Then comes another group riding five abreast-the figure farthest from us being the Ploughman; and next to him is his brother, the poor Parson of a town—

Benigne he was, and wonder diligent,
And in adversité ful pacient ; .

But Cristes lore, and his apostles twelve,

He taughte, but first he folwede it himselve.

Beside the parson is the Nun's Priest, fat and rubicund, and then comes the Nun in holy converse with her superior, the lady Prioress, "Madame Eglentyne.” In the next company, farthest from us, is the pale-faced student, the Clerk of Oxenford

For him was levere have at his beddes heede
Twenty bookes, clad in blak or reede,

Then robes riche, or fithele, or gay sawtrie. Next to him rides the Manciple: his face is not shown, for Chaucer does not describe him he is looking round, no doubt, at the Wife of Bath, the centre of general attraction. So also is Chaucer himself, who comes next. Stothard painted this picture from a portrait of the poet preserved in the British Museum, and done probably by Thomas Occleve, Chaucer's scholar. In front of this group, with his back towards us, is the Shipman

A daggere hangyng on a laas hadde he
Aboute his nekke under his arm adoun.

Then, easily recognisable, is the Wife of Bath. She seems too young, indeed, "for the merry dame who had buried five husbands; but the artist has well contrived to make it evident that her talk and laugh are loud, by their attracting the attention of those who are riding before and behind her, as well as of the persons closest to her." Her dress makes a pretty and necessary spot of colour in the group

...

Bold was hire face, and fair, and reed of hewe. . .
Uppon an amblere esily sche sat,

Ywympled wel, and on hire heed an hat

As brood as is a bokeler or a targe.

Stothard used to tell his friends jocosely that he liked to take his stand near the the Wife of Bath, listening to her pleasant and witty sayings. "You will find me," he would say, resting by the bridle of her steed." He has represented her as laughing and coquetting with the Pardoner, who follows behind, his face radiant with smiles

Ful lowde he sang, Com hider, love, to me.
This pardoner hadde heer as yelwe as wex,
But smothe it heng, as doth a strike of flex.
A vernicle hadde he sowed upon his cappe.
His walet lay byforn him in his lappe,

Bret-ful of pardoun come from Rome al hoot.

Behind this couple comes the Sompnour (or crier of the court), with his "fyr-reed cherubynes face." He wears a garland, as a follower of Bacchus, for--

Wal lovede he garleek, oynouns, and ek leekes,

And for to drinke strong wyn reed as blood.

Next comes the Monk, "a lord ful fat and in good poynt." His companion, nearer to us, is the Friar—

In the rear of the procession follow the traders, in their liveries, "of a solempne and a gret fraternité".

An Haberdasshere and a Carpenter,

A Webbe, a Deyere, and a Tapicer.

Last of all rides the Cook, refreshing himself on the way—

Wel cowde he knowe a draughte of Londone ale.

He

The circumstances under which Stothard came to paint this picture form an interesting chapter in the history of artists'quarrels. The original idea of painting the Pilgrimage was Blake's. was at work on his design, and was soliciting subscriptions for the engraving from it, when Cromek, the engraver, happened to come in. He praised the design; and being of Fuseli's opinion that "Blake was damned good to steal from," went off to Stothard and commissioned him to paint the same subject, which Stothard thereupon put in hand. Blake was furious with Cromek and with Stothard also-whose warm friend he had been, but who he now rightly or wrongly believed-was privy to Cromek's piracy. The breach between them was healed. Stothard's picture was finished first, was exhibited in May 1807, and proved very popular. There is an interesting criticism of it in a letter by Hoppner, the artist, who went to see it and wrote (May 30, 1807) to a friend: "This intelligent group is rendered still more interesting by the charm of colouring, which, though simple, is strong,

never

and most harmoniously distributed throughout the picture. The landscape has a deep-toned brightness which accords most admirably with the figures; and the painter has ingeniously contrived to give a value to a common scene and very ordinary forms, that would hardly be found by unlearned eyes in the natural objects. He has expressed, too, with great vivacity and truth, the freshness of morning at that season when nature herself is most fresh and blooming-the spring; and it requires no great stretch of fancy to imagine we perceive the influence of it on the cheeks of the fair Wife of Bath, and her rosy companions, the Monk and the Friar. In respect of the execution of this very pleasing design, it is not too much praise to say, that it is wholly free from that vice which painters term manner; and it has this peculiarity besides, which I do not remember to have seen in any picture ancient or modern, namely, that it bears no mark of the period in which it was painted, but might very well pass for the work of some able artist of the time of Chaucer. The effect is not, I believe, the result of any association of ideas connected with the costume,1 but appears in primitive simplicity, and the total absence of all affectation either of colouring or pencilling." Blake's picture was not exhibited till May 1809; but it is interesting to note that in the engraving, Blake forestalled his forestaller. His plate was published in 1810-the plate from Stothard, after many vicissitudes, in 1813. The latter had, however, a great vogue, though Stothard himself received nothing for it. For this, the original picture, he was paid £60; it was bought at the Leigh Court sale in 1884 for £800.

733. THE DEATH OF MAJOR PEIRSON,

(January 6, 1781).

J. S. Copley, R.A. (1737–1815). See under 787, p. 450. "The French invaded Jersey, stormed St. Helier, took the commander prisoner, and compelled him to sign the

1 It is worth mentioning, however, that Stothard took great pains with his costumes, armour, etc., studying, them from MSS. in the British Museum and from monuments of the period. Blake, in criticising the critic, remarks that "Mr. H.'s" only just observation was calling the group common scene and very ordinary forms,' "for it is so, and very wretchedly so indeed." "The scene of Mr. S.'s picture," adds Blake, "is by Dulwich hills, which was not the way to Canterbury; but perhaps the painter thought he would give them a ride round about, because they were a burlesque set of scarecrows, not worth any man's respect or care.'

"a

surrender of the island. Major Peirson, a youth of twentyfour (upon whom the command then devolved), refused to yield, collected some troops, charged the invaders with equal courage and skill, defeated them with much effusion of blood, but fell himself in the moment of victory, not by a random shot, but by a ball aimed deliberately at him by a French officer, who fell in his turn, shot through the heart by the African servant of the dying victor. It is enough to say in praise of any work that it is worthy of such a scene. The first print I ever saw was from this picture. . . . I was very young, not ten years old; but the scene has ever since been present to my fancy. I thought then, what I think still, on looking at the original-that it is stamped with true life and heroism: there is nothing mean, nothing little, the fierce fight, the affrighted women, the falling warrior, and the avenging of his death, all are there" (Allan Cunningham, v. 176). The picture was one of Copley's many "Graphic" or "Illustrated" accounts of memorable scenes in the great war of his time, and was a commission from Alderman Boydell. It was subsequently bought by Lord Lyndhurst, who lived on in his father's house and made it his object to collect his father's pictures. At the sale of his collection in 1864 it was bought for the National Gallery.

1177. A LANDSCAPE.

Patrick Nasmyth (1768-1831). See under 380, p. 458. A picture of some interest from being dated 1831-the year of the artist's death. In his choice of subject Nasmyth returned home, as it were, to die-the view here shown being apparently that of a Scotch torrent.

1246. A HOUSE AT HAMPSTEAD.

J. Constable, R.A. (1776–1837). See under 1235, p. 459. A good instance (in the trees) of the "blottesque" style which modern art owes, in so large a measure, to Constable, (see p. 460, n.)

1164.

THE PROCESSION FROM CALVARY.

William Blake (1757-1827). See under 1110, p. 467. "The body of Christ, with composed, finely chiselled features, is borne on a flat bier by four apostles, the foremost being no doubt John. Nicodemus, a venerable bearded man, walks midway by the bier, bearing the vase of spices; the

Virgin and the two Maries follow. The glimpses of the architecture of Jerusalem have a Gothic character (as introduced by Blake even in the Job series); the three crosses appear in the distance, under a blue sky streaked with yellow. The whole expression of the subject is serene and sustained, rather than mournful" (W. M. Rossetti, in Gilchrist's Life of Blake, 1863, ii. 228). 322. A BATTLE: A SKETCH.

T. Stothard, R.A. (1755-1834). See under 1069, p. 465. 1185. NYMPHS AND SATYRS.

T. Stothard, R.A. (1755-1834). See under 1069, p. 465. 1067. A QUARRY WITH PEASANTS.

320.

George Morland (1763-1804). See under 1030, p. 456.
DIANA BATHING WITH NYMPHS.

T. Stothard, R.A. (1775-1834). See under 1069, p. 465. 1070. CUPIDS PREPARING FOR THE CHASE.

T. Stothard, R.A. (1755-1834). See under 1069, p. 465. "Stothard's children, whether real or mythologic, are almost always delightful, and designed with an intimate knowledge and affection. See the fresh vivacity of this Cupid sounding his horn; the earnest and boyish sturdiness of the little fellow with the long staff behind him; the grip which the curly-headed boy in front has of the dog's neck—it is all bold, simple, and alive while in the city, on a hill in the distance, is the touch of poetic colour and mysterious suggestion that lifts the whole scene into the region of romance" (F. Sitwell, in English Art in the Public Galleries, p. 51).

438. WOOD CUTTERS.

John Linnell (1792-1882).

Linnell was the son of a carver and gilder in London, and was thus early thrown amongst artists. His first instructors were West and Varley, and he afterwards entered the Academy Schools. In 1813, when he was toiling at portraits, miniatures, and engravings, he was introduced to Blake, whom he asked to help him. He remained to the end the chief friend and stay of Blake's declining years; it was he who commissioned Blake to do both the Job and the Dante series, and he did many other services to Blake and his wife. Another intimate friend of Linnell's was Mulready, with whom he lived for a time. Linnell is now best known for his landscapes, generally of some quiet English scene made impressive by sunrise or sunset effects or