Chapter XX: Book IX: v. 848

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ELEGY ON THE DEATH OF A FAIR INFANT.

PICTURE XLIV.

WINTER carrying off a Maid.

O fairest flow'r, no sooner blown but blasted!
Soft silken primrose, fading timelessly!
Summer's chief honour, if thou hadst out-lasted
Bleak Winter's force that made thy blossom dry;
For he, being amorous, on that lovely dye
That did thy cheek envermeil, thought to kiss;
But kill'd, alas! and then bewail'd his fatal bliss.

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L'ALLEGRO.

PICTURE XLV.

EUPHROSYNE, or Mirth, with FANCY and MODERATION hovering over her,
tripping forward--

On the light fantastic toe;

accompanied by

Wanton Wiles;
Sport, that wrinkled Care derides;
And Laughter, holding both his sides,

with the Group of FALSTAFF and DOLL in the fore-ground: the
distance exhibits the Meeting of ZEPHYRUS and AURORA, allusive to
the Birth of EUPHROSYNE, in the words--

Zephyr with Aurora playing,
As he met her once a maying, &c.

In the possession of the Duchess of St. Alban's.

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IL PENSIEROSO.

PICTURE XLVI.

MELANCHOLY,

Reclining on her throne--

Her rapt soul sitting in her eyes,

with the attendant GENII of TERROR and GRIEF at her Feet, and
behind her the Shadow of UGOLINO and his dead Son.--The whole dimly
illuminated by a Moon-beam.

This picture was destroyed accidentally.

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SONNET III.

PICTURE XLVII.

The SHEPHERDESS of the ALPS watering her Plants.--An Evening Scene.

Qual in colle aspro, &c.

As an exhibition opened for the second time has not the charm of novelty to attract the public; so, unfortunately, at its close the Milton Gallery, notwithstanding the patronage of the Royal Academy, was found to be even less productive during this than the previous season; and after four months of anxiety and disappointment, Fuseli closed it on the 18th of July 1800. Thus terminated the exhibition of one of the greatest efforts of genius ever executed by one artist. It is lamentable to contemplate that, after the labour of so many years, the energies exerted by the painter, and the privations which he endured during the time he was executing these pictures, they should have been met with so much of neglect from the public[47]. Upon the closing of this Gallery, Fuseli thus expressed himself to a friend, "I am fed with honour, and suffered to starve, if they could starve me."

Fuseli sometimes lounged about the Milton Gallery to hear the critical and other remarks of the visitors. On one occasion, a coarse-looking man left his party, and coming up to him, said, "Pray, Sir, what is that picture?" Fuseli answered, "It is the bridging of Chaos: the subject from Milton."--"No wonder," said he, "I did not know it, for I never read Milton, but I will."--"I advise you not," said Fuseli, "for you will find it a d--d tough job."

His friends felt in how embarrassed a situation Fuseli must be placed by these unsuccessful exhibitions; and they determined to relieve him by becoming purchasers of some of the pictures. The Countess of Guilford bought the "Lycidas;" Lord Rivers, "Satan calling up his Legions;" Sir Mark Sykes, Bart., "The Lubbar Fiend;" Thomas Coutts, Esq., "The Lazar House;" John Julius Angerstein, Esq. (at the recommendation of W. Lock, Esq.) "Satan starting from the touch of Ithuriel's spear;" "The Vision of the Deluge," and "Eve, newly created, led to Adam;" William Young Ottley, Esq., "Sin pursued by Death," and "The Dream of Eve;" and William Roscoe, Esq. with that friendship and liberality which he always exercised towards Fuseli, purchased pictures to the amount of £300; which, however, did not form a part of this exhibition.

Prior to the purchase of the picture of "The Deluge," by Mr. Angerstein, Fuseli wrote the following letter to Mr. William Lock.

"London, 11th August, 1800.

"As it may be expected, and indeed necessary, that I should
inspect, and perhaps correct the pictures sent under Mr. Wyall's
direction to Mr. Angerstein's, I take the liberty of applying
through you to Mr. Lock, to be informed when my admission for that
purpose may be attended with the least inconvenience to Mr.
Angerstein's arrangements.

"The greater part of my exhibition, the rejected family of a silly
father, are now again rolled up, or packed together against the
walls of my study to be seasoned for dust, the worm, and oblivion.
Ti gar moi kai makrois aulois,[48] said Otho when in possession of
his wish; I have been punished by obtaining mine. It cannot be
supposed, however, that I should be quite indifferent to the fate
of my bantlings; and as 'the expectations of ignorance are
indefinite,' I venture to ask, whether you think it quite
impracticable to persuade Mr. Angerstein to find a place for 'The
Deluge?' It is not quite so wide as the smaller picture in his
possession; and though, if placed on the other side of the Satan,
it would be less honourable to me than the company of Rubens; it
would be more in tune with the rest.

"It would be presumption in me, without authority from you, to
congratulate you on what more than rumour has told me, of your
intended change of state: of this, however, you are sure, that
nothing conducive to the happiness of William Lock can be more
interesting to any man than his

"Respects.
"Fuseli."

"To William Lock, Jun. Esq.
Norbury Park."