74 Notes of the Month on | [Jan. 
gained that eternal victory in which no blood but the pure and generous 
stream of their own hearts flowed—the noble epochs of the rise and esta- 
blishment of civil freedom ;—all would share and reward the national 
patronage, which feels, and justly feels, that the most illustrious monu- 
ment of a people is the memory of the deeds that have made them great, 
as it is the most unshaken security for the continuance of their gran- 
deur and prosperity. We should see, living again on the canvas, the 
epochs when the Yorkshire Cavaliers came gallantly to the field for their 
king—when the fiery Rupert charged at the head of his guard of gen- 
tlemen—when, under a happier star, William came to restore England 
to its native character, and James fled to shew that slavery could not live 
on the British soil. The portrait-galleries of the nobles and gentlemen 
of England, abounding in the finest materials for giving reality to those 
pictures, would give an aid unequalled in any other country ; and by 
the same honourable, wise, and feeling patronage which gave public 
employment to the man of ability, the nation would be laying up for 
itself a treasure of the richest remembrances that ever stirred the spirit 
of a mighty empire. 
Haydon’s present picture, “ The Chairing of the Members,” that 
mock ceremonial which took place in the King’s Bench, is a most power- 
ful performance. But few artists in England could have either conceived 
or executed it. We know of no artist out of England who could have 
approached the spirit, vividness, and close portraiture of character visible 
in every feature of this fine painting. The mixture of wild riot and cure- 
less melancholy, the affected phrenzy side by side with the real, the 
mirth and misery, are admirably seized, and the whole grouping is in 
the ablest style of the pencil. It ought to be the companion to the King’s 
purchase. But it is not by a solitary instance of patronage, however 
honourable to the high quarter from which it comes, that the true means 
of securing a great artist to his country are to be compassed. We have 
not the slightest hesitation in pronouncing Haydon a great artist, a man 
of an original mind, of remarkable powers of execution, and requiring only 
the commands of the public to distinguish himself and it, more than he 
has ever done, or can ever:do without them. Let the traffickers of their 
thousands and ten thousands for Italian pictures—often the rubbish of 
Italian galleries, often the fabrication of German, French, and English 
garrets—look to this ; look to Haydon, telling him that his pencil waits 
only their disposal, and think of the fruitless prodigality of raising monu- 
ments over the graves of men of genius, whom the hundredth part of the 
expenditure would have kept in active, opulent, and nationally-honour- 
able existence. What has Scotland gained by her statues and ceno- 
taphs to the memory of Burns, but the scoff of all who know that she 
suffered that great and unfortunate genius to perish, rather than mulct 
herself of a farthing. But ostentation will give tons of gold, where cha- 
rity, common-sense, and national honour cannot extract grains. Let our 
Grosvenors, Staffords, and Farnboroughs, we say, look to Haydon. 
Hunton the felon’s villa makes a figure among the month’s sales at 
Garraway’s. This villa was a fine affair—“ a spacious family residence, 
with numerous offices, carriage-yard, stabling and coach-house, out- 
buildings, with extensive pleasure-grounds, walled gardens, orchard, 
lawn, plantations, vinery, &c., and fifteen acres of meadow and tillage.” 
The whole sold for £3,400. 
