breathes her last.' It is in my mind the sweetest picture in the place. My canvass is not so large as the other, but it includes both the figures, which are of the size of life. I have worked upon it forty hours, that is seven mornings and am going over the whole of it again this week, by the end of which I intend to have it finished. I propose to complete the copy of Titian, which I began the week following, in five weeks from the time I got here. The three heads, which I shall then have to do, I shall, I think, be able to do in the same time, allowing three weeks for another portrait by Titian, and a head of Christ crowned with thorns, by Guido, and two more for Titian's Mistress, in which the neck and arms are seen. I shall then, if I have time, do a copy of the Cardinal Bentivoglio, which is at present exhibited in the great room, and probably some others. But the first five I have mantioned, I have certainly fixed upon. I generally go to the Museum about half-past nine or ten o'clock, and continue there until half-past three or four. Charles Fox was there two or three mornings. He talked a great deal, and was full of admiration. I have not yet seen Bonaparte near.

He is not in Paris.

"With love to all,

"I am your affectionate son,

"W. HAZLITT."

66

"MY DEAR FATHER,

Friday, November 29, 1802.

"I received your letter on Sunday. I wrote to you, that day fortnight; I am, therefore, sorry that you did not receive my letter sooner. I there gave you an account of what pictures I had been doing; and of what I

intended to do. The copy of the Death of Clorinda is as good as finished, though I shall have to go over the most of it again, when it is quite dry. The copy of Titian is also brought forward as much as it could be till it is dry; for, as the room is not kept very warm, the pictures do not dry fast enough to be done out and out. I have been I have been working upon the portrait of Titian's Mistress, as it is called, these two last days. I intend to complete this the beginning of next week, if possible; the rest of that week and the two following, I shall devote to going over and completing the other two; if I succeed in this, which I am pretty confident of doing, I shall have done eight of my pictures in eight weeks, from the time I came here. But as one of them contains two whole figures, it may be reckoned equal to two; so that as I shall have gone on at the rate of a portrait in a fortnight. I shall, therefore, have a month left to do the other two heads, which will make up the whole

number. I intend to give an hour a day to copyiny a Holy Family, by Raphael, one of the most beautiful things in the world. Of this and the Death of Clorinda, I shall probably be able to get prints taken in London, as this is frequently done; as my copies certainly contain all that is wanted for a print, which has nothing to do with colouring, I intend to write to Robinson about it. I was introduced this morning to Mr Cosway, who is here, doing sketches of the pictures in the Louvre by a Mr Pellegrini, whose pictures John knows very well, and whom I have seen with Mr Merrimee. If Railton chooses, I will do a copy of a most divine landscape, by Rubens, for him; but it will take at least a fortnight to do it, most probably three weeks. I have heard from Loftus. This is all I can recollect at present, except my love, &c.

"Your affectionate son,

"W. HAZLITT.

"I would have written a longer letter, if I

had had time."

"December 10th, 1802.

"MY DEAR FATHER,

"I yesterday morning completed my copy

of the picture called The Death of Clorinda; I

have been, in all, fifteen mornings about it. It is a very good copy; when I say this, I mean that it has very nearly all the effect of the picture, and will certainly make as great a figure in R's parlour, as the original does in the Louvre. It has been praised by some of the French painters. They have begun of late to compliment me on my style of getting on; though, at first, they were disposed to be very impertinent. This is the way of the world; you are always sure of getting encouragement, when you do not want it. After I had done my picture yesterday, I took a small canvass, which I had in the place, and begun a sketch of a head in one of the large historical pictures, being very doubtful if I could; not at all expecting to finish it, but merely to pass away the time; however, in a couple of hours, I made fair copy, which I intend to let remain a very fair as it is. It is a side face, a good deal like yours, which was one reason of my doing it so rapidly. I got on in such a rapid style, that an Englishman, who had a party with him, came up, and told me, in French, that I was doing very well. Upon my answering him in English, he seemed surprised, and said, upon my word, sir, you get on with great spirit and boldness; you do us great credit, I am sure.'

He afterwards returned; and after asking how long I had been about it, said he was the more satisfied with his judgment, as he did not know I was a countryman. Another wanted to know if I taught painting in oil. I told him that I stood more in need of instruction myself; that that sort of rapid sketching was what I did better than any thing else; and that, after the first hour or two, I generally made my pictures worse and worse, the more pains I took with them. However, seriously, I was much pleased with this kind of notice, as however confident may be of the real merit of my work, it is not always so clear, that it is done in a way to please most other people. This same sketch is certainly a very singular thing, as I do not believe there are ten people in the world, who could do it in the same way. However, I have said enough on the subject. I shall go on with this business as I find it succeed. I intend

I

to copy a composition of Rubens in this manner, which I can do at intervals, without interfering with my regular work. The copy of Titian's Mistress, and the other, which I began from him, I purpose finishing in the six following days; and another copy of Titian, in the six after that, which will be four out of the five, which I am doing for R--. I shall want