The Sun.
London, England, 1818-07-09 00:00:00

RvYAI4 ACAD .

Ti At Oiti^erset-r-Tonce is noW
closed, Wild we 041 retnerks, 1t part-
ing, on the general state of the Pettormances
which have been displayed in it.

It approra to hare bacti the unirersal feeling of srattaturs,
whether learned or unlearned, that the effect produced by
the whole collection wasPerf a satisfactory kind. Instead of
the large number of crude and inailetomate attempts at paint-
log, which formerly used to disfigure the a alls, particularly
iii the higher-ran-get, few ohjectiunable intrusions vrere this
ear to he diknerrett amidst the runs) of meritorious works
which occupiedthe different apartments. On the other hated,
fetv'exansilles `Weer visible of striking novelty, or of such
towering eminence, as sometimes lifts the Artist to touch,
with 110 r CE, " obliori rrrtirec sidera."
Both these observations may be referred to time same source.
the Fine Arts of England have been making, for many years
least, a gradual advance towards that degree of excellence.,
Sonth it, point of taste and science, which determines the corn-
- privative pretensions of the national ettarricter to mental ale
gance and refinement. A general feeling of Nature in her
various funds and C.ololl,lti, a disecinrivatire ttleCtiOLT id ob-
jects (such as either alnuse us interest), a liistness of expres-
sion, and a powerful managenrent of light and shade, appears
to pervade, in every part, the little World of Art. Tine
systems of partial Sehools Lave been borne down by the pre-
valence of realm) and CoMllieH sense, and the at rangernents,
which lie within) the methaiiital provinces of the-Arta, are.
wisely subjected to the various tastes.of the atajficers. But it
lutist be obvious that the amount of the whole is not hitherto
sollicient to satisfy the desires arm ambitions' Artist •or an
ambitious Spectator. Something yet relasains behind.:
addition to the grace, the ease, the elegance,. and the dignty
of Portrait, to the genuine humour of Domestic St•rnesancl
Maxners, and to the tasteful views of native and fortign
Landscape, there is yet wanting the. classic ornament of
mead Historical Composition. It must excite regret sew
observe, that the ardour which iinpeßed
ANUELICA KAUFFMAN, and ONE, to regular and frequent
efforts for the palm of honourable conteat, and occasionally
called forth the high talents of Cuitt.EY) Dasce, and
Iloto.st;it, is of late years diminished, and almost fading
niway. The examples of Historical Painting, in our latter
Exhibitions, are so few in nutuber, as almost to have escaped
the public notice, and to induce a general notion that " Mire
is nothing. to be seen at Somersct-lioac.k. lint Portraits." How
critically just or unjust this notion is, we need not discuss.
It is certain, that regular efforts to support the character of
the Academy in that branch of Art, which gives to Art its
highest dignity, are almost as deficient as they are desirable.
The character of the Annual Exhibition, indeed, loses much
by the separate exhibition of the great works of the President
in another place; and it is lamentable to think, that his con-
duct in this respect is fully to be justified by the situatlurs isa
which an Historical Painter has hitherto been but too sure to
be placed amongst us. FI'SELI, NORTHCoTE, SroTHARD,
and a few more, occasionally prone that the tlusePirlii• is not
extinguished. How marry more, "rtantei in gargiieasto,"
rest the whole of their claims Uri their share ofteiteral merit
in the more ordinary practrei of the Art In that province,
we have already said, their exertions demand our Warmest ad-
!siltation. many instances the garb of Historyis-eien worn
by Portraiture, arid in some' with no inconsiderable Success.
this light, we shall for a moitittlf review iiTwdrli of LAW-
rtENCE, a Painter eminently. persevering in 1413. attempts at
superiority, though now ceasing to utter any designs of his-
tory to the Public. We meaii the !Portrait of the Duke of
WEL-
LINOTON, which, as a work of Art, has a truly historical air,
and, as a national record, from the peculiar dress of that great'
Commander,together with the absence of ail symbols of his high
military raids (except the tett scope iii his left hand), will out
fail to attract the notice of the biographer anti the historian
in future ages. There is in)y it so notch accurate attention to
real circumstances, that. only one step ruore was wanting to
render it wholly and ot,olutcly an historical record,- anal to
preserve it from a criticism which has been made perhaps by
trivial minds; but which yet cannot lee confuted, whenever
the wink is considered iti the high rank just mentioned. The
Painter has, no doubt, been told ere this, that the action of
solute cannot take place in that scene in whiCh alone th'e
costume of the Picture is historically appropriate, vis....irs the
field of battle. The ingenious artifice by which 11 Las gut
rid of the embarrassing deformity of a large hat on the had, is
in every other view admirable. We will take leave of this
Artist, by repeating our admiration of his Picture (No: S 3) of
Lady E. L. GowEa, a production apparently of happy'facility,
but which labour could nut have mended, and in which taste
must ever delight. From the snlject of his greater work, the
Duke of WELLINorost, we are not willing to part so soots, be-
cause we have a remark to offer, which affects our national
character. The Duke of WELLINGTON is the greatest Gene-
ral of the age. lie has triumphed successively over every
competitor who his been opposed to his progress, and 'finally
over hiiu who Wag conceived to be the Luther of soil
boric to become tine master of the world.' How happens it
that, in a National Exhibition of Works of Art, tin symptom
has appeared to testify that such extraordinary triumphs have
:tern obtained by our Victor? We arc' ourselves not over
fond of the feats of war, but are induced' to 'ask, flai: no
instance occurrid, in the course of so long and successfril a
CoUt VII, in which the superior character of the Hero might
be conspicuously shewn and transmitted to posterity ? West
recorded the Death of Nks.soaf. Most *We'‘eitit till his succes-
sor in victory shall alit) breathe his last, btrftire we veritare to
entrust 116 actions to the band of the Painter? or is the
Panorama of Waterloo a sufficient National Nlotrunient of our
triumph ? It must always be a matter of surprize, that
amidst the various honours of external splendonr, Mitch are
profusely offered to a successful Warrior, atilitist ribands,
crosses, medallions, &c. the record of his exploitton ativas
should riot form one of the compliments so justly paid by tie
State.. The rluse of Sculpture is equally silent, until awakened
by the death of Heroes. Sepulchral Records, are • the only
public Monuments of their valour; and in those, by..acat,
rious anomaly, their living- actions sometimes form'the whale
subject of the composition. In all these points, we are to-
tally unlike to tile Athenians, whose examples we are so de-
sirous to rival.

We cannot, however, witness, without considerable plea-
sure, the increasing sensibility of the nation to works of
Sculpture. Seine few individual Patrons have been found to
call forth the energies of our Sculptors. FLAXMAN.II Pcrtural
..Wpollo presented oar instance. The present year has exhi-
bited a work approaching the historical class, and has given
the promise of another work altogether of that description.
CHANTHEY'S beautiful Statue of. Lady L. ItrissELL is to be fol-
lowed by a Statue of Satan, according to the idea given of
him by MILTON an arduous task, worthy to rouse the soul,
and employ the whole abilities of the Artist. We have al-
ready remarked, that since the retirement of NOLLEKENS, the
station which he held in public favour, seems, by common
suffrage, to hare fallen to the lot of CHANT/MY, and, aspir-
ing as that Artist is, and eminent, as he canuot fail to be, it
will he happy for him if he meets with criticism sufticieotly
enlightened to keep his mind on the watch for that continual
progress in study which alone wins a lasting crown for ge-
nius. To recur frequently to the suiginal standards, which
Nature alone is able to furnish, is the great and necessary
lesson. The combinatioos of genius, always delightful, are
satisfactory only in proportion as they spring from solid prin-
ciples. When fancy is permitted to form the ground-work,
the structures raised on it may be captivating Irons their nu-
relty, and delicious from their relish, but the perthenence of
fame is endangered. Art, not Nature, becomes the standard;
fancy furnishes chimerical graces; ease supersedes labour;
and the result is, caprice and evatiescenre.
The remarks which we have here wade nominally in regsid,
'Painter•uid Sculptor, we desire to "-
to one distinguished
tend, as we conceive they apply, to every Painter end. every
Sculptor in the kingdom. }rota the combined exertions of
individuals roust arise the aggregate character of our Arts,
and in proportion to the standard of historical competition,
will be the fitial measure of national calinctoc,.

The Isapecs of iNlond:iy hist, which were
due this morning, have n(*arsived•

The fulfowing Letter appears in The Morning
Chrwzirle of this day, and yet it persists in affect-
ing to believe that the detected Conspiracy, which
is the subject of universal Conversation in Paris,
is. what. it is pleased to tet•th A mysti/kation

" Nati, ;.:11.71.1f I.—The Conspiracy, of which I gave you
some account in my last, has taken the place of the Loan as
topic of tht day. No pains are spared by Ministers and their
friends to enforce a belief of its reality. it appears, indeed,
that the former have got something like evidence into their
hands, and that they had already instructed the Attorney-
General, M. JACQU MOT de PANIPELUNEi to proceed
upon it', when a letter front the KINo to M de cAzes,
which has • been much talked of, and which the friends
of Ministers are industriously circulating the contents
of, put a stop to all prosecution. The purport of this
letter, as described by these, is, that his MaJEsTY knows
already but too touch on the subject, and desires no further
investigation may take place, fearful, as he is, of finding
among the guilty some of ahose most dear to hint. One known
fact is, that much agitation has been observed of late in the
Royal Guard; that the Officers complain loudly of what they
term their Jacobin King; and that several individuals of
high rank among these have been exiled within these few days
from Paris. M. de la Roctre-JAcouErAN.may be instanced as
the most conspicuous among them. It is also to be noticed, that
a virulent pamphlet in the Ultra interest,, entitled ap7,el arcs
trfris Pran ca s,is in private circulation at this moment. e-
perais CANUEL and DONNA. Ul EU arc generally reported to have
taken a leading.parrin the plan in question ; and some peo-
ple golo far as to say, that the -- of ---- has not a little
countenanced this spirit of rebellion in the Ultra lyarty, by
the distinction he bestows on some of its Leaders, Dostsranitar.
in particular, whom ha has • been ia the habit of mnch no-
ticing of late, and 'whose merits, as a faithful servant to the
Kltio, he is frequently cinumenditig ; and this at is time when
thcGetteral is in disgrace and in open hostility with Ministers."

Now, after feeding the above letter we appeal
to the pnblie whether it is probable that the al-
leged plot i 3 a mere invention. The New Times
also continues to treat the matter as " idle spe-
culation" in the English Papers, and says this
day, that it is " an invention so weak and con-
temptible as to be absolutely unknown at Parris,
except to a few of the contemptible Agents of the
Police, whose business it is to mystify and delude
foreign nations." Nothing cart be more in oppo-
sition on this subject than The Chronicle and The
New Times.—The one declares that it " has taken
place of the loan as the topic of the day," the other
affirms that it is '' an invention, so weak and con-
temptible, as to be absolutely unknown at Paris,
except," &c. But according to the letter in The
Chronicle, the Attorney-General was instruced to
proceed, when he was stopped by a letter hem
the King, of which the friends of Ministers " are
industriously- circulating the contents," Is it
possible then, with such movements on the occa-
sion, that The Chronicle can venture to contradict
its own Correspondent, and treat the matter as a
mystification, or The New Times declare that it
was absolutely unknown in Paris, except to a few
individuals ? We shall leave these Journals
to reconcile their contradictions if they think
.proper. We are glad, however, to perceive that
The New Times: has thought proper to shift its
groom', and intimate that it did not mean
" hired Scribblers" employed by M. CAzt in Eng-
lish Journals, but those in Paris. The same Paper
avows its attachment to the Ultra Royalists, bat
says nothing on the imputed motives of its attach-
ment, and we shall not pursue the subject.—
But we deem it necessary to, repeat our firm
conviction in the reality of the Plot, and if we
did not fully rely on the correctness and fidelity
of our Correspondent at Paris, our conviction
would be strengthened by the Letter in The Chro-
nicle. As to time declaration of The New Times,
that " it is matter of positive calculation
that the Ultra Royalist Party includes four-
fifths of the principal Landholders in France,"
it is possible that the assertion ,lay be well.
founded ; but -whit is' that number compared with
mite Jacoliins, whi) far out-number them, and with
the other factious in France who are not Land•
holders, but who, in hopes of getting something

,'art
getSerEll stsra'rtlisk, Would be read''' "`
time, to subvert the ts;ovetntnent, and cretttct,
new lilevotatissn ? The ALLIED Povig" 8:0
ilwrerote, nielunly culled On tc ex/indite the s'Bc,
of France. with the profouttlett t°
1111
the recent Conspiracy the bottom, at,
deeply to reflect on the danger that tuigb t -
tend the vri'tioltatvral of their respective I°l.ceg;
lest they should precipitate the tinir°6lll a,u,s
Monarchy in France, nut! inisolve thersiselY4lB-1J
their several dominions in thet ruin which 1410acf
shake the political fabric fl all the Stttict)g
Eltrope.
Of
We recortseaend to the psrticolar attentra.
'4l'
tire Public, an article in our Paper of this
on the Origin and Progress of the French gel°.
!lidos's, with .s hick an old and valuable Coll.
e
=9t;
spondent hat favoured us, who intends top .cced
till he hiss fully developed the history, Rnd tr3ccd,
the consequences, of that melancholy awl Jtesgie
ful event, thereby consequently holding out 1.0
example of France as u warning to E"gi9"(4,
Such a retrospect is, indeed, imperiously sie°l3° e
ell in th6t critical and awful tittles, wile" 14311/ ca
itself seems to be torn by rival factiotts,_ f„
be on the brink of a new Revolution, and "1:0
Refure'ierti full as wicked and desperate trig
Country as the authors of that Revolatir'ii'°o
constantly endeavouring to overwhelMotir gi°rl:;s
Constitution, which has long rendered the
pec
.to
of Great Britain the freest and happiest on 14%al
in older to produce the same horrors by lbe
11 sci
means. We trust that this lIRTRoSrecT Kt
culate through every civilized part of
J(
Globe where the Great Ls/Nets:AßV' 7.„,04
name our Palitt bears, shall spread his ciVIlll
beams, and that, by the means of 111'1 '3ltipresi
lesson, we shall be able to spread to the 5111'. eta
tent a beneficial light to the moral tct'rki' fcr,els
fit
preservation and security, to the most dists
r
We trust that Governs-tient will co015"le. :01
question, whether the adtriirers of Sir etis
BURDETT, not having had the Baronet t.
cl• ic to
as usual, on the day of Election, hare a r ,44
distittb the peace of the Metropolis by fer
this ceremony performed on a day sei }011'; tlis
the purpose. We have seen the character') tief3
Burdettites in their conduct during the e°ll, ‘v,s2,l
the most daring outrages were committed'
ce,
when one of the Candidates, a gallant Sav`d (1,1. r
►
who is esteemed wherever he is known, fill. P-(;:gi
sional skill and private virtues, as well As (41rtsi tv
talents, and who had, surely as goad 11
offer himself to the Electors of Wesrad°lssil
any of the other Candidates, received! !ll' n era
insults, severe corporeal injuries, and %vilb,sls
in imminent danger of being trans cotte
death. :Shall then the Rulers of al'e
try, and the Magistracy of the Metropolis, • te
iv behold preparations calculated in (114‘.
ot
gether an immense nioh, who, in the zi:`ll pre
tion, and the madness of intoxicatioo,
ceed to the most violent and dreadful ext(4iijcoe
l
Is the Election Contest, with its dangeodii
11.11
motions, to be thus farther protracted, 8(1
td
Tit a LAW tolerate proceedings that Nal lair ij
such lamentable excesses IVe couctive ti'3t 0113
it
incumbent on those to whom the Pc"6c:e
security of the Empire are entrusted, t" n 1 ttiitb
possible inquiries into a subject pregiljlit
such alarming mischief, and that may ledd try 00
direful consequences. In no odic!' o°lll
Earth would such preparations as"11;00'
iusurrection, as well as to all domestic lt°
ceira
be suffered to take place, and sve ccln
that the people at large base a tight t°
tidy
to Government for due protection, at 1)45 oil
when wicked agitators, in Factious Oa efr
Public Joutnals, are making all Itossill • 00'
utiful:
forts for totally destroying the Constitrsal
oore
der the pretence of Re:forming it by.rear ,
Suffrage and siessual Parliaments. Tbe
rtoer
we say, have a right to expect that tialictiic oel
will act with due vigilance and vigour °fee,
casion, or otherwise it must be held gis
Bible for the consequences.

LYMINGTON, JULY S, irs/
ijust landed the Purser of the lUit/icori git! „eol
lididlll*ll, charged With dispatches frozzl ef,lll
and Madras, also from Sir iivpsos Lot"' tar tell
SATHUEIT, with which he set off ior','::to
Fvur o'Ciock, P.: vg
fur
Landul" The William Miles I,lz )146r— tile
27th February, and arrived at Sc• ficiell4 306
month, leaving
12th April, and sailed the 17(11 of tberosqar
there his Nl„jesty's o'l'9 --11 oltg
"r, Grit/on, amid Musquito. Oil the ~,°l9 °I:
City of Edinburgh,
spoke, to the `loath of the Western .I,l'-)( iow
St. II 1
e•emi, bound to Gibraltar, all sve-1.1 ,ester,
~ THE QUEEN.—IIer 11A.IFsTY %vas stxte(iL'ie,(l'll
day t 0 t:%-) be much the same as. she v 135 012 -.3F, if
not still enouvh, we 'gret lOfaqs:l,,gl
tide out'as
• Capt. LorK, from kribi
11! her chair iii Kew t_;:irdrtis Olio file!:ot
evening.evening
The.PRINCE REGF,NT t%•ent 4).0i11 .I
again IlKasito visit his Royal Nloiller'.
evell;r,g to Kcyr paisce•