"Now this is exactly the scene delineated in the picture. There are on the Mount the three disciples, fallen on the ground, and shading their faces from the 'bright cloud' which overshadows the transfigured Saviour; and Moses and Elias are the two figures of old men attending the Saviour, or 'talking with him.'
"At the foot of the Mount, there are the multitude, the lunatic boy, his father holding him, the disciples who could not cure him; and one of whom appears in the act of attempting to cure him, by addressing or exorcising the demon who is in him. There are also several women in the groupe; and it seems that instead of bringing 'different incidents together to constitute one plot,' the painter, on the contrary, has exactly followed the Evangelist, and represented the same instant of time in the action on the Mount, among the multitude at the foot of it.
"I cannot imagine how Sir Philip Francis could have supposed the picture to represent the Ascension, which took place in the presence of the Eleven Apostles and of them only, (see St. Luke, last chapter and last paragraph,) as follows:
"And he led them out as far as Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and he blessed them. And it came to pass, when he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into Heaven."
"This bears no resemblance whatever to the scene represented in the picture, and the opinion given by Sir Philip can only have arisen from an imperfect recollection of the Sacred Writings, and from having neglected to refer to the text.
"I am,
"My dear Sir,
"Yours truly,
S.M'G-------."
John Galt, Esq.
The Funeral of Mr. West.
It would be improper to close this appendix without giving some account of the funeral of Mr. West.
Soon after Mr. West's decease, a deputation from the Council of the Royal Academy waited on his sons and the executors, to apprise them of the intention of that body to honour the remains of their late President., by attending them to his grave, according to the ceremonial adopted on the public interment of the late Sir Joshua Reynolds, in St. Paul's Cathedral. His Majesty having, as Patron of the Royal Academy, given his gracious sanction that similar honours should be paid to the late venerable President, his sons and executors adopted active preparations to carry the arrangement into effect. As the schools of the Royal Academy were closed, and all its functions suspended, by the death of the late President, it was of material importance on this account, and with the view to the usual preparatory arrangements for the annual exhibition, that the funeral should not be delayed; and as early a day as practicable was therefore fixed for the public interment in St. Paul's Cathedral. The obvious consequence, however, of this has been, that owing to the absence from town, at this particular season, of so many noblemen and gentlemen of the highest rank, and the indisposition of several others, many warm admirers and friends of this celebrated artist and amiable man, who have, during his long life, honoured him with their friendship, and who have been particularly desirous of paying their last tribute of respect to his remains, have been precluded attending the funeral. The corpse was privately brought to the Royal Academy on Tuesday evening, attended by the sons and grandson of the deceased, and two intimate friends, Mr. Henderson (one of the trustees and executors of the deceased) and Mr. Hayes (for many years his medical attendant), and was received by the council and officers of the Royal Academy, and their undertaker and his attendants, with every mark of respect. The body was then deposited in the smaller Exhibition-room, on the ground-floor, which was hung on the occasion with black.