Prioress, the Friar, &c.—he pronounced the finest criticism of Chaucer's poem he had ever read.
In Southey's Doctor, special allusion is made to one of the pictures in this exhibition. 'That painter of great but insane genius, William Blake, of whom Allan Cunningham has written so interesting a memoir, took this Triad' (the story of the three who escaped from the battle of Camlan, where Arthur fell—'the strongest man, the beautifullest man, and the ugliest man')—'for the subject of a picture, which he called The Ancient Britons. It was one of his worst pictures (!) which is saying much; and he has illustrated it with one of the most curious commentaries in his very curious and very rare Descriptive Catalogue of his own pictures.'
The Catalogue is excessively rare. I have seen but three copies; heard of, perhaps, three more. Here is the title: 'A Descriptive Catalogue of Pictures; Poetical and Historical Inventions; Painted by William Blake in Water-colours, being the ancient method of of Fresco Painting resumed: and Drawings, for Public Inspection and for Sale by Private Contract. London -.printed by D. N. Shury, 7, Berwick Street, Soho, for J. Blake, 28, Broad Street, Golden Square. 1809.' It is reprinted entire in Vol. II.
Another curious waif, bearing a record of this exhibition, has floated down, and is now in the possession of Mr. Alex. C. Weston,—a printed programme dated in Blake's autograph. May 15, 1809, and directed to Ozias Humphrey; containing one page of print preceded by an elaborate title-page. It shows that the picture of the Ancient Britons had 'the figures full as large as life.'
'In the last battle that Arthur fought' the most beautiful was one
'That returned, and the most strong another: with them also returned
'The most ugly; and no other beside returned from the bloody field.
'The most beautiful, the Roman warriors trembled before and worshipped.
'The most strong they melted before and dissolved in his presence.
'The most ugly they fled with outcries and contortions of their limbs.'
