HAYDON'S LECTURE ON WILKIE.
LAST night, Mr. HAyDON delivered an interesting and animated lecture on the genius of Sir DAVID WILKIE, to a crowded and attentive audi- ence at the London Mechanics Institute, in Southampton Buildings. The lecture partook of biography, criticism, eulogy, and gossip ; and included some new facts and strong opinions, expressed in a bold and striking manner. A deep feeling of esteem for the character of Wn.Krz, of admiration of his genius, and personal regard for the man, per- vaded Mr. HAYDON'S discourse ; and though the fastidious listener may have wished some things left unsaid, nothing was stated of the distinguished painter that would have given pain to his warmest friends. Probably we shall recur to the subject at a more convenient opportu- nity, for the purpose of recording some characteristic traits, which serve to illustrate the course of the artist's career, and to exhibit the influence of patronage and the politics of art on the development of genius. Meanwhile we may state, that not the least interesting part of the lecture was a long letter from Sir Davin WILKIE to Sir ROBERT PEEL, dated from Jerusalem, and expressing the painter's lively discrimination of the objects around him. Mr. HAYDON was warmly applauded at the close : be evidently made a powerful im- pression on his auditors; and the emotion which checked his utterance when speaking of Wmarn as a friend, showed that what he said came from the heart.
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