Two of Haydn’s brothers acquired a certain amount of celebrity. John Michael Haydn, born at Rohrau, September 14, 1737, and like his brother a choir-boy at St Stephen’s cathedral, became a prolific and able composer of masses and all kinds of church music. He lived during the greater part of his life at Salzburg, and his name is frequently mentioned in the biography of Mozart. Of his numerous compositions few have been printed. A mass in D is perhaps his masterpiece. He died August 10, 1806. The youngest brother, Johann Haydn (born December 23, 1743, died May 20, 1800), had some reputation as a vocalist, and became, most probably by his brother’s intercession, a singer in Prince Esterhazy’s chapel.
HAYDON, Benjamin Robert (1786–1846), historical painter and writer, was born at Plymouth, January 26, 1785. His mother was the daughter of the Rev. Benjamin Cobley, rector of Dodbrook, Devon, whose son, General Sir Thomas Cobley, signalized himself in the Russian service at the siege of Ismail. His father, a prosperous printer, stationer, and publisher, was a man of literary taste, and was well known and esteemed amongst all classes in Ply- mouth. Haydon, an only son, at an early date gave evi- denc2 of his taste for study, which was carefully fostered and promoted by his mother. At the age of six he was placed in Plymouth grammar school, and at twelve in Plympton St Mary school. He completed his education in this institu- tion, where Sir Joshua Reynolds also had acquired all the scholastic training he ever received. On the ceiling of the school-room was a sketch by Reynolds in burnt cork, which it used to be Haydon’s delight to sit and contemplate. Whilst at school he had some thought of adopting the medical profession, but he was so shocked at the sight of an operation that he gave up the idea. A perusal of Albinus, however, inspired him with a love for anatomy ; aud Reynolds’s discourses aroused within him a smoulder- ing taste for painting, which from childhood had been the absorbing idea of his mind. Sanguine of success, full of energy and vigour, he started from the parental roof, May 14, 1804, for London, and entered his name as a student of the Royal Academy. He began and prosecuted his studies with such unwearied ardour that Fuseli wondered when he ever found time toeat. At the age of twenty-one (1807) Haydon exhibited, for the first time, at the Royal Academy, The Repose in Egypt, which was bought by Mr Thomas Hfop2 the year after. This was a good start for the young artist, who shortly received a commission from Lord Mulgrave and an introduction to Sir George Beau- mont. In 1809 he finished his well-known picture of Dentatus, which, though it brought him a great increase of fame, involved him in a lifelong quarrel with the Royal Academy, whose committee had hung the picture in a small sile-room instead of the great hall. In 1810 his difficulties began through the stoppage of an allowance of £200 a year he had received from his father. His disappointment was embittered by the controversies in which he now became involved with Sir George Beaumont, for whom he had painted his famous picture of Macbeth, and Mr Payne Kuight, who had denied the beauties as well as the value of the Elgin Marbles, The Judgement of Solomon, his next production, gained him £700, besides £100 voted to him by the directors of the British Institution, and the freedom of the borough of Plymouth. To recruit his health and escape for a time from the cares of London life, Haydon joined his intimate friend Wilkie in a trip to Paris; he studied at the Louvre; and on his return to England pro- duced his Christ’s Entry into Jerusalem, which afterwards formed the nucleus for the American Gallery of Painting, which was erected by his cousin John Havilland of Phila- delphia. Whilst painting Lazarus his pecuniary difficulties increased, and for the first time lhe was arrested but not imprisoned, the sheritf-officer taking lis word for his ap- pearance. Amidst all these harassing cares he married in October 1821 a beautiful young widow, Mrs Hyman, to whom he was devotedly attached. In 1823 Haydon was ludged in the King’s Bench, where he received consoling letters from the first men of the day. Whilst a prisoner he drew up a petition to parliament in favour of the appointment of ‘‘a committee to inquire into the state of encouragement of historical painting,” which was pre- sented by Mr Brougham. He also, during a second imprisonment in 1827, produced the picture of the Mock Election, the idea of which had been suggested by an inci- dent that happened in the prison. The king (George IV.) gave him £500 for this work. Among Haydon’s other pictures were—1829, Eucles, and Punch ; 1831, Napoleon at St Helena, for Sir Robert Peel; Xenophon, on his Retreat with the ‘Ten Thousand,” first seeing the Sea ; and Waiting for the 7%mes, purchased by the marquis of Stafford; 1832, Falstaff, and Achilles playing the Lyre. In 1834 he completed the Reform Banquet, for Lord Grey— this painting contained 197 portraits; in 1843, Curtius Leaping into the Gulf, and Uriel and Satan. When the competition took place at Westminster Hall, Haydon sent two cartoons, The Curse of Adam, and Edward the Black Prince, but had not the good fortune to gain a prize for either. He then painted The Banishment of Aristides, which was exhibited with other productions under the same roof where Tom Thumb was then making his début in London. The exhibition was unsuccessful; and the artist’s difficulties increased to such an extent that, whilst employed on his last grand effort, Alfred and the Trial by Jury, overcome by debt, disappointment, and ingratitude, he wrote “Stretch me uo longer on this rough world,” and put an end to his existence with a pistol-shot, June 22, 1846, in the sixty-first year of his age. We left a widow and three children (various others had diced), who, by the generosity of their father’s friends, were rescued from their. pecuniary difficulties aud comfortably provided for; amongst the foremost of these friends were Sir Robert Peel, Count D’Orsay, Mr Justice 'Talfourd, and Lord Carlisle.
in 1835, and afterwards visited all the principal towns in England and Scotland. His delivery was energetic and imposing, his language powerful, flowing, and apt, and replete with wit and humour; and to look at the lecturer, excited by his subject, one could scarcely fancy him a man overwhelmed with difficulties and anxieties. The height of Haydon’s ambition was to behold the first buildings of his country adorned’ with historical repre- sentations of her glory. He lived to see the acknowledgment of his principles by Government in the establishment of schools of design, and the embellishment of the new houses of parliament ; but in the competition of artists for the carrying out of this object, the commissioners (amongst whom was one of his former pupils) considered, or affected to consider, that he had failed. Haydon was well versed in all points of his profession ; and his Lectures, which were published shortly after their delivery, showed that he was
as bold a writer as painter. It may be mentioned in this