TRAFALGAR SQUARE 119 of the crowd. It was difficult to look dignified, and I hurried away as fast as I could, with my dripping hat in my hand, and flung myself into a four-wheeler; but I never pass those lions without remembering that day, and the extraordinary rapidity with which the crowd collected. One severe winter the unemployed held a great many meetings in Trafalgar Square, and I managed to get leave to sketch one from the portico of the National Gallery. It was to be a monster meeting, and there was an idea that there might be some attempt at a riot; the Gallery itself was closed, and a string of policemen, who stood behind me, made everyone that came up the steps pass along quickly and go down the other steps. An Irish friend, whom I had not seen for years, was walking along the street, recognised me, and came up the steps to speak, but was told to "pass on." In vain he protested that he knew me : Bobby" grimly answered, "I have heard that little joke before," and on my friend was swept, in spite of all remonstrances. I was quite unconscious of what was going on behind me, and did not know of it until some months afterwards, when we met and he told me where he had seen me last. 66 "It is to the mind, and not the eye, that the 120 FAMILIAR LONDON painter of genius must address himself." So said Sir Joshua Reynolds. In London, as in the rest of the world, in these days when the worship of wealth is so intense, one fears that an incalculable amount of harm may be done by the fact that so many pictures seem to be painted to satisfy some fashion or eccentricity, rather than to follow the great principles without which Art becomes debased. How often one sees pictures in which technique is predominant, to the exclusion of composition or arrangement! The Man in the Street once said to me (in allusion to a picture which, although beautiful in the colours used, was destitute of real result), "Let the man who painted that picture try to put his thoughts on the canvas, holding the brush with his foot instead of his hand, and where would he be ?-whereas, if a man only knew the principles of arrangement, it would matter but little if he had to paint using his foot-the thing would come out all right." How true this is! During the London Season one hears much "learned talk” and criticism relating to Art, which is often retailed by the daily press, and no doubt this irresponsible chatter does exercise considerable influence over the minds of |