house, and finding him disengaged, mentioned, 
Without alluding to what he had heard, the 
arrangements formed for instituting an academy, 
and that a meeting of thirty artists named by 
the King, of the forty members of which it 
was intended the Academy should consist, was 
that evening to take place at Wilton's. Rey- 
nolds was much surprised to hear matters were 
so far advanced, and explained to Mr. West 
that Kirby had assured him in the most decided 
manner, 
that 
there 
W35 
HO 
truth 
whatever 
in 
the rumour of any such design being in agita- 
tion, and thatkhe thought it would be derogatory 
to attend a; meeting? constituted, as Kirby repre- 
sented it, by persons who had no sanction or 
authority for doing what they had undertaken. 
To this Mr. West answered, " As you have been 
told by Mr. Kirby that there is no intention to 
form any institution of  the kind, and by me" 
that there is, that even the rules are" framed,- 
and the oiiicers condescended on, yourself to" 
be president, I must insist on your going with 
me to the meeting, where you will be satisiied 
which of use deserves to" be credited in this 
business."