"Adam created, Friday, October 28, 4004; died, 3034 before Christ, aged 930."—Trusler's Chronology.
[205] Americus Vespucius, a merchant of Florence, had the honour of giving his name to this new half of the globe, in which he did not possess one acre of land; and pretended to be the first who discovered the continent. Admitting it true that he first discovered it, the glory is due to the man who had the penetration to see that the voyage was practicable, and the courage to perform it. Columbus made three voyages, as viceroy and admiral, five years before Americus made one as a geographer; but Vespucius writing to his friends at Florence that he had discovered a new world, they took his word, and the citizens decreed that a grand illumination should be made before the door of his house every three years, on the feast of All Saints. Such are the accidents by which honours are attained. A merchant gives his name to one half of the globe from happening to be on board a fleet that in 1489 sailed along the coast of Brazil!
[206] This story has been told of Brunelleschi, who improved the architecture of Florence many years before Columbus was born, and it has been since related of many others. These ambulatory anecdotes are transferred from one traveller to another, like the wishing-cap of Fortunatus, that was made to fit every head on which it was placed.
[207] "There is scarce an Egyptian, Greek, or Roman deity, but hath a twisted serpent, twisted cornucopia, or some symbol winding in this manner, to accompany it."—Preface to Analysis of Beauty, p. 18.
[208] Some of these were in wood, and some in copper. The painter, when once asked why he did not answer them, replied, that "he had not seen one which promised to live so long as it would take to engrave a plate." A few of these poignant satires I have seen; but they have now attained a black letter value, and are seldom to be found except in the cabinets of the curious. A series of six or eight, beginning with one entitled "The Butifyer, or a Touch on the Times," Plate I., were designed and engraved by an artist of deserved celebrity.[209] With a frankness for which he is remarkable, and which does him honour, he once acknowledged to me, that being a very young man, he was deceived by the loud clamours of certain veterans, at that time leaders in the arts; but had he seen Hogarth's merit then as he does now, nothing should have induced him to attempt the ridicule of such talents.
[209] Mr. Paul Sandby.
[210] This alludes to the time Hogarth thought would elapse before Stuart's plan was completed; and the prediction was amply verified, for the second volume of Athens was not published until 1789 or 90, though the title-page is dated 1787.
[211] Stuart being once questioned by Frank Hayman upon his right to assume both these titles, said that "Poetry was his wife, and Architecture his mistress." "You may call them so," said Hayman, "but I never heard that you had living issue by either."
[212] The mortification Hogarth naturally felt at seeing more money given for a drawing of an ancient pig-sty than he received for his most capital work, was unquestionably the strongest inducement.
[213] A description of this print was published in The Beauties of all the Magazines for 1761; part of it I have subjoined:—