and the President had as little
desire to be on ill terms with one so bitter and so satirical. They were
often together; and I have heard Sir Thomas say, that he never had a
dispute with Fuseli save once--and that was concerning their pictures of
Satan. Indeed, the Keeper, both with tongue and pen, took pleasure in
pointing out the excellencies of his friend, nor was he blind to his
defects. 'This young man,' thus he wrote in one of his early criticisms,
'would do well to look at nature again; his flesh is too glassy.'
Lawrence showed his sense of his monitor's accuracy by following the
advice."

FUSELI AS KEEPER OF THE ROYAL ACADEMY.

Fuseli, on the whole, was liked as Keeper. It is true that he was often
satirical and severe on the students--that he defaced their drawings by
corrections which, compared to their weak and trembling lines, seemed
traced with a tar-mop, and that he called them tailors and bakers,
vowing that there was more genius in the _claw_ of one of Michael
Angelo's eagles, than in all the _heads_ with which the Academy was
swarming. The youths on whom fell this tempest of invective, smiled; and
the Keeper pleased by submission, walked up to each easel, whispered a
word of advice confidentially, and retired in peace to enjoy the company
of his Homer, Michael Angelo, Dante, and Milton. The students were
unquestionably his friends; those of the year 1807 presented him with a
silver vase, designed by one whom he loved--Flaxman the sculptor; and he
received it very graciously. Ten years after, he was presented with the
diploma of the first class in the Academy of St. Luke at Rome.

FUSELI'S JESTS AND ODDITIES WITH THE STUDENTS OF THE ACADEMY.

The students found constant amusement from Fuseli's witty and
characteristic retorts, and they were fond of repeating his jokes. He
heard a violent altercation in the studio one day, and inquired the
cause. "It is only those fellows, the students, sir," said one of the
porters. "Fellows!" exclaimed Fuseli, "I would have you to know, sir,
that those _fellows_ may one day become academicians." The noise
increased--he opened the door, and burst in upon them, exclaiming, "You
are a den of damned wild beasts." One of the offenders, Munro by name,
bowed and said, "and Fuseli is our Keeper." He retired smiling, and
muttering "the fellows are growing witty." Another time he saw a figure
from which the students were making drawings lying broken to pieces.
"Now who th