Flaxman-3-7

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To William Hayley Esquire

March 31:^st 1795
Buckingham St^t

My Dear and Kind Friend

It would be with shame to myself that I am now writing one letter in answer to three or four kind epistolary memorials of regard from You if I had not the excuse \that/ the Study and practice of my profession occupy me wholly for a long time together, to which I might add, what you well know, that our hands are much slower in their operations than our affections, however I will endeavour by the quantity of Matter to make some amends for delay and I hope you will find the matter Satisfactory concerning M:^rs H: I neither have, nor shall attend her conversations; considering I cannot give so much time as I wish to the Study of my profession, or so much attention as my aff heart tells me is due to my Father, relations and Old Friends, some valued for their Virtues, others, revered for profound Knowledge; you will scarcely think me liable to run headlong into connection or acquaintance with people to whom I am wholly indifferent, on the contrary I am continually considering how I may limit my circle to the more chosen few, and nothing but the temptation of some rare luminary could induce me to add to the number; Yet my Dear Sir there a [sic] decorum of conduct which we owe to others friends and to ourselves which cannot be neglected without breaking one of the bonds of Society, as M:^rs H has called three times at our house, M:^rs Flaxman cannot do less than pay

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her one formal morning visit, unaccompanied, this I think indispensible, tho' at the same time we would most willingly withdraw ourselves wholly from the acquaintance could it be done with decency.

Your benevolence ever seeking to perform kind offices has induced you to give a portion of attention to my future improvements & in Art and many valuable hints for \which/ I shall ever be thankful, and as they agree with these general principles which are the most excellent for the regulation of Monumental composition so they will be my guides in all future works of that class – but you know that general \rules/ never hold good in all cases without some allowance, so L:^d M:^d's Monument being for a particular Situation in Westminster Abbey, the form of the Arch under which it will be placed, and the surrounding objects require that it whould be a group nearly [sic] of the form and dimensions which I have determined, otherwise it would be in discord with the whole, and destroying by impairing the effect of the whole it's [sic] own must suffer as a part by natural consequence, the attendant figures which with L: M: form the group are Wisdom and Justice, not Fortitude and Justice, Fortitude is represented with a Lion by her Side and leaning on a Column, which be a proper emblem for a General an Admiral or or Patriot, but by no means for a Judge, neither can my figure of Minerva or Wisdom overlooking the Justinian Pandex ever be mistaken for

Fortitude

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by his Wisdom and Justice the Almighty governs the Universe and by the same Divine Attributes Kings and Judges distribute right amongst men and preserve the order of Human Society, what attributes then can be so proper to Characterise a Judge? and I fear it has been too much the fault of the present aget to supply the place of Truth and Good Sense by brilliant \novelty/ without considering that Truth and Good Sense alone will stand the tryal of futurity

it is also to be remembered in our art that much depends on the manner of treating the Subject and the execution, I have said this mych to shew that what I have done in L:^d M:'s Monument has not been without reflection: permit now [sic] to offer a proof of the high respect with which I consider your judgment in this province of Sculpture, Collins's Monument was Your Idea and I do not think it could have been better concieved: [sic] I am employed to make a Monument to the memory of S:^r W:^m Jones (this is between ourselves for it is not publicly known at present) in which I have introduced a large bassrelief of S:^r W:^m translating the Hindoo laws as the Bramins are reading them to him this he did with the intention to secure the exact distribution of justice to the Natives in the decisions of their European Judges

I have something to say on a Subject which I hope will afford you real pleasure, when you first placed Thomas with me, I had a Strong prejudice in his favour on his Fathers [sic] account; but we now being to percieve [sic] that

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love him for himself, not to speak of his Education which makes his company particularly agreeable to me, his Modesty, Chearfulness, Good-Nature and Splendid dawn of other Virtues render him very dear to us, in short our little peaceful fireside is not complete without him. nort must I omit to praise the progress he makes in his new profession, his first model, fortunate Omen! was a copy from a Man & horse's head in bassrelief of the School of Phidias, he has modelled three Antique masks, and is now copying a beautiful Antique Fauns [sic] head as large as life; his health seems well established, he scarce ever complains of the Head-ach, he seems very happy in the Study of Sculpture, and to judge by the short tryal we have had I think that all my friends will be his likewise; it is equally your wish and mine that our dear Disciple should attain to great excellence but as "life is short and Art is long" great excellence cannot be attained without great application, now I submit to you whether Thomas's invitation to attend the lessons of dancing may not interfere with his other studies, especially as some of the best hours of the day must by that means be lost to Sculpture, Sculpture is a jealous lady and will not be courted by halves, all that he can want of dancing in future will be to enter, and go out of a room with grace, he cannot want it for exercise he will have enough of that in his own profession, as it can be of no real use to him on the one hand, and on the other may lead him into connexions and habits, detrimental, to his future life if pursued. Thomas and I think it would be better to

give it up

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wholly as present, and we wish to know your determination on the Subject.— You make me ashamed in the acknowledgments You make concerning behaviour to Thomas, if what we have done is agreeable to you, I am still obliged to you for suffering me in one instance to shew that I am not insensible of many benefits.

My Dear Nancy has read your life of Milton to her \old/ Sculptor, we think it a Beautiful Portrait of his the talents and Virtues, an energetic display of the Bard who stands foremost \next/ to the Inspired Writers and the Spirited defence of Genius, against the sly gibes and open fury of inflated Malevolence.

The figure of Collins at large as well as Love & Pity have had the good fortune to please Fuseli, Romney Stothard, Locke &c we are now cutting out the marble in which those parts are to be executed

We are all delighted in your Poetical employments and wish we could assist your labours My Nancy unites in every good wish particularly that you may long enjoy a Happy Retirement, Fame and the progress of affection and Excellence in your Good Boy

I have the honour to remain
Dear & Kind Friend
your Affectionate Servant
John Flaxman Jun^r