It was of a high
fancy, the legend eloquently writ, the scheme of colour taking and
bold; and but for the imperfection of the artist's drawing, it
might have been taken for a model of its kind. As it was, however,
when viewed from his favourite point against the garden railings,
and with some touch of distance, it caused a pleasurable rising of
the artist's heart. 'I have thrown away,' he ejaculated, 'an
invaluable motive; and this shall be the subject of my first
academy picture.'
The fate of neither of these works was equal to its merit. A crowd
would certainly, from time to time, collect before the area-
railings; but they came to jeer and not to speculate; and those who
pushed their inquiries further, were too plainly animated by the
spirit of derision. The racier of the two cartoons displayed,
indeed, no symptom of attractive merit; and though it had a certain
share of that success called scandalous, failed utterly of its
effect. On the day, however, of the second appearance of the
companion work, a real inquirer did actually present himself before
the eyes of Somerset.
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