1799-] 
borrowed from the sth fatire of Ariofto; 
—particularly the following patlage. 
_ Ham. §* 1 have heard of your painting 
too, well enough. God has given you one 
face, and you make yourfelves anotier.” 
Voglio, che fi contenti della faccia, 
Che Dio le diede, ¢ lafi il rofio el bianco 
A la Signora del Signor Ghinaccia, 
roth May, 1799. Moms. R 
—— see ee = 
To the Editor of the Moxthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
AVING been ftruck with a cu- 
rious expreflion, in a paragraph ot 
amorning paper* of yelterday, reterring to 
an exhibition foon to be opened in Pall- 
Mall, I feel {trongly impelled by love of 
truth and of merit, to refift that impreflion, 
which it was calculated, and which it 
was probably intended by its writer, to 
effect. As the pencil of this eminent ar- 
tilt has been diftinguifhed in fo remarkable 
u degree for its originality and boldnefs, 
as fometimes to have been expofed to the 
cenfure of men of languid imaginations 
for its extravagance, we might be induced 
to conclude, that the exhibition thus an- 
nounced to us as that of Fuseti’s Dg- 
VILs, was to be an exhibition of montters ; 
—a difplay of genius (for the idea of 
genius can never be torn from its aflocia- 
ticn with that of Fuser), burfting the 
control of judgment, and wildly luxuria- 
ting, in defiance of talte and truth, in the 
airy regions of vifion and fancy. Now, 
Sir, acquainted as I am with many of the 
paintings in quettion, though J am in no 
way connected with their author, I cannot 
hefitate to affirm, that a conclufion of this 
nature would be infinitely erroneous, and 
might betray the public into a prepoffef- 
fion, which would be fatally injurious to 
its reputation as enlightened and difcern- 
ing ; as converfant with what is excellent 
in the arts of defign, and qualified to de- 
cide on the fuccefs or the failure of the 
artift in his higheft and moft ambitious 
exertions. Whoever, Sir, may enter the 
exhibition rooms of Mr. Fus£.i, with 
the expectation of feeing moniters and 
phantoms, of being offended with images 
of outraged nature, and the wanderings 
of a Jawleis pencil, will be ftrangely aft- 
feted with the fpectacle which will there 
be prefented to him ;—a {petacle, Sir, in 
which will be found the suBLIME, the 
BEAUTIFUL, andthe PATHETIC, in an 
*Morn. Herald. —‘* Among the feparate exe 
hibitions in promife, are thofe of Copley’s 
iéture of the furrender of De Winter, at a 
pavilion in Albemarle-Street, and of Fuse- 
tis Devits in Pall-Mall, 
Mp. Fufel?s Defigns from Milton. 
on7 
union which has rarely, if ever, been ef- 
fected by the hand of one mafter. In the 
paintings, which I have feen as parts of 
this projected exhibition, the ideas of our 
gieat Milton are embodied and given to 
the eye with fo much power and diftinét- 
nefs of imagination, fo much truth of 
compofition and defign, and fuch a perfect 
knowledge of drawing and of colouring, 
as really to aftonith the {pectator, and to 
dilate his conceptions in their attempt to 
embrace thofe of the rival minds of the 
poet and the painter. Nature, in her com- 
plete fymmetry of lines and tints, prefides 
over the canvafs: but it isan elevated ang 
ideal nature, to be found only as fhe {prings 
in all her majeftic proportions frem the | 
head of genius :—it is nature, as fhe once 
appeared to the vifion of an ANGELO, and 
came breathing and vigorous from his 
hand, 
If we refles&t, Sir, on that confci- 
oulnefs of power, which could form fo 
great a defign, on that energy of mind, 
which, under numerous diladvantages, 
could perfift in it, and on that combina- 
tion of talents which has been able fo 
{plendidly to accomplith it, we cannot re- 
fit the impulfe to admiration when we 
regard the artift, or reftrain our warm 
wifhes for the fuccefs of its appeal to the 
public tafte, when we refer to the work. 
Of its fuccefs, Sir, however, [ cannot al- 
low mytelf to doubt. When brought 
fully under the attention of the town, it 
muit be contemplated as the triumph of 
painting in the prefent day, and as a re- 
vival ot the high powers of the pencil, 
when it was employed on the fuperior 
fubjeéts of hiftory, and not compelled by 
the mifdireéted opulence of the commu- 
nity, to the humiliation of portrait. Of 
this, Sir, Tam fatisfied—that the object 
of my reference, which muft be confidered 
as a monument to our national glory, 
will live to immortalize the genius which 
has atchieved it ; and to record to future 
times the fhame or the honour of that 
age, which, witnefling its production, 
could either receive it with neglect, or, 
acknowledging its merits, was warm in its 
approbation, and liberal in its reward. 
May 15. Lucivs. 
EEE 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
W AS in company, the other day, 
where a gentleman was lamenting the 
great reftraint that has of late years been 
Jaid cn the liberty of the prefs in this 
country ; adding, that political writers 
wers 

