The vigorous, energetic, and startling productions of Michael Angelo were closely akin to the fancy of Fuseli; Cunningham has well described its meteor-like shining upon impassable places, and its lighting the darkness of that region which forms the border-land between sense and absurdity. "Fuseli rejoiced in the muscular glory of his great master; for he thought there was no dignity without action-no sublimity without exaggeration. He lived in a species

of intoxication-affected the dress and mimicked the manners of Michael-assumed the historic shoe, and would have preferred the sandal. In drawing and in sketching he tried to imitate his master's dashing energy and extravagance of breadth, which induced Piranesi to exclaim, 'Fuseli-this is not designing, but building a man!' When time had mellowed his taste, and in his turn he had become an instructor, he continued to prefer that broad nervous freedom of hand, and held in derision all that was cautiously neat or timidly graceful. He would seize the chalks of his students, stamp with his tiny foot till they stared or smiled-cry 'See!' and delineate a man in half the time and with a broader stroke than a tailor uses in chalking out a garment. Yet coarse as such hasty outlines seemed to the inexperienced, in the view of those acquainted with design, they contained the elements of the truest art, and presented such materials for study as none but the hand of a master could dash off.

"He loved to dream along the road, (when he was at Rome,) to follow the phantasies of an unbridled imagination -to pen sarcastic remarks-sketch colossal groups, and would call out ever and anon, when some strange thought struck him, 'Michael Angelo !'”

He used to vow that there was more genius in the claw of one of Michael Angelo's eagles than in all the heads with which the Academy was swarming. Indeed, Michael Angelo was the alpha and omega-the beginning and the end-of Fuseli's existence.

SIR THOMAS LAWRENCE, P.R.A.

BIRTH AND PARENTAGE OF LAWRENCE.

THOMAS LAWRENCE was born in the parish of St. Philip and St. Jacob (within a few doors of the birthplace of Robert Southey, the poet laureate,) in the city of Bristol, on the 4th of May, 1769, and was christened on the 6th of the same month. He was the youngest of a family of sixteen children; and at the time of his birth, his parents kept the White Lion inn at Bristol, and next the Black Bear inn at Devizes. Their son Thomas was a very beautiful boy, and had been remarkable from infancy for his sprightly and winning manners. His father taught him to recite poetry; and when the child was only four or five years old, it was usual for him to be presented by his parent to visitors to the inn: at four years old, he could recite the story of Joseph and his Brethren; at five, Pope's "Nymphs of Solyma;" and at seven, Milton's Lycidas.

LAWRENCE'S FIRST PORTRAIT.

The boy had already shown considerable aptitude for sketching, though only in his sixth year, when, late one evening, Mr. (afterwards Lord) Kenyon and his wife arrived at the Bear inn at Devizes. Mr. Lawrence soon entered their sitting-room, and proposed to show them his wonderful child. "The boy," he said, "is only five years old, but he can take your likenesses, or repeat to you any speech in Milton's Pandæmonium;" when in rushed the child; and as Mrs. Kenyon used to relate, her vexation was suddenly changed into admiration. He was riding on a stick, when Mrs. Kenyon, as soon as she could get him to halt, asked him if he could take the likeness of that gentleman, pointing to

her husband. "That I can," said little Lawrence, "and very like too." A high chair was placed at the table, pencils and paper were brought, and the infant artist soon produced a striking likeness.

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Mr. Kenyon now coaxed the child, and asked him if he could take the likeness of the lady. Yes, that I can," was the reply, "if she will turn her side to me, for her face is not straight." This remark produced a laugh-it was correct enough. He then drew a profile portrait of Mrs. Kenyon, which was recognised by a friend twenty-five years after: the drawing was about five inches broad, and delicately shaded.

A Derbyshire Baronet, struck with the genius of the lad, offered to send him to Rome at the expense of 1,000l., but his father replied that "his son's talents required no cultivation."

YOUNG LAWRENCE SENT TO SCHOOL.

At the age of six, Lawrence was sent to school at the Fort, near Bristol, where he had for his school-fellow the Earl of Shaftesbury, who, in writing to Lawrence many years after, respecting his portrait, reminded the painter of the circumstance. The boy does not appear to have received any instruction after the age of eight, (except some lessons in Latin and French grammar,) his father being his only instructor in English, especially in recitation.

LAWRENCE'S EARLY DRAWINGS.

At the age of five years, little Lawrence made some drawings of eyes, which attracted the admiration of Mr. Prince Hoare. In after life, Lawrence became of all artists the most celebrated for his excellent painting of the eye. Even Fuseli, who could rarely abstain from depreciating his works, would exclaim with enthusiasm: "But, by G-t, he paints eyes better than Titian!" At the age of seven, too, the prodigy became so celebrated as to be taken and engraved by Sherwin.

We have mentioned the portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Kenyon. The first book upon art which he read was Rogers's Lives of Foreign Painters, lent him by a clergyman of the neighbourhood, who also left him a small legacy.

But young Lawrence's father was averse to his reading upon the subject of Painting; and would only permit his