Sancho's Correspondence with John Meheux

This letter was written to John Meheux in the penultimate year of Sancho's life. Meheux, it seems, was a close friend of Sancho. Indeed, 29 of Sancho's letters are addressed to him. Meheux was (as far as we can tell) a minor artist and print-maker and here Sancho appears to be offering some light-hearted criticism of one of Meheux's offerings. Keith Sandiford fundamentally misreads this letter, calling it 'a sharp sneer at the painting's clichés and a withering attack on the painter's style'. However, the 'abuse' here is what Angela Carter, writing in another context, has called 'the unmistakable language of male affection'. It is also a conscious use of irony, here employed for personal rather than political effect, but highly suggestive of Sancho's willingness to employ irony for political ends. Above all, this letter is a bit of fun, showing Sancho's knowledge of the language of art criticism, but demonstrating that he was not in thrall to that rarefied discourse.

To Mr. M[eheux]
October 17, 1779

No! you have not the least grain of genius - alas! description is a science - a man should in some measure be born with the knack of it. - Poor blundering M[eheux], I pity thee - thou art a bungler in every thing - ask the girls else. - You know nothing of figures - you write a wretched hand - thou hast a nonsensical style - almost as disagreeable as thy heart - thy heart, though better than thy head - and which I wish from my soul (as it now is) was the worst heart in the three kingdoms - thy heart is a silly one - a poor cowardly heart - that would shrink at mere trifles - though there were no danger of fine or imprisonment: - for example - come, confess now - could you lie with the wife of your friend? could you debauch his sister? could you defraud a poor creditor? could you by gambling rejoice in the outwitting a novice of all his possessions? - No! why then thou art a silly fellow - incumbered with three abominable inmates; - to wit - Conscience - Honesty - and Good - nature - I hate thee (as the Jew says) because thou art a Christian.

And what, in the name of common sense, impelled thee to torment my soul, with thy creative pen drawing of sweet A-r-bn-s? I enjoyed content at least in the vortex of smoak and vice - and lifted my thoughts no higher than the beauties of the park or - gardens. - What have I to do with rural deities? with parterres - fields - groves - terraces - views - buildings - grots - temples - slopes - bridges - and meandring streams - cawing rooks - billing turtles - happy swains - the harmony of the woodland shades - the blissful constancy of rustic lovers? - Sir, I say you do wrong to awaken ideas of this sort: - besides, as I hinted largely above - you have no talent - no language - no colouring - you do not groupe well - no relief - false light - no blending of tints - thou art a sad fellow, and there is an end of it.

S[tevenso]n, who loves fools (he writes to me) but mum; S[tevenso]n wishes to have the honor of a line from quondam friend M[eheux]: now M[eheux] is an ill - natured fellow, but were it contrariwise - and M[eheux] would indulge him - I would enclose it in a frank - with something clever of my own to make it more agreeable. - Sirrah! refuse if you dare - I will so expose thee - do it - 'tis I command you: - S[tevenso]n only intreats - you have need of such a rough chap as Sancho to counterpoise the pleasures of your earthly paradise. - Pray take care of your Eve - and now, my dear M[eheux], after all my abuse, let me conclude
Yours affectionately,
I. SANCHO

POSTSCRIPT
The tree of knowledge has yielded you fruit in ample abundance: - may you boldly climb the tree of life - and gather the fruits of a happy immortality - in which I would fain share, and have strong hope, through the merits of a blessed Redeemer - to find room sufficient for self - and all I love - which to say what I glory in comprehend the whole race of man - and why not? Namby - Pamby. M[eheux] cannot write to S[tevonso]n till I have your letter to enclose to him - if there is any delay, the fault is not mine.