Fuseli's letter, however, made so deep an impression, that the Academy were about to reject the book altogether, as unworthy a place in their library; but after some debate, they came to the resolution to allow the first volume to remain there, but to withdraw the subscription for the second. And on the 20th of February, 1794, at a general meeting of Academicians, they came to this resolution, "That Mr. Fuseli has conducted himself properly in his remarks on Mr. Bromley's book." In consequence of the opposition of Fuseli, the second volume was never published.
In 1794, Fuseli painted for Mr. Seward "The Conspiracy of Catiline." This gentleman was so much pleased with the picture, that he wrote the following verses, which were published in the "Whitehall Evening Post," in the December that year, and copied into the "European Magazine, for January 1795."
TO HENRY FUSELI, ESQ. R.A.
ON HIS LATE PICTURE OF THE CONSPIRACY OF CATILINE.
Artist sublime! with every talent blest,
That Buonarroti's great and awful mind confest;
Whose magic colours, and whose varying line
Embody things, or human or divine;
Behold the effort of thy mastering hand,
See Catilina's parricidal band,
By the lamp's tremulous, sepulchral light,
Profane the sacred silence of the night;
To Hell's stern King their curs'd libations pour,
While the rich goblet foams with human gore.
See how, in full and terrible array,
Their fatal poignards they at once display,
Direly resolving, at their Chief's behest,
To sheath them only in their Country's breast.
Too well pourtray'd, the scene affects our sight
With indignation, horror, and affright.
Then quit these orgies, and with ardent view
Fam'd Angelo's advent'rous track pursue;
Let him extend thy[44] terrible career
Beyond the visible diurnal sphere,
Burst Earth's strong barrier, seek th' abyss of Hell,
Where sad Despair and Anguish ever dwell;
In glowing colours to our eyes disclose
The monster Sin, the cause of all our woes;
To our appall'd and tortur'd senses bring
Death's horrid image, Terror's baneful King;
And at the last, the solemn, dreadful hour,
We all may bless thy pencil's saving power;
Our danger from thy pious colours see,
And owe eternity of bliss to thee.
Then to the Heaven of heavens ascend, pourtray
The wonders of th' effulgent realms of day;
Around thy pallet glorious tints diffuse,
Mix'd from th' ethereal arch's vivid hues;
With every grace of beauty and of form,
Inspire thy mind, and thy rich fancy warm.
Cherub and seraph, now, in "burning row,"
Before the throne of Heaven's high Monarch bow,
And, tun'd to golden wires, their voices raise
In everlasting strains of rapt'rous praise.
Blest[45] commentator of our Nation's Bard,
Long lov'd with every reverence of regard,
Whose matchless Muse dares sing in strains sublime,
Things unattempted yet in prose or rhyme!
The critic's painful efforts, cold and dead,
Merely inform the slow and cautious head;
Whilst thy effusions, like Heaven's rapid fire,
Dart through the heart, and kindred flames inspire,
And at one flash, to our astonish'd eyes,
Objects of horror or delight arise.
Proceed, my friend; a Nation safely trust,
To merit splendidly and quickly just;
She the due tribute to thy toils shall pay,
And lavishly her gratitude display;
The Bard himself, from his Elysium bowers
Contemplating thy pencil's plastic powers,
Well pleas'd, shall see his fame extend with thine,
And gladly hail thee, as himself, divine. S.
In the years 1793 and 1794, Fuseli painted four pictures for "Woodmason's Illustrations of Shakspeare,"—two from subjects in the Midsummer Night's Dream, and the other two from Macbeth. Three of these are known by engravings, namely, Oberon squeezing the juice of the flowers into Titania's eyes while she sleeps,—Titania awake, attended by fairies, and in raptures with Bottom wearing the ass's head,—and Macbeth meeting the Witches on the heath.—The fourth, Macbeth with the Witches at the cauldron, was chosen by Sharpe, and some progress made by him in the engraving of it, when the scheme was abandoned. Fuseli was much gratified by my having subsequently purchased this picture, and remarked, "You have another of my best poetical conceptions. When Macbeth meets with the witches on the heath, it is terrible, because he did not expect the supernatural visitation; but when he goes to the cave to ascertain his fate, it is no longer a subject of terror: hence I have endeavoured to supply what is deficient in the poetry. To say nothing of the general arrangement of my picture, which in composition is altogether triangular, (and the triangle is a mystical figure,) I have endeavoured to shew a colossal head rising out of the abyss, and that head Macbeth's likeness. What, I would ask, would be a greater object of terror to you, if, some night on going home, you were to find yourself sitting at your own table, either writing, reading, or otherwise employed? would not this make a powerful impression on your mind?" Fuseli always complained of not being able to effect all he wished in these pictures, in consequence of being limited to shape and size, as it was stipulated by Woodmason, that those painted for his gallery should be 5 feet 6 inches high, by 4 feet 6 inches broad.
It was not until his own means were exhausted that Fuseli could bring himself to solicit pecuniary assistance from others for the accomplishment of his plan of the "Milton Gallery." As soon, however, as it was understood that he must either give it up, or be supported in it, six of his intimate friends (in 1797) immediately came forward, and each agreed to advance him fifty pounds per annum, until the task was completed. It gives me pleasure to place the names of these gentlemen on record. Messrs. Coutts, Lock, Roscoe, G. Steevens, Seward, and Johnson. It was stipulated that they were to be paid out of the proceeds of the exhibition of the Milton Gallery, or take pictures or drawings to the value of their contributions. Mr. Coutts, in addition to his annuity, with that characteristic spirit of true liberality which ever marked his conduct, and with that modesty which generally accompanies such feelings, made a donation of a hundred pounds, under the injunction that his name should not appear in the transaction; and Mr. Roscoe gave proofs of the sincere friendship which he entertained for the artist, by not only buying pictures to a considerable amount, but also by inducing his friends and connexions at Liverpool to make purchases. The interest which Mr. Roscoe took in Fuseli's labours is shown in the following letter:—
"my dear friend,
"I am much mortified that I shall not have the pleasure of seeing you in Liverpool; but, at the same time, if your bringing your works before the public next Spring depends on your close attention to them at present, it will, I confess, in a great degree reconcile me to my disappointment. I look upon this as the period which will shew you to the public in your true light, and obtain for you that universal suffrage which will secure you a great and lasting reputation. Inclosed is a bill from Clarke's for a second hundred pounds, of which you will be pleased to acknowledge the receipt by a line, when it comes to hand. I consider you as connected in London with friends of more liberality than are generally met with, and I esteem you as a cautious and provident man, for an artist; notwithstanding which, I may be excused in suggesting to you, that this exhibition should be wholly on your own account, and should not be connected with any subsequent plan that may be proposed for publication of prints from the pictures, &c. With respect to the mode of exhibiting the pictures, I still think the least expensive will be to stucco the room with pannels, with broad mouldings, in imitation of frames, which may be painted in a bold style, to suit the pictures. If this could be done in imitation of bronze, it would have a grave and better effect for such subjects, than if you even went to the expense of gilding, which would be enormous. I mention this, because, if you think the plan likely to answer, the work should be done some time before, that it may be sufficiently dry. Perhaps all this may be unnecessary, and you have already decided on a better plan; but I know you will attribute it to its proper motive.