The Sun.
London, England, 1830-01-29 00:00:00

VISIONS OF BLAKE THE ARTIST.

To describe the conversations which Blake I
held in prose with demons, and in verse wish
angels, would fill volumes, and an ordinary gal-
lery could not contain all the heads which he
drew of his visionary visitants. That, all this
was real, he himself most sincerely believed ; nay,
so infectious was his enthusiasm, that some acute
and sensible persons who heard him expatiate,
shook their heads, and hinted that he was an
extraordinary man, and that there might he some-
thing in the matter. One of his brethren, an
artist of some note, employed him frequently in
drawing the portraits of those who appeared to
him in visions. The most propitious time
fin those " angel-visits" was from nine at
night till five in the morning : and so docile
were his spiritual sitters, that they appeared at
the wish of his friends. Sometimes, however,
the shape which he desired to draw was long
in appearing, and he sat with his pencil and
paper ready and his eyes idly roaming in va-
cancy ; all at once the vision came upon him,
and he began to work like one possest.
He was requested to draw the likeness of
Sir William Wallace—the eye of. Blake
sparkled, for he admired heroes. " William
Wallace !" he exclaimed, " I see bins now—
there, there, how noble he looks—reach me my
things !" Having drawn for some time, with
the same care of hand and steadiness of eye,
as if a living sitter had been before him, Blake
stopt suddenly, and said, " I cannot finish him
—Edward the First has stept in between him
and me." " That's lucky," said his friend,
" for I want the portrait of Edward too."
Blake took another sheet of paper, and sketched
the features of Plantagenet : upon which this
Majesty politely vanished, and the artist finished
the head of Wallace. " And pray, Sir," said
a gentleman, who heard Blake's friend tell his
story—" was Sir William Wallace an heroic-
looking man ? And what sort of personage
was Edward ?" The answer was ; " there they
are, Sir, both framed and hanging on the wall
behind you, judge for yourself." " I looked
(says my informant) and saw two warlike heads
of the size of common life. That of Wallace
was noble and heroic, that of Edward stern and
bloody. The first had the front of a god, the
latter the aspect of a demon."
The friend who obliged me with these anec-
dotes, on observing the interest which I took in
the subject, said, " I know much about Blake
—I was his companion for nine years. I have
sat beside him from ten at night till three in the
morniag, sometimes slumbering and sometimes
waling, but Blake never slept ; he sat with a
pencil and paper drawing portraits of those whom
I most desired to see. I will show you, Sir,
some of these works." He took out a large
book filled with drawings, opened it, and con-
tinued, " Observe the poetic fervour of that face
—it is Pindar as he stood a conqueror in the
Olympic games. And this lovely creature is
Corinna, who conquered in poetry in the same
place. That lady is Lais, the courtesan—with
the impudence which is part of her profession,
she stept in between Blake and Corinna, and he
was obliged to paint her to get her away.
There ! that is a face of a different stamp—can
you conjecture who he is ?" " Some scoundrel,
I should think, Sir." " There now—that is a
strong proof of the accuracy of Blake—he is a
scoundrel indeed ! The very individual task-
master whom Moses slew in Egypt. And who
i 3 'this now—only imagine who this is ?"
" Other than a good one, I doubt, Sir." " You
are right, it is the Devil—he resembles, and this
is rennukable, two men who shall be nameless ;
• one is a great lawyer, and the other—l wish I
durst name him—is a suborner of false witnesses,
This other head now ?—This speaks for itself
—it is the head of Herod ; how like an eminent
officer in the army !"

.He closed the book, and taking out a small
panel from a private drawer, said, " this ia the
last which I shall show you : but it is the greateq-
curiosity of all. Only look at the splendour of
the colouring and the original character of the
thing !" " I see," said I, ". a naked figure with
strong body and a short neck—with burning
eyes which long for moisture, and a lace worthy
of a murderer, holding a bloody cup in its clawed
hands, out of which it seems eager to drink. I
never saw any shape so strange, nor did I ever
see any colouring so curiously splendid--a kind
of glistening green and dusky gold, beautifully
varnished, Let what in the world is it e" "It
a ghost, Sir—the ghost of a fled---a spiritualiza-
tion of the thing !" "He saw this in a vision
then," I said. " VII tell you all about it, Sir.
I called on him one evening, and fiund Blake
seen And ad 1,701 wonderful ful
maketh ienzgohfo::,htimo?f a flea !
more than usually excited. He told me lie had
thing
—the

These stories sre scarcely credible, yet there
can be no doubt of their accuracy. Another
friend, on whose veracity I have the fullest de-
pendence, called one evening on Blake, and
found him sitting with a pencil and a pane!,
drawing a portrait with all the seeming anxiety:
of a man who is conscious that he has got a fas-
tidious sitter ; he looked and drew, and crew
and looked, yet no living soul was visible.—
" Disturb me not," said he in a whisper, "I
have one sitting to me." " Sitting to ycu r
exclaimed his astonished visitor, " where is he,
and what is he ?—I see no one." " But I see
him, Sir," answered Blake haughtily, there
he is, his name is Lot ; you may read of ICm
the Scripture. He is sitting fur his portrait."—
Family Library, No. X. Livcs•qf the Artiste.

RECEPTION OF THE RUSSIAN ANIBAS-

SADOR AT CONSTANTINOPLE.

(From Tuesday's Journal des Debuts )
Letters from Peru, of the 9th of December,
in an account, of the reception of his Excellency
Lieutenant-General Count Orloff, by the Grand
Seignor at Ramis•Tchiflik, some intere,ting derails
which we hasten to communicate to our readers.

Having officially announced to the Rcis Effernli
his intention to remain at Buyoukdere until the day
notified to him for his presentation to the Grand
Seignor, the Count Orloff was informed; on the `2:i
of December, ;hat his audience of reception wee
fixed for the 4?h. In consequence he repair, d
the Sd to Pera, where he received, an hour after his
arrival, the compliments which the Porte is accus-
tomed to address to the representatives of foreign
Sovereigns. It was remarked on this occasion, that
instead of sending to him, as is the common prac-
tice, presents of fruits and sweetmeats by the Dra-
goman of the Porte, the Reis Effendi gave charge of
them to his Chef de Bureau, a personage of much
higher rank, and had prepared in haste an apartment
at Ramis-Tchiflik to receive the Envoy-.Extreoeli-
nary of his Imperial Majesty.
Count Orloff repaired to it at nine o'clock on
the morning of the 4th, accompanied only Ly the
Councillor of State Franehini, in quality of !met-
Fetes, and two officers of his suite, Captain Ko:ze-
:rue and Lieutenant Bakhinetie.ff. Two noa-cem-
missioned officers, one of the regiment of t t e Arrb-
duke Ferdinand, the other of the corps of Cesseeks
of the Don, formed the whole of his escort.
Arrived at Ramis-Wank, Count Orloff fount env
of the Sultan's aides-de-camp, Avel Bey, who at-
tended him to the principal entrance. A tow of
soldiers paid him military honours ; officers of
ranks pressed into the path of his Excellency.
Having been introduced into the chamber of the
Selictar Agra, Count Orloff found the Reis Effeirii,
who after an interchange of polite civilitiee an-
nounced to him, that the Government had felt it to
he its duty to give the necessary orders to the au-
thorities of Adrianople to give their best assistence
to the sick in our military hospital, to let them
remain in the town, having for their use the bar
racks in which this hospital was established. in
receiving this communication, Count Orloff testified
to the Reis Effendi how much more agra eable :his
notification would be to the Emperor, as it rietic:-
pated all his desires, for it was intended to have
made a demand upon this subject, and that it only
remained for him to address his thanks to the Mi-
nister of his Highness. This conversation was in-
terrupted by Aehmet Bey, one of the Sultan's aides-
de-camp, who went immediately to announce the
Count, when his Excellency was then introduced by
the Reis Effendi. Count Orloff having bowed in
the European manner before the Grand Seignor,
advanced to the canopy under which he was seated,
and presented the official letter of which the Em •
peror had deigned to make him the bearer. The
Reis Effendi received it, and falling upon his knees,
delivered it to his Highness. When Count Orloff
saw it placed in the hands of the Grand Seignor,
informed him that he was charged by the Emperov
to present this letter as a pledge of his sentiments ;
that in intrusting him with this mission, his Mejesty
had de;goed to order him to express verbally in his
name, how much he desired that the peace has pile
concluded at Adrianople should be a durable one,
and thouhl re-establish harmony between the two
nations. The Emperor had at heart the forelation
of friendly personal relations with the Sultan, and
that the desire to nourish these relations of recipro-
cal amity was one of the principal ohjects of the
mission with which he was honoured. Upon which
the Sultan replied, through the Reis Effendi, that
he received with thanks the Emperor's letter. and
the sentiments of friendship which accompanied it
flint since the re-establishment of peace, he braes ito
other desire than to preserve it, and that the most
strict execution of the concluded treaty would be
henceforth the object of all his wishes.
The Count Orloff having then made to the Sul.
tau a sketch of the happy results which must attend
this personal confidence between the Sovereigns, the
Sultan replied, that he had given his Mejesty a ma-
idlest proof of his sentiments by a special embassy
to St. Peteisburgh. After having expressed to
Grand Seigeor how much the embassy of. 'nem
Pacha was agreeable to the Emperor; Connt Orloff
afterwards delivered his thanks for the t'ostingelehed
reception which he had in all reipiacts met in his
Highness's dominions, and more particularly for that
which he had received at Ramis Tehifliek, as i< wsre
in the midst of his Highness's ehildrern—ot: f is ras
gular troops, which were of his own proper ele
The Sultan, who had at first preserved a grave and
serious air, became gradually more animated towards
the close of the audience, and condescended to ad-
dress sonic expressions of personal remembrance to
M. de Franehini. He then entered directly into
conversation with Count Qrloff, without the intere
mediation of the Reie Effeedi. Profiting by theee
dispositions, and desiring to discourse upon na object
which was agreeable to him. Count Orloff reetored
to the remark about the regular troops, fotethe pur-
pose of praising their mien end rapite improvement.
The Sultan, after having expreaeed iris satisfaction
at what he heard, hoped that the Count would be
equally pleased with the Reis Effendi,

After-these remarkable words, which terminated
an interview that lasted near an hour, the Count
made his how to the Grand Seignor.
Upon leaving the hall of audience, tho fount
again repaired to the apartment of the,lSel;etar : he
was followed to it by the Reis Effendi, by Mustapha
Bey, the private secretary, and one of the favourites
of the Sultan, and by ahno.it the whole of his Ilgh,
neas Aides-de-Camp. When the Count was r,bout
to retire, the Reis tjendi announced to him that
the Sultan desired at parting he would arcept w:4
of hie horses, which was then ready saddled e,r4
h,a-nessed, as a mark of his rtgard. After 11.4,;-:drg
expressed his gratitude for this new dit,-;:ie•ction
which he owed to the auhaii, Coma U. 1.3 'quittcd
Rainis•Tchitlik about noon, receiving 0(1 his de-
parture the aame honours which halA b.equ. paid to
him tApon his arrival.

The snow on the Mendip hilk is rer;:eseated
to be from 10 to 20 feet deep. Upwards of 52b
and carts were on Thursday completely I,!i;,ked op „ea,
Oakhill, and so covered with snow, tat only the tv of
one of the waggons was visible. Fatty laboure:s were em-
ployed in clearing away the sm"
and the road at length
render:A passable.

Last night aI:4W six o'clock, a very handsome
shawl, a pail; Oahoes, and other articles, were found by the
gas-li0;0. on Waterloo Bridge, feupp ow 1 to be the pro-
tipicty of some unhappy vivtiou who had thrown Lerselt Lir
%Le bridge.

THE CHEVALIER,
PRINCE CHARLES EDWARD STUART.

(FROM A CORRESPONDENT.)

There is at present in the possession of a gentle-
man here, a portrait of the Chevalier, Prince Charles
Edward Stuart, lately brought from the Continent,
which answers so exactly to the description and idea
of his early personal appe4rance, as given by a lady,
in the interesting letter from Rome in 1775, in-
serted in The Sun of Saturday, the 16th instant,
that I cannot deny myself the pleasure of essaying a
sketch, and of bringing it, through your extensively
circulated, liberal, and independent Journal, under
the notice of the public, the admirers of national
ancient costumes, and of old family paintings, as an
interesting relic, worthy of their attention, and of
the antiquarian's notice also; in connection with
that letter, the republication of the Waverley No-
vels, and the Stuart Papers, now in Sir Walter
Scott's possession, and in progress of publication,
under the immediate direction of his Majesty, by
that mighty northern magician, whosel talismanic
wand, and happy genius, charms into lively public
i nterest every thing touched by his magic pen.
This unique picture, as it may be considered,
which, from the fresh, florid, and youthful appearance
of the countenance, was evidently taken about the
period of the Prince's coming to Scotland in 174.5;
is a full length portrait, on a three-quarter canvas
size, and equ►pped, in what is termed in Gaelic" Am
breachdan guaile sa'n seann triuise,*" the old High-
land costume, court dress, and equestrian garb,
worn by the Highland Nobility, Gentry, and aged
Gael, about a century ago ; and though now in
disuse, was a handsome, graceful, and rather com-
fortable garb.

In thi; picture the Prince, who is represented
with a comely, fair, and ruddy oval-face, blue eyes,
and a countenance rather grave than animated, is
drawn as a handsome,' dignified, r.oble, graceful
personage, and of a stately gait; is pourtrayed in a
standing posture, as wearing the curly court wig of
Charles the Second's. time and style, in flowing
ringlets about the neck and shoulders; dressed in a
suit of dark green tartan, similar to the 42d pat-
tern; coat and trews all of the same plaid ; the
tight trews, which is well shaped to the limbs, is
seen nicely and tastefully inverted, and winding
downwards round the calf and foot, is terminated by
forming the hose on entering into the shoes—a pair of
Highland hunting .brogues. Over the dress, across
the shoulders, from right to left, he wears a scarf, or
shoulder plaid, seemingly of the Royal Stuart pat-
tern, flowing gracefully downwards to his left as far
as the bough.
The coat sleeves are slashed in the Spanish style
or fashion, disclosing to the view the scarlet lining
of silk, and terminating in a pair of huge, wide, and
heavy cuffs, turned up, and spreading upwards from
the wrist, where it is narrowed so as to receive the
wide and large old military glove. The collar,
which is low, is elegantly embroidered and orna-
mented with a St. Andrew's cross, as the badge and
only order he is seen to wear, instead of a star.
The scarlet vest, .his fine white shirt of lawn,
plaited plain bosom, low collar, and the white stock,
or cravat, worn round about his fine and lofty neck,
together with his fair-haired wig, and rosy blooming
countenance, sets off the dark green dress of tartan
to advantage, and forms a suitable contrast. His
r:glit arm squared, is seen•leaning inwards on the
bench, with the thumb resting inside, and fingers
outside the folds of his scarf; and his left hand is
seen extended downwards by his side, holding the
hilt of his basket broad sword, with a fold of his
flowing, plaid, turned round his fore-arm.. Before
him in the foreground is hie large round target, on
which is designed the star of the Order of the
Knights of the Thistle. On his left, on a bank, is
seen his pistol and dirk, laid across each other,
over his blue bonnet, in which a scarlet cockade is
seen, fixed on with the oldt dealg or skewer, used
for this purpose by the Gael at that period. On his
right, at a distance, is seen a withered or blasted
aged oak, and beyond it an ancient castle.—
The artist's name is not ascertained, but the paint-
ing is well executed, and evidently done by a man
taate, talent, and eminence; his name might be
concealed for obvious reasons, his doing it most likely
for a rebel, as the admirer of the costume,—indeed
any individual then daring to have the Chevalier's
likeness, in his possession and keeping,'would have
been considered; and the artist, too, might run the
hazard of not finding employment from the enemies
and despieers of the Prince, by being known to have
tiikaii his likeness.
The head is finely finished, and the tints and co-
louring of the face are worthy of a Lawrence, and
aortas and so exactly with the description given of
the Chevalier by the lady in question, that nothing
could be more descriptive, the hair alone excepted,
that of the wig being lighter than she describes.
The gracefully elegant flowing folds of the drapery
is well pourtrayed and relieved, arid as tastefully and
fnithfully executed as could b.s. expected; consider-
ing the difficulty an artist, not versed in tartans,
seed plaid dresses, has in finishing the Highland cos-
tume and plaid drapery.
The personal figure, which is well proportioned,
rathetsabove the middle size, is represented as hand-
some and elegant, with the head thoughtfully eles
vated towards his right, with a dignified, manly,
lofty look, a princely, gracefnl, easy air, and a confi-
dential majestic aspect, such as uene beneath the
dignity of a Prince born to command coo.Jld assume.
• " Shoulder plaid and old trews."
-1- The Vealg; or skewer, was a bodkin used by the
Highlander to fasten the cockade by a loop from the in-
side on the bonnet, Ind generally curved from the splinter
of the deer's shank, Or small of the hind foot, neatly
polished, and tapering towards the end to a sharp point,
with the top end shaped in the fora, of what in heraldry
is called a shield, with the most promiosoi object or figure
in the coat of arms field, engraved or cut on the one side,
and on the reverse the initial of the Chief or Laird's title,
estate, or surname. The wx:ter of this article had once a
dealg in his possession, formerly worn in his cockade by
the gallant Colonel John Munro, of Newmore, who, on
the death of Sir Rolsert Munro, of Foulis, was, for his
bravery, courage, and conduct, raised from being Cap-
tain to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel Commandant of the
421 Regiment, previously held by his Chief, Sir Robert.
On the one side of this dealg was carved the Eagle's head,
and neck gales, the field ornament of the Munro's coat of
arms' shield, and on the reverse side, iigtead of the initial
M. for his surname, it had the initial N. ter ',‘..rewmore,
the estate he was Laird and proprietor of.
•

The estate of Muirkirk, on the waters of Ayr
and Greenock, extending to 17,500 acres, has been pur-
chased by the Duke of PORTLAND at 75,0001, The ren-
tal is estimated at 3,4001. The estate of Glenorabard,
near Baldaroock, we..., sold on Wednesday last, to Mr.
G way, manufacturer, for 10,500/. It contains 160 acres,
awl the rental is said to be 4 01. Glasgow Chronicle.

FAT AL ACCIDENTS OFF Willg HARBOUR.
—With sincere regret we have the painful task of saying, '
that accounts have reached us, stating that the Luddeu
gale of wind from the South East which arose on Thurs..
day last had proved extremely fatal in its consequences,
and destructive of several larks off this harbour; indeed,
from the almost instantaneous ohang,e from a perfect calm to
tt viislent storm, fears were naturally excited that cala-
lasities liad ensued on this part of the Avast. From
Robert's Cove our correspondent states, that on 'ilinraday
stternoon, a issge coaster, supposed to be laden with pn-
taines, from the westward, was seen to founder, in which
thane men perished. One of the unfortunate sufferers
UT as 01)Skr Yell to ascend dm mast as the boat was
going down, And wave his hat as ac signal of distress,
but the sea running et the time mountain.: high, and no
life boat being placed in that district, it was imp,-;t-sible
to render the least assistance to the perishing crew.
At nearly the same time a hooker iying in Crusheen Bay,
in order to take in a cargo of slates, was blown out of the
Bay; she had two men on board, and no ecconnt had been
tereived of her at an advanced hour on SAturday, lii
,audition to these calamities, we have the distressing duty
;o state, that a whale boat,' With five men, belonging to
ilonkstown, which left that plat=e ou Thur,day in order to.
look out for pilotage,-has also perished in the gale, and all
hands on board lost. These unfortunate sufferers have
left families to mourn their melancholy fate/ which are
thrown into a state.of the deepest distress,,,and•have be-
come objects of commiseration to the bencyclent,—Cork
Constitution,

LONDON,
FRIDAY EVENING, JANUARY 29, 1830.

The answer to inquiries after the health of
Mr. VESEY FITZGERALD is, that the Right
Honourable Gentleman is much the same to-
day as yesterday.

AI% HERRIE9 is labouring under a severe
cold. The official papers connected with the
Board of Trade are, therefore, forwarded to the
Right Hon. Gentleman at his private residence.

The Paris Papers of Tuesday and Wednes-
day have been received. The following, from
our Correspondent, contains their spirit :

" PARIS, JAN. 27.

" The 3foniteur of this morning contains a Royal
ordonnance, founded on the report of the Minister of the
Interior, declaring that the great unfinished building on
the Quay d Orcay, begun under the government of Na-
poleon, and intended, I believe, for the accommodation of
the Imperial Guard, is hereafter to be employed as a re-
ceptacle for the exhibition of objects of French industry,
on the plan of the well-known exhibition of a similar
nature in the King's Mews at Charing-cross. This, in-
deed, is suggested by the report of M. de Montbel, which
contains the following passage. Alluding to the triennial
exposition at the Louvre, be observes--
"' The undoubted results of these exhibitions are uni-
versally understood. Thus England, so careful that no
advantage can be obtained over her in all that relates to
commercial prosperity, has hastened to imitate our ex-
ample. The city of London already enjoys the spectacle
of a perpetual exhibition of the products of British in-
dustry; there is already in that capital a vast edifice, de-
voted to this useful purpose.'
" It is added, in the same courtly style Our inter-
national industry, Sire, has not had to regret the posses-
sion of inferior favour ; like the Sciences, Literature, and
the Arts, it has held its sittings in your Majesty's Palace,
for the Palace of the Kings of France is the asylum of all
generous institutions.'
" As I anticipated in my letter of yesterday, the Libe-
rals have had another triumph at Lisieux, the most re-
markable circumstance in which is, that although the
opponents of the Ministry are known to be divided by
many shades of opinion, they have had the tact to con-
centrate their forces and combine them on a single candi-
date, while the ministerial party, although the result has
proved them, even if perfectly united, to have been abso-
lutely in the minority, so mismanaged the matter as to
neutralize their votes by spreading them over five different
candidates. The temper of the Ministry will again be
tried by the result of this election, as I understand that
a number of mayors and other functionaries have voted
in M. Guizot's majority, which will, no doubt, produce
their dismissal, unless the new Minister of the Interior is
to abandon the path of his predecessor M. de la Bour-
donnaye. The official functionary, the Marquis de Neu-
ville, sent down by Government to preside over the Elec-
toral College on this occasion, is reported in addressing
the electors to have said, in allusion to the fact that M.
Guizot iv not a native of the Department.—" Should we
not firmly reject a candidate entirely foreign to our soil,
our wants, and our persons? It is in vain they tell us he
is a man of honour and loyalty, an accomplished orator, en-
endowed with s.ll the talents and all the virtues. We do
not know him—he does not know us—and that alone
should ensure his exclusion.' . .

" These observations will doubtless be thrown in the
teeth of Berryer,fi/s, the Ministerial candidate, in the ap-
proaching election at Puy, where he is equally a stanger
to the soil, the wants, and the persons of those whose
suffrages ho has gone to solicit. It was at one time under-
stood that Guernon de Ranville was himself to have paid
his court to the electors of Puy ; but probably it was not
thought decorous to subject a Cabinet Minister, in the
present emergency, to the risk of a defeat.
" Since the breaking up of the Seine yesterday morning,
after the late severe weather, much damage has been done
to the ranges of bathe, washing establishments, and other
craft, with which the river is encumbered. The great
embankment opposite the plains of Grenelle, has been par-
tially carried away ; and the bridge of Grenelle itself has
b4e4 seriously injured."

ODESSA, SAN. 2.

Colonel Muebanoff, of the Guards, has arrived here to
attend the Turkish embassy to St. Petersburgh, in the cha-
racter of Alehmandar. He has several officers and court
equipages with him, and is making all preparations to make
the journey convenient and agreeab'e to the Ambassadors.
They ;re to set out on the 7th instant, and 200 horses are
k.•pt ready at every stage.