personated with so much feeling. 'Ah!' Pugin would often say, 'people little know that Monsieur Malet should be Monsieur Pugin.'

Perhaps no professional man ever attained greater success in his pursuits than the late John Nash. He was, as is well known, the especial favourite of George the Fourth, being his private architect, and engaged by the King to make the alterations and additions at Buckingham Palace; he also built the Pavilion at Brighton.* Possessed of a large professional income, Nash lived in a style of some splendour at his house in Regent Street, receiving his employers in a spacious and beautiful gallery adorned with the choicest sculpture and pictures; and possessing East Cowes Castle, in the Isle of Wight, where he was visited by many of the leading families of the aristocracy.

Nash's treatment of his pupils was of the most generous kind, and when staying in the Isle of Wight, he permitted the gentlemen of his office to join the distinguished company who visited him. Amongst them was George Stanley Repton, a son of the famous landscape gardener, and brother of the late respected Canon of Westminster. This gentleman won the heart of no less a person than the daughter of the then

* The Government business, executed under the control of the Board of Works, was then divided between three architects, each of whom received a retaining fee of five hundred pounds per annum, with a commission of three per cent. upon the expenditure. The three architects were Nash, Sir R. Smirke, and Sir J. Soane.

The apartment referred to as Mr. Nash's reception-room is now completely transformed, and become familiar to the public by the name of the 'Gallery of Illustration.'

Lord Chancellor Eldon, who was a frequent visitor at East Cowes Castle. Mr. Repton was privately married to Lady Elizabeth Scott in March 1817; Lord Eldon was at first much displeased with this marriage, but in course of time he not only became reconciled both to his daughter and son-in-law, but evidenced the sincerity of his regard by appointing the latter one of his executors.

But to return to our subject: About this period there was a mania for building gentlemen's houses in imitation of castellated and monastic structures. Mr. Nash being largely engaged in this way, and feeling the want of practical works upon Gothic architecture (for although beautiful pictorial illustrations of our cathedrals were in course of publication by Britton, no book yet existed in which the details were so drawn as to enable the practical architect to make working drawings from them), suggested to Pugin that by applying himself to this particular purpose he would do the profession a great service and secure a profitable occupation.

Acting upon the advice of Mr. Nash he shortly set to work collecting materials for a publication which would meet the wants of the profession. Pugin was now in a position enabling him to earn a fair income; and while occupied in making sketches for a picturesque work on Islington he became acquainted with Miss Catherine Welby, the daughter of a distinguished barrister, and a relative of Sir William Welby, Bart., of Denton Hall, Lincolnshire. Pugin's position was

hardly such as to make him a desirable candidate for the hand of this lady, yet, by his gentlemanly demeanour and persevering suit he overcame all the objections of her friends, and they were eventually married at St. Mary's Church, Islington. Of this lady more will be said hereafter. She was possessed of no ordinary charms, and known as 'The Belle of Islington.' Islington, be it remembered, was at that day the headquarters of the Royalist Emigration. In proof of her good looks she was accustomed to relate the circumstance that once at a dinner party, a gentleman sitting next to her, with whom she had been in close conversation, availing himself of one of those mysterious pauses which sometimes occur at the table, and looking her earnestly in the face, suddenly exclaimed, with animated gesture, Madam, how exceedingly like you are to the devil.' This expression caused no small surprise amongst the company; but far from discomposing Mrs. Pugin, she gracefully bowed her thanks, and accepted the remark as a compliment to her personal appearance. Familiar with the works of Milton, and especially Paradise Lost, she recognized in the seemingly rude observation an allusion to the fascinating form of Satan as there described by the great poet.

Pugin now came into repute as an architectural draughtsman, and his drawings were deservedly admired for their truthfulness of form and colour. At this period there was a marked improvement perceptible in the works of artists who had previously

worked in water-colours. The earlier practice in the art had been carried out with remarkable simplicity; broad tints of monotone, possessing something resembling a local tint, formed the groundwork, the objects being drawn freely with a reed pen, either in dark brown colour or Indian ink. So far this mode of working in water-colour had hitherto prevailed, but a change in the process now took place; the old method of preparing the drawing in uniform tint was given up, and efforts were made to represent objects with their local colours and varied effects of light and shade. Many of the most eminent artists felt that the time had arrived when a popular annual exhibition of their productions could be successfully established. With this view, they associated themselves in the foundation of the Old Water Colour Society. Their first exhibition took place on the 22nd of April, 1805, at the rooms built by Vandergucht the engraver, in Lower Brook Street, Grosvenor Square. Eventually they moved to Pall Mall East, where the annual exhibition continues to be held. Of this body Pugin was elected an associate in 1808, in the room of Richard Ramsay Reinagle. He frequently exhibited in their gallery, and his beautiful drawings of the interior of the Hall of Christchurch, Oxford, of Westminster Abbey, and St. Paul's, with many views of Lincoln, were well known as creditable pictures of the earlier exhibitors of this distinguished society. Pugin always spoke in terms of the greatest regard for many of his associates in

this body, particularly of Copley, Fielding, and George Robson, men whose friendship he enjoyed.

Although Pugin had for some time ceased to give his exclusive attention to Mr. Nash's works, yet his intimacy with that great architect continued for many years afterwards. Pugin entertained much respect for him, and delighted to relate anecdotes to his pupils characteristic of Nash's generous nature and indomitable spirit. Some of these may fitly be recorded here. It was in the year 1824, while Nash was engaged in building the Pavilion at Brighton, that he received the King's commands to prepare a work illustrating that extraordinary Hindû structure. Mr. Nash naturally requested Pugin to take sketches, make the drawings, and superintend the engravings; and eventually a beautiful work was produced, at great cost, consisting of perspective views etched in outline, printed in colour, and finished by hand. The King's object was to have an elegant book which he might give as a souvenir to those who were honoured by invitations to Brighton. The strictest precautions were therefore taken to prevent the possibility of any impressions of the plates becoming public; but it was hardly to be supposed that in the passage of the copper-plates and proofs through the hands of the engravers, printers, colourists, and others, some stray prints might not be dispersed. This indeed proved to be the case; and in the sale of the effects of one of the engravers who had become bankrupt a few prints of the intended work