WILLIAM ETTY. 
91 
city fathers have played the part of step-fathers, and we have 
still to deplore that the example thus set has been only too 
closely followed. Were it not well to require that each 
candidate for municipal election should pledge himself to 
preserve, and not to destroy, the antiquities of our city. Such a 
policy of destruction, under the guise of “improvement,” is 
eminently short-sighted, for if all that attracts strangers to the 
city is demolished, there will no longer be anything to 
distinguish York from modern towns, and business must 
necessarily suffer. 
From the year 1825, Etty’s visits to York became more and 
more frequent till they grew to be an annual event, and he 
had either a permanent lodging or a house. He lived at 
different times on the Mount, in Gillygate, in Marygate (in a 
cottage near the river), in Gray’s Court, in Strickland’s Court 
(Blake Street), finally at S. Martin’s House, Coney Street, 
which he bought in order to be near his beloved river, and 
from whence he loved to watch the gorgeous sunsets, which 
* 
arc still one of the sights of York. 
On February 19th, 1828, Etty was elected R.A. It was 
always with him a subject of just pride that he was elected 
solely on the score of merit, and he maintained that such 
elections should be the rule. He was chosen in place of 
Flaxman, whom he greatly admired, and who by a curious 
coincidence was born at York, though not brought up here. 
The newly-chosen R.A. was not indifferent to the hardly-won 
honour, the delight with which he announced the great news 
to his relations and friends was genuine and almost boyish in 
its hilarity, he had reached one of the highest pinnacles of his 
ambition, the recognition of his abilities. 
It may be well to give here some account of the great 
“ Three Times Three ” historical pictures, partly because of 
the devotion of the painter to his self-imposed task, and partly 
because his election was directly owing to the first of the 
series, the Combat, which has already been mentioned, 
measuring in height 10ft. 4m., and in width 13ft. 3m. The 
next was Judith and Holofernes, the scene depicted from the 
words “ Then came she to the pillar of the bed, which was at 
Holofernes’ head, and took down his falchion from thence. 
