 
possession  penned  by  my  uncle  on  various  subjects,  and 
often  in  my  presence  and  that  of  my  sister,  the  Marchioness 
of  Thomond,  when  it  was  his  habit  to  walk  up  and  down 
the  room  in  which  we  were  sitting,  and  as  the  thought 
occurred  commit  it  to  paper,  and  the  subject  of  those 
thoughts,  is  a  convincing  proof,  and  would  furnish  such 
proof  to  any  person  of  literary  talent,  that  Sir  Joshua 
possessed  a  mind  of  original  conception  and  considerable 
power,  needing  no  assistance  from  Burke  either  in  com- 
position, or  'retouching'  of  his  discourses;  and  as  Burke 
and  my  uncle  were  men  of  dissimilar  and  characteristic 
talent,  and  Burke  had  not  that  conception  of  idea  as  to  the 
art  of  painting  which  must  have  originated  in  my  uncle's 
mind,  the  unfair  calumny  on  his  fame  can  have  no  credible 
foundation  with  those  who  either  knew  him  or  Burke. 

"  Northcote  in  his  preface  to  the  life  of  Sir  J.  K.  says, 
'  Another  motive  to  my  undertaking  this  subject  was  that 
some  of  the  circumstances  which  I  had  to  relate  might  help 
to  clear  Sir  Joshua  in  respect  to  the  unwarrantable  ideas 
many  persons  have  entertained,  that  he  was  not  the  author 
of  his  own  Discourses.' 

"  In  regard  to  Farringdon  I  know  not  that  he  was  the 
immediate  cause  of  my  uncle's  resignation,  as  Sir  J.  R.  does 
not  mention  his  name  in  his  account  of  that  transaction  ; 
but  I  will  give  you  a  little  extract  I  have  just  made  from 
the  MS.  I  have  relative  to  it,  without  being  able  to  throw 
any  light  upon  who  the  spokesman  is  meant  to  be  :  '  An 
Academician,  who  has  long  been  considered  as  the  spokes- 
man of  the  party,  demanded  who  ordered  those  drawings  to 
be  sent  to  the  Academy?  President  answered  it  was  by 
his  order.  Asked  a  second  time  in  a  still  more  peremptory 
tone,  and  the  president  said,  "  I  did."  "  I  move  that  they  be 
turned  out,  or  sent  out  of  the  room.  Does  any  one  second 
my  motion?"'  I  have  to  apologise  for  being  so  bono-  in 
answering  your  note,  and  am 

"  Yours,  &c. 
"  Theopiiila  Gwatkin." 


1844.]  AT    WORK.  271 

"  25th.  —  My  birthday  — fifty-eight.  Good  heavens  ! 
Forty  years  ago  I  surveyed  my  acquirements  and  life, 
and  planned  a  course  of  study.  The  course  of  study  I 
have  pursued  was  in  French,  Italian,  Latin  and  Greek. 
I  think  I  do  not  know  an  atom  more  than  I  did  at 
eighteen.  Worked,  but  not  pleased  with  the  Duke's 
head.  I  was  warming  some  oil  when  it  caught  fire,  and 
roared  up  the  chimney  ;  a  good  omen  on  my  birthday. 
I  shall  yet  make  a  blaze  in  the  world  more  than  ever." 

Painting  Napoleons,  in  all  mannex's  of  musings,  had 
now  become  regular  bread  and  cheese  work  with  Haydon. 

"February  1st. —  Worked,  and  finished  a  sketch  of 
Curtius,  and  began  to  finish  another  of  Romeo  and 
Juliet.  Alexander  they  have  not  hung  up  at  the  Gal- 
lery. I  fear  some  prejudice.  They  took  Napoleon 
and  Saragossa,  which  are  old  pictures,  but  declined 
hanging  Alexander.  This  is  the  first  time  such  an  in- 
sult occurred  to  me.  As  I  get  older,  I  fear  it  will  be 
repeated. 

"  15th.  —  Worked  well,  and  finished  a  small  sketch 
of  Napoleon  in  his  bedroom  the  night  before  his  abdi- 
cation, 1814. 

"  16th.  —  Thank  the  Duke  of  Sutherland  who  sent 
me  25/.,  and  ordered  me  to  send  my  cartoon  of  Edward 
the  Black  Prince  to  Stafford  House.  I  hope  he  means 
to  buy  it.  I  felt  such  agony  at  my  want  of  money, 
while  I  had  legal  securities  coming  due,  that  in  the 
middle  of  the  night  I  awoke  and  felt  as  if  the  Lord  had 
quite  deserted  me.  I  turned  over  my  late  actions,  and 
found  as  little  sin  as  might  be  expected,  perhaps  less.  I 
appealed  to  God  for  mercy. 

"  20th.  —  Worked  gloriously,  and  got  in  Napoleon  in 
Fontainebleau  Garden.  Three  musings  —  Fontaine- 
bleau,  —  Bedroom,  —  Ocean. 

te  21st. —  Went  to  poor  Von  Hoist's  funeral,  —  a 
young  man  of  considerable  genius,  who  died  from  disap- 


272  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  IIAYDON.  [lS4J. 

pointment  in  the  prime  oflife,  who  felt  his  want  of  nature 
and  candidly  told  me  so,  but  said  it  was  too  late,  which 
was  a  mistake.  As  his  sister  stood  lingering  at  the 
brink  of  the  grave,  I  thought  what  a  touching  subject 
it  would  make  —  '  The  last  look,' —  and  when  the  ser- 
vice was  reading  in  the  dim  chapel,  the  Resurrection 
and  Judgment  on  each  side  in  fresco  entered  into  my 
head.  Oh,  if  I  am  not  let  loose  before  I  die,  what  a 
pity  it  will  be  ! 

"  One  of  the  women  said  to  me  with  the  greatest 
simplicity,  '  We  are  all  so  delighted  at  this  mark  of  re- 
spect to  poor  Theodore  and  he  will  be  delighted  too.' 

"  23/y/. —  Worked  hard,  and  got  another  Napoleon 
clone,  musing  the  night  before  his  abdication,  1814. 

"  29th.  —  End  of  February.  I  thank  God  for  all  his 
mercies,  and  they  have  been  great.  I  have  painted  a 
dozen  Napoleon  sketches,  finished  Alexander,  painted  a 
large  Napoleon.  Surely  I  have  done  my  duty.  I  could 
not  have  done  more. 

"  March  4th.  —  Worked  well,  and  finished  Napoleon 
meditating  at  Marengo. 

"  5th.  —  Worked  con  furore,  and  finished  Napoleon 
in  Egypt,  musing  on  the  Pyramids  at  sunrise.  Collins 
called. 

"  6th.  —  Got  in  and  sketched  the  Duke  and  Copen- 
hagen. 

"  7th. — Neai'ly  finished  the  Duke  and  Copenhagen. 
I  have  painted  nineteen  Napoleons.  Thirteen  musings 
at  St.  Helena,  and  six  other  musings,  and  three  Dukes 
and  Copenhagens.      By  heavens  !  how  many  more  ? 

"  It  is  impossible  to  get  that  equality  of  gemmy 
surface  Reynolds  and  the  old  masters  got  but  by  impas- 
ting the  whole  canvas  before  you  begin,  and  painting 
into  it.  Equal  quantities  of  mastic  varnish  and  old  raw 
linseed  oil  (half  a  pint  each),  a  bit  of  pure  wax  as  big 
as  your  thumb,  and  without  spermaceti  (be  sure),  makes 


1844.]  MORE    NAPOLEONS    MUSING.  273 

a  divine  vehicle,  simmered  ten  minutes  over  a  chafing 
dish,  not  over  the  fire  in  the  grate,  for  I  upset  the  whole 
and  it  went  roaring  up  the  chimney.  Engines  came,  and 
I  was  forced  to  pay  1/.  lis.  Sir  Joshua  paid  51.  5s.  for 
the  same  thing. 

"  9th. — Worked  at  the  Duke.  Sent  home  six  Na- 
poleons Musing,  five  guineas  a-piece.  What  would  Sir 
George,  Lord  Mulgrave  and  Wilkie  say  to  this  ?  Got 
orders  for  three  more  at  six  guineas.  At  any  rate  this 
is  rising. 

"  c  You  will  be  compelled,'  said  Burke  to  Barry,  ( to 
do  anvthing  for  anybody,  and  you  will  go  out  of  the 
world  fretted,  disappointed  and  ruined.'  If  I  do,  may 
I  be  d d.     Hem  !  " 

Mention  has  often  been  made  in  the  Journals  of  Hay- 
don's  anxiety  to  see  Art  professorships  at  the  Univer- 
sities. This  idea  had  found  a  distinguished  supporter 
in  Mr.  Greswell  of  Worcester  College,  Oxford.  But 
the  Oxford  man  thought,  of  com'se,  of  working  with  the 
aid  of  the  established  authorities,  —  the  Academy  and 
the  Minister.    This  would  not  do,  in  Haydon's  opinion. 

"  20th. — Wrote  all  day  and  finished  my  lecture  on 
English  High  Art.  Blazed  gloriously  at  the  latter  part. 
The  simplicity  of  Oxford  pi'ofessors  is  delightful.  Gres- 
well, at  Worcester,  read  a  lecture  on  professors  of  Art, 
which  I  proposed,  1840.  It  was  received,  as  my  offer 
was,  with  pleasure:  up  comes  the  simple  man,  —  never 
comes  to  me,  but  goes  to  the  Academy.  They  invite 
him  to  dine,  pump  him  of  his  intentions,  find  he  means 
to  write  Peel.  They  prepare  Peel  for  the  applica- 
tion and  sneer  at  the  whole  thins.  Greswell  falls  into 
the  snare,  writes  Sir  Robert,  gets  the  usual  official  reply 
and  is  thunderstruck  at  his  apathy.  Back  he  goes,  finds 
the  dons  entirely  altered  now  the  minister  is  cool,  and 
the  plan  is  thrown  back  two  degrees." 

This  month  Haydon  visited  and    lectured    again  at 

VOL.  III.  T 


274  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1844. 

Liverpool  and  Manchester,  painting  a  brace  of  Napo- 
leons first,  I  suppose  to  raise  funds  for  his  journey. 

"  23rd. — Came  down  to  Liverpool  by  train  with  a 
young  blood,  who  talked  away  about  the  House,  till  the 
awful  and  usual  question  from  me, «  Are  you  a  member  ? ' 
quieted  him. 

"  2Uh. — Took  a  hot  sea-bath.  Awoke  this  morning 
with  that  sort  of  audible  whisper  Socrates,  Columbus 
and  Tasso  heard :  '  Why  do  you  not  paint  your  own 
six  designs  for  the  House  on  your  own  foundation,  and 
exhibit  them  ? '  I  felt  as  if  there  was  no  chance  of  my 
ever  being  permitted  to  do  them  else,  without  control 
also.  I  knelt  up  in  my  bed  and  prayed  heartily  to  ac- 
complish them,  whatever  might  be  the  obstruction,  as  I 
had  got  through  my  other  works.  I  will  begin  them 
as  my  next  great  works ;  I  feel  as  if  they  will  be  my 
last,  and  I  think  I  shall  then  have  done  my  duty.  O 
God  !  bless  the  beginning,  progression  and  conclusion 
of  these  six  great  designs,  to  illustrate  the  best  govern- 
ment to  regulate  without  ci-amping  the  energies  of 
mankind.  Grant  me  health  of  mind  and  body,  vigour, 
perseverance  and  undaunted  courage ;  let  no  difficulty 
or  want  obstruct  me ;  but  let  me  put  forth  to  their  full 
intensity  the  powex's  of  mind  with  which  thou  hast 
blessed  me,  to  thy  glory,  and  the  elevation  and  innocent 
pleasure  of  my  country ;  and  grant  the  moral  duties  due 
to  my  dear  children  and  wife  may  not  be  neglected, 
whatever  may  be  my  ambition,  my  delight,  my  rapture 
in  my  art.  Above  all,  let  me  daily  implore  Thy  bles- 
sing, and  fearlessly  believe  in  Thy  aid  till  the  great 
work  be  accomplished,  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord. 

"  One  of  the  most  remarkable  days  and  nights  of  my 
life.  I  slept  at  the  Adelphi  last  night,  high  up,  and 
just  at  break  of  day  I  awoke,  and  felt  as  if  a  heavenly 
choir  was  leaving  my  slumbers  as  day  dawned,  and  had 
been  hanging  over  and  inspiring  me  whilst  I  slept.      I 


1844.]      LECTURES    AT    THE    ROYAL    INSTITUTION.      275 

had  not  dreamt,  but  heard  the  inspiration.  When  I  was 
awake  I  saw  the  creeping  light.  If  this  be  delusion, 
so  was  Columbus's  voice  in  the  roaring  of  the  Atlantic 
winds  ;  but  neither  was,  and  under  the  blessing  of  God 
the  result  shall  show  it  as  to  myself,  —  but  only  under 
His  blessing. 

"  April  \6th.  —  I  this  clay  lectured  at  the  Royal  In- 
stitution, Albemarle  Street,  where  Davy,  Coleridge 
and  Campbell  had  lectured  before  me.  I  have  been 
kept  from  this  for  nine  years  by  the  apprehensions  the 
Academicians  contrived  to  excite  in  the  minds  of  the 
managers.  Hamilton  proposed  me  two  years  ago,  and 
every  one  voted  against  me.  This  year  the  managers 
appealed  to  him  to  apply  to  me.  He  said,  '  No  :  apply 
yourselves.  You  refused  me;  to  you  belongs  the  gau- 
cherie  of  asking  him.'  They  did  so;  and  I,  seeing  the 
great  advantage  of  the  hit,  Barked  my  pride  (as  Burke  ad- 
vised) and  closed.  There  was  a  stir  in  fashion  about  my 
lectures,  as  if  my  style  was  not  adapted  to  this  audience  ; 
but  I  am  happy  to  say  it  was  a  complete  hit.  I  read 
them  the  same  lecture  I  read  at  the  Mechanics',  at 
Oxford,  and  at  Liverpool,  and  thus  have  made  a  hit 
amongst  all  classes  of  society. 

"  18^A. — Occupied  and  harassed  in  a  just  distribution 
of  my  gains.  Obliged  to  leave  out  the  good-natured  to 
get  rid  of  the  ill-natured.     Not  just." 

The  following  letter  from  Haydon's  life-long  friend 
Seymour  Kirk  up — a  name  familiar  to  all  English  lovers 
of  Art  who  know  Florence,  and  to  whom  we  owe  the 
discovery  of  Giotto's  portrait  of  Dante  in  the  Bargello 
of  that  city  —  gives  a  graceful  and  interesting  detail  of 
the  fete  of  the  Buonarroti  family,  in  the  Palazzo  where 
their  great  ancestor  lived  and  worked :  — 

"I  thought  of  you  the  other  night.  I  received  a  kind 
note  from  the  Chevalier  Cosimo  Buonarroti  to  come  to  their 
fete,  the  birthday  of  M.  A.     There  I  met   young  Miehelag- 

T    2 


276  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HATDON.  [1844. 

nolo,  the  painter  (very  like  the  Vecchio  in  the  face  before 
he  let  his  beard  grow  to  a  fashionable  point),  and  Faustina, 
the  lady  you  formerly  heard  of,  now  grown  grey,  but  a  very 
nice  English-looking  gentlewoman.  Her  daughter  is  lately 
married.  Ugly  but  attractive.  Well.  There  was  the  house 
full  of  company,  nobility,  arts,  sciences,  and  all  the  talents — ■ 
music  —  a  grand  cantata  written  for  the  occasion  by  a  first- 
rate  maestro,  and  sung  by  a  niece  of  Cosimo's,  a  first-rate 
private  singer,  the  famous  Testa,  and  the  famous  gallery 
lighted  up  and  turned  into  a  buffet  for  tea  and  ices,  all  bril- 
liant and  happy.  At  the  top  of  the  gallery,  in  his  niche,  sits 
the  hero  himself ;  a  fine  statue  with  much  of  the  style  of 
Lorenzo  in  the  chapel,  only  not  so  gloomy.  I  never  saw  it 
well  before,  for  it  is  between  the  windows.  It  is  very  alive 
and  noble,  and  he  was  crowned  for  the  occasion  with  a 
massive  gold  wreath,  that  agreed  so  with  the  action  that  he 
seemed  to  feel  it  and  exult.  I  am  no  sniveller,  but  I  should 
have  wept  outright  with  an  unaccountable  pleasure  if  I  had 
been  alone.  I  could  hardly  master  it  as  it  was.  The  gal- 
lery was  built  by  his  nephew  Leonardo  (several  of  whose 
books  I  have  with  his  name  in  them),  and  he  employed  the 
best  painters  of  his  school.  It  is  about  forty  feet  long  and 
fifteen  broad.  On  each  side  are  four  large  pictures,  life  size, 
divided  by  pilasters  and  two  doors.  The  subjects  are  scenes 
in  the  life  of  M.  A.  in  Eome,  with  different  Popes,  in  Flo- 
rence, at  the  siege,  &c. ;  of  course  the  costumes  and  like- 
nesses are  authentic.  At  the  bottom  is  one  large  unfinished 
fresco  by  his  own  hand,  between  two  doors.  The  ceiling  is 
divided  into  a  number  of  compartments  by  richly  gilt  cross 
beams,  and  each  contains  a  painting  relating  to  him. 

"  The  family  are  poor,  but  Cosimo  has  got  on  in  the  law. 
He  is  a  judge;  a  mild,  weak  sort  of  man,  —  and  he  speaks 
very  good  English,  as  his  sister  Faustina  does  likewise. 
Michelagnolo  is  their  first  cousin.  He  is  younger,  and  a 
painter,  and  not  so  well  off.  He  possesses  a  villa  with  some 
chalk  sketches  on  the  wall  by  the  great  one. 

"  N.  B.  I  have  a  bas-relief  sketch  in  terracotta  which  I 
had  from  the  walls  of  the  Grotti  Palace  in  Venice.  (Andrea 
was  his  friend.)     A  Jupiter  and  Antiope,  first-rate. 


1844. J  A   FETE    WITH    THE    BUONARROTI.  277 

"  They  (the  B.'s)  possess  quantities  of  letters  and  a  thick 
volume  of  inedited  MS.  in  his  own  hands,  which  there  is  no 
mistaking.  The  most  extraordinary  of  all  his  successors 
was  the  father  of  Cosimo,  Filippo,  who  died  in  Paris  long 
ago.  He  wrote  an  account  of  the  conspiracy  of  Babceuf,  of 
which  he  was  himself  a  magna  pars.  You  may  see  it  at  any 
library.  The  title,  Conspiration  pour  Vegalite,  dite  de 
Babceuf,  par  Ph.  Buonarroti.  Bruxelles,  1828,  2  vols. 
in  8vo." 

"22nd. — Called  on  Mrs.  Stewart  Mackenzie  at  Old 
Palace,  Richmond.  Breakfasted  and  had  a  delightful 
talk.  Colonel  Fraser,  latterly  of  the  Guards,  who  lost 
his  leg  at  Burgos,  was  there,  and  set  me  down  on  his 
return.  We  had  a  most  delightful  chat  about  the 
Duke. 

"  He  told  me  the  men  always  knew  when  the  Duke 
was  at  headquarters  because  they  got  their  sleep  as  well 
as  he  his.  When  the  Duke  was  absent  the  men  were 
always  harassed,  from  the  anxiety  of  the  officer  in  com- 
mand. 

"He  said  the  Duke,  as  soon  as  he  had  foreseen  and 
prepared  everything,  slept  like  a  top,  or  sat  down  quietly 
and  wrote  a  long  letter  about  anything  but  military 
matters. 

"  Colonel  Fraser  said  it  was  curious  to  see  the  se- 
curity of  everybody  if  they  knew  or  saw  the  Duke 
was  present. 

"30th.  —  Lectured  at  the  Royal  Institution  and 
finished  the  introductory  lectures  —  three.  It  is  a 
great  triumph  indeed  to  have  made  people  of  fashion  go 
through  the  process  of  an  artist,  and  I  hope  it  will  have 
its  effect. 

"  Several  men  of  fashion  were  present,  and  took  an 
interest  in  the  proceedings,  and  many  women  of  fashion 
and  beauty. 

"  These  principles  must  sink  deeper,  and  having  gone 

T    3 


278  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  E.  HAYDON.  [1844. 

through  all  classes  of  society  I  trust  in  God  I  have  laid 
the  foundation  of  a  thorough  reform. 

"  Thus  ends  April,  and  I  have  not  painted  the  whole 
month;  —  but  I  really  wanted  repose. 

"  May  1st. —  I  this  day  again  (after  lecturing  till  I 
am  exhausted,  —  twenty-two  lectures  in  sixteen  days, 
and  beginning  again  the  instant  I  came  to  town)  have 
reset  my  palette.  It  pains  me  even  to  leave  it.  O 
God !  bless  my  recommencement,  progression  and  con- 
clusion till  the  end  of  the  year,  and  whilst  I  live. 

"  7  th. — Lectured  at  the  Royal  Institution. 

"■  There  is  a  picture  at  the  Academy  by  Mulready, 
which  is  as  great  an  epoch  in  the  colour  of  our  do- 
mestic school  as  was  Wilkie's  Blind  Fiddler  in  com- 
position,—  The  Whistonian  Controversy. 

"10th. —  O  God!  bless  the  conception,  execution 
and  conclusion  of  my  new  work  begun  this  day.  Let 
me  bring  it  to  a  successful  conclusion,  and  bless  it  with 
sale  and  success.  Let  no  necessity  or  difficulty  deter, 
nor  ill-health  injure  or  delay  me.     Amen. 

"  Rubbed  in  Uriel  and  Satan. 

"  Wrote  Tite,  the  architect  of  the  Royal  Exchange, 
pointing  out  the  opportunity  which  the  flats  on  the 
Royal  Exchange  offered  for  a  series  of  designs  illus- 
trating the  rise  and  progress  of  our  commercial  great- 


ness." 


This  year  the  competition  in  fresco,  supplementary 
to  that  in  cartoons,  was  opened  in  Westminster  Hall,  to 
which  Haydon,  disheartened  by  his  previous  ill-success, 
did  not  send  anything. 

"  18th.  —  At  my  dear  Harman's  sale  —  Sir  Joshua's 
Age  of  Innocence  fetched  15961.  ;  Hobbima  (Smith's 
Catalogue,  118.),  1942/.  10*.  ;  Le  Bonnet  Vert,  693/. ; 
Jan  Stein  (No.  43.  S.  Cat.),  630/. ;  Ostade  (S.  Cat. 
114.),  1386/.  (1320  guineas);  Vandevelde  (S.  Cat. 
21.),    1389/.      'Le  Coup  de   Canon.'      The    National 


1844.]  LARGE    AND    SMALL    PICTURES,  279 

Gallery  bid  1510  guineas  for  the  Sir  Joshua.  I  met 
Sir  John  Hanmer  yesterday.  He  said,  '  Do  you  com- 
pete for  this  fresco?'  'No,  certainly;  I've  had  enough 
of  competition.'  '  The  fortune  of  war,'  said  he.  'No, 
Sir  John,'  said  I;  'the  treachery  of  the  enemy.' 

"  These  sales  are  melancholy  ;  —  Sir  George  Young's, 
Lord  Lansdowne's,  Sir  Joshua's,  Wilkie's,  and  now 
Harman's. 

"  19th.  —  As  I  sit  looking  at  my  picture,  Uriel  and 
Satan,  I  cannot  help  remembering  the  friends  now  gone, 
who  used  to  call  in  on  a  Sunday  and  talk,  and  criticise, 
and  cheer  up  —  Lord  Mulgrave,  Sir  George,  Wilkie, 
Jackson,  General  and  Augustus  Phipps.  How  all  was 
hope,  and  novelty,  and  anticipation  !  And  after  forty 
years  of  most  anxious  study  I  am  again  at  it  in  just  as 
much  necessity,  or  more,  as  when  I  painted  my  first 
picture  in  1806,  —  thirty-eight  years  ago.  Hardly  any 
one  now  feels  an  interest  in  my  proceedings ;  yet  my 
proceedings  always  do  excite  an  interest,  and  my  fate  is 
not  fulfilled.  My  dear  old  friends  are  passed,  and  have  led 
the  way.  After  a  few  years  I  must  follow  them.  The 
state  of  things  is  melancholy.  I  anticipate  nothing  from 
the  promised  opportunity  for  fresco.  The  spaces  are 
contemptibly  small.  The  nature  of  fresco  decoration 
does  not  seem  understood. 

"  The  sale  of  small  pictures  yesterday  has  made  a 
deeper  impression  on  me  than  all  advice.  It  is  only  by 
moderate-sized  works  a  reputation  gets  into  possession 
of  foreign  nations.  The  size  of  life,  or  small  canvases, 
will  secure  reward,  and  not  lose  reputation.  The  gems 
of  Sir  Joshua  are  as  broad  as  Michael  Ancrelo's  execu- 
tion.  They  are  in  the  true  grand  style  of  execution 
for  any  size,  and  yet  by  the  moderation  of  his  canvas  he 
is  admissible  anywhere.  My  object  has  been  to  create 
and  rouse  up  a  high  feeling  for  Art,  which  full-sized 
works  only  give  ;  but   I   ought  not  to  be  accused  of 

t  4 


280  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDOjST.  [1844. 

shrinking  if  I  more  frequently  now  suit  the  capacities  of 
my  purchasers.  I  shall  write  all  this,  and  then  order  a 
canvas  12  by  10.  I'll  combine  the  two  more  than  I 
have  ever  done,  and  see  the  result.  Perhaps  it  will  be 
the  same,  without  the  same  support  from  conscience 
which  a  great  work  always  gives, —  sale  or  no  sale. 

"  23rd. —  Raffled  Saragossa  to-day  :  J.  G.  Lockhart, 
Esq.,  in  the  chair ;  Lord  Colborne  threw  30,  Lord 
Northampton  30,  Duke  of  Sutherland  26,  and  Webb, 
my  old  pupil,  11,  11,  10  (32),  winning.  He  was  an  old 
pupil,  introduced  to  me  by  Sir  George  Beaumont,  1819. 
He  became  disgusted  ;  —  set  up  butter  shops  ;  —  has 
three  in  the  town ;  —  has  made  property,  and  patronises 
his  old  master ;  —  poor  Webb  !  There  were  thirty  sub- 
scribers ;  the  Duke  had  six  shares.  Eucles,  Xenophon, 
and  now  Saragossa,  were  all  raffled.  Newman  Smith 
won  Eucles,  Duke  of  Bedford  Xenophon,  and  Webb 
Saragossa. 

"  June  4th. — I  am  tormented  with  hypochondria  and 
melancholy.  The  thought  of  the  Emperor  of  Russia's 
arrival,  to  Avhom  I  was  presented  twenty-eight  years 
ago,  and  of  the  humiliations  I  have  undergone  since  I 
saw  him,  is  literally  shocking. 

"  9^A.  —  Horace  Vernet  called  when  I  was  out.  I 
regret  it  much.  Since  the  Emperor  has  been  here,  I 
have  not  had  a  quiet  thought.  He  went  to-day  and  I 
am  glad  of  it,  because  I  was  not  in  the  position  I  was  in 
twenty- eight  years  ago  ;  and  I  should  have  felt  pain  to 
have  met  him  as;ain. 

"  10 th.  —  Horace  Vernet  called  to-day  after  I  called 
on  him,  and  we  had  a  regular  burst.  I  called  him  '  Le 
Paixhan  de  Peintres,'  at  which  he  laughed,  and  '  Le 
soldat  de  VArt."1  I  showed  him  Napoleon  Musing,  and 
he  immediately  sketched  for  me  his  two  uniforms,  — 
chasseur's  and  grenadier's,  —  which  I  framed  and  kept, 
because  they  are  correct.     He  wished  a  hearty  farewell, 


1844.]  THE    DUKE    IN    A    PASSION.  281 

said  my  Uriel  was  '  Michel  AngelesqueJ  but  found  fault 
with  the  right  knee.  He  asked  for  ray  other  pictures, 
and  told  me  on  his  return  with  the  King  he  would  see 
them  and  spend  longer  time  with  me. 

"  19th. —  I  went  to  the  cartoons,  and  dined  with  a 
pupil  at  Richmond,  at  the  Star  and  Garter.  I  met 
Bailey  the  sculptor  who  told  me  his  rencontre  with  the 
Duke  of  Wellington.  The  Duke  had  written  Storr 
and  Mortimer  he  would  see  Bailey  on  Wednesday ; 
they  told  him  nothing  of  it  till  Wednesday  afternoon. 
Off  he  set  on  Thursday,  and  came  on  the  Duke  when 
he  was  deeply  studying  some  papers  and  details  con- 
nected with  India  (I  suspect  the  Affghanistan  affair), 
and  after  keeping  him  waiting  a  whole  day,  which  he 
had  set  aside. 

"  The  Duke  came  down  as  soon  as  Bailey  was  an- 
nounced, and  on  entering  flew  at  him  in  a  fury.  Bailey 
told  me  he  included  in  the  most  violent  imprecations 
himself,  with  all  other  artists,  for  what  he  called  '  tor- 
menting him,'  adding  that  his  career  was  over  at  forty- 
seven,  and  asking  why  they  could  not  be  content  with 
what  they  had  done  already.  Bailey  said  he  bent  his 
fist  to  knock  the  clay  model  to  pieces  ;  but  the  Duke 
got  up  on  the  horse,  and  Bailey  modelled  away. 

"  When  he  had  done  sitting  he  withdrew,  and  Bailey 
took  his  bag  up  to  the  steward,  and  was  about  to  retire 
to  the  inn  to  dine.  The  steward  said,  '  Sir,  the  Duke 
expects  you  at  dinner,  and  to  sleep  here.'  '  Tell  the 
Duke,'  said  Bailey,  '  I  '11  be  hanged  if  I  dine  at  the  table 
of  any  man  who  uses  me  as  he  has  done.' 

"  Bailey  went  to  the  inn,  and  was  drinking  his  wine 
when  he  saw  a  groom  galloping  towards  the  house.  He 
inquired  for  Mr.  Bailey.  He  was  shown  in.  Bailey 
said,  'Tell  the  Duke  I'll  neither  dine  at  his  table  nor 
sleep  at  his  house.' 

"  The  next  day  he  went  again.  The  Duke  came  in, 
in  a  very  bad  temper,  and  said,  '  I  suppose  I  may  read 


282  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  ITAYDON.  [1844. 

my  letters.'  He  sat  and  read,  and  tore  open  his  letters 
in  a  fury  ;  Bailey  finished.  The  Duke  began  to  melt 
and  excuse  himself,  and  offered  to  sit  again,  but  Bailey 
declined.  Since  then  the  Duke  told  Mortimer  the 
silversmith,  he  would  sit  again.  I  like  this,  as  it  is 
amiable  ;  but  Bailey  would  not  accept  it. 

"  I  like  this  burst  of  character  ;  and  thank  God !  he 
is  like  ourselves.  Bailey  assured  me  he  had  exaggerated 
nothing. 

"  15th.  —  Altered  Napoleon's  coat  according  to  Horace 
Vernet's  correction.  My  children's  French  master,  who 
directed  me  in  having  a  coat  made  for  Sir  Robert's 
lecture,  must  have  been  an  impostor. 

"  27th.  —  I  spent  the  morning  in  the  Exhibition,  and 
narrowly  scrutinised  every  picture.  Macready  by  Briggs, 
and  the  President  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Society  by  poor 
William  Allen,  are  fine  and  powerful.  There  is  not 
besides  a  really  fine  picture  in  the  rooms,  besides  Mul- 
ready's  Whistonian  Controversy,  which  is  exquisite. 
Creswick's  scenery  and  Danby's  Artist's  Holiday  are  ex- 
quisite in  their  way  ;  but  there  is  not  a  single  picture  in 
the  whole  place  which  gives  evidence  of  power  to  manage 
a  great  public  work." 

In  July  came  a  gleam  of  hope  of  work  in  which  Hay- 
don  would  have  gloried.  The  Commission  for  building 
the  Royal  Exchange  inquired  of  Mr.  Tite,  their  archi- 
tect,  as  to  the  cost  of  decorating  the  panels  of  the 
merchants'  area  with  frescos.  The  architect  immedi- 
ately wrote  to  make  the  inquiry  of  Haydon,  who  at  once 
answered  :  — 

"July  11. 
"  Dear  Sir, 

"  I  was  honoured  by  your  question,  and  I  am  most  happy 
to  answer  it,  as  you  know  I  have  always  entertained  a  con- 
viction that  historical  fresco  decoration  was  essential  to  the 
completion  of  the  new  Royal  Exchange. 

"  There  are  twenty-four  large  spaces  and  eight  small  ones. 


1844.]  FRESCOS    IN    THE    ROYAL    EXCHANGE.  283 

The  large  ones  niirrht  be  filled  with  a  series  of  beautiful 
fresco  illustrations  of  our  rise,  from  the  earliest  to  the  latest 
period  of  commercial  greatness.  The  small  might  contain, 
in  chiaroscuro,  portraits  of  the  greatest  men  who  have  con- 
tributed to  that  rise.  The  whole  series  might  be,  like  the 
ceiling  and  the  building,  under  the  direction  of  one  man  and 
his  assistants,  as  abroad  :  but  if  other  artists  have  to  share. 
they  should  be  constrained  in  their  respective  sides  to  carry 
out  their  part  only  of  one  great  consistent  object ;  and  every 
subject  they  paint  in  that  side  should  first  be  approved  by 
Committee  and  Architect,  as  part  of  the  original  plan. 

••  Onl  ss  this  be  a  positive  law,  confusion  and  failure  will 
be  the  result. 

•■  With  respect  to  the  estimate  it  may  be  impossible  to  be 
quite  correct  to  100/.  ;  but  if  one  man  only  has  the  direc- 
tion, he  could  certainly  accomplish  the  whole  without  loss, 
for  3500/. — the  Architect  supplying  the  two  first  coats  of 
mortar  before  bis  last  intonaco. 

"  Perhaps  the  safest  way  would  be  to  make  an  experiment. 
A  fine  fresco  might  be  painted  on  the  right  side  of  the  prin- 
cipal entrance,  developing  the  earliest  mode  of  commerce. 
For  one  only  300/.  is  not  too  much. 

"Or  two  might  be  painted  each  side  ;  the  first,  commerce 
at  its  least  —  the  second,  at  its  greatest;  the  earliest,  the  one 
at  the  right,  being  the  beginning  ;  the  one  at  the  left,  the 
end.     Both  could  be  done  for  400/. 

"Or  the  whole  west  end  might  be  done  as  an  experiment, 
but  still  to  be  part  of  the  great  whole  (when  the  whole  was 
done),  for  1000/. 

••  To  conclude,  my  dear  Sir,  3.500/.  would  prevent  any 
man  who  undertook  the  whole  from  losing  ;  4000/.  would 
put  ~>ool.  in  his  pocket  ;  and  ,3  000/.  would  enable  him  to  lay 
by  in  the  funds  for  old  age  and  decrepitude. 

"  I  respectfully,  without  presuming  to  suppose  your  1- 
had  any  -  to  mjs  U",  offer  to  undertake  one.  or  two. 

or  a  whole  end  as  experiments;  or  I  respectfully  offer  myself 
—  perfectly  delighted  to  do  so  —  to  undertake  the  who! 
35O0JL 

••  I  am,  my  dear  Sir,  yours.  8k 

"B.  K.  Hatdok." 


284  MEMOIRS   OF    B.  R.  IIAYDON.  [1844. 

This  estimate  staggered  the  Commission,  and  the  idea 
was  abandoned. 

Here  is  a  criticism  on  the  frescos  exhibited  this  year 
in  Westminster  Hall,  with  a  justification  of  his  own 
withdrawal  from  the  competition :  — 

"  2\st. — The  frescos  are  by  no  means  what  they  ought 
to  be.  Instead  of  carrying  the  beauties  of  oil  into 
fresco,  they  seem  delighted  to  carry  the  horrors  of  fresco 
into  oil. 

"  All  the  flesh  of  their  frescos  looks  as  if  dipped  in 
a  tan  pit,  so  utterly  are  they  without  cool  tones.  If 
they  can  put  blue  into  the  sky,  surely  they  can  put  a 
due  mixture  of  it  into  the  flesh.  There  are  also  no  re- 
flections, and  the  effect  is  hot  and  offensive,  and  dirty ; 
black,  sooty  as  if  painted  with  boiled  fish-eyes. 

"  They  say  any  established  artist  ought  to  try  again, 
although  unjustly  dishonoured.  Surely  not.  Were  he 
certain  of  justice,  he  would  try  ;  but  he  may  have  able 
and  influential  enemies  who  will  seize  the  chance  to  give 
him  a  final  gripe. 

"  After  the  cartoon  affair  of  1843,  many  of  them, 
on  meeting  me,  expressed  astonishment  I  had  kept  my 
health,  and  concluded,  '  What  is  the  reason  of  this  extra- 
ordinary stamina? — Is  it  here?'  (laying  their  hands  on 
my  chest).  Their  air  was  exactly  as  if  they  had  been 
looking  out  for  my  death. 

"  I  have  no  objection  to  compete,  if  employed  to  do 
so ;  but  we  all  know  the  lurking  disposition  which  exists 
to  lower  established  repute  by  pushing  forward  youth- 
ful promise.  Is  it  prudent,  —  would  it  be  wise,  even  if 
there  were  no  prejudices  against  me,  to  risk  fame  by 
contact  with  boys  who  have  no  fame  to  lose  ?  I  say,  no. 
Excite  the  young  by  the  hopes  competition  generates ; 
but  do  not  accuse  established  artists  of  shrinking,  if  they 
refuse  to  enter  the  lists  when  all  the  bad  passions  are 
their  opponents,  and  when  all  that  is  amiable  is  sure  to 


1844.]    DECOEATIOX  OF  HOUSES  OF  PAELIAMENT.    285 

be  enlisted  on  the  side  of  those  who  have  a  name  to 
get. 

"  On  this  principle  I  will  not  again  compete,  until 
employed." 

Six  artists  were  commissioned,  in  July,  to  execute 
frescos, — Maclise,  Redgrave,  Dyce,  Cope,  Horsley  and 
Thomas.  Of  these,  the  second  and  last  did  not  execute 
frescos.  The  frescos  now  in  the  House  of  Lords  are 
the  work  of  the  remaining  four. 

"  23rd. — In  thus  again  beino;  left  out  from  the  artists 
employed  to  decorate  the  Lords,  I  am  justified  in  con- 
cluding there  exists  a  determination  to  exclude  me  for 
ever  from  all  employment  in  that  direction. 

"  26th. — By  the  blessing  of  God,  to  whose  mercy  I 
bow,  I  this  day,  by  an  advance  of  100/.  from  a  pupil, 
have  been  saved  from  ruin.  Could  I  be  but  employed, 
I  should  be  placed  on  a  footing  of  security  ;  but  in  Him 
I  trust,  and  doubt  not  He  will  protect  me.  How 
merciful  have  been  my  extrications !  I  am  brimming 
with  gratitude.  —  May  I  deserve  protection  !  " 

"  August  14.* —  Began  a  new  Journal  —  God  bless 
me  at  the  beginning,  in  the  progression  and  to  the  end. 
'  Let  thine  ear  be  attentive,  and  thine  eyes  open,  that 
Thou  mayst  hear  the  prayer  of  thy  servant,  which  I 
pray  before  thee  now,  day  and  night.' 

"  Wrote  my  Life, — second  volume.  Copied  a  magni- 
ficent letter  of  Keats. 

"15th.  —  Worked  and  finished  the  head-tackling  of 
the  Duke's  horse,  in  George  the  Fourth  and  the  Duke 
visiting  Waterloo,  but  worked  lazily. 

"  26th.  —  Wandering,  —  misery,  —  thinking,  —  con- 

*  The  Twenty-sixth  and  last  volume  of  the  Journals  opens  at 
this  date  with  the  mottoes,  "  Nil  magnum  absque  labore ; "  and 
"Love  not  the  world,  neither  the  things  that  are  in  the  world.  If 
any  man  love  the  world,  the  love  of  the  Father  is  not  in  him." — 
1  John,  ii.  15. 


286  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1844. 

cludino".  Came  home  more  fatigued  than  the  hardest 
day's  work  makes  me.  Impulse  is  but  a  quicker  per- 
ception of  reasons  that  prove  the  truth.  Bought  the 
Report  on  the  Decoration  of  the  House.  The  two  most 
important  papers  are  Hallam's  and  Mahon's,  on  the 
principle  of  decorating  the  Houses  of  Parliament. 
Hallam  judiciously  maintains  the  subjects  should  not  be 
confined  to  England,  Mahon  the  reverse.  Yet  Mahon 
refutes  himself  when  he  very  sensibly  says, '  The  English 
people  have  known  how  to  combine  the  greatest  security 
to  property  with  the  greatest  freedom  of  action.'  Un- 
doubtedly. And  in  decorating  the  Houses  of  Parliament, 
this  great  doctrine,  and  this  alone,  ought  to  be  the  basis, 
for  the  illustration  of  which  all  subjects  to  be  painted 
ought  to  be  selected. 

"  This  is  but  another  view  of  what  I  have  laid  down 
at  Edinburgh,  Oxford,  Liverpool  and  London;  viz., 
'  The  best  Government  to  regulate  without  cramping 
the  energies  of  man,'  abstractedly.  Lord  Mahon  applies 
this  to  England  particularly,  and  wishes  it  to  be  illus- 
trated by  English  subjects  alone.  I  maintain  it  cannot, 
and  so  does  Mr.  Hallam  ;  and  Lord  Mahon,  in  this 
choice  of  subjects  to  illustrate  this  great  doctrine,  brings 
forward  subjects  which  have  no  reference  to  it  at  all,  as 
a  principle,  and  shows  the  insufficiency  of  English 
history  alone  to  do  it. 

"  Yet  Anarchy  —  Democracy  —  Despotism — Revo- 
lution —  Jury  —  and  Monarchy  —  can  be  illustrated  by 
English  history. 

"  September  2nd. — Made  a  study  of  Uriel  from  nature. 
Always  make  an  actual  study  from  a  head  — never  mind 
how  ugly  —  to  get  the  look  of  nature  ;  then  adapt,  but 
always  with  actual  nature  as  the  basis. 

"  3rd.  —  I  should  be  happy,  if  it  pleased  God,  to  die 
in  my  painting-room,  after  the  successful  completion  of 
some  grand  head.     In  truth,  I  have  no  other  real  de- 


cs 


1844.]  ILLNESS    OF    HJS    SON    FRANK.  287 

light ;  but  I  should  be  happier  if  my  mind  did  not  over- 
run in  writing  and  deductions. 

"  After  painting,  I  always  look  back  at  the  time  I 
have  lost  in  writing  ;  but  still  I  go  on  writing. 

"  7th.  —  Out  and  superintended  the  restretching  of 
Solomon,  began  1812,  finished  1813,  thirty-two  years 
ao-o,  I  really  am  astonished  at  the  picture,  and  so  will 
the  country  be  by  and  by.  When  one  thinks  of  the 
trash  now  exhibited,  good  God  !  I  had  it  put  on  a  new 
frame,  and  hope  to  preserve  it.  I  think  it  is  the  varnish 
which  makes  pictures  so  brittle.  This  was  only  varnished 
once.  It  was  painted  in  oil,  glazed  in  oil,  varnished, 
and  then  I  rubbed  in  oil  to  prevent  chill.  I  do  not 
wonder  at  the  enthusiasm  of  the  people  at  seeing  such  a 
work  come  out  from  a  young  man  of  twenty-six,  in  the 
midst  of  the  hootings  of  the  world. 

"  9th.  —  My  son  Frank  ill ;  very  anxious.  Rubbed 
in  a  Napoleon,  and  settled  Uriel.  Worked  con  furore, 
and  with  effect.  Frank  better ;  he  has  knocked  himself 
up  with  hard  work.     All  in  this  house  work  hard. 

"  10th.  — Exceedingly  harassed  about  my  son.  Set 
my  palette.  Bored  by  incessant  calls.  My  Uriel  is 
making  a  sensation  already  ;  I  am  very  proud  of  it.  I 
think  the  head  of  Uriel  the  finest  thing  I  ever  did, 
except  the  head  of  Lazarus.  Now  for  anxiety,  gossip, 
calls  and  young  artists.  I  never  had  a  moment's  rest, 
and  the  day  passed  in  fully.  Dennys,  my  employer, 
called,  and  was  pleased  beyond  expression.  I  exult  at 
Uriel's  head,  but  I  ought  to  humble  myself  in  gratitude 
to  God  for  such  a  mercy. 

"  20th.  —  Out  the  whole  day  on  money.  The  Tutor 
having  resigned  at  Jesus',  requires  the  balance  of  my 
son's  college  account,  140/.  4.?.  6d.,  at  four  days'  notice. 
The  trouble  and  anxiety  are  dreadful.  Frank  is  quite 
recovered  from  a  nervous  fever,  and  I  dared  not  tell 
him  ;  and  the  dread  of  having  him  degraded,  if  I  were 


288  MEMOIRS   OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1844. 

not  punctual,  was  agonising.  Bcnnoch  and  Twentyman 
advanced  100/.  on  my  sketch  of  George  IV.  visiting 
Waterloo  ;  so  I  have  got  40/.  4s.  6d.  to  make  up.  I 
trust  where  I  have  always  trusted,  and  shall  never  trust 
in  vain.     How  grateful  I  am  ! 

"  2\st.  —  Three  whole  days  have  I  been  racing  to 
raise  the  money  to  save  my  dear  boy  at  Cambridge,  and 
succeeded.  God  be  thanked  !  His  mercies  have  been 
great  indeed. 

"  Thus  ends  the  week,  in  which  I  ought  to  fall  down 
on  my  knees,  and  bow  my  head  to  the  earth  for  raising 
up  such  friends  to  me  as  Bennoch  and  Twentyman." 

A  bequest  of  5001  having  been  left  to  the  trustees  of 
St.  James's  Church,  Bermondsey,  for  the  purchase  of 
an  altar-piece,  the  trustees  invited  artists  to  send  in 
sketches,  the  sketch  selected  to  be  executed  by  midsum- 
mer 1846,  to  the  satisfaction  of  two  persons  of  compe- 
tent judgment,  and  the  sketches  to  be  sent  in  by  the  4th 
of  December. 

Haydon  and  Eastlake  were  ultimately  selected  as 
judges,  and  their  choice  fell  on  a  sketch  by  Mr.  John 
Wood,  who  afterwards  executed  the  picture,  though  not 
to  the  satisfaction  of  Haydon,  who  offended  the  young 
man  mortally  by  the  bluntness  of  his  criticism. 

There  is  little  worth  extracting  in  the  Journals  till 
the  end  of  October,  during  all  which  time  Haydon  was 
hard  at  work  on  his  Uriel  and  Satan.  .  He  notes  this 
lack  of  thought  in  his  Journals  himself,  and  attributes 
it  to  his  having  fallen  from  "  the  solitary  grandeur  of 
High  Art." 

"  Oct  4th. —  The  art  with  me  is  becoming  a  beastly 
vulgarity.  The  solitary  grandeur  of  historical  paint- 
ing is  gone.  There  was  something  grand,  something 
poetical,  something  touching,  something  inspiring,  some- 
thing heroic,  something  mysterious,  something  awful,  in 
pacing  your  quiet  painting-room  after  midnight,  with  a 


1844.]  PICTURE    CLEANING.  289 

work  lifted  up  on  a  gigantic  easel,  glimmering  by  the 
trembling  light  of  a  solitary  candle,  '  when  the  whole 
world  seemed  adverse  to  desert.'  There  was  something 
truly  poetical  in  devoting  yourself  to  what  the  vulgar 
dared  not  touch,  —  holding  converse  with  the  Great 
Spirit ;  your  heart  swelling,  your  imagination  teeming, 
your  being  rising." 

On  competition  I  find  :  — 

"  15th.  —  The  whole  system  of  competition  will  be  a 
failure.  It  is  not  the  way.  It  was  not  the  way  great 
men  of  former  clays  were  selected.  It  may  do  for  young 
men,  but  selection  among  the  established  is  the  prin- 
ciple, and  they  will  then  form  the  youth.  One  com- 
mission to  an  established  man  is  worth  all  the  competition 
that  ever  was,  and  ever  will  be." 

Now  appeared  the  first  volume  of  his  Lectures. 

"  26th.  —  Hard  at  work,  and  finished  a  fourth  Curtius. 
How  grateful  to  God  I  am  that  I  have  lived  to  bring 
out  my  first  volume  of  Lectures  !  I  pray  God  it  may 
be  successful! " 

The  following  extract  has  an  interest  at  this  moment, 
in  connection  with  the  cleaning  of  the  pictures  at  the 
National  Gallery. 

"Nov.  6th.  —  Went  to  the  National  Gallery,  and 
found  the  Moses  of  Rubens's  Brazen  Serpent  ut- 
terly ruined  during  the  vacation,  —  the  whole  of  the 
tone  and  superb  glazing  rubbed  off.  It  is  one  of  his 
Italian  pictures  painted  at  Genoa.  What  would  Sir 
George  and  Sir  Joshua  say  ? 

"  Worked.  My  Journal  seems  to  have  lost  all  its 
copiousness  and  inspiration. 

"  16th.  —  They  may  talk  as  they  please  of  the  suf- 
ferings of  humanity,  but  there  is  nothing  so  excites  my 
sympathy  as  the  helpless  sufferings  of  a  fine  old  oil  pic- 
ture of  a  great  genius.  Unable  to  speak  or  remonstrate, 
touching  all  hearts  by  its  dumb  beauty,  appealing  to  all 

VOL.  III.  U 


290  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1844. 

sympathies  by  its  silent  splendour,  laid  on  its  back  in 
spite  of  its  lustrous  and  pathetic  looks,  taken  out  of  its 
frame,  stripped  of  its  splendid  encasement,  fixed  to  its 
rack  to  be  scraped,  skinned,  burnt,  and  then  varnished 
in  mockery  of  its  tortures,  its  lost  purity,  its  beautiful 
harmony,  and  hung  up  again,  castrated  and  unmanned, 
for  living  envy  to  chuckle  over,  whilst  the  shade  of  the 
mighty  dead  is  allowed  to  visit  and  rest  about  his  former 
glory,  as  a  pang  for  sins  not  yet  atoned  for. 

"  24:th.  —  This  day  another  large  canvas  was  put  up 
for  one  of  my  series  of  six  pictures,  my  original  designs 
for  the  House  of  Lords.  I  see  they  are  resolved  that  I, 
the  originator  of  the  whole  scheme,  shall  have  nothing 
whatever  to  do  with  it ;  so  I  will  (trusting  in  the  great 
God  who  has  brought  me  thus  far,  and  through  so  many 
troubles)  begin  on  my  own  inventions  without  employ- 
ment. 

"  It  is  now  thirty-two  years  ago  since  I  began 
Solomon ;  my  resources  are  more  abundant,  but  my 
wants  are  greater.  Still  I  am  a  name  in  the  world.  I 
am  more  adequate,  more  experienced,  more  versed  in 
my  divine  art ;  but  I  knew  almost  as  much  then  as 
now. 

"  The  very  theories  I  started  then,  and  was  con- 
sidered impudent  for  starting  at  such  an  age,  the  world 
now  listens  to,  on  publication, 

"  30th.  —  Worked,  and  it  was  hard  work  to  work, 
from  eternal  calls.  I  heard  yesterday,  from  Kendal, 
the  Duke's  valet,  he  had  a  hat  ready  for  me,  so  down  I 
went,  and  tipping  a  sovereign,  carried  off  a  genuine 
hat,  —  the  glorious  hat  which  had  encircled  the  laurelled 
head  of  Wellington  !  I  trusted  it  to  nobody  ;  I  took  it 
in  the  hat-box,  called  a  cab,  and  gloried  in  it.  I  set  to 
work  instantly,  and  before  Kendal  called  had  finished 
the  hat  in  the  picture.  Kendal  brought  a  pair  of  boots ; 
I  told  him  I  must  have  a  whole  suit,  cravat,  and  all, 
and  I  am  promised. 


1844.]  SKETCHES    ARISTIDES.  291 

"  Kendal  was  present  at  the  Duke's  rage  with  Bailey 
in  the  hall  at  Strathfieldsaye.  He  said  the  Duke 
lifted  both  his  hands  above  his  white  head,  and  cursed 
all  sculptors  and  painters,  declaring  he  had  sat  400,000 
times  to  artists. 

"  December  1  st.  —  The  last  month  I  have  not  done 
all  I  ought  to  have  done,  or  might  have  done.  I  have 
had  no  excuse  from  bad  health,  for  I  have  never  been 
better.  January,  February,  to  the  end  of  March  I  did 
well ;  April  and  May  I  was  interrupted  by  lecturing, 
but  ought  not  to  have  been ;  June,  my  daughter's 
health  took  us  to  Dover.  I  have  rubbed  in  and  made 
studies  of  Uriel,  advanced  George  IV.,  and  painted 
Napoleons  and  Curtiuses  at  so  much  the  dozen,  and 
here  I  am  at  the  last  month.  My  Lectures  are  pub- 
lished, and  have  had  success ;  it  is  a  great  thing  to  have 
lived  to  witness  that.  They  are  considered  a  manual 
for  students,  as  they  are. 

"  17 th. —  Strange  the  action  of  the  faculty  called 
genius !  No  circumstances  of  pecuniary  difficulty,  no 
depression  of  animal  spirits,  no  danger,  want,  ill- 
health,  or  occupation  seem  to  check  it. 

"  I  sketched  Aristides,  the  populace  hooting  him. 
On  Sunday  I  looked  at  it  without  thought  or  reflection. 
In  flowed  a  brilliant  flash  of  placing  him  in  the  middle ; 
the  gateways, —  the  Acropolis, — the  Temple  of  Theseus, 
—  the  expression  of  the  Democrats,  of  Themistocles,  of 
Aristides'  wife,  of  his  child! — for  five  minutes  I  was 
lost  to  external  objects ;  I  saw  the  whole,  —  never 
clearer, — never  stronger,  —  never  finer.  Thank  God! 
Thank  God ! 

"  Idth.  —  The  year  is  nearly  over.  I  have  painted  a 
large  Napoleon  in  four  days  and  a  half,  six  smaller  dif- 
ferent objects,  three  Curtiuses,  five  Napoleons  musing, 
three  Dukes  and  Copenhagens,  George  IV.  and  the 
Duke  at  Waterloo  (1821),— half  done  Uriel,  —  pub- 

v  2 


292  MEMOIRS  OF  B.  R.  HATDON.  [1844. 

lished  my  Lectures,  —  and  settled  composition  of  Aris- 
tides.  I  gave  lectures  every  day  at  Liverpool,  some- 
times twice  a-day  ;  lectured  at  Royal  Institution.  I 
have  not  been  idle,  but  how  much  more  mio-ht  I  have 
done ! 

"26th. — Began  Aristides,  and  prayed  for  success, 
for  health,  for  intellect,  for  eyes,  for  energy,  for  virtue, 
for  purity,  for  success  to  bring  the  whole  series  of  six  to 
a  glorious  and  triumphant  conclusion,  for  the  honour  of 
my  country  and  the  purifying  of  my  species. 

"  O  God  !  whom  have  I  in  heaven  but  Thee  ?  and 
there  is  none  upon  earth  that  I  desire  beside  Thee ! 

"  29th.  —  Duke  of  Devonshh'e  called  ;  and  to  help  me 
to  pay  expenses  before  my  dear  Frank  took  his  degree, 
gave  me  an  order  to  paint  two  sketches  for  two  panels 
for  a  window  at  Chatsworth.  I  said,  '  Napoleon  musing 
at  St.  Helena,  and  the  Duke  at  Waterloo.'  He  replied, 
'  Capital  idea  ! '  so  at  it  I  go.  He  paid  me  half  by  a 
cheque  for  201.  14s.  l\d.  How  kind!  and  I  despatched 
it  by  P.  O.  to  Mortlock's,  Cambridge,  for  Frank's  college 
bill.     How  grateful  to  God  I  am ! 

"  Got  in  Aristides  gloriously.  The  Duke  admired  it 
much,  and  the  Uriel ;  Aristides  has  brought  me  <rood 
luck.  The  Duke  looked  well,  and  was  very  strong  and 
hearty,  more  so  than  ten  years  ago. 

"  30th.  —  Began  and  finished  a  Napoleon  in  two 
hours  and  a  half;  the  quickest  I  ever  did,  and  the 
twenty-fifth." 

At  the  end  of  December  he  thus  reviews  his  circum- 
stances for  the  year,  in  his  summary  of  the  twelve- 
months :  —  "  This  year,  at  the  beginning,  I  received  a 
blow  by  the  Directors  not  taking  Alexander  and  the 
Lion.  I  was  obliged  to  dash  it  before  the  public  at  once 
at  the  Pantheon;  it  did  not  sell,  so  the  dreadful  struggle, 
through  this  picture  not  bringing  me  reward  after  my 
being  disappointed  in  a  prize  for  the  cartoons,  was  another 


1345.]  REVIEW  OF    1844.  293 

blow.  My  landlord's  forbearance,  and  the  kindness  of 
my  friends  Bennoch  and  Twentyman,  of  78,  Wood 
Street,  in  getting  me  several  orders  at  ten  guineas  each 
(for  which  in  my  palmy  days  I  got  fifty),  carried  me  on. 
Uriel  was  prepared  ;  George  IV.  finished.  Denny s,  a 
cotton  printer,  ordered  Uriel  for  200  guineas,  100  of 
which  was  paid  to  Jesus'  College ;  so  that  with  two 
sons,  one  at  sea  the  other  at  Cambridge,  I  continued  by 
trusting  in  God,  and  praying  to  Him  day  and  night,  to 
bear  up.  Blessed  by  the  energy  of  dear  Mary,  I  worked 
away,  and  have  come  to  the  end  of  the  year,  in  great 
difficulty,  yet  alive  ;  for  with  eyesight,  brains,  health, 
love,  and  reliance  on  his  Maker,  what  need  a  man  fear? 
If  I  can  only  now  carry  my  dear  Frank  through  his 
degree,  finish  Uriel,  Aristides,  and  the  five  other  great 
works,  my  original  designs,  —  I  will  resign  my  spirit 
into  his  hands  from  whom  I  received  it. 

"  My  position  still  is  solitary  and  glorious.  In  me 
the  solitary  sublimity  of  High  Art  is  not  gone.  I  still 
pursue  my  course,  neglected,  little  employed,  too  happy 
if  the  approval  of  my  own  conscience  is  the  only  reward 
I  get  for  my  labours,  under  the  blessing  of  God. 

"  Thus  then,  O  most  merciful  Creator,  I  conclude 
this  year  1844,  and  approach  my  fifty-ninth  year.  I 
have  been  blessed  through  twenty-five  or  thirty  years  of 
my  life  with  uninterrupted  health  and  a  beautiful  wife 
and  family  ;  for  all  the  blessings  of  this  year  accept  my 
deep  gratitude,  and  may  I  be  more  deserving  a  con- 
tinuance of  such  blessings  in  1845  than  in  1844  ! 


1845. 

"  January  2/trf.  —  Worked  hard,  and  finished  the 
Duke  of  Devonshire's  sketches  of  Napoleon  and  Welling- 
ton for  Chatsworth.  I  hope  he  will  be  pleased.  I  have 
painted  them  with  great  gusto. 

D    3 


294  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  K.  HATDON.  [1845. 

"  4th.  —  If  any  man  wishes  to  learn  how  to  suppress 
his  feelings  of  exultation  in  success,  and  of  despondency 
in  failure ;  how  to  be  modest  in  elevation,  and  peaceful 
in  disappointment ;  how  to  exercise  power  with  hu- 
manity, and  resist  injustice  when  power  is  abused  by 
others ;  how  to  command  inferiors  without  pride,  and  to 
be  obedient,  without  servility,  to  the  commands  of 
others ;  let  him  read  day  and  night  the  Despatches  of 
the  Duke  of  Wellington. 

' e  4th.  —  I  have  cleared  dear  Frank  from  all  but  his 
Christinas  bill,  30Z.  17s.  lid.  God  grant  I  may  accom- 
plish that,  or  his  degree  will  not  be  granted ;  in  Him  I 
trust. 

"  6th.  — Mackenzie  gave  me  an  order  for  a  small  re- 
petition  of  George  IV.  and  the  Duke ;  so  dear  Frank 
is  safe.  Gratitude  indeed  is  due.  Lord  Carlisle  sent 
me  51. ;  Stanley  refused;  Peel  declined;  the  Queen 
Dowager  declined ;  the  Duchess  of  Kent  never  replied  ; 
the  Duke  of  Devonshire  called,  and  gave  me  a  commis- 
sion ;  and  now  C.  A.  Mackenzie,  an  old  friend  of  thirty- 
six  years,  by  no  means  a  man  of  fortune,  helps  me,  and 
thus  my  dear  boy  is  carried  through. 

"  Is  it  not  extraordinary  that  the  enormous  conse- 
quences of  assisting  a  talented  youth  in  such  a  crisis  did 
not,  in  the  minds  of  the  nobility,  outweigh  every  other 
feeling  ? 

"  llth.  —  Heard  from  the  Duke  of  Devonshire  most 
satisfactorily.  He  is  pleased  with  the  sketches,  and  sent 
me  a  cheque,  which  made  out  50/.  for  the  two,  251. 
a-day,  —  not  bad. 

"  14th  to  22nd.  —  Eight  days  I  have  lost.  Frank 
was  taken  ill.  I  feared  for  his  examination.  I  rushed 
down  and  cheered  him  up,  and  brought  him  through. 
On  my  return  I  started  for  Bristol  to  give  two  lectures, 
and  am  come  home  this  day  truly  fatigued. 

"  24th.  —  Returned  to  my  dear  painting  room  again 


1845.]       AT    FIFTY-NINE  :    THE    BLIND    FIDDLER.       295 

after  ten  days  of  anxiety,  whirl,  lecture,  and  public  en- 
thusiasm. 

"  0  God,  bless  my  labours  this  day  and  throughout 
the  year,  and  carry  me  through  all  difficulties.  Accept 
my  gratitude  for  enabling  my  dear  son  to  come  through 
with  honour. 

"  25th.  —  My  birth-day,  fifty -nine.  This  day  forty- 
one  years  ago  I  first  looked  into  my  prospects  in  life.  I 
was  then  copying  Albinus,  and  had  made  up  my  mind 
to  be  an  artist.  What  a  life  has  passed  in  forty-one 
years  ! 

"  February  8th.  — At  the  Gallery.  Private  day.  Saw 
young  Phipps.  He  said  Lady  Mulgrave  was  living  and 
well,  —  that  the  other  day  in  looking  over  several  letters 
of  Sir  George's,  he  found  his  great  anxiety  was  about 
Wilkie,  Jackson,  and  myself. 

"  10th.  —  Very  severe  day.  "Went  to  Kochester  to 
see  a  picture.  I  was  told  at  dinner  Wilkie  copied  his 
Blind  Fiddler  from  a  picture  in  the  possession  of  a 
Lieutenant  Higginson,  a  very  fine  fellow,  a  thorough 
sailor,  hearty  and  hospitable.  I  saw  the  picture  ;  it  was 
bad,  but  there  was  a  resemblance  to  the  position  and 
action  of  the  fiddler.  That  was  all.  Wilkie  might 
have  seen  it.  It  detracted  nothing  from  his  invention, 
and  it  may  have  suggested  the  subject  to  him. 

"2lst. —  Lieutenant  Hicrginson  wrote  to  me  that 
Wilkie  knew  his  father  in  1799,  and  saw  this  fiddler 
then.  In  that  case  I  really  think  there  is  something  in 
the  suspicion. 

"  29th.  —  The  Conservative  Club  is  decorated;  but 
what  flowers  and  griffins  have  to  do  with  Conservatism, 
Heaven  knows ! 

"  To   decorate  a  public  building,   means  to  illustrate 

by  design  the  principles  fur  which  the  building  is  erected. 

"  In  the  Vatican,  the  palace  of  the  Pope  is  decorated 

with  illustrations  of  the  connection  of  religion  with  man, 

u  4 


296  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  IIAYDON.  [1845. 

and  the  power  of  the  Catholic  Church,  as  the  engine  of 
God,  to  lead  him  by  religion  to  salvation. 

"  The  Royal  Exchange  has  equally  an  object.  It  was 
built  for  the  convenience  of  commerce.  The  decoration 
of  it,  therefore,  should  have  had  reference  to  the  origin 
and  progress  of  commerce  as  the  basis,  not  only  of  wealth, 
but  of  the  intellectual  and  religious  advance  of  nations. 
For  nations  are  refined  by  their  commerce  with  a  superior 
nation,  as  much  as  by  their  conquests. 

"  The  Conservative  Club  should  have  shown  the  pro- 
gress of  Conservatism,  —  how  all  young  men  without  a 
shilling  are  generally  Radicals,  because  they  have  no- 
thing to  conserve,  and  end  by  being  furious  Conserva- 
tives when  they  have  made  their  fortunes. 

"  March  1st.  —  O  God  bless  me  through  this  month  ! 
Amen.  Grant  I  may  bring  Uriel  to  a  glorious  conclu- 
sion !  Amen.  How  Grateful  I  am  I  have  brought  it  so 
near,  beginning  it  trusting  in  Thee,  as  I  have  always 
done,  and  always  shall  do. 

"Worked  well,  and  got  through  the  Cherub  Devil, 

"  2nd.  —  Read  prayers,  and  thanked  God  with  all  my 
soul.  Contemplated  my  week's  labour  with  all  the  de- 
light, enthusiasm,  and  criticism  of  my  youth.  Is  not 
life  a  blessing  with  such  feelings? 

(llOth.  —  Worked  hard,  and  finished  Uriel  except 
trifles.  When  I  began  this  picture  whom  did  I  trust 
in  ?  God.  A  commission  followed.  I  shall  proceed  to 
Aristides,  and  in  God  I  trust  for  that  too.  Coulton 
dined  here.     A  very  clever  fellow. 

"  1 1  th.  —  Got  up  as  full  of  fire  and  high  calling  as  in 
the  most  furious  days  of  my  youth.  All  this  will  be  for 
a  final  working  up  of  my  glory  ! 

"  25th.  —  Worked  like  old  times, —  like  a  hero.  I 
had  got  the  flesh  of  my  Uriel  in  that  state  of  all  the 
most  trying,  nearly  done,  and  not  done,  when  you  may 
spoil  what  you  have  done,  and  have  to  do  it  all  over 


1845.]  PRAYER    FOR    SUCCESS.  297 

again ;  however  I  improved  it.  My  heroic  model, 
Brunskill  of  the  Blues,  had  beat  all  the  wrestlers  last 
week  in  a  match  ;  won  eight  pounds,  and  a  belt  of 
glory.  He  flooi'ed  two  of  the  2nd  Regiment  of  Life 
Guards.      He  was  in  high  glee. 

"  Thank  God  for  this  glorious  day's  work ! 

"  29M. — Worked  and  added  trifles  of  completion. 
Lunched  with  my  dear  friends  Bennoch  and  Twenty- 
man,  who  advanced  me  20/.  as  usual.  I  lectured  last 
night  at  the  Mechanics' ;  and  when  I  told  them  I  would 
paint  my  own  designs  for  the  Lords,  there  was  a  roar 
of  approbation  and  applause. 

"  April  3rd.  —  Moved  the  Aristides  round  this  day 
for  beginning  to  complete.  O  God  have  mercy  on  me 
and  bless  me  with  eyes,  piety,  health,  intellect,  and 
energy  to  get  triumphantly  through  this  and  the  other 
five  of  my  original  series  for  the  old  House  of  Lords,  so 
applicable  to  the  new  ! 

"  Let  me  not  die,  or  become  inferior,  or  crippled,  or 
lose  my  eyes  or  faculties.  O  Lord  prosper  me  through 
this  great  series,  as  Thou  savedst  me  through  my  Solo- 
mon, in  the  midst  of  much  more  obscurity,  and  disease, 
and  necessity  than  I  now  suffer. 

"  '  Rejoice  always  in  the  Lord.'  Thou  knowest  that 
I  do.  O  Lord,  from  the  first  hour  of  my  arrival  in 
London,  forty-one  years  ago  nearly,  to  the  present 
hour,  Thou  knowest  I  never  lost  sight  of  my  great 
object,  —  the  reform,  under  Thy  blessing,  of  the  taste 
of  the  nation.  Thou  knowest,  always  praying  to  Thee, 
I  have  devoted  my  life  to  its  accomplishment,  and 
will,  under  Thy  blessing,  devote  the  remainder.  Grant 
me  before  I  die  complete  success.  Thy  mercies  and 
protection  have  not  been  in  vain ;  and,  O  Lord,  if 
competence  for  my  wife  and  children  be  not  incom- 
patible with  the  realisation  of  this  just  ambition,  grant 
I  may  be  able,  if  I  die  first,  to  leave  them  sufficiently 


298  MEMOIRS    OF    B.   R.  HAYDON.  [l845. 

protected,  that  they  may  descend  to  the  grave  blessing 
Thy  holy  name,  or  submissive  to  Thy  holy  will,  if 
suffering  still  be  their  lot,  for  Jesus  Christ's  sake. 
Grant  no  obstruction  on  earth,  no  difficulty,  no  want, 
no  necessity,  no  opposition,  though  greater  than  any 
human  being  ever  encountered,  may  render  me  for  one 
instant  timid,  or  delay  the  accomplishment  of  these  six 
great  pictures  for  the  honour  of  my  great  country,  and 
for  the  glory  of  Thy  immortal,  innate,  and  unacquirable 
gifts. 

"  Amen  !  Amen !  Amen  !  with  all  my  burning  soul. 
In  awe,  confidence,  and  enthusiasm,  Amen ! 

"  Dennys,  my  employer,  is  boring  me  to  send  Uriel 
to  the  Academy.  Why  should  I  hurry  a  work  on  for  a 
spring  season?  I  love  my  own  silent,  studious,  mid- 
night ways.  I  hate  the  glare,  the  vulgarity  and  the 
herd.  The  solitary  majesty  of  High  Art  is  gone  now. 
There  was  a  time  when  its  dangerous  glories  frightened 
the  coward  and  alarmed  the  conceited.  Then  it  was 
a  single  and  a  solitary  flame.  Now  the  paltry  flicker 
of  farthing  candles  dims  its  steady  fire  and  obscures  its 
splendour. 

"4th.  —  Higginson  lunched  with  me.  He  sailed  with 
Napoleon  in  the  Bellerophon.  He  said  his  influence 
on  the  men  was  fascinating,  and  he  really  feared  they 
would  have  let  him  go  if  an  enemy's  ship  had  hove  in 
sight.  He  used  to  borrow  sixpences  of  the  men,  pinch 
the  ears  of  the  officers,  and  bewitch  them  without  the 
least  familiarity,  in  a  manner  that  was  unaccountable. 
Even  Sir  George  was  affected  by  the  end  of  the  voyage. 
Higginson  said,  when  he  was  caught  watching  you,  he 
put  on  an  expression  of  silliness  to  disguise  his  thoughts. 
(So  too  said  Madame  de  Stael.) 

"  Higginson  said  the  'parole  dlionneur''  did  not  seem 
so  sacred  to  Frenchmen  as  to  us,  and  therefore  Sir 
George  was  too  severe  in  judging  Napoleon  by  the 
same  standard  as  an  Englishman. 


1845.]  PAINTING    THE    DEVIL.  299 

"  7th.  —  Moved  in  Uriel  to  the  Academy,  much  against 
the  grain.  But  my  employer,  Denny s  (who  must  be  a 
bye-blow  of  Lorenzo),  seemed  anxious,  and  I  agreed, 
though  it  is  an  insult  to  them  and  a  disgrace  to  me.  I 
wash  my  hands.  I  regret  to  lose  such  a  picture ;  it 
was  a  consolation  to  look  at  and  dwell  on.  It  gene- 
rated higher  feelings  and  nobler  thoughts." 

Before  beginning  a  new  design  of  Satan  and  Uriel, 
from  another  passage  of  the  Paradise  Lost*,  he  naively 
avers  certain  touches  of  remorse  about  these  frequent 
paintings  of  the  Evil  One. 

"  14^/i.  —  I  have  some  remorse  in  painting  the  Devil. 
I  may  excite  admiration  by  encasing  evil  in  beauty,  but 
I  wish  to  excite  pity  by  showing  the  fatal  consequences 
of  the  fall  on  what  would  have  been  a  cause  of  delight 
had  he  kept  to  his  allegiance. 

"  O  God,  if  I  deserve  not  to  succeed,  —  if  danger  to 
virtue  would  accrue  from  complete  success  in  developing 
such  a  character, —  let  me  fail ;  but  if  I  can  promote 
piety  by  exhibiting  the  fatal  consequences  of  impiety  on 
a  face  and  figure  almost  next  to  the  Creator  at  one 
time,  let  me,  as  Milton  has  done,  succeed. 

"  My  object  in  painting  him  is  not  admiration  but 
terror,  and  I  have  a  sublime  delight  in  dwelling  on  and 
developing  such  sensations. 

"  Got  in  Satan,  covered  the  canvas,  worked  furiously. 
Dined  with  William  Longman,  in  a  splendid  house, 
where  used  to  be  two  hayricks  where  my  dear  children 
played  twenty-one  years  ago.  Such  is  the  progress  of 
things.  The  hayricks  disappear;  two  young  people 
are  married,  who  were  then  scarce  born. 

"  \8th.  —  Worked  with  such  intense  abstraction  and 

*  V.  736.  Book  iii.     Where  Satan, 

"  Toward  the  coast  of  earth  beneath 
Down  from  the  ecliptic,  sped  with  hoped  success, 
Throws  his  steep  flight  in  many  an  airy  wheel," 


300  MEMOIRS   OF    B.  R.  IIAYDON.  [1845. 

delight  for  eight  hours,  with  five  minutes  only  for 
lunch,  that  though  living  in  the  noisiest  quarter  of  all 
London,  I  never  remember  hearing  all  day  a  single 
cart,  carriage,  knock,  cry,  bark,  of  man,  woman,  dog, 
or  child. 

"  I  washed,  dressed  and  walked,  and  when  I  came 
out  into  the  sunshine  and  the  road  said  to  myself, 
'  Why,  what  is  all  this  driving  about  ? '  though  it  has 
always  been  so  for  the  last  twenty-two  years, —  so  per- 
fectly, delightfully,  and  intensely,  had  I  been  abstracted. 
If  that  be  not  happiness,  what  is  ? 

"  My  notion  of  supreme  happiness  is  a  splendid  lot 
of  drapery  splendidly  set  on  your  lay  figure ;  a  large 
picture  which  shuts  you  in,  just  close  enough  to  leave 
room  to  paint  it ;  a  delicious  light,  and  conscious  power 
of  imitation.  You  go  on  like  a  god,  spreading  your 
half  tint,  touching  in  your  lights  and  your  darks. 
There  is  hardly  an  effort,  —  no  anxiety,  no  fear,  no 
apprehension. 

"  I  cannot  have  many  years  to  live,  and,  O  God, 
grant  I  may  amply  employ  every  hour. 

"  This  is  a  sunny  day  in  my  life. 

"  26th.—  Did  not  begin  till  one,  owing  to  want  of 
money,  and  being  out  on  business,  but  set-to  with  a 
model  at  one,  and  by  five  had  finally  blocked  in  Aris- 
tides, — left  and  right.  Two  pictures  are  now  ready 
mapped  and  composed  Satan,  and  Aristides;  —  success 
to  them. 

"  Alexander,  Curtius,  Adam  and  Eve,  Duke  and 
George  IV.,  have  not  sold  ;  nearly  1000Z.  I  have  now 
begun  the  first  of  my  six  pictures  with  hardly  10s.  to 
meet  other  expenses,  just  as  I  began  Solomon,  only 
with  more  l'epute  and  established  fame. 

"  What  a  pity  it  is  that  a  man  of  my  order,  —  sin- 
cerity,—  perhaps    genius*,   is    not    employed.      What 

*  In  Journal  marked  "private,  not  perhaps." 


1845.]     PLAN  IN  SUBSTITUTION  OP  THE  ACADEMY.     301 

honour,  what  distinction,  would  I  not  confer  on  ray 
great  country  !  However,  it  is  my  destiny  to  perform 
great  things,  not  in  consequence  of  encouragement,  but 
in  spite  of  opposition,  and  so  let  it  be.  In  fact,  God 
knows  best,  and  He  knows  what  suits  every  man  He 
gives.  He  knows  that  luxury,  even  competence,  would 
dull  my  mind. 

"27th.  —  A  man  who  defers  working  because  he 
wants  tranquillity  of  mind  will  have  lost  the  habit  when 
tranquillity  comes.  Work  under  any  circumstances,  — 
all  circumstances.  I  used  to  carry  my  sketch  when 
arrested,  and  sketch  and  compose  as  I  sat  by  the  officer's 
side.  The  consequence  was  I  was  always  ready,  never 
depressed,  and  returned  to  my  work  with  a  new  thought 
or  an  additional  improvement,  as  if  I  had  been  all  the 
time  at  home. 

"  28th.  —  I  fear  the  squabbles  in  the  School  of  Design 
will  destroy  it ;  unless  instruction  in  design  for  manufac- 
tures be  grafted  on  that  for  the  fine  arts,  and  under  its 
control,  it  will  never  be  effectual. 

"  I  would  propose  that  the  National  Gallery  be  given 
up  entirely  to  the  Academy,  and  that  the  right  wing  be 
a  school  of  design  for  manufactui'e,  attached  to  the 
School  of  Art,  and  under  its  direction. 

"  I  would  propose  a  permanent  salary  of  500/.  to  the 
president,  and  a  retiring  pension  after  twenty  years  ; 
400/.  to  a  keeper,  and  ditto.  I  would  place  the  Life 
and  Antique  Schools  under  one  keeper ;  abolish  visitor- 
ships  ;  and  I  would  have  a  master  for  manufacturing 
design  subservient  to  the  keeper  of  fine  art.  Every 
student  of  design  for  manufacture  should  be  obliged  to 
draw  one  year  on  the  antique  before  going  to  manufac- 
ture, and  no  more.  If  at  the  end  he  choose  to  pursue 
fine  art,  let  him  ;  if  manufacture,  send  him  on  ;  but  a 
genius  thus  developed  is  an  acquisition,  and  if  others 
mistake  their  powers  by  pursuing  art  instead  of  manu- 


302  MEMOIRS   OF    B.  R.  IIAYDOtf.  [1845. 

facture,  the  results  will  be  the  check.  I  would  keep 
the  acting  body  still  at  forty,  but  I  would  abolish  asso- 
ciateships  and  establish  forty  more  academicians  elect, 
who  should  have  no  more  privileges  than  associates, 
and  from  whom  the  forty  acting  should  be  filled  up. 
This  would  gratify  the  vanity  of  the  profession,  and  not 
impair  the  efficiency  of  the  institution.  I  would  abolish 
the  right  of  sending  eight  pictures  and  limit  the  num- 
ber to  four. 

"  This  is  a  rough  sketch  in  consequence  of  Eastlake 
saying  he  would  ask  my  advice,  and  that  there  was  no 
doubt  the  Academy  might  be  carried  further.  A  pretty 
broad  hint  from  that  quarter. 

"  Extract  from  Lorenzo  Ghiberti's  manuscript  (in  al- 
lusion to  Giotto)  :  — 

"  '  Quando  la  natura  vuole  concedere  alcuna  cosa  la  con- 
cede senza  veruna  avarizia.  Costui  fu  copio  in  tutte  le  cose, 
lavoro  in  muro,  lavorb  in  olio,  lavoro  in  tavola,  lavoro  di 
mosa'ico  la  nave  di  Sto.  Piero  in  Roma,'  &c. 

"  This  settles  the  question  as  to  oil-painting  having 
existed  in  Giotto's  time,  though  Raspe,  and  Lanzi,  and 
Walpole,  and  myself,  had  proved  it  before. 

"  Lord  Palmerston  took  the  chair  at  the  Artist's  In- 
stitute, and  made  an  allusion  to  the  decoration  of  town 
halls  in  fresco  or  oil. 

"  May  3rd. —  Dear  old  Wordsworth  called,  looking 
hearty  and  strong.  '  I  came  up  to  go  to  the  state  ball,' 
said  he,  '  and  the  Lord  Chancellor  {quaere  Lord  Cham- 
berlain?) told  me  at  the  ball  I  ought  to  go  to  the  levee.' 
*  And  will  you  put  on  a  court  dress  ?  '  said  I.  '  Why  ?  ' 
'  Let  me  see  you  and  I'll  write  you  a  sonnet.'  Words- 
worth did  not  like  this. 

"When  Wilkieand  I  were  at  Coleorton  in  1809,  Sir 
George  said  '  Wordsworth  may  walk  in,  but  I  caution 
you  against  his   democratic  principles.'      What  would 


1845.]  PRAISE    PROM    (tTHE    TIMES."  303 

Hazlitt  say  now  ?     The  poet  of  the  lakes  and  moun- 
tains in  bag-wig,  sword,  and  ruffles! 

"  I  have  never  protested  against  any  of  these  thino-S} 
but  I  have  never  submitted  to  them  but  once,  —  at 
George  IV.'s  coronation. 

"4th.  —  The  first  day  of  the  forty -first  exhibition  of 
my  time.  For  the  first  time  these  forty-one  years,  I 
did  not  go  myself,  though  I  have  two  pictures  there. 
Wilkie,  Jackson,  Geddes,  Seguier  (who  used  always  to 
accompany  me)  are  dead.  I  felt  a  repugnance  to  go,  — 
I  couldn't  tell  why,  —  but  I  staid  at  home,  and  improved 
and  advanced  Aristides. 

"Oh!  heartily  I  prayed  to  God  yesterday  to  bless 
me  through  these  six  pictures." 

To  his  great  delight,  the  Times  critic,  "  after  twenty- 
two  years  of  abuse,"  noticed  his  Uriel  in  the  following 
agreeable  terms :  — 

"  There  is  one  picture  which  makes  us  depart  from  our 
design  of  adhering  to  the  great  room  exclusively  on  this 
occasion  ;  that  is,  Haydon's  large  painting  of  '  Uriel  and 
Satan  '  (605),  which  must  arrest  even  those  who  are  hasten- 
ing to  depart  from  the  Exhibition  as  a  most  remarkable 
work.  A  striking  contrast  to  the  gaudy  colouring  on  which 
the  eye  has  been  feasted,  it  appears  with  a  subdued  tone,  re- 
minding one  of  a  fresco.  The  figure  of  the  angel  is  drawn 
with  a  boldness  which  some  might  call  exaggerated,  but  with 
the  simplicity  and  anatomical  effect  of  sculpture,  every 
muscle  looking  hard  and  unyielding  as  iron.  The  face  is 
noble  and  ideal,  and  a  fine  effect  is  produced  by  the  golden 
colour  of  the  hair.  This  huge  commanding  figure  is  backed 
by  limitless  space,  represented  by  a  very  dark  positive  blue, 
and  the  whole  conveys  the  impression  of  a  simple  vastness. 
There  is  a  certain  crudity  about  the  picture,  but  the  impress 
of  genius  is  unmistakeable." 

"  7  th.  —  This  day,  forty-one  years  ago,  I  left  my 
home  for  life.     Ah !  with  what  sensations  did  I  enter 


304  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  K.  HAYDON.  [1845. 

the  great  arena !     But  I  have  accomplished  a  name,  and 
may  I  say  a  great  one  ? 

"  I  have  advanced  the  Art.  I  am  still,  in  spite  of  all 
my  misfortunes,  considered  the  leader,  and  I  believe  in 
my  conscience  I  shall  die  at  the  head  of  the  Art  of  my 
glorious  country." 

For  the  last  two  months  the  subject  of  schools  of 
design  had  much  occupied  Haydon's  mind.  The  London 
school  was  now  split  by  the  feud  both  among  masters 
and  scholars,  of  those  who  were  for  making  the  study  of 
the  figure  the  basis  of  the  designer's  training,  and  those 
who  were  for  drawing  the  widest  distinction  between 
the  instruction  of  artist  and  manufacturing  designer. 
Haydon  ranked  himself  with  the  former,  and  was  inde- 
fatigable in  urging  on  the  President  of  the  Board  of 
Trade  (with  which  department  the  school  was  con- 
nected), and  on  the  public  by  letters  in  the  newspapers, 
the  doctrine  of  the  Lyons  school,  that  all  decorative  art 
not  based  on  fine  art  is,  and  ever  will  be,  unworthy 
the  name  of  art  altogether.  Here  again  it  must,  I 
think,  be  admitted,  that  his  reasoning  was  sound,  and 
his  advice  that  which  facts  have  best  borne  out. 

"  May  15th.  —  Hallam  called  to-day  before  going  to 
the  Committee.  He  said,  Barry  had  so  bescutcheoned 
and  encrusted  the  houses,  there  was  little  room  for 
fresco.  What  little  there  was  would,  he  believed,  be 
filled  up  with  English  history.' 

"I  said,  'On  what  principle?'  He  said,  'In  the 
House  of  Lords,  to  explain  its  functions.'  I  said, 
'  What  for  the  Commons  ?'  '  There  would  be  nothing.' 
«  Is  that  just  ?  If  the  House  of  Lords  be  illustrated  by 
pictures  in  fresco,  why  not  the  House  of  Commons, 
equally  a  functional  part  of  the  monarchy?'  I  then 
explained  to  him  my  principle,  to  show  the  best  Go- 
vernment to  regulate  the  species,  man,  by  exhibiting 
the  consequences  of  the  worst.     He  admitted  the  exten- 


1845.]  WORDSWORTH    IN   A    COURT-DRESS.  305 

sion  of  the  plan,  and  said  the  pictures  need  not  be  con- 
fined to'six.  Certainly  not:  only  a  definite  object  must 
be  laid  down,  to  explain  which  subjects  must  be  selected, 
and,  as  the  whole  development  could  not  be  accom- 
plished in  our  lives,  at  least  we  might  lay  down  the  plan, 
do  as  much  as  we  can,  and  let  the  rest  be  done  by  those 
who  succeed  us. 

(i  Hallam  seemed  to  be  impressed  by  the  plan.  I  said, 
'  Don't  do  the  whole  thing  by  contract.'  He  replied, 
'  There's  the  fear;  but  I  don't  think  at  present  they 
are  hurrying.'     I  said,  I  hope  not. 

"  I  showed  him  the  fresco  ebauche ;  and  after  I  had 
begged  and  entreated  him  to  impress  on  the  Commission 
the  utility  of  a  definite  plan  and  definite  object,  to  illus- 
trate which  all  subjects  should  be  selected,  he  took  his 
leave. 

"  16th. —  Very  anxious  about  the  future  indeed.  In 
going  to  the  Exhibition  and  listening  to  the  people,  I 
don't  think  they  are  advanced  one  jot.  Dined  with  my 
dear  friend  Serjeant  Talfourd.  He  said  Wordsworth 
went  to  court  in  Rogers's  clothes  *,  buckles  and 
stockings,  and  wore  Davy's  sword.  Moxon  had  hard 
work  to  make  the  dress  fit.  It  was  a  squeeze,  but  by 
pulling  and  hauling  they  got  him  in.  Fancy  the  high 
priest  of  mountain  and  of  flood  on  his  knees  in  a  court, 
the  quiz  of  courtiers,  in  a  dress  that  did  not  belong  to 
him,  with  a  sword  that  was  not  his  own  and  a  coat 
which  he  borrowed. 

"'London,  22nd  May,  1845. 
"  '  My  dear  Wordsworth, 

" '  I  wish  you  had  not  gone  to  court.     Your  climax  was 

the  shout  of  the  Oxford  senate  house.     Why  not  rest  on 

thai  ?     I  think  of  you  as  Nature's  high  priest.     I  can't  bear 

The  present  poet-laureate  has  since  worn  the  same  suit  on  a 
like  occasion.  —  Ed. 

VOL.  III.  X 


306  MEMOIRS   OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1845. 

to  associate  a  bag-wig  and  sword,  ruffles  and  buckles,  with 
Helvellyn  and  the  mountain  solitudes. 

"  '  This  is  my  feeling,  and  I  regret  if  I  have  rubbed  yours 
the  wrong  way. 

"  '  Talfourd  thinks  it  was  a  glory  to  have  compelled  the 
court  to  send  for  you,  but  would  it  not  have  been  a  greater 
for  you  to  have  declined  it  ?  Perhaps  he  is  right  however. 
I  have  not  been  able  to  suppress  my  feelings. 

"  '  Believe  me  ever  your  old  friend, 

"  '  B.  B.  Haydon.' 

"  21st.  —  Called  on  Hallam,  and  had  a  long  talk.  I 
asked  him  about  the  old  chronicles.  He  showed  me  Hall, 
beginning  at  Henry  IV.,  but  I  wanted  the  fabulous 
heroes,  and  when  I  mentioned  Geoffrey  of  Monmouth, 
Hallam  stared  at  me  with  wonder  as  at  a  madman. 

"  Mr.  Hallam  said  the  selection  of  subjects  for  the 
Houses,  in  sculpture  and  painting,  will  be  more  com- 
memorative of  facts  and  persons  than  poetical  or  pictorial. 

"'No  naked?' said  I.  'No,'  said  he;  'Lord  Mel- 
bourne thinks  the  only  naked  subject  he  knows  is  Peeping 
Tom.'  That's  capital.  I  would  select  subjects  from  the 
fabulous,  the  authenticated  and  the  modern. 

"  Commissions  had  been  given  to  Bell,  Marshall  and 
Foley.  They  all  deserve  them.  I  then  walked  down 
to  the  Palace  summer-house,  which  is  approaching  con- 
clusion. Dyce  had  superseded  Etty,  and  most  effectively. 
His  fresco,  though  in  parts  ferociously  German,  is  the 
best.  Eastlake's  was,  but  Dyce  has  fairly  beat  him. 
E.  Landseer's  I  do  not  like.  The  latter  ones  are 
painted  at  home,  and  put  in,  which  is  not  manly  fresco. 

"25th.  —  O  God  !  I  am  again  without  any  resource 
but  in  Thy  mercy.  Enable  me  to  bear  up,  and  vanquish, 
as  I  have  done,  all  difficulties.  Let  nothing,  however 
desperate  or  overwhelming,  stop  me  from  the  comple- 
tion of  my  six  designs.  On  these  my  country's  honour 
rests,  and  my  own  fame  on  earth.     Thou  knowest  how 


1845.]  HARASS.  307 

for    forty-one    years    I    have    struggled   and    resisted. 
Enable  me  to  do  so  to  the  last  gasp  of  my  life. 

"Wrote  my  second  volume  of  Life  and  Correspond- 
ence. In  reading  over  my  Journals  of  1818,  I  glory 
to  see  how  I  suffered,  how  I  prayed,  how  1  pushed, 
how  I  vanquished.  It  made  me  swell  with  gratitude 
to  God. 

"28th.  —  Met  Lady  "Westmorland  yesterday  at  the 
Exhibition.  She  had  arrived  from  Berlin  a  few  days 
ago.  She  said  Lord  Westmorland  had  spoken  so  highly 
to  the  King  of  Hanover  of  the  Napoleon,  that  he  said 
he  could  not  buy  it  without  seeing  it,  and  that  Lord 
Westmorland  had  had  it  rolled  up  and  sent  off,  and  she 
had  no  doubt  His  Majesty  would  buy  it.  Heaven  bless 
the  wish  ! 

"June  12th.  —  Nothing  I  do  now  equals  the  burning 
impression  of  my  longing  imagination.  I  want  to  paint 
a  picture  as  if  out  of  Perkin's  steam-gun,  as  Rubens 
and  Tintoretto  did  ;  and  I  icill,  if  I  live.  In  the  foot  of 
the  mother,  yesterday,  I  realised  my  feeling  in  a  part  of 
a  great  whole. 

"  24//*.  —  Another  day  of  pecuniary  difficulty  and 
harass,— lost.  Paid  28/.  12s.  6d.,  and  have  21/.  and  30/. 
to  pay  to-morrow,  with  only  51.  to  meet  it. 

"  I  wish  His  Majesty  of  Hanover  would  buy  my 
Napoleon.  The  King  of  Prussia  would  not,  nor  would 
the  Emperor  of  Russia.  The  King  of  Hanover  is  our 
last  hope.  Lord  Westmorland  has  done  everything  a 
kind  friend  could  do,  and  Lady  Westmorland  too. 

"  26th.  —  Exceedingly  harassed  for  money.  The 
Uriel  has  not  produced  a  single  commission.  In  great 
anxiety  I  glazed  the  drapery  of  Aristides,  and  was  served 
with  a  writ  for  21/.  in  the  midst  of  doing  it,  by  a  man 
to  whom  I  had  given  two  sketches.  I  told  the  clerk  I 
must  finish  the  glazing  if  the  Lord  Chancellor  brought 
a  writ,  and  so  I  did  ;  then  went  to  the  lawyer  and  ar- 

x  2 


308  MEMOIRS    OF    R.  R.  HA  YD  ON.  [1845. 

ranged  It,  and  blew  him  up ;  but  what  a  state  of  mind 
to  paint  in  !  The  reason  is  clear  enough.  I  have  never 
suited  my  labour  to  the  existing  tastes.  I  know  what 
is  right  and  do  it.  So  did  the  early  Christians,  and  so 
do  all  great  men.  Suffering  is  the  consequence;  but 
it  must  be  borne.  Should  I  have  shaken  the  nation  if  I 
had  not? 

"  27 'tli.  —  Out  the  whole  day  on  money  matters  Got 
a  promise  of  307.  and  came  home  with  57.  All  the 
young  men  have  got  commissions,  —  Bell,  Marshall, 
Foley,  Maclise  and  others.  I  am  totally  left  out  after 
forty-one  years'  suffering  and  hard  work,  with  my  La- 
zarus and  Curtius  and  Uriel  before  their  eyes ;  and 
being  too  the  whole  and  sole  designer  for  the  House 
of  Lords  in  the  first  instance  and  the  cause  of  the  thing 
being  done  at  all.  Backed  by  encouragement  I  have 
never  known,  how  steadily  would  my  powers  develope ! 

"  I  shall  never  know  it.  I  only  trust  in  God  I  shall 
get  through  my  six  works,  under  any  circumstances, 
and  die  brush  in  hand. 

"  Had  I  been  employed,  the  sense  of  a  duty  to  be 
done  would  have  banked  up  my  mind  and  kept  it  run- 
ning in  one  channel,  deep  and  constant.  Now  it  has 
spread  out  into  a  thousand  irritable  little  rivulets,  water- 
ing the  ground  and  exhausting  the  fountain-head. 

"  28th.  —  My  visit  to  the  cartoons  to-day  occupied 
the  whole  day  from  ten  till  four. 

"  There  are  not  so  many  bad  things  as  at  first,  but 
there  are  not  so  many  fine  ones.  The  error  is  apparent, 
— ignorance  of  what  is  the  essence  of  a  cartoon  to  be 
adapted  for  fresco.  Instead  of  large  parts,  with  breadth 
and  simplicity,  the  greater  proportion  are  marked  by  no 
breadth,  no  simplicity,  and  so  great  a  number  of  small 
parts  it  would  be  absolutely  impossible  to  execute  them 
in  fresco  at  all. 

"  Thank  God,  the  week  is  ended.     I  have  had  hard 


1845.]  SAVED    FROM    AN    EXECUTION.  309 

work  on  money  matters;  but  I  trusted  in  God,  and 
never  in  vain.  I  close  it  in  gratitude.  I  think  my  six 
designs  by  far  better  than  any  at  the  Hall,  and  so  will 
the  public  think  when  they  see  them.  I  hope  God  will 
bless  me  with  life  to  fret  through  them. 

"  July  3rd. —  Passed  the  morning  in  Westminster 
Hall.  The  only  bit  of  fresco  fit  to  look  at  is  by  Ford 
Brown.  It  is  a  figure  of  Justice,  and  excpuisite  as  far 
as  that  figure  goes. 

"  8th. — Eight  days  have  passed,  and  it  is  a  fact  I 
have  only  worked  two.  I  wonder  the  earth  does  not 
open  ! 

"  In  the  city  all  day.  An  execution  certain.  Ben- 
nock  and  Twentyman,  as  usual,  saved  me.  But  what  a 
condition  to  paint  in  after  forty-one  years'  practice  ! 

"  23rd.  —  Colonel  Leake  called  to-day.  Much  older 
than  I  expected.  He  admired  Aristides  very  much 
indeed.  He  said  the  Hecatompedon  had  a  pediment, 
with  six  columns.  He  did  not  know  the  dress  of  the 
archons.  We  talked  of  various  things  connected  with 
Athens — the  walls,  roads,  monuments,  hills,  climate, 
the  family  of  Aristides.  I  was  much  pleased  with 
Colonel  Leake. 

"  Allegory  should  be  avoided  as  much  as  possible. 
Illustrate  a  principle  by  facts,  but  do  not  personify  by 
figures  the  principle  itself,  without  reference  to  facts. 

"  August  9th. — Worked  hard,  and  painted  my  blind 
mocking  boy  from  two  blind  heads  I  got  at  the  Blind 
School,  St.  George's  Fields.  I  gave  them  a  good  dinner, 
and  sent  the  poor  fellows  home  contented.  They  both 
lost  their  eyes  from  violent  inflammation.  The  blind 
mocker  in  the  corner  of  my  picture  is  successful.  On 
Friday  I  failed  because  I  made  my  son  shut  his  eyes, 
and  used  him  for  my  model.      But  the  ball  of  the  eye 

being  perfect,    he  looked  not  blind,   but   asleep.       In 

x  3 


310  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  It.  IIAYDON.  [1845. 

tlic  blind  the  ball  is  shrunk  and  the  eye  fallen  in  con- 
sequence. 

"18tk.  —  Went  with  the  boys  to  the  Old  Ship 
Tavern,  Greenwich,  to  eat  white  bait,  and  spent  the  day 
in  the  park,  inhaling  the  pure  air,  and  enjoying  myself 
immensely. 

"  Coming  home  there  was  an  enormous  fire,  which  I 
studied  thoroughly  for  my  next  picture  in  the  series. 
It  was  in  Bucklersbury.  How  a  working  man  like  me 
enjoys  the  fa)'  niente  once  in  a  lifetime  !  Though  it  was 
a  far  niente  day,  yet  everything  was  a  study,  The  sails 
of  the  barges  against  the  background  and  sky,  —  the 
distant  view  of  London, — the  chesnut  trees, — the  dells 
and  bournes,  where  nymphs  and  satyrs  might  have  toyed 
and  loved, — and,  lastly,  the  fire,  so  that  I  returned 
home  a  better  painter  than  when  I  went  out. 

"  19th.  —  Called  on ,  once  the  favourite  portrait- 
painter  of  royalty  and  fashion,  and  now  almost  deserted, 
except  by  a  stray  lord  and  lady. 

"  He  said  a  noble  duke  whom  he  is  now  painting  told 
him  the  aristocracy  did  not  want  High  Art.  Nothing 
pleased  them  but  first-rate  specimens,  and  those  they 
had  of  the  old  masters.  This  is  exactly  what  I  have 
always  said.  They  do  not  want  it.  They  don't  care 
about  it,  and  laugh  at  all  who  do.  I  do  care  about  it; 
and  the  public  voice  will  force,  at  last,  justice  and 
reward." 

During  the  whole  of  these  three  months,  and  ever 
since  the  third  exhibition  of  cartoons,  frescos  and  oil 
sketches,  in  Westminster  Hall,  which  opened  this  year, 
Haydon  had  been  a  constant  writer  in  the  Times  and 
Morning  Chronicle,  urging  at  considerable  length  and 
with  much  animation  the  danger  of  the  Fine  Arts' 
Commission  being  led  away  in  the  direction  of  modern 
German  Art.  Kaulbach,  Cornelius,  Hess  and  Overbeck 
are  all  brought  under  censure,  and  their  minute  atten- 


1845.]  A    NEW    PUPIL.  311 

tion  to  detail,  sharpness  of  outline,  flatness  and  fault  of 
colour  are  dwelt  on,  without  fair  recognition  of  the  purity 
of  their  line,  the  carefulness  of  their  drawing,  and  their 
frequent  dignity  and  sweetness  of  expression. 

Haydon  had  now  finished  the  first  picture  of  his  series 
of  six, — the  Ostracism  of  Aristides,  —  and  was  about 
to  begin  his  second,  —  Nero  playing  on  the  lyre,  with 
Rome  burning  in  the  background. 

"  September  \Oth.—  O  God !  whilst  I  bless  Thee  with 
deep  gratitude  that  I  have  nearly  brought  the  first 
picture  in  my  great  series  to  a  conclusion,  permit  me  to 
ask  Thy  blessing  on  the  second,  the  sketch  of  which  I 
begin  this  instant. 

"  19th.  —This  day  T  took  a  pupil,  a  very  interesting- 
youth.  His  mother,  a  woman  of  great  energy,  and  his 
guardian  came  with  him  ;  and  the  boy  was  quiet,  timid, 
modest  and  believing. 

"  Good  heavens !  the  premium  was  a  blessing  to  me 
after  fagging  through  Aristides,  and  the  boy  seemed  de- 
lighted. 

"  It  really  has  saved  me.  Was  I  not  right  to  trust 
in  the  Lord?  The  guardian  said  to  me  as  if  half  fright- 
ened, '  Will  you  believe  I  prayed  to  the  Lord  you  might 
encourage  him,  if  he  ought  to  be  encouraged  ?  You  did 
encourage  him,  and  it  was  right.' 

"  How  curious.  Here  was  I,  praying  in  the  depths 
of  midnight  that  no  accident  might  prevent  the  youth 
coming  to  me,  and  here  was  the  guardian  praying  I 
might  think  he  had  talent.  Innocent  people !  How 
much  religious  feeling  there  is  in  the  world !  If  the 
people  did  not  fear  the  ridicule  of  scepticism,  how  much 
would  be  known. 

"  A  remark  Johnson  would  have  relished. 

"'Do  you  take  him,'  says  Conscience,  'because  you 
think  he   has   talent?'     'Yes.     Ten   thousand   pounds 

x  4 


312  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1845. 

should  not  have  induced  me  to  take  him  if  he  had  not.' 
'  Would  you  have  taken  him  if  he  had  been  deficient, 
for  the  sake  of  the  money?'     Ask  my  bitterest  enemy. 

"  23?r/.  —  Another  day  of  victory  and  blessing. 
*  Troubles,'  Shakespeare  says,  'never  come  in  single 
files,'  —  nor  blessings  either. 

"The  King  of  Hanover  has  bought  Napoleon  Musing, 
a  repetition  of  the  one  belonging  to  Sir  Robert  Peel. 

"  Thus  I  have  received  by  the  blessing  of  God  410/ 
in  five  days,  after  painting  the  whole  of  Aristides 
(except  601.)  on  borrowed  money.  Good  God !  how 
grateful  I  ought  to  be  ! 

"  On  receiving  my  dear  Lord  Westmorland's  letter,  I 
knelt  down  and  prayed  that  if  it  were  successful  I  might 
be  humble  and  grateful. 

"  I  once  earned  60/.  in  six  hours.  Now  I  have 
earned  200/.  in  five  days  ;  for  I  painted  this  Napoleon  in 
five  days  in  the  beginning  of  1844. 

"  I  really  fear  one  is  not  good  enough  to  deserve  such 
blessings. 

"  I  am  so  surrounded  with  family  matters,  —  money 
matters,  —  that  I  have  not  touched  palette  or  brush 
since  Friday,  the  day  my  pupil  came,  to  my  daily  pain 
of  conscience. 

"  24:tk.  —  Saw  my  son  Frederic  off  by  train  for  the 
flag  ship,  till  he  goes  to  South  America.  In  the  city 
all  the  morning  before  he  went. 

"  I  declare  my  anxiety  to  dispose  of  my  money  dis- 
turbs me  more  than  my  anxiety  when  I  wanted  it. 

"29th. —  O  Almighty  God!  accept  my  profound  gra- 
titude for  Thy  mercies  in  blessing  me  with  health  of 
mind  and  body  to  get  through  the  first  of  my  great 
series,  Aristides ;  and  for  Thy  infinite  mercy  in  reward- 
ing me  by  ample  means  at  the  conclusion.  O  God  !  I 
am  this  day  about  to  begin  the  second  (the  third  in  the 
series)  to  show  the  horrors  of  despotism.    Bless  its  com- 


1845.]  A   VISIT    TO    SIR   JOSHUA'S   NIECE.  313 

mencement,  progression  and  conclusion.  Grant  me 
piety,  health  and  energy.  Grant  I  may  impress  the 
world  with  a  detestation  of  tyranny,  and  advance  the 
great  character  of  the  British  nation  in  High  Art.  Grant 
these  things  I  humbly  ask,  O  Lord !  to  whom  alone  be- 
longs success,  either  for  great  nations  or  individuals,  — 
humble  and  confiding. 

"  oOth. — Nero  rubbed  in.  As  I  approached  the  con- 
clusion and  foresaw  the  effect  coming,  it  was  so  terrific, 
I  fluttered,  trembled  and  perspired  like  a  woman  and 
was  obliged  to  sit  down. 

"  Oct.  13th. — On  the  7th  I  left  town  by  express 
train  to  visit  Mrs.  Gwatkin  at  Plymouth,  to  examine 
Sir  Joshua's  private  memoranda  concerning  the  Academy 
quarrel.  Mrs.  Gwatkin  was  Miss  Palmer,  sister  to  the 
Marchioness  of  Thomond,  and  niece  to  Sir  Joshua.  As 
soon  as  I  arrived  I  wrote  to  her  to  say  I  was  come,  and 
would  wait  on  her  next  day  ;  to  which  note  I  received 
the  following  reply  from  her  grandson :  — 

" '  Dear  Sir, 
"  '  My  grandmother  has  directed  me  to  answer  your  note, 
and  say  that  she  will  be  happy,  should  her  health  permit 
her,  to  have  an  interview  with  you  to-morrow,  at  or  about 
twelve  o'clock. 

"  '  Yours  truly, 

"  '  J.  Reynolds  Gwatkin.' 

"  On  the  8th,  after  calling  on  many  old  friends  of  my 
youth,  I  waited  on  this  last  relic  left  us  of  the  John- 
sonian Burkeian  period.  She  is  in  her  eighty-ninth 
year.  At  twelve  I  called.  Mr.  Reynolds  Gwatkin 
came  down  and  introduced  me.  I  went  up  with  him, 
and  found  on  a  sofa,  leaning  on  pillows,  a  venerable 
aged  lady,  holding  an  ear-trumpet  like  Sir  Joshua, 
showing  in  her  face  great  remains  of  regular  beauty,  and 
evidently  the   model  of  Sir  Joshua    in   his    Christian 


314  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDON".  [1845. 

Virtues*  (a  notion  of  mine  which  she  afterwards  con- 
firmed). After  a  few  minutes'  chat  we  entered  on  the 
purport  of  my  visit,  which  was  to  examine  Sir  Joshua's 
private  papers  relating  to  the  Academy  dispute  which 
produced  his  resignation. 

Mrs.  Gwatkin  rose  to  give  orders;  her  figure  was 
fine  and  elastic,  upright  as  a  dart,  with  nothing  of  de- 
crepitude ;  certainly  extraordinary  for  a  woman  in  her 
eighty-ninth  year. 

"  Mr.  Gwatkin,  her  grandson,  obeyed  her  directions, 
and  brought  down  a  bundle  of  ammged  papers,  and  on 
the  very  first  bundle  was  'Private  papers  relative  to  my 
resignation  of  the  presidency.' 

"  The  first  was  a  letter  to  Sir  W.  Chambers,  refusing 
to  resume  the  chair.  The  latter  part  bearing  on  my 
object,  I  extracted.  Mr.  Gwatkin  getting  interested 
at  my  anxiety,  offered  his  services,  and  giving  him  part 
of  the  papers  we  worked  away. 

"  The  dear  old  lady  was  soon  in  a  bustle,  for  she  did 
not  seem  to  know  the  value  of  what  she  possessed,  and 
said  she  had  a  trunk  full,  and  ordered  it  down.  Then 
there  was  no  key ;  and  then  her  eldest  daughter,  about 
fifty,  was  dispatched,  and  her  niece,  a  little  spirited  thing, 
hunted  ;  and  Mrs.  Gwatkin  herself  bustled  about,  stoop- 
ing for  this  and  that,  as  if  she  was  thirty  instead  of 
eighty-nine.  The  key  was  found,  but  I  turned  a  deaf 
ear  to  excursions  from  the  main  point.  I  had  got  what 
I  wanted,  and  must  keep  at  that.  In  about  two  hours  I 
finished.     Mr.  Gwatkin  had  most  to  do.f 

"  I  then  joined  her,  and  we  had  a  delightful  chat 
about  Burke,  Johnson,  Goldsmith,  Garrick  and  Rey- 
nolds. She  said  she  came  to  Sir  Joshua  quite  a  little 
girl,  and  at  the  first  grand  party  Dr.  Johnson  staid,  as 
he  always  did,  after  all  were  gone  ;  and  that  she  being 

*  At  Oxford. 

f  See  some  of  these  papers,  Appendix  IV. — Ed. 


1845.]  A   VISIT    TO    SIR   JOSHUA'S   NIECE.  315 

afraid  of  hurting  her  new  frock,  went  upstairs  and  put 
on  another,  and  came  down  to  sit  with  Dr.  J.  and  Sir 
Joshua.  Johnson  thundered  out  at  her,  scolded  her  for 
her  disrespect  to  him,  in  supposing  he  was  not  as  worthy 
of  her  best  frock  as  fine  folks.  He  sent  her  crying  to 
bed  and  took  a  dislike  to  her  ever  after. 

"  She  had  a  goldfinch  which  she  had  left  at  home. 
Her  brother  and  sister  dropped  water  on  it  from  a  great 
height,  for  fun.  The  bird  died  from  fright  and  turned 
black. 

"  She  told  Goldsmith  who  was  writing  his  c  Animated 
Nature.'  Goldsmith  begged  her  to  get  the  facts  and 
he  would  allude  to  it.  '  Sir,'  roared  out  Johnson,  '  if 
you  do  you'll  ruin  your  work ;  for  depend  upon  it  it's  a 
lie.' 

"  She  said  that  after  Sir  Joseph  Banks  and  Dr.  So- 
lander  came  from  their  voyage,  at  a  grand  dinner  at  Sir 
Joshua's,  Solander  was  relating  that  in  Iceland  he  had 
seen  a  fowl  boiled  in  a  few  minutes  in  the  hot  springs. 
Johnson  broke  up  the  whole  party  by  roaring  out,  *  Sir, 
unless  I  saw  it  with  my  own  eyes  I  would  not  believe 
it.'  Nobody  spoke  after,  and  Banks  and  Solander  rose 
and  left  the  dining-room. 

"  The  most  delightful  man  was  Goldsmith.  She  saw 
him  and  Garrick  keep  an  immense  party  laughing  till 
they  shrieked.  Garrick  sat  on  Goldsmith's  knee ;  a 
tablecloth  was  pinned  under  Garrick's  chin  and  brought 
behind  Goldsmith,  hiding  both  their  figures.  Garrick 
then  spoke,  in  his  finest  style,  Hamlet's  speech  to  his 
father's  ghost.  Goldsmith  put  out  his  hands  on  each 
side  of  the  cloth  and  made  burlesque  action,  —  tapping 
his  heart  and  putting  his  hand  to  Garrick's  head  and 
nose,  all  at  the  wrong  time. 

"  She  said  she  and  her  sister  always  went  daily  into 
Sir  Joshua's  painting-room  after  dinner,  whilst  he  was 
taking  his  wine,  to  see  how  he  got  on ;  and  he  generally 


316  MEMOIRS   OF    B.  R.  HAY  DON.  [1845. 

took  his  nap.  e  Ho,  ho ! '  said  I,  e  did  he  take  his  nap?  ' 
e  To  be  sure,'  said  Mrs.  Gwatkin,  '  don't  you  ?  After 
the  fatigue  of  his  brain  he  liked  quiet,  and  we  always 
let  him  alone.'  '  You  are  a  dear  creature,'  I  told  her  ; 
1  so  does  my  wife  with  me ;  but,'  I  replied,  *  he  kept  a 
great  deal  of  company  and  dined  out  too.'  She  said, 
'  Not  a  great  deal,  —  nothing  regular.  He  was  at  home 
and  with  his  family  oftener  than  out.  Now  and  then, 
during  parliament,  he  had  large  parties.'  She  remem- 
bered that  first  party  with  Fanny  Burney.  She  said 
she  and  her  sister  plagued  Miss  B.  in  the  garden  at 
Streatham  to  know  who  was  the  author  of  Evelina, 
never  suspecting  her.  As  they  rode  home  Sir  Joshua 
said,  'Now  you  have  dined  with  the  author, — guess 
which  of  the  party.'  They  could  not  guess,  when  Sir 
Joshua  said,  '  Miss  Burney.'  Sir  Joshua  often  walked 
round  the  park  with  her  before  breakfast ;  always  took 
her  to  sales.  Everybody  in  the  house  painted.  Lady 
Thomond  and  herself,  the  coachman,  the  man-servant 
Ralph  and  his  daughter,  all  painted,  copied  and  talked 
about  pictures. 

"  She  told  me  Northcote  never  in  his  life  dined  at 
Sir  Joshua's  table  when  there  was  a  grand  party.  She 
showed  me  a  rough  copy  of  Burke's  character  of  Rey- 
nolds, written  in  the  drawing-room  within  a  few  minutes 
of  his  death,  Mrs.  Gwatkin  sitting  by  the  side  of  Burke 
as  he  wrote  it. 

"  Lunch  was  now  announced,  and  we  had  all  got  so 
intimate  that  they  made  me  promise  to  stay  the  day. 
At  lunch  down  came  young  Mrs.  Gwatkin,  with  a  fine 
dear  little  boy  of  the  fourth  generation.  She  was  the 
wife  of  the  handsome  young  man  :  so  there  were  grand- 
mamma and  her  daughter,  and  Mr.  Gwatkin,  grandson, 
and  his  little  boy,  great-grandson.  It  was  quite  a 
patriarchal  party.     I  dined  and  retired  at  ten  to  my  inn. 


1845.]  AN    APPLICATION    TO    SIR    R.  PEEL.  317 

As  I  took  her  venerable  hand  I  kissed  it,  which  brought 
a  tear  into  her  eye. 

"  16th. — I  visited  Ide,  where  I  buried  my  dear  mother, 
and  was  shocked  to  find  a  uew  church, — the  aisle  paved, 
and  no  traces  of  her  grave.  I  rode  away  shocked  and 
wrote  the  vicar,  from  whom  I  received  a  kind  answer 
which  is  a  credit  to  his  heart. 

"  November  1st. — Blocked  in  a  small  Aristides,  thank 
God,  and  began  my  other  four  sketches.  The  smell  of 
the  paint  was  incense  to  my  nostrils.  Why  do  I  ever 
leave  my  palette  ?  It  is  my  only  real  source  of  happi- 
ness. 

"  5th. — Made  a  study  of  my  daughter  Mary.  In  the 
evening  lectured,  but  very  hoarsely.  I  never  feel 
inspired  but  before  a  large  canvas.  Let  me  want  what 
I  will,  I  am  then  in  my  element ;  nor  shall  I  feel  happy 
till  again  at  Nero.  My  money  obligations,  to  finish 
small  works  for  those  who  nobly  advanced  the  prices  to 
enable  me  to  finish  Aristides,  must  be  attended  to  first. 

"  8th.  —  I  have  always  said  of  Peel  he  had  a  tender 
heart.  In  1830  he  gave  credence  to  me,  and  now,  after 
all  our  row  about  Napoleon  (and  I  said  bitter  things  to 
him),  my  dear  son  Frank,  shrinking  from  the  display  of 
the  pulpit,  after  860/.  10s.  expense  for  a  college  educa- 
tion, in  anguish  of  mind  I  wrote  Sir  Robert  and  told 
him  my  distress.     He  answered  — 

"  '  Whitehall,  4th  November,  1845. 

" '  Sir  Robert  Peel  presents  his  compliments  to  Mr.  Haydon, 
and  must  decline  making  any  application  to  Lord  Hadding- 
ton on  the  subject  of  an  appointment  for  Mr.  Haydon's  son. 

"  '  Sir  Robert  Peel  will,  however,  avail  himself  of  an  early 
opportunity  of  nominating  Mr.  Haydon's  son  to  a  clerkship 
in  one  of  the  public  departments  under  the  control  of  the 
Treasury,  if  such  an  appointment  w  ould  be  acceptable  to 
him.' 


318  MEMOIRS   OP    B.  K.  HAYDON.  [1845. 

"'7th  November,  1845. 

«  <  Sir, 

« < I  am  directed  by  Sir  Robert  Peel  to  inform  you  that 

there  is  a  vacancy  for  a  clerk  in  the  Record  Office,  salary 

80/.  a-year,  with  the  usual  prospects  of  promotion,  to  which 

he  will   be  happy   to   appoint   your  son   if  it  meets  your 

wishes. 

"  <  Sir  Robert  Peel  was  induced  to  select  this  clerkship  for 
him  as  from  your  description  of  him  as  a  young  man  of  re- 
tiring and  literary  habits  he  thinks  it  will  suit  him.  If  your 
son  will  present  himself  at  the  Record  Office,  Rolls  Yard, 
Chancery  Lane,  he  will  be  examined  as  to  his  qualifications. 

"  i  Your  obedient  servant, 

" '  John  Young.' 

«  30^.  —  A  very  good  month  upon  the  whole.  Nero, 
my  second  in  the  series,  advanced. 

"  By  bringing  in  such  a  monster  as  principal  figure, 
I  gain  the  object  of  exposing  despotism  more  than  if  I 
had  brought  the  effects  forward  by  showing  a  family  in 
distress  and  putting  the  monster  in  the  background.  It 
is  offensive  to  endeavour  to  hit  the  characteristics  of 
such  a  wretch,  but  the  object  is  to  show,  in  the  most 
powerful  way  I  can,  the  evil  of  a  sovereign  without 
popular  check.  It  might  be  any  other  fire  with  a  mere 
family,  even  though  Nero  might  be  perceived.  Nero 
must  be  the  prominent  object,  the  fire  the  secondary. 

"  December  2nd.  —  Awoke  in  very  great  anxiety,  yet 
trusting.  My  city  friends,  pressed  by  the  times  and 
panic,  want  payment,  I  went  out,  my  heart  bursting 
to  proceed  with  Nero,  but  obliged  to  go.  I  was  ruined 
in  1823  by  putting  on  my  jacket  to  fly  at  the  Cruci- 
fixion instead  of  keeping  a  money  appointment  in  the 
city ;  so,  remembering  this,  I  sallied  forth,  and  my  pre- 
sence did  everything.  By  going  I  kept  things  floating 
on,  and   returned,   losing   a  beautiful  day,  as  light   as 


1845.]  AT    WORK    ON    NERO.  319 

summer.  I  looked  at  Nero  and  his  glorious  background 
with  sorrow.  So  it  is.  It  is  my  destiny  to  thirst  for 
great  works  without  calculating  the  impossibilities,  with- 
out resources  ;  but  it  is  also  my  destiny  to  conquer  the 
impossibilities,  and  do  my  great  work. 

"  It  is  what  I  am  fit  for.  An  anxiety  is  a  necessary 
sweater,  or  I  should  be  too  buoyant.  Danger  keeps  me 
remembering  my  trust  in  Him  whom  I  might  but  lan- 
guidly remember  in  prosperity.  I  am  content  if  my 
health  and  eyes  last,  as  I  trust  in  God  they  will. 

"10th.—  Worked  hard.  Talfourd  said  he  intro- 
duced Dickens  to  Lady  Holland.  She  hated  the  Ame- 
ricans, and  did  not  want  Dickens  to  go.  She  said, 
'Why  cannot  you  go  down  to  Bristol  and  see  some  of 
the  third  or  fourth  class  people,  and  they  '11  do  just  as 
well  ? ' 

"  27th.  —  My  picture  in  a  glorious  state.  I  hope  to 
get  it  all  settled  for  completing  by  the  31st.  I  have 
painted  Uriel,  Aristides,  and  nearly  done  Nero,  besides 
a  repetition  of  Aristides,  several  heads  and  sketches,  &c. 
The  year  has  not  been  unprofitable ;  but  Aristides, 
which  took  four  months,  and  Nero  two,  have  not 
brought  me  a  shilling  yet.  The  200/.  from  the  Kino- 
of  Hanover  was  for  the  work  of  1844,  and  the  premium 
from  a  pupil  was  the  other  200/. 

"  I  trust  I  shall  live  to  get  through  my  six.  What 
pains  me  is  the  repeated  worry  such  great  works  entail 
on  my  tradesmen.  I  am  never  ready.  This  week  a 
respectable  young  tradesman  wanted  16/.  I  could  not 
pay  him  yet,  and  I  know  he  will  be  put  to  the  greatest 
misery  from  my  incapacity. 

"29th.  —  On  the  1 4th  instant  (I  believe)  I  wrote 
'  PeeVs  move  out  is  like  Lord  Grey's  in  1832 — to  come 
bach  with  greater  poiver.' 

"  I  have  a  vast  notion  of  my  own  political  sagacity. 


o 


20  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1845. 


Peel  is  back  again,  with  double  power,  and  he  is  the 
only  man  now  for  the  difficulty. 

"  However,  my  political  furor  is  waning.  Next 
month  I  am  sixty  years  of  age,  and  begin  to  feel  there 
are  many  beauties  in  Art  I  have  yet  to  mark,  and  my 
time  of  seeing  and  painting  must  have  turned  the  corner. 
In  God  I  trust.     Amen. 

"  I  hope  I  may  yet  last  twenty  years ;  if  I  do,  I'll  do 
greater  tilings  than  I  have  ever  done.  I  feel  I  shall. 
In  God  I  trust.     Amen. 

"30th. —  Last  day  but  one  of  1845.  Well;  I  have 
not  been  perfect,  but  I  have  struggled  to  be  so,  and  I 
have  less  vice  to  lament  than  any  previous  year  since  I 
was  fourteen.  The  first  step  towards  fitting  the  soul  to 
stand  before  its  Maker  is  a  conviction  of  its  unworthiness. 

"  I  have  been  deeply  touched  by  St.  Augustin's  Con- 
fessions ;  they  are  grander  than  Rousseau's,  because 
founded  on  the  religious  estimation  of  Creator  and 
created.  Dr.  Hook  gave  me  an  inestimable  blessing 
in  presenting  them  to  me.  They  show  me  the  corrup- 
tion of  the  greatest  saints  ;  he  shows  the  same  belief  in 
the  opening  of  the  Bible  at  hazard  and  applying  the 
first  passage  to  yourself  as  I  have  alwaj-s  done. 

"  Good  heavens  !  Gurwood  has  cut  his  throat.  The 
man  who  had  headed  the  forlorn  hope  at  Ciudad  Ro- 
drigo, — the  rigid  soldier, — the  iron-nerved  hero,  had 
not  morale  to  resist  the  relaxation  of  nerve  brought  on 
by  his  over-anxiety  about  the  Duke's  Despatches  ! 

"  Where  is  the  responsibility  of  a  man  with  mind  so 
easily  affected  by  body  ?  Romilly,  Castlereagh  and 
Gurwood ! 

"  I  ordered  the  third  canvas  immediately,  as  I  now 
foresaw  the  conclusion  of  Nero.  I  knelt  down  and 
prayed  God  to  bless  my  third  in  the  series,  as  he  had 
blessed  my  two  first. 


184G.]        PRAYER    AT    THE    END    OF  THE    YEAR.  321 


a 


3 1  st.  —  The  end  of  1845  is  approaching  rapidly  ;  — 
ten  minutes  after  nine.  I  prayed  at  the  end  of  1844 
that  I  might  get  through  the  great  works  in  hand.  I 
have  accomplished  (all  but)  Aristides  and  Nero,  of  the 
six  contemplated.  0  God  !  grant  that  no  difficulty, 
however  apparently  insurmountable,  may  conquer  my 
spirit,  or  prevent  me  from  bringing  to  a  triumphant 
conclusion  my  six  works  originally  designed  for  the  old 
House. 

"  I  prayed  in  1844  that  my  son  might  be  brought 
through  his  degree.  It  was  by  Thy  mercy  completed, 
and  yet  at  the  time  I  prayed  I  had  not  a  guinea. 

"  I  prayed  to  accomplish  Aristides  and  Nero  ;  I  have 
attained,  by  Thy  blessing,  my  desire.  I  prayed  for 
health  ;  —  I  have  had  it.  I  prayed  for  blessings  on  my 
family ;  —  they  have  been  blessed.  Can  I  feel  grateful 
enough  ?     Never. 

"  I  now  pray,  O  Almighty,  surrounded  with  dif- 
ficulties, and  in  great  necessity,  that  I  may  accomplish 
two  more  of  my  six,  —  that  I  may  sell  the  two  I  have 
done,  and  be  employed  for  the  remaining  four ! 

"  O  God !  not  mine,  but  Thy  will  be  done !  Give 
me  eyes  and  intellect,  and  energy  and  health,  till  the 
last  gush  of  existence,  and  I'll  bear  up,  and  get  through, 
under  Thy  blessing,  my  six  works  to  illustrate  the  best 
government  for  mankind. 

"  O  Lord  !  let  not  this  be  presumption,  but  that  just 
confidence  inspired  by  Thee,  O  God  !  This  year  is 
closing  rapidly.  I  almost  hear  the  rush  and  roar  of 
the  mighty  wave  from  eternity  that  will  overwhelm  it 
for  ever !  O  Lord,  accept  my  deep,  deep  gratitude  for 
all  Thy  mercies  this  last  year ;  and  grant  I  may  deserve 
a  continuance  of  such  mercies,  and  conclude  by  the 
end  of  1846  two  more  great  works  of  my  series! 
Amen,  Amen,  Amen. 

VOL.  III.  Y 


322  MEMOIRS    OP    B.  R.  IIAYDON.  [1846. 

1846. 

"January  \st.-0  God,  bless  the  beginning,  pro- 
gression, awl  conclusion  of  this  year,  for  Jesus  Christ's 
sake,  my  dear  family,  my  art,  and  myself! 

"  The  Nero  to-day  looks  well ;  but  I  am  very  uneasy. 
—  I  cannot  keep  my  word  for  want  of  means.  I  paid 
away  too  rapidly,  and  left  myself  bare  ;  and  have  now  to 
struggle  —  paint  —  conceive  —  borrow  —  promise  and 
fly  at  my  picture,  —  get  enchanted,  —  and  awake  out 
of  a  delicious  dream,  to  think  of  the  butcher.  But  in 
God  I  trust.  At  sixty,  men  are  not  so  bold  as  at 
twenty-five ;  but  why  not  ?  If  Napoleon  had  behaved 
with  the  same  spirit  in  1815  as  on  the  18th  Brumaire, 
he  would  not  have  died  at  St.  Helena. 

"  There  is  no  competition  till  next  year.  If  I  lose 
this  moment  for  showing  all  my  works,  it  can  never 
occur  again.  My  heart  beat,  —  my  imagination  fired. 
I  thought  on  Him  on  whom  alone  I  rest ;  Lord,  bless 
my  decision  !     Amen. 

« 2>rd.  —  Went  out  on  various  matters  connected 
with  my  Nero,  —  to  get  various  things  to  paint  from, 
and  succeeded.  Called  in  at  Christie's  by  accident,  and 
saw  a  fine  copy  of  the  head  of  the  Sybil  in  the  Pace,  by 
Raffaele.  Waited,  and  got  it  for  195. ;  paid  for  it,  and 
marched  off  with  it  in  a  cab,  and  drove  home,  glorying. 
Such  heads  are  worth  all  Vandyke's,  Velasquez,  or 
Reynolds's,  in  style.  They  keep  your  eye  in  trim  for 
great  public  buildings,  as  to  largeness,  and  breadth,  and 
style.  As  I  was  walking  out  Wyatt  hailed  me,  and 
asked  me  to  come  and  ]unch  iu  the  belly  of  Copen- 
hagen*, before  it  was  put  together !  I  went,  and 
scpueezed  in  with  women,  Sir  John  Campbell,  &c,  and 

*  For  the  colossal  statue  of  Wellington  on  the  gate  at  Constitu- 
tion Hill. 


1846.]       DICING    IN    THE    WELLINGTON    STATUE.         323 

a  jolly  part}',  and  a  great  deal  of  fun  Ave  had.  Drank 
the  health  of  the  sculptor,  and  the  horse,  and  his  rider. 
I  was  invited  to  dine,  Tuesday,  but  could  not  go. 

e:  It  will  be  something  to  say,  some  time  hence,  when 
the  statue  is  up,  I  dined  in  the  horse's  belly  ! 

"  7  th.  —  Called  on  Hart,  who  told  me  that  near 
St.  Miuiato,  in  Florence,  he  took  shelter  in  a  shower 
of  rain  under  a  portico,  where  in  the  dark  was  a  fresco 
by  Masaccio  of  a  figure,  the  origin  of  Ilafraele's  Christ 
in  the  Transfiguration. 

"  Thus  of  the  Christ  in  Transfiguration,  the  Paul 
in  Elymas,  and  one  of  the  men  in  Paul  at  Athens, 
Masaccio  is  the  origin. 

"Hart  seemed  lounging  and  overwhelmed.  —  Italy 
begets  a  lazy  bewilderment.  In  the  Vatican,  he  says, 
there  is  a  whole  suite  of  rooms  painted  by  Pinturicchio, 
and  a  chapel  of  Fra  Beato  never  seen  unless  asked  for. 

"  8th. —  Anxious  about  the  next  three  months.  My 
fate  hangs  on  doing  as  I  ought  and  seizing  moments 
with  energy. 

"  I  shall  never  have  an  opportunity  again  of  connect- 
ing myself  with  a  great  public  commission  by  opposition 
and  interesting  the  public  by  the  contrast.  If  I  miss  it 
it  will  be  a  tide  not  taken  at  its  flood. 

"  O  God,  bless  me  with  energy  and  vigour  to  seize 
the  moment  and  make  the  most  of  it.      Amen,  Amen. 

"  llth. — Head  prayers  and  rendered  thanks  with 
true  feeling. 

"  As  there  is  great  anxiety  in  my  family  about  exhi- 
biting, the  following  is  curious:  — 


Y  2 


324 


MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDON. 


[1846. 


Profits  from  various  Exhibi- 

Loss on  various  Ex 

ubi 

tions 

tions  since  1820. 

since 

1820. 

£     s.     d. 

£ 

s. 

d. 

Net  Profit  of  Je- 

Loss on  Exhibition 

rusalem    -         -   1453  19  10 

of  Solomon 

- 

99 

9 

10 

Net  Profit  of  Mock 

Loss  on  Exhibition 

Election   -         -     190     7     0 

of  Xenophon 

- 

27 

0 

0 

Net  Profit  of  Chair- 

Loss  on  Exhibition 

in^  .         .         -         9  16  10 

of  Eucles    - 

- 

46 

0 

0 

Loss  on  iiXhibn: 

1654     3     8 

of  Napoleon 

- 

20 

0 

0 

Loss  on  others      -     629  10     8 

Loss  on  Exhibition 
of  Passion  - 

22 

4 

1024  13     0 

0 

Profit   on  Lazarus     441     8     6 

Loss  on    Exhibition 
of   Reform   Ban- 

Net Profit  on  Ex- 

hibition       since 

quet  - 

-  248 

16 

8 

1820     -          -     £1466     1     6 

£629 

10 

6 

£ 

s.     d. 

Net  Profit  on  Exhibit] 

on          -     1466 

1     6 

Sale  of  Agony 

-       525 

0     0 

Mock  Election 

525 

0     0 

Eucles 

525 

0     0 

Xenophon 

840 

0     0 

Napoleon   - 

136 

10     0 

Passover     - 

-       525 

0     0 

Banquet 

-       525 

0     0 

Net  Profit  and  Sale 

-  £5067 

11     6 

ll\2th.  —  O  God!  bless  the  beginning,  progression 
and  conclusion  of  my  taking  my  rooms  for  exhibition  of 
my  pictures  this  day.      Amen. 

"  Took  my  rooms :   so  the  die  is  cast ! 

"  16^. —  There  surely  is  in  human  nature  an  inherent 
propensity  to  extract  all  the  good  out  of  the  evil. 

"  One  case.  Out  of  what  a  mass  of  indigestion,  foff, 
debt,  discontent,  opposition,  vice,  temptation  and  trial, 
is  every  work  of  intellect  accomplished. 

"  Oh,  it  is  a  fearful  struggle,  which  nothing  but  the 
assistance  of  God  could  support  me  through. 

"  Worked  hard  and  got  well  on. 


1846.]  ADVERTISING    HIS    EXHIBITION.  325 

"  22nd. — I  will  not  continue  to  record  my  prayers 
daily.  I  feel  them,  but  it  is  too  familiar  to  write  them 
down  and  bring  them  in  contact  with  daily  expression 
of  worldly  matters. 

';  23rd.  —  Worked  moderately.  At  the  conclusion  of 
a  picture  beware  of  the  freaks  of  invention.  The  mind, 
long  dwelling  on  one  idea,  gets  weary  and  starts  altera- 
tions.    Immediately  that  begins  fly  to  a  new  subject. 

'•'  24ith.  —  Sent  my  opening  advertisement.*   Success  J 

*  Haydon's  New  Pictures.  —  On  Easter  Monday  next  will  open 
for  exhibition,  at  the  Egyptian  Hall,  Piccadilly  (admission  1a., 
catalogues  6d.),  two  large  pictures,  viz.  —  1.  "  The  Banishment  of 
Aristides  with  his  Wife  and  Children,"  to  show  the  Injustice  of 
Democracy.  2.  "  Nero  playing  his  Lyre  whilst  Rome  is  burning," 
to  prove  the  Heartlessness  of  Despotism.  These  works  are  parts 
of  a  series  of  six  designs,  made  thirty-four  years  ago  for  the  old 
House  of  Lords,  and  laid  before  every  minister  to  the  present  day. 
The  plan  was  to  illustrate  what  was  the  best  Government,  by  show- 
ing from  historic  facts  what  was  proved  had  been  the  worst.  The 
third  and  fourth  will  exhibit  the  consecpuences  of  Anarchy  and 
Cruelties  of  Revolution,  and  the  fifth  and  sixth  the  Blessings  of 
Justice  and  Freedom  under  a  limited  Monarchy.  This  exhibition 
will  open  in  no  spirit  of  opposition  to  the  Government  plan  about 
to  be  put  in  force,  but  with  the  view  of  letting  the  public  see  that 
works  endeavoured  to  be  executed  on  the  principles  of  the  great 
masters  of  the  British  school,  founded  on  those  established  by  the 
greater  men  of  other  schools,  are  perfectly  consistent  with  the 
decoration  of  any  building,  Grecian  or  Gothic,  and  that  there  is  no 
necessity  for  endangering  the  practice  of  the  British  school  by  the 
adoption  of  the  wild  theories  of  a  sect  of  foreigners,  who  have 
considered  the  accidental  ignorance  of  an  early  age  as  a  principle 
fit  to  guide  an  enlightened  one.  The  British  school  was  progress- 
ing to  excellence  five  years  ago,  and  would  have  attained  it  had 
not  the  weak  recommendation  of  absurd  fancies  thrown  the  young 
men  off' the  right  road,  and  the  whole  school  into  confusion.  Back- 
grounds are  now  considered  a  vulgarity,  rotundity  of  imitation 
the  proofs  of  a  debased  mind;  nature  a  nuisance,  and  the  neces- 
sity of  models  evidence  of  no  poetry  of  soul ;  portraits  are  begin- 
ning to  appear  with  coats  of  arms  sticking  to  their  noses;  the 
petty  details  of  decoration  and  patterns  of  borders  take  place  of 
expression  and  features ;  and  all  those  great  doctrines,  which  the 

y  3 


326  MEMOIRS    OF    13.  E.  HAYDON.  [1846. 

O  merciful  Protector,  without  Thy  blessing  who  can 
succeed  ?  Thou  knowest  the  purity  of  my  motives.  In 
Thee  I  trust, 

"  The  absurd  principle  now  set  afloat  by  the  Commis- 
sion of  allegorizing  everything  is  ridiculous.  Every- 
thing is  now  spiritualised  in  the  art,  the  basis  of  which 
is  matter.  The  spirit  of  this,  and  spirit  of  that,  when 
the  absolute  flesh  and  blood  which  represents  the  spirit 
is  so  completely  in  opposition  to  all  spiritual  notions. 

"  Instead  of  the  old  thoroughbred  English  notion  of 
domestic  happiness  in  a  tea-party,  we  shall  have  the 
spirit  of  domestic  felicity  pouring  out  the  tea,  the  spirit 
of  benevolence  putting  in  the  sugar,  while  the  milk  will 
be  poured  by  the  genial  spirit  of  agricultural  protection, 
and  the  spirit  of  manufacture  will  spread  the  table- 
cloth. 

"25th.—  My  birthday,  sixty  years  old!  O  God! 
continue  my  eyes  and  faculties  to  the  last  hour  of  my 
existence.  Bless  me  through  my  ensuing  years.  Grant 
I  may  live  to  accomplish  my  six  great  works,  and  leave 

experience  of  centuries  established,  are  now  questioned  with  the 
dandy  air  of  infinite  superiority  to  Titian,  Rubens,  Velasquez, 
Reynolds,  Vandyke,  Michael  Angelo's  Prophets,  or  Raftaele's 
Cartoons.  The  end  of  such  a  state  of  things  may  easily  be  pre- 
dicted;  and  Mr.  Haydon  respectfully  hopes  his  humble  attempt  to 
prove  there  is  no  occasion  to  change  the  principles  of  the  school 
for  the  purpose  of  decoration  will  be  supporled  by  the  sound  sense 
of  the  people.  He  was  the  first  to  petition  the  House  for  State 
support  to  High  Art  —  he  was  the  first  to  petition  for  schools  of 
design  —  he  was  the  first  to  plan  the  decoration  of  the  old  House  of 
Lords,  and  to  keep  up  the  excitement,  till  it  was  resolved  to  deco- 
rate the  new  —  he  has  devoted  forty-two  years,  without  omission 
of  a  day,  to  simplify  the  principles  of  the  art  for  the  instruction  of 
ihe  people  ;  and  having  been  utterly  neglected  when  all  his  plans 
have  been  adopted,  he  appeals  to  the  public  to  support  his  exhibi- 
tion, that  he  may  be  able  to  complete  the  series  he  has  planned. 
The  private  day  will  take  place  on  Saturday,  April  11.,  and  will 
open  at  10  o'clock  on  Easter  Monday,  April  13.,  to  the  public. 


1846.]  LETTER    FROM    WORDSWORTH.  327 

my  family  in  competence.  Accept  my  gratitude  for 
Thy  mercies  up  to  this  moment,  and  grant  I  may  so 
exercise  the  gifts  with  which  Thou  hast  blessed  me, 
that  I  may  merit  eternal  life,  and  Thy  approbation, 
through  Christ,  my  Lord  and  Saviour.      Amen. 

"  '  Rydal  Mount,  Jan.  24th,  1846. 
"  '  My  dear  Haydon, 
"  '  I  was  sorry  that  I  could  not  give  you  a  more  satis- 
factory answer  to  your  request  for  a  motto  to  the  engraving 
of  your  admirable  portrait  of  my  ascent  towards  the  top  of 
Helvellyn.  My  son  William,  who  is  here,  has  just  been 
with  me  to  look  at  the  impression  of  the  print  in  the 
unfinished  state  as  we  have  it.  But  from  the  first  he  has 
been  exceedingly  pleased  with  it ;  so  much  so  that  he  would 
be  truly  happy  to  be  put  into  possession  of  it  as  it  then  was, 
if  an  impression  could  be  procured  for  him,  and  would 
readily  pay  for  it  if  purchased.  Pray  let  me  have  a  few 
impressions  when  it  is  finished  sent  to  Moxon,  as  I  myself 
think  that  it  is  the  best  likeness,  that  is,  the  most  charac- 
teristic, that  has  been  done  of  me.  I  wish  to  send  one 
also  to  America  according  to  directions,  which  will  be  here- 
after given.  I  hope  you  get  on  with  your  labours  to  your 
satisfaction. 

"  '  Believe  me,  dear  Haydon,  faithfully, 

"  '  Your  obliged  friend, 

" '  W.  Wordsworth. 

«  21th.  —  I  went  out  in  misery.  There  is  nothing 
like  the  forlonmess  of  feeling  of  knowing  you  have  not 
a  pound  to  meet  the  bill  of  a  rascal  who  is  hoping  you 
may  fail  that  he  may  make  property  of  the  costs. 
Coutts  and  Co.  hid  written  to  say  it  was  against  their 
rules  to  help  me,  —  still,  personally,  I  had  hopes.  I 
went  to-day.  The  bill  would  be  in  by  twelve  (23/.  10s.). 
I  saw  Mr.  Majoribanks ;  I  said,  '  Sir,  do  help  me.'  lie 
is  humane.  '  You  know  it  is  against  all  rule.  I  regret 
to  see  a  man  of  your  eminence  so  hard  run.      Shall  it 

y  4 


328  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  IIAYDOX.  [1846. 

be  the  last  time?'  I  gave  him  my  honour.  He  begged 
me  to  sit  clown,  —  feeling  as  if  I  had  been  held  by  a 
prong  over  the  burning  pit  and  saw  a  reprieve.  I 
signed  a  promissory  note  for  two  months,  and  he  placed 
the  amount  to  my  account.  He  was  looking  much 
older  than  I.  His  head  trembled  a  little  and  his  hand 
shook.  He  said,  '  I  am  fifty  to-morrow.'  .'  Why,  sir, 
I  am  sixty.'  '  Sixty?'  says  he  ;  'no!'  'It  is  twenty- 
nine  years  ago  since  I  opened  my  account.  Mr.  Harman 
paid  me  300/.,  and  I  came  to  your  house.'  '  Time 
passes,'  said  he.  Sir  Edward  Antrobus  was  looking 
old  and  wrinkled.  I  declare  I  feel  as  young  as  ever. 
These  rich  men  always  look  older  than  we  struggling 
men  of  talent. 

"  I  fear  nothing  on  earth  but  my  banker,  when  I 
have  not  five  shillings  on  account,  and  have  a  bill 
coming  due,  and  want  help.  The  awful  and  steady 
look  of  his  searching  eyes  ;  the  quiet  and  investigating 
point  of  his  simple  questions ;  the  '  hm,'  when  he 
holds  down  his  head,  as  if  he  had  Atlas  on  his  shoulders, 
and  the  solemn  tone  when  he  declares  it  is  against  the 
rules  of  the  house ;  the  reprieve  one  feels  as  the  tones 
of  the  voice  begin  to  melt  and  give  symptoms  of  an 
opening  to  let  in  light  to  the  heart,  are  not  to  be  de- 
scribed, and  can  only  be  understood  by  those  who  have 
been  in  such  predicaments.  Majoribanks  is  always 
kind  at  last.  The  clerks  seem  to  be  wonder-struck  at 
the  charm  I  seem  to  possess  in  the  house  amongst  the 
partners. 

"  The  fact  is,  Coutts'  house  have  always  had  a  great 
deal  to  do  with  men  of  genius,  and  they  have  a  feeling 
for  them,  and  seem  to  think  it  is  a  credit  to  the  firm  to 
have  one  or  two  to  scold,  assist,  blow  up,  and  then 
forgive.  This  is  the  way  I  have  gone  on  with  them 
for  twenty-nine  years. 

"  Once    my    trustee   overdrew    21/.      By  degrees   I 


1846.]         THE    TOUCHERS    AND    THE    POLISHERS.         329 

repaid  it,  —  51.,  81.  at  a  time,  —  and  I  always  kept  my 
word  with  them,  and  once  they  spoke  highly  of  me  in 
my  misfortunes,  and  once  they  paid  100/.  when  I  had 
not  a  shilling  on  account.  This  was  in  my  palmy 
days. 

"  How  grateful  I  am,  God  be  thanked.  '  He  who 
trusteth  in  the  Lord  shall  be  even  as  Mount  Sion ; '  I 
have  found  it  so. 

"  29th. —  The  artists  of  the  world  are  divided  into 
Touchers  and  Polishers.  The  Touchers  —  Michel  An- 
gelo,  RafFaele  in  his  cartoons,  Titian,  Bartolomeo,  Gior- 
gione,  Tintoretto,  Veronese,  Rubens,  Velasquez,  David 
Teniers,  Rembrandt,  Reynolds,  Wilson,  Wilkie,  Gains- 
borough, Vandyke, —  are  the  great  men  who  had  dis- 
covered the  optical  principles  of  imitating  nature  to 
convey  thought.  The  Polishers  are  the  little  men  who 
did  not  see  a  whole  at  a  time,  but  only  parts  of  a  whole, 
and  thus  make  up  the  whole  by  a  smooth  union  of 
parts.  Whereas  the  great  men  see  the  whole  by  the 
leading  points  which  make  up  the  whole,  and  conscious 
on  optical  principles  of  the  power  of  distance  to  unite 
the  leading  points  into  a  whole,  leave  the  intermediate 
parts  to  be  united  by  distance. 

"  February  4th.  —  In  the  greatest  anxiety  about 
money  matters.  Accommodation  in  the  city  out  of  the 
question.  My  friends  with  faces  longer  than  my  arm, 
croaking  and  foreboding. 

"  I  have  lost  three  glorious  days,  painted  hardly  at 
all,  and  have  not  succeeded  in  getting  51.,  with  621.  to 
pay.  I  must  up  with  my  new  canvas,  because  without 
a  new  large  picture  to  lean  on  I  feel  as  if  deserted  by 
the  world. 

"  The  reason  of  these  perpetual  failures  in  matters  of 
decoration  in  England,  whether  in  architecture,  sculp- 
ture, or  painting,  is,  that  the  management  is  left  to 
commissioners  and  committees,  which  is  all  very  well 


330  MEMOIRS    OP    B.  R.  IIAYDON.  [1846. 

when  the  subjects  to  be  settled  are  commercial  or  poli- 
tical and  every  member  knows  something  of  what  he  is 
to  discuss,  but  is  perfectly  ludicrous  where  Art  is  con- 
cerned and  nobody  but  the  professional  man  knows  one 
iota  about  the  matter. 

"  Committees  are  composed  generally  of  men  of  rank 
and  station,  who  have  little  to  do,  while  each  has  a 
crotchet  of  his  own.  Crotchet  after  crotchet  is  pro- 
posed, till  some  day,  after  endless  discussion,  on  a  slack 
attendance,  with  hardly  a  quorum,  up  gets  a  persevering 
member,  proposes  his  own  crotchet,  which  is  carried  by 
a  majority  of  one  out  of  five,  and  this  is  called  the 
prevailing  sense  of  the  committee. 

"5t7i.  —  0,  0,0!  I  sat  all  day  and  looked  into  the 
fire.  I  must  get  up  my  third  canvas,  or  I  shall  go 
cracked  ;  I  have  ordered  it  up  on  Saturday,  and  then 
I'll  be  at  it. 

"  Perhaps  this  paralysis  was  nature's  repose.  I  stared 
like  a  baby,  and  felt  like  one.  A  man  who  has  had 
so  many  misfortunes  as  I  have  had  gets  frightened  at 
leaving  his  family  for  a  day. 

"6th.  —  Thus  ends  the  week  ;  by  borrowing  10/.  of 
Talfourd,  10/.  of  Twenty  man,  51.  10s.  of  my  hatter,  I 
contrived  to  satisfy  claims  for  62/.,  but  next  week  I 
must  be  at  it  again.  Though  I  have  Wordsworth's  and 
the  Duke's  head  engraving 1  can  sell  neither,  and  though 
I  have  not  had  a  farthing  on  my  lectures  yet,  I  am  now 
revising  a  second  volume. 

"  My  two  works  are  done,  a  third  canvas  is  ready, 
and,  as  if  under  trial,  I  have  yet  to  begin,  cheerfully 
trusting  in  God,  and  believing  my  life  conducted  by 
Him,  so  that  from  trials  inflicted  my  genius  is  elevated 
more  powerfully  than  from  sunshine  and  luxury. 

"9th.  —  Jerdan  and  Bell  dined  with  me  yesterday, 
and  we  had  a  pleasant  evening. 

"Laid  up  with  an  inflamed  lid  ;  always  get  ill  in  the 


1846.]  BEGINNING    HIS    THIRD    PICTURE.  331 

interval  of  groat  works.  Did  nothing-.  Considered 
deeply  my  next  subject.  They  advised  me  to  paint 
The  last  Charette  at  the  Revolution.  I  prefer  now  the 
quiet  beauty  of  Alfred.  My  heart  is  fixed  on  fine 
English  heads ;  I  have  a  great  many  in  my  eye,  ready 
models,  who  will  be  proud  to  sit. 

"  10th.  —  My  dear  mother's  birthday. 

"  Twenty-five  minutes  past  eleven,  began  on  the 
canvas  of  my  third  picture.  O  God,  I  pray  Thee,  on 
my  knees,  bless  me  through  this  third  picture,  as  Thou 
hast  blessed  me  through  the  last.      Amen. 

"  As  I  and  my  pupil,  Fisher,  were  embruning  my 
white  ground  with  raw  umber  before  sketching  in,  who 
should  call  but  Sir  Robert  Inglis. 

"Up  he  came;  —  saw  all  my  series.  I  said,  'Now, 
Sir  Robert,  what  chance  have  I  in  the  House  of  Lords?' 
'  Do  you  wish  me  to  answer  as  commissioner,  or  as 
gentleman  to  gentleman?'  '  As  both.'  'Then  you 
are  too  late.' 

"AY hen  I  took  my  sketch  to  Walmer  and  spoke  to 
the  Duke,  he  said  '  it  was  too  early.'  When  I  laid  it 
before  Sir  Robert  Peel,  he  replied,  '  He  left  all  to  the 
Commission.'  In  fact,  they  are  determined  I  shall 
have  nothing  to  do  with  it.  I  am  always  too  late,  too 
earl?/,  or  too  importunate. 

"  Well,  I  say  again,  as  I  said  to  my  wife  in  1837, 
after  our  release  from  Broadstairs,  where  for  her  health 
I  had  spent  all,  and  we  returned  without  a  shilling  : 
'What  shall  we  do,  my  love?'  'Trust  in  God,'  said 
I,  and  suddenly  came  the  Liverpool  Commission.  So 
I  now,  '  I  trust  in  God,'  and  wo  shall  see  who  is 
most  powerful,  He  or  the  Royal  Commission.  We 
shall  see. 

"  A  great  many  extraordinary  things  have  happened 
where  I  am  concerned,  and  so  will  a  great  many  more. 

"  \7th. —  Settled  everything  before  leaving  town  for 


332  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1846. 

dear  Auld  Reekie.  God  bless  my  arrival  there,  and 
grant  success  and  safe  return.  God  protect  my  dear 
family  till  I  come  back,  and  my  pictures  and  property. 

"  In  case  of  accident  I  hope  my  dear  friends  Dr.  Dar- 
ling, 6,  Russell  Square,  and  Mr.  Serjeant  Talfourd, 
will  act  as  executors.     In  God  I  trust.     Amen. 

"  18/A.  —  Newcastle.  Came  in  lOf  hours,  303  miles, 
Curious  —  twenty-six  years  ago  I  called  on  poor  Be- 
wick, the  wood  engraver.  I  have  lectured  here  since  ; 
and  now  I  pass  to  lecture  in  Edinburgh  once  more. 

"  Thank  God  with  all  my  heart  I  came  safe. 

"  Old  Bewick,  who  was  eighty  years  old,  on  dit,  was 
very  proud  of  my  calling,  and  used  to  couple  the  call  of 
the  Grand  Duke  Michael  and  myself  as  high  honours, 
and  talk  of  it  in  his  boozinscs. 

"  20th.  —  Arrived  at  Edinbro'  from  Newcastle,  after 
a  delightful  journey  by  Melrose,  glimpsing  Abbotsford, 
after  which  the  Tweed  became  classical.  Poor  dear 
Sir  Walter  !  he  came  into  my  mind  incessantly. 

"  23/yZ.  —  Lectured  on  Fuseli,  and  was  heroically  re., 
ceived  by  a  brilliant  audience.  Ah,  Auld  Reekie!  I 
smile  then  again  to  my  heart, — joy! 

"  25th.  —  Lectured  on  Wilkie.  They  listened  as  if 
entranced ;  not  a  breath,  or  a  whisper,  or  a  hum. 

"  26th.  —  Heard  from  Jeffrey.  To  his  horror,  I  asked 
him  to  head  the  list  for  Wordsworth. 

"  '  Dear  Mr.  Haydon, 

"  '  I  shall  go  on  your  subscription  list  with  pleasure,  but 
do  not  feel  that  I  have  any  right  to  be  at  the  head  of  it ;  and 
doubt  indeed  whether  the  distinguished  poet  whom  it  chiefly 
concerns  (and  whose  genius  I  love  more  than  I  am  afraid  he 
believes)  would  quite  like  to  see  me  there.  I  shall  be  glad 
to  be  put  down  for  a  proof. 

"  '  My  health  has  for  some  years  been  a  good  deal  broken, 
so  as  to  prevent  me  from  going  out  into  society,  or  even  to 
lectures.     But  I  am  still  permitted  to  see  a  few  friends  at 


1846.]  IX    EDINBURGH.  333 

home,  and  tliey  are  kind  enough,  through  the  winter,  to  come 
and  see  me  on  Tuesday  and  Friday  evenings,  so  that  if  you 
should  be  at  leisure  on  any  of  these  days,  from  nine  to  half- 
past  eleven,  it  will  give  me  great  pleasure  to  see  you. 
"  '  In  the  meantime,  with  all  good  wishes, 

"  '  Believe  me  always,  very  faithfully  yours, 

"  '  J.  Jeffrey.' 

"  28th. — Dined  with  the  worthy  president  of  the 
Philosophical  Association,  Lothian.  The  lecturer  on 
chemistry,  Wilson,  told  me  a  young  artist  was  so  enthu- 
siastic about  me,  when  I  was  here  in  1837,  that  he  stood 
for  hours  close  to  my  door  to  see  me,  and  at  last  heard 
me  cough,  which  he  ever  after  used  to  relate  with  en- 
thusiasm. 

"  March  3rd. — Dined  with  Cadell,  and  examined  all 
Sir  Walter's  manuscripts  of  the  novels,  and  was  aston- 
ished at  the  purity  of  the  writing;  like  Shakespeare's, 
without  a  blot. 

"  Cadell  said  he  thought  the  anxieties  and  harass  of 
such  eternal  visitors  at  Abbotsford  during  his  embarrass- 
ments greatly  contributed  to  his  death.  He  has  a  capital 
portrait  by  Gordon  ;  —  the  very  simple  man. 

"  Went  to  Lord  Jeffrey's  in  the  evening.  Sat  by  a 
very  sweet  and  beautiful  woman.  Jeffrey  looks  as  sharp 
as  ever;  but  having  been  a  severe  critic  in  early  life,  is 
doing  the  amiable  now.  He  must  be  seventy,  but  he  is 
a  very  dear  friend,  and  has  an  affectionate  heart. 

"  6th.  —  What  is  the  reason  of  this  early  publication 
of  the  5th  report  of  the  Fine  Arts  Commission  ?  It  has 
always  been  published  hitherto  on  the  end  of  a  session. 
Why  now  at  the  beginning?  Are  the  secretary  and 
his  masters  afraid  of  the  probable  consequences  of 
Haydon's  exhibition,  with  his  two  pictures,  showing  the 
consequences  of  democracy  and  despotism,  part  of  a 
series  to  illustrate  the  best  government  to  regulate,  with- 
out  cramping,  the   energy  of   man,   laid  before   every 


334  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [lS46. 

minister  for  thirty-six  years,  and  the  cause  of  the  present 
move  ? 

"  Called  on  George  Combe.  We  were  talking  of  the 
punctuality  of  the  Duke  of  Wellington,  when  he  said,  a 
Mr.  Peale,  son  of  Mr.  Peale  an  American  portrait-painter, 
told  him  Washington  said  to  his  father  he  would  come 
early,  and  was  seen  walking  backwards  and  forwards, 
looking  at  his  watch.  As  the  clock  began  to  strike, 
Washington  came  to  the  door,  and  was  in  the  painting- 
room  before  the  clock  had  done.  Whilst  sitting,  a  de- 
spatch was  brought ;  he  begged  leave  to  look  at  it,  read 
it  quietly,  and  putting  it  down  said,  '  I  am  happy  to 
tell  you  Burgoyne  has  surrendered  to  the  army.'  I  re- 
plied, '  Remember  that  was  good  news,  which  made 
all  the  difference.'  '  In  good  news,'  said  Napoleon, 
'  never  hurry ;  but  in  bad  news,  not  a  moment  is  to  be 
lost.' 

«  1th.  —  Dined  with  the  Philosophical  Society.  Mac- 
kenzie, Lord  Mackenzie's  brother,  was  there,  who  was 
also  at  the  dinner  given  in  Rome  by  the  Duke  of  Hamil- 
ton and  the  Scotch  and  English  to  Wilkie. 

"  The  whole  evening  passed  off  most  agreeably,  and 
all  were  full  of  heart. 

(( i3£/t-  —  Left  Edinburgh  at  seven.  Came  to  Mel- 
rose, and  to  Abbotsford  (playing  at  feudal  castles). 
Went  to  Dryburgh; — much  affected. 

«  14$.  —  Started  from  Newcastle,  and  arrived  in 
London  by  train  at  eight.  Thank  God  for  the  safety 
of  my  family  and  self! 

«  \Qth.  —  Filled  up  my  lecture  on  Elgin  Marbles  for 
the  press.     Recovering  my  fatigue. 

«  17tfi._Recovered.  Read  Mrs.  Merrifield's  Fresco. 
Pounced  on  Pontormo's  Journal  with  delight.  From 
my  own  instinct,  I  have  always  practised  in  oil  the 
habits  of  fresco.  My  enemies  know  that,  and  will  give 
me  no  opportunity,  till  a  race  of  young  fresco  painters 


1846.]  PREPARING    FOR    EXHIBITION.  335 

are  raised.    Entered  my  painting-room  again.    God  bless 
me  in  it ! 

"  18th  and  Idth.  — Occupied  preparing  for  my  exhi- 
bition ;  but  the  pain  of  mind  I  feel  when  not  painting- 
is  excruciating.      I  wish  it  was  over. 

"  20/7*.  —  My  clear  friend  Kemp  advanced  me  100/. 
on  the  anti-slavery  drawings,  which  will  give  me  a 
spring  towards  my  exhibition. 

"  2lst. —  Saw  Kemp,  and  arranged.  Corrected  the 
sheets  of  my  second  volume,  and  my  Catalogue.  Ex- 
ceedingly fatigued.  I  shall  be  glad  when  my  pictures 
are  gone. 

"  23rd.  —  O  God,  Thou  hast  blessed  me,  I  am  sure. 
Accept  my  gratitude.  Everything  proceeds  so  far  well. 
Think  of  my  anxiety  at  Edinburgh  how  to  get  the  means 
to  open  my  exhibition.  All  was  black,  yet  I  felt  trust 
in  God.  Home  I  came.  The  day  approaches  ;  —  my 
little  money  dwindled  away  ;  —  I  was  reduced  to  a  few 
shillings.  My  imagination  fired  up.  I  wrote  to  four 
men, — Kemp  of  Spitalfields,  Miller  of  Liverpool,  Lo- 
thian of  Edinburgh,  and  James  the  traveller  (?)  —  to  buy 
my  drawings.  Miller  is  too  poor;  James  and  Lothian 
have  not  replied.  Kemp  came  with  his  good  face,  and 
advanced  100Z.  on  the  drawings.  Here  am  I  as  ever — 
as  if  that  condition  kept  me  depending  on  God  —  again 
before  the  wind.  SawT  carpenters,  &c.  and  set  all  in 
motion.  'Now,'  as  Napoleon  said,  'I  can  sleep,  whilst 
my  employe's  are  getting  ready  for  my  orders.' 

"  26th.  —  Directed  224  envelopes  for  private  day, 
with  the  tickets,  and  signed  in  the  corner.  Kept  the 
men  at  work  all  day  —  nearly  closed  in  the  place. 
Pictures  framed;   all  alive,  as  I  relish. 

"  My  dearest  love,  who  has  never  left  me  for  twenty- 
five  years,  is  going  by  herself  to  Brighton,  for  her  dear 
health.  We  were  touched  last  night,  as  I  tied  up  her 
trunk.     I  hope  God  will  bless  her  with  recovery. 


336  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1846. 


.. 


29th.  —  Saw  ray  dearest  love  off.  I  hope  she 
arrived  safely.  Got  all  covered  in  nearly.  In  driving 
along,  the  cab-horse  fell.  Would  any  man  believe  this 
annoyed  me  ?  As  an  omen,  the  same  thing  happened 
before  the  Cartoon  contest.      Such  are  human  beings. 

"  Napoleon's  coach  broke  down  on  his  return  from 
Elba.  Well,  it  is  glorious  to  be  able  to  fight  a  last 
battle;  — nous  verrons.     In  God  I  trust.      Amen. 

"  3 1st. — Last  day  of  March ;  April-fool  day  to-morrow. 
In  putting  in  my  letters  for  the  private  day,  I  let  three 
parts  fall  on  the  pavement  —  about  300.  Another  fall ! 
Now  for  the  truth  of  omens. 

"April  1st.  —  Hung  up  all  my  remaining  drawings, 
and  finally  arranged  the  exhibition.  My  pictures  looked 
well.     God  bless  it  with  success ! 

"  4th.  —  It  rained  the  whole  day.  Nobody  came 
except  Jerrold,  Bowring,  Fox  Maule,  and  Hobhouse. 
Twenty-six  years  ago,  the  rain  would  not  have  pre- 
vented them.  But  now  it  is  not  so.  However  I  do 
not  despair. 

"  '  PRIVATE    DAY. 

«  <  Egyptian  Hall,  Piccadilly  (upstairs  to  the  right). 
"  '  Admit  Noodle,   Doodle,   and  their  numerous  Friends 
to  the  private  view  of  Hay  don's   Two  New  Pictures,  '  The 
Banishment  ofAristides'  and  '  The  Burning  of  Rome,'  part 
of  a  Series  for  the  Decoration  of  the  old  House  of  Lords. 
"  '  On  Saturday  the  4th  instant,  from  twelve  till  six. 

"  '  B.  R.  Haydon.' 

"  Omens  of  failure  in  this  exhibition. 

"  1st.  The  cab-horse  slipped  on  the  wood,  and  tumbled. 

"2nd.  I  let  all  the  letters  tumble  for  the  private  day, 
and  to-day,  in  trying  to  put  up  Wordsworth,  he  tumbled, 
knocked  down  Lord  Althorp,  broke  the  frame,  and 
played  the  devil. 

'•'After  this  what  success  can  come? 


1846.]  FAILURE    OF    THE    EXHIBITION.  337 

"  Do  I  believe  this,  or  don't  I  ?     Half  inclined. 
"6th.  —  Receipts  1846,  1/.  Is.  6d.:   Aristides. 
Receipts  1820,  19/.  16s.:  Jerusalem. 
"In  God  T  trust.     Amen. 
"7tk. — Rain.      1/.  8*.  6d. 

"8th.  —  Fine.  Receipts  worse,  1/.  6s.  6cl.  Is  it  not 
funny,  my  writing  down  those  omens?  They  have 
turned  out  so  correctly  forerunners  of  evil. 

"9th.—  Fine  weather.  Things  begin  to  turn,  I  think. 
I  dare  say  I  was  overstrained  with  hard  work,  and  my 
mental  and  intellectual  being  partook  of  it.  Once  more 
I  begin  to  trust  in  my  Merciful  Creator,  and  have  no 
doubt  He  will  carry  me  through. 

"  13^.  —  Easter  Monday.*  O  God,  bless  my  receipts 
this  day,  for  the  sake  of  my  creditors,  my  family,  and 
my  art.     Amen. 

£      s.      d. 
"Receipts,  22  -  -  1      2     0 

"  Catalogues,  3  -  -  0     1     6 

"1     3     6 

"  An  advertisement,  of  a  finer  description  to  catch  the 
profanum  vulc/us,  could  not  be  written,  yet  not  a  shilling 
more  was  added  to  the  receipts. 

*  Haydon's  new  pictures  are  now  open  at  the  Egyptian  Hall, 
upstairs  to  the  right.  Admission  Is.;  catalogue  6d.  In  these  two 
magnificent  pictures  of  the  Burning  of  Rome  by  Nero,  and  Banish- 
ment of  Aristides,  "  the  drawing  is  grand,  and  characters  most  feli- 
citous, and  we  hope  the  artist  will  reap  the  reward  he  merits,"  says 
the  Times,  April  6th.  "  These  are  Haydon's  best  works,"  says  the 
Herald,  same  day.  N.B.  Visitors  are  requested  to  go  up  into  the 
gallery  of  the  room,  in  order  to  see  the  full  effect  of  the  tlame  of 
the  burning  city.  Nero  accused  the  Christians  of  this  cruel  act, 
covered  hundreds  of  them  with  combustible  materials,  and  burnt 
them  for  the  amusement  of  the  savage  Romans.  —  (See  Tacitus.) 
Haydon  has  devoted  forty-two  years  to  improve  the  taste  of  the 
people ;  and  let  every  Briton  who  has  pluck  in  his  bosom,  and  a 
shilling  in  his  pocket,  crowd  to  his  works  during  the  Easter  week 

VOL.  III.  Z 


338  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1846. 

"  They  rush  by  thousands  to  see  Tom  Thumb.  They 
push,  they  fight,  they  scream,  they  faint,  they  cry  help 
and  murder  !  and  oh !  and  all !  They  see  my  bills,  my 
boards,  my  caravans,  and  don't  read  them.  Their  eyes 
are  open,  but  their  sense  is  shut.  It  is  an  insanity,  a 
rabies,  a  madness,  a  furor,  a  dream. 

"  I  would  not  have  believed  it  of  the  English  people. 

"  l^th.  —  Receipts  doubled  to-day.  Thank  God. 
Amen. 

"15th.  —  Half  the  month  gone.  God  bless  me  this 
day.  Amen.  Sent  dear  Mary  21.  to  keep  on  her 
bathing;  left  4s.  6cl.  only  in  my  pocket,  with  a  hundred 
or  two  to  pay. 

"  16th.  —  My  situation  is  now  of  more  extreme  peril 
than  even  when  I  began  Solomon,  thirty-three  years 
ago.  Involved  in  debt,  mortified  by  the  little  sympathy 
the  public  display  towards  my  best  pictures,  with  several 
private  engagements  yet  to  fulfil,  I  awoke  this  morning 
at  four,  as  usual,  filled  with  the  next  in  my  Series  — 
Alfred  and  the  Jury.  I  felt,  '  Is  it  the  whisper  of  an 
evil  or  a  good  spirit?'  but  I  believe  it  to  be  that  of  a 
good  spirit. 

"I  call  on  my  Creator  still  to  support  me  through 
trials  severer  than  I  have  ever  gone  through,  to  the  ac- 
complishment of  my  remaining  four.  I  call  on  Him 
who  has  led  me  through  the  wilderness  for  forty-two 
years,  under  every  depression  and  every  excitement,  to 
sixty  years  of  age,  not  to  desert  me  in  this  the  eleventh 
hour.  O  God,  on  my  knees  I  ask  for  Thy  blessing  on 
this  the  third  of  my  Series,  to  grant  that  I  may  bring 
it  to  a  glorious  and  triumphant  conclusion,  in  spite  of 
any  difficulty,  any  obstruction,  earth  can  oppose.  Grant 
me  eyes,  intellect  and  health  ;  and  under  Thy  blessing 
leave  the  rest  to  me.  O  God,  how  often  have  I  wea- 
ried Thy  Invisibility  with  entreaty  !  and  I  have  always 
finished  the  works  I  began,  when  I  have  earnestly  prayed 


1846.]  AT    BAY.  339 

for  Thy  blessing.  Bless  my  exertions,  0  Lord,  now. 
Bless  the  beginning,  progression  and  conclusion,  not 
only  of  Alfred,  but  the  remaining  three ;  and  grant  I 
may  accomplish  the  whole  four  remaining,  with  glory  to 
Thy  gifts,  honour  to  my  country  and  blessings  to  my 
family. 

"  Grant  all  these  things,  for  Jesus  Christ's  sake. 
Amen  !     Amen  !     Amen  ! 

"  \7th. — Worked  hard,  and  got  on  with  Alfred  slo- 
riously ;  made  a  small  sketch,  in  a  few  minutes,  of  light, 
colour  and  shadow,  and  then  rubbed  in  the  whole 
picture  another  stage. 

"  It  had  a  splendid  effect.  God  be  thanked  !  How 
mysterious  is  the  whisper  which,  in  such  anxieties^ 
impels  to  paint,  conceive  and  invent !    How  mysterious  ! 

"But  why  such  anxieties?  Why  not  allow  the  gift 
to  work  without  the  stumblings  of  affliction  ? 

"  18th. — God  bless  me  through  my  daily  trouble  this 
day,  as  Thou  didst  bless  me  yesterday.     Amen. 

"  By  the  kindness  of  my  dear  friend  Kemp  I  am  able 
to  send  my  dear  love  21.  to  Brighton,  and  pay  my  wages 
at  the  exhibition.  Thus  far  I  have  got  over  the  troubles 
of  the  day.     God  be  praised  ! 

"  Sunday,  19th.  — O  God  !  enable  me  to  do  my  reli- 
gious duties  this  day,  in  tranquillity  and  faith,  filling 
my  mind  for  a  successful  conquest  over  the  struggles  of 
the  coming  week.     Amen. 

"2lst.  —  Tom  Thumb  had  12,000  people  last  week; 
B.  K.  Haydon,  133^  (the  \  a  little  girl).  Exquisite 
taste  of  the  English  people  ! 

"  O  God  !  bless  me  through  the  evils  of  this  day. 

"  I  thank  Thee.     Thou  hast  done  so.     Amen. 

"22nd.—  Bless  me,  O  God,  through  the  evils  of  this 
day.      Amen. 

"  God  has  blessed  me.     Thanks.     Amen. 

z  2 


340  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  IIAYDON.  [1846. 

"24th.  —  Advanced  Alfred  gloriously.  Borne  down 
at  first  in  misery.      Six  hours  at  work. 

"  25th.  —  Made  a  chalk  sketch  of  my  dear  old  friend 
Caroline  Innes,  a  daughter  of  Beechey's. 

"  26th.  —  Bead  prayers  with  all  my  heart,  and  then 
went  to  my  friend  Denny s,  who  bought  Uriel,  and  had 
built  a  gallery  for  it.  It  was  hung,  and  looked  excel- 
lently. Plow  grateful  I  am  that,  beginning  it  trusting 
in  God  alone,  He  raised  me  up  a  patron  who  bought  it 
and  valued  it! 

"  307//.  —  End  of  the  month.  One  of  variety  of 
fortune. 

"  For  the  blessings  —  gratitude.  For  the  evils  — 
submission.  I  made  this  appeal  again,  despising  Napo- 
leon for  not  trying  the  18th  Brumaire  after  Waterloo. 
But  he  was  right.  He  showed  greater  sagacity.  You 
can  never  repeat  the  cause  of  a  success,  without  its  pro- 
ducing a  failure.  You  cannot  do  anything  twice  in  life 
with  the  same  effect  on  the  world.  I  find  it  so  ;  but  in 
my  ambition  —  perhaps  vanity,  pride,  conceit  —  I  be- 
lieved I  was  destined  to  prove  the  reverse.  —  Et  void 
le  result  at. 

"  My  dangers  are  great. 

"May  1st. — Every  spring  time  presses;  money  flies; 
the  butcher,  the  baker,  the  tax-collector,  the  landlord, 
give  louder  knocks  than  before  ;  away  goes  the  only 
hope  to  the  exhibition  ;  for  artists,  like  the  evil  spirits  of 
hell,  doubt  and  tremble,  and  yet  abhor  and  do. 

"  ?>rd.  — I  put  down  in  my  Journal  everything  which 
passes  through  a  human  mind,  that  its  weaknesses,  its 
follies,  its  superstitions,  may  be  balanced  against  its 
vigour,  propriety  and  sound  convictions. 

"  5th.  —  Came  home  in  excruciating  anxiety,  not 
being  able  to  raise  the  money  for  my  rent  for  the  Hall, 
and  found  a  notice  from  a  broker  for  a  quarter's  rent 
from  Newton,  my  old  landlord  for  twenty-two  years. 


1846.]  AT    BAY.  341 

For  a  moment  my  brain  was  confused.  I  had  paid  him 
half;  and,  therefore,  there  was  only  10/.  left.  I  went 
into  the  painting-room  in  great  misery  of  mind.  That 
so  old  a  friend  should  have  chosen  such  a  moment  to  do 
such  a  thing,  is  painful.  After  an  hour's  dulness,  my 
mind  suddenly  fired  up,  with  a  new  background  for 
Alfred.  I  dashed  at  it,  and  at  dinner  it  was  enormously 
improved.  I  make  a  sketch  to-morrow  ;  then  begin  to 
finish  with  the  Saxon  noble. 

"  6th. —  I  went  out  yesterday  to  look  for  my  em- 
ployer, to  make  him  pay  me  37/.  10s.  I  had  just  re- 
ceived a  lawyer's  letter,  the  first  for  a  long  time.  I 
called  on  the  lawyer,  an  amiable  man.  He  promised  to 
try  to  get  me  time.  I  came  home;  —  my  exhibition 
bringing  nothing  ;  —  a  lawyer's  letter  ; — my  landlady's 
30/.  for  rent  at  the  Hall  unpaid: — I  came  home  with 
great  pain  of  mind  ;  yet  would  any  man  believe,  as  I 
waited  in  the  lawyer's  chambers,  the  whole  background 
of  Alfred  flashed  into  my  head  ?  I  dwelt  on  it,  foresaw 
its  effects  and  came  home  in  sorrow,  delight,  anxiety 
and  anticipation.  I  set  my  palette  with  a  disgust,  and 
yet  under  irresistible  impulse.  In  coming  into  the  par- 
lour, the  cook,  whose  wages  I  had  nut  been  able  to  pay, 
handed  me  a  card  from  a  broker,  saying  he  called  for 
a  quarter's  rent  from  Mi'.  Newton.  I  felt  my  heart 
sink,  my  brain  confused,  as  I  foresaw  ruin,  misery  and 
a  prison  !     It  was  hoisting  the  standard  ! 

"  This  is  temper.  I  went  on  with  my  palette  in  a 
giddy  fidget.  I  brought  it  out,  and  looking  at  my  great 
work  rejoiced  inwardly  at  the  coming  background. 
But  my  brain,  harassed  and  confused,  fell  into  a  deep 
slumber,  from  which  I  did  not  awake  for  an  hour.  I 
awoke  cold,  the  fire  out ;  but  I  flew  at  my  picture,  and 
dashing  about  like  an  inspired  devil  by  three  had 
arranged  and  put  in  the  alteration. 

"  1  dined,  expecting  an  execution  every  moment,  and 

z  3 


342  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1846. 

retired  to  rest  in  misery.  I  awoke  continually ;  and 
this  morning  went  off  to  Fairbairn  of  Leeds  to  ask  him 
to  pay  me  for  his  brother.  He  could  not.  I  drove 
back,  finding  his  brother  was  in  town.  He  was  out, 
and  I  flew  up  to  my  landlord  Newton.  He  was  irri- 
table, and  in  bad  health.  He  said  I  was  in  a  bad  temper. 
I  promised  him  payment  this  day  week.  He  promised 
to  let  me  alone.  Home  I  came,  and  made  a  complete 
sketch ;  and  this  moment  comes  a  cheque  from  my 
dear  friend  Kemp,  which  has  really  saved  me  for  the 
time. 

"  This  is  historical  painting  in  England ! 

"  16//*. —  The  unexpected  assistance  I  have  received, 
the  dangers  I  have  escaped,  the  art  I  have  accomplished, 
the  health  I  enjoy,  the  objects  I  have  in  view,  and  the 
ruin  I  may  endure  with  my  dear  Mary,  agitate  my 
brain  and  heart ;  but  in  God's  blessins:  I  am  firm.  I 
see  f  One  that  is  Invisible  '  who  will  brins;  me  through, 
Amen.  I  certainly  feel  more  than  ever  the  value  of 
minutes,  the  importance  of  my  mission,  and  the  over- 
whelming duty  upon  my  heart  of  completing  my  six 
works. 

"  The  struggle  is  severe  ;  for  myself  I  care  not,  but 
for  her  so  dear  to  me  I  feel.  It  presses  on  her  mind ; 
and  in  a  moment  of  pain  she  wrote  the  following  simple 
bit  of  feeling  to  Frederic,  who  is  in  South  America, 
on  board  the  Grecian  —  a  Middy.  It  shows  the  inmost 
state  of  her  soul,  and  what  she  really  feels  as  to  the 
danger  of  our  position. 

TO  AN  ABSENT  CHILD. 

i. 

This  is  thy  natal  day,  my  child ; 

And  where  art  thou  so  dear  ? 
My  heart  is  sad,  and  yet  'tis  glad 

To  know  thou  art  not  here. 


1846.]  AT    BAY.  343 

II. 
Oh  !  tarry  thou  in  sunny  isles, 

"Where  winds  and  waves  have  borne  thee ; 
And  return  no  more,  to  thy  native  shore, 

AVhere  the  care  of  years  lias  worn  thee. 

in. 

There  is  a  pain  upon  thy  brow, 

And  thy  face  is  pale  with  care ; 
Then  come  no  more  to  thy  native  shore, 

For  trial  awaits  thee  there. 

IV. 

There  is  a  curl  upon  thy  lip, 

TVbich  speaks  of  pride  and  sorrow ; 
And  a  weight  upon  thy  gay  young  heart, 

Which  dulls  the  hope  of  to-morrow. 

v. 

Then  tarry  thou  in  sunny  isles, 

Bright  as  thy  own  blue  eye ; 
And  come  no  more  to  thy  native  shore, 

Where  toil  and  care  do  vie. 

VI. 

Oh !  could  I  waft  me  to  those  bright  isles, 

And  dwell  with  thee,  so  dear  ! 
Should  I  sigh  for  this  land  of  oppression  and  toil, 

Where  each  morn  is  expected  with  fear  ? 

VII. 

Then,  pray  for  the  day  when  we  may  dwell 

In  that  sunny  land  together, 
With  those  on  earth  we  love  so  well, 

And  never  again  come  hither. 

Mary  Haydon,  Mere. 


K 


1  ?>th.  —  Captain  Waller  told  Lucas  that  Alava,  who 
acted  as  the  Duke's  aide-de-camp  at  Waterloo,  told 
Waller  that,  as  he  was  joining  the  Duke  early  on  the  field, 
he  thought  to  himself,  '  I  wonder  how  he  feels  and  looks 

z  4 


344  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [l846. 

with  Napoleon  opposite'  The  duke  shortly  joined,  and 
called  out  in  his  bluff  manner,  '  Well  how  did  you 
like  the  ball,  last  night  ?  '  Putting  up  his  glass,  and 
sweeping  the  enemy's  ground,  he  then  said  to  Alava, 
'  That  fellow  little  thinks  what  a  confounded  licking 
he  '11  get,  before  the  day  is  over.'  * 

"  14th.  —  This  day  forty -two  years  I  left  my  native 
Plymouth  for  London  and  life  O  God!  bless  me 
through  the  numerous  anxieties  of  this  day  satisfac- 
torily. 

"  18th.  —  I  closed  my  exhibition  this  day,  and  have 
lost  111/.  8s.  lOd.  No  man  can  accuse  me  of  showino- 
less  energy,  less  spirit,  less  genius,  than  I  did  twenty- 
six  years  ago.  I  have  not  decayed,  but  the  people  have 
been  corrupted.  I  am  the  same,  they  are  not ;  and  I 
have  suffered  in  consequence. 

"  I  used  to  accuse  Napoleon  of  want  of  energy  in  not 
driving  out  the  senate  after  Waterloo,  as  he  did  on  the 
18th  Brumaire.  But  he  knew  men  better  than  I.  — 
It  would  have  been  useless ;  he  was  not  altered,  they 


were. 


"  It  becomes  me  now,  in  all  humility,  to  pray  God 
yet  for  health  to  complete  my  remaining  four.      Amen. 

"  1 9th.  —  Cleared  out  my  exhibition.  Removed 
Aristides  and  Themistocles,  and  all  my  drawings.  Next 
to  a  victory  is  a  skilful  retreat ;  and  I  marched  out 
before  General  Thumb,  a  beaten  but  not  conquered 
exhibitor. 

"  23rd.  —  Awoke  at  three,  in  very  great  agony  of 
mind  ;  and  lay  awake  till  long  after  five,  affected  by  my 
position.  Prayed  God,  as  David  did,  and  fell  asleep 
happier,  but  still  fearing. 


*  The  Quarterly  Reviewer  points  out  that  there  must  be  some 
confusion  here  between  Quatre  Bras  and  Waterloo,  as  the  ball  was 
on  the  night  before  the  former  and  not  the  latter  battle. 


1846.]  AT    BAY.  345 

I  took  the  original  sketch  of  Uriel,  and  went  to  my 
landlord  and  asked  him  to  buy  it :  in  vain.  At  last,  I 
offered  it  to  him  if  lie  would  lend  me  1/.  to  pay  an  in- 
stalment, where  failure  would  have  been  certain  ruin. 
He  assented,  and  I  left  a  beautiful  sketch.  I  then  came 
home  and  darted  at  my  picture.  I  have  done  a  great 
deal  this  week  under  all  circumstances,  and  advanced 
the  masses  of  drapery  for  my  Jury.  There  lie  Aristides 
and  Nero,  unasked  for,  unfelt  for,  rolled  up  ; — Aristides, 
a  subject  Raffaele  would  have  praised  and  complimented 
me  on  !  Good  God  !  —  and  111/.  1 1  s.  5d.  loss  by  show- 
ing it. 

'•  God  be  praised  !  I  have  got  through  this  week. 
Amen. 

"  30th. — Worked  gloriously  hard,  and  finished  the 
Saxon  lord.  If  I  can  manage  Alfred  and  the  left  corner 
of  head  by  30th  June,  that  will  do.  God  be  thanked 
for  His  blessings  this  week  and  this  day. 

"  31st.  —  Alfred  is  well  on,  in  spite  of  dreadful  need. 
O  Lord  !  carry  me  through  the  next  and  the  dangerous 
month.      Amen. 

"June  1st.  —  O  God  I  begin  this  month,  June,  in 
fear  and  submission.  Thy  will,  not  mine,  be  done. 
Carry  me  through,  in  spite  of  all  appearances  and 
realities  of  danger,  for  Jesus  Christ's  sake  ;  and  enable 
me  to  keep  my  health  in  eyes  and  mind,  and  to  bear  up 
and  get  through  my  six  great  works  in  spite  of  all  the 
difficulties,  calamities  or  obstructions  which  ever  af- 
flicted humanity. 

"  ?rd.  —  Bless  me,  O  Lord  !  '  Some  trust  in  chariots, 
and  some  in  horses ;  but  we  trust  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord  our  God.' 

"  In  proportion  as  you  refine  the  virtues,  so  you  do  the 
vices,  of  mankind. 

"Worked  very  hard.  Went  to  Christie's  to  see  the 
Saltmarsh  Collection. 


346  MEMOIRS   OF    B.  R.  IIAYDON.  [l846. 

"  The  Rubens  I  recollect,  thirty  years  ago,  at  De  la 
Hant's.  I  remember  it  used  to  be  a  wonder  to  me,  but 
I  saw  through  it  at  once  now. 

"  4th. —  I  felt  every  touch  from  experience.  I  know 
what  feelings  he  must  have  had  when  he  touched  so 
and  so. 

"  5th. —  Called  on  my  dear  friend  Kemp,  who  helped 
me  to  get  over  the  difficulties  which  harassed  me. 
Thank  God  ! 

"  By  the  time  the  six  are  done  they  will  all  be  mort- 
gaged;  but  never  mind,  so  long  as  I  get  them  done. — 
The  great  thing  is  to  get  them  done. 

"  6th.  — Worked  hard  till  half-past  two.  Then  went 
to  Saltmarsh  Collection.  Finished  Alfred.  Something 
to  do  to  the  head,  and  Saxon  lord.  If  I  can  but  finish 
the  left  hand  corner  and  Alfred  by  30th  June,  I'll  do. 
If  I  had  no  pecuniary  wants,  I  could.  It  is  that  which 
occupies  my  time. 

"  Sunday,  7th. — Read  prayers,  and  poured  out  thanks- 
givings, and  then  went  to  see  my  Uriel  at  Dennys's, 
Addison  Terrace.  Dennys  was  dressed  in  black  velvet, 
with  slashed  sleeves  ;  and  his  fine  head,  fine  gallery  and 
fine  pictures  really  carried  me  back  to  the  cinque  cento. 
Uriel  looked  well,  and  I  said  it  would  be  honoured  in 
Italy. 

"  Wth.  —  I  have  15/.  to  pay  to-morrow,  without  a 
shilling.  How  I  shall  manage  to  get  seven  hours'  peace 
for  work,  and  yet  satisfy  my  creditors,  Heaven  only 
knows. 

"  30Z.  Newton,  on  the  25th.  317.  17 s.  6d.  Newman, 
same  day.  26/.  10s.  Coutts,  on  the  24th.  29/.  16s.  9d. 
Gillots,  on  the  29th.  17/.  10s.  6d.  to  baker,  —  in  all 
136/.  14s.  lOd.  this  month,  with  only  18s.  in  the  house  ; 
nothing  coming  in,  all  received  ;  one  large  picture  paint- 
ing and  three  more  getting  ready,  and  Alfred's  head  to 
do.     In  God  alone  I  trust,  in  humility. 


1846.]  AT    BAY.  347 

"  12th.  —  O  God !  carry  me  through  the  evils  of  this 
day.     Amen. 

"  13^.  — Picture  much  advanced  ;  but  my  necessities 
are  dreadful,  owing  to  my  failure  at  the  Hall.  In  God 
alone  I  trust,  to  bring  me  through,  and  extricate  me 
safe  and  capable  of  paying  my  way.  O  God  !  It  is 
hard,  this  struggle  of  forty-two  years  ;  but  Thy  will, 
and  not  mine,  be  done,  if  it  save  the  art  in  the  end.  O 
God,  bless  me  through  all  my  pictures,  the  four  remain- 
ing, and  grant  nothing  on  earth  may  stop  the  completion 
of  the  six. 

"  Sunday,  14th. —  O  God  !  Let  it  not  be  presump- 
tion in  calling  for  Thy  blessing  on  my  six  works.  Let 
no  difficulty  on  earth  stop  or  impede  their  progression, 
for  one  moment.  Out  of  nothing  Tho'.i  couldst  create 
worlds.  O  God  !  bless  me  this  week  with  Thy  divine 
aid.  From  sources  invisible  to  us  raise  up  friends,  save 
me  from  the  embarrassments  want  of  money  must  bring 
on.  O  God  !  grant  this  day  week  I  may  be  able  to 
thank  Thee  from  my  soul  for  extrication,  and  preserve 
my  health  and  head,  and  spirit  and  piety  to  bear  up  and 
vanquish  all  obstructions.     Amen.  Amen. 

"  15th.  —  Passed  in  great  anxiety  ;  finally  painted  the 
background  in  the  sketch,  after  harassing  about  to  no 
purpose  in  the  heat. 

"  16th,  —  I  sat  from  two  till  five  staring  at  my  picture 
like  an  idiot.  My  brain  pressed  down  by  anxiety  and 
anxious  looks  of  my  dear  Mary  and  children,  whom  I  was 
compelled  to  inform.  I  dined,  after  having  raised  money 
on  all  our  silver,  to  keep  us  from  want  in  case  of  acci- 
dents ;  and  llochfort,  the  respectable  old  man  in  Brewer 
Street,  having  expressed  great  sympathy  for  my  mis- 
fortunes, as  I  saw  white  locks  under  his  cap,  I  said, 
'Rochfort,  take  off  your  cap.'  lie  took  it  off,  and 
showed  a  fine  head  of  silvery  hair.  '  This  is  the  very 
thing  I  want:  come  and  sit.'     He  smiled,  and  looked 


348  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  IIATDON.  [1846. 

through  rac.  '  When  ?  '  '  Saturday,  at  nine.'  '  I  will, 
sir;  '  and  would  any  man  believe,  I  went  home  with  a 
lighter  heart  at  having  found  a  model  for  the  hair  of  the 
kneeling  figure  in  Alfred  ?  This  is  as  good  as  anything 
I  remember  of  Wilkie  in  my  early  days.  I  came  home, 
and  sat  as  I  describe.  I  had  written  to  Sir  It.  Peel, 
Duke  of  Beaufort  and  Lord  Brougham,  saying  I  had  a 
heavy  sum  to  pay.  I  offered  the  Duke's  Study  to  the 
Duke  of  Beaufort  for  50/. 

"  Who  answered  first  ?     Tormented  by  Disraeli,  ha- 
rassed by  public  business,  up  came  the  following  letter: — 

"  '  Sir, 
'; '  I  am  sorry  to  hear  of  your  continual  embarrassments. 
From  a  limited  fund  which  is  at  my  disposal,  I  send  as  a 
contribution  towards  your  relief  from  those  embarrassments 
the  sum  of  50/. 

"  '  I  am,  Sir, 

"  '  Your  obedient  servant, 

" '  Robekt  Peel. 
"  '  Be  so  good  as  to  sign  and   return  the  accompanying 
receipt.' 

"  And  this  Peel  is  the  man  who  has  no  heart ! 

«  17  th. —  Dearest  Mary,  with  a  woman's  passion, 
wishes  me  at  once  to  stop  payment,  and  close  the  whole 
thing.  I  will  not.  I  will  finish  my  six,  under  the 
blessing  of  God ;  reduce  my  expenses  ;  and  hope  His 
mercy  will  not  desert  me,  but  bring  me  through  in 
health  and  vigour,  gratitude  and  grandeur  of  soul,  to 
the  end.  In  Him  alone  I  trust.  Let  my  imagination 
keep  Columbus  before  my  mind  for  ever.  O  God,  bless 
my  efforts  with  success,  through  every  variety  of  for- 
tune, and  support  my  dear  Mary  and  family.     Amen. 

"  In  the  morning,  fearing  I  should  be  involved,  I 
took  down  books  I  had  not  paid  for  to  a  young  book- 
seller with  a  family,  to  return  them.      As  I  drove  along, 


1846.]  THE    END.  349 

I  thought  I  might  get  money  on  them.  I  felt  disgusted 
at  such  a  thought,  and  stopped  and  told  him  I  feared  I 
was  in  danger ;  and  as  he  might  lose,  I  begged  him  to 
keep  them  for  a  few  days.  He  was  grateful,  and  in  the 
evening  came  this  50/.     /  know  icliat  I  believe. 

"\%th.  —  O  God,  bless  me  through  the  evils  of  this 
day.  Great  anxiety.  My  landlord,  Newton,  called.  I 
said,  '  I  see  a  quarter's  rent  in  thy  face ;  but  none  from 
me.'  I  appointed  to-morrow  night  to  see  him,  and  lay 
before  him  every  iota  of  my  position.  '  Good-hearted 
Newton!'  I  said,  ' don't  put  in  an  execution.'  '  Nothing 
of  the  sort,"  he  replied,  half  hurt. 

"I  sent  the  Duke,  Wordsworth,  dear  Fred's  and 
Mary's  heads,  to  Miss  Barrett  to  protect.  I  have  the 
Duke's  boots  and  hat,  and  Lord  Grey's  coat,  and  some 
more  heads. 

"  20th.  —  O  God,  bless  us  all  through  the  evils  of  this 
day.     Amen. 

"  21  st. —  Slept  horribly.  Prayed  in  sorrow,  and  got 
up  in  agitation. 

"  22nd.  —  God  forgive  me.     Amen. 

Finis 

of 

B.  R.  Haydon. 

"  '  Stretch  me  no  longer  on  this  rough  world.' —  Lear. 

End  of  Twenty-sixth  Volume." 


This  closing  entry  was  made  between  half-past  ten 
and  a  quarter  to  eleven  o'clock,  on  the  morning  of  Mon- 
day the  22nd  of  June.  Before  eleven  the  hand  that 
wrote  it  was  stiff  and  cold  in  self-inflicted  death.  On 
the  morning  of  that  Monday  Haydon  rose  early,  and 
went  out,  returning,  apparently  fatigued,  at  nine.  He 
then  wrote.     At  ten  he  entered  his  painting-room,  and 


350  MEMOIRS   OF    B.  R.  HAYDON.  [1846. 

soon  after  saw  his  wife,  then  dressing  to  visit  a  friend 
at  Brixton,  by  her  husband's  special  desire.  He  em- 
braced her  fervently,  and  returned  to  his  painting- room. 
About  a  quarter  to  eleven  his  wife  and  daughter  heard 
the  report  of  fire-arms ;  but  took  little  notice  of  it,  as 
they  supposed  it  to  proceed  from  the  troops  then  exer- 
cising in  the  Park.  Mrs.  Haydon  went  out.  About  an 
hour  after  Miss  Haydon  entered  the  painting-room,  and 
found  her  father  stretched  out  dead,  before  the  easel  on 
which  stood,  blood-sprinkled,  his  unfinished  picture  of 
Alfred  and  the  first  British  Jury — his  white  hairs 
dabbled  in  blood  ;  a  half-open  razor  smeared  with  blood 
at  his  side;  near  it,  a  small  pistol  recently  discharged; 
in  his  throat  two  frightful  gashes,  and  a  bullet-wound 
in  his  skull.  A  portrait  of  his  wife  stood  on  a  smaller 
easel  facing  his  large  picture.  On  a  table  near  was  his 
Diary  open  at  the  page  of  that  last  entry,  his  watch,  a 
Prayer-book  open  at  the  Gospel  for  the  Sixth  Sunday 
after  the  Epiphany,  letters  addressed  to  his  wife  and 
children,  and  this  paper,  headed  "  Last  thoughts  of 
B.  R.  Haydon,  half-past  ten": — 

"  No  man  should  use  certain  evil  for  probable  good, 
however  great  the  object.  Evil  is  the  prerogative  of 
the  Deity. 

"  I  create  good,  —  I  create,  —  I  the  Lord  do  these 
things. 

"  Wellington  never  used  evil  if  the  good  was  not  cer- 
tain. Napoleon  had  no  such  scruples,  and  I  fear  the 
glitter  of  his  genius  rather  dazzled  me ;  but  had  I  been 
encouraged  nothing  but  good  would  have  come  from  me, 
because  when  encouraged  I  paid  every  body.  God 
forgive  the  evil  for  the  sake  of  the  good.     Amen." 

Beside  this  paper  was  another,  his  will,  as  follows:  — 

"  In  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  our  Saviour,  in  the 
efficacy  of  whose  atonement  I  firmly  and  conscientiously 
believe,  I  make  my  last  will  this  day,  June  22nd,  1846, 


1646.]  HIS    WILL.  351 

being  clear  in  mv  intellect,  and  decided  in  iny  resolu- 
tion  of  purpose. 

"  I  request  that  my  dear  friends,  Serjeant  Talfourd, 
Dr.  Darling,  both  of  Russell  Square,  and  David  Trevena 
Coulton,  of  No.  1,  Claremont  Place,  Brixton,  will 
undertake  the  duties  of  executors,  see  a  fair  and  just 
distribution  of  my  assets,  and  protect  and  assist  by  their 
advice  my  dearest  Mary,  and  my  daughter  and  sons, 
Frank  and  Frederic. 

"  My  dearest  wife,  Mary  Haydon,  has  been  a  good, 
dear,  and  affectionate  wife  to  me — a  heroine  in  adversity 
and  an  angel  in  peace. 

"  The  property  available  is  as  follows  :  — 

"  1st.  My  Curtius  at  the  Pantheon,  on  which  there 
is  a  lien  of  80/.  to  my  landlord,  Newton;   200  guineas. 

"  2nd.  My  picture  of  Alexander  and  a  Lion  is  free,  (at 
the  Pantheon)  ;   300  guineas. 

"  3rd.  My  picture  of  Aristides  (Pantheon),  on  which 
there  is  a  lien  of  300/.  to  Messrs.  Bennoch  and  Twenty- 
man  of  78,  Wood  Street,  Cheapside  ;  800  guineas. 

"  4th.  My  picture  of  Nero,  on  which  there  is  a 
lien  of  30/.  for  rent  due  to  Mrs.  Lackington  of  Egyptian 
Hall—  (Pantheon)  ;  400  guineas. 

"  5th.  Lupton  has  a  portrait  of  Wordsworth,  my  pro- 
perty, engraved.     He  is  to  be  paid  80  guineas. 

"  6.  Wngstaff  has  a  print  of  the  Duke  in  profile,  my 
property.     Due  to  him  100  guineas. 

"7.  I  owe  a  great  sum  to  my  landlord,  AVilliam 
Newton,  of  13,  Cavendish  Road,  Regent's  Park.  He 
holds  pictures  and  books  and  prints,  and  the  Judgment 
of  Solomon,  which  is  the  property  of  the  assignees  of 
the  late  Mr.  Prideaux  of  Plymouth,  bankrupt ;  he 
took  possession  of  the  picture  at  the  Western  Exchange, 
and  paid  the  rent  due,  on  my  insolvency  in  1830.  His 
claim  is  for  warehouse-room,  for  which  he  paid.  He  has 
been  a  good  landlord  to  me. 


352  MEMOIRS   OF    B.  R.  HAY  DON.  [1846. 

"  8th.  The  furniture  in  my  house  was  three  times 
seized  by  him,  and  released,  and  I  gave  him  a  power  to 
enter  again  in  1836  for  the  same  claims.  Great  addi- 
tions have  been  made  since. 

"  9th.  I  am  nearly  3000/.  in  debt  from  renewed  claims 
and  from  my  resolution  to  carry  on  High  Art  to  the  last 
gasp,  till  felt  and  acknowledged  by  the  nation. 

"  10th.  I  have  pressed  heavily  on  all  friends  ;  but  I 
have  been  generously  supported.  Jeremiah  Harman, 
Thomas  Coutts,  Ed.  Majoribanks,  Thomas  Hope,  Watson 
Taylor,  Lord  Mulgrave,  Honourable  Augustus  Phipps, 
Sir  George  Phillips,  William  Newton,  Henry  Perkins, 
J.  P.  Bell,  Bennoch  and  Twentyman,  G.  J.  Kemp,  the 
Misses  Robinson  and  Poyntz  advanced  money  to  help 
me  through  my  works. 

"  11.  The  Duke  of  Sutherland,  Lord  Egremont, 
Lord  Mulgrave,  Sir  George  Beaumont,  Sir  Robert 
Peel,  the  late  Thomas  Kearsey,  &c.  &c,  employed  and 
helped  me,  and  William  Hamilton.      God  reward  them ! 

"  12.  Morally  I  fear  it  was  wrong  to  incur  debts 
on  the  risk  of  payment ;  but  when  one  considers  the 
precarious  nature  of  the  profession,  pardon  may  be 
granted. 

"13.  I  have  manuscripts  and  my  memoirs  in  the 
possession  of  Miss  Barrett,  50,  Wimpole  Street,  in  a 
chest,  which  I  wish  Longman  to  be  consulted  about.  My 
memoirs  are  to  1820;  my  journals  will  supply  the  rest. 
The  style,  the  individuality  of  Richardson,  which  I  wish 
not  curtailed  by  an  editor.  Correspondence  and  jour- 
nals for  the  rest. 

"  14.  I  return  my  gratitude  to  Sir  Robert  Peel, 
always  a  kind  friend  in  emergencies.  I  hope  he  will 
consider  the  talents  and  virtues  of  my  son,  Frank,  and 
Sir  George  Cockburn  will  not  forget  my  son  Frederic. 

"  15.  I  have  done  my  duty  to  my  children — educated 
them  thoroughly.      They  are  good  members  of  society, 


1846.]  HIS    WILL.  353 

and  I  hope  will  remain  so,  if,  for  no  purpose  of  ambi- 
tion, they  never  become  borrowers  or  lenders. 

"16.  I  have  done  my  duty  to  the  art  —  educated  the 
greatest  artists  of  the  day, — Eastlake,  the  Landseers, 
and  Lance,  —  and  I  hope  advanced  the  whole  feeling  of 
the  country.  I  hope  my  dear  friend  Sir  Robert  Peel 
will  not  forget  my  widow  and  family. 

"  17.  In  the  name  of  my  God  I  hope  for  forgiveness 
for  the  step  I  am  about  to  take  —  a  crime,  no  doubt ; 
but  if  I  am  judged  immediately  hereafter,  I  have  done 
nothing  all  my  life  that  will  render  me  fearful  of  appear- 
ing before  the  awful  consciousness  of  my  invisible  God, 
or  hesitate  to  explain  my  actions. 

"18.  I  know  my  innate  sin,  —  my  innate  tendencies 
to  evil  as  a  human  being ;  but  I  have  tried  hard  to  sub- 
due it,  and  I  am  sure  He  will  be  just,  however  awfully 
displeased,  at  the  wickedness  of  my  conclusion. 

"19.  I  forgive  my  enemies  and  slanderers  from  my 
heart,  and  hope  my  worthy  and  unworthy  creditors  will 
forgive  me.  I  meant  all  in  honour.  God  knows  I  have 
paid  off  vast  sums  of  former  troubles  ;  and  all  the  money 
advanced  has  been  properly  used  in  virtuous  purposes, 
and  not  in  vanity  and  vice. 

"  God  Almighty  forgive  us  all.  I  die  in  peace  with 
all  men,  and  pray  Him  not  to  punish,  for  the  sake  of 
the  father,  the  innocent  widow  and  children  he  leaves 
behind. 

"I  ask  her  pardon  and  my  children's  for  the  addi- 
tional pang,  but  it  will  be  the  last,  and  released  from 
the  burthen  of  my  ambition  they  will  be  happier  and 
suffer  less. 

"  Hoping  through  the  merits  of  Christ  forgiveness. 

"  B.  R.  Hay  don. 
"  To  my  Executors." 

The  coroner's   jury   found  that    the  suicide   was  in 

VOL.  III.  A  A 


354  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDON. 

an  unsound  state  of  mind  when  he  committed  the 
act.* 

Haydon's  debts  at  his  death  amounted  to  about  3000/. 
The  assets  were  inconsiderable. 

Sir  Robert  Peel's  kindness  did  not  close  with  the 
painter's  life.  Liberal  and  immediate  assistance  was 
extended  to  the  bereaved  widow  and  family,  and  such 
comfort  as  the  sympathy  and  help  of  friends  could  give 
was  not  wanting  to  those  whom  this  unhappy  and  un- 
fortunate man  left  behind  him. 

Thus  died  Haydon,  by  his  own  hand,  in  the  sixty- 
first  year  of  his  age,  after  forty-two  years  of  studies, 
strivings,  conflicts,  successes,  imprisonments,  appeals  to 
ministers,  to  Parliament,  to  patrons,  to  the  public,  self- 
illusions,  and  disappointments. 

His  life  carries  its  moral  and  lesson  with  it,  or  these 
memoirs  are  now  given  to  the  world  to  little  purpose. 

My  object,  up  to  this  point,  has  been  to  give  Haydon's 
own  portraiture  of  himself.  This  is  the  aim  which  I 
have  kept  in  view  in  selecting  from  and  compressing  his 
Journals.  I  have  not  tried  either  to  raise  him  into  a 
hero  or  to  depress  him  below  the  level  at  which,  on  a 
review  of  all  the  circumstances  of  his  life,  he  seems  fairly 
entitled  to  stand. 

In  the  preceding  part  of  my  work,  having  this  con- 
ception of  my  duty  as  editor  of  his  autobiography  and 
memoirs,  I  have  refrained,  as  far  as  possible,  from  the 
expression  of  my  own  judgment  of  the  man  and  his 
conduct,  and  from  any  general  estimate  of  his  merits  as 
a  painter.  I  have  done  this  advisedly,  and  at  the  cost 
of  considerable  self-restraint.  But  my  work  might, 
I  think,  properly  be  regarded  as  incomplete,  if  I  did 
not,  now  that  the  editorial  part  of   my  duty  is  com- 

*  For  the  medical  conclusions  on  the  post  mortem  examination, 
and  some  additional  facts  as  to  the  death,  see  Appendix  I. 


HIS    CHARACTER.  355 

pleted,  give  the  reader,  as  briefly  as  may  be,  my  own 
conclusions  as  to  the  man  and  painter,  founded  on  the 
records  of  him  which  have  passed  through  my  hands, 
and  on  such  of  his  pictures  as  I  have  been  able  to  find 
access  to. 


THE  CHARACTER  OF  THE  MAN. 

There  can  be  little  difficulty  in  decyphering  this,  if 
ever  record  of  thoughts  and  acts  can  be  trusted  for 
indicia  of  character. 

Haydon  was  self-willed  to  obstinacy.  He  rarely 
asked  advice,  and  never  took  it  unless  it  approved  itself 
to  him,  without  reference  to  the  sagacity  or  information 
of  the  adviser.  He  was  indefatigable  in  labour  during 
his  periods  of  application,  but  he  was  often  diverted 
from  his  art  by  professional  polemics,  by  fits  of  reading, 
by  moods  of  discomfort  and  disgust,  and  other  dis- 
tractions which  are  explained  by  his  circumstances. 
What  he  undertook  he  generally  mastered,  and  he 
shows  a  rare  "thoroughness"  in  the  maimer  of  his  in- 
quiries  and  studies,  and  a  pertinacity  not  often  asso- 
ciated with  so  much  vehemence  and  passion  as  belonged 
to  him. 

His  judgment  was  essentially  unsound  in  all  matters 
where  he  was  personally  interested.  His  inordinate 
vanity  (which  is  sometimes  ludicrously  exhibited) 
blinded  him  throughout  to  the  quality  of  his  own 
works,  the  amount  of  influence  he  could  wield,  and 
the  extent  of  sympathy  he  excited. 

He  was  unscrupulous  in  conduct,  but  not  unprin- 
cipled, and,  I  believe,  though  many  will  question  it, 
that  he  seldom  contracted  obligations  without  the  in- 
tention and  expectation  of  meeting  them.  But  when  a 
man  once  becomes  embarrassed,  it  is  hardly  possible  to 
estimate  the  value,  or  no-value  rather,  of  such  inten- 

AA    2 


356  MEMOIRS   OF    B.  R.  HAYDON. 

tions.  His  conduct  in  inducing  his  pupils  to  accept 
bills  for  his  accommodation  admits  of  no  defence,  and 
I  cannot  offer  any  palliation  for  his  habits  of  begging 
and  borrowing  beyond  those  which  these  memoirs  must 
suggest  to  all  fairly-judging  readers,  —  I  mean  his 
necessities,  his  sanguine  temperament,  his  occasional 
extraordinary  successes,  and  his  pervading  conviction 
that  he  was  the  apostle  and  martyr  of  High  Art,  and, 
as  such,  had  a  sort  of  right  to  support  from  those  who 
would  not  find  him  the  employment  he  was  always 
craving.  His  constant  demand  was  for  work  and  wages, 
and  in  default  of  these  he  asked  for  subsistence  while 
he  worked,  in  the  hope  that  sooner  or  later  the  wages 
must  come. 

His  religiousness  is  puzzling.  Few  men  have  lived 
in  a  more  continuous  practice  of  prayer  ;  and  though 
his  are  little  more  than  requests  for  what  he  most 
desired,  addressed  to  the  Being  in  whose  power  he 
believed  it  to  be  to  grant  them, — begging-letters,  in 
fact,  dispatched  to  the  Almighty,  —  it  must  not  be 
forgotten  that  the  prayers  of  many  "  eminently  pious" 
people,  and  indeed  of  whole  churches  and  sects,  are 
little  more  than  this.  His  faith  in  an  overruling 
power  was  not  strong  enough  to  induce  a  calm  and 
steadfast  waiting  upon  God's  will,  but  neither,  as  it 
seems  to  me,  is  the  faith  of  the  most  prayerful  persons 
of  this  character.  One  thing  I  may  say,  that  he  seems 
to  have  lived  in  the  habitual  belief  of  a  personal,  over- 
ruling, and  merciful  Deity,  and  that  this  belief  in- 
fluenced his  inward  life,  his  relations  with  his  family, 
and,  so  far  as  his  necessities  did  not  interfere,  with  the 
world. 

His  love  of  his  art  is,  to  my  mind,  inextricable  from  his 
belief  in  himself;  and  his  struggle  to  advance  the  art 
was  never  without  reference  to  the  glorification  of  him- 
self as  the  artist. 


HIS    TIMES    IN    RELATION    TO    ART.  357 

In  taste  lie  was  as  deficient  as  In  judgment,  —  if 
indeed  the  two  be  not  different  phases  of  the  same 
element  in  character.  This  want  of  taste  shows  itself 
in  the  tone  of  his  letters  to  men  of  rank,  in  which  an 
unbecoming  familiarity  alternates  with  a  gross  servility 
of  expression.  The  style  of  his  appeals  to  the  public,  in 
his  advertisements  and  catalogues,  is  equally  offensive 
in  a  different  way,  —  from  the  turgid  and  undisguised 
expression  of  his  own  exaggerated  estimate  of  himself 
and  his  works.  But  he  seems  really  to  have  believed 
that  the  public  eye  was  fixed  on  him,  and  struggled 
against  facts  to  maintain  this  delusion  to  the  last.  I 
may  regret,  but  I  cannot  wonder,  that  he  did  not  meet 
with  more  sympathy.  Considering  how  very  boisterous 
and  combative  a  martyr  he  was,  I  am  rather  astonished 
that  he  found  so  much.  I  believe  that  he  died  a  victim 
to  disappointment ;  that  his  exclusion  from  all  share  in 
the  decoration  of  the  New  Houses  of  Parliament  broke 
his  heart ;  and  that  all  his  subsequent  efforts  to  l^eassert 
his  claims,  through  the  Public,  instead  of  the  Fine  Arts 
Commission,  were  void  of  true  hope, — a  frantic  "lashing 
the  sides  of  his  intent"  to  approve  himself  a  great  artist, 
when  he  had  really  more  than  begun  to  doubt  it. 

As  a  husband  and  a  father  I  have  nothing  for  him 
but  praise.  His  love  for  his  wife  was  unabated  to  the 
last,  and  he  did  his  duty  manfully  by  his  children. 


THE  CHARACTER  OF  HIS  TIMES  AS 
RESPECTS  ART. 

In  judging  a  man,  one  is  bound  to  consider  the 
times  he  lived  in  with  reference  to  the  nature  of  his 
work. 

All    evil,   it    has    been   said,   results  from  the    non- 

A  a  3 


358  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  E,  HAYDON. 

adaptation  of  constitution  to  conditions.  *  When  we 
say  that  Haydon's  failure  and  sufferings  were  his  own 
fault,  we  only  state  half  the  truth.  In  different  times 
his  faults  would  not  have  wrought  the  same  effects,  and 
his  better  qualities  would  have  had  fairer  play.  The 
conditions  in  which  he  was  placed  were  unfavourable, 
not  only  to  turbulent  natures  like  his,  but  to  every 
artist  with  a  high  conception  of  his  art.  Things  are  so 
much  altered  for  the  better  in  this  particular,  however 
unsatisfactory  they  still  may  be,  that  it  is  difficult  for 
us  to  appreciate  the  obstacles  and  stumbling-blocks 
which  an  artist,  bent  on  employing  his  skill  in  public 
edifices,  and  for  national  or  municipal  purposes,  must 
have  found  in  his  way  forty  years  ago.  It  is  very 
much  to  Haydon's  pertinacity  that  Ave  owe  such  im- 
provement as  there  is,  in  this  respect,  now-a-days.  At 
that  time  the  dominant  form  of  Art  was,  undoubtedly, 
portraiture.  West  and  Fuseli,  Northcote  and  Opie, 
did,  it  is  true,  paint  historical  pictures;  but  the  first 
owed  his  position  mainly  to  a  royal  employer ;  Fuseli 
lived  more  by  the  printsellers  and  publishers  than  by 
his  patrons,  and  Northcote  and  Opie  combined  portrait- 
painting  with  history,  and  were  supported  mainly  by 
that. 

The  class  of  pictures  which  now  employs  the  largest 
number  of  artists,  and  is  most  sought  after  and  best 
paid,  combining  some  of  the  qualities  of  historical  paint- 
ing with  still  life,  —  what  is  called  ^we-painting— 
may  almost  be  said  to  have  been  founded  by  Wilkie,  and 
to  have  grown  up  since  Haydon  first  exhibited.  This 
style  affords  a  loophole  through  which  to  escape  from 
the  sole  dominion  of  the  portrait-painter,  in  a  time 
when  the  public  functions  of  Art  are  still  little  appre- 
ciated.    In  works  of  this  kind  may  be  exhibited  the 

*  Spencer,  "  Social  Statics." 


HIS    TIMES    IN    RELATION    TO    ART.  359 

highest  qualities  of  invention  and  expression,  though 
they  give  no  scope  for  that  largeness  of  treatment,  that 
force  and  sweep  of  hand,  for  which  great  spaces  and 
wide  distances  are  essential. 

Failing  this,  there  was  very  little  resource  forty  years 
ago  for  the  painter  who  did  not  feel  inclined  to  paint 
portraits.  Hilton  lived  in  narrow  circumstances,  which 
would  have  been  indigent  but  for  some  private  fortune 
and  nis  income  as  Keeper  of  the  Royal  Academy.  The 
encouragement  he  found  may  give  us  a  measure  of  what 
was  to  be  hoped  for  by  even  the  most  gentle  and  inof- 
fensive being  who  took  to  the  higher  range  of  Art.  Etty 
amassed  a  fortune  after  he  abandoned  such  large  can- 
vases  as  his  Judith  and  Holofernes  series,  and  his 
other  pictures  of  that  size  and  time,  for  attractive 
nudities  and  rich  scraps  of  colour,  of  cabinet  size.  If 
ever  Art  was  lowered  by  the  conditions  of  a  time,  surely 
Etty's  wTas.  Haydon  would  not  pine  in  neglect  and 
silence  like  Hilton,  nor  condescend  to  small  and  sensual 
nudities  or  luscious  bits  of  mere  colour-painting  like 
Etty. 

He  would  paint  large  pictures  with  a  high  aim.  The 
patrons  did  not  want  such  pictures,  the  Academy  did 
not  favour  them,  the  public  could  not  buy  them.  They 
flocked  to  see  them  exhibited,  but  that  was  all. 

The  private  patronage  of  that  day  was  petty  and  mean, 
though  there  was  no  lack  of  rich  and  very  kind  friends 
of  artists.  Never  did  a  painter  receive  more  help 
than  Haydon  in  all  ways  but  the  right  one.  Whether 
he  was  qualified  to  have  done  justice  to  any  public  em- 
ployment that  might  have  offered  itself,  especially  in 
the  latter  half  of  his  artistic  life,  may  be  doubtful ;  but 
between  1812  and  1823,  I  believe  he  was  capable  of 
producing  works  which,  displayed  under  proper  condi- 
tions, would  have  been  nobly  decorative  or  commemo- 
rative.    But   this  chance  he  never  had,  for  no  single 

A  a  4 


3f>0  MEMOIRS   OF    B.  R.  HATDON. 

statesman  or  influential  patron  of  his  times  seems  to 
have  admitted  his  doctrine  that  Art  has  a  public  func- 
tion ;  and  that  if  it  is  ever  to  be  great  in  our  day,  it 
must  be  by  being  employed  nationally  and  politically, 
— the  collective  nation,  through  its  public  bodies,  re- 
placing the  princes  and  popes  of  the  great  eras  of  Italian 
renown. 

What  private  patronage  can  do  to  found  a  style  and 
schools  of  Art  has  been  best  shown  in  Holland  and  Flan- 
ders. It  is  not  to  it  that  we  can  ever  owe  a  Campo 
Santo,  a  Ducal  Palace,  a  Sistine  Chapel,  or  the  Stanze 
of  the  Vatican. 

Without  at  all  shutting  my  eyes  to  Haydon's  defi- 
ciencies in  both  the  conceptual  and  technical  parts  of 
his  art,  I  cannot  but  sympathise  in  his  prayers  for  a 
great  national  Council  Hall,  or  a  dome  of  St.  Paul's, 
wherein  to  show  the  grasp  of  his  mind  and  the  mastery 
of  his  hand. 

The  New  Houses  of  Parliament  are  as  yet  (after  the 
great  room  at  the  Society  of  Arts)  the  only  arena  that 
England  has  opened  for  any  of  her  painters  who  may 
indulge  in  aspirations  like  Haydon's. 


OF  THE  QUALITIES  OF  HAYDON  AS  AN 

ARTIST. 

No  part  of  my  work,  in  connection  with  Haydon, 
has  cost  me  more  pains,  with  less  profit,  than  this  of 
settling  and  putting  into  words  my  judgment  of  him  as 
a  painter. 

Yet  I  am,  in  many  respects,  favourably  placed  for 
forming  a  fair  estimate,  as  being  free  from  partisanship 
and  a  stranger  to  the  heats  which  gathered  about  Hay- 
don and  his  works  in  his  lifetime  and  among  his  contem- 
poraries.    The  difficulty    I  have   felt  arises    from  the 


ESTIMATE    OF    HIM   AS   AN   ARTIST.  361 

works  themselves,  considered  without  reference  to  the 
feuds  and  struggles  of  their  author. 

I  have  taken  advantage  of  all  opportunities  within  my 
reach  for  acquiring  a  knowledge  of  Haydon's  pictures. 
The  Dentatus  I  only  know  from  Harvey's  masterly 
woodcut.  The  Macbeth,  and  Christ's  Entry  into  Jeru- 
salem, I  have  not  seen.  But  I  have  been  able  to  ex- 
amine, at  leisure,  the  Solomon,  Lazarus,  Xenophon, 
May-day  or  Punch,  the  Mock  Election,  the  English- 
man's Breakfast,  Christ's  Agony  in  the  Garden,  the 
Poictiers,  and  the  Curtius,  some  portraits,  the  Spanish 
Nun,  and  a  small  head  of  the  Gipsy  Model.  The  Wait- 
ing for  the  Times,  the  Statesman  Musing,  the  Napoleon 
at  St.  Helena,  and  the  Duke  at  Waterloo,  I  am  ac- 
quainted with  only  from  engravings.  I  find  in  all  these 
pictures,  in  varying  degrees,  the  same  beauties  and  the 
same  defects.  In  the  earliest  the  defects  are  least  visible 
and  the  beauties  greatest. 

The  Judgment  of  Solomon  *  seems  to  me,  as  a  whole, 
beyond  dispute  the  finest  work  Haydon  ever  executed, 
though  there  is  nothing  in  it  equal,  in  power  of  concep- 
tion and  execution,  to  the  head  of  Lazarus. 

I  was  fortunate  enough,  in  some  of  my  examinations 
of  Haydon's  pictures,  to  be  accompanied  by  a  friend  f, 
who  combines  the  artist's  knowledge  of  technical  means 
and  eye  for  imitative  detail,  with  that  large  appreciation 
of  aims  and  intentions  in  which  the  criticism  of  artists 
is  often  deficient.  His  judgment,  moreover,  is  that  of 
one  sympathising  in  many  respects  with  Haydon,  and 
cheerfully  recognising  his  services  as  an  earnest  and 
eloquent  advocate  of  the  claims  of  High  Art  on  the 

*  Now  exhibiting  at  the  British  Institution  (June,  1853). 

f  Mr.  G.  F.  Watts,  the  designer  of  the  Cartoon  of  Caractacus, 
and  the  painter  of  Alfred  Encouraging  the  Saxons  to  pursue  the 
Danes,  which  respectively  gained  premiums  of  the  first  class  in  the 
"Westminster  Hall  competitions  of  1843  and  1847. 


362  MEMOIRS   OF    B.  R.  IIAYDON, 

Government  and  the  public.  I  claim,  therefore,  all 
respect  for  the  opinions  of  one  whom  I  know  to  be  con- 
scientious, as  I  believe  him  to  be  competent,  and  to 
whom  I  wish  here  to  express  my  thanks  for  the  use  he 
has  allowed  me  to  make  of  his  communication,  which 
expresses,  in  the  main,  what  I  myself  feel  on  the  subject. 
"  I  am  afraid,"  Mr.  Watts  writes,  "  you  will  think  I 
have  forgotten  the  promise  I  made  to  give  you  my 
opinion  on  the  characteristics  of  Haydon's  art.  But  the 
fact  is,  I  find  it  very  difficult  to  arrive  at  a  definite  con- 
clusion. Sympathising  sincerely  with  him  in  his  views 
upon  Art,  to  their  utmost  extent,  naturally  inclined  to 
appreciate  the  qualities  he  aims  at,  and  doing  full  justice 
to  the  power  and  amount  of  knowledge  displayed,  I  am 
surprised  to  find  how  little  I  am  really  affected  at  his 
works,  and  how  difficult  it  is  to  retain  any  very  distinct 
impression  of  them.  This  corroboi'ation  of  public 
opinion  in  my  own  feelings  I  have  been  endeavouring 
to  account  for.  When  any  qualities  beyond  common 
experience  and  knowledge,  and  above  the  most  ordinary 
comprehension,  are  aimed  at,  the  public  estimate  can 
only  be  valuable  when  it  has  received  the  fiat  of  time ; 
but  when  the  first  difficulty  has  been  got  over,  and  the 
public  interested,  it  is  rare  that  what  is  really  good  has 
failed  to  maintain  its  place. 

"  I  think  we  shall  find,  upon  examination,  that  all 
Art  which  has  been  really  and  permanently  successful 
has  been  the  exponent  of  some  great  principle  of  mind 
or  matter,  —  the  illustration  of  some  great  truth, — the 
translations  of  some  paragraph  out  of  the  book  of  nature. 
If  Haydon  read  therein  and  strove  to  expound  the  lesson, 
he  read  too  hastily  to  understand  fully,  and  did  not,  like 
Demosthenes,  take  pains  to  perfect  a  defective  utterance. 
His  art  is  defective  in  principle  and  wanting  in  attrac- 
tiveness,—  not  sufficiently  beautiful  to  please,  —  not  pos- 
sessing those  qualities  of  exact  imitation  which  attract, 


ESTIMATE  OF  HIM  AS  AN  ARTIST.      363 

amuse,  give  confidence,  and  even  flatter,  because  they, 
in  a  manner,  take  the  spectator  into  partnership,  and 
make  him  feel  as  if  they  were  almost  suggestions  of  his 
own.  — '  This  is  what  I  have  seen,  and  what  I  would  do, 
if  I  had  time  to  paint ;  anch''  io  son  pittore? 

"  The  chai'acteristics  of  Haydon's  art  appear  to  me  to 
be  great  determination  and  power,  knowledge  and 
effrontery.  I  cannot  find  that  he  strikes  upon  any 
chord  that  is  the  basis  of  a  true  harmony.  The  art  of 
Phidias  translated  and  expressed  perfection  of  form  in 
its  full  dignity  and  beauty  ;  that  of  Angelico,  Perugino, 
Francia  and  Paffaele,  religion ;  that  of  Michel  Angelo 
the  might  of  imagination  :  the  greater  of  the  Venetians 
were  the  exponents  of  the  power  of  nature  in  its  rich 
harmony  of  colour;  Correggio  is  all  sweetness;  Tinto- 
retto is  the  Michel  Angelo  of  colour  and  effect ;  Rubens 
is  profuse  and  generous  as  autumn;  and,  if  he  is  some- 
times slovenly,  he  is  so  jovial  and  high-spirited  that  one 
forgives  everything. 

"  All  these,  and  many  others,  worked  with  earnestness 
and  conscientiousness.  Absolute  truth,  in  combination 
with  abstract  qualities,  or  without  them,  will  always  suc- 
cessfully appeal  to  the  spectator's  intelligence.  Haydon 
seems  to  me  to  have  succeeded  as  often  as  he  displays 
any  real  anxiety  to  do  so ;  but  one  is  struck  with  the 
extraordinary  discrepancy  of  different  parts  of  his  work, 
as  though,  bored  by  a  fixed  attention  that  had  taken 
him  out  of  himself,  yet  highly  applauding  the  result,  he 
had  daubed  and  scrawled  his  brush  about  in  a  sort  of 
intoxication  of  self-glorv. 

"  Indeed  his  pictures  are  himself,  and  fail  as  he  failed. 
Whatever  a  man  may  suffer  or  lose  in  a  cause,  he  will 
never  arrive  at  the  dignity  of  martyrdom  unless  he  can 
persuade  people  that  he  has  embraced  the  cause  with 
views  and  aspirations  unconnected  with  his  personal 
gratification  and  advancement.      In  Haydon's  work  there 


364  MEMOIRS   OF    B.  R.  HAYDON. 

is  not  sufficient  forgetfulness  of  self  to  disarm  criticism 
of  personality.  His  pictures  are  themselves  autobio- 
graphical notes  of  the  most  interesting  kind  ;  but  their 
want  of  beauty  repels,  and  their  want  of  modesty  exas- 
perates. Perhaps  their  principal  characteristic  is  want 
of  delicacy  of  perception  and  refinement  of  execution. 
In  these  respects  I  have  seen  no  work  of  his  that  is 
not  more  than  incomplete.  Pathos  also  is  lacking.  The 
good  man,  with  his  family,  in  the  Mock  Election,  is  in 
many  respects  an  admirable  bit  of  composition  and 
painting  ;  yet  it  appears  to  me  that  he  is  too  much  iden- 
tified with  the  crowd,  and  almost  looks  as  if  he  were 
following  the  fop  to  take  an  oath  at  ttie  same  table.  In 
Punch  the  apple-woman  is  too  rosy  and  too  clean  to 
sleep  from  any  reason  but  health  and  enjoyment.  He 
could  give  an  idea  of  foolish  pleasure  and  coarse  delight ; 
but  while  there  is  bitter  satire  there  is  no  touch  of  feeling;' 
Hogarth  would  have  given  you  some  wretched  child, 
made  indifferent  to  the  humour  of  Punch  by  sickness 
and  hunger,  made  old  by  misery. 

il  In  the  Retreat  of  the  Ten  Thousand  he  has  missed 
making  the  principal  incident  the  most  affecting  ;  in 
Lazarus  he  has  lost  all  by  the  general  vulgarity  of  the 
astonishment. 

"To  particularise  —  I  should  say  that  his  touch  is 
generally  woolly,  and  his  surface  disagreeable ;  that 
the  dabs  of  white  on  the  lights  and  the  dabs  of  red  in 
the  shadows  are  untrue  and  unpleasing  ;  that  his  dra- 
peries are  deficient  in  richness  and  dignity,  and  his 
general  effect  much  less  good  than  one  would  expect 
from  the  goodness  of  parts,  which  I  think  arises  prin- 
cipally from  the  coarseness  of  the  handling ;  that  his 
expressions  of  anatomy  and  general  perception  of  form 
are  the  best  by  far  that  can  be  found  in  the  English 
school ;  and  I  feel  even  a  dii'ection  towards  something 
that  is  only  to  be  found  in  Phidias.     But  this  is  not 


ESTIMATE    OF    niM    AS    AN    ARTIST.  365 

true  invariably  :  his  proportion  is  very  often  defective, 
especially  in  the  arms  of  his  figures,  and  his  hands  and 
feet,  though  well  understood,  are  often  dandified  and 
uncharacteristic. 

"  1  have  pointed  out  all  the  things  that  strike  me  as 
errors,  because  I  know  that  you  fully  appreciate  the 
greater  qualities  as  I  do,  and  because  many  of  these 
defects  you  will  fairly  ascribe  to  the  unfavourable  con- 
ditions of  his  life.  His  first  great  work,  the  Solomon, 
appears  to  me  to  be,  beyond  all  comparison,  his  best. 
It  is  far  more  equal  than  anything  else  I  have  seen,  very 
powerful  in  execution,  and  fine  in  colour.  I  think  he 
has  lowered  the  character  of  Solomon  by  making  him  a 
half  joker,  but  the  whole  has,  at  least,  the  dignity  of 
power.  Too  much  praise  cannot,  I  think,  be  bestowed 
on  the  head  of  Lazarus  ;  and  in  the  absence  of  such  im- 
portant evidence  as  the  Entry  into  Jerusalem  would 
afford,  it  is  hardly  fair  to  pass  judgment. 

"  It  is  somewhat  remarkable  that  the  only  man  who 
can  be  said  to  have  formed  a  school  in  England  after 
the  manner  of  the  Italian  artists,  is  perhaps  the  only 
artist  of  any  eminence  who  has  had  no  imitators." 

I  believe  that  this  criticism  points  out,  honestly  and 
accurately,  the  defects  of  Haydon'sart,  taking  for  granted, 
rather  than  expressing,  its  countervailing  beauties.  These 
appear  to  me,  besides  the  general  power  in  drawing  and 
action,  to  be  a  fine  feeling  for  colour  in  draperies  and 
backgrounds,  vigorous  and  pregnant  conception,  both  of 
single  heads,  figures  and  groups,  great  occasional  truth 
of  expression,  such  as  I  have  noticed  in  the  Punch,  and 
such  as  is  strikingly  exhibited  in  particular  parts  of 
the  Mock  Election,  (as  in  the  head  of  the  nurse  behind 
the  good  man),  and,  in  the  earlier  pictures  at  least,  a 
large  and  noble  arrangement  of  the  composition.  Besides 
these  merits,  there  is  a  lower  one  even  more  distinctly 
shown,  —  that  of  great  power  of  truthful  imitation.     The 


366  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  K.  HAYDON. 

still  life  of  Haydon's  pictures  is  admirable,  wherever  he 
gave  himself  the  trouble  to  elaborate  it, —  so  excellent, 
indeed,  as  to  make  even  more  apparent  his  unaccountable 
carelessness  in  parts  of  greater  importance.  This  care- 
lessness I  attribute  to  the  joint  intoxication  of  an  impe- 
tuous conception  and  an  inordinate  vanity.  Physical 
defects  of  sight  may  also  have  had  much  to  do  with  this 
inequality. 

Throughout  his  pictures,  as  in  his  autobiographical 
painting  of  himself,  I  see  the  want  of  that  delicacy  which 
is  equally  required  for  the  refined  appreciation  of  the 
chastened  and  tender  in  form  and  expression,  as  of  the 
self-denying,  unobtrusive,  and  retiring  in  character.  The 
absence  of  the  former  qualities  I  feel  as  painfully  in 
Haydon's  art,  as  the  lack  of  the  latter  in  his  conduct. 
The  want  of  calm  is  alike  apparent  in  his  pictures  and  in 
his  life,  and  both,  while  they  contain  much  to  command 
admiration  and  sympathy,  fail  of  that  true  dignity  before 
which  the  mind  bows,  so  to  speak,  involuntarily,  and  to 
which  calm  is  essential. 

Haydon  will  be  remembered  less  as  a  painter  than  as 
a  theorist  and  lecturer  about  his  calling.  He  was  the 
first  artist  who  got  a  hearing  in  his  insisting  to  the 
Government  and  public  of  England  that  Art  is  a  matter 
of  national  concern.  Before  his  time  no  one  had  urged 
this  truth  except  the  passionate  and  cynical  Barry. 

I  have  said  elsewhere  that  it  is  difficult  to  assign  the 
exact  effect  due  to  the  constant  and  energetic  pressing  of 
this  doctrine  by  Haydon.  The  doctrine  itself  is  now 
admitted  in  theory,  and  a  beginning  has  even  been  made 
of  realising  it  in  practice.  It  is  undeniable  that  Haydon 
preached  it  for  forty  years ;  that  he  lived  to  see  it 
triumph,  and  to  die,  by  his  own  hand,  under  the  heart- 
break of  disappointment,  when  the  triumph  of  his 
cherished  principle  brought  no  employment  for  him. 

By  his  assertion  of  the  real  value  of  the  Elgin  Marbles, 
in  the  teeth  of  dilettantism,  Haydon  has  earned  a  title 


ESTIMATE    OF    HIM    AS    AN    ARTIST.  367 

to  the  gratitude  of  artists  and  lovers  of  Art  which  is 
less  likely  to  be  contested.  No  one  had  so  thoroughly 
mastered  the  secret  of  these  great  fragments  as  Hay  don, 
and  no  artist  of  his  day  was  so  well  qualified  to  do  so, 
or  so  gifted  with  the  power  of  making  their  beauties 
palpable  by  description. 

In  doing  the  world  this  service,  he  used  many  channels 

—  his  letters  to  the  newspapers,  —  his  pamphlets,  —  his 
conversations, — the  training  and  drawings  of  his  pupils, 

—  and  above  all,  his  lectures.  In  all  these  ways  he 
poured  upon  the  public  ear  a  vast  amount  of  sound 
theory  touching  painting  and  sculpture.  And  as  a  popu- 
lariser  of  Art  his  name  stands  without  a  rival  amono-  his 
brethren. 

This  merit,  which  I  fearlessly  claim  for  Haydon,  is  no 
mean  one.  Let  the  admission  of  it  close  gently  and 
compassionately  this  record  of  a  life,  begun  in  high  aspi- 
ration, urged  through  great  varieties  of  fortune,  reduced 
often  to  the  deepest  humiliation,  and  not  always  con- 
tained within  the  metes  and  bounds  of  right,  embittered 
by  perpetual  conflict,  cheered  by  the  most  buoyant  self- 
confidence,  misled  in  most  points  by  a  ludicrous  vanity, 
and  closed  by  a  catastrophe,  to  which  inveterate  self- 
assertion  and  the  love  of  effect  concurred  strangely  with 
the  distraction  of  pecuniary  troubles  and  the  sickening 
of  hope  deferred. 


Since  the  First  Edition  of  these  Memoirs  appeared, 
I  have  received  from  Mr.  Watts  the  following  remarks, 
which  have  a  close  bearing  on  the  subject  of  Haydon's 
relations  to  the  public  men  of  his  time,  and  the  question 
with  which  he  was  so  possessed,  —  the  employment  of 
artists  on  works  of  Art  at  the  public  expense.  The 
remarks  of  Mr.  "Watts  are  so  full  of  matter  for  thought, 
and  state  so  fairly  and  guardedly  the  obstacles  in  the  way 
of  any  artist  desirous  of  working  in  the  most  imaginative 


368  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  K.  HAYDON. 

and  elevated  paths  of  his  art,  that  I  insert  them  with- 
out abbreviation.  They  contain  answers  to  questions 
which  can  hardly  fail  to  have  been  suggested  to  many 
by  perusal  of  the  Memoirs  of  Haydon,  and  they  furnish 
a  practical  suggestion  on  a  subject  which  every  day  is 
becoming  one  of  more  interest  — the  function  of  Art  in 
popular  education,  and  the  means  of  employing  it  for  the 
purpose  of  national  teaching  :  — 

"  Whilst  the  defects  of  Haydon's  style  maybe  more  or  less 
obvious  to  all,  it  must  also  be  obvious  that  in  him  was  wasted 
an  enormous  amount  of  working  power  ;  and  in  connection 
with  this  point  it  may  well  be  permitted  us  at  least  to  regret 
that  practical  England  feels  no  natural  love  of  Art  excepting 
that  of  the  imitative  kind.  It  may  be  true  that  good  excise 
laws  and  a  good  police  are  more  necessary  to  the  welfare  of 
the  nation  than  painting  and  sculpture,  but  patriots  and 
statesmen  alike  forget  that  the  time  will  come  when  the  want 
of  Great  Art  in  England  will  produce  a  gap  sadly  defacing 
the  beauty  of  our  whole  national  structure.  Setting  aside 
the  present  practical  value  of  Art  as  a  means  of  general  in- 
struction and  improvement,  — when  all  shall  be  a  question  of 
history,  every  possession  and  every  want  of  our  country  will 
become  matter  of  national  perfection  or  national  deformity. 
Pendants  in  Art  to  the  great  names  in  Literature  will  be 
sparingly  found  ;  nor  is  this  to  be  attributed  to  want  of 
talent,  but  Avant  of  opportunity.  It  was  not,  perhaps,  to  be 
expected  that  either  Lord  Grey  or  Lord  Melbourne  could 
make  any  serious  attempts  to  carry  out  Haydon's  views ;  yet 
had  they  shown  themselves  more  sensible  of  the  general  rea- 
sonableness of  the  broad  principle,  their  claims  to  respect  for 
comprehensiveness  of  mind  would  have  been  increased. 
First-rate  materials  were  certainly  in  Haydon's  case  ne- 
glected, and  one  cannot  help  thinking  that  means  of  employ- 
ing them  might  have  been  found.  Working,  for  example, 
as  an  historian  to  record  England's  battles,  he  would,  no 
doubt,  have  produced  a  series  of  mighty  and  instructive 
pictures,  being  a  powerful  draughtsman  and  a  conscientious 
student  of  costume  and  historical  details.     The  heroic,  the 


MR.  WATTS  ON  PUBLIC  EMPLOYMENT  OF  ARTISTS.    369 

indomitable  and  the  enthusiastic  would  have  found  in  him'a 
congenial  illustrator.  Certainly  that  success  which  is  to  be 
achieved  by  audacity  must  have  been  his ;  and  the  greatness 
of  the  undertaking,  satisfying  a  mind  that  was  always  craving 
after  the  important,  would  have  purged  it  of  its  vanity  and 
left  it  free  to  its  sounder  workings.  Self  must  have  been 
forgotten  if  only  for  want  of  time  to  remember  it. 

"  The  modern  artist  may  justly  lay  claim  to  all  the  advan- 
tages that  can  possibly  be  afforded  him  in  the  production  of 
works  that  from  their  character  and  aim  will  be  compared, 
both  unconsciously  and  intentionally,  with  the  splendid  cre- 
ations of  the  old  masters.  With  reference  to  the  things 
themselves  there  is  no  unfairness  in  such  comparison  ;  but 
in  transferring  praise  or  blame  from  the  work  to  the  work- 
man, it  should  be  remembered  that  the  conditions  of  modern 
times  and  northern  climates  are  eminently  unfavourable  to 
the  artist,  not  to  lay  stress  upon  the  most  important  fact, 
that  such  works  must  in  this  country  grow  entirely  out  of 
the  artist's  desire  to  do  something  great,  —  a  stimulus  that 
even  in  the  most  ardent  mind  may  be  weakened  by  difficulty, 
and  destroyed  by  want  of  sympathy  and  inconsiderate  criti- 
cism. Under  the  influence  of  these  the  working  out  of  his 
designs  will  demand  in  the  English  artist  of  our  own  day  an 
amount  of  exertion  unknown  to  the  old  masters  ;  and  in  place 
of  which  they  had  but  the  delightful,  and  to  the  dexterous 
artist  easy,  task  of  imitation.  In  the  nineteenth  century  and 
in  the  grey  North,  he  who  would  paint  an  ancient  subject  or 
treat  grandly  an  abstract  one  finds  himself  entirely  without 
artistic  materials;  and  he.  must  either  invent  or  imitate  what 
he  has  seen  done  by  others.  Even  the  human  form  is  so 
shut  up  and  hidden  on  ordinary  occasions  that  it  is  only 
displayed  to  the  artist  under  false  conditions,  and  seems  to 
him,  and  is  in  fact,  unnatural  in  its  appearance.  In  Italy  to 
this  day,  though  gorgeous  costume  no  longer  contributes  its 
magnificence  to  the  general  splendour,  one  constantly  sees 
forms  and  combinations  that  might  be  adopted,  without  al- 
teration, in  the  grandest  composition.  That  the  harmonious 
and  glowing  effects  produced  by  the  old  masters  possess  a 
degree  of  truth  and  power  rarely  or  never  found  in  modern 

VOL.  III.  B    B 


370  MEMOIRS   OF    B.  R.  IIAYDON. 

Art  is  not  surprising,  as  they  were  in  fact  copies  of  reality, 
not  seen  now  and  then  and  upon  great  occasions,  but  as  often 
as  the  artist  left  his  painting-room.  No  doubt  nature  is 
always  the  same  :  similar  impulses  have  actuated  mankind 
for  good  and  evil  from  the  earliest  times  until  now,  and  the 
laws  which  regulate  the  outward  indications  of  that  which  is 
within,  are  alike  general  and  invariable.  But  as  Art,  whose 
means  of  expression  are  combinations  of  line,  colour  and 
contrast,  cannot  be  independent  of  the  beautiful,  the  splendid 
and  the  various,  the  whole  range  of  conditions  in  modern 
England  presents  to  the  artist  who  would  produce  the 
gorgeous,  the  splendid  and  the  impressive  (in  effect)  about 
as  much  the  aspect  of  nature  as  does  the  Dutch  garden 
with  trees  dipt  into  the  forms  of  peacocks  and  vases.  To 
the  painter  of  actualities  the  materials  are  ever  available 
and  good.  There  is  nothing  to  prevent  the  perfect  success 
of  another  Hogarth.  The  details  of  every-day  life  and  the 
police  courts,  looked  at  from  a  philosophical  point  of  view, 
furnish  subjects  perhaps  superior,  certainly  more  affecting, 
than  the  majority  of  those  treated  by  the  earlier  painters. 
But  still  the  beautiful,  the  dignified  and  the  glowing  form 
part  of  our  natural  wants,  and  cannot  be  given  up  without 
regret.  As  long  as  painting  shall  be  practised  we  shall  find 
men  like  Haydon  pining  after  something  which  they  know  of 
and  feel,  but  do  not  see.  A  visit  to  sunny  climates  would 
have  afforded  Haydon  many  a  valuable  lesson.  There  he 
would  have  seen  the  unrestrained  form  acquiring  that  deve- 
lopment he  could  but  imagine  and  might  be  excused  for  ex- 
aggerating,—  the  rich  colour  of  the  flesh  that  gives  at  once 
the  key-note  of  the  picture,  —  the  out-of-door  life  so  sug- 
gestive of  breadth  and  brilliancy. 

Tired  with  conventionality,  a  more  healthy  state  of  feeling 
is  doubtless  leading  us  back  to  nature  in  Art ;  but  there  is 
some  danger  of  falling  into  the  extremes  ever  consequent 
upon  revolution.  There  is  now  a  tendency  to  imagine  that 
truth  consists  solely  in  the  imitation  of  details,  forgetting 
that  many  such  details  are  natural  only  in  a  secondary  degree. 
Deformities,  pimples,  warts,  &c.  are  natural  inasmuch  as  they 
are  formed  in  existing  circumstances  as  natural  consequences 


MR.  WATTS  ON  PUBLIC  EMPLOYMENT  OF  ARTISTS.  371 

of  certain  conditions;  but  they  have  nothing  whatever  to 
do  with  the  primary,  sublime  principles  of  nature  that  are 
based  upon  perfection  and  beauty.  Reality  is  not  always 
nature  ;  but  a  desire  to  be  true  will  always,  if  earnestly  acted 
upon,  lead  to  great  things  and  receive  sympathy.  With  the 
principles  of  Pre-Raffaelitism  Haydon  would  probably  have 
had  little  fellow-feeling,  even  whilst  appreciating,  as  he  was 
fully  capable  of  doing,  the  merits  of  its  productions.  His 
mind  was  thoroughly  imbued  with  the  spirit  of  the  decorative 
and  the  comprehensive,  and  had  an  impression  of  something 
the  imitation  of  every-day  nature  could  not  give  him,  and 
which  often  produced  unreality  when  he  wished  to  be  truthful. 
He  could  paint  a  pewter  pot  and  a  bottle  admirably,  because 
he  had  no  impressions  of  them  at  variance  with  the  actual 
appearance  ;  but  he  usually  failed  utterly  in  modern  costume, 
preconceived  notions  of  flowing  drapery  interfering  with  his 
perception  of  reality.  Yet  his  theory  is  almost  invariably 
admirable,  and  his  remarks  upon  nature  acute  and  just  :  nor 
can  it  be  doubted  that,  though  perhaps  over-anxious  to  be 
the  prophet  of  a  new  creed  respecting  the  application  of  Art 
to  public  purposes,  he  was  sincere  in  his  desire  to  bring 
about  this  important  object ;  nor  is  there  reason  to  believe, 
had  his  own  love  of  fame  been  gratified  by  success,  that  he 
would  have  grudged  employment  and  success  to  others.  On 
the  contrary,  his  Journal  proves  that  he  was  capable,  not 
only  of  appreciating  the  merit  of  a  contemporary,  but  also 
of  active  personal  exertion  to  bring  that  merit  before  the 
public  ;  and  it  must  unfortunately  be  confessed  that  such 
generosity  is  rare,  and  should  receive  its  meed  of  applause. 
Whether  in  his  badgering  of  ministers,  appeals  to  the  public 
and  attacks  upon  institutions,  he  mistook  the  means  only  as 
far  as  his  own  conduct  was  concerned,  or  whether  the  mis- 
takes extended  down  to  and  through  his  principles  (always 
admitting  the  justness  of  his  opinion  that  Art  should  be  in- 
troduced into  public  buildings),  may  be  fairly  questioned. 
Under  the  auspices  of  one  whose  remarkable  desire  to  pro- 
mote the  arts  and  sciences,  and  indeed  the  public  welfare  in 
every  direction,  and  whose  active  personal  exertions,  fully 
seconding  his  good  intentions,  call  for  national  admiration 

B  B    2 


372  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  E.  HAYDON. 

and  confidence,  many  of  Haydon's  views  are  now  being 
carried  out  in  the  New  Houses  of  Parliament.  But  it  is  by 
no  means  clear,  although  many  opportunities  may  be  given 
to  individuals,  and  many  excellent  works  produced,  that 
Art  itself  will  thus  receive  any  very  great  impulse.  The  work 
must  progress  slowly  ;  the  public  will  seldom  see  it  when 
completed ;  no  artist  who  has  not  conquered  a  certain 
amount  of  public  estimation,  and  who  consequently  is  not 
confirmed  in  his  style,  views,  manner,  &c,  can  hope  to  be 
employed.  Now,  as  one  avowed  intention  of  those  who 
promote  the  work  is  the  creation  of  a  national  school  of 
Art,  and  the  awakening  of  a  national  sense  of  Art,  it  may 
not  be  impertinent  to  inquire  whether  the  object  would  not 
be  more  rapidly  and  effectually  attained  by  familiarising  the 
public  with  works  of  Art  in  such  a  manner  that  their  absence 
would  be  felt  as  a  want,  so  that  a  bare  wall  would  become 
an  unsightly  object  ?  A  desire  to  return  to  the  earnestness 
of  the  artists  of  the  thirteenth  and  fourteenth  centuries  has 
already  done  much  ;  and  we  might  carry  the  principle  still 
further,  not  by  affecting  the  artistic  ignorance  of  those 
periods,  but  by  encouraging  a  race  of  workmen  who,  grow- 
ing up  in  happy  indifference  to  the  critic,  and  in  ignorance 
of  the  consuming  desire  to  astonish,  might  become  great 
unconsciously.  Such  a  state  of  things,  though  no  longer 
existing  naturally,  might  perhaps  be  stimulated  and  engrafted 
upon  actual  conditions.  Why  should  not  the  Government 
of  a  mighty  country  undertake  the  decoration  of  all  the 
public  buildings,  such  as  town  halls,  national  schools  and 
even  railway  stations  ?  The  trustees  and  officers  of  such 
buildings  would,  no  doubt,  readily  consent,  provided  it  were 
understood  they  were  to  incur  no  expense ;  and  the  Schools 
of  Design  and  Royal  Academy  could  furnish  numbers  of 
young  men  sufficiently  advanced  and  sufficiently  unspoilt  to 
carry  out,  under  direction,  simply  and  impressively,  designs 
that  might  be  supplied  by  competition  or  taken  from  standard 
works.  The  honoured  name  of  Flaxman  might  be  invoked, 
— a  name  much  more  honoured  by  strangers  than  by  his  own 
countrymen,  who  have  so  much  reason  to  be  proud  of  him  : 
his  exquisite   designs,  painted   on   a   large   scale,  either  in 


MK.  WATTS  ON  PUBLIC  EMPLOYMENT  OF  ARTISTS.  373 

chiaroscuro  or  in  a  monochromatic  style,  would  do  more  to 
form  a  pure  taste  and  correct  judgment  than  any  works 
perhaps  that  have  ever  appeared.  Or,  regarding  the  project 
merely  as  a  means  of  bringing  out  latent  talent  and  improv- 
ing taste,  and  considering  walls  as  slates  whereon  the 
schoolboy  writes  his  figures,  the  great  productions  of  other 
times  might  be  reproduced,  if  but  to  be  rubbed  out  when 
fine  originals  could  be  procured  :  for  the  expense  wrould,  in 
reality,  if  the  thing  were  properly  managed,  very  little  ex- 
ceed that  of  whitewashing.  It  would  be  a  good  deed  to 
rescue  from  oblivion  many  great  works  that  may  soon  cease 
to  exist.  There  are  many  noble  efforts  of  human  genius 
that  are  fast  going  to  destruction  under  the  inevitable  effects 
of  damp  and  years,  and  many  which  any  day  may  be  de- 
stroyed by  convulsions  and  revolutions,  even  though  time 
could  spare.  No  engraving  can  adequately  render  the  effect 
of  a  large  and  magnificently  coloured  composition.  Why 
should  not  the  works  of  great  artists  be  thus  republished  ? 
No  one  will  seriously  attempt  to  urge  that  the  reproduction 
of  such  works  will  be  sufficient  to  form  great  artists,  any 
more  than  the  reprinting  of  the  Iliad  or  Paradise  Lost  will 
make  poets.  But,  besides  the  object  of  making  these  grand 
creations  known  to  the  public  in  something  like  their  ori- 
ginal power  and  splendour,  the  effort  would  demand  of  the 
Avorkman  an  exercise  of  his  faculties  in  a  very  different  form 
from  any  which  is  required  in  mere  copying,  and  would  act 
very  much  like  the  training  that  produced  the  results  in 
other  countries  and  times  still  so  deservedly  admired. 
Before  the  artist  can  express  his  ideas  he  must  perfect  him- 
self in  the  language  he  uses.  It  is  a  natural  language  —  a 
mother-tongue — to  him,  it  is  true,  and  only  presents  great 
difficulties  because  his  means  of  study  are  so  dependent 
upon,  and  so  much  influenced  by,  external  circumstances. 
These  external  conditions,  commencing  with  a  more  intel- 
lectual character  in  the  demand  for  Art,  are  exactly  what  the 
modern  artist  wants.  It  would  be  remarkable  indeed  if  e 
nation  so  distinguished  in  other  branches  of  intellectual  ex- 
pression should  be  deficient  in  one  which  is  so  nearly  related 
both  to  Literatui-e  and  Science. 


374  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  K.  HAYDON. 

"  K  tlie  existence  of  such  a  deficiency  be  asserted,  the 
singular  amount  of  talent  displayed  by  English  amateurs 
would  prove  the  contrary.  Whatever  shortcomings  may  be 
fairly  alleged  must  therefore  be  otherwise  accounted  for, 
and  may  be  ascribed  to  certain  evident  reasons,  —  such 
as  the  early  necessity  of  making  an  effect  by  superficial 
qualities,  precluding  in  the  young  artist  attention  to  his 
general  cultivation  and  improvement, — the  absence  of  de- 
mand for  works,  of  grave  intellectual  character  on  a  large 
scale;  for  practice  on  a  large  scale  is  necessary  to  give 
comprehensiveness  of  thought  and  power  of  hand,  until  the 
mind  be  familiarised  with  such  undertakings  completed  and 
in  progress,  —  the  habit  of  painting  to  catch  the  public  eye, 
and  consequently  following  the  fashion  and  taste  instead  of 
rising  above  the  one,  and  improving  the  other, — and  last, 
not  least,  the  influence  of  bad  criticism.  From  these  un- 
favourable influences  the  rising  race  of  artists  might  be 
rescued  by  giving  such  of  the  most  promising  students  of  Art 
as  might  be  willing  to  engage  themselves  as  workmen 
missions  as  historians  and  public  instructors.  There  is  no 
reason  the  young  artist  should  not  paint  pictures  for  exhi- 
bition and  sale  on  the  walls  of  the  Royal  Academy  ;  but 
there  is  every  reason  he  should  be  emancipated  from  uncon- 
ditional dependence  upon  the  incongruous  competition  and 
hasty  judgment  to  which  the  annual  exhibition  subjects  him. 
The  demand  for  pictorial  instructors  is  evident,  from  the 
enormous  number  of  illustrated  publications  that  daily  issue 
from  the  press,  and  the  avidity  with  which  they  are  purchased. 
Could  the  experiment  of  instructing  by  means  of  Art  be  tried 
on  an  impressive  scale,  the  popularity  and  success  would 
probably  exceed  all  expectation.  If,  for  example,  on  some 
convenient  wall  the  whole  line  of  British  sovereigns  were 
painted — mere  monumental  effigies,  well  and  correctly  drawn, 
with  strict  regard  to  costume  and  details,  careful  avoidance 
of  meretricious  effect  and  everything  that  would  destroy 
simplicity  and  intelligibility  and  corrupt  taste,  with  date, 
length  of  reign,  remarkable  events,  &c.  written  at  the  side 
or  underneath,  three  worthy  objects  at  least  would  be  at- 
tained,—valuable  and  intellectual  exercise  to  the  artist,  highly 


Mil.  WATTS  OX  PUBLIC  EMPLOYMENT  OF  ARTISTS.  375 

interesting  decoration  to  the  space,  and  instruction  to  the 
public.  Subjects  of  the  noblest  kind  and  infinite  in  variety 
will  readily  suggest  themselves. 

A  national  school  of  Art  must  be  the  result  of  a  national 
want  and  a  national  taste.  Both  may  be  created  by  accus- 
toming the  mind  and  eye  to  the  short  road  to  knowledge  and 
the  interest  of  the  method  of  instruction.  It  would,  therefore 
be  most  advisable  to  begin  at  the  beginning,  and  that  designs 
intended  for  public  instruction  and  artistic  training  should  be 
of  that  purely  historical  and  simple  monumental  character 
before  suggested.  It  is  unreasonable  to  expect  that  men 
already  in  possession  of  distinction  will  consent  to  become  the 
mere  workmen  wanted,  or  that  they  can  give  up  the  com- 
mercial advantages  of  reputation ;  besides,  habits  of  mind  and 
manners  of  seeing  things  become  confirmed  quite  as  much  as 
bones  and  muscles,  and  after  a  certain  time  of  life  cannot  be 
successfully  called  upon  to  perform  unusual  operations. 

"  Young  minds  and  young  hands  are  required,  especially 
for  fresco,  the  material  unquestionably  best  adapted  to  mural 
decoration  and  most  important  as  a  discipline.  Granted  that 
the  most  beautiful  and  various  effects  can  only  be  represented 
in  oil,  the  fresco  painter  is  always  able  to  use  the  medium, 
and  all  the  better  for  the  course  of  study  absolutely  neces- 
sary to  enable  him  to  paint  in  fresco,  which  demands  a 
thorough  knowledge  of  his  profession  in  its  widest  range.  As 
the  effects  to  be  obtained  are  few  and  simple,  the  work  must 
depend  for  success  more  upon  the  intellectual  and  less  upon 
the  sensuous.  As  the  painter  cannot  depend  upon  successive 
repaintings,  accidental  effects,  and  working  up,  —  as  errors 
cannot  be  disguised  by  smartness  and  defects  smudged  into  the 
vagueness  of  the  background,  —  all  must  be  honest  and  true. 
He  must  know  exactly  what  he  intends  to  do  ;  his  picture 
must  be,  so  to  speak,  completed  before  he  begins  to  paint ; 
and  such  a  picture,  being  the  result  of  calculation,  becomes 
scientific  in  its  nature,  demanding  habits  of  thought  greatly 
to  the  improvement,  as  must  be  obvious,  of  the  intellect. 
No  system  that  could  be  invented  would  be  so  calculated 
to  counteract  the  peculiar  errors  always  laid  to  the  charge  of 
the  English  School.    Fresco  is  also  inexpensive  with  regard 


376  MEMOIRS    OF    B.  R.  HAYDON. 

to  the  materials,  and  must  be  rapid  of  execution.  A  few 
isolated  works  of  Art,  however  excellent,  and  whether  on 
wall  or  canvas,  cannot  be  expected  to  create  a  public  want 
or  public  taste.  In  order  to  bring  about  an  extended  improve- 
ment and  increase  desire  for  it.  Art  must  find  its  way 
everywhere.  All  who  go  to  Italy  must  be  struck  with  evi- 
dence how  entirely  it  entered  into  all  the  ordinary  require- 
ments of  the  thirteenth,  fourteenth  and  fifteenth  centuries. 
The  naturally  favourable  conditions  of  those  and  earlier 
periods  might  be  artificially  produced  to  a  very  great  extent ; 
and  the  results,  taking  root,  might  hereafter  flourish  with  na- 
tural vigour.  Under  judicious  management,  and  with  an  army 
of  workmen,  there  would  be  no  great  difficulty  in  bringing 
about  such  a  consummation;  and  certainly  larger  sums  than 
would  be  required  have  been  expended,  and  are  still  likely 
to  be  expended,  upon  objects  far  less  national  and  important. 
These  ideas,  though  crude  and  submitted  with  all  deference, 
may  not  be  entirely  out  of  place  at  the  end  of  this  Autobio- 
graphy, embodying  in  many  respects  similar  views  to  those  so 
often  advocated  in  it.  With  regard  to  the  letter  printed  in  the 
first  edition,  and  of  which  these  remarks  are  a  continuation, 
should  any  observations  appear,  considering  the  peculiar  cir- 
cumstances, wanting  in  delicacy  and  little  indulgent  as 
criticisms,  the  writer  begs  to  explain  that  they  were  but  in- 
tended by  him  for  private  suggestions  of  points  for  the 
critics'  consideration;  and  that,  expressing  his  willingness  to 
be  quoted,  he  did  not  contemplate  appearing  in  public  in  the 
character  of  a  critic.  If  in  that  character  any  of  his  remarks 
should  have  annoyed  friends  or  relations  of  the  late  Mr. 
Haydon,  he  desires  hereby  to  express  his  sincere  regret." 


A  LETTER   OF    WORDSWORTH'S.  377 

The  following  letter  should  be  interposed  between 
the  second  and  third  of  Wordsworth's  letters,  at  pages 

161,  162.:  — 

"Rydal,  Sept.  10. 

"  By  is  certainly  a  better  word  than  through ;  but  I  fear  it 
cannot  be  employed  on  account  of  the  subsequent  line  :  — 

" '  But  hy  the  chieftain's  look.' 

To  me  the  two  'bys'  clash  both  to  the  ear  and  understanding, 
and  it  was  on  that  account  that  I  changed  the  word.  I  have 
also  a  slight  objection  to  the  alliteration  '  by  bold'  occurring 
so  soon.  I  am  glad  you  like  '  Elates  not.'  As  the  passage 
first  stood  :  — 

"  Since  the  mighty  deed," 

there  was  a  transfer  of  the  thought  from  the  picture  to  the 
living  man,  which  divided  the  sonnet  into  two  parts.  The 
presence  of  the  portrait  is  now  carried  through  till  the  last 
line,  when  the  man  is  taken  up.  To  prevent  the  possibility 
of  a  mistake  I  will  repeat  the  passage  as  last  sent,  and  in 
which  state  I  consider  it  finished ;  and  you  will  do  what  you 
like  with  it :  — 

"  Him  the  mighty  deed 
Elates  not,  brought  far  nearer  the  grave's  rest, 
As  shows  that  time-worn  face.     But  he  such  seed 
Hath  sown  as  fields,"  &c. 

"I  hope  you  are  right  in  thinking  this  the  best  of  the  three. 
I  forget  whether  I  thanked  you  for  your  sketch  of  the  Slave 
Trade  picture.  Your  friendship  has  misled  you.  I  must  on 
no  account  be  introduced.  I  was  not  present  at  the  meeting, 
as  matter  of  fact ;  and,  though  from  the  first  I  took  a  lively 
interest  in  the  abolition  of  slavery,  except  joining  with 
those  who  petitioned  Parliament  I  was  too  little  of  a  man  of 
business  to  have  an  active  part  in  the  work.  Besides,  my 
place  of  abode  would  have  prevented  it,  had  I  been  so  inclined. 
The  only  public  act  of  mine  connected  with  the  event  was 
sending  forth  that  sonnet  which  I  addressed  to  Mr.  Clarkson 


378  MEMOIRS    OF   B.  R.  HAYDON. 

upon  the  success  of  the  undertaking.  Thank  you  fur  you 
last  letter.  I  am  this  moment,  (while  dictating  this  letter,) 
sitting  to  Mr.  Pickersgill,  who  has  kindly  come  down  to  paint 
me  at  leisure,  for  Sir  Robert  Peel,  in  whose  gallery  at 
Drayton  the  portrait  will  probably  be  hung  by  that  of  my 
poor  friend  Sou  they. 

"  I  am,  dear  Haydon, 

"  Faithfully  yours, 

"  Wm.  Wordsworth. 

"P.S. — Your  suggestion  about  the  engraver  is  very  candid ; 
but,  the  verses  taking  so  high  a  night,  and  particularly  in  the 
line  '  lies  fixed  for  ages,'  it  would  be  injurious  to  put  forward 
the  cold  matter  of  fact,  and  the  sense  and  spirit  of  the  sonnet 
both  demand  that  it  should  be  suggested  at  the  sight  of  the 
Picture." 


APPENDICES. 


APPENDIX  I. 


Medical  testimony  as  to  Hay  don's  health  and  habits.  Par- 
ticulars as  to  his  suicide.  Mr.  Bewick's  account  of  the 
painting  of  Lazarus. 

Since  the  first  edition  of  these  Memoirs  appeared,  I  have 
received  from  Dr.  Elliotson  and  Mr.  "Walter  J.  Bryant,  the 
medical  gentlemen  who  made  a  post-mortem  examination  of 
Haydon's  head,  an  account  of  the  results  of  that  examination, 
which,  in  their  opinion,  showed  conclusively  the  existence  of 
disease  in  the  brain.  Any  constitutional  tendency  to  this 
must  have  been  increased,  in  their  opinion,  by  the  painter's 
habits  of  life,  no  less  than  by  the  embarrassments  and 
contests  in  which  most  of  his  career  was  passed,  and  the 
crowning  disappointments  which  clouded  its  close. 

He  suffered  from  suppressed  gout,  habitually  drank  port 
wine  negus,  and  ate  heartily  and  fast.  He  worked  long  and 
irregularly,  and  always  in  an  excited  state.  Though  a  most 
affectionate  husband  and  father,  he  was  irritable  and  impe- 
rious with  his  family  and  servants,  and,  when  not  painting, 
spent  much  time  alone,  and  often  in  a  darkened  chamber. 

On  examining  the  wound  made  by  the  pistol-shot  (which 
had  produced  fracture  of  both  tables  of  the  skull  and  lacerated 
the  brain,  though  the  ball  had  not  pierced  the  substance  of 
the  brain  itself,  lodging  under  the  skin  three  or  four  inches 
from  where  it  struck),  the  bones  of  the  head  were  found  to 
be  very  thick  and  dense ;  the  dura  mater  was  thickened 
and  adherent.  There  were  innumerable  bloody  points 
through  the  brain,  and  in  the  basilar  artery  were  osseous 
and  atheromatous  particles  to  a  great  amount,  while  the 
arteries    could  be  easily  pulled    away.     Dr.  Elliotson    con- 


382  APPENDIX    I. 

siders  these  appearances  to  indicate  long-standing  irritation 
of  the  brain  itself.  Mr.  Bryant  considers  that,  though  the 
thickened  state  of  the  vessels  of  the  brain  was  of  lone:-stand- 
ing,  the  inflammation  of  the  brain  itself  was  comparatively 
recent.  It  is  conceived  by  his  family  that  Haydon's  fatal 
determination  was  immediately  due  to  a  disappointment 
sustained  about  a  fortnight  before  his  death.  He  had  been 
promised  an  advance  of  money  by  a  friend,  to  liquidate  his 
debts ;  while  dining  with  him  he  was  suddenly  informed  that 
this  advance,  owing  to  a  change  in  his  friend's  circumstances, 
could  not  be  made.  He  drank  deeply,  came  home  intoxicated 
for  the  first  time  in  his  wife's  recollection,  was  never  well 
afterwards  (though  he  became  calm,  subdued  and  affectionate 
in  his  manner),  and  often  complained  of  headache. 

On  the  morning  of  the  suicide,  his  wife  and  daughter,  on 
their  way  up  stairs,  trying  the  door  of  the  painting-room, 
found  it  locked,  when  Haydon  sharply  exclaimed  "  Who's 
there?"  In  a  few  minutes  after  he  came  up  stairs  to 
his  wife  and  daughter,  expressed  regret  at  his  hasty  excla- 
mation, kissed  them  both,  returned  to  his  painting-room,  and 
in  a  few  minutes  after  the  report  was  heard.  It  was  not  his 
practice  to  keep  razors  in  his  painting-room,  and  it  may 
probably  be  fairly  inferred  that  he  provided  them  that 
morning  for  a  fatal  purpose. 

After  firing  the  shot,  finding  that  death  did  not  follow,  he 
appeared,  from  the  traces  of  blood,  to  have  gone  from  before 
the  easel  (the  painting  on  which  was  covered  with  blood)  to 
the  door,  where  with  his  right  hand  on  the  door-handle  he 
inflicted  a  fearful  and  determined  gash  in  his  throat  with 
the  razor  from  right  to  left,  and  then  to  have  returned  to  the 
easel  and  made  a  similar  cut  from  left  to  right.  Both  cuts 
wounded  the  jugular,  but  neither  severed  the  carotid  artery, 
each  cut  coming  to  a  fine  point  and  just  laying  bare  the 
trachea.  There  was  characteristic  determination  even  in 
this  final  and  fatal  act.  It  is  Mr.  Bryant's  opinion,  in 
which  Dr.  Elliotson  concurs,  that  Haydon's  manner  of 
painting  accounts  for  the  disproportions  and  irregularities 
observable  in  his  pictures  and  so  difficult  to  explain  in  one 
of  his  undoubted  knowledge  of  anatomical  construction. 

He  wore  concave  glasses,  so  concave  as  greatly  to  diminish 


APPENDIX    I.  383 

objects.  Through  these  glasses  he  used  to  contemplate  his 
model  and  picture  from  a  distance.  He  would  then  run  up 
to  his  picture,  raise  his  glasses,  and  paint,  using  the  naked 
eye.  He  would  then  run  to  a  mirror  and  examine  the  re- 
flection of  his  picture,  often  through  two  pairs  of  such 
concave  spectacles,  and  then  would  return  again  as  before, 
raising  the  spectacles  to  work  on  his  picture.  Such  a  mode 
of  painting  does  really  appear  quite  sufficient  to  account  for 
disproportions,  and  it  is  difficult  to  understand  how  it  could 
have  been  followed  with  such  success  as  Haydon,  on  many 
occasions,  unquestionably  attained. 

I  have  also  received,  while  these  pages  were  passing 
through  the  press,  an  interesting  letter  from  Mr.  Bewick, 
Haydon's  pupil  and  the  model  of  Lazarus,  which  I  append 
entire,  as  it  gives  characteristic  traits  of  the  painter,  and 
shows,  moreover,  the  estimation  in  which  Sir  Walter  Scott 
held  the  head  of  Lazarus.  Why  does  not  some  admirer  of 
the  British  school  of  painting  purchase  the  picture,  if  it  be 
only  to  cut  out  the  head  of  Lazarus  and  present  it  to  the 
National  Gallery,  where  this  much  at  least  of  Haydon's 
picture  might  hang  without  discredit  by  the  side  of  the 
Lazarus  of  Sebastiano  del  Piombo  ? 

"  Haughton  House,  near  Darlington, 
"Nov.  8,  1853. 
"  Sir, 

"  In  perusing  your  exciting  Memoirs  of  Haydon,  I  was 
struck  and  interested  by  the  description  of  my  sitting  to  him 
for  the  head,  &c.  of  Lazarus  (vol.  ii.  p.  30.),  and  I  beg  to 
corroborate  the  truth  of  the  circumstances  therein  stated.  I 
remember  well  that  I  was  seated  upon  a  box,  placed  upon  a 
chair  upon  a  table,  mounted  up  as  high  as  the  head  in  the 
picture, — and  a  very  tottering  insecure  seat  it  was, —  and  pain- 
ful, to  be  pinned  to  a  confined  spot  for  so  many  hours ;  for 
the  head,  two  hands  and  drapery  of  the  figure  were  all  painted 
at  once,  in  one  day,  and  never  touched  afterwards, 
but  left  as  struck  off,  and  any  one  looking  close  to  the 
painting  will  perceive  that  the  head  has  never  been  even  'sof- 
tened,' so  successful  and  impressive  it  appeared  to  both  painter 
and  model,  and  so  much  was  it  the  emanation  of  a  wonderful 


384  APPENDIX    I. 

conception  executed  with  a  rapidity  and  precision  of  touch 
truly  astonishing.  And  when  it  is  considered  that  the  mind 
of  the  painter  was  harassed  and  deeply  anxious  by  the  circum- 
stances of  his  arrest  at  the  beginning  of  his  work,  when 
concentrating  his  thoughts  on  the  character  and  expression 
to  be  represented,  any  one  at  all  acquainted  with  the  dif- 
ficulties of  the  art  of  painting  will  readily  concede  this 
portion  of  so  difficult  a  subject  to  be  a  feat  of  marvellous 
dexterity  and  power  in  the  art.  I  think  I  see  the  painter 
before  me, — his  pallette  and  brushes  in  his  left  hand, — re- 
turning from  the  sheriff's  officer  in  the  adjoining  room, — pale, 
calm  and  serious;  no  agitation, — mounting  his  high  steps  and 
continuing  his  arduous  task ;  and,  as  he  looks  round  to  his  pallid 
model,  half  breathingly  whispering,  'Egad  Bewick!  I  have  just 
been  arrested  :  that  is  the  third  time ;  if  they  come  again,  I 
shall  not  be  able  to  go  on.'  He  soon  seemed  absorbed  in  his 
subject  and  to  forget  his  arrest  in  the  intensity  of  the  effort 
to  create  so  extraordinary  an  embodiment.  After  he  had 
worked  in  the  head  he  stood  aghast  before  it,  exclaiming, 
'  I've  hit  it  now! — I've  hit  it ! '  By  the  time  the  two  hands 
and  figure  were  completed  he  was  exhausted  ;  and,  for  myself. 
I  seemed  as  dead  as  Lazarus  was,  —  no  circulation,  stiff  as 
death.     He  laughed  and  joked,  and  helped  me  down  from  my 

high  estate  ;'  and  a  cup  of  warm  tea  refreshed  and  resus- 
citated as  cadaverous  a  Lazarus  as  the  painter  could  have 
wished  for. 

"  The  reason  of  my  writing  to  you  is  partly  to  mention  the 
coincidence  or  resemblance  of  your  remarks  upon  the  ex- 
pression of  Lazarus,  with  the  exclamation  of  Sir  Walter  Scott 
when  he  saw  the  picture  in  Edinburgh,  as  I  happened  to  be 
present  with  him.  Sir  Walter  seemed  awe-struck  ;  his  at- 
tention wras  rivetted  to  this  remarkable  figure  in  the  picture, 
and  he  said  to  me  "  I  never  saw  so  extraordinary  a  con- 
ception realised  on  canvas  before  ;  it  is  truly  wonderful  — 
appalling — it  takes  one's  breath  away,'  &c. 

"I  sat  to  Mr.  Haydon  for  many  of  the  heads  in  his  pictures 
of  'Christ's  Triumphant  Entry'  and  'Lazarus,'  and  my  portrait 
is  in  the  former  picture  between  Hazlitt's  and  Keats's,  near 
that  of  Wordsworth. 

"As  a  Second  Edition  of  your  work  is  preparing,  I  beg  to 


APPENDIX    T.  385 

call  your  attention  to  that  part,  at  p.  295.  vol.  ii.,  where  it  is 
stated  the  poet  Goethe  writes,  that  his  soul  is  elevated  by 
the  contemplation  of  the  drawings  of  Hay  don's  pupils  from  the 
Elgin  Marbles.'  And  I  ask  you,  Sir,  to  do  me  the  justice  to 
state  that  it  was  myself  alone  who  was  employed  to  execute 
these  works  for  the  poet,  and  who  received  his  acknowledg- 
ment and  remuneration  through  the  Consul. 

"In  some  part  of  the  work,  where  Mr.  Haydon  enumerates 
his  pupils,  I  perceive  that  the  names  of  Mr.  Chatfield  and 
myself  are  omitted.  This  need  not  be  so  ;  and  if  this  omis- 
sion has  reference  to  the  circumstance  of  the  difference  that 
latterly  existed  between  Mr.  Haydon  and  myself,  I  can  only 
allude  to  the  estrangement  at  present  by  observing  that  it 
was  inevitable. 

"  I  may  mention  that  many  of  your  readers  of  the  Memoirs 
feel  a  disappointment  that  a  characteristic  portrait  does  not 
embellish  the  work  ;  and  the  only  likeness  that  I  remember 
as  coming  up  to  the  mark,  was  one  done  by  himself  in  chalk 
before  his  marriage,  and  I  believe  sent  to  the  country  to 
his  intended  beautiful  wife,  with  'Do  you  knoio  ?«e?' 
written  below  it.  It  was  characteristic  and  spirited,  at  his 
best  time,  and  favourable  in  expression. 

"  I  am,  Sir,  your  obedient  servant, 

"William  Bewick. 

"  Tom  Taylor,  Esq." 


VOL.  III.  C   C 


386  APrENDix  ii. 


APPENDIX  II. 


The  following  documents  throw  a  light  on  the  amount 
of  Ilaydon's  professional  income  at  various  periods. 

Extract  from  Balance-  Sheet  filed  in  Insolvency  in  the 

Year  1830. 

£      s.   d. 
1810.     Received  premium  voted    by  the  British 

Gallery  for  the  picture  of  Dentatus    -     105     0     0 
1S11.     Sold  Judgment  of  Solomon  for  -     735     0     0 

Received     premium     for     same     from 

British  Gallery         -  -  -      105     0     0 

Sold  picture  of  Romeo  and  Juliet  for   -        52   10     0 
Received  for  sketch  of  the  Entry  into 

Jerusalem     -  -  -  30     0     0 

1815.  Received  by  anticipation  of  Mr.  Phillips 

for  picture  of  Christ's  Agony  in  the 

Garden         ....  300  0  0 

Received  for  picture  of  Macbeth           -  50  0  0 

1816.  Do.  do.  do.  -  60  0  0 
From  friends  -  -  -  -  350  0  0 
Premium  with  pupil,  Mr.  Robertson      -  210  0  0 

1820.     Receipts  for   Entry  into  .Jeru- 
salem -  -  -      1800 
Expenses         ...        QQ4 

1136     0     0 

Received    premium    with    pupil,    Mr. 

Prentice       -  -  -  -     181    13     0 

Received  from  friends  -  -     200     0     0 

Received  for  Entry  into  Jeru- 
salem -  -  -  956   8    6 
Expenses  of  same        -             -  521    6    8 

435     1    10 


Received  premium  with  Mr.  Major,  a  pupil      -     210     0     0 
Ditto  Mr.  Jones       -  -     210     0     0 


APPENT'IX    II. 


-" 


- "  -  pte  from  Lr.zaru: 

Expenses  ol  same 


-  651  ; 

-  210     2  0 


•--and 
to  July 
-. 
1827 
Ju. 
Ma 
1S30." 


B       : red  from  friends 

I  1  for  Porti     I    - 

Do.  -      DOS     - 

Do.  Poi 

Do.  Pharaoh  - 


} 


Do. 


.  der 


Subscri;  I       -      r  Each  -    - 


July 

1828 

to  July 

-- 

July    ' 
I8S 

Jan. 
1 B30L 

19th 

.    rd 

».    . 
Feb.. 
March, 

April. 
and 

31 


ibition  of  Mock  Election    - 

- 
Three  p  - 

Pu:         -  .  Elect:  •   Ma- 

je- 
Sketch  - 

Remainder  of  subscriptions  to  Eu 
Exhibition  of  Phara 

Do.  Chairing  Members 

Sale  oi  stud     -      t  Mock  I  :, 

Do.  Chairing 

.  of  sketch*  -  - 
Two  small  pictures    - 
D  fcch      - 

-  -    .  -  ibition  up  to  29th  May 
ptions  to  Punch  received 
.  of  Mr.  K  small 

° 

.  of  Mr.  Strutt  for  .-ketch 

Parties  unknown 

For  exhibition  of  Punch  and  Eu 

tern  Excha   . 
.  SubscriptioD  for  the  pure]  unch 

Subscription  of  Mr.  Clark 

Parties  unknuwn 
c  t    - 


-441 
50 
" 
130 

614 


J. 


0  0 

0  0 

0  0 

0  0 


-     525     0     0 


•■ 


r 

2 

17 

0 

.. 

11 

0 

0 

78 

0 

0 

0 

0 

a 

14 

0 

o 

0 

61 

i 

168 

- 

0 

0 

0 

0 

_ 

0 

0 

• 

0 

0 

-• 

0 

109 

0 

0 

" 

0 

0 

0 

0 

10 

0 

0 

10 

0 

0 

114 

0 

0 

0 

0 

20 

0 

- 

0 

0 

188 


APPENDIX    II. 


Feb.,       1  Subscription  of  Mr.  Bowden  (loan) 
Marcb,  Mr.  Carlon  to  take 

April,  and  f  up  bill  - 

May,       J  Mr.  Wilkie  (loan)  - 

Since  my  marriage  I  have  been  in  the  receipt 
of  52/.  10*.  per  annum,  the  interest  of  10007. 
settled  upon  her  by  the  will  of  her  first  husband, 
Mr.  Hyman,  of  Plymouth.  He  became  bank- 
rupt, and  his  assignees  paid  the  1000/.  to  Mr. 
Boyer,  a  solicitor,  then  of  Devonport,  for  the 
trustees  of  my  wife,  and  the  money  is  lost  by 
their  permitting  him  to  retain  it  until  his  in- 
solvency        ----- 


£ 

s. 

d. 

30 

0 

0 

28 

10 

6 

12 

0 

0 

420     0     0 


£10,746     4     6 


Causes  of  Insolvency. 

Heavy   rent ;  want    of  adequate   employment ;   law    ex- 
penses, and  a  large  family. 


Extract  from  Balance- Sheet  filed  on  Insolvency  in  1836. 


£ 


d. 


1831. 

Received  from  profits  of  profession 

in 

this 

year 

- 

- 

637 

10 

0 

1832. 

5 

the  like                „ 

- 

798 

6 

3 

1833. 

JJ 

the  like                „ 

- 

631 

10 

0 

1834. 

5 

the  like                „ 

- 

675 

16 

0 

1835. 

>! 

the  like                 „ 

- 

927 

0 

0 

J  836. 

5! 

the    like,    includin 

g    su 

fo- 

scriptic 

>ns  at  various  times  to  the 

pictu 

re 

of  Xen 

ophon  - 

A 

947 

0 

0 

£4,617 

2 

3 

Insolvency  attributed  to  heavy  law  costs,  to  the  loss  sus- 
tained by  the  exhibition  of  Earl  Grey's  picture,  and  to 
having  been  attacked  by  Fraser's  Magazine. 


APPENDIX    III.  339 


APPENDIX    III. 


Extracts  from  Sir  Joshua  Reynolds's  Private  Memorandum 
Book,  copied  by  Beechey,  and  by  Haydon  from  him,  1st 
April,  IS  10,  with  Notes  of  Beechey 's  and  Haydon  s.* 

Mr.  Pelham.  —  Painted  in  lake  and  white,  and  black  and 
blue. 

Varnished  with  gum  mastich  dissolved  in  oil,  with  sal.  sa- 
turnin.  and  rock  alum.  Col.  (colour)  yellow,  lake,  and  Naples 
and  black,  mixed  with  varnish.     July  7,  1766. 

Miss  Kitty  Fisher. — Face  cerata  (I  suppose  varnished. — 
Beechey.)  (Of  course  not :  rubbed  with  wax  first. — B.  R.  II.) 
Drapery  painted  con  cera  e  poi  v — (varnished). 

Lord  Villiers.  —  Given  to  Dr.  Barnard.  Painted  with 
vernice,  fatto  di  cera  and  Venice  turpentine  —  mesticato 
con  gli  colori,  macerato  in  olio  ;  carmine  in  lieu  de  lacca. 

1767. —  Count  Lippe.     Senza  olio  in  finishing. 

(Exhibited  at  the  British  Institution  since :  had  stood 
well— B.  R.  H.) 

My  own,  Do.     Mrs.  Goddard,  Do. 

Miss  Chobnondcley.  —  Con  olio  e  vernice.  Con  Yeo's 
lake  and  magilp. 

(Note  of  Beechey's — '  Yeo's  lake.'     Mr.  Yeo  was  one  of 


*  These  memoranda  of  Reynolds  have  been  already  published, 
some  of  them  in  Northcote's  Life,  and  others  by  Sir  C.  L.  East- 
lake,  in  his  Materials  for  a  History  of  Oil-painting.  I  thought 
it  best,  however,  to  reprint  them  here,  for  the  sake  of  Beechey's 
and  Haydon's  remarks,  and  also  as  this  copy  seems  more  literal  and 
fuller  than  that  given  by  Sir  C.  L.  Eastlake. — Ed. 

cc  3 


390  APPENDIX    III. 

the  original  members  of  the  Royal  Academy,  and  made  co- 
lours for  his  amusement.) 

1767. — Lord  Townsend.  Prima  con  magylp,  poi  olio, 
poi  mag.  (magylp)  senza  olio  ;  lacca  ;  poi  verniciato  con  ver- 
milion. 

Doctor  Armstrong.  —  Painted  first  in  olio  poi  verniciato 
poi  cera  solo,  poi  cera  e  vernice. 

Speaker.  —  The  face  colori  in  olio  mesticato  con  macgylp 
poi  verniciato ;  cielo*  macgylp  e  poi  per  tutto  verniciato  con 
colori  in  pulvere  senza  olio  o  maglip  (*  cielo  —  the  back- 
ground).    (In  fact,  a  dry  scumble. — B.  R.  H.) 

(Some  soot  fell  on  a  picture  of  Sir  Joshua's  drying  by  the 
fire.  Sir  Joshua  took  it  up  and  said,  '  A  fine  cool  tint,'  and 
actually  scumbled  it  beautifully  into  the  flesh.  From 
Jackson  who  had  it  from  Sir  George  Beaumont.— B.  R.  H.) 

Master  Burke  finito  con  ver  (vernice)  senza  olio  o  cera ; 
carmine. 

Duchess  of  Ancaster.  —  Prima  magylp  —  secunda  olio  — 
terza  olio. 

Lady  Almeria  Carpenter.  —  Mrs.  Cholmondeley.  Mag. 
senza  olio. 

Mio proprio.  —  Given  to  Mr.  Burke.  Con  cera  finito  quasi, 
poi  con  mast,  ver,  finito  interamente,  poi  cerata  senza  colori. 

"  Offers  f  picture  painted  with  cera  et  cop.  (copaiva)  solo ; 
cinabro.  (Varnished  with  a  little  vermilion  used  as  a  stain 
over  all. — Note  by  Beechey.) 

Glazing. — Senza  olio;  varnish  of  mastic  solo,  Yeo's  yellow, 
verm,  and  blue. 

Sir  Charles  and  Master  Bunbury,  1768,  July  29. —  In 
vece  di  nero  si  puo  servirse  di  turchino  e  cinabro  e  lacca 
giallo  (probatum  est,  Nov.  20th,  1768)  (i.  e.  It  has  stood. 
— B.  R.  H.)     Second  sitting  too  yellow. 

The  glazing  di  cinabro  e  turchino. 

Senza  cera.  —  (Note.  Instead  of  black,  he  made  use  of 
Pr.  blue  and  vermilion. — Beechey.) 

April  3rd,  1 769. — Per  gli  colori  cinabro,  lacca,  ultramarin 
e  nero,  senza  giallo. 

f  His  niece,  Theophila  Palmer.  See  subsequent  note  of 
Beechey's,  1832. 


APPENDIX    III.  391 

Prima  in  olio,  ultimo  con  vernice  solo  e  giallo. 

May  \1th,  1769. — On  a  grey  ground. 

First  sitting,  vermilion,  lake,  white,  black. 

Second  do.,  3rd  do.,  ultramarine  —  last  senza  olio,  yellow 
oker  *,  black,  lake,  verm,  touched  upon  with  white.  (*  Here 
is  evidence  Sir  Joshua  used  yellow  in  flesh,  in  opposition  to 
Northcote's  assertion. — B,  R.  H.  1st  April,  1840.) 

Mrs.  Bouverie. —  The  face  senza  olio  and  the  boy's  head  ; 
the  rest  painted  con  olio,  and  afterwards  glazed  with  varnish 
and  colour,  except  the  green,  which  was  glazed  with  oil  and 
then  varnished.  The  vail  (sic.)  and  white  linnen  (sic.) 
finished  senza  — (without  oil  ?) 

July  10th,  1769. — My  own  picture  painted  first  with  oil  ; 
painted  with  lake,  yellow  oker,  blue  and  black,  cop.  e  cera 
vernice. 

Doctor  Johnson  and  Goldsmith.  First  olio,  after  with 
copaiva  with  colour,  but  without  white.  The  head  of  Gold- 
smith with  cop.  and  with  white. 

Mrs.  Horton.  —  Con  copaiva  senza  giallo  :  giallo  quando 
era  finito  de  pingere,  con  lacca,  e  giallo  quasi  solo,  e  poi 
glaze  with  ultramarine. 

June22nd,  1770. — Sono  stabilito  in  maniera  di  dipingere. 
Primo  e  secundo  o  con  olio  o  copivi,  gli  colori  solo  nero, 
ultram.  et  biacca.  Secondo  medesimo.  Ultimo  con  giallo 
okero  e  lacca  e  nero  e  ultramarine  e  senza  biacca  ritoccato 
con  poca  biacca  e  gli  altri  colori.  My  own  given  to  Mrs. 
Burke — (fine  proceeding. — B.  R.  II.) 

(This  it  seems  was  "his  most  approved  method"  —  no 
yellow  till  the  last  colouring. — W.  Beechey.) 

Olio — primo  biacca  e  nero. 

2nd.  —  Biacca  e  lacca — terzo  lacca  e  giallo  e  nero  senza 
biacca  in  copivi  or  copaiva. 

(These  are  all  glazing  colours. — Beechey.) 

Beechey 's  note,  1832. 

"  Offe." — Theophila  Palmer,  his  niece,  sister  of  the  Mar- 
chioness of  Thomond,  who  was  (so  ?)  called  by  Sir  Joshua 
and  Dr.  Johnson.     She  is  now  Mrs.  Gwatkin. 

c  c  4 


392  APPENDIX    III. 

"  Soiio  stabilito,  &c.  &c." 

His  vehicle  was  oil  or  balsam  of  copaiva.  His  colours 
were  only  black,  ultramarine,  and  white,  so  that  he  finished 
his  picture  entirely  in  black  and  white,  all  but  glazing  —  no 
red  or  yellow  till  the  last,  which  was  used  in  glazing,  and 
that  was  mixed  with  Venice  turp.  and  wax  as  a  varnish. 
Take  off  that,  and  his  pictures  return  to  black  and  white. 
(Excellent.— B.  R.  H.) 

May,  1770. — My  own  picture.  Canvas  imprimed  ;  cera 
finito  con  vernicio. 

June  \2th,  1770.  —  Paese*  senza  rosso,  con  giallo  nero  e 
turchino  e  biacca.     Cera. 

*  (Note — This  is  a  landscape  of  his  in  possession  of  Sir 
George  Phillips,  which  appears  to  be  painted  without  red. 
I  suppose  from  Richmond  Hill,  a  landscape  without  red, 
with  yellow,  black,  blue,  and  white  lead. — Beechey.)  (Tur- 
chino is  Prussian  blue.  I  remember  Sir  George  Phillips 
buying  the  landscape  in  the  last  great  sale  of  Sir  Joshua's 
works,  at  Christie's,  where  he  also  bought  the  Piping  Boy 
for  430  guineas — I  pulling  his  coat  to  go  on,  at  which  Lady 
Phillips  was  very  angry,  because  she  thought  it  too  much. — 
B.R.H.) 

The  Nicean  Nymph  with  Bacchus. — Principiato  con  cera 
sola,  finito  con  cera  e  copaiva,  per  causa  it  cracked.  Do.  St. 
John.     (Of  course. — B.  R.  H.) 

"  Offe"  fatto  (fatta)  interamente  con  copaiva  e  cera.  La 
testa  sopra  un  fondo  preparato  con  olio  e  biacca. 

Lady  Melbourne. — Do.  sopra  una  *  Tela  di  fondo.  (Note. 
— Balsam  of  copaiva  and  wax  upon  an  oil  ground;  it  must 
crack,  and  peel  off  in  time. — Beechey,  1832.)  (Of  course. 
— B.  R.  H.  1840.) 

i*Tela  di  fondo. — Prepared  cloth  to  paint  on,  or  a  raw 
cloth  ?— B.)     (N.  B.     «  A  raw  cloth."— B.  R.  H.) 

Hicky  Vernice  :  carmine,  azurro,  Venice  turp.  e  cera  ;  sta- 
bilito in  maniera  di  servirsi  di  Jews  pitch.  Lake,  verm, 
carmine  azurro  e  nero  (  Vernice,   Ven.  turp.  e  cera.*) 

(*Note.  — "  Varnish,  Venice  turp.  and  wax,"  a  comical 
varnish.  — Beechey.) 

My  own,   April   27,    1772.  —  First    acqua    and    gomma 


APPENDIX   III.  393 

dragon.*     verm,    (vermilion),   lake,   black,   without  yellow, 
varnished  with  egg  after  Venice  turpentine. 

(Heavens  —  murder!  murder!  It  must  have  cracked 
under  the  brush. — B.  R.  H.) 

(*  Note.  I  rather  think  gum  tragacanth,  for  that  is  a 
gum  which  mixes  well  with  water,  and  makes  a  mucilage. 
That  and  powdered  mastic  dry  hard. 

This  wax  was  thus  prepared:  —  pure  white  wax  scraped 
into  very  thin  slices,  and  covered  with  spirit  of  turpentine, 
cold.  In  twelve  hours  it  becomes  a  paste.  With  this  and 
sugar  of  lead  he  mixed  Venice  turpentine  or  copaiva,  or  any 
balsam.  His  egg  varnish  alone  would  in  a  short  time  tear 
any  picture  to  pieces  painted  with  such  materials  as  he  made 
use  of. — Beechey.)     (Indisputably  true. — B.  R.  H.) 

29th  April,  1776.— Mrs.  Basset. 

Asphaltum       and      verm.  ^ 
solo,     glazed     and     re- 
touched. 

May  3rd.         Naples  cinnabar,  red  lead, 
Cologne  earth  and  black.. 

Jane,  1776. — Blue,  light  red,  verm.,  white,  perhaps  black. 

Duke  of  Dorset. — Finito  con  cera  solamente,  poi  vernicata 
con  cera  e  turp.  Venetia. 

Hope  (for  New  College,  Oxon). — Cera  solamente. 

October,  1788. — La  meglia  maniera  con  cera  mesticato  («) 
con  turp.  de  Venetia.     {Justitia  \)  ma  di  panni,  cera  sol. 

Strawberry  Girl. — Cera  sol. 

Doctor  Barnard. — 1st.    Black  and  white. 

2nd.  Verm,  and  white  dry. 
3rd.  Varnished  and  retouched. 

October,  1772. — Miss  Kirk. — Gum  Dr.  (gum  tragacanth  ?) 
and  whiting  :  poi  cerata,  poi  ovata,  poi  verniciata  e  ritoccata. 

Cracks." 

(Beechey  says,  "  This  manner  is  the  most  extraordinary." 
It  is  insanity.  He  had  at  his  elbow  a  mocking  fiend  ! — 
gum  and  whiting!  then  ivaxed,  then  egged,  then  varnished, 
and  then  retouched  ! 

f  One  of  his  Christian  Virtues  at  New  College,  Oxon. — En. 


Crossed  out 
by  Reynolds. 


394  AITENDIX    III. 

In  November,  1844,  Mrs.  Gwatkin  sent  me  up  a  leaf 
from  Sir  Joshua's  book  as  a  document  to  refute  Sir  Martin 
Shee's  assertion  that  no  such  book  existed,  and  on  the  leaf 
was  this  very  part. — B.  R.  H.) 

August  ]5th,  1774. — White,  blue,  asphaltum,  verm,  senza 
nero.     Miss  Foley,  Sir  R.  Fletcher,  Mr.  Hare. 

August  26th. — White,  asphaltum,  verm.,  minio  (red  lead), 
principalmente  giallo  di  Napoli,  ni  nero,  ni  turchino.  Ra- 
gazzo  con  sorella.     Glaze  con  asphaltum  and  lake. 

Sir  M.  Fletcher.  —  Biacca,  nero,  ultramarine,  verm,  sed 
principalmente  minio*  senza  giallo  l'ultima  volta  ;  oiled  out 
and  painted  all  over. 

(*  Red  lead  won't  stand.     It  becomes  green. — Beechey.) 

Dr.  Hare. — Except  glazed  with  varnish  e  giallo  di  Na- 
poli, finito  quasi  con  asphaltum,  minio,  verm.  ;  poi  in  poco 
di  ultramarine  qua  e  la,  senza  giallo. 

Mr.  Whiteford.  —  Asphal.  verm.,  minio,  principalmente, 
senza  giallo. 

Blackguard  (?)  Mercury  and  Cupid. — Black  and  verm., 
afterwards  glazed. 

Sir  John  Pringle. — Verm,  minio,  giallo  di  Napoli  e  nero. 

3Irs.  Joddrel.  —  Head  oil,  cerata,  varnisht  with  ovo  poi 
varn  con  wolf,  panni  cera  senza  olio,  verniciato  con  ovo 
poi  con  wolf. 

Prima. — Umbra  e  biacca,  poco  de  olio. 

Secundo.  —  Umbra,  verm,  e  biacca,  thick,  occasionally 
thinned  with  turpentine. 

Nero,  cinnabro,  minio,  e  azzuro,  thick.  My  own  Flo- 
rence *  upon  a  raw  cloth,  cera  solamente. 

(*  Perhaps  his  own  head  in  Florence  Gallery. — B.  R.  H.) 

The  children  of  Mrs.  Sheridan. — Poi  cerata. 

Mrs.  Sheridan.  —  The  face  in  olio,  poi  cerata ;  panni  in 
olio,  poi  con  cera  senza  olio,  poi  olio  e  cera. 

(O  Reynolds  —  Reynolds  !  The  drapery  first  with  oil, 
then  wax  without  oil,  then  oil  and  wax. 

Beechey  says  the  colours  in  this  picture  leave  the  canvas 
in  masses,  except  the  head,  which  is  perfect.) 

Mrs.  Montague. — Olio  e  cera,  asphaltum,  nero  e  cinnabro. 


APPENDIX    III.  395 

Lady  Dysart.  —  Primo  olio,  poi  cera  solamente  pour  il 
viso. 

My  own  picture  marked  F  behind. 

Finished  con  vernicio  de  Berming.  (copal  varnish  from 
Birmingham)  senza  olio. 

Lord  Althorp.  —  Minio  e  nero  sol. ;  poi  giallo  e  verm, 
senza  biacca,  olio. 

Mrs.  Montague. — Olio,  poi  cerata  ;  ritoccato  con  biacca. 

Samuel.  —  Flesh  glazed  with  gamb.  (gamboge)  and  verm. 
Drap.  gamb.  and  lake.     Sky  retouched  with  orpim. 

(All  faders  except  verm. — B.  R.  II.) 

Appresso  Perino  del  Vaga. —  Saint  Joseph  dipinto  con 
verm,  e  nero,  velato  (glazed)  con  gambog.  e  lacca  e  asphal- 
tum,  poco  de  turchino  nella  barba ;  panni  turchino  e  lacca. 

My  oicn  picture  sent  to  Plympton.  —  Cera,  poi  vernissata 
senza  olio.  Colori,  Cologne  earth,  verm.,  and  white,  and 
blue,  on  a  common  colourman's  cloth,  Jirst  varnished  over 
with  copal  varnish. 

My  oxen,  painted  at  the  same  time  on  a  raw  cloth,  do. 

(Beechey  has  written,  "  Good  heavens  !  "  ) 

(Wilkie  in  1809  saw  this  picture  at  Plympton.  It  was  in 
perfect  preservation.  The  corporation  have  since  sold  it. 
It  was  offered  to  the  National  Gallery,  and  ignorantly  re- 
fused.    Who  has  it  now  I  know  not. — B.  R   II.") 

Miss  Molesivorth.  —  Drapery  painted  with  oil  colour  first, 
after,  cera  alone. 

Miss  Ridge.     Do. 

Lady  Granby.     Do. 

Pra;sepe.  —  (Nativity  or  birth  of  Christ.  —  Beechey.) 
(Burnt  at  Belvoir  Castle.) 

A  raw  cloth  senza  olio  ;  Venice  turp.  and  cera. 

(Sir  George  Beaumont  wrote  me  he  saw  it  the  summer 
before  it  was  burnt,  and  it  was  perfect. — B.  R.  II.) 

Llope,  August,  1779.  —  My  own  copy.  First  oil,  then 
Venice  turp.  e  cera  ;  verm.,  white  and  black,  poi  varnisht 
with  Venice  e  cera;  light  red  and  black,  varnisht. 

1781.— Dido,  oil. 

Manner.     Colours  to  be  used.  —  Indian  red,  light  red,  do. 


306  APPENDIX    III. 

blue  and  black,  finisht  with  varnish  without  oil,  poi  ritocc. 
con  giallo. 

(Bought  by  Lord  Favnhorough  for  George  IV.  at  the  great 
sale — 900  guineas — perfect  preservation. — B.  R.  H.) 

(Finis  of  extracts  from  Reynolds, 
which  I,  B.  R.  Haydon,  have  copied  faithfully,  correctly,  and, 
without  addition  or  alteration. 

So  help  me  God, 

this  day,  April  1st,  1840.) 

Beecheijs  Notes  on  Reynolds'  Practice. 

First  and  second  time  of  painting  in  oil  or  copaiva ;  the 
colours  only  black  and  white  and  ultramarine ;  lastly,  with 
yellow  oker,  hike,  black,  and  blue  without  white  lead,  but  re- 
touched with  a  little  white.  This  it  seems  was  his  most  ap- 
proved method. 

No  yellow  till  the  last  colouring. 

3rd.  These  were  all  glazing  colours. 

"  Offe  "  *  painted  entirely  with  balsam  of  copaiva  and  wax 
upon  an  oil  ground.     It  must  crack  and  peel  off  in  time. 

Lady  M on  the  same  kind  of  ground,  and  I  imagine 

treated  in  the  same  kind  of  way. 

On  Mickey's  Varnish. 

I  am  settled  in  my  manner  of  using  asphaltum.  His 
(Hickey's)  varnish, — Venice  turpentine  and  wax, — a  comical 
varnish.  It  must  be  removed  the  first  time  of  cleaning,  and 
the  glazing  with  it.  Venice  turp.  only.  It  was,  I  suppose, 
thinned  with  spirit  of  turp. 

I  once  painted  a  picture  on  wood  primed  with  wax,  which 
cracked  all  over  before  it  was  finished. 

The  oil  softens  the  ground  in  drying  ;  so  the  ground  be- 
comes softer  every  day,  whilst  the  surface  gets  harder.  It 
must  crack. 

Sir  Joshua  (Beechey  adds)  never  studied  chemistry  much. 

(Not  much  chemistry  was  wanted  here. —  B.  R.  H.) 

I  dissolved  mastic  in  alcohol,  then  mixed  it  with  sugar  of 

*  The  portrait  of  his  niece  Theophila. 


appendix  nr.  397 

lead  water,  and  strained  it  through  a  linen  cloth,  then  mixed 
it  in  clear  drying  oil.  It  dried  dead  and  hard,  very  like 
Rembrandt ;  by  adding  more  oil  it  became  a  butter  without 
stickiness. 

One  drop  of  copaiva  made  it  better. 

Frankincense  and  elame  are  the  best  gums  for  mixtures  of 
every  kind,  and  will  not  deceive  you  like  resin,  who  is  a  de- 
ceitful fellow,  and  cannot  be  depended  on. 
They  both  dry  without  a  skin. 

Neither  Rembrandt  or  Cuyp  can  be  imitated  with  our  com- 
mon materials.     (This  is  prejudice. — B.  R.  H. ) 

There  is  no  Venice  turpentine  in  this  country.  They  make 
a  substitute  with  common  white  resin  dissolved  in  spirit  of 
turpentine. 

I  have  now  got  some  real  Venice  turpentine,  and  have  made 
many  mixtures  with  it.  It  is  what  Wilson  always  used,  but 
how  he  made  his  vehicle  he  would  never  say.  When  it  dries, 
it  does  not  dry  with  a  skin,  but  dries  from  the  bottom,  all 
through. 

I  shall  mention  some  of  the  best. 

Dissolve  sugar  of  lead  in  as  much  alcohol  as  will  just  cover 
it,  over  a  gentle  fire,  or  place  your  bottle  near  the  fire,  and 
it  will  soon  melt  and  become  a  perfect  fluid.  While  it  is  hot 
pour  some  of  it  on  a  small  quantity  of  the  Venice  turpentine, 
and  mix  them  well  together  with  a  knife,  and  then  thin  it 
with  oil  or  spirit  as  you  want  it. 

The  same  solution  of  lead  with  mastic  varnish,  and  thinned 
with  a  single  drop  of  balsam  of  copaiva  and  oil,  is  beautiful. 


To  make  a  drying  Oil. 

1  lb.  of  alum.  Heat  it  in  a  shovel  till  white  ;  powder  it, 
with  1  lb.  of  sugar  of  lead  well  powdered.  Add  a  gallon  of 
oil,  linseed.  Stir  them  together  three  or  four  times  a- day 
for  a  week  ;  pour  for  use  into  ajar,  large  mouth.  Covered 
with  cloth,  and  expose  it  to  sun. 

(Better  boil  the  materials  together. — B.  R.  H.) 


398  APPENDIX    III. 


Most  excellent. 


Very  fat  linseed  oil  thinned  with  great  deal  of  turp., 

Mixt  with  paste,  and  sal.  sat., 

Made  thinner  with  raw  linseed.     Then  add  mastic  varnish. 

It  makes  a  more  manageable  vehicle  then  any  I  ever  used. 

(This  is  excellent,  and  true. 

The  first  coat  must  be  hard  before  another  is  put  on,  or 
it  cracks  ;  the  atmosphere  hardening  the  last  coat,  and  the 
under  coat  struggling  for  light  and  air  splits  the  covering. — 
B.  R.  II.) 

Wilson  told  me  his  varnish  was  white  of  egg,  which  he 
lamented  he  had  ever  made  use  of;  nothing  could  be  worse 
for  a  fresh-painted  picture. 

The  background  of  Sir  Joshua's  pictures,  the  furniture  and 
accompaniments,  &c,  were  often  painted  by  Northcote  or 
Marchi  in  oil,  and  do  not  crack  or  peel  off;  but  Sir  Joshua's 
vehicle  being  composed  of  wax  and  varnish  (generally  copal 
from  Birmingham)  dried  very  hard,  and  whenever  he  had 
occasion  to  pass  over  their  work,  which  he  frequently  did 
before  it  dried  hard,  it  is  always  found  to  crack  more  than 
those  parts  which  he  painted  himself,  i.  c.  which  he  painted 
entirely  from  beginning.  But  his  canvas  was  generally 
primed  in  oil :  however  his  colours  might  adhere  to  it  at  first, 
as  soon  as  they  became  hard  and  dry  they  cracked  and  left 
the  canvas. 

Serves  Varnish. 

Put  in  an  earthen  pipkin  glazed  on  inside  sixteen  ounces 
of  rectified  spirits  of  wine  ;  one  ounce  of  picked  gum  mastieh 
in  its  natural  state  ;  four  drachms  (?)  of  gum  sandarach,  and 
half  an  ounce  of  gum  elame. 

When  these  gums  are  dissolved  and  incorporated,  add  to 
them  two  ounces  of  genuine  Venice  turpentine. 

The  gum  elame  gives  a  consistence  to  the  varnish,  and 
prevents  it  from  chilling. 

(  Beechy  adds,  that  this  is  a  literal  receipt  from  Mr.  Serres  ; 
but  I  suppose  it  is  made;  by  a  slow  heat  like  other  wine 
varnishes,  and  should  be  often  shook  up, — 15.  li.  II.) 


APPENDIX  III.  399 

Query  whether  any  spirit  of  wine  varnish  is  a  safe  one  for 
oil  pictures,  as  it  may  dissolve  the  colours  in  using. 

Sacc  >at.  dissolved  in  alcohol 

Cera  diss,  in  turpentine 

And  Venice  turpentine  dissolved  in  alchol,  mixed  cold. 

Ditto,  in  drying  oil  instead  of  turpentine.     Both  excellent. 

Venice  turpentine  creeps  in  drying —  so  do  all  resins  with 
too  much  oil. 

Paste  thinned  with  drying  oil,  or  linseed  oil  mixed  with 
Ashburner's  varnish  and  turps,  dries  hard  and  dead  and  works 
well. 

Taste  is  common  brown  turpentine   soap   sliced   very  thin 

in  a  jug  or  any  other  open  vessel,  covered  with  water,  and 

plaeed  either  in  a  cool  oven,  or  near  a  fire,  till  it  is  perfectly 

Ived,   making  a  tender  jelly  when  cold.      March   30th, 

1830. 

Dissolve  sugar  of  lead  in  warm  water,  wry  strong;  add 
this  to  the  soap  cold,  stir  them  well  together,  then  add  spirit 
of  turpentine,  and  separate  the  paste  by  squeezing  it  together 
with  a  knife,  and  adding  more  turpentine. 

Dissolve  saccharum  sat.  in  alcohol  over  the  tire,  and  let  it 

cool,  (quantity  immaterial ).  pour  it  on  linseed  oil,  about  twice 

the    quantity    of    spirit,    stirred    well    together.      Then    add 

mastic  varnish,  about  equal  quantities,  half  the  quantity  or 

with  the  mixture. 

An  excellent  vehicle,  dries  well,  the  best  I  ever  had,  to  be 
kept  under  water. 

Used  to  pour  oil  on  it  while  hot ;  it.  appeared  to  do  well. 

Mastic,  sacc  -at.  and  spirit  of  wine  dries  hard. 

Excellent  vehicles  and  dryer. 

Discovered  by  me  by  an  accident.  —  W.  15..  March.  L832. 

Dissolve  sugar  of  lead  in  spirits  of  wine,  as  much  as  will 
cover  it.  "Winn  dissolved  mix  it  with  linseed  oil.  Then 
add  mastic  v.  If  wanted  more  coagulated,  add  mastic 
varnish. 

Ohio  turpentim    dissolved  in  alcohol  ;    then  add  sac.  ground 
in  ted  an. 1    turpentine  —  no  oil  —  mixed    with    oil   it    mafc 
tender,  melting  kind  oi  vehicle  and   dries  .-ohd.      dune  24th, 
183 


400  APPENDIX  III. 

Experiment  on  the  back  of  an  old  canvas  rubbed  out  por- 
trait. Gum  sandrac,  ground  with  sacc.  sat.  in  spirits  of  wine, 
turpentine,  and  then  mixed  witli  a  little  oil. 

It  mixes  with  mastic  varnish  or  resin,  ground  with  sugar 
of  lead  in  oil. 

This  resembles  the  Venetian  more  than  anything  I  ever 
tried.     It  dries  solid,  and  not  sticky. 

The  frankincense  is  the  best  of  all  resins.  You  may 
always  depend  on  it.  It  is  beautiful ;  first  dissolved  in 
alcohol,  &c.  It  mixes  with  oil  and  turpentine  like  the  pulp 
of  a  grape. 

(This  is  the  climax. — B.  R.  II.) 

Lime  newly  burnt,  slaked  witli  warm  water  till  it  becomes 
as  thick  as  dough.  Then  take  the  curds  of  milk  of  the  same 
quantity  as  the  dough  of  lime,  and  mix  them  together.  This 
makes  a  vehicle  in  which  you  may  mix  oil. 

Green  colour.  Whiting  put  in  a  pipkin  over  a  fire,  and 
oil  of  blue  vitriol  poured  on  it  till  it  is  absorbed.  Then 
grind  it  in  oil. 

(Finis  of  Beechey's  notes. — B.  R.  H.) 

Having  thus  gone  through  the  experiments  of  Reynolds, 
and  the  notes  of  my  dear,  old,  good-hearted  friend  Beechey, 
I  conclude  with  my  astonishment  at  the  childishness  of  many 
of  them. 

Reynolds  was  always  pursuing  a  surface  ;  —  was  willing  to 
get  at  once  what  the  old  masters  did  with  the  simplest  ma- 
terials, and  left  time  and  drying  to  enamel.  That  enamelled 
look,  the  result  of  thorough  drying  hard  and  time,  must  not 
be  attempted  at  once.  It  can  only  be  done,  as  Reynolds  did 
it,  by  artilicial  mixtures,  which  the  old  masters  never  thought 
of.  And,  therefore,  the  great  part  of  Reynolds's  works  are 
split  to  pieces  from  their  inconsistent  unions. 

To  wax  a  head,  then  egg  a  head,  then  paint  in  oil  on  these 
two  contracting  substances,  then  varnish  it,  then  wax,  oil, 
then  paint  again  all  and  each  still  half  dry  beneath,  could 
end  only  in  ruin,  however  exquisite  at  the  time. 

Whilst  West's  detestable  surface  has  stood  from  the  sim- 
plicity of  his  vehicle,  half  of  Sir  Joshua's  heads  are  gone, 


APPENDIX  III.  401 

though  what  remain  are  so  exquisite,  one  is  willing  to  sacri- 
fice them  for  the  works  we  see. 

Reynolds  said  once,  "  Northcote,  you  don't  clean  my 
brushes  well."  "  How  can  I?"  said  Northcote  ;  "  they  are 
so  sticky  and  gummy." 

This  is  confirmed  by  these  receipts.  They  must  have  been 
so. 

A  gentleman  told  "Wilkie  he  sat  to  Sir  Joshua.  Sir  Joshua 
dabbled  in  a  quantity  of  stuff,  laid  the  picture  on  its  back, 
shook  it  about  till  it  settled  like  a  batter  pudding,  and  then 
painted  away. 


Addenda  (Beechey). 

Sir  Joshua  having  made  use  of  Ven.  turp.  and  wax  as  a 
varnish  accounts,  in  a  great  measure,  for  the  pale  and  raw 
appearance  of  his  pictures  after  cleaning. 

Rubbed  ever  so  lightly  with  spirits  of  turpentine  the 
glazing  colours  must  inevitably  be  removed. 

Venetian  turpentine  and  wax  must  in  time  also  become 
opaque,  and  if  it  dries  hard  (which  I  doubt)  it  must  crack 
and  turn  yellow,  if  not  leave  the  canvas  altogether. 

A  most  extraordinary  practice  for  so  sensible  a  man. 
Every  one  could  have  told  him  carmine  would  not  stand  in 
oil,  or  his  varnish  be  permanent. 

Those  pictures  which  he  painted  on  unprimed  wood,  or 
unprimed  cloth,  remain  fixed,  because  his  first  colouring  is 
partly  absorbed  ;  but  painted  on  a  ground  prepared  in  oil,  the 
wax  and  varnish  separate  as  soon  as  it  becomes  dry  and 
hard,  having  nothing  for  these  materials  to  adhere  to,  and 
the  paste  used  in  lining  cannot  penetrate  through  the  oil 
priming,  so  as  to  come  in  contact  with  the  painting  in  order 
to  secure  it.  The  picture-cleaners  take  off  what  Sir  Joshua 
thought  the  most  precious  part  of  his  colouring,  i.  e.  what  he 
finished  with,  which  produced  what  he  called  "  a  deep-toned 
brightness."  The  practice  was  good,  but  the  means  de- 
plorable. 

Hoppner  used  wax  and  mastic  varnish  with  his  oil  colours, 
VOL.  III.  D  D 


402  APPENDIX  III. 

in  a  moderate  degree,  and  his  pictures  stand  well.*  But 
Sir  Joshua  loaded  his  pictures  with  that  mixture  without  oil, 
and  seemed  delighted  to  dabble  in  it  without  considering  the 
consequences.  It  is,  however,  a  most  delicious  vehicle  to  use, 
and  gives  the  power  of  doing  such  things  and  producing  such 
effects  as  cannot  be  approached  by  anything  else,  while  the 
pictures  are  fresh,  but  time  seems  to  have  envied  his  fame, 
and  to  delight  in  the  destruction  of  his  most  beautiful  works. 

Rembrandt  followed  the  same  mode  of  practice,  but  em- 
ployed other  materials  —  materials  which  were  permanent. 
Rembrandt  only  painted  his  lights  with  a  full  body  of 
colour ;  his  shadows  were  always  smooth  and  thin,  but  very 
soft. 

Sir  Joshua  loaded  his  shadows  as  much  as  his  lights. 
There  is  a  binding  quality  in  white,  which  always  dries 
hard  like  cement.  Dark  colours  the  reverse,  and  if  thickly 
painted,  crack  with  any  vehicle  except  oil. 

Vandyke's  vehicle  was  principally  oil  mixed  with  a  little 
varnish.  The  head  of  Gevartius  seems  to  have  been  painted 
with  it  only,  and  that  is  bright  enough  for  anything. 

I  think  Rembrandt  seduced  Sir  Joshua,  for  he  seems  to 
have  used  something  of  the  consistence  of  butter,  which  is 
a  most  bewitching  vehicle  certainly. 

He  also  produced  his  extraordinary  effects  by  glazing, 
which  the  picture-restorer  easily  removes,  and  which,  in 
many  instances,  has  been  removed,  and  the  possessor 
thought  his  picture  the  better  for  it. 

Sir  Joshua,  in  his  notes,  has  remarked,  he  saw  one  picture 
by  Vandyke  which  had  not  suffered  by  cleaning,  in 
Flanders. 

My  Lord  Cowper  has  a  family  picture  which  is  perfect. 
The  finest  I  ever  saw. 

*  They  do  not  stand.  To  wit,  Lord  Hastings  (Moira)  and 
another  at  Windsor.  —  B.  R.  H. 


APPENDIX  IV.  403 


APPENDIX  IV. 


Account  by  Sir  Joshua  Reynolds  of  his  Resignation  of  tin- 
Presidency  of  the  Royal  Academy. 

(The  following  was  among  the  extracts  copied  for 
Hay  don  from  Sir  Joshua's  original  memoranda,  in  the 
possession  of  Mrs.  Gwatkin.  There  are  other  papers 
among  Haydon's  MSS.  which  have  formed  part  of  the 
same  collection,  but  they  are  so  fragmentary  that  I 
have  been  unable  to  give  them  a  coherent  form.  The 
style  of  this  statement  rather  gives  colour  to  the  notion 
that  Sir  Joshua  had  some  literary  aid  in  his  Discourses. 
—  Ed.) 

The  consequence  which  every  man  is  to  himself,  and  the 
imaginary  interest  he  vainly  supposes  the  public  take  in 
what  concerns  him  or  his  private  affairs,  may  reasonably  be 
supposed  to  be  the  origin  of  the  various  apologies  for  the  life 
and  conduct  of  very  insignificant  individuals.  However  I 
wish  to  avoid  the  ridicule  that  attends  such  appeals  to  the 
public,  yet  it  has  been  suggested  to  me  by  my  friends,  that 
as  the  public  appear  to  have  already  interested  themselves 
from  the  daily  account  in  the  newspapers,  and  the  statement 
of  the  dissensions  in  the  Academy  in  those  papers  and  other 
publications  not  very  advantageous  to  the  President,  it  is 
proper  that  a  fair  account  ought  to  be  laid  before  the  public, 
that  the  ridicule  that  might  otherwise  attend  it  was  obviated 
by  having  presided  in  a  public  office,  of  however  comparative 
inferior  rank  that  office  was  —  it  is  still  such  as  the  world 
has  thought  proper  to  interest  themselves  about  its  success 
or  miscarriage.    That  if  you  can  show  that  the  opposition  you 

D  d  2 


404  appendix  iv. 

met  with  in  the  Academy  was  in  the  prosecution  of  your 
duty,  and  the  insult  which  you  lately  received  was  unpro- 
voked and  unmerited,  it  is  a  duty  you  owe  yourself  and  your 
character  so  to  do,  and  at  once  clear  yourself  from  the  clan- 
destine, as  well  as  public,  insinuations  that  are  now  circu- 
lating in  the  world.  To  do  this  it  is  necessary  to  go  back  a 
few  years,  to  get  at  the  original  cause  of  this  dissension 
amongst  the  Academicians. 

Years  ago  the  Academy  lost  its  Professor  of  Perspective, 
Mr.  Wale.  To  fill  this  office,  no  candidate  voluntarily  ap- 
pearing, the  President  personally  applied  to  those  Acade- 
micians whom  he  thought  qualified,  and  particularly  to  Mr. 
P.  Sandby  and  Mr.  Richards,  begging  them  to  accept  the 
place,  and  save  the  Academy  from  the  disgraceful  appear- 
ance of  there  not  being  a  member  in  it  capable  of  filling 
this  office,  or  that  they  were  too  indolent  to  undertake  its 
duty.  My  solicitations  were  in  vain.  A  Council  was  then 
called  to  deliberate  what  was  to  be  done.  Sir  William 
Chambers  proposed  that  as  from  the  orders  in  our  insti- 
tution the  Professor  must  be  an  Academician,  he  recom- 
mended that  we  should  endeavour  to  find  out  some  person, 
out  of  the  Academy,  properly  qualified,  and  elect  him  an 
Academician  expressly  for  that  purpose,  and  I  remember  his 
adding  that  it  was  the  custom  so  to  do  in  the  French  Aca- 
demy. This  method  of  proceeding  was  adopted,  but,  no 
person  so  qualified  occurring  to  the  Council,  nothing  more 
was  done  for  the  present.  At  a  succeeding  Council  I  pro- 
posed Mr.  Bonomi.  Mr.  Edwards,  an  Associate,  was  like- 
wise proposed. 

It  was  then  hinted  with  great  propriety  by  our  late  Secre- 
tary, Mr.  Newton,  that  he  apprehended  we  should  think  it 
necessary  that  the  candidates  should  produce  specimens  of 
their  abilities.  We  all  acquiesced  in  this  opinion.  I  ac- 
quainted Mr.  Bonomi  what  the  Council  required,  and  Mr. 
Edwards's  friend  gave  the  same  information  to  him.  The 
President  soon  after  received  a  letter  from  Mr.  Edwards,  in 
which  he  proposes  himself  as  a  candidate,  but  that,  if  speci- 
mens are  required,  he  is  past  being  a  boy  and  shall  produce 
none.     Mr.   Bonomi  sent  his  specimen   to   the  Exhibition, 


APPENDIX  IV.  405 

which  was  a  perspective  drawing  of  his  own  invention  of 
Lord  Lansdowne's  library.  At  the  following  general  meet- 
ing for  the  election  of  an  Associate,  the  President  reminded 
the  Academy  that  the  Professorship  of  Perspective  was  still 
vacant,  and  that  Mr.  Bonomi  was  on  the  list  of  candidates 
to  be  an  Associate,  with  a  view  particularly  to  fill  that  office  ; 
that  as  they  had  seen  his  specimen  at  the  Exhibition,  they 
.were  to  judge  whether  or  not  he  was  qualified  for  the  place 
he  solicited,  he  carefully  avoiding  to  utter  a  single  word  in 
his  commendation.  When  the  President  sat  down  Mr.  T. 
Sandby,  the  Professor  of  Architecture,  without  being  called 
upon  by  the  President  or  any  one  else,  rose  and  said  he  did 
not  know  Mr.  Bonomi,  having  never  seen  him  in  his  life, 
but,  judging  from  the  drawing  at  the  Exhibition,  he  thought 
him  eminently  qualified  to  be  Professor  of  Perspective  to  the 
Academy. 

Notwithstanding  this  high  authority  in  his  favour  Mr. 
Bonomi  was  not  elected  an  Academician.  At  a  succeeding 
election  of  Associates  Mr.  Bonomi  wished  to  decline  being: 
any  longer  a  candidate.  I  pressed  him  to  continue  his  name 
on  the  list,  that  I  would  speak  more  fully  upon  the  business 
at  the  next  election  than  I  had  hitherto  done,  and  that  if  I 
failed  I  never  would  ask  him  again.  Accordingly,  at  the 
next  election  following,  the  President,  after  mentioning  that 
Mr.  Bonomi  was  again  a  candidate,  complained  of  the  little 
attention  that  had  been  hitherto  paid  to  filling  the  chair  of 
Professor  of  Perspective.  That  it  was  full  as  disagreeable 
to  him  to  drop  counsel  in  unwilling  ears,  as  it  was  irksome 
to  them  to  hear  it.  That  nothing  but  a  sense  of  duty  could 
make  him  persevere  as  he  had  done  for  these  five  years  past 
at  every  election,  continually  recommending  them  to  fill  this 
place,  that  it  wrould  continue  to  be  his  duty  at  every  future 
election,  and  begged  them  to  relieve  him  from  this  dis- 
agreeable task,  and  for  once  to  set  aside  their  friends,  or  even 
candidates  of  the  greatest  merit  in  other  respects,  and  give 
their  vote  to  the  general  interest  and  honour  of  the  Academy  : 
in  short,  to  make  the  Academy  itself  whole  and  complete 
before  they  thought  of  its  ornaments.  That  it  could  not  be 
questioned  that  it  was  as  much  his  duty  as  President  and 

d  n  3 


40G  APPENDIX    IV. 

general  superintendent  to  preserve  and  keep  the  Academy 
in  repair,  as  it  would  be  the  duty  of  Sir  William  Chambers, 
when  a  pillar  of  the  Academy  was  decayed,  to  supply  the 
deficiency  with  a  new  one.  Sir  William,  he  acknowledged, 
had  one  great  advantage  ;  by  his  fiat  the  business  was  done 
at  once,  whereas  the  President  had  been  five  years  ineffec- 
tually recommending  the  Academy  to  do  what  was  certainly 
as  much  their  duty  to  support,  as  it  was  the  duty  of  the 
President  to  propose.  lie  concluded  this  part  of  his  dis- 
course by  exhorting  them  to  save  an  infant  Academy  from 
the  disgraceful  appearance  of  expiring  with  the  decrepitude 
of  neglected  old  age.  It  is  necessary  here  to  mention  that 
the  President  having  been  informed  that  there  was  a  party 
in  the  Academy  who  had  resolved  that  Mr.  Edwards,  who 
was  already  an  Associate,  should  be  the  Professor,  whether 
he  did  or  did  not  produce  a  specimen,  and  that  they  were 
resolved  to  unite  in  their  votes  in  favour  of  any  one  of  the 
candidates,  to  prevent  Bonomi  from  standing  upon  the  same 
ground  with  Mr.  Edwards  ;  for  this  end  they  fixed  their 
eyes  on  Mr.  Gilpin,  an  artist  of  acknowledged  merit  and 
certainly  deserving  their  suffrages,  but  it  may  be  suspected 
that  it  was  not  to  his  merit  at  present  but  to  a  faction  (in 
which  he  most  certainly  had  no  concern)  he  was  indebted  to 
an  equal  number  of  votes  with  Mr.  Bonomi.  It  became  then 
a  very  irksome  task  for  the  President  to  be  obliged  to  give 
the  casting  vote  against  him,  whom  he  would  be  glad  to  have 
favoured  upon  any  other  occasion. 

The  President  therefore  took  this  opportunity  of  expatia- 
ting on  the  propriety  and  even  the  necessity  of  the  can- 
didates, whoever  they  were,  producing  specimens  of  their 
abilities,  and  when  those  were  before  them  that  they  would 
give  their  vote  in  favour  of  the  most  able  artist,  uninfluenced 
by  friendship,  country,  or  any  other  motive,  but  merit ;  that 
the  honour  of  the  Academy  depended  upon  the  reputation  of 
its  members  for  genius  and  abilities,  and  reprobated  the  idea, 
which  had  been  adopted,  as  he  had  been  informed,  by  many 
Academicians,  that  great  abilities  or  being  able  to  produce 
splendid  drawings  were  not  necessary.  Such  sentiments,  he 
said,  might  be  excused  if  we  were  electing  a  person  to  teach 


APPENDIX    IV.  407 

perspective  in  one  of  those  boarding-schools  about  London, 
which  are  dignified  with  the  name  of  Academies,  but  to  be 
able  to  do  well  enough  was  not  the  character  of  a  Professor 
to  a  Royal  Academy,  which  required  its  ornaments  and 
decorations  as  well  as  what  was  merely  necessary ;  that  the 
highly  ornamented  ceiling  of  the  room  in  which  we  were 
then  assembled  sufficiently  shows  that  Sir  William  Chambers 
thought  (and  he  thought  justly,)  that  something  more  than 
merely  what  was  necessary  was  required  to  a  Royal  Academy. 

Having  now  finished  my  relation  of  the  causes  that  in- 
duced me  to  take  this  step,  I  cannot  conclude  without 
obviating  a  suspicion  that  I  think  will  naturally  arise  in 
every  reader's  mind,  that  something  is  still  concealed,  and 
that  an  implicit  confidence  ought  not  to  be  granted  to  him, 
who  tells  his  own  story. 

I  shall  only  state  what  I  have  heard  myself  openly  given 
or  informed  by  letters  as  reasons  against  Bonomi :  if  there 
are  other  causes,  let  the  person  whom  the  party  have  chosen 
for  their  leader  and  spokesman  stand  forth  and  convince  the 
world  that  his  insulting  the  President  in  his  chair  was  rea- 
sonable and  proper,  and  no  more  than  what  his  conduct 
deserved,  as  appears  from  the  great  support  that  motion 
received. 

The  whole  appearance  was  new  to  me.  Instead  of  the 
members  as  usual  straggling  about  the  room,  they  were 
already  seated  in  perfect  order  and  with  the  most  profound 
silence.  I  went  directly  to  the  chair,  and  looking  round  for 
the  candidates'  drawings,  I  at  last  spied  those  of  Mr.  Bonomi 
thrust  in  the  darkest  corner  at  the  farthest  end  of  the  room. 
I  then  desired  the  Secretary  to  place  them  on  the  side  table, 
where  they  might  be  seen.  He  at  first  appeared  not  to  hear 
me  :  I  repeated  my  request ;  he  then  rose,  and  in  a  sluggish 
manner  walked  to  the  other  end  of  the  room  (passing  the 
drawings),  rung  the  bell,  and  then  stood  with  his  folded  arms, 
in  the  middle  of  the  room.  Observing  this  extraordinary 
conduct  of  the  Secretary,  I  took  one  of  the  drawings  in  my 

hand,  and •  took  the  other  and  placed  them  on   the 

tables  ;  the  Secretary,  who  has  thought  proper  to  join  the 
party,  which  in  reality  may  be  called  in  regard  to  him  rebel- 

d  d  4 


408  APPENDIX    IV. 

lion,  not  deigning  to  touch  them  ;  he  only  said  he  had  rung 
the  bell  for  the  servant,  which  servant,  it  is  curious  to 
remark  (as  it  shows  the  rude  spirit  and  gross  manner  of 
this  Cabal)  was  to  mount  that  long  flight  of  steps  in  order  to 
move  two  drawings  from  one  side  of  the  room  to  the  other. 

The  drawings  were  now  placed  where  they  could  be  seen, 
though  no  Academician  but  Mr.  P.  Sandby  deigned  to  rise 
from  the  seat  to  look  at  them. 

The  President  having  resumed  his  seat  opened  the  business 
of  their  meeting  —  that  it  was  to  choose  an  Academician  in 
the  room  of  Mr.  Meyers  ;  that  he  should  not  now  take  up 
their  time  by  repeating  what  he  had  so  often  recommended, 
that  they  would  put  aside  every  candidate  and  turn  their 
eyes  on  him  who  was  qualified  and  willing  to  accept  of  the 
office  of  Professor  of  Perspective,  which  had  been  vacant  so 
many  years  to  the  great  disgrace  of  the  Academy  ;  that  as 
Mr.  Bonomi's  rival,  by  not  sending  to  the  Academy  a  spe- 
cimen of  his  abilities,  appeared  to  have  declined  the  contest, 
he  hoped, — hoped  he  confessed  rather  than  expected,  —  that 
the  votes  for  the  honour  of  the  Academy  would  be  unanimous 
on  this  occasion  ;  that  they  would  consider  the  question 
before  them  as  ay,  or  no,  is  the  author  of  those  drawings 
which  are  on  the  table  qualified  or  not  qualified  for  the  office 
he  solicits. 

As  soon  as  the  President  sat  down,  an  Academician  who 
is  and  has  been  long  considered  as  the  spokesman  of  the  party, 
demanded  who  ordered  those  drawings  to  be  sent  to  the 
Academy.  President  answered,  it  was  by  his  order.  He 
asked  a  second  time  in  a  more  peremptory  tone.  The  Pre- 
sident said,  "  I  did."  "  I  move  that  they  be  sent  over  or 
turned  out  of  the  room.  Does  any  one  second  this  motion  ?  " 
Mr.  Barry  rose  with  great  indignation.  "  No,"  says  he, 
"  nobody  can  be  found  so  lost  to  shame  as  to  dare  to  second 
so  infamous  a  motion — drawings  that  would  do  honour  to  the 
greatest  Academy  that  ever  existed  in  the  world !  "  Mr. 
Banks  with  great  quietness  seconded  the  motion.  On  the 
show  of  hands  a  great  majority  appeared  for  the  expulsion. 
The  President  then  rose  to  explain  to  them  the  propriety  of 
Mr.  Bonomi's  drawings  being   there  to  oppose   with   Mr. 


APPENDIX   IV.  409 

Edwards's,  which  were  expected  and  ordered  by  the  Council, 
but  he  was  interrupted  from  various  quarters,  that  the  busi- 
ness was  over  :  they  would  hear  no  explanation  ;  that  it  was 
irregular,  (Mr.  Copley  said,)  to  talk  upon  business  that  was 
past  and  determined.  The  President  acquiesced,  and  they 
proceeded  in  the  election,  when  Mr.  Fuseli,  a  very  ingenious 
artist,  but  no  candidate  for  the  Professor's  chair,  was 
elected  an  Academician  by  a  majority  of  twenty-two  against 
eight. 

The  next  morning  the  President  resigned  by  letter  to  the 
Secretary  both  his  Presidency  and  his  seat  as  Academician. 

(Copied  for  me  by  Joshua  Reynolds  Gwafkin,  by 
leave  of  Mrs.  Gwatkin,  Sir  Joshua's  niece,  aged 
eighty-nine,  at  Plymouth,  October  8.  1845,  from 
Sir  Joshua's  original  manuscript. 

B.  R.  Haydon.) 


INDEX. 


Abercohn,  Marquis  of,  his  hospitality,  iii. 
17  ;  his  reception  of  the  Misses  Porter,  18. 

Aberdeen,  Earl  of,  underrates  the  Elgin  Mar- 
bles, i.  328,  329  ;  Essay  on  Greek  Architec- 
ture, ii.  86. 

Abolitionists,  portraits  by  Haydon  of,  iii.  155 
—159. 

Academicians,  the  Royal,  their  feeling  to- 
wards the  old  masters,  i.  292  ;  unfair  treat- 
ment of  Dentatus,  125  ;  Haydon's  attacks 
on,  in  the  Examiner,  178 ;  and  in  the  An- 
nals of  Art,  356  ;  theirs  upon  him,  367  ;  his 
overtures  of  reconciliation,  ii.  138;  their 
conduct  as  to  the  proposed  Waterloo  monu- 
ment, i.  305  ;  inquiry  into  their  accounts, 
iii.  117. 

Academies  of  Art,  Haydon's  opinion  of,  i.  127. 
213  ;  summary  of  history  of,  iii.  39. 

Actresses,  Haydon's  opinion  of,  i.  288. 

Adam  and  Eve,  Haydon's  cartoon,  com- 
menced, iii.  230  ;  progress,  235, 

Albinus,  his  work  on  Anatomy,  i.  16. 

Alexander  and  Bucephalus,  Haydon's  picture 
of,  commenced,  ii.  129;  finished,  164;  cri- 
ticisms on,  by  C.  Lamb,  155  ;  by  Lawrence, 
166. 

Alexander  and  the  Lion,  Haydon's  picture, 
commenced,  iii.  205 ;  progress,  265  ;  finished, 
267. 

Alfred,  Haydon's  picture,  commenced,  iii. 
339;  progress,  341.  345. 

Allan,  Sir  William,  i.  75. 

Althorp,  Lord,  sits  to  Haydon,  ii.  3~>~>  ;  re- 
marks on  Art  and  the  Academy,  363 ;  re- 
ception of  Jeffrey's  description  of,  after  the 
resignation,  371  ;  his  goodness  of  heart,  380  ; 
remarks  on  Canning,  384. 

Angelo,  Michel,  criticism  on,  i.  231. 

Angerstein,  Mr.,  purchase  of  his  gallery  by 
government,  ii.  79. 

Annals  of  Art,  Haydon's  contributions  to  the, 
i.  356. 

Anti-slavery  Convention,  Haydon's  picture, 
iii.  154  ;  he  sketches  the  leading  members, 
155—159;  exhibited,  167. 

Antrobus,  Sir  Edmund,  assists  Haydon,  i.  401. 

Armitage,  his  prize  cartoon,  iii 

Aristides,  Haydon's  picture,  sketched,  iii.  291; 
prayer  for  its  success,  297;  finished,  3)1  ; 
exhibited,  336. 

Ashburnham's,  Lord,  present  to  Haydon,  i. 
109 

Auckland,  Lord,  sits  to  Haydon,  ii.  366. 

Audley,  Lord,  his  eccentric  behaviour,  iii.  31. 

Augustin,  St.,  his  Confessions,  iii.  320. 

Bailey,  E.  II..  angrv  interview  with  Welling- 
ton, iii.  281. 


Baillie,  Joanna,  letter  to  Haydon,  ii.  12. 

Bankes,  Miss,  a  conchologist,  iii.  80. 

Bannister,  J.,  ii.  153. 

Barry,  James,  his  lying  in  state,  i.  43  ;  vio- 
lence of  his  temper,  iii.  199. 

Barry,  Sir  C,  i.  397. 

Baskerville,  Mary,  Haydon's  grandmother ; 
her  hatred  of  Americans,  i.  4. 

Bassano,  criticism  on,  iii.  91. 

Beaumont,  Sir  G.,  commissions  Wilkie  to 
paint  the  Blind  Fiddler,  i.  46 ;  visits  Hay- 
don, 57  ;  Haydon  and  Wilkie  dine  with  him, 
59  ;  advises  Haydon  not  to  exhibit  his  first 
picture,  61  ;  his  letter  to  him  on  the  study 
of  art,  64;  on  painting  from  poets,  66; 
Haydon  visits  him  at  Coleorton,  133  ;  paints 
Macbeth  for  him,  136 ;  their  disagreement 
thereon,  136—145.  176;  he  warns  Haydon 
against  writing,  307  ;  assists  him  with  money 
and  advice,  368;  his  kindness,  400:  polish 
of  his  manners,  ii.  148  ;  his  death,  161  ; 
Haydon's  remarks  on  his  character,  162. 

Beaumont,  J.,  an  abolitionist,  iii.,  175. 

Bedford,  Duke  of,  his  death,  iii.  129. 

Bell,  Sir  C,  his  lectures,  i.  43  ;  letter  to  Hay- 
don, 190. 

Belzoni,  Giovanni,  Haydon's  remarks  on,  ii. 
14  ;  his  widow's  destitution,  111. 

Ben th am,  Jeremy,  Leigh  Hunt's  admiration 
of,  i.  242. 

Bewick,  the  wood  engraver,  iii.  332. 

Bewicke,  one  of  Haydon's  pupils,  i.  355  ;  his 
picture,  ii.  30.34;  copies  from  Michel  An- 
gelo, iii.  149  ;  Haydon's  account  of,  151. 

Bidlake,  Rev.  Dr.,  description  of,  i.  3.  15 1. 

Bird,  of  Bristol,  set  up  as  Wilkie's  rival,  i. 
154. 

Birney,  Mr.,  an  abolitionist,  iii.  159. 

Black  Prince,  Haydon's  cartoon  of  the,  iii. 
242. 

Blackwood's  Magazine  attacks  Leigh  Hunt, 
i   379. 

Plessington,  Lady,  iii.  12.  17. 

Blind  Eiddler,  Wilkie's  picture,  i.  51,52;  its 
price,  53. 

Blucher,  Field-Marshal,  i.  282. 

Bone,  Henry,  R.  A.,  Haydon's  visit  to,  ii.  145. 

Boringdon,  Lady,  i.  80. 

Boswell's  Johnson,  Haydon's  remarks  on,  i. 
97,  98. 

Bridges',  David,  remarks  on  Haydon,  i.  415. 

British  Institution,  the,  prize  awarded  to 
Haydon  by  the  directors  of,  i.  146  ;  their 
treatment  of  his  Macbeth,  190;  their  appre- 
ciation of  his  Solomon,  281;  exhibition  of 
works  of  the  old  masters  at,  292 ;  Haydon's 
plan  for  premiums,  349. 


412 


INDEX. 


Bronstedt,  Chevalier,  conversation  on  Greek 
art,  iii.  143.  145. 

Brougham,  Lord.  Haydon's  visit  to,  ii.  195 ; 
description  of,  370. 

Brown,  Ford,  his  fresco,  iii.  309. 

Browning,  Mrs.,  sonnet  hy,  iii.  237. 

Buonaparte,  louden,  his  poem,  i.  2°8. 

Buonaparte,  Napoleon,  anecdotes  of,  i.  165, 
166  ;  iii  72.  ;  Haydon's  remarks  on  him,  i. 
299;  on  his  system,  304;  on  his  death,  ii. 
26  ;  his  portrait,  by  Gerard,  i.  271  ;  his  fasci- 
nation, iii.  29S ;  conduct  at  St.  Helena,  259  ; 
Haydon's  picture  of,  commenced,  ii.  297  ; 
his  description  of  it,  301  ;  copies  of  it  by 
himself,  iii.  265,272. 

Buonarroti  family,  their  fete,  iii.  275. 

Burdett,  Sir  F.,  description  of,  ii.  373. 

Burghest,  Lady,  iii.  89;  her  Alcestis,  112. 

Byron,  Lady,  Haydon's  sketch  of,  iii.  158. 

Byron,  Lord,  his  Memoirs,  ii.  313. 

Calcott,  Sir  A.,  Havdon's  visit  to,  ii.  139. 

Campbell,  Thomas,  intention  of,  iii.  69. 

Canning,  G.,  Haydon's  letters  to,  i.  391:  ii. 
121. 

Canova,  his  opinion  of  the  Elgin  Marbles,  i. 
319;  his  admiration  of  Haydon's  picture  of 
Ja'irus'  daughter,  319  ;  criticism  on  art,  320. 

Caracci,  Giustiniani,  criticism  on,  iii.  159. 

Carlos,  Don,  mention  of,  by  Wellington,  iii. 

Cartoons,  Haydon's,  commenced,  iii.  229.  242; 

sent  to  Westminster,  251. 
Cartoon's   Rafaelle's,  copies  of,  exhibited  by 

Haydon,  i.  366. 
Cassandra,  Haydon's  picture,  ii.  391.  405. 
Catalogue  Raisonnee,  i.375  ;  Hazlitt's  opinion 

of,  376. 
Chairing  the  Member,  Haydon's  picture,  ii. 

196  ;  its  progress,  211  ;  exhibited,  224. 
Chantrey,   Sir  F.,  his  success  compared  witli 

Stothard's,  ii.  107  ;  Haydon's  visit  to,  142  ; 

remarks  on,  161  ;  his  statue  of  Watt,  iii.  195. 
Chatfield,  Edwin,  Haydon's  pupil,  i.  355. 
Chapman,    W.,  a  guardsman,   his   Waterloo 

letter,  i.  310. 
Christie,  Mr.,  Duel  with  Mr.  Scott,  ii.  7. 
Clarkson,  Thomas,    Haydon's  sketch  of,  iii. 

154;  visit  to,  170;  his  character  171. 
Cleaning  of  pictures,  Wilkie  on,  i.  353. 
Cleghom,  Peter,  kindness  to  Haydon,  i.  153. 
Cobley,  Mr.,  Haydon's  uncle,  his  imprudence, 

i.  18. 
Cobley,  Thomas,  his  feat  at  IsmailhofF,  i.  5, 

369. 
Cockburn,  Sir  G.,  argument  on  Nelson  Monu- 
ment, iii.  105. 
Coke,  Mr.,  anecdote  of  Fox,  ii.  376— 379. 
Colbourne,  Ridley,  presents  Haydon's  petition 

to  the  Commons,  ii.  124 ;  conversation  with 

him,  iii.  19., 
Collins,   William,    R.A.,    his    admiration    of 

Wilkie,  iii.  179. 
Colwell,  — ,  a  turnkey,  his  learning,  iii.  51. 
Colman,  G.,  the  younger,  i.  109. 
Condfe,  Prince  de,  ii.  263. 
Cooper,  Mr.,  R.A.,  Havdon's  visit  to,  ii.  149. 
Cooper,  Sir  Astley,  at  Walmer,  iii.  121  ;  love 

of  his  profession,  169 
Copenhagen  expedition,  anecdote   of  the,  i. 

119. 
Coppard,  Mrs.,  kindness  to  Wilkie,  i.  155. 
Cornelius,  the  German  artist,  his  remarks  on 

fresco.painting,  iii.  193. 


Coronation  of  George  IV.,  Haydon's  account 

of  it,  ii.  27. 
Cordier,  M ,  an  abolitionist,  iii.  155. 
Coutts,  Mr.,  assists  Havdon,  i.3S2;  Haydon's 

visit  to  his  house,  i.  383. 
Coutts,  Mrs.,  i.  383. 
Cremieux,  M.,  an  abolitionist,  iii.  155. 
Cross,  Mr.,  his  meeting  with  Mrs.  Haydon  at 

Exeter,  i.  82. 
Crucifixion,  Haydon's  picture,  ii.  53. 
Cunningham,   A.,   Lives  of  the  Painters,  ii. 

247. 
Curtius,  Haydon's  picture  of,  commenced,  iii. 

206  ;  exhibited,  244  ;  sold,  249. 

Dakin,  a  guardsman  at  Waterloo,  i.  311. 
Danby,  F.,  his  Red  Sea,  ii.  104  ;  criticism  on, 

209. 
David,  J.  Louis,  maxim  of,  iii.  4. 
Davy,  Sir  H,  his  Napoleon  prophecy,  i.  59. 
Delaroche,  Paul,  Haydon's  criticism' on,  iii. 

76. 
D'Embden,  M.  anecdotes  of  the  French  army  , 

ii.  250. 
Dennys  Mr.,  iii.  345. 
Demon,  Baron,  Conversation  with  Haydon,  i. 

283. 
Dentatus,   Haydon's    picture  commenced,   i- 

79  ;  its  progress,  89, 108, 113  ;  finished,  121 ; 

his  opinion  of  it,  121  ;    Fuseli's  criticism 

109;    exhibited,   123;   obtains  the  Institu- 
tion's prize,  146. 
De  Pradt,  Abbe,  anecdotes  of,  iii.  121. 
Design,    Schools    of,   discussion   on,  iii.~64 ; 

Manchester     Meeting    on,    79;     Haydon's 

opinion  of,  304. 
Dickens,  C,  Lady  Holland's  advice  to,  iii.  319. 
Dieppe,  Haydon's  description  of,  i,  245. 
Domenichino,  his  St.  Cecilia,  iii.  160. 
D'Orsay,  Count,  Haydon's  description  of,  iii. 

95,  115. 
Douglas,  Rev.  Mr.,  his  antiquarian  taste,  i.  314. 
Douglas,  Lady,  her  reply  to  the  Lord  Mayor, 

iii.  4. 
Drayton,  Haydon's  visit  to,  iii.  81. 
Ducis,  —  ,  his  translation  of  Hamlet,  i.  268. 
Du  Fresne,  Mrs.,  i.  74  ;  her  marriage,  i.  76. 
Du  Fresne,  Mr.,  i.  75,  77. 
Dyce,  W.,  his  fresco,  iii.  306. 

Eastlake,  Sir  C,  his  early  pictures,  i.  117,  225  ; 
portrait  of  Napoleon,  313 ;  letter  to  Hay- 
don, ii.  96 ;  elected  Secretary  to  the  Fine 
Arts  Commission,  iii.  194;  conversation 
with  Hoyden  in  Westminster  Hall,  251. 

Ebrington,  Lord,  anecdotes  of  public  men  by, 
ii.  370, 

Edinburgh,  Haydon's  impressions  of,  i.  416. 

Edgeworth,  Miss,  criticism  on  her  stories,  i. 
288. 

Egremont,  Lord,  Alexander  painted  for  him, 
ii.  130;  aids  Haydon,  157  ;  his  purchase  of 
Bannister's  picture,  153 ;  his  page,  154 ; 
Haydon's  visit  to  him  at  Petworth,  15"-; 
gives  Haydon  a  commission  for  Eucles,  167  ; 
Haydon's  remarks  on  him,  iii.  77. 

Elford,  Sir  W.,  anecdote  of  Reynolds,  i.  132. 

Elmes,  Mr.,  publisher  of  "Annals  of  Art,"  i. 
355. 

Elgin,  Lord,  removal  of  the  Marbles  from 
Athens  by.  i.  293  ;  his  anxiety  about  the 
Marbles,  331 ;  expense  incurred  by  him,  341. 

Elgin  Marbles,  Haydon's  first  sight  of  them, 
i.  91  ;  their  effect  upon  Haydon,,  92,  167; 
upon  Fuseli,  93;  and  upon  West,  94;  copied 


INDEX. 


413 


by  Haydon,  95,  115  ;  their  appearance  by 
night,  150 ;  Wilkie's  non-appreciation  of 
them,  151  ;  Haydon's  casts,  317  ;  Canova's 
admiration  of  them,  319;  depreciated  by 
Payne  Knight,  £9.5  ;  their  inspection  by  a 
Committee  of  the  House  of  Commons,  331  ; 
Haydon"s  letter  about  them  in  the  Ex- 
aminer, 332.  340  ;  their  purchase  by  Govern- 
ment, 341 ;  copied  by  Haydon's  pupils,  378  ; 
visited  by  the  Grand  Duke  Nicholas,  369; 
Haydon  commissioned  to  procure  casts  of 
them  for  the  Russian  Academy,  389. 

Eucles,  Haydon's  picture,  commenced,  ii.  157. 
167;  his  description  of  it,  225;  raffled,  266. 

Ewart,  Mr.,  M.  P.,  obtains  his  Select  Com- 
mittee on  Art,  iii.  20;  its  sittings,  36—44.; 
conversations  about  the  cartoons,  88. 

Examiner,  Haydon's  article  on  the  Elgin 
Marbles,  i.  332. 

Fairbairn,  Mr.,  his  engine  works  at  Manches- 
ter, iii.  80. 

Falstaff,  Haydon's  picture,  iii.  33. 

Fenzi,  i.  9. 

Flaxman,  J ,  Haydon's  visit  to,  ii.  143. 

Flemish  School,  ii.  69. 

Fontainebleau,  Haydon's  visit  to,  i.  276. 

Forster's  Essay  on  Decision  of  Character,  i. 
176. 

Fox,  Charles,  anecdote  of,  ii.  376 — 379. 

Freeling,  Sir  F.,  ii.  159. 

French  nation,  description  of  the,  i.  3C4. 

Fresco  painting,  hints  on,  iii.  199  ;  its  difficul- 
ties, 200. 

Fu»eli,  Haydon  calls  upon  him,  i.  27;  he  be- 
comes keeper  of  the  Academy,  29  ;  Hay- 
don's criticism  on  his  style,  32 ;  and  de- 
scription of  his  appearance  and  habits,  33; 
letter  to  Haydon,  36;  his  remark  on  the 
smoke,  of  London,  55;  attends  to  the 
hanging  of  Haydon's  first  picture,  63 ; 
testimonial  presented  to  him  by  the  students, 
72;  argument  on  Christianity,  99;  criti- 
cises Dentatus,  109.  114;  Canova's  criti- 
cism on,  322;  Wordsworth's  remark  on  it, 
iii.  223;  his  death,  il.  100;  Haydon's  criti- 
cism on  him,  101. 

Gainsborough,  T.,  Wordsworth's  anecdote  of, 

iii.  221. 
Gait,  J.,  his  conduct  when  editor  of  the  Cou. 

rier,  ii.  358. 
Garrison,  Lloyd,  an  abolitionist,  iii.  157. 
Gerard,    Baron,    his    portrait    of   Napoleon ; 

Haydon's  criticism  on  his  works,  i.  271. 
Gifford,  W.,  his  critique  on  Endymion,  i.  £60. 
Giorgione,  his  colouring,  iii.  187. 
Ciiotto,  oil  painting  in  his  time,  iii.  302 
Godench,  Lord,  sits  to  Haydon,  ii.  359;  opi- 
nion on  art  patronage,  360. 
Godwin,  W.,  his  pecuniary  difficulties,  ii.  41. 
Goethe  orders  a  set  of  Elgin  Marble  casts,  i. 

378;  his  letter  to  Haydon,  ii.  327. 
Goldsmith,  Oliver,  anecdote  of,  iii.  315. 
Greswell,  Mr.,  his  views  as  to  Oxford  art  pro- 

fessoi  ships,  iii.  273. 
Grev,  Earl,  commissions  Haydon  to  paint  the 

Reform  Banquet,  ii.  345;    Haydon's  sketch 

of  him,  347.  362  ;    picture  of  him  musing, 
.;  his  amiability, '385 ;  his  opinion  on  art, 

386;  on  pictures  fur  the  House  of  Lords,  391- 
Grand  Duke  of  Russia,   Haydon's   interview 

with  the,  i.  3S9. 
Greenwich  Hospital,  the  Painted  Hall,  ii.  248. 
Guercino,  criticism  on,  iii.  73. 


Gurwood,  Colonel,  anecdotes  of  Wellington 

by  him,  iii.  156;  his  death,  320. 
Gwatkin,  Mrs.,  Sir  J.  Reynolds's  niece  ;  letter 

on  his  Discourses,  iii.  269;   Haydon's  visit 

to,  313;  her  reminiscences,  314. 
Gwilt,  Mr.,  his  Summary  of  the  History  of 

Art  Academies,  iii.  39. 

Hallam,  Mr.,  conversation  with  Haydon  on 
the  frescos,  iii.  304.  3f6;  his  opinion  on  the 
decorations  of  the  Houses  of  Parliament, 
286. 

Hamel,  Dr.,  physician  to  the  Grand  Duke  of 
Russia,  i.  398. 

Hammond,  Sir  T.,  his  anecdotes  of  George  IV., 
ii.  261.  263.  332. 

Harnian,  Mr.,  his  generosity  to  Haydon  j 
their  quarrel  and  reconciliation,  iii.  194. 

Hart,  S.  A  ,  iii.  323. 

Harvey,  W.,  a  pupil  of  Haydon,  i.  354. 

H.  B.,  Haydon's  criticism  on,  ii.  323. 

Haydon,  Benjamin  Robert:  birth,  i.3;  family, 
4—6;  childhood,  7 ;  his  first  attempts  at 
drawing,  8;  he  is  sent  to  the  Plymouth 
Grammar  School  —  his  first  drawing  from 
nature,  10;  his  description  of  the  Plymouth 
volunteers,  11;  is  sent  to  the  Plympte.n 
Grammar  School,  12;  his  drawings  there, 
13;  is  sent  to  Exeter  —  returns  to  Plymouth 
— is  apprenticed  to  his  father — his  dislike  for 
his  occupation,  14 ;  determines  to  become 
an  artist  —  his  illness  and  loss  of  sight,  15  ; 
he  reads  Reynolds's  Discourses,  16;  over- 
comes his  father's  opposition  and  goes  to 
London,  21 ;  his  studies  there,  22  ;  he  i3 
introduced  to  Prince  Hoare,  23;  to  North- 
cote,  24:  to  Opie,  25;  to  Smirke,  26;  and 
to  Fuseli,  27. ;  his  drawing  from  the  Dis- 
cobolas,  34  ;  is  summoned  to  Ph  mouth.  35  ; 
Fuseli's  letter  to  him,  36;  returns  to  Lon- 
don, S3;  remarks  on  Nelson's  character, 40; 
visits  Wilkie,  41  ;  attends  Bell's  Lectures  on 
Anatomy,  43 ;  account  of  Wilkie's  success, 
45 — 48;  anecdotes  of  Wilkie,  49 — 52;  he 
falls  in  love,  52;  letter  to  him  from  Wilkie, 
53 ;  receives  a  commission  for  a  historical 
picture  from  Lord  Mulgrave,  53 ;  com- 
mences "  Joseph  and  Mary,"  55  ;  his  earnest- 
ness of  feeling,  56;  he  is  visited  by  Sir  G. 
Beaumont,  57;  his  delight  and  that  of  his 
family,  5*  ;  dines  with  Sir  G.  Beaumont,  59; 
is  advised  not  to  exhibit  his  picture,  61  ;  his 
anxiety  as  to  its  fate,  62;  its  success,  63; 
Sir  G.  Beaumont's  letters  to  him,  64.  66; 
account  of  the  testimonial  presented  to 
Fuseli,  69 — 73;  his  friends  in  Iiathbone 
Place,  74—78  ;  goes  i. own  to  Plymouth,  79; 
practises  portrait  painting,  79 ;  his  mother's 
illness,  80  ;  her  death,  85  ;  returns  to  Lon- 
don, 88  ;  his  opinion  of  portrait  painting,  88; 
engaged  in  painting  Dentatus,  88;  his  diffi- 
culties, 89;  his  first  sight  of  the  Elgin 
Marbles,  91  ;  his  drawings  from  them,  95, 
96;  reads  Homer  and  Virgil,  (J9 ;  his  re- 
marks on  his  journals,  107;  works  at  Den- 
tatus, 108,  109;  his  anxiety,  113;  writes 
upon  art,  111.  113,  his  advance  in  society, 
119;  finishes  Dentatus,  121 ;  it  is  exhibited, 
123;  its  unfair  treatment,  127;  goes  to 
Devonshire  with  Wilkie,  128;  visit  to  Sir 
G.  Beaumont,  133;  his  picture  of  Macbeth 
commenced,  136;  dispute  with  Sir  G.  Beau- 
mont, dS6— 145 ;  Dentatus  pains  the  prize 
at  the  British  Institution,  146;  dissection  o 
a  lioness,  147  ;  mould   of  a  negro,  141) ;  he. 


414 


INDEX. 


gins  to  incur  debts,  152  ;  difficulties,  153  ;  is  a 
candidate  for  admission  to  the  Academy,  157  ; 
his  literary  controversy  with  Leigh  Hunt, 
172;  finishes  his  Macbeth,  175  ;  his  liabili- 
ties, 175  ;  he  attacks  Payne  Knight  and  the 
Academy,  178  ;  commences  Solomon's  Judg- 
ment, 18+;  his  treatment  by  the  directors 
of  the  British  Gallery,  190;  his  pecuniary 
difficulties,  193;  he  visits  Cheddar,  198; 
studies  Italian,  200;  his  designs  for  the 
House  of  Lords,  207  ;  remarks  on  public 
encouragement  of  art,  209;  on  beauty,  213  ; 
letter  to  Wilkie,  219  ;  death  of  his  father, 
232;  his  health  gives  way,  233;  success  of 
his  Judgment  of  Solomon,  237  ;  he  goes  to 
Paris  with  Wilkie,  243  ;  his  impressions  of 
France,  2-13— 28a  ;  returns  to  England,  284  ; 
is  voted  a  hundred  guineas  by  the  British 
Institution,  28+  :  is  presented  with  the  free- 
dom of  Plymouth,  285  ;  commences  the 
Entry  into  Jerusalem,  289;  receives  a  com- 
mission from  Sir  George  Beaumont,  306; 
and  another  from  Mr.  G.  Philipps,  308: 
visits  Brighton,  314  ;  his  despondency,  317  ; 
employed  in  taking  casts  from  the  Elgin 
Marbles,  317;  meets  Canova,  319;  his  tri- 
umph over  the  depredators  of  the  Elgin 
Marbles,  323 ;  his  arguments  in  favour  of 
borrowing,  324;  receives  Wordsworth's 
sonnets,  325;  his  reply  to  Payne  Knight's 
Critique  on  the  Phygaleian Marbles,  330  ;  his 
letter  "  On  the  Judgment  of  Connoisseurs," 
&c,  attacking  Payne  Knight,  332.  —  340.; 
its  effect,  340  ;  he  falls  in  love,  343  ;  his  first 
visit  to  a  money-lender,  345 ;  he  becomes 
involved  in  debts,  347  ;  his  proposal  to  the 
directors  of  the  British  Institution  of  a  plan 
for  premiums,  348  ;  he  sells  Macbeth  to  Sir 
G.  Beaumont,  349  ;  notice  of  his  pupils,  354  ; 
he  writes  in  Elmes'  "Annals  of  Art,"  356  ; 
becomes  acquainted  with  Keats,  359  ;  argu- 
ment with  Shelley  on  Christianity,  362;  his 
abhorrence  of  scepticism,  364;  copies  by 
him  and  his  pupils  of  the  Cartoons,  366 ; 
receives  advice  and  pecuniary  aid  from  Sir 
G.  Beaumont,  368 ;  is  introduced  to  the 
Grand  Duke  of  Russia,  369 ;  Mr.  Harman's 
kindness  to  him,  373  ;  visits  Oxford,  377  ; 
his  pupils  copy  the  Elgin  Marbles,  379  ;  he 
is  attacked  in  the  "  Catalogue  Raisonnee," 
375 ;  and  in  Blackwood,  379;  is  assisted  by  Mr. 
Coutts,  382;  Wordsworth  meets  Keats  at 
his  house,  384 :  their  dinner  party,  385 ; 
he  receives  a  commission  from  Russia,  389 ; 
his  pamphlet  and  arguments  as  to  altar- 
pieces,  390  ;  writes  to  Canning  on  the  sub- 
ject, 391 ;  correspondence  with  Keats,  392  ; 
refuses  the  offer  of  a  free  passage  to  Italy, 
398:  finishes  his  Jerusalem,  399  ;  it  is  exhi- 
bited, 403  ;  his  introduction  to  Scott,  407  ; 
sends  his  Jerusalem  to  Scotland,  411  ;  visits 
Edinburgh,  412  ;  results  of  the  Exhibition, 
416;  paints  Christ  in  the  Garden  for  Sir  <;. 
Phillips,  418;  commences  his  Lazarus,419  ; 
reflections  on  suicide,  ii.  17  ;  his  idleness, 
20.  22. ;  he  is  arrested,  23;  his  description  of 
the  Coronation,  27  ;  his  marriage,  29  ;  fresh 
difficulties,  33  ;  progress  of  his  Lazarus,  34  ; 
an  execution  in  his  house,  42  ;  birth  of  a 
hild,  43;  completion  of  Lazarus,  43 ;  pre- 
pares to  exhibit  it,  49  ;  its  glazing,  50;  the 
exhibition,  52  ;  commences  the  Crucifixion, 
53  ;  is  again  arrested,  55  ;  elected  a  member 
of  the  Russian  Academy,  57  ;  his  petition  to 
the   Commons,  57  ;   he  passes  through  the 


Insolvent  Court,  64;  his  appeals  to  public 
men,  65  ;  he  paints  portraits,  67  ;  parts  with 
his  books,  72;  his  picture 'of  Silenus,  74; 
another  distraint  for  rent,  75 ;  fresh  efforts 
with  Statesmen  77  ;  his  impression  of  Moore, 
81;  his  hatred  of  portrait-painting,  84; 
thoughts  on  Homer,  86 ;  his  dejection,  88 ; 
he  is  assisted  by  Mr.  Kearsey,  on  conditions, 
91;  his  portraits  criticised,  96;  he  receives 
a  commission  for  Pharaoh,  98  ;  contest  be- 
tween portraits  and  history,  99;  criticism 
on  Martin's  paintings,  100  ;  recollections  of 
Fuseli,  101  ;  exhibits  Solomon  at  the  Bri  ■ 
tish  Institution,  104;  reflections  on  rank 
and  genius,  107 ;  on  conversation  with 
a  patron,  110  ;  progress  of  his  Pharaoh,  111 ; 
his  opinion  of  Sheridan,  114  ;  finishes  Pha- 
raoh, 119;  application  to  Canning,  121; 
petitions  the  Commons,  124  ;  finishes  Venus 
and  Anchises,  127;  his  unwillingness  to 
exhibit  it,  128  ;  he  begins  Alexander  taming 
Bucephalus,  129  ;  its  progress,  132  ;  kind- 
ness of  Lord  Egremont,  130.  137.  ;  change 
of  his  feelings  towards  the  Academy,  135  : 
his  desire  for  a  reconciliation,  138  ;  he  visits 
the  Academicians,  139 ;  fresh  difficulties, 
151  ;  conversation  with  Reinagle  on  the 
fate  of  his  pictures,  152;  his  visit  to 
Petworth,  154;  concludes  Alexander,  157; 
begins  Eucles,  157;  law  expenses,  160; 
finishes  Alexander,  164 ;  commissioned  to 
paint  Eucles  for  Lord  Egremont,  167;  ano- 
ther execution,  168;  his  kindness  to 
Lough,  174;  arrested  for  debt,  174;  state- 
ment of  his  affairs,  176 ;  a  public  meet- 
ing in  his  behalf,  179 ;  anecdotes  of  the 
Queen's  Bench,  180—187;  picture  of  The 
Mock  Election,  184 ;  visit  to  Lord  Brougham, 
1!)5  ;  picture  of  Chairing  the  Member,  197  ; 
purchased  by  the  King,  204;  visit  to  Strat- 
ford-on- Avon,  215;  exhibition  of  his  Chair- 
ing the  Member,  224  ;  correspondence  with 
the  Duke  of  Wellington,  226  ;  conversations 
with  Wilkie,  232;  commences  Punch,  237; 
its  completion,  243;  his  visit  to  Plymouth, 
249;  anecdotes  of  Napoleon's  army,  250; 
his  maxims  tor  his  step-son,  252 ;  criticism 
on  Sir  J.  Lawrence,  255 ;  his  remarks  on 
the  election  of  President  of  the  Academy, 
259  ;  he  commences  hispictureof  Xenophon, 
264;  his  Eucles  raffled  for,  266 ;  statement 
of  his  affairs,  267  ;  he  is  arrested  again,  269 ; 
applies  to  Sir  R.  Peel,  270;  King's  Bench 
experiences,  271  ;  again  petitions  the  House 
of  Commons,  274  ;  again  passes  through  the 
Insolvent  Court,  280;  remarks  on  the  French 
Revolution  of  July,  281  ;  correspondence 
with  the  Duke,  287  ;  appeal  to  the  directors 
of  the  British  Institution,  292 ;  receives  a 
commission  from  Sir  R.  Peel,  295  ;  com- 
mences Napoleon,  297  ;  its  completion,  303  ; 
Wordsworth's  letter  and  sonnet  to  him,  307  ; 
visit  to  Oxford,  308;  dejection,  313  ;  letter 
to  the  Times  on  the  Reform  Bill,  317 ;  his 
picture  of  Waiting  for  the  Times,  319  ;  death 
of  his  daughter,  325  ;  he  receives  a  letter 
from  Goethe,  327  ;  exhibition  of  his  pictures, 
331 ;  picture  of  the  Newhall  Hill  meeting, 
341  :  anecdotes  of  the  Trades'  Unions,  342  ; 
his  picture  of  the  Reform  Banquet,  346  ; 
his  interview  with  the  leaders  of  the  Reform 
party,  347 — 387  ;  death  of  a  boy  Alfred,  376  ; 
description  of  a  debate  in  the  Lords,  380; 
he  is  arrested,  381  ;  death  of  a  boy  Harry, 
390;  he  begins  Cassandra,  391;  exhibition 


INDEX. 


415 


of  the  Reform  Banquet,  S92  ;  increased  diffi- 
culties, 397  ;  conversations  on  art  with  Lord 
Melbourne,  398.  405 ;  completes  Cassandra 
for  the  Duke  of  Sutherland,  405  ;  commences 
Achilles,  iii.  3  ;  commissioned  to  paint  Wel- 
lington at  Waterloo,  5  ;  correspondence  with 
the  Duke,  5.  7 — 11;  he  again  petitions  the 
Commons,  13  ;  picture  of  We  are  a  Ruined 
Nation,  18  ;  death  of  a  daughter,  19  ;  com- 
mences Christ  Raising  the  Widow's  Son,  21  ; 
lectures  on  art,  22  ;  pecuniary  distress,  22  ; 
meeting  of  his  creditors,  23  ;  conversation 
with  Lord  Melbourne  on  decorating  the 
House  of  Lords,  24  ;  sketches  for  that  pur- 
pose, 25  ;  begins  a  picture  of  The  Magi,  28  ; 
second  lecture,  29  ;  an  execution  stayed  by 
Lord  Melbourne's  aid,  29;  receives  a  com- 
mission from  Lord  Audley,  31 ;  anecdotes  of 
Lord  Audley,  32 ;  remarks  on  Sundav- 
working,  34;  lectures,  34;  Xenophon  raffled 
for,  35;  death  of  his  youngest  child,  35; 
his  style  of  lecturing  described,  36;  examined 
before  the  Fine  Arts  Committee,  41  ;  again 
arrested,  47  ;  letter  from  the  King's  Bench 
to  Sir  R.  Peel,  49,  50,  51  ;  passes  again 
through  the  Insolvent  Court,  54  ;  another 
statement  to  his  creditors,  55;  correspond- 
ence with  Mr.  Newton,  57;  conversation 
with  Wdkie,  59  ;  his  lectures,  62  ;  argument 
with  Poulett  Thomson  about  the  School  of 
Design,  64;  lectures  at  Edinburgh,  68;  at 
Manchester,  70 ;  applies  for  the  appointment 
of  historical  painter  to  the  Queen,  70  ;  com- 
mences his  Maid  of  Saragossa,  71 ;  writes  in 
The  Spectator,  78 ;  commissioned  to  paint 
Christ  Blessing  little  Children, for  the  Liver- 
pool Blind  Asylum,  74 ;  lectures  at  Man- 
chester, 79 ;  his  visit  to  Drayton,  81  ;  his 
design  for  the  Nelson  Monument,  82  ;  death 
of  his  step-son,  Simon  Hyman,  85  ;  ride  to 
Hounslow,  91  ;  anecdotes  of  Wellington,  93; 
correspondence  with  the  Duke  on  Wyatt's 
statue,  96 ;  finishes  the  Liverpool  picture, 
97  ;  lectures  at  Liverpool,  99;  commissioned 
to  paint  Wellington  at  Waterloo,  100  ;  letter 
from  Sir  R.  Peel,  102;  picture  of  Milton, 
103;  lecture  at  Newcastle;  remarks  on 
Chartism,  105 :  correspondence  with  the 
Duke,  107  ;  progress  of  the  Waterloo  pic- 
ture, 109:  an  evening  wiih  Wdkie,  110; 
his  design  for  the  Nelson  Monument  re- 
jected, 111  ;  difficulties  about  the  Duke's 
clothes,  113;  visit  to  Waterloo,  117,  visit 
to  Walmer,  120—129;  political  lucubrations, 
135;  lectures  at  Oxford,  1.37  ;  correspondence 
with  Wordsworth,  138  ;  paints  Napoleon 
Musing,  for  Mr.  lingers,  144;  the  Highland 
Lovers,  for  Mr.  Miller,  146 ;  remarks  on 
West's  pictures,  147  ;  paints  Romeo  and 
Juliet,  148;  account  of  his  pupils,  151  ;  ac- 
commodation bills,  152;  his  sketch  of  the 
Anti-slavery  Convention,  154;  the  aboli- 
tionists, 157  ;  Wordsworth's  sonnet  on  his 
picture  of  Wellington,  160;  lectures  at  I'.ir- 
mingham,  166;  sketches  O'Connell,  169; 
visits  Thos.  Clarkson,  179;  death  of  Wilkie, 
176—184;  definition  of  suicide,  185;  notes 
on  English  art,  1.  187;  his  first  lesson  in 
fresco,  189 ;  first  attempts,  190  ;  letter  to 
Sir  R.  Peel,  192;  reconciliation  with  Mr. 
Harman,  194;  engaged  on  fresco-paintings, 
199 ;  lecture  on  fresco,  203 ;  commences 
Alexander  and  Curtius,205,206  ;  pecuniary 
difficulties,  208  ;  letters  from  Rumohr,  209; 
Report  of  the  Fine  Arts  Commission,  214  ; 


remarks  on  cartoons,  215 ;  visit  to  Woolwich, 
219;  to  Windsor,  224;  begins  his  cartoon, 
229  ;  pecuniary  wants,  230  ;  progress  of  his 
cartoon,  236 ;  Miss  Barrett's  sonnet  on  his 
portrait  of  Wordsworth,  237  ;  at  work  on 
Curtius,  239  ;  begins  his  cartoon  of  the 
Black  Prince,  242  ;  procures  armour  from 
the  Tower,  243  ;  exhibits  Curtius,  244  ;  letter 
to  Eastlake,  245  ;  finishes  his  cartoons,  247  : 
misery  and  relief,  249;  exhibits  Saragossa, 
259  ;  sends  in  his  cartoons,  251  ;  he  is  un- 
successful, 253;  his  disappointment,  254; 
remarks  on  the  prize  cartoons,  255  ;  com- 
mences Nelson  at  Copenhagen,  255;  his 
remarks  on  his  failure,  255 ;  remarks  on 
his  ill  success,  259 ;  letter  to  the  Duke 
of  Sutherland,  263;  pictures  of  Napoleon, 
266;  finishes  Alexander,  267;  letter  from 
Sir  J.  Reynold's  niece,  269 ;  more  Na- 
poleons, 272;  lectures  at  the  Royal  Institu. 
tion,  275;  letter  from  S.  Kirkup,  275; 
raffles  Saragossa,  280  ;  letter  on  decorating 
the  Exchange,  283;  criticisms  on  the  frescos 
exhibited  at  Westminster,  284;  at  work  on 
his  Uriel,  286;  his  son's  college  expenses, 
287 ;  remarks  on  competition,  289 ;  pub- 
lishes a  volume  of  lectures,  289;  sketches 
Aristides,  291  ;  remarks  on  decoration,  295; 
on  Conservatism,  296  ;  prayer  for  success  of 
Aristides,  297;  picture  of  Satan,  299  ;  plan 
for  the  Academy,  301  ;  Uriel  praised  in  the 
Times,  303 ;  conversation  with  Mr.  Hal- 
lam  on  the  frescos,  304 ;  letter  to  Words- 
worth on  his  going  to  Court,  305  ;  criticism 
on  modern  German  art,  310;  finishes  Aris- 
tides, 311  ;  a  Napoleon  purchased  by  the 
King  of  Hanover,  312 ;  commences  Nero, 
313;  visits  Mrs  Gwatkin,  313;  his  son 
appointed  to  a  Government  office  by  Sir  R. 
Peel,  317  ;  prayer  at  the  end  of  the  year, 
321  ;  results  of  his  exhibitions,  324 ;  his 
advertisement,  325  ;  letter  from  Wordsworth 
on  his  portrait,  327 ;  pecuniary  difficulties, 
328  ;  lectures  at  Edinburgh,  3 32  ;  exhibition 
of  Nero  and  Aristides.  336 ;  its  failure,  344  ; 
commences  Alfred,  339;  prayers  tor  suc- 
cess, 347  ;  assistance  from  Peel,  348  ;  final 
difficulties,  319;  his  death,  350;  his  will, 
351  ;  the  inquest,  :>53 ;  his  character,  355  ; 
character  of  his  times  as  respects  art,  357; 
his  qualities  as  an  artist,  360 ;  Mr.  Watt's 
estimate  of  them,  362 — 365,  and  remarks  on 
the  public  employment  of  artists,  368—376. 

Haynes,  Rev.  W. ,  head  master  of  Plympton 
Grammar  School,  i.  12. 

Hazlitt,  W.,  i.  226.  242;  his  child's  christen- 
ing, 227.  ;  effect  produced  on  him  by 
Napoleon's  overthrow,  303 ;  his  article  on 
the  "  Catalogue  Raisonnee,"  376  ;  his  pecu- 
niary difficulties,  41 1 . 

Higgmson,  Lieut,  story  of  Wilkie  and  the 
Blind  Fiddler,  iii.  293;  anecdotes  of  Na- 
poleon, 298. 

Hill,  Lord,  his  icply  to  Haydon  about  Water- 
loo, ii.  38  3. 

Hilton,  W.,  his  generositv,  i.  232;  his  picture 
at  Liverpool,  iii.  74. ;  his  want  of  success, 
359. 

Hoare,  Prince,  notice  of,  i.  21 ;  introduces 
Haydon  to  Northcote  and  Opie,  25;  letter 
on  Macbeth,  156;  conversation  with  Hay- 
don, 18!. 

Holland,  Lady,  her  advice  to  Dickens,  iii. 
319. 

Homer,  i.  99.  161,  164  ;  ii.  86. 


•us; 


INDEX. 


Hope,  Thomas,  purchases  Haydon's  Joseph 
anil  Mary,  i.  61. 

Hoppner,  John,  R.  A.,  his  style,  i.  63  ;  his 
portrait  of  Pitt,  64. 

Hoppner,  Mrs.,  her  interview  with  Gifforcl, 
i.  360. 

Howard,  Henry,  R.  A.,  Haydon's  visit  to,  ii. 
145. 

Hume,  Joseph,  M.P.,  place-hunter's  dread  of 
him,  ii.  122;  feeling  towards  art,  368;  in- 
quiry into  the  affairs  of  the  Academv,  iii. 
117. 

Hunt,  J.,  his  kindness  to  Haydon,  i.  153. 

Hunt,  Leigh,  his  opinions  of  Dentatus,  i.  122  ; 
meets  Haydon,  171  ;  their  literary  contro- 
versy, 172;  his  imprisonment,  220.  '524.  ; 
his  opinions  of  Napoleon,  303  ;  his  meeting 
with  Haydon  in  1840,  iii.  131. 

Huxley,  notice  of,  iii.  100. 

Hyman,  Orlando,  Haydon's  visit  to  him  at 
Oxford,  ii.  308. 

Hyman,  Simon,  his  death,  iii.  85. 

Jackson,  John,  R.  A.,  account  of,  i.  30;  anec- 
dote of  his  indolence,  i.  31. ;  Lord  Mulgrave 
cuts  off  his  income,  i.  45 ;  his  portrait  of 
Haydon,  i.  111. 

Jameson,  Mrs.,  iii.  158. 

Jeffrey,  Lord,  Ha<  don's  description  of  him; 
his  account  of  Lord  Althorp's  behaviour 
after  resignation,  ii.  37 1  ;  his  conversation, 
373;  cast  taken  of  him,  18;  his  opinion  of 
Wordsworth,  iii.  332. 

Jerusalem,  the  Entry  into,  Haydon's  picture, 
i.  399;  exhibited,  403;  exhibited  in  Scot- 
land, 415  ;  its  success,  416  ;  sold,  ii.  66  ;  pur- 
chased by  an  American,  314. 

Johns,  Mr.,  i.  15. 

Johnson,  Dr.,  anecdotes  of,  iii.  315. 

Joseph  and  Mary,  Haydon's  picture,  com- 
menced, i.  55;  its  progress,  57;  exhibited, 
63 ;  sold,  61 ;  Juliet,  Haydon's  picture,  ii. 
96 ;  iii.  148. 

Kearsey,  Mr.,  letter  to  Haydon,  ii.  89;  his 
proposal  of  aid,  91  ;  purchases  Haydon's 
Ruck,  93;  Juliet  painted  for  him,  96;  his 
death,  iii.  179. 

Keats,  John,  Haydon's  description  of  him,  i. 
359;  the  critique  on  his  Endymion,  360; 
sonnets  by  him,  360  ;  anecdotes  of  him,  361  ; 
attacks  on  him  in  Blackwood,  379  ;  dines  at 
Haydon's  with  Wordsworth  and  Lamb,  384  ; 
his  letter  and  lines  from  Devon,  393 ;  his 
death,  ii.  9;  Haydon's  lament  over  him,  10. 

Kemble,  J.,  compared  with  Mrs.  Siddons, 
ii.  97. 

Kemp,  Mr.,  kindness  to  Haydon,  iii.  341,  342. 

Kirkup,  Seymour,  his  description  of  the  fete 
of  the  Buonarroti  family,  iii.  275. 

Knight,  Payne,  Haydon's  attack  on,  in  the 
Examiner,  i.  178  ;  his  depreciation  of 
the  Elgin  Marbles,  i.  295.  ;  his  critique  on 
the  Phyualeian  Marbles,  i.  329;  Haydon's 
reply,  330;  Haydon's  attack  upon  him  in 
his  letter  on  the  Elgin  Marbles,  3:32. 

Lamb,  Charles,  his  remarks  on  Voltaire,  i. 
385;  Haydon's  dinner  paity,  384;  his  be- 
haviour thereat,  386;  offends  a  comptroller 
of  taxes,  387;  lis  LaMn  verses  to  Haydon, 
ii.  13  ;  his  criticism  on  Haydon's  Alexander, 
164;  on  his  Chairing  the  "Member,  224. 

Lambton,  Mr.  (Lord  Durham),  views  on 
public  encouragement  of  art,  ii.  77. 


Lance, ,  one  of  Haydon's  pupils,  iii.  153. 

Landseer,   Sir   E.  and  O,    Haydon's   pupils, 

i.  354. 
Lansdowne,  Lady,  Wilkie's  portrait  of,  i.  99. 
Lawrence,  Sir  J.,  i.   179;   elected  president, 

407;    his  portrait   of  Wellington,  ii.   117; 

his  criticism  on  Haydon's  Alexander,  166 ; 

criticisms  on  him,   148.  209.  235.  254 ;   his 

house  after  his  death,  339. 
Lazarus,   Haydon's    picture,    commenced,   i. 

419;  finished,  ii.  43;    exhibited,  52;  sold, 

66. 
Lazarus,    Sebastiano   del   Piombo's   picture, 

Haydon's  criticism  on,  k  157. 
Leake,  Col.  iii.  309. 
Leycester,  Sir  J.,  Haydon's  commission  from 

him,  ii.'  127- 
Lockart,  Mr.,  his  kindness  to  Haydon ;    his 

misunderstanding  with  Mr.  J.  Scott,  ii.  7. 
London  smoke,  remarks  of  Haydon  and  Fuseli 

on,  i.  54,  55. 
Long,  Sir  C,  afterwards  Lord  Farnborough, 

addressed  by  Haydon  on  altar-pieces,  i.  390 ; 

Haydon's  interviews  with,  ii.  65.  122. 
Lough,  the  sculptor,  his  Milo,  ii.  168 ;  exhi- 
bited, 172;  his  boyhood,  169;   early  strug- 
gles, 172  ;  his  Musidora,  201. 

Macbeth,  Haydon's  picture,  i.  136  ;  finished, 
175;  exhibited,  190;  purchased  by  Sir  G. 
Beaumont,  349. 

Macdonald,  Mr.,  Wilkie's  patron,  iii.  201. 

Mackay,  Dr.,  his  account  of  the  Mexican 
treaty,  ii.  180. 

Maclise,  Daniel,  R.  A.,  iii.  188. 

Mahon,  Lord,  on  decorating  the  Houses  of 
Parliament,  iii.  286. 

Majoribanks,  Mr.,  assists  Haydon,  iii.  327. 

Mansfield,  Lord,  he  gives  Wilkie  a  commis- 
sion for  the  Village  Politicians,  i.  43 ;  his 
conduct  about  the  price,  47.  49. 

Martin,  J.,  criticisms  on,  ii.  91.  111.  209,  210. 

Mary,  Queen  of  Scots,  Haydon's  picture,  iii. 
145.  184. 

Masaccio,  copied  by  Raffaele,  iii.  323. 

Meek,  Mr.,  anecdotes  of  Napoleon,  iii.  72. 

Melbourne,  Lord,  Haydon's  sketch  of  him, 
ii.  353  ;  his  remarks  on  art,  354;  Haydon's 
opinion  of  him,  3  ;6  ;  his  style  of  speaking, 
380 ;  remarks  on  Academies  of  Art,  382  ; 
his  enjoyment  of  a  City  ball,  383  ;  conversa- 
tions with  Haydon  on  art,  and  its  claims  on 
government,  398.  400.  403.  405;  iii.  6.13; 
conversation  on  decorating  the  House  of 
Lords,  24  ;  his  criticism  on  Haydon's  de- 
signs, 25  ;  his  present  to  Haydon,  29 ;  ap- 
proval of  fresco,  206. 

Mellon,  Miss,  afterwards  Mrs.  Coutts,  i.  383. 

Michel  Angelo,  criticism  on,  iii.  150. 

Millingen,  Dr.,  i.  75. 

Milo,  Lough's  statue,  ii.  170  ;  exhibited,  173. 

Milton,  Haydon's  picture  of,  iii.  103. 

Mitford,  Miss,  sonnet  to  Haydon  by,  ii.  68. 

Mock  Election,  Haydon's  description  and  pic- 
ture of  the,  ii.  182.  184. 

Monkhouse,  Mr.,  i.  387. 

Moore,  T.,  Haydon's  remarks  on,  ii.  81.  116. 

Mordwinoff,  Captain,  marries  Haydon's  aunt, 
i.  5  ;  exiled,  6. 

Morley,  Lord,  i  80. 

Mott,  Lucretia,  iii.  157. 

Mulgrave,  Lord,  i.  109,  11'").  118;  patronises 
Jackson,  30;  gives  Wilkie  a  commission, 
46  ;  commissions  Haydon  to  paint  a  his  tori. 
cal  picture,  53;  opinion  of  Milton,  67;  be- 


INDEX. 


417 


comes  First  Lord  of  the  Admiralty,  68; 
anecdote  of  the  Copenhagen  Expedition, 
119;  remark  on  Wellington,  120  ;  wishes  to 
send  Haydon  to  Italy,  340. 
Mulready,  William,  R.  A.,  his  picture  of  the 
Whistonian  Controversy,  iii.  278. 

Nelson,  Lord,  i.  112.  214—217  ;  Haydon's  opi- 
nion of,  40;  his  funeral,  41 ;  design  for  his 
monument,  iii.  82  ;  Haydon's  picture  of  him 
at  Copenhagen,  255. 

Nero,  Haydon's  picture,  commenced,  iii.  313  ; 
progress,  319;  exhibited,  336. 

Newball  Hill  Meeting,  Haydon's  picture  of 
the,  ii.  341. 

Newton,  Mr.,  his  kindness  to  Haydon,  iii.  17. 
21.  27;  correspondence  with  Haydon,  57 — 
59. 

Nicholas,  the  Grand  Duke  of  Russia,  i.  369. 

Northcote,  James,  R.  A.,  his  reception  of  Hay- 
don, i.25;  conduct  as  Exhibition  Hanger, 
63;  his  ill-nature,  ii.  21;  Haydon  varnishes 
his  picture,  105. 

Nugent,  Lord,  Haydon's  sketch  of,  ii.  351. 

O'Connell,  D.,  Haydon's  description  of  him, 

ii.  387;    his   remarks  on   Repeal,  388,  389; 

conversation  with  Haydon,  390;  iii.  169. 
Olenis,  President  of  the  Russian  Academy,  i. 

390. 
Opie,  Amelia,  iii.  159. 
Opie,  John,  R.  A.  ;  his  reception  of  Haydon, 

i.  25;   his  death,  73;    Haydon's  opinion  of 

his  lectures,  74. 

Palmerston,  Lord,  sits  to  Haydon,  ii.  382. 

Paul,  Sir  J.,  his  examination' before  the  Fine- 
Arts  Committee,  iii.  43. 

Peel,  Sir  R.,  his  kindness  to  Haydon,  ii.  270. 
277 ;  Napoleon  painted  for,  295 ;  gives  F. 
Haydon  an  appointment,  iii.  317;  assists 
Haydon,  348  ;  letter  to  Haydon  on  his  pic- 
ture of  Wellington,  102. 

Perkins,  Mr,  Haydon's  landlord;  his  kind- 
ness, i.  195. 

Pharaoh,  Haydon's  picture,  commissioned, 
ii.  98;  finished,  119. 

Phillips,  Sir  G  ,  Haydon's  picture  for,  i.  308. 
418  ;  at  Sir  J.  Reynolds's  sale,  ii.  21. 

Phillips,  Thomas,  R  A.,  visit  to,  ii.  146. 

Phygaleian  .Marbles,  arrival  of  the,  i.  329;  de- 
preciated by  Payne  Knight,  329  ;  Haydon's 
replv.  330. 

Pickersgill,  H.  W.,  ii.  268. 

Picture  cleaning,  opinion  on,  by  Wilkie,  i. 
353  ;  by  Haydon,  iii.  289. 

Piombo,  Sebastiano  del,  Haydon's  remarks 
on  his  Lazarus,  i.  157. 

Pitt,  Right  Hon.  W.,  remark  of  George  IV. 
on  his  portrait,  i.  64  ;  Wordsworth's  opinion 
of, 

Plunkett,  Lord,  sits  to  Havdon,  ii.  374 ;  re- 
marks of,  375. 

Plymouth  volunteers,  ill. 

Plympton  Grammar  School,  i.  12. 

Poicticrs,  Haydon's  picture  of,  iii.  209. 

Porter,  the  Misses,  their  visit  to  Lord  Abcr- 
corn,  iii.  18. 

Puck,  Haydon's  picture,  ii.  93. 

Punch,  Haydon's  picture,  commenced,  ii. 
237 ;  described,  243. 

Raeburn,  Sir  H.,  ii.  62. 

Raffaelc,  i.  210.,  ii.  15  ;  his  School  of  Athens, 
i.  275  ;  the  Cartoons,  186. 


Reform  Banquet.  Havdon's  picture,  ii.  346 ; 
exhibited,  392. 

Reinagle,  conversation  with  Haydon,  ii.  152. 

Rembrandt,  remarks  on,  i.  301. 

Reynolds,  Sir  J.,  i.  132. 169.  iii.  316  ;  criticism 
on,  ii.  20.  iii.  84  ;  effect  of  his  Discourses 
on  Haydon,  i.  16  ;  sale  of  his  pictures,  ii.  21 ; 
his  portrait  of  Lord  Heathfield,  79  ;  irrita- 
bility of,  149 ;  changes  in  his  style,  iii.  89. 
Ill ;  authorship  of  his  Discourses,  269;  his 
resignation  of  the  Presidentship,  270. 

Richmond,  Duke  of,  remark  on  Waterloo,  ii. 
371 ;  his  opinion  of  fagging,  372. 

Richter,  i.  187. 

Rigo,  M.,  his  anecdote  of  Napoleon,  i.  165, 
166. 

Riley,  Mr  ,  i.  119. 

Ritchie,  the  traveller,  i.  388. 

Rogers,  Mr.,  iii.  76;  his  court  suit,  305;  criti- 
cism on  Haydon's  Napoleon,  130. 

Rossi,  J.  C.  Felix,  R  A.,  Haydon  rents  his 
house,  i.  374. 

Rosslyn,  Lady,  anecdote  of,  ii.  381. 

Rostopchin,  Count,  his  account  of  the  burning 
of  Moscow,  iii.  93. 

Royal  Academy,  examination  of  the  presi- 
dent before  the  Fine  Arts  Committee,  iii. 
41  ;  remarks  on  its  formation,  44. 

Rubens,  i.  273  ;  his  Lion  Hunt,  161  ;  his  Rape 
of  Proserpine,  378  ;  his  Antwerp  pictures, 
iii.  118. 

Rumohr,  letters  to  Haydon,  iii.  209;  on  Mo- 
dern Art,  210.  225 ;  on  German  Art,  212. 
215;  on  Allegory,  220;  on  Cartoons,  233; 
on  German  Art,  238. 

Russell,  Lord  J.,  sits  to  Haydon,  ii.  356. 

Sam,  Academy  porter,  Wilkie  and  Haydon's 
visit  to,  i.  102. 

Sammons,  Corporal,  i.  202.  311. 

Sauerweid,  a  Russian  artist,  introduces  Hay- 
don  to  the  Grand  Duke,  i.  369 ;  procures 
him  a  commission  from  Russia,  389. 

Saragossa,  the  Maid  of,  Haydon's  picture,  iii. 
71.  214.  217.  219  ;  raffled,  280. 

Satan,  Haydon's  picture  of,  commenced,  iii. 
299. 

Scobell,  Mr.,  an  abolitionist,  iii.  157. 

Scott,  J.,  editor  of  the  Champion,  his  letter 
from  Paris,  i.  316 ;  critique  on  the  Elgin 
Marbles,  329;  killed  in  a  duel,  ii.  7 ;  his 
funeral,  8. 

Scott,  Sir  Walter,  Haydon's  introduction  to, 
i.  407  ;  meets  him  in  Edinburgh,  414;  com- 
pared with  Wordsworth,  ii.  12;  assists  God- 
win, 41;  letter  to  Haydon,  6(1;  visits  him, 
207  ;  his  last  visit  to  London,  321 ;  anecdote 
ot  his  childhood,  iii.  144  ;  his  MSS.  333. 

Seguier,  — ,  i.  IG8. 

shaw,  the  life-guardsman,  i.  312. 

Sheridan,  Ii.  J;.,  anecdotes  of,  ii.  115  381. 

Shee,  Sir  Martin  Archer.,  Haydon's  visit  to, 
ii.  139;  elected  president,  259 ;  examined 
before  the  Tine  Arts  Committee,  iii.  41.  42. 

Shelley,  Percy  Bvsshe,  argument  against 
Christianity,  i.  363. 

Shuttleworth,  Dr.,  anecdotes  of  Wellington, 
iii.  138. 

Sibthorpe,  Colonel,  his  advice  to  orators,  iii. 
143. 

Siddons,  Mrs.,  remarks  on  her  acting,  i.  100; 
ii.  97  ;  her  Shakspeare  readings,  ii.  7  ;  her 
criticism  on  Haydon's  Jerusalem,  i.  404; 
I  [ay  don 'a  letter  to,  405. 

Silenus,  Havdon's  picture,  ii.  67.  71. 


vol.  in. 


]•;  E 


418 


INDEX. 


Smirke,  Robert,  R.A.,  Iris  kind  reception  of 
Haydon,  i.  26  ;  his  election  as  keeper  of  the 
Academy  annulled  by  George  III.  i.  27. 

Smith,  Horace,  i.  362.  378. 

Smith,  Patience,  the  gipsy  model,  i.  229. 

Smith,  Sydney,  sermon  by,  i.  110  ;  anecdotes 
of,  i.  19;  iii.  221. 

Soane,  Sir  J.,  his  pamphlet,  i.  178.  182  ;  Hay- 
don's  visit  to,  ii.  146. 

Solomon,  The  Judgment  of,  Haydon's  picture, 
i.  183  ;  commenced,  184 ;  finished,  235  ;  its 
success,  237;  its  fate,i285;  re-appearance, 
iii.  165. 

Somniator's  Dream,  Haydon's  satire  on  the 
Academy,  i.  356. 

Somerset,  Lord  Fitzroy,  anecdotes  of  Wel- 
lington, iii.  114. 

Southey,  R.,  reviews  Haydon's  pamphlet,  i. 
397. 

Stael,  Madame  de,  her  opinion  of  Coleridge, 
ii.  313. 

Stothard,  Thos.,  R.  A.,  compared  with  Chan- 
trey,  ii.  107  ;  Haydon's  visit  to,  144. 

Stratford-on-Avon,  Haydon's  visit  to,  ii.  215. 

Strutt,  Jos.,  ii.  224. 

Sturge,  J.,  evening  at  his  house,  iii.  166. 

Suicide,  Haydon's  reflections  on,  ii.  17 ;  iii. 
320. 

Sussex,  Duke  of,  description  of  the,  ii.  365. 
375  :  political  remarks  of,  388. 

Sutherland,  Duchess  of,  kindness  to  Haydon, 
iii.  104, 

Sutherland,  Duke  of,  assists  Haydon,  ii.  404. 

Talfourd,  Sir  T.  N.,  aids  Haydon,  iii.  243. 

Talma,  his  Hamlet,  i.  266. 

Talleyrand,  anecdote  of,  ii.  372. 

Terry,  the  actor,  articles  in  Blackwood  by,  i. 
379. 

Thompson,  Poulett,  his  opinion  of  Schools  of 
Design,  iii.  64. 

Titian,  criticisms  on  pictures  of,  i.  44.  273  ;  iii. 
73 ;  compared  with  Rubens,  i.  223 ;  his  co- 
louring, iii.  238. 

Turner,  J.  M.  W.,  i.  356  ;  Canova's  admira- 
tion of  his  works,  322  ;  his  Trafalgar,  ii.  78. 

Uriel,  Haydon's  picture  of,  iii.  296;  exhibited, 
£99. 

Vandvke,  criticism  on,  i.  160,  167  ;  ii.  105. 

Vrn  Hoist,  Theodore,  his  funeral,  iii.  271. 

Vansittart,  Right  Hon.  N.,  his  answer  to  Hay- 
don's suggestions  on  encouragement  of  art, 
i.  391. 

Venus  and  Anchises,  Havdon's  picture  ex- 
hibited, ii.  127. 

Vernet,  Horace,  visits  Haydon,  iii.  280. 

Vinci,  Leonardo  da,  his  Struggle  for  the 
Standard,  i.  161. 

Voltaire,  introduced  into  Haydon's  Jerusalem, 
i.  359;  Charles  Lamb's  definition  of,  385; 
Haydon's  remarks  on,  ii.  71. 

Wagen,  Dr.,  his  opinion  of  academies,  iii.  43. 

Washington,  General,  anecdote  of,  iii.  334. 

Waterloo,  news  of  the  battle  arrives,  i.  301; 
description  of  it  by  the  life-guardsmen, 
310,  311  ;  the  proposed  monument,  305. 

Watts,  G.  F.,  iii.  361 ;  his  estimate  of  Haydon 
as  an  artist,  362  ;  remarks  on  the  public  em- 
ployment of  artists,  368. 

Webb,  — ,  an  old  pupil  of  Haydon,  wins  the 
Saragossa,  iii.  280. 

Wellesley,  Marquis  of,  i.  206. 


Wellington,  Duke  of,  anecdotes  of,  iii.  93 — 95, 
114,  120,  156;  Lord  Mulgrave's  remark  on, 
i.  120 ;  Wilkie's  visit  from,  351  ;  his  remark 
on  habit,  374;  correspondence  with  Haydon, 
ii.   226,  287 ;    his   style   of  speaking.  3S0  ; 
correspondence  with  Haydon  on  his  Water- 
loo picture,  iii.  5—11.  107.  Ill;  on  Wyatt'8 
statue,  96 ;  Haydon's  visit  to  him  at  Wal- 
mer,    120 — 129  ;     his    conduct    in    money 
matters,  138;  Wordsworth's  sonnet  on  his 
picture,  160  ;  anecdote  of  a  button-maker  at 
Waterloo,  247  ;  confidence  of  the  army  in, 
277;  scene  with  Bailey,  281;  anecdote  of,  at 
Waterloo,  343. 
West,     Benjamin,     opinion     on    the    Elgin 
Marbles  of,  i.  94  ;  drawings  from  them  by, 
.117  ;  letter  to  Lord  Elgin,  170  ;  kindness  to 
Haydon,   234 ;   Canova's  remark   on,  322  ; 
his  funeral,  409  ;  criticism  on,  i.  185,  ii.  242  ; 
sale  of  his  Annunciation,  iii.  146. 
Westminster  Hall,  the  Cartoon  Exhibition  at, 
iii.  253  ;    Haydon's  remarks  on  it,  254  ;  the 
premiums  adjudged,  255  ;  the  fresco  com- 
petition, 278. 
Wilkie,  Sir  David,  i.  41.  55.  180.  201.  218.,  iii. 
104  ;  description  of,  i.  38  ;  engaged  to  copy 
Barry's  pictures,  42  ;  his  appearance  in  Hay- 
don's coat,  43;  commissioned  to  paint  theVil- 
lage  Politicians,  43  ;  his  drawings  for  Bell's 
Anatomy  of  Expression,  44  ;  hesitates  about 
exhibiting  the  Village  Politicians,  46  ;  its 
success,  and  his  delight,  47 ;    Lord  Mans- 
field's conduct  towards  him  about  the  price, 
47  ;  his  use  of  the  word  "  really,"  48;  con- 
duct after  success,  50;   his  present  to  his 
family,  51 ;  progress  of  his  Blind  Fiddler,  51 ; 
criticism  on  his  colouring,  52  ;  letter'to  Hay- 
don, 53  ;  coldness  towards  Haydon,  61.  125  ; 
success  of  his  Blind  Fiddler,  63  ;  his  friends 
in  Rathbone  Place  74—78  ;  portrait  of  Lady 
Lansdowne,    99;    visits    Devonshire    with 
Haydon,  128  ;   goes  to  Sir  G.  Beaumont's 
seat,  133;  want  of  appreciation  of  the  Elgin 
Marbles,  151  ;  finds  a  rival  in  Bird  of  Bristol, 
154  ;  withdraws  his  picture  from  the  Exhi- 
bition, 155 ;  his  illness,  155 ;  visits  Sir  G. 
Beaumont   at    Dunmow,    156 ;    visits   Paris 
with  Haydon,  243—275  ;  his  Distraining  for 
Rent  purchased  by  the  British  Institution, 
306  ;    paints  the   Chelsea   Pensioners,;  350, 
351  ;  his  opinion  of  picture  cleaning,  353 ; 
his  first  speech  at  the  Academy,  ii.  6  ;  Hay- 
don's opinion  of  his  influence  on  English 
art,  76  ;  portrait  of  George  IV.  at  Holyrood, 
84;   his  family  troubles,  1C4 ,   illness,  106; 
Haydon's    thoughts    on    seeing    the   Blind 
Fiddler  in  the  National  Gallery,  151 ;  Hay- 
don's comparison  of  Wilkie  with   himself, 
162;  returns  to  England,  212  ;  conversations 
on  art  with  Haydon,  232;  change  of  style, 
245 ;  proposed  as  President  of  the  Academy, 
258;  appointed  the  king's  Serjeant  painter, 
258;  his  account  of  his  early  quarrel  with 
Haydon,  406 ;   conversation  with    Haydon 
after  his  knighthood,  iii.  60;  his  pictures  of 
General   Baird  and  Cellini,  95  ;  spends  an 
evening  with    Haydon,   110 ;    recollections 
of  early  davs,  144;    his  death,   176;    Hay- 
don's sorrow,   177.  184 ;    details  as  to   his 
death,  227;  his  memoirs,  248;  anecdote  of 
him  at  Lawrence's  funeral,  250;  supposed 
original  of  the  Blind  Fiddler,  295. 
Wilson,  Professor,  of  Edinburgh,  i.  415. 
Wood,  J.,  iii.  288. 
Woodburn,  W.,  iii.  226. 


INDEX. 


419 


Wordsworth,  W.,  i.  135,  297;  Haydon's  opi- 
nion of,  298  ;  letter  and  sonnets  to  Haydon, 
325;  dines  at  Haydon's  with  Keats  and 
Lamb,  384;  his  official  admirer,  3S6 ;  com- 
parison with  Scott,  ii.  12;  with  Moore,  81; 
sonnet  on  Haydon's  Napoleon,  307  ;  corre- 
spondence with  Haydon,  iii.  139  ;  sonnet  on 
Haydon's  Wellington,  160.  377 ;  conversa- 


tion with  Haydon,  219.  221  ;  sits  to  Haydon 
223  ;   his  knowledge  of  art,  223 ;   his  early 
democratic  bias,  302;    goes  to  Court,  505; 
letter  to  Haydon  on  his  portrait,  327. 
Wyatt,  the  Wellington  statue,  iii.  322. 

Xenophon,  Havdon's  picture,  commenced,  ii. 
264  ;  raffled,  iii.  35. 


THE    END. 


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