tion, reject the offer." With such encouragement from the greatest painter of the age, Fuseli directed nearly the whole of his attention to drawing; and on the recommendation of Reynolds, tried oil colours. His first picture was "Joseph interpreting the dreams of the Butler and Baker of Pharaoh." On showing this to Reynolds, he remarked that "he might if he would be a colourist as well as a draughtsman." This picture Mr. Knowles describes as remarkably well-coloured, and for a first attempt in oil, a surprising production.

VOLTAIRE CARICATURED.

In 1767, when Hume and Voltaire were constantly attacking Rousseau, Fuseli published anonymously a small volume in defence of his countryman, and for this work he designed the frontispiece. This represents in the foreground, Voltaire, booted and spurred, riding upon man, who is crawling upon the earth; in the back of the picture, justice and liberty are gibbeted. Rousseau is witnessing Voltaire's pranks, and by his attitude, seems to threaten disclosure. This work is now very rare; most of the impressions having been destroyed by an accidental fire at Mr. Johnson's, the publisher, in Pater

noster-row.

FUSELI AND DR. ARMSTRONG.

In 1769, Fuseli, accompanied by Dr. Armstrong, (who wrote the poem on The Art of Preserving Health, and whom he met at Mr. Coutts's table, and had formerly known at Berlin,) left London for Italy, intending to go to Leghorn by sea. The voyage was long and tedious,—both the voyagers were of naturally irritable tempers, and they finally quarrelled about the pronunciation of an English word; Fuseli pertinaciously maintaining that "a Swiss had as great a right to judge of the correct pronunciation of English as a Scotsman ;" and being driven by a gale of wind into Genoa, Fuseli and Armstrong parted in a mood far from friendly. Upon Fuseli's return to England, he was reproved by Mr. Coutts for his rudeness to the Doctor, who lay dangerously ill. The painter called upon him, when he said: "So you have come back?" Fuseli replied: "Yes; I have come home." Armstrong: "Come, you mean to London! 'the needy villain's general home;' however, (putting out his hand,) I thank you for this visit: you find me in bad plight; but I am glad to see you

again."

They then conversed amicably; but the Doctor did

not long survive the reconciliation.

FUSELI IN ROME.

Fuseli arrived in the seat of the fine arts early in 1770, and set about studying its treasures, making the antique and Michael Angelo his masters, and forming his style upon their principles. He had, from his boyhood, admired Michael Angelo in engravings, and he adored him now in his full and undiminished majesty. It was a story which he loved to repeat, how he lay on his back, day after day, and week succeeding week, with upturned and wondering eyes, musing on the splendid ceiling of the Sistine Chapel-on the unattainable grandeur of the Florentine. He imagined that he drank, as he lay, the spirit of the sublime Michael; and that by studying in the Sistine, he had the full advantage of the mantle of inspiration suspended visibly above him. He fulfilled the injunctions of Reynolds-he ate, and drank, and slept, and waked on Michael Angelo. He examined living models, attended the school of anatomy, and used the dissecting-knife, in order to trace the origin and insertion of the outer layer of muscles of the human body. He rapidly improved, and soon acquired boldness and grandeur of drawing. His friends in England knew nothing of his progress until 1774, when he sent to the Royal Academy Exhibition, a drawing of the Death of Cardinal Beaufort, from Shakspeare. In 1779, he sent to the Exhibition an oil picture of a scene from Macbeth.

Fuseli left Rome in 1778. He was not very partial to the modern Italians, who, he said, "were lively and entertaining, but there was the slight drawback of never feeling one's life safe in their presence." He then related: "When I was one day preparing to draw from a woman selected by artists for a model, on account of her fine figure, on altering the arrangement of her dress, I saw the hilt of a dagger in her bosom, and on inquiring with astonishment what it meant, she drew it, and quaintly answered, "Contre gl' impertinenti."

Although Fuseli's talents were highly appreciated in Italy, he never obtained a diploma, or other honour, from any academy: indeed, he refused all overtures made to him on the subject; for he considered the institution of academies to be "symptoms of art in distress."

Upon his return to England, he visited his native Zurich, after an absence of sixteen years, and while there, painted some pictures, including "The Confederacy of the Founders of Helvetian Liberty," which he presented to the Senate House.

FUSELI SETTLES IN LONDON.

Fuseli, on his return from the continent, took apartments. in the house of Mr. Cartwright, an artist, at No. 100, St. Martin's-lane. Among his early patrons were Lord Orford, and Mr. Lock, of Norbury Park, and his son, Mr. William Lock, jun. and at the house of the latter he occasionally met Sir Joshua Reynolds and Dr. Moore, author of Zeluco.

In 1788, on his marriage with Miss Rawlins, Fuseli removed from St. Martin's-lane, to No. 72, Queen Annestreet, (now Foley-street,) where he painted most of the pictures which form his "Milton Gallery." Early in 1790, he was elected a Royal Academician, by a large majority over Mr. Bonomi, the opposing candidate proposed and warmly supported by Sir Joshua Reynolds, who, in consequence, resigned the Presidency, but was unaltered in his kindness to Fuseli during the remainder of his life. Fuseli was elected to succeed him in the Professorship of Painting, which office, conjointly with that of Keeper of the Academy, he was permitted to retain during the remainder of his life.

FUSELI AND COWPER'S "HOMER."

In 1786, when Cowper was about to publish his translation of Homer, Johnson, the publisher, sent a few lines of the manuscript to Fuseli, who, unhesitatingly, made several alterations in it. Johnson sent the MSS. to Cowper, without mentioning the name of the critic, when the poet readily adopted the alterations as improvements, and consented to Fuseli looking over the whole translation. Upon this, Hayley remarks: "It is a singular spectacle to observe a foreigner, who has raised himself to high rank in the arduous profession of a painter, correcting, and thanked for correcting, the chief poet of England, in his English version of Homer."

It is singular, that Fuseli never saw Cowper, nor did he ever write to him, or receive a letter from him; all communications being carried on either through General Cowper, the relation of the poet, or Johnson, the publisher.

RICHARDSON'S NOVELS.

Fuseli ever considered Richardson a man of great genius, and one who had a key to the human heart. He was very indignant, in the latter period of his life, with a gentleman who spoke contemptuously of Clarissa Harlowe. This person said in his presence, "No one now reads the works of Richardson." "Do they not?" said Fuseli, "then, by G-d they ought. If people are tired of old novels, I should be glad to know your criterion of books. If Richardson is old, Homer is obsolete. Clarissa to me is pathetic; I never read it without crying like a child."

M. DAVID AND FUSELI.

When, in 1802, Fuseli visited Paris, his society was much courted by the principal painters of the French school. David, whom he had known at Rome, paid him much attention, and wished to introduce him to the First Consul; this he, however, declined, as well as many other civilities, for he frequently said, "When he looked at David, he could not divest his mind of the atrocities of the French Revolution, nor separate them from the part which he had then acted, for they were stamped upon his countenance :" his face was disfigured by a hare-lip.

FUSELI AND WEST.

At

Fuseli was, at no time of his life, an admirer of West. his re-election to the chair of the Royal Academy, in 1803, after a secession of twelve months, the votes for his return to the office of President were unanimous, except one, which was in favour of Mrs. Lloyd, (Miss Moser,) then an academician. Fuseli was taxed by some of the members with having given this vote, and aswered. "Well, suppose I did; she is eligible to the office, and is not one oid woman as good as another?" This year, Fuseli left Queen Anne-street and removed to No. 13, Berners-street, which had been built by Sir William Chambers for his own residence. Here he remained until December 1804, when he was elected Keeper of the Royal Academy, Mr. Rigaud being his competitor.

Northcote and Opie voted against Fuseli, and being consciencestricken, not only on account of his abilities, but from having received favours at his hands, they called upon him the day

after the election to explain their motives. After having heard them, he replied in his usual sarcastic manner, “I am sorry you should have taken this trouble, because I shall lose my character in the neighbourhood. When you entered my house, the one must have been taken for a little Jew creditor, the other for a bumbailiff; so, good morning."

Northcote painted animals of the brute creation with great power. When his picture of Balaam and the Ass was exhibited at the Macklin Gallery, Northcote asked Fuseli's opinion of its merits: he instantly replied, "My friend, you are an angel at an ass, but an ass at an angel.”

FUSELI'S ATTACHMENTS.

The youth, fine manly countenance, and conversational talents of Fuseli, (says Knowles,) made a deep impression upon most female hearts and minds. He was very susceptible of the passion of love, and appears to have formed many attachments. He was much enamoured of Angelica Kauffman, and thought much more of her personal charms than her professional talents. Miss Mary Moser experienced the influence of Fuseli's attentions, and she flattered herself that the feelings which she had were mutual. Miss Wollstonecroft avowed a passion for him which was not returned; and although he was thus favoured with the affections of more ladies than one, until he met with the lady whom he married, Miss Rawlins, of Bath Eaton, a curious perversity seems to have prevented any of the attachments from being mutual.

:

When at Zurich, in 1779, his affections were gained by the daughter of a magistrate, whom he calls in his correspondence "Nanna" she was very accomplished, and her proficiency in music is celebrated in a poem by Göethe; but her father was opulent and did not consider the connexion suitable for his daughter the disappointment drove Fuseli almost to frenzy.

FUSELI AND MRS. WOLLSTONECROFT.

Of all Fuseli's attachments, by far the most extraordinary was his Platonic regard for Mary Wollstonecroft,* whom he met, in 1790, at the table of Johnson, the publisher, and who at the first interview conferred upon him the favour of her

*The lady, however, always asserted her right to be called Mrs. Wollstonecroft.