AN ORIGINAL. 301 



no company of coach-owners, are a firm that will 

 perpetuate the glories of the road so long as good 

 taste and the remembrance of by-gone days remain 

 among us. 



How far the art of painting has progressed in this 

 country a glance at the productions of our artists of 

 the present day and those of 1700 will at once satisfy 

 us. Look, for instance, at any of Seymour's works, 

 and then at the two pictures of Mr. Landseer so 

 admirably engraved, namely the favourites of 

 Prince George of Cambridge and those of a lady. 

 The former's works were in comparison signs of the 

 Red Lion or the Marquis of Granby to a Sir Joshua 

 Reynolds : and hide me, angels of mercy, while I say 

 the time will come when the long existing mania for 

 old pictures will give place in favour of modern 

 artists, who I dare affirm can paint a picture as true 

 to nature as ever came from the easel of the ancient 

 masters. This will never be allowed by those who, 

 like a friend of my family, gave 1500/. for a Domeni- 

 chino. He lived in Spring Gardens, and every 

 Tuesday gave a public breakfast to any artist of cele- 

 brity who chose to avail himself of it. He had also 

 a gem, as he called it, a small cabinet picture purchased 

 at an enormous price. No powers on earth could have 

 persuaded him any living man could have produced 

 its fellow : but it unfortunately happened an uncle 

 of mine really brought the original with him from 

 Italy at about one quarter the price the rich merchant 

 had paid for the copy. 



Many connoisseurs are, I doubt not, in the same 

 situation ; but to attempt to persuade them they are 

 so would be about as vain as to attempt to persuade 

 a man infatuated by a mistress that any one shared 



