[103]
Blunderbussiana.
IT is with difficulty we can ascertain the place or even the country
where this artist was born; but we have most reason to imagine it was
in Dalmatia, towards the confines of Croatia. Rouzinski Blunderbussiana,
father of him whose adventures will be the subject of the following
pages, was captain of some banditti, for many years the terror of Dalmatia
and the neighbouring countries. This formidable band exercised the most
unlimited depredations, and as they were very numerous, nothing but
an army could oppose them. Finding, however, security in defiles amongst
the moun- [104] tains, known but to themselves, the Venetian and Hungarian
soldiery attempted their extirpation in vain. Rouzinski, their leader,
was one of the haughtiest of mankind; his uncommon stature, matchless
intrepidity, and wonderful success, had raised him to the despotic command
of these brave savages, to whom no enterprize seemed impossible, and
who executed their projects almost as soon as they were conceived. The
caves in which they resided were hollowed in the rocks, forming the
summit of a mountain in the wild province of the Morlakes, which they
had in a manner subdued; no one daring to approach the spot where they
had established their habitations. The peak of this mountain, seen from
afar, was regarded by the Dalmatians with horror. Had they [105] known
what scenes it concealed, they would have trembled indeed. The plan
of this work will not admit a particular description of this mountain
and its caves, or else I should certainly have lain before my readers
some particulars concerning the residence of these banditti, which,
perhaps, might have been worthy their attention; but at present I must
confine myself merely to what relates to the life of Blunderbussiana.
His father returning with a rich booty from Turkey, brought with him
a lady of some distinction, who had fallen unfortunately into his hands.
He conveyed her to his cave, attempted to amuse her with the sight of
those magazines (immense grottos) which contained his treasures, and
by degrees falling deeply in love with her, laid them all at her feet.
The young Turk, who had seen but little of the world, was charmed with
the manly aspect of her admirer, and dazzled by his liberality, after
some time forgot the disgust his savage profession inspired. She at
length consented to make him happy; and our hero sprung from this connection,
which was celebrated with tumultuous festivity throughout all the subterraneous
empire. Blunderbussiana's first ideas, caught from the objects around,
cannot be supposed of the gentlest nature. He beheld gloomy caverns
hollowed in craggy rocks, which threatened every instant to fall upon
his head. He heard each night dreadful relations of combats which had
happened in the day, and often, when wandering about the entrance of
the caves, he spied his father and his companions stripping the [107]
slain, and letting down their bodies into pits and fissures which had
never been fathomed. Being long inured to such ghastly sights, he by
degrees grew pleased with them, and his inclination for painting first
manifested itself in the desire he had of imitating the figures of his
father's warriors.
Rouzinski, as soon as his son was able to dart a javelin or bear a musket,
led him to the chace, and exulted in the activity with which he pursued
the boar, and the alacrity with which he murdered the trembling stag.
After he had spent a year in these sanguinary amusements, his father
thought him worthy to partake his expeditions, and led him first to
the rencounter of a pretty large body of Turks, who escort- [107] ed
some Hungarian merchants. "Such for the future must be your game,"
said the ruthless robber to his son, who performed prodigies of cruelty
and valour. But let me draw a veil over such frightful pictures. Though
the truth forbids me entirely to conceal them, humanity pleads strongly
for the abridgment of their relation. Two summers passed away in continual
rapines and eternal scenes of active oppression. The winter was the
season of repose, and the young Rouzinski employed it in recollecting
the adventures of the summer months and fixing them by his pencil. Sometimes
he read a treatise upon painting, found amongst the spoils of some Italians,
which assisted him infinitely. They much recommended the study of anatomy,
and he did not hesitate to fol- [109] low the advice they gave. His
father's band frequently bringing bodies to their caves, he amused himself
with dissecting and imitating the several parts, till he attained such
a perfection in muscular expression as is rarely seen in the works of
the greatest masters. His application was surprizing; for his curiosity
to examine the structure of the human frame being inflamed, he pursued
the study with such eagerness as those who are not amateurs cannot
easily imagine. Every day discovered some new artery, or tendon to his
view; every hour produced some masterly design, and though without any
person to guide him, he made a progress which would have done credit
to the most eminent artists. He now began to put his figures together
in a great manner, and to group them with judgment; [110] but colours
were wanting, and without materials, Michael Angelo would have conceived
the dome of St. Peter's in vain. He had read in his treatise of the
works of Italian painters, which he languished to behold, and was determined,
if possible, in the ensuing summer, to escape from his father and fly
to a country, where he might indulge his inclinations; however, for
the present he was charmed with the opportunities of perfecting himself
in anatomy, and that occupation diverted his intention of taking flight
for some time. In the spring he used early in the morning to quit his
cave, and frequently trussing a body over his shoulders, repaired to
a wood, and delighted himself in exploring it. Instead of carrying with
him, in his walks, a nice pocket edition of some Elzevir classic, [111]
he never was without a leg or an arm, which he went slicing along, and
generally accompanied his operations with a melodious whistling; for
he was of a chearful disposition, and, if he had had a different education,
would have been an ornament to society.
Summer came, and he was called to attend his father and a select detachment
of the band, on an expedition into the Hungarian territories; but some
regular troops being aware of their intentions, lay in ambush for their
coming, sallied upon them, and left the old Rouzinski, with thirty of
his comrades, dead upon the field. Blunderbussiana escaped, and made
the best of his way thro' forests deemed impenetrable, and mountains,
where he subsisted on wild fruit [112] and the milk of goats. When he
reached the borders of cultivation, his savage mien and the barbarous
roll of his eyes, frighted every villager that beheld him; and so strange
was his appearance, that some said he could be nothing but the Antichrist,
and others believed him to be the Wandering Jew. After having experienced
innumerable hardships, which none but those accustomed from their infancy
to fatigues could have sustained, he arrived at Friuli; where he was
employed in cutting wood, by a Venetian surgeon, who had retired there
to enjoy an estate which had been lately bequeathed him. One day, after
he had worked very hard, he seized a cat that was frisking about near
him, and, by way of recreation, dissected the animal with such skill,
that his master, [113] who happened to pass by, was quite surprized,
and mentioned this circumstance to several of his friends at dinner,
amongst whom the famous Joseph Portal chanced to be present. This painter,
who was a great admirer of anatomy, wished to see the young proficient,
and being struck with his uncouth figure, began to sketch out his portrait
on some tablets be carried about him. Blunderbussiana was in raptures
during the performance, and begging earnestly to examine it more narrowly,
snatched the pencil from Porta's hand, and in a few strokes corrected
some faults in the anatomy with such boldness and veracity, as threw
the painter into amazement. Happening to want a servant at this time,
Porta desired his friend to permit Blunderbussiana's returning with
him to [114] Venice; a request he granted without delay, and the young
man joyfully accompanied him. He did not long remain with his master
as a servant, being soon considered in the light of a disciple. All
possible advantages were procured him, and after a year's study he gave
several pieces to the public, in which the clair obscure was
finely observed. The scenes of his former life were still fresh in his
memory, and his pictures almost always represented vast perspective
caverns red with the light of fires, around which banditti were carousing;
or else dark valleys between shaggy rocks strewed with the spoils of
murder'd travellers. His father, leaning on his spear, and giving orders
to his warriors, was generally the principal object in these pieces,
characterised by a certain horror, [115] which those ignorant of such
dreadful scenes fancied imaginary. If he represented waters, they were
dark and troubled; if trees, deformed and withered. His skies were lowering,
and his clair obscure in that style the Italians called sgraffito
(a greyish melancholy tint) which suited the gloominess of his subjects.
It might be conjectured from this choice of subjects, that Blunderbussiana
was a very dismal personage. On the contrary, he was, as we hinted before,
of a social disposition, and much relished by those with whom he spent
the hours he dedicated to amusement. His pleasures, to be sure, were
singular, and probably will not be styled such by many of our readers.
For example: after a chearful repast, which he never failed to enliven
by his sallies, he would [116] engage some of his friends to ramble
about at midnight, and leading them slily to some burying grounds, entice
them, by way of frolick, to steal some of the bodies, which he bore
off with the greatest glee; exulting more than if he had carried alive
in his arms the fairest ladies in the environs. This diversion proved
fatal to him at length; for he caught a violent fever in consequence
of a drinking match, which was to precede one of these delicious excursions.
The disorder, attacking his robust constitution, reduced him in two
days to a very critical situation; and, burning with heat, he plunged
into a cold bath, out of which he was taken delirious, and being conveyed
to his bed, began to rave in a frightful manner. Every minute he seemed
to behold the man- [117] gled limbs of those he had anatomized, quivering
in his apartment. "Haste, give me my instruments," cried he,
"that I may spoil the gambols of three cursed legs, that are just
stalked into the room, and are going to jump upon me. Help! help! or
they will kick me out of bed. There again; only see those ugly heads,
that do nothing but roll over me! - Hark! what a lumbering noise they
make! now they glide along as smoothly as if on a bowling- green.-Mercy
defend me from those goggling eyes! - Open all the windows, set wide
the doors,let those grim cats out that spit fire at me and lash me with
their tails. O how their bones rattle! - Help! - Mercy! - O!"
The third day released him from his torments, and his body, according
to his desire, was deli- [118] vered, with all his anatomical designs,
to the college of surgeons. Such was the end of the ingenious Blunderbussiana,
whose skeleton the faculty have canonized, and whose paintings, dispersed
in most of the Venetian palaces, still terrify the tender-hearted.