Bath, and the countenance of the old Ploughman, worn down with age and labour, are finely rendered. The Miller is an admirable character; and his Horse is as much in character as himself. The Fop of Chaucer's Age is exhibited as making a display of his riding; and the Sea Captain bestrides his Nag with the usual awkwardness of the Sailor. The pale and studious countenance of the Oxford Scholar; the stateliness of the Lady Abbess; the facetiousness and homely humour of the Host, as contrasted with the Serjeant at Law, and the Doctor of Physic; — all these peculiarities of character are very finely and delicately expressed. The costume of each Person is correct with an antiquarian exactness; 1 and the whole group is so well distributed that each character is sufficiently seen, and in his due place.

The Scene of the Picture is laid in that part of the road to Canterbury which commands a view of the Dulwich Hills-the Time, a beautiful and serene May Morning. The Pilgrims are grouped with a decorum suited to their respective characters, and in the order in which we may suppose Chaucer himself to have seen them, headed by the Miller, playing upon his pipe, under the guidance of Harry Baillie, the Host; who, as Master of the Ceremonies, is represented standing in his stirrups, in the act of commanding attention to the proposal he is about to make, of drawing lots to determine which of the company shall tell the first Tale. Near to

1 Mr. Douce, in his admirable “Illustrations of Shakespeare, and of Ancient Manners," speaking of the zeal which manifests itself among the leading Artists of the present day to obtain correct notions of the manners of former times whenever they have occasion to depict them, observes, that "Mr. Stothard, with every claim to superior talent, has recently finished a Painting of the Procession of Chaucer's Canterbury Pilgrims, which may be classed among the choicest morsels of its kind. The attention to accuracy of costume which it displays has never been exceeded, and but very seldom so well directed."-Vol. ii. p. 285.

him is a line of five characters—the Knight; the Franklin, or Country Gentleman; the Serjeant at Law; the Merchant ; and the Doctor of Physic. The Young Squire is mounted on a White Horse near the Knight, and betwixt these two figures is seen the Reve, or Steward. Close behind the Squire, his Yeoman advances, habited in green. The front of the next Group is also composed of five characters-The Lady Abbess; her Nun; the Nun's Priest; the Good Parson; and his Brother, the Ploughman. The figures immediately behind the Lady Abbess are, the Shipman; the Oxford Scholar; the Manciple; and Chaucer himself.1 Next, mounted upon an ambling Nag, approaches the Wife of Bath, heading a group of four figures -She is represented in brisk conversation with the Monk and the Friar; behind them are the Pardoner, dressed in blue, and his friend the Sompnour, in white.

:

The last group of this motley Cavalcade is composed of the Goldsmith, the Weaver, the Haberdasher, the Dyer, and the Tapestry Merchant, all citizens of London, attended by their Cook with these jolly Pilgrims the Procession closes.

In justice to the subject before us, the Painter ought to possess all the powers of description and embellishment; all the satire, the genuine humour, the knowledge of life and manners, for each of which the original is so eminently distinguished. The Proprietor of this undertaking finds it difficult to express his own and the general sense of Mr. Stothard's qualifications, without violating that admirable Artist's known reserve and modesty of nature. He cannot, however, resist the gratification of transcribing a letter which appeared in the periodical paper called "The Artist," addressed to Richard Cumberland, Esq., the celebrated Dramatic Writer, by Mr.

1 The Portrait of Chaucer is painted from that in the British Museum, done by Thomas Occleve, who lived in his time, and was his scholar.

Hoppner, a gentleman who is himself of the first eminence in his professional capacity of an Historical and Portrait Painter.

TO RICHARD CUMBERLAND, ESQ.

May 30, 1807.

Dear Sir,-You desire me to give you some account of the Procession of Chaucer's Pilgrims, painted by Stothard, and the task is a pleasant one; for the praise called forth by the merits of a living artist, from a rival in the pursuit of fame, is, I feel like mercy, twice blessed—

"It blesseth him that gives, and him that takes."

The Painter has chosen that moment for his Picture when the Pilgrims may be supposed to have disengaged themselves from the multitude that bustle in the environs of a great metropolis, and are collected together by Harry Baillie, their guide and host. The scene is therefore laid in that part of their road from London that commands a view of the Dulwich hills, where, it may be supposed, the Host could, without fear of interruption, proclaim his proposal of drawing lots, to determine who should tell the first tale. He is represented standing in his stirrups, and appears to exult in the plan he has formed for their mutual entertainment. You see the group gently pacing forward,—all are in motion,— yet too well satisfied with each other to be eager for their journey's end. The features of each individual are touched with the most happy discrimination of character, and prove the Painter to have studied the human heart with as much attention, and not less successfully, than the Poet.

This intelligent group is rendered still more interesting by the charm of colouring, which, though simple, is strong, and most harmoniously distributed throughout the picture. The landscape has a deep-toned brightness, that accords most admirably with the figures: and the painter has ingeniously contrived to give a value

to a common scene and very ordinary forms, that would hardly be found, by unlearned eyes, in the natural objects. He has expressed too, with great vivacity and truth, the freshness of morning, at that season, when Nature herself is most fresh and blooming-the Spring; and it requires no great stretch of fancy to imagine we perceive the influence of it on the cheeks of the Fair Wife of Bath, and her rosy companions, the Monk and Friar.

In respect of the execution of the various parts of this pleasing design, it is not too much praise to say, that it is wholly free from that vice which painters term manner; and it has this peculiarity beside, which I do not remember to have seen in any picture ancient or modern, that it bears no mark of the period in which it was painted, but might very well pass for the work of some able artist of the time of Chaucer. This effect is not, I believe, the result of any association of ideas connected with the costume, but appears in a primitive simplicity, and the total absence of all affectation, either of colour or pencilling.

Having attempted to describe a few of the beauties of this captivating performance, it remains only for me to mention one great defect-The picture is, notwithstanding appearances, a modern one. But if you can divest yourself of the general prejudice that exists against contemporary talents, you will see a work that would have done honour to any school, at any period.Dear Sir, &c. &c.,

I am,

JOHN HOPPNER.

CONDITIONS OF SUBSCRIPTION.

The Picture is 3 Feet 1 Inch long, and 1 Foot high. The Print will be executed exactly of the same size. The Price of the Prints will be Three Guineas; Proof Impressions, Five Guineas.- Gentlemen who wish to possess this Engraving are requested to forward their address to Mr. Cromek, No. 64 Newman Street, London;

and, as the number of Proof Prints will be limited, an early application is indispensable.

The Purchasers of this Print are respectfully informed that it will receive a considerably increased value from the circumstance of being enriched with an engraved Portrait of Mr. Stothard, executed by Mr. Schiavonetti, in the same style of excellence as the subject itself, from a capital original picture, painted by John Hoppner, Esq., R.A., and by that Gentleman obligingly contributed for this purpose.

Printed by MORRISON & GIBB LIMITED, Edinburgh