a 
- fieiently acquainted with the general form ; there. 
1828-] 
always some “disagreeable flavour in her 
mouth,”’ for which she begged the shopman 
to give her a clove or a bit of cinnamon. 
. The dialogues between them are not to be 
tolerated. 
Perfectly unlicked as Nollekens was, 
some of his uncouthnesses are somewhat 
amusing— 
When I was modelling the king’s bust, I was 
commanded to go to receive the king at Bucking- 
ham-house, at seven o’clock in the morning, for 
that was the time his majesty shaved. After he 
had shaved himself, and before he had put on his 
stock, I modelled my bust. I sof him down, to 
be even with myself, and the king seeing me go 
about him and about him, said to me. ‘‘ What do 
you want?” I said, “I want to measure your 
nose. The queen tells me, I have made my nose 
too broad.” 
~ West was sitting once to Nollekens, when 
the Dukes of York and Cumberland came 
in— 
“ How’s your father?” asked Nollekens. To 
which the duke, with his usual condescension, 
adds Smith, smilingly informed him the king was 
better. The Duke of Cumberland then asked 
Nollekens, “ Why a man of his years wore so 
high a toupee to his wig?’ Iustead of answering, 
Nollekens wished to know why /e, ‘the Duke of 
Cumberland, wore those mustakis? The Duke 
of York smiled, and said, ‘‘ You have it now, 
Cumberland.” 
I remember, says Smith, his once requesting a 
lady who squinted dreadfully, to look a little the 
~ other way, for then, said he, ‘‘I shall get rid of the 
shyness in the cast of your eye ;” and to another 
lady of the highest rank, who had forgotten her 
position, and was looking down upon him, he 
cried, “ Don’t look so scorney ; you’ll spoil my 
busto, and you’re a very fine woman; I think it 
will be one of my best bustos.” 
. * Qnce, when modelling the bust of ‘a lady of 
_~* high fashion, Nollekens requested her to lower 
her handkerchief in front ; the lady objected, and 
observed—“ Iam sure, Mr. N., you must be suf- 
fore there can be no necessity for my complying 
with your wish.” Upon which N. muttered— 
“There is ne bosom worth looking at beyond the 
age of eighteen.” 
Of his entire want of the commonest ad- 
vantages of the commonest education, these 
phrases may sufficiently show—I sot him 
down—they went and washed theirselves— 
—arter all, &c. Some specimens of his 
spelling are—yousual—sarvices—jenerly 
Decay) cca (cold)—facis—eupple— 
boath sexis—ould mades—lemman—youm- 
mer in his face—chimisters, &c. 
When he was examined before a Com- 
mittee of the House of Commons on the 
Elgin marbles, the following question was 
put—“ Do you think that the Theseus is a 
closer copy of fine nature than the Apollo ?” 
“No, I do not say it is a finer copy of na- 
ture than the Apollo.” “Is there not a dis- 
tinction among artists, between a close imi- 
tation of nature and ideal beauty?” “I look 
upon them as ideal beauty, and closencss of 
Domestic and Foreign. 
643 
study from nature.” Manifestly he did not 
know what was meant by ideal beauty— 
Once a lady, with her three daughters, visited 
Mr. N., to shew himthe drawings of her youngest, 
who was a natural genius. Upon his looking at 
them, he advised her to have a regular drawing 
master ; “and I can recommend you one ; he only 
lives over the way, and his name is John Varney.” 
The lady asked him if be were a man of mind? 
“ Oh, yes,” said N., “ he’s a clever fellow, one of 
our best: I'll ring the bell and send my maid for 
him ; he'll soon tell you his mind.” 
Yet some person of distinction, after sur- 
veying his studio, observed, “* What a mind 
that man must have.” And Dr. Johnson 
went no farther than—‘‘It is surprising 
how much ignorance upon points, we find in 
men of eminence.””— 
Nollekens was once at Burney’s musical par- 
ties.—“* Dr. Burney,” says he, “I don’t like this 
kind of music; I heard a great deal of it in Italy, 
but I like the Scotch and English music better.”” 
Dr. Burney, with some degree of irritation, step- 
ping forward, replied, “Suppose a person to say 
—well, [have been to Rome, saw the Apollo, and 
many fine works, but for all that give me a good 
barber's block.” ‘* Ay, that would be talking like 
a_fool,’’ replied the sculptor. 
Of all his female figures, the one. with 
the sandal, carved for Lord. Yarborough, 
was considerably the greatest favourite with 
the public; but that, on which. he chiefly 
plumed himself, was seated. with her arms 
round her legs. This was purchased at his, 
sale by Lord Egremont, who engaged Rossi 
to execute it in marble, with strict injunc- 
tions to make no alteration. Though de- 
fective in many points, the attitude was a 
natural one, and acquired by. mere chance, 
as good attitudes often are, observes Smith. 
The woman from whom it was modelled, 
after standing for some time to Mr. N. for 
parts of a figure upon which he was then 
engaged, was desired to dress; and upon 
her seating herself on the ground, to put on 
her stockings, her posture so pleased the 
sculptor, that he immediately cried—*“ Stop, 
don’t move, I must model you as you now 
sit,”’ &c. 
In the same way, after a great deal of 
anxiety and trouble about the drapery of the 
king’s bust, and throwing the cloth once or 
twice every day for nearly a fortnight, it came 
excellently well, by mere chance, from the fol- 
lowing circumstance.—Just as he was about 
to make another trial with his drapery, his 
servant came to him for money for butter 5 
he threw the cloth carelessly over the shoul- 
ders of his lay-man, in order to give her the 
money ; when he was forcibly struck with 
the beautiful manner in which the folds 
had fallen ; and he hastily exclaimed, push- 
ing her away—< Go, go, get the butter.’” 
He often said—‘ This drapery was the best 
he ever cast for a bust.’” 
Half-witted as he was, there was occa- 
sional sharpness even in his replies. Jemmy 
Boswell once met him at the Pantheon— 
66 Why, Nollekens, how dirty you go now ! 
4 2 
