The Sun.
London, England, 1821-12-13 00:00:00

ROYAL ACADEMY.

. The following is the ,bulk of the Lecture that
Sir T. LAWRUNCE diAivered on the 10th, but
which concluded too late for insertion the next
GEN T L E mEN —I congratulate you upon the decided improve-
ment of one of the Schools of Art (the Life Academy), and the
general alacrity displayed in all. A spirit of emulation, so
useful in all professions, is most particularly essential to the
Perfection of Our art. I caution you, Gentlemen, against too
gnat a reliance upon that genius, with which nature has gifted
Yon- It is by perseverance alone, and not• by natural talent,
that you will be able to surmount the difficulties of art—those
difiigulties, which enhance and give superiority to our profession
over all °them. While I congratulate you that the Life Aca-
demy has this year retrieved its' character, I cannot omit still to
enforce the necessity of a constant attention to correctness and
parity of drawing, and this; too, in the most minute and appa-
rently insignificant parts; at well as in the general contour of
the whole. The works of antiquity should never be absent
form your memories. Let no one depend upon the correctness
of his eye for fidelity of tepreqentation, Without having first
formed his idea of beauty from these—for a knowledge of

beauty is essential to that of truth.
The Gentlemen whO are candidates in. Historical Painting
Would advise, when inventing their compositions, not to be led
away by an attention only to a play of line, and an harmonious
adjustment of parts, but to let truth, nature, and simplicity, be
their guide. It is well known that the happiness of life is often
Lit by inattention to known and vulgar truths ; and in the same
manner are the beauties of art missed, by overlooking those
.airuple and affecting incidSnts,, which nature presents to us
every day. When inventing, Gentlemen, I would advise you
":14t to follow this or that great master, but to consider your
Billaject as it would have taken place in reality—rendering
every thing subordinate to expression, for it is by expression
alone we can touch the heart, "He who would make us
Must feel himself," says a -high authority ; and the experience
of every day justifies the truth of the assertion. I would re-
commend to you, to Make it your constant pursuit, every day
and hour of your lives, ever to concentrate your thoughts to-
wards that point--for whatever tends to fix and concentrate
our thoughts, elevates' us as thinking beings. Leonardo da
Vinci, • Raphael, Dominichino, and Rembrandt, are the four
greatest masters of expression and form. From two sketches of
these (in existence) it is evident that they made- expression the
Primary and constant object of their studies.
The first designs of Leonardo, for all his works (excepting
those upon fortification and the mathematics) are all highly
finished drawings of expressions ; for the characters and expres.:
signs in his large picture of " the Last Supper," he appears al:
his life time to have been searching through nature. Raphae
• seemed to have formed in his mind the whole of his intended
'work before putting a line upon paper, and all was regulated
by expression. Dominichino thought no line worthy of the
Painter, that the mind did not draw before the hand. The port-
folio of Rembrandt is like the page of Shakspeare : every
drawing is itself a drama:—the passions speak for themselves.
Composition, colour, arrangement of light and shade, all are
lost in the power of expression. It is this, and this alone, that
entitles our works to situations in the galleries of Monarchs,
ind by the side of the great of hrts of genius of different ages.

A CURIOUS MEDAL has lately been offered in
Inverness, by a poor man, as a penny, the de-
Scription of which may entertain 'some of our
readers. It is about the size and thickness of a
Penny. Ott one side is the Pope's head, with
the triple. crown, • which, reversed, displays -.the
bead of the devil—motto, " Ecclesia peruersa
tenet faciem Diaboli ;" on the other side is. a
Cardinal's head, with hood and hat ; reversed, this
gives the head of a fool, with cap and bells—motto,!
" Stulti aliquando sapientes," or, " Sapientes
stulti aliquando," as the legend may be read.*
The.execution of the piece upon which the headS
are stamped is ancient, and uneven round the
edges; but the heads are extremely well execut-
ed, in high and well rounded relief, and display,
in the four faces of the Poen and Cardinal, and,
itt the folly of the fool, much spirit of caricature.
:The piece is probably of the period of some re-
ligious ferment, such as the Reformation or Re-
volution ; perhaps it is foreign, and it is certainly
Uncommon. .'Though corroded and worn a little,
it is in good preservation.—(lnverdess Journal.)
, • "Sapientes stulti aliquando" is the reaflino,•', when the Car-
ttinal's head is on the top—" Stulti aliquando sapientes," when
'the fool's -head-is uppermost, which makes a double meaning,
• At for both cases. •

ST. ANp-REW'S DA-v.—This festival was ob-
served at Birmingham by the Scots Greys sta-
tioned at the Barracks. One of the men, ap
propriately attired as St. Andrew, was paraded
on horseback through the principal streets, at-
tended by the full Band of the Regiment.=
The Soldiers were afterwards regaled by their
Officers.

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FA sin oIi:ABLE ARRIVALS.— Lord Sandon, at the Earl of Har-
rowhy's, in Grosvenor-square,.. from Paris ; Colonel and Mrs.
Harcourt, in Green,street, Park-lane ; Mr.: Hoblyn, in Sloane-
street; Dowager Duchess of Leeds, in
.Lower. Grosvenor,.street;
Mr. HyltonJolliffe; in •Jermyn-street, St, James's ; Mr. an d
Mrs. Clive Scott, in Curzon-street, May-fair : Lady. Elizabeth
Tufton; in Cumberland-place; Lord Boyle,. at the. London
Hotel ; Dowager MarChioness of Donegall, in Davis-street,
Berkeley-square, from Brighton ; General Wallace, from a
tour ; the Marquess of Northampton, in town ; Lord and Lady
Ravensworth, in Portland-place, from Ravensworth Castle,
Durham; Mr. Lambton,..M.P. in .Cleveland-row.
DE P ART I/RES.—The Marchioness of .Buckingham, for
Avington, Han 4;, Sir J. E. Harrington, Bart. for Bogner
Lodge, Sussex ;Sir. Corbett Corbett and Lady Corbett, from
Thomas's Hotel, for Cheshire ; Lady Shelley, from ditto, on a
visit to the Duke and. Duchess of, Bedford, at Woburn Abbey ;
the Hon. Mr. Moore and Mr. Barton, from Brighton ; Coun-
tess of Normanton, for Ditchley Park, •
CHANGES.—The Hon. A. Pelham,. for Brocklesby, in
Lincolnshire, from a tour ;. General Layard, for Exeter, from
a tour; Sir William and Lady.Johnstone, for Bath, from
Cheltenham- - - . •

EDINBURGH, DEC. 10.—Arrived at the Royal Hotels the.
Right Hon. Lord Archibald Pamilton, M.P. ; the Right Hon.
Viscount Kelburne ; Lieut.-Colonel Thackery ; Capt. Doug.
las ; James Johnston, Esq.—Set oft from the same place, Geo.
Fullerton Carnegie, Esq.; Robt. Baird, Esq., of Newbyth ; the
Hon. Capt. Gordon.

MARRIAGE IN limn LIFE.--i-By special license, on Mon-
day evening last, at the mansion of the Right Hon. Lord
STEWART, at Wynyard, by the Right lion. and Rev. Lord
Viscount BARRINGTON, Sir HENRY HARDINGE, K.C.8.,
and one of the Representatives of the City of Durham, to Lady
EMILY-JANE JAMES, sister of the Most Noble the Marquess
of LONDONDERRY.—An elegant entertainment succeeded the
hymeneal ceremony, which was partaken of by a large party, in_
eluding several personages of distinction. Sir HENRY and his
amiable Bride spend, the honey-moon at Biddick, a seat recently
purchased by Lord STEWART.
The Duke of. York, after driving about the town in a cabri-
olet during the morning, left town yesterday in a chaise and
four on a tour.
The Duke of Gloucester is expected to-morrow at Earl
Craven's seat, Hampstead Lodge, Berks, on a shootingparty.
Yesterday afternoon his Highness Prince Esterhazy arrived
at Chandos House, from Strathfieldsay, the seat of the Duke.
of Wellington, where his Highness has been on a visit with a
distinguished party, enjoying the sports of the field.
Viscount andViscountessGranville are returned to the Mar-
quis of Stafford's seat, Trentham Hall,irom a visit to the Earl
and Countess of Harrowby, at their seat, Tandon Hall.
The Marquis and Marchioness of Stafford have invited the.
neighbouring Nobility and Gentry to Trentham Hall during
the holidays.
Lord Burghersh returns to Florence at the end of the present.
month.
The Marquess and Marchioness of Camden are, at the Wil-
derness, Kent, where it is expected they will pass the holidays.
The last accounts from Warwick Castle state the health of
the Countess of Warwick to be improving.
The Vice-Chancellor had a dinner party yesterday, at his
house in South-street, Park-lane.
Mr. John Drummond gave his first dinner party yesterday,
at his house in Charles-street, Berkeley-square.
The Earl of Yarmouth entertained a party to dinner.yester-
day, in Seymour-place.

ALTERATIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS IN WEST

MINSTER ABBEY.

The Public will learn with pleasure that the
interior of Westminster Abbey, and the venerable monuments
which it encloses, are now undergoing/a thorough repair, in
pursuance of a late resolution of the Dean and Chapter of
Westminster Abbey. On Monday and yesterday near a hun-
dred workmen, stone-masons, bricklayeri, painters, carpen-
ters, sculptors, &c. were engaged to carry the resolution of the,
Dean and Chapter into effect, under the able direction and.
superintendence of Mr. Chantrey, Mr. Theckstone, and other
artists of acknowledged talent. Messrs. Glanville and Radcliffe
have the superintendance of some of the works. The alterations
in the choir will be very considerable. Yesterday the cleaning
and restoring of several cf the monuments were completed. A
number of men are, during the day, drawn up by pulleys, in
baskets, to the roof of the Abbey, for the purpose of cleaning,
repairing, and painting the ceiling. The whole of the iron rail-
ings which were erected round the various monuments have
been removed. They were so much decayed and broken (being
made of wrought iron, which so rapidly decomposes) that
they gave a most miserable appearance to this otherwise grand
and beautiful mausoleum. There will not be any railings again
erected ; but persons will always attend visiters, and preven
them from injuring the works. The windows have all been
cleaned and repaired, and the different wood work re-gilt. The
grand organ has been repaired and new varnished, and the
pipes have been new gilded.—The expense of these improve
ments will amount io several thousand pounds, and is to be
defrayed out of the funds of the Dean and Chapter.

FUNERAL SERVICE OF NAPOLEON.—A part of
the Citizens of New Orleans are about publicly
to testify their sentiments on the occasion of the
decease of that extraordinary man, the late Em-
peror of the French, as it appears by the follow-
ing translated • extract from L'Aini des Lois, of
New Orleans, Oct. 15:—
" Whilst ungenerous enemies insult the name of NAPOLEON
'in his ancient Capital, and in view of the.monuments of Auster-.
litz and-Jena they dare endeavour to dim the lustre of his glory,
a great number of respectable citizens of this city propose to ce-.
lebrate, by a solemn Service, the memory of the greatest of men.
" When FRANKLIN died he was praised by MIRAREAIT in
an eloquent discourse, and the National Assembly put on
mourning for three days. The death of WASHINGTON was
also honoured by the regrets of France, then governed by
NapoLEOI•Z, and his funeral oration'was pronounced by one of
her greatest orators. It is then natural that . the fellow-citizens
of FRANKLIN and WASHINGTON should, in their turn, render
to the heroes of France the honours which France paid to their
illustrious compatriots.
" All persons disposed to honour unfortunate courage, and to
tender homage to genius, French or American, are therefore
requested to meet' to4norrow, at five o'clock in the afternoon,
in the Hall of Orleans, to consult on the means of giving to this
finleral ceremony all the solemnity which the greatness of the
subject requires."

The Duke of BUCKINGHAM was the first who
ventured on six horses, which created at the time
great scandal, and was looked upon at the time
as a proof of the " mastering spirit " of the fa-
vourite. " The stout Earl of NORTHUMBER-
LAND," who had been in the Tower ever since
the Gunpowder Plot, 44 when he got loose,
thought, if, BUCKINGHAM had six, he might have
eight in his .coach, with which he rode through
the City of London, .to the vulgar talk and ad-
miration."