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National Monument
[The following letter on an interesting subject is curious, and is inserted here to be preserved.]
Mr. West's Letter to Sir George Beaumont, Bart.
East Cowes Castle, Isle of Wight,
Sept. 30. 1815.
"DEAR SIR GEORGE, "Your letter to me from Keswick of the thirty-first of last month I have received at this place: in that letter you have honoured me with the communication of 'the Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury having done you the honour, among others, to inform you of the commands of His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, that measures be forthwith taken for the erection of a monument to commemorate the victory of Waterloo, in pursuance of an address of the House of Commons; and to request you to apply to such artists as you think fit, for designs for this national column;' and you are pleased to say, that you believe at this distance you cannot better forward their views than by applying to me.
"The honourable way in which you have noticed my humble abilities in the arts, by calling on them for a design for a monument, to perpetuate an occurrence of such high military glory and national greatness as that of the victory of Waterloo, demands my warmest acknowledgments, and I also feel a duty and profound respect for the sources of your instructions to procure appropriate designs from the artists. When a monument is to be raised by a great and victorious nation (such as England) in memory of her departed as well as her living heroes, I feel it of the highest importance to her national character, when her arts and her arms stand so high, that they should bear a proud record to posterity of both their powers in such a building as that now under consideration.
"To raise a record to departed virtue in an individual, an obelisk, a column, or a statue, may bear an honourable name to posterity; but a record when thousands have devoted their lives to save their country from a rapacious enemy, as in those victories gained by the Greeks at Thermopylæ and Marathon; the English at Blenheim and Trafalgar; and, lastly, that greatest of all, gained by the unsubdued valour and heroism of the armies of the United Kingdom at Waterloo, demands a building of greater magnitude and more national consequence than that of a column.
"Such a design as I have conceived to record that victory I will give to yourself and others for your consideration; but not as a competitor presenting a drawing or model for a decision to be made on it as offered for competition: I therefore give you the following ideas on friendly motives for a dignified building.
"All records to be transmitted, must be by the three means which have been established for that purpose; namely, the pen, the pencil, and the chisel. I therefore propose a building wherein these three may be employed to express the various incidents, and to mark that victory distinct from all others, by applying the several spoils and trophies taken; and to have the building of considerable magnitude. For as the subject is great, so should be its representative: nothing little or mean should be accepted, or permitted to appear in such a work, nothing but what will mark the great features of that event: all of which by dates, names, and sculptured trophies, as well as paintings, may be proclaimed and recorded to distant times.
"The basis of such an erection being intended solely to commemorate the battle of Waterloo, its name should be in capital letters on the four faces, and the trophies of that victory should enrich the sides of the same; and the characters of the various military in British armies made conspicuous by their numbers shown; and on the summit of the lofty pile the sovereign's figure then in power should be placed.
"The plan and dimensions of the building I present to you are as follows: – Its base a square of sixty feet, and its height thirty: this will make each of the four faces of the base a double square on its measurement. From the centre of this base a building to be erected in diameter thirty feet, and in height one hundred and twenty, formed out of the spoils of victory, and diminishing as it rises, and to be surmounted by a figure twelve feet in height, including the pedestal on which it stands, In the centre, over the front face of the great case, to be the equestrian group of the Duke of Wellington, under which, in large letters, WATERLOO to be inscribed; and the four angles of the great base perpendicular tablets, ornamented with military insignia expressive of the British armies, and inscribed on the four tablets the number of each regiment who shared in the glories of that day, and by the four tablets be placed the statues of distinguished generals. Thus I have presented you with the external appearance of my imaginary building in honour of the victory of Waterloo; and the interior of this building to be considered as the place of deposit for preserving the powers of the pen, the pencil, and other gems from perishing by water or by fire: to be built of stone, and all its ornaments to be made of durable metals: all of which to be illustrative of the victory for which such a building was erected.
"The situation of this building should be a populous one, and that within a circus or square of a diameter not less than six hundred and fifty-eight feet. This size of space will give the spectator an opportunity of viewing the erection at double the distance of its elevation, which is the optical distance that pictures, statues, and buildings should always be seen at.
"Should my ideas of a building to commemorate the military achievements of Waterloo be viewed with complacency by yourself and others, I shall feel a satisfaction, as President of the Royal Academy, to have done my duty; and should His Royal Highness the Prince Regent be pleased to signify his approbation, I shall be gratified and honoured. With the sincerity of profound respect,
"I am,
"My dear Sir George,
"Your obliged and obedient Servant,
"BENJAMIN WEST."
Suffolk Lane, 28th Jan,
"MY DEAR SIR,
"Sir Philip Francis's critique on the Transfiguration appears very ingenious, so far as it explains the painter's design in representing the Demoniac Boy as the connecting link between the action on the Mount and the groupe at the foot of it; but I cannot agree with Sir Philip in supposing the picture to represent the Ascension and as you request me to state my reasons for this dissent, I shall briefly endeavour to specify them.
"I have not seen the original picture; but in the copy of it by Harlow, which was much admired in Rome, and which one would think must be accurate, at least in regard to so important a point, since it was exhibited beside the original-I say in Harlow's copy the raiment of our Saviour is white, not blue. The white has, indeed, in the shaded part, a bluish tinge, but the colour is decidedly a white, and, therefore, Sir Philip's assumption that it is blue appears contrary to the fact.
"The Transfiguration was witnessed by only three of the Apostles, Peter, James, and John, (see St. Matthew, chap. xvii, v. 1, 2, and 3.) exactly as represented In the picture, 'and (see v. 9.) as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, "Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of Man be risen again from the dead."'
"It maybe as well, to prevent the trouble of an reference, to quote at once from the Evangelist, the description of the subject which it appears to me the painter meant to represent.
Chap. xvii. as before.
1. And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,
2. And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.
3. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.
6. And when the disciples heard, they fell on their faces, and were sore afraid.
14. And when they were come to the multitudes there came to him a man, kneeling down to him, and saying,
15. Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatic and sore vexed: and oft-times he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.
16. And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him, &c.
"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.
About half-past ten yesterday morning, the Academicians, Associates, and Students, assembled in the Great Exhibition-room, and the nobility, gentry, and the deceased's private friends, soon after arrived, and joined the mournful band. The chief mourners were in seclusion in the library of the Academy. About half-past twelve o'clock, the whole of the arrangements having been effected, the Procession moved from Somerset House to St. Paul's Cathedral in the following order:
Six Constables, by threes.
Four Marshalmen, two and two.
City Marshal on horseback.
Undertaker on horseback.
Six Cloakmen on horseback, by twos.
Four Mutes on horseback, by twos.
Lid of Feathers, with attendant Pages.
Hearse and Six, with rich trappings, feathers, and velvets, attended by Eight Pages.
Two Mourning Coaches and four, with attendant Pages, conveying the Pall-bearers.
Mourning Coach and Four, with attendant Pages, conveying the Sons and Grandson of the deceased, as CHIEF MOURNERS.
Mourning Coach and Four, with attendant Pages, conveying the Family Trustees and Executors of the deceased.
Mourning Coach and Four, with attendant Pages, conveying the Reverends the Vicar of Mary-la-bonne, the Chaplain to the Lord Mayor, and the Medical Attendant of the deceased.
Then followed Sixteen Mourning Coaches and Pairs, with Attendant Pages, conveying the Right Rev. the Chaplain, the Secretary for Foreign Correspondence, and the Members of the Royal Academy and Students.
Twenty Mourning Coaches and Pairs, with attendant Pages, conveying the Mourners and Private Friends of the deceased.
The Procession was closed by above sixty carriages, arranged in rank by the junior City Marshal and Marshalmen-the servants wearing hat-bands and gloves.
The Procession was attended on each side by fifty Constables, to preserve order; and the accesses from Bridge-street, Chancery-lane, the Old Bailey, &c. were stopped. On reaching St. Paul's Cathedral, where the senior City Marshal was in wailing, with several assistants, to arrange the Procession, it entered at the great Western Gate, and was met at the entrance of the Cathedral by the Church Dignitaries, &c. the whole then proceeded to the Choir in the following order:
The two junior Vergers.
The Marshals.
The young Gentlemen of the Choir, two by two.
Their Almoner, or Master.
The Vicars Choral, two by two.
The Sub-Dean and Junior Canons, two by two.
The Feathers, with Attendant Pages and Mutes.
The two Senior Vergers.
Honourable and Rev. Dr. Wellesley.
The Canon residentiary, and the Rev. the Prebendary.
CHIEF MOURNERS
The Sons and Grandson of deceased, namely,
Raphael Lamar West, Esq.
Benjamin West, Esq.
and
Mr. Benjamin West, jun.
followed by
Robert Brunning (the old Servant of deceased)
Henry Fauntleroy, Esq. and James Henry Henderson, Esq.
(the Family Trustees and Executors of deceased.)
and
The Rev. Dr. Heslop, Vicar of St. Mary-la-Bonne; the Rev.
Mr. Borrodaile, Chaplain to the Lord Mayor; and Joseph
Hayes, Esq. Medical Attendant on deceased (Dr. Baillie being unavoidably absent).
Then followed
The Bishop of Salisbury, (As Chaplain to the Royal Academy; and an Honorary Member).
Prince Hoare, Esq. (Secretary for Foreign Correspondence to the Royal Academy.)
The body of Academicians and Associates of the Royal Academy, according to seniority, two by two, Students, two by two.
And the private mourners of the deceased, consisting of-Aldermen Wood and Birch, Rev. – Est, Rev. Holt Oakes, Henry Bankes, Esq. M.P., William Smith, Esq. M.P., Richard Hart Davies, Esq. M.P., George Watson Taylor, Esq. M.P., Jesse Watts Russell, Esq. M.P., Archibald Hamilton, Esq., Thomas Hope, Esq., Samuel Boddington, Esq., Richard Payne Knight, Esq., Thomas Lister Parker, Esq., George Hibbert, Esq., John Nash, Esq., John Edwards, Esq., Major Payne, Captain Henry Wolseley, Captain Francis Halliday, James St. Aubyn, Esq., Henry Sansom, Esq., – Magniac, Esq., George Sheddon, Esq., James Dunlop, Esq., Joseph Ward, Esq., N. Ogle, Esq., George Repton, Esq., William Wadd, Esq., Henry Woodthorpe, jun. Esq., Christ. Hodgson, Esq., – Cockerell, sen. Esq., – Cockerell, jun. Esq., Leigh Hunt, Esq., P. Turnerelli, Esq., J. Holloway, Esq., Charles Heath, Esq., Henry Eddridge, Esq., A. Robertson, Esq., W. J. Newton, Esq., John Taylor, Esq., T. Bonney, Esq., – Muss, Esq., – Martin, Esq., J. Green, Esq., John Gait, Esq., William Carey, Esq., – Leslie Esq., – Behnes, Esq., George Samuel, Esq., John Young, Esq., Christopher Pack, Esq., W, Delamotte, Esq., E. Scriven Esq., J. M. Davis, Esq., C. Smart, Esq., &c.
It being Passion Week, the usual chanting and performance of music in the Cathedral-service could not take place, but an Anthem was, by special permission, allowed to be sung; and the Hon. and Rev. Dr. Wellesley, assisted by the Rev. the Prebendary, performed the solemn service in a very impressive manner. The body was placed in the choir, and at the head were arranged, on chairs, the chief mourners and executors. The pall-bearers were seated on each side of the corpse, and the Members of the Royal Academy, and other mourners, were arranged on each side of the choir. After the Anthem, the body was attended to the vault-door by the pall-bearers, followed by the chief mourners and executors, and was conveyed into the crypt, and placed immediately beneath the perforated brass plate, under the centre of the dome. Dr. Wellesley, with the other canons, and the whole choir, then came under the dome, and the pall-bearers, chief mourners, and executors, stood by them. The Members of the Royal Academy were ranged on the right, and the other mourners on the left, forming a circle, the outside of which was protected by the Marshals and undertaker's attendants. Here the remainder of the service was completed, and the sexton, placed in the crypt below, at the proper period, let fall some earth, as usual, on the coffin. After the funeral-service was ended, the chief mourners and executors, accompanied by most of the other mourners, went into the crypt, and attended the corpse to its grave, which was sunk with brick-work under the pavement at the head of the grave of the late Sir Joshua Reynolds, and adjoining to that of the late Mr. West's intimate and highly-valued friend, Dr. Newton, formerly Bishop of Bristol, and Dean of St. Paul's, the brick-work of whose grave forms one side of Mr. West's; thus uniting their remains in the silent tomb. Sir Christopher Wren, the great architect, lies interred close by, as well as those eminent artists, the late Mr. Opie and Mr. Barry.
The Members of the Royal Academy, and all the mourners, then returned to Somerset-House, in the like order of procession (with the exception of the hearse and feathers,) where refreshments were provided for them.
The whole of this affecting ceremony was conducted with great solemnity and respect, and was witnessed by an immense concourse of people.
The carriages attending in the Procession were those of the Lord Mayor, the Archbishop of York, the Dukes of Norfolk, Northumberland, and Argyll; the Marquisses of Lansdowne and Stafford; the Earls of Liverpool, Essex, Aberdeen, Carlisle, Dartmouth, Powis, Mulgrave, Darnley, and Carysfort; Viscount Sidmouth; the Bishops of London, Salisbury, Carlisle, and Chester; Admiral Lord Radstock; the Right Honourables Sir William Scott, Charles Manners Sutton, and Charles Long; the American Ambassador; the Hon. General Phipps, Augustus Phipps; Sirs George Beaumont, J. Fleming Leicester, Thomas Baring, and Henry Fletcher; the Solicitor General, Sir Robert Wilson, Dr. Heslop, Dr. Baillie, Aldermen Birch and Wood, Mr. Chamberlain Clarke, Henry Bankes, Esq. M.P., Richard Hart Davies, Esq. M.P., George Watson Taylor, Esq. M.P., Jesse Watts Russell, Esq. M.P., Henry Fauntleroy, Esq., Archibald Hamilton, Esq., Thomas Courts, Esq., John Penn, Esq., Thomas Hope, Esq., Samuel Boddington, Esq., Walter Fawkes, Esq., George Hibbert, Esq., John Yenn, Esq., John Soane, Esq., Francis Chantry, Esq., Henry Sanson, Esq., John Nash, Esq., John Edwards, Esq., George Sheddon, Esq., James Dunlop, Esq., Joseph Ward, Esq., Henry Meux, Esq. &c. &c.
The following is the Inscription upon the Tombstone over the deceased: -
Here lie the Remains of BENJAMIN WEST, Esq., President of the Royal Academy of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture: born 10th Oct. 1738, at Springfield, in Pennsylvania, in America: died in London, 11th March, 1820.
