way he would paint the sound of dumpdump-dump.

Fuseli, upon hearing that a figure had been broken in the Antique Academy, entered the room with the following vociferation. "Which is the man who broke the cast? where is he? which is he?-Well, Sir, it is you who have broken the cast. Will you look round the room, and see if there be any other you would wish me to order out for you to break ?”

Fuseli, for a length of time, had been teased by an idle and stupid student for his opinion of his drawing. "It is bad; take it into the fields

and shoot at it, that's a good boy."

When Morton, the Portrait-painter, first studied at the Academy, he commenced drawing the sandal of a foot before he got in the toes. Fuseli, after turning his drawing in every direction, asked him what he intended it for. "Is it a horse's bridle?" The assiduous student, though he had considered his mode no bad way of drawing the foot, found, by the admonition of the Keeper, that it was not the best way of doing it. Some students would have been displeased at the remark, but upon Morton's exertions it acted with so strong a stimulus, that he had the honour of gaining two medals in

the Royal Academy for drawings of the human figure.

It has been reported that Fuseli and Lavater, whose friendship commenced in their childhood, were obliged to quit Switzerland when very young, for most seriously and premeditatedly frightening a young lady, by attempting to produce the apparition of her deceased lover. True it is, that no persons could more mutually regard each other than Lavater and Fuseli, nor was their attachment lessened till the death of the Physiognomist, who certainly had paid every compliment to the Artist; for he not only introduced his portrait in his work, of which he spoke in the highest terms,* but

* Lavater, speaking of Fuseli, says:

"The curve which describes the profile in whole, is obviously one of the most remarkable; it indicates an energetic character, which spurns at the idea of trammels. The forehead, by its contours and position, is more suited to the poet than the thinker. I perceive in it more force than gentleness; the fire of imagination rather than the coolness of reason. The nose seems to be the seat of an intrepid genius. The mouth promises a spirit of application and precision, and yet it costs the original the greatest effort to give the finishing touch to the smallest piece. His extreme vivacity gets the better of that portion of attention and exactness with which Nature endowed him, and which is still distin

placed the English translation of that interesting book entirely under his direction.

Fuseli was short in stature, his eyes full, prominent, and, like the eagle's, piercingly bril

guishable in the detail of all his works. You will even sometimes find in them a degree of finishing almost over-curious, and which, for this reason, affords a singular contrast with the boldness of the whole. Any one may see, without my telling it, that this character is not destitute of ambition, and that the sense of his own merit escapes him not. It may also be suspected that he is subject to impetuous emotions; but will any one say that he loves with tenderness, with warmth, to excess? There is nothing, however, more true: though, on the other hand, his sensibility has occasion continually to be kept awake by the presence of the beloved object: absent, he forgets it, and troubles himself no more. The person to whom he is fondly attached, while near him, may lead him like a child; but, quit him, and the most perfect indifference will follow. He must be roused, be struck, in order to be carried along. Though capable of the greatest actions, to him the slightest complaisance is an effort. His imagination is ever aiming at the sublime, and delighting itself with prodigies.

The sanctuary of the Graces is not shut against him, but he has no great skill in sacrificing to them, and gives himself very little concern about it. Though formed to feel it, he seldom reaches the sublime. Nature intended him for a great poet, a great painter, a great orator; but, to borrow his own words, inexorable fate does not always proportion the will to our powers; it sometimes assigns a copious proportion of will to ordinary minds, whose faculties are very contracted; and frequently associates with the greatest faculties, a will feeble and impotent."

liant.

He dressed well, and at all times looked

like a superior man. His remarks were generally witty, and sometimes severely cutting; but to the ladies, particularly those who were qualified to give him the retort-courteous, he was cautiously and precisely polite. In early life, he suffered each of his many female admirers to suppose herself the favourite fair. Miss Moser, at one period, drew that conclusion, and for a long time he flirted with Angelica Kauffmann; but he found at last that that lady's glances were directed towards Sir Joshua Reynolds and Mr. Parker. In Fuseli's marriage state, Mrs. Wolstoncraft fell desperately in love with him; and many other ladies were extremely delighted with his conversation, even to the extent of a long life, for his company was much courted.

One evening, when Mr. Nollekens accompanied Fuseli to dine with Mr. and Mrs. Coutts, the lively hostess, who had dressed herself as Morgiana, went round the room, after dinner, presenting a dagger to the breast of every one of her visitors, as if she intended to stab them; and when she came to Nollekens, Fuseli was heard to cry out, "You may strike with safety; Nolly was never known to bleed." *This was what Fuseli told Nollekens was "play-acting."

FLAXMAN.

JOHN FLAXMAN was born in York, July 6th, 1755, and when a boy, was not, like other children, fond of toys; but took the greatest delight in every thing pertaining to Sculpture. I have heard my father relate, that little John, when only six years of age, while standing between his knees, made the following request: "Mr. Smith, will you let me take a squeeze from your blue seal. My father has given me several impressions, and allows me to look at them when I am not engaged with my Latin books." To this anecdote I also subjoin the following, as it may be useful to some future biographer, who may be inclined to favour the public with a classic life of the inimitable Flaxman.

I have heard my late friend, the Rev. H. Mathew, relate, that in consequence of an accident which befel a model in his possession, he applied to Mr. Flaxman, a plaster figure-maker, who then lived in New-street, Covent-garden, to have it repaired. After he had conversed with him for some time in his shop, he heard a child cough behind the counter, and looking over, saw a little boy seated in a small chair before a large one, upon which he had a book.