uneducated man, unpolished by his profession-of simple manners-without ostentation in his person or his household, whose mind was a stranger to every thing elegant save sculpture, and who preferred a joke with his assistants, and a cup of tea with one of his living models, to the society of the titled and the learned. Such a person as this could not fail to gather money, and though one cannot help lamenting that his heart failed to expand with his fortune, I am not sure that we are entitled to stigmatize it as a crime. He considered himself as nothing superior to his handmaids and his assistants-he lived in their company, spending his money freely according to his own limited notions of his station: he was unable to act the part of a gentleman, and could not imagine the rank which genius entitled him to hold-and so he lived and so he died.

When Chantrey sent his bust of Horne Tooke to the Exhibition, he was young and unfriended; but the great merit of the work did not escape the eye of Nollekens. He lifted it from the floor-set it before himmoved his head to and fro, and having satisfied himself of its excellence, turned round to those who were arranging the works for the exhibition, and said, "There's a fine-a very fine work-let the man who made it be known-remove one of my busts and put this one in its place, for it well deserves it." Often afterwards, when desired to model a bust, he said in his most persuasive way, "go to Chantrey, he's the man for a busthe'll make a good bust of you-I always recommend him." Nor did he hesitate to give a piece of marble to a deserving sculptor-" take it," he said, "it encourages more than money does." He sat for his bust to Chantrey, who always mentions his name with tenderness and respect.— pp. 186-190.

Mr. Cunningham has omitted to notice the numerous charitable bequests which distinguish the last deliberate instrument of Nollekens's life, and which we regard as evidence of a material nature, considering the sort of charges that have been made against him.

The life of Bacon being chiefly borrowed from that excellent one of Cecil, presents little of novelty; at the same time we must observe, that it is a judicious compilation, free from the sinister criticisms of an enemy, and alike exempted from the injudicious partiality of friendship. We must, however, make room for the following anecdotes :

'On one occasion, in the absence of Bacon, an order for a monument was left with the person who conducted his business :-the sculptor on being informed of it, said, "Well, in memory of a private gentleman ?— and what price was mentioned ?" "Three hundred pounds, Sir." "Three hundred pounds-a small bas-relief will do-was he a benevolent man? You inquired that, I hope?" "Yes, Sir-he was benevolent-he always gave sixpence, they said, to an old woman who opened his pew on a Sunday." "That will do-that will do we must have recourse to our old friend the Pelican."

When he was retouching the statue of Chatham in Westminster Abbey, a divine, and a stranger, tapped him on the shoulder, and said, in allusion to the story of Zeuxis, "Take care what you are doing, you work for eternity." This reverend person then stept into the pulpit and began to preach. When the sermon was over, Bacon touched his arm and said, "Take care what you do, you work for eternity."

'He affected frequently to speak lightly of his art, and seemed unwilling to allow it the station in public esteem to which the genius of its professors had raised it. Being, on one occasion, complimented on the beauty of his public works, and also on their usefulness, he admitted that he had striven to render them acceptable by the religious sentiment or judicious moral which they embodied; but yet, he added, laying his hand on the sleeve of his friend, "What am I in the sight of God but an humble cutter of stone?"-pp. 242, 243.

The last anecdote is in keeping with the character given of Bacon by our author, who says that this artist was peculiarly anxious to pass for a pious as well as a loyal man.

The life of Mrs. Damer is written, we regret to say, with an evident contempt for the claims of that lady to any degree of eminence as an artist. The extravagancies of the woman are too much forced on our contemplation, and the rare example of a female any where, but particularly in this country, succeeding so far in the paths of first-rate genius, as she certainly has done, is not by any means distinguished with that spirit of panegyric which justice demands. Even the Italians, who would be more justified than ourselves in such extreme fastidiousness, have been far more gallant, for Propertia Rossi, a lady, is famous among them, although no greater number of monuments exist to remind them of her merit than a bust and a pair of angels.

Flaxman's life offers materials of much more urgent interest: and the circumstance of our author having been the personal friend of the deceased artist, whilst it does not bias his judgment, enables him to enrich and to authenticate his narrative. The early life of this great artist is already made familiar to the public, through the medium of more than one good biography. It was distinguished by an ardent love for his art-and what was as promising a symptom-by a steady and virtuous course of conduct. He married young, and was particularly happy in the selection of his wife. The following anecdote, which is very well related by our author, seems to us to be capable of being told with great advantage in a picture.

'He had never doubted that in the company of her whom he loved he should be able to work with an intenser spirit—but of another opinion was Sir Joshua Reynolds. "So Flaxman," said the President one day, as he chanced to meet him, "I am told you are married-if so, sir, I tell you you are ruined for an artist!" Flaxman went home, sat down beside his wife, took her hand, and said with a smile, "I am ruined for an artist." "John," said she, "how has this happened, and who has done it?" happened," said he, "in the church, and Ann Denman has done it—I met Sir Joshua Reynolds just now, and he said marriage had ruined me in my profession."

"It

For a moment a cloud hung on Flaxman's brow-but this worthy couple understood each other too well to have their happiness seriously marred by the unguarded and peevish remark of a wealthy old batchelor. They were proud determined people-who asked no one's advice-who

shared their domestic secrets with none of their neighbours, and lived as if they were unconscious that they were in the midst of a luxurious city. "Ann," said the sculptor, " I have long thought that I could rise to distinction in art without studying in Italy, but these words of Reynolds have determined me. I shall go to Rome as soon as my affairs are fit to be left, and to show him that wedlock is for a man's good rather than for his harm, you shall accompany me. If I remain here I shall be accused of ignorance concerning those noble works of art which are to the sight of a sculptor what learning is to a man of genius, and you will lie under the charge of detaining me." In this resolution Mrs. Flaxman fully concurred. They resolved to prepare themselves in silence for the journey, to inform no one of their intentions, and to set meantime a still stricter watch over their expenditure. No assistance was proffered by the Academy-nor was any asked; and five years elapsed from the day of the memorable speech of the President, before Flaxman, by incessant study and labour, had accumulated the means of departing for Italy.'-pp. 290, 291.

The results of his journey to and residence in Italy, Flaxman has himself related, in his Lectures on Sculpture. He wrought there many of those splendid works which were instrumental in conferring on his name the celebrity all over Europe which it so long enjoyed, and, to the credit of our country, many of his patrons were Englishmen. Among them, the first, and we need scarcely add, the most liberal, was Mr. Hope, the author of

Anastasius.

He had now spent upwards of seven years in Rome-compared the colossal extravagance of Bernini with the temperate action of the antique, and leisurely and thoroughly disciplined his hand and eye in a severe school. He had availed himself too of certain facilities which the free manners of Italy afford for studying from living models, especially of female beauty*-facilities (almost unknown here) which have to this hour sustained the fame of the Italian school for truth and gracefulness of outline. Having been elected a member of the academies of Florence and Carrara, Flaxman prepared to return home. The "Child of Destiny" had already struck on the Roman side of the Alps one or two of those terrible strokes which perplexed monarchs, and the sculptor perceived the propriety of turning his face homewards. "I remember a night or two before my departure from Rome," he once observed to me, "that the ambassador of the French proudly showed us, at an evening party, a medal of Buonaparte. There,' said he, is the hero who is to shake the monarchies of the earth, and raise the glory of the Republic.' I looked at the head and said at once, This citizen Buonaparte of yours is the very image of Augustus Cæsar.' Image of a tyrant!' exclaimed the Frenchman- no indeedI tell you he is another sort of a man-he is a young enthusiastic hero, and dreams of nothing but liberty and equality!' -pp. 310, 311.

Flaxman, on his return to England, set about executing an order which he received in Italy, for a monument to the great Earl of Mansfield.

* When one of our English ladies expressed some surprise how Pauline Buonaparte could sit so naked for her statue to Canova, "O, my dear madam," said the beautiful Princess, "I had a fire in the room.'

During the progress of this work one of another nature touched his fancy, a work at once original and unrivalled. I have said that Flaxman enjoyed the purest domestic happiness. He felt this, and wishing to reward it in his own way, caused a little quarto book to be made, containing some score or two of leaves, and with pen and pencil proceeded to fill and embellish it. On the first page is drawn a dove, with an olive branch in her mouth-an angel is on the right and an angel on the left, and between is written "To Ann Flaxman ;" below two hands are clasped as at the altar, two cherubs bear a garland, and the following inscription to his wife introduces the subject:-"The anniversary of your birth-day calls on me to be grateful for fourteen happy years passed in your society. Accept the tribute of these sketches, which, under the allegory of a knight errant's adventures, indicate the trials of virtue and the conquest of vice, peparatory to a happier state of existence. After the hero is called to the spiritual world and blessed with a celestial union, he is armed with power for the exercise of his ministry, and for fulfilling the dispensations of Providence he becomes the associate of Faith, Hope, and Charity, and, as universal Benevolence, is employed in acts of mercy-John Flaxman, October 2, 1796." The designs which tell this noble story amount to forty-they are two and two on the pages, with descriptions in a species of measured prose, extending from two lines to a dozen, by which the coherence of the narrative-if a succession of pencilled scenes may be so called-is very clearly maintained.'-pp. 312, 313.

Mr. Cunningham gives the details of these designs, and says, that to publish a fac-simile of the book would be conferring a benefit on mankind. Whilst Flaxman was the theme of approbation in every society, and whilst he was courted by the high and wealthy, he still never lost, in the slightest degree, his relish for the pure happiness of domestic life. No small evidence is it, indeed, of the serenity and cheerfulness of his temper, that he was able to be happy himself and be agreeable to his family under the influence of the gloomy religion of Swedenborg, of which he was, though not openly, a professor.

He would often cheer the winter evening by composing light and amusing things for the entertainment of his family or his friends-ingenious little stories in prose and verse, illustrated with sketches, serious and burlesque. Much of the peculiar talent of the man found its way into these unstudied trifles; in his hand the merriest legend failed not to put on a moral aim and a classic grace. It is pleasing to follow to the fireside and the supper table the mind which brooded so successfully over the severe sublimities of Homer and Dante, and to see and hear him disporting amid quaint conceits and agreeable absurdities. It is true that he set no value on these hasty things, and that he generally destroyed them: one, however, by name "The Casket," survives, and a curious composition it is.

The story of the Casket is this:-One day, in the winter of 1812, Flaxman, who shared with Banks in the love of Oriental productions, saw and bought a small Chinese casket, of very rich workmanship, and gave it to his wife and sister. It was one of those neat trifles in which ladies delight to stow away their trinkets and laces; so they set it before them on the table, and while the sculptor was sketching, the two sisters began to

talk about the present. "This is a pretty thing," said one," and not made yesterday either: its history must be curious." "Curious, no doubt," said the other, we can easily make a history for it. What is it without its genealogy?--was it not made in the reign of the illustrious Ching-Fu, by one of the Muses of China, to hold the golden maxims of Confucius ?" "And obtained in barter," continued the other, " for glass beads and twopenny knives, by one of those wandering genii called in Britain trading captains?" Flaxman smiled at this history, and forthwith set to work with pen and pencil.'-pp. 332, 333.

These works were but the indulgences of such leisure hours as he was able to snatch for his relaxation from the fatigues of profound mental and wasting bodily labour.

In 1810, the Royal Academy founded a Professorship of Painting, and Flaxman was the first appointed to the chair. The lectures which he delivered in his new capacity have already undergone our critical consideration. A concluding observation upon them by Mr. Cunningham deserves to be quoted :

'We miss in these Lectures some account of the Grecian mode of working in marble-a secret withheld from us by the ancients themselves; but which the experience, penetration, and learning of Flaxman might have enabled him to discover. Were those noble groups and statues produced in marble through the medium of models-or did drawings suffice-and if the former were used, by what process was the copy made by instruments such as we use or by plummets and compasses-or by the unaided hand and eye? That they had moulds for casting works of art, their bronze statues sufficiently show; and that they had the choicest tools and the most skilful hands, their marbles bear lasting proof. But how they wrought out deep and difficult sinkings- gave that loose fine clustering elegance to the hair and communicated to the surface of the marble that exquisite delicacy of finish, no one has told us. It is difficult to doubt that, with superior genius, they had all the mechanical facilities of which we boast, and probably more. The marks of chisels and the perforations of drillsour chief instruments- -are visible on many of their works. It is true that Michael Angelo grappled at once with the marble block, and shaping the figure in imagination before him, hewed it boldly out, and derided those who went the round-about way of models. But this was a wild waste of time; had he modelled his statue in clay, cast it in plaster, and got it rough-hewn by some ordinary hand, he might have made three where he made but one, and at the same time avoided those mistakes in proportion of which he is accused.'-pp. 347, 348.

Besides his lectures, Flaxman was the author of several other pieces, which, however, appeared before the public either anonymously, or under another name

'He wrote a character of the works of Romney for Hayley's life of that artist, which attributes to the painter an extent of capacity not visible in his pictures and to the Cyclopædia of Rees he contributed the articles Armour, Basso-Relievo-Beauty-Bronze-Bust-Composition-Cast-and Ceres.'-p. 349.

Mr. Cunningham, in this very valuable piece of biography, takes