,,anecdotes ,,about ,,authors1 ,,and ,,artists4 ,,by ,,john ,,timbs4 ,illustration3 colophon ,,london3 ,,diprose ,,bateman1 ,,sheffield ,,street1 ,,lincoln',s ,,inn ,,fields4 ,,london3 ,,diprose1 ,,bateman ,,and ,,co41 ,,printers1 ,,lincoln',s ,,inn ,,fields4 ,,anecdotes ,,about ,,books ,,and ,,authors4 ,,part ,i4 ,,note4 ,this collection of anecdotes1 illustrative sketches1 and memorabilia generally1 relating to the ever fresh and interesting subject of ,,books ,,and ,,authors1 is not presented as complete1 nor even as containing all the choice material of its kind4 ,the field from which one may gather is so wide and fertile1 that any collection warranting such a claim would far exceed the compass of many volumes1 much less of this little book4 ,it has been sought to offer1 in an acceptable and convenient form1 some of the more remarkable or interesting literary facts or incidents with which one individual1 in a somewhat extended reading1 has been struck2 some of the passages which he has admired2 some of the anecdotes and jests that have amused him and may amuse others2 some of the reminiscences that it has most pleased him to dwell upon4 ,for no very great portion of the contents of this volume1 is the claim to originality of subject-matter advanced4 ,the collection1 however1 is submitted with some confidence that it may be found as interesting1 as accurate1 and as much guided by good taste1 as it has been endeavoured to make it4 ,,books ,,and ,,authors4 ,,curious ,,facts ,,and ,,characteristic ,,sketches4 ,,the ,,finding ,,of ,,john ,,evelyn',s ,,ms4 ,,diary ,,at ,,wotton4 ,the ,,ms4 ,diary1 or 8,kalendarium10 of the celebrated ,john ,evelyn lay among the family papers at ,wotton1 in ,surrey1 from the period of his death1 in #agjf1 until their rare interest and value were discovered in the following singular manner4 ,the library at ,wotton is rich in curious books1 with notes in ,john ,evelyn's handwriting1 as well as papers on various subjects1 and transcripts of letters by the philosopher1 who appears never to have employed an amanuensis4 ,the arrangement of these treasures was1 many years since1 entrusted to the late ,mr4 ,upcott1 of the ,london ,institution1 who made a complete catalogue of the collection4 ,one afternoon1 as ,lady ,evelyn and a female companion were seated in one of the fine old apartments of ,wotton1 making feather tippets1 her ladyship pleasantly observed to ,mr4 ,upcott1 8,you may think this feather-work a strange way of passing time3 it is1 however1 my hobby2 and ,i dare say you1 too1 ,mr4 ,upcott1 have your hobby40 ,the librarian replied that his favourite pursuit was the collection of the autographs of eminent persons4 ,lady ,evelyn remarked1 that in all probability the ,,mss4 of 8,sylva0 ,evelyn would afford ,mr4 ,upcott some amusement4 ,his reply may be well imagined4 ,the bell was rung1 and a servant desired to bring the papers from a lumber-room of the old mansion2 and from one of the baskets so produced was brought to light the manuscript ,diary of ,john ,evelyn--one of the most finished specimens of autobiography in the whole compass of ,english literature4 ,the publication of the ,diary1 with a selection of familiar letters1 and private correspondence1 was entrusted to ,mr4 ,william ,bray1 ,f4,s4,a42 and the last sheets of the ,,ms41 with a dedication to ,lady ,evelyn1 were actually in the hands of the printer at the hour of her death4 ,the work appeared in #ahah2 and a volume of ,miscellaneous ,papers1 by ,evelyn1 was subsequently published1 under ,mr4 ,upcott's editorial superintendence4 ,wotton ,house1 though situate in the angle of two valleys1 is actually on part of ,leith ,hill1 the rise from thence being very gradual4 ,evelyn's 8,diary0 contains a pen-and-ink sketch of the mansion as it appeared in #afec4 ,,families ,,of ,,literary ,,men4 ,a ,quarterly ,reviewer1 in discussing an objection to the ,copyright ,bill of ,mr4 ,sergeant ,talfourd1 which was taken by ,sir ,edward ,sugden1 gives some curious particulars of the progeny of literary men4 8,we are not10 says the writer1 8going to speculate about the causes of the fact2 but a fact it is1 that men distinguished for extraordinary intellectual power of any sort rarely leave more than a very brief line of progeny behind them4 ,men of genius have scarcely ever done so2 men of imaginative genius1 we might say1 almost never4 ,with the one exception of the noble ,surrey1 we cannot1 at this moment1 point out a representative in the male line1 even so far down as the third generation1 of any ,english poet2 and we believe the case is the same in ,france4 ,the blood of beings of that order can seldom be traced far down1 even in the female line4 ,with the exception of ,surrey and ,spenser1 we are not aware of any great ,english author of at all remote date1 from whose body any living person claims to be descended4 ,there is no real ,english poet prior to the middle of the eighteenth century2 and we believe no great author of any sort1 except ,clarendon and ,shaftesbury1 of whose blood we have any inheritance amongst us4 ,chaucer's only son died childless2 ,shakspeare's line expired in his daughter's only daughter4 ,none of the other dramatists of that age left any progeny2 nor ,raleigh1 nor ,bacon1 nor ,cowley1 nor ,butler4 ,the grand-daughter of ,milton was the last of his blood4 ,newton1 ,locke1 ,pope1 ,swift1 ,arbuthnot1 ,hume1 ,gibbon1 ,cowper1 ,gray1 ,walpole1 ,cavendish 7and we might greatly extend the list71 never married4 ,neither ,bolingbroke1 nor ,addison1 nor ,warburton1 nor ,johnson1 nor ,burke1 transmitted their blood4 ,one of the arguments against a perpetuity in literary property is1 that it would be founding another noblesse4 ,neither jealous aristocracy nor envious ,jacobinism need be under such alarm4 ,when a human race has produced its #8bright1 consummate flower' in this kind1 it seems commonly to be near its end40 ,,the ,,blue-,,stocking ,,club4 ,towards the close of the last century1 there met at ,mrs4 ,montague's a literary assembly1 called 8,the ,blue-,stocking ,club10 in consequence of one of the most admired of the members1 ,mr4 ,benjamin ,stillingfleet1 always wearing blue stockings4 ,the appellation soon became general as a name for pedantic or ridiculous literary ladies4 ,hannah ,more wrote a volume in verse1 entitled ,the ,bas ,bleu3 or ,conversation4 ,it proceeds on the mistake of a foreigner1 who1 hearing of the ,blue-,stocking ,club1 translated it literally ,bas ,bleu4 ,johnson styled this poem 8a great performance40 ,the following couplets have been quoted1 and remembered1 as terse and pointed3-- 8,in men this blunder still you find1 ,all think their little set mankind40 8,small habits well pursued betimes1 ,may reach the dignity of crimes40 ,,dr4 ,,johnson ,,and ,,hannah ,,more4 ,when ,hannah ,more came to ,london in #aggc1 or #aggd1 she was domesticated with ,garrick1 and was received with favour by ,johnson1 ,reynolds1 and ,burke4 ,her sister has thus described her first interview with ,johnson3-- 8,we have paid another visit to ,miss ,reynolds2 she had sent to engage ,dr4 ,percy1 7#8,percy's ,collection1' now you know him71 quite a sprightly modern1 instead of a rusty antique1 as ,i expected3 he was no sooner gone than the most amiable and obliging of women1 ,miss ,reynolds1 ordered the coach to take us to ,dr4 ,johnson's very own house3 yes1 ,abyssinian ,johnson6 ,dictionary ,johnson6 ,ramblers1 ,idlers1 and ,irene ,johnson6 ,can you picture to yourselves the palpitation of our hearts as we approached his mansion8 ,the conversation turned upon a new work of his just going to the press 7the #8,tour to the ,hebrides'71 and his old friend ,richardson4 ,mrs4 ,williams1 the blind poet1 who lives with him1 was introduced to us4 ,she is engaging in her manners1 her conversation lively and entertaining4 ,miss ,reynolds told the ,doctor of all our rapturous exclamations on the road4 ,he shook his scientific head at ,hannah1 and said she was #8a silly thing4' ,when our visit was ended1 he called for his hat1 as it rained1 to attend us down a very long entry to our coach1 and not ,rasselas could have acquitted himself more en cavalier4 ,i forgot to mention1 that not finding ,johnson in his little parlour when we came in1 ,hannah seated herself in his great chair hoping to catch a little ray of his genius3 when he heard it1 he laughed heartily1 and told her it was a chair on which he never sat4 ,he said it reminded him of ,boswell and himself when they stopped a night1 as they imagined1 where the weird sisters appeared to ,macbeth4 ,the idea so worked on their enthusiasm1 that it quite deprived them of rest4 ,however1 they learned the next morning1 to their mortification1 that they had been deceived1 and were quite in another part of the country40 ,,miss ,,mitford',s ,,farewell ,,to ,,three ,,mile ,,cross4 ,when ,miss ,mitford left her rustic cottage at ,three ,mile ,cross1 and removed to ,reading1 7the ,belford ,regis of her novel71 she penned the following beautiful picture of its homely joys3-- 8,farewell1 then1 my beloved village6 the long1 straggling street1 gay and bright on this sunny1 windy ,april morning1 full of all implements of dirt and mire1 men1 women1 children1 cows1 horses1 wagons1 carts1 pigs1 dogs1 geese1 and chickens--busy1 merry1 stirring little world1 farewell6 ,farewell to the winding1 up-hill road1 with its clouds of dust1 as horsemen and carriages ascend the gentle eminence1 its borders of turf1 and its primrosy hedges6 ,farewell to the breezy common1 with its islands of cottages and cottage-gardens2 its oaken avenues1 populous with rooks2 its clear waters fringed with gorse1 where lambs are straying2 its cricket-ground where children already linger1 anticipating their summer revelry2 its pretty boundary of field and woodland1 and distant farms2 and latest and best of its ornaments1 the dear and pleasant mansion where dwelt the neighbours1 the friends of friends2 farewell to ye all6 ,ye will easily dispense with me1 but what ,i shall do without you1 ,i cannot imagine4 ,mine own dear village1 farewell60 ,,smollett',s 8,,hugh ,,strap40 ,in the year #ahji was interred1 in the churchyard of ,st4 ,martin's-in-the ,fields1 the body of one ,hew ,hewson1 who died at the age of #he4 ,he was the original of ,hugh ,strap1 in ,smollett's ,roderick ,random4 ,upwards of forty years he kept a hair-dresser's shop in ,st4 ,martin's parish2 the walls were hung round with ,latin quotations1 and he would frequently point out to his customers and acquaintances the several scenes in ,roderick ,random pertaining to himself1 which had their origin1 not in ,smollett's inventive fancy1 but in truth and reality4 ,the meeting in a barber's shop at ,newcastle-upon-,tyne1 the subsequent mistake at the inn1 their arrival together in ,london1 and the assistance they experienced from ,strap's friend1 are all facts4 ,the barber left behind an annotated copy of ,roderick ,random1 showing how far we are indebted to the genius of the author1 and to what extent the incidents are founded in reality4 ,,collins',s ,,poems4 ,mr4 ,john ,ragsdale1 of ,richmond1 in ,surrey1 who was the intimate friend of ,collins1 states that some of his ,odes were written while on a visit at his1 ,mr4 ,ragsdale's house4 ,the poet1 however1 had such a poor opinion of his own productions1 that after showing them to ,mr4 ,ragsdale1 he would snatch them from him1 and throw them into the fire2 and in this way1 it is believed1 many of ,collins's finest pieces were destroyed4 ,such of his ,odes as were published1 on his own account in #agdf1 were not popular2 and1 disappointed at the slowness of the sale1 the poet burnt the remaining copies with his own hands4 ,,captain ,,morris',s ,,songs4 ,alas6 poor ,morris--writes one--we knew him well4 ,who that has once read or heard his songs1 can forget their rich and graceful imagery2 the fertile fancy1 the touching sentiment1 and the 8soul reviving0 melody1 which characterize every line of these delightful lyrics8 ,well do we remember1 too1 his 8old buff waistcoat10 his courteous manner1 and his gentlemanly pleasantry1 long after this ,nestor of song had retired to enjoy the delights of rural life1 despite the prayer of his racy verse3 8,in town let me live1 then1 in town let me die2 ,for in truth ,i can't relish the country1 not ,i4 ,if one must have a villa in summer to dwell1 ,oh6 give me the sweet1 shady side of ,pall ,mall40 ,captain ,morris was born about the middle of the last century1 and outlived the majority of the bon vivant society which he gladdened with his genius1 and lit up with his brilliant humour4 ,yet1 many readers of the present generation may ask1 8,who was ,captain ,morris80 ,he was born of good family1 in the celebrated year #agde1 and appears to have inherited a taste for literary composition2 for his father composed the popular song of ,kitty ,crowder4 ,for more than half a century1 ,captain ,morris moved in the first circles4 ,he was the 8sun of the table0 at ,carlton ,house1 as well as at ,norfolk ,house2 and attaching himself politically1 as well as convivially1 to his dinner companions1 he composed the celebrated ballads of 8,billy's too young to drive us10 and 8,billy ,pitt and the ,farmer10 which continued long in fashion1 as brilliant satires upon the ascendant politics of their day4 ,his humorous ridicule of the ,tories was1 however1 but ill repaid by the ,whigs upon their accession to office2 at least1 if we may trust the beautiful ode of 8,the ,old ,whig ,poet to his ,old ,buff ,waistcoat40 ,we are not aware of this piece being included in any edition of the 8,songs40 ,it bears date 8,g4 ,r41 ,august #a1 #ahae20 six years subsequent to which we saw it among the papers of the late ,alexander ,stephens4 ,captain ,morris's 8,songs0 were very popular4 ,in #ahcj1 we possessed a copy of the #bdth edition2 we remember one of the ditties to have been 8sung by the ,prince of ,wales to a certain lady10 to the air of 8,there's a difference between a beggar and a queen40 ,morris's finest ,anacreontic1 is the song ,ad ,poculum1 for which he received the gold cup of the ,harmonic ,society3 8,come thou soul-reviving cup6 ,try thy healing art2 ,stir the fancy's visions up1 ,and warm my wasted heart4 ,touch with freshening tints of bliss ,memory's fading dream2 ,give me1 while thy lip ,i kiss1 ,the heaven that's in thy stream40 ,of the famous ,beefsteak ,club1 7at first limited to twenty-four members1 but increased to twenty-five1 to admit the ,prince of ,wales17 ,captain ,morris was the laureat2 of this 8,jovial ,system0 he was the intellectual centre4 ,in the year #ahca1 he bade adieu to the club1 in some spirited stanzas1 though penned at 8an age far beyond mortal lot40 ,in #ahce1 he was permitted to revisit the club1 when they presented him with a large silver bowl1 appropriately inscribed4 ,it would not be difficult to string together gems from the ,captain's ,lyrics4 ,in 8,the ,toper's ,apology01 one of his most sparkling songs1 occurs this brilliant version of ,addison's comparison of wits with flying fish3-- 8,my ,muse1 too1 when her wings are dry1 ,no frolic flight will take2 ,but round a bowl she'll dip and fly1 ,like swallows round a lake4 ,then1 if the nymph will have her share ,before she'll bless her swain1 ,why that ,i think's a reason fair ,to fill my glass again40 ,many years since1 ,captain ,morris retired to a villa at ,brockham1 near the foot of ,box ,hill1 in ,surrey4 ,this property1 it is said1 was presented to him by his old friend1 the ,duke of ,norfolk4 ,here the ,captain 8drank the pure pleasures of the rural life0 long after many a bright light of his own time had flickered out1 and become almost forgotten2 even 8the sweet1 shady side of ,pall ,mall0 had almost disappeared1 and with it the princely house whereat he was wont to shine4 ,he died ,july #aa1 #ahce1 in his ninety-third year1 of internal inflammation of only four days4 ,morris presented a rare combination of mirth and prudence1 such as human conduct seldom offers for our imitation4 ,he retained his gaiet de cur to the last2 so that1 with equal truth and spirit1 he remonstrated3 8,when life charms my heart1 must ,i kindly be told1 ,i'm too gay and too happy for one that's so old40 ,captain ,morris left his autobiography to his family2 but it has not been published4 ,,literary ,,dinners4 ,incredible as it may appear1 it is sometimes stated very confidently1 that ,english authors and actors who give dinners1 are treated with greater indulgence by certain critics than those who do not4 ,but1 it has never been said that any critical journal in ,england1 with the slightest pretensions to respectability1 was in the habit of levying black mail in this ,rob ,roy fashion1 upon writers or articles of any kind4 ,yet it is alleged1 on high authority1 that many of the ,french critical journals are or were principally supported from such a source4 ,for example1 there is a current anecdote to the effect that when the celebrated singer ,nourrit died1 the editor of one of the musical reviews waited on his successor1 ,duprez1 and1 with a profusion of compliments and apologies1 intimated to him that ,nourrit had invariably allowed #bjjj francs a year to the review4 ,duprez1 taken rather aback1 expressed his readiness to allow half that sum4 8,bien1 monsieur10 said the editor1 with a shrug1 8mais1 parole d'honneur1 j'y perds mille francs40 ,,popularity ,,of ,,the ,,pickwick ,,papers4 ,mr4 ,davy1 who accompanied ,colonel ,cheney up the ,euphrates1 was for a time in the service of ,mehemet ,ali ,pacha4 8,pickwick0 happening to reach ,davy while he was at ,damascus1 he read a part of it to the ,pacha1 who was so delighted with it1 that ,davy was1 on one occasion1 called up in the middle of the night to finish the reading of the chapter in which he and the ,pacha had been interrupted4 ,mr4 ,davy read1 in ,egypt1 upon another occasion1 some passages from these unrivalled 8,papers0 to a blind ,englishman1 who was in such ecstasy with what he heard1 that he exclaimed he was almost thankful he could not see he was in a foreign country2 for that while he listened1 he felt completely as though he were again in ,england4--,lady ,chatterton4 ,,swift',s ,,disappointment 8,i remember when ,i was a little boy1 7writes ,swift in a letter to ,bolingbroke17 ,i felt a great fish at the end of my line1 which ,i drew up almost on the ground1 but it dropt in1 and the disappointment vexes me to this day2 and ,i believe it was the type of all my future disappointments40 8,this little incident10 writes ,percival1 8perhaps gave the first wrong bias to a mind predisposed to such impressions2 and by operating with so much strength and permanency1 it might possibly lay the foundation of the ,dean's subsequent peevishness1 passion1 misanthropy1 and final insanity40 ,,leigh ,,hunt ,,and ,,thomas ,,carlyle4 ,the following characteristic story of these two 8intellectual gladiators0 is related in 8,a ,new ,spirit of the ,age40 ,leigh ,hunt and ,carlyle were once present among a small party of equally well known men4 ,it chanced that the conversation rested with these two1 both first-rate talkers1 and the others sat well pleased to listen4 ,leigh ,hunt had said something about the islands of the ,blest1 or ,el ,dorado1 or the ,millennium1 and was flowing on in his bright and hopeful way1 when ,carlyle dropt some heavy tree-trunk across ,hunt's pleasant stream1 and banked it up with philosophical doubts and objections at every interval of the speaker's joyous progress4 ,but the unmitigated ,hunt never ceased his overflowing anticipations1 nor the saturnine ,carlyle his infinite demurs to those finite flourishings4 ,the listeners laughed and applauded by turns2 and had now fairly pitted them against each other1 as the philosopher of ,hopefulness and of the ,unhopeful4 ,the contest continued with all that ready wit and philosophy1 that mixture of pleasantry and profundity1 that extensive knowledge of books and character1 with their ready application in argument or illustration1 and that perfect ease and good-nature1 which distinguish each of these men4 ,the opponents were so well matched1 that it was quite clear the contest would never come to an end4 ,but the night was far advanced1 and the party broke up4 ,they all sallied forth2 and leaving the close room1 the candles and the arguments behind them1 suddenly found themselves in presence of a most brilliant star-light night4 ,they all looked up4 8,now10 thought ,hunt1 8,carlyle's done for6--he can have no answer to that60 8,there60 shouted ,hunt1 8look up there6 look at that glorious harmony1 that sings with infinite voices an eternal song of hope in the soul of man40 ,carlyle looked up4 ,they all remained silent to hear what he would say4 ,they began to think he was silenced at last--he was a mortal man4 ,but out of that silence came a few low-toned words1 in a broad ,scotch accent4 ,and who1 on earth1 could have anticipated what the voice said8 8,eh6 it's a sad sight60---- ,hunt sat down on a stone step4 ,they all laughed--then looked very thoughtful4 ,had the finite measured itself with infinity1 instead of surrendering itself up to the influence8 ,again they laughed--then bade each other good night1 and betook themselves homeward with slow and serious pace4 ,there might be some reason for sadness1 too4 ,that brilliant firmament probably contained infinite worlds1 each full of struggling and suffering beings--of beings who had to die--for life in the stars implies that those bright worlds should also be full of graves2 but all that life1 like ours1 knowing not whence it came1 nor whither it goeth1 and the brilliant ,universe in its great ,movement having1 perhaps1 no more certain knowledge of itself1 nor of its ultimate destination1 than hath one of the suffering specks that compose this small spot we inherit4 ,,cowper',s ,,poems4 ,johnson1 the publisher in ,st4 ,paul's ,churchyard1 obtained the copyright of ,cowper's ,poems1 which proved a great source of profit to him1 in the following manner3--,one evening1 a relation of ,cowper's called upon ,johnson with a portion of the ,,ms4 poems1 which he offered for publication1 provided ,johnson would publish them at his own risk1 and allow the author to have a few copies to give to his friends4 ,johnson read the poems1 approved of them1 and accordingly published them4 ,soon after they had appeared1 there was scarcely a reviewer who did not load them with the most scurrilous abuse1 and condemn them to the butter shops2 and the public taste being thus terrified or misled1 these charming effusions stood in the corner of the publisher's shop as an unsaleable pile for a long time4 ,at length1 ,cowper's relation called upon ,johnson with another bundle of the poet's ,,ms41 which was offered and accepted upon the same terms as before4 ,in this fresh collection was the poem of the 8,task40 ,not alarmed at the fate of the former publication1 but thoroughly assured of the great merit of the poems1 they were published4 ,the tone of the reviewers became changed1 and ,cowper was hailed as the first poet of the age4 ,the success of this second publication set the first in motion4 ,johnson immediately reaped the fruits of his undaunted judgment2 and ,cowper's poems enriched the publisher1 when the poet was in languishing circumstances4 ,in ,october1 #ahab1 the copyright of ,cowper's poems was put up to sale among the ,london booksellers1 in thirty-two shares4 ,twenty of the shares were sold at #babl4 each4 ,the work1 consisting of two octavo volumes1 was satisfactorily proved at the sale to net #hcdl4 per annum4 ,it had only two years of copyright2 yet this same copyright produced the sum of #fgfdl4 ,,hearne',s ,,love ,,of ,,ale4 ,thomas ,warton1 in his ,account of ,oxford1 relates that at the sign of ,whittington and his ,cat1 the laborious antiquary1 ,thomas ,hearne1 8one evening suffered himself to be overtaken in liquor4 ,but1 it should be remembered1 that this accident was more owing to his love of antiquity than of ale4 ,it happened that the kitchen where he and his companion were sitting was neatly paved with sheep's trotters disposed in various compartments4 ,after one pipe1 ,mr4 ,hearne1 consistently with his usual gravity and sobriety1 rose to depart2 but his friend1 who was inclined to enjoy more of his company1 artfully observed1 that the floor on which they were then sitting was no less than an original tesselated ,roman pavement4 ,out of respect to classic ground1 and on recollection that the ,stunsfield ,roman pavement1 on which he had just published a dissertation1 was dedicated to ,bacchus1 our antiquary cheerfully complied2 an enthusiastic transport seized his imagination2 he fell on his knees and kissed the sacred earth1 on which1 in a few hours1 and after a few tankards1 by a sort of sympathetic attraction1 he was obliged to repose for some part of the evening4 ,his friend was1 probably1 in the same condition2 but two printers accidentally coming in1 conducted ,mr4 ,hearne1 between them1 to ,edmund's ,hall1 with much state and solemnity40 ,,sheridan',s ,,wit4 ,sheridan's wit was eminently brilliant1 and almost always successful2 it was1 like all his speaking1 exceedingly prepared1 but it was skilfully introduced and happily applied2 and it was well mingled1 also1 with humour1 occasionally descending to farce4 ,how little it was the inspiration of the moment all men were aware who knew his habits2 but a singular proof of this was presented to ,mr4 ,moore1 when he came to write his life2 for we there find given to the world1 with a frankness which must have almost made their author shake in his grave1 the secret note-books of this famous wit2 and are thus enabled to trace the jokes1 in embryo1 with which he had so often made the walls of ,st4 ,stephen's shake1 in a merriment excited by the happy appearance of sudden unpremeditated effusion4--,lord ,brougham4 ,take an instance from this author1 giving extracts from the common-place book of the wit3--8,he employs his fancy in his narrative1 and keeps his recollections for his wit40 ,again1 the same idea is expanded into 8,when he makes his jokes1 you applaud the accuracy of his memory1 and 'tis only when he states his facts that you admire the flights of his imagination40 ,but the thought was too good to be thus wasted on the desert air of a common-place book4 ,so1 forth it came1 at the expense of ,kelly1 who1 having been a composer of music1 became a wine-merchant4 8,you will10 said the ready wit1 8import your music and compose your wine40 ,nor was this service exacted from the old idea thought sufficient2 so1 in the ,house of ,commons1 an easy and1 apparently1 off-hand parenthesis was thus filled with it1 at ,mr4 ,dundas's cost and charge1 8who generally resorts to his memory for his jokes1 and to his imagination for his facts40 ,,smollett',s ,,history ,,of ,,england4 ,this man of genius among trading authors1 before he began his ,history of ,england1 wrote to the ,earl of ,shelburne1 then in the ,whig ,administration1 offering1 if the ,earl would procure for his work the patronage of the ,government1 he would accommodate his politics to the ,ministry2 but if not1 that he had high promises of support from the other party4 ,lord ,shelburne1 of course1 treated the proffered support of a writer of such accommodating principles with contempt2 and the work of ,smollett1 accordingly1 became distinguished for its high ,toryism4 ,the history was published in sixpenny weekly numbers1 of which #bj1jjj copies were sold immediately4 ,this extraordinary popularity was created by the artifice of the publisher4 ,he is stated to have addressed a packet of the specimens of the publication to every parish-clerk in ,england1 carriage-free1 with half-a-crown enclosed as a compliment1 to have them distributed through the pews of the church3 this being generally done1 many people read the specimens instead of listening to the sermon1 and the result was an universal demand for the work4 ,,magna ,,charta ,,recovered4 ,the transcript of ,magna ,charta1 now in the ,british ,museum1 was discovered by ,sir ,robert ,cotton in the possession of his tailor1 who was just about to cut the precious document out into 8measures0 for his customers4 ,sir ,robert redeemed the valuable curiosity at the price of old parchment1 and thus recovered what had long been supposed to be irretrievably lost4 ,,fox ,,and ,,gibbon4 ,when ,mr4 ,fox's furniture was sold by auction1 after his decease in #ahjf1 amongst his books there was the first volume of his friend ,gibbon's ,decline and ,fall of the ,roman ,empire3 by the title-page1 it appeared to have been presented by the author to ,fox1 who1 on the blank leaf1 had written this anecdote of the historian3--8,the author1 at ,brookes's1 said there was no salvation for this country until six heads of the principal persons in administration were laid upon the table4 ,eleven days after1 this same gentleman accepted a place of lord of trade under those very ministers1 and has acted with them ever since60 ,such was the avidity of bidders for the most trifling production of ,fox's genius1 that1 by the addition of this little record1 the book sold for three guineas4 ,,dr4 ,,johnson',s ,,pride4 ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds used to relate the following characteristic anecdote of ,johnson3--,about the time of their early acquaintance1 they met one evening at the ,misses ,cotterell's1 when the ,duchess of ,argyll and another lady of rank came in4 ,johnson1 thinking that the ,misses ,cotterell were too much engrossed by them1 and that he and his friend were neglected as low company1 of whom they were somewhat ashamed1 grew angry1 and1 resolving to shock their suspected pride1 by making the great visitors imagine they were low indeed1 ,johnson addressed himself in a loud tone to ,reynolds1 saying1 8,how much do you think you and ,i could get in a week if we were to work as hard as we could80 just as though they were ordinary mechanics4 ,,lord ,,byron',s 8,,corsair40 ,the ,earl of ,dudley1 in his ,letters1 7#ahad7 says3--8,to me ,byron's ,corsair appears the best of all his works4 ,rapidity of execution is no sort of apology for doing a thing ill1 but when it is done well1 the wonder is so much the greater4 ,i am told he wrote this poem at ten sittings--certainly it did not take him more than three weeks4 ,he is a most extraordinary person1 and yet there is ,g4 ,ellis1 who don't feel his merit4 ,his creed in modern poetry 7,i should have said contemporary7 is ,walter ,scott1 all ,walter ,scott1 and nothing but ,walter ,scott4 ,i cannot say how ,i hate this petty1 factious spirit in literature--it is so unworthy of a man so clever and so accomplished as ,ellis undoubtedly is40 ,,booksellers ,,in ,,little ,,britain4 ,little ,britain1 anciently ,breton-street1 from the mansion of the ,duke of ,bretagne on that spot1 in more modern times became the 8,paternoster-row0 of the booksellers2 and a newspaper of #affd states them to have published here within four years1 #dfd pamphlets4 ,one ,chiswell1 resident here in #agaa1 was the metropolitan bookseller1 8the ,longman0 of his time2 and here lived ,rawlinson 78,tom ,folio0 of ,the ,tatler1 ,no4 #aeh71 who stuffed four chambers in ,gray's ,inn so full1 that his bed was removed into the passage4 ,john ,day1 the famous early printer1 lived 8over ,aldersgate40 ,,reconciling ,,the ,,fathers4 ,a ,dean of ,gloucester having some merry divines at dinner with him one day1 amongst other discourses they were talking of reconciling the ,fathers on some points2 he told them he could show them the best way in the world to reconcile them on all points of difference2 so1 after dinner1 he carried them into his study1 and showed them all the ,fathers1 classically ordered1 with a quart of sack betwixt each of them4 ,,dr4 ,,parr ,,and ,,sir ,,james ,,mackintosh4 ,sir ,james once asked ,dr4 ,parr to join him in a drive in his gig4 ,the horse growing restive--8,gently1 ,jemmy10 the ,doctor said2 8don't irritate him2 always soothe your horse1 ,jemmy4 ,you'll do better without me4 ,let me down1 ,jemmy60 ,but once safe on the ground--8,now1 ,jemmy10 said the ,doctor1 8touch him up4 ,never let a horse get the better of you4 ,touch him up1 conquer him1 do not spare him4 ,and now ,i'll leave you to manage him2 ,i'll walk back40 ,,sir ,,james ,,mackintosh',s ,,humour4 ,sir ,james ,mackintosh had a great deal of humour2 and1 among many other examples of it1 he kept a dinner-party at his own house for two or three hours in a roar of laughter1 playing upon the simplicity of a ,scotch cousin1 who had mistaken the ,rev4 ,sydney ,smith for his gallant synonym1 the hero of ,acre4 ,,writings ,,of ,,lope ,,de ,,vega4 ,the number of ,lope de ,vega's works has been strangely exaggerated by some1 but by others reduced to about one-sixth of the usual statement4 ,upon this computation it will be found that some of his contemporaries were as prolific as himself4 ,vincent ,mariner1 a friend of ,lope1 left behind him #cfj quires of paper full of his own compositions1 in a writing so exceedingly small1 and so exceedingly bad1 that no person but himself could read it4 ,lord ,holland has given a facsimile of ,lope's handwriting1 and though it cannot be compared to that of a dramatist of late times1 one of whose plays1 in the original manuscript1 is said to be a sufficient load for a porter1 it is evident that one of ,mariner's pages would contain as much as a sheet of his friend's1 which would1 as nearly as possible1 balance the sum total4 ,but1 upon this subject1 an epigram by ,quarles may be applied1 written upon a more serious theme3 8,in all our prayers the ,almighty does regard ,the judgment of the balance1 not the yard2 ,he loves not words1 but matter2 'tis his pleasure ,to buy his wares by weight1 not by measure40 ,with regard to the quantity of ,lope's writings1 a complete edition of them would not much1 if at all1 exceed those of ,voltaire1 who1 in labour of composition1 for he sent nothing into the world carelessly1 must have greatly exceeded ,lope4 ,and the labours of these men shrink into insignificance when compared to those of some of the schoolmen and of the ,fathers4 ,,popularity ,,of ,,lope ,,de ,,vega4 ,other writers1 of the same age with ,lope de ,vega1 obtained a wider celebrity4 ,don ,quixote1 during the life of its ill-requited author1 was naturalized in countries where the name of ,lope de ,vega was not known1 and ,du ,bartas was translated into the language of every reading people4 ,but no writer ever has enjoyed such a share of popularity4 8,cardinal ,barberini10 says ,lord ,holland1 8followed ,lope with veneration in the streets2 the king would stop to gaze at such a prodigy2 the people crowded round him wherever he appeared2 the learned and studious thronged to ,madrid from every part of ,spain to see this phnix of their country1 this monster of literature2 and even ,italians1 no extravagant admirers1 in general1 of poetry that is not their own1 made pilgrimages from their country for the sole purpose of conversing with ,lope4 ,so associated was the idea of excellence with his name1 that it grew1 in common conversation1 to signify anything perfect in its kind2 and a ,lope diamond1 a ,lope day1 or a ,lope woman1 became fashionable and familiar modes of expressing their good qualities40 ,lope's death produced an universal commotion in the court and in the whole kingdom4 ,many ministers1 knights1 and prelates were present when he expired2 among others1 the ,duke of ,sesa1 who had been the most munificent of his patrons1 whom he appointed his executor1 and who was at the expense of his funeral1 a mode by which the great men in that country were fond of displaying their regard for men of letters4 ,it was a public funeral1 and it was not performed till the third day after his death1 that there might be time for rendering it more splendid1 and securing a more honourable attendance4 ,the grandees and nobles who were about the court were all invited as mourners2 a novenary or service of nine days was performed for him1 at which the musicians of the royal chapel assisted2 after which there were exequies on three successive days1 at which three bishops officiated in full pontificals2 and on each day a funeral sermon was preached by one of the most famous preachers of the age4 ,such honours were paid to the memory of ,lope de ,vega1 one of the most prolific1 and1 during his life1 the most popular1 of all poets1 ancient or modern4 ,,swift',s ,,loves4 ,the first of these ladies1 whom ,swift romantically christened ,varina1 was a ,miss ,jane ,waryng1 to whom he wrote passionate letters1 and whom1 when he had succeeded in gaining her affections1 he deserted1 after a sort of seven years' courtship4 ,the next flame of the ,dean's was the well-known ,miss ,esther ,johnson1 whom he fancifully called ,stella4 ,somehow1 he had the address to gain her decided attachment to him1 though considerably younger1 beautiful in person1 accomplished1 and estimable4 ,he dangled upon her1 fed her hopes of an union1 and at length persuaded her to leave ,london and reside near him in ,ireland4 ,his conduct then was of a piece with the rest of his life3 he never saw her alone1 never slept under the same roof with her1 but allowed her character and reputation to be suspected1 in consequence of their intimacy2 nor did he attempt to remove such by marriage until a late period of his life1 when1 to save her from dissolution1 he consented to the ceremony1 upon condition that it should never be divulged2 that she should live as before2 retain her own name1 c42 and this wedding1 upon the above being assented to1 was performed in a garden6 ,but ,swift never acknowledged her till the day of his death4 ,during all this treatment of his ,stella1 ,swift had ingratiated himself with a young lady of fortune and fashion in ,london1 whose name was ,vanhomrig1 and whom he called ,vanessa4 ,it is much to be regretted that the heartless tormentor should have been so ardently and passionately beloved1 as was the case with the latter lady4 ,selfish1 hardhearted as was ,swift1 he seemed but to live in disappointing others4 ,such was his coldness and brutality to ,vanessa1 that he may be said to have caused her death4 ,,coleridge',s 8,,watchman40 ,coleridge1 among his many speculations1 started a periodical1 in prose and verse1 entitled ,the ,watchman1 with the motto1 8that all might know the truth1 and that the truth might make us free40 ,he watched in vain6 ,coleridge's incurable want of order and punctuality1 and his philosophical theories1 tired out and disgusted his readers1 and the work was discontinued after the ninth number4 ,of the unsaleable nature of this publication1 he relates an amusing illustration4 ,happening one morning to rise at an earlier hour than usual1 he observed his servant-girl putting an extravagant quantity of paper into the grate1 in order to light the fire1 and he mildly checked her for her wastefulness3 8,la6 sir10 replied ,nanny2 8why1 it's only ,watchmen40 ,,ireland',s ,,shakspeare ,,forgeries4 ,mr4 ,samuel ,ireland1 originally a silk merchant in ,spitalfields1 was led by his taste for literary antiquities to abandon trade for those pursuits1 and published several tours4 ,one of them consisted of an excursion upon the river ,avon1 during which he explored1 with ardent curiosity1 every locality associated with ,shakspeare4 ,he was accompanied by his son1 a youth of sixteen1 who imbibed a portion of his father's ,shakspearean mania4 ,the youth1 perceiving the great importance which his parent attached to every relic of the poet1 and the eagerness with which he sought for any of his ,,ms4 remains1 conceived that it would not be difficult to gratify his father by some productions of his own1 in the language and manner of ,shakspeare's time4 ,the idea possessed his mind for a certain period2 and1 in #agic1 being then in his eighteenth year1 he produced some ,,mss4 said to be in the handwriting of ,shakspeare1 which he said had been given him by a gentleman possessed of many other old papers4 ,the young man1 being articled to a solicitor in ,chancery1 easily fabricated1 in the first instance1 the deed of mortgage from ,shakspeare to ,michael ,fraser4 ,the ecstasy expressed by his father urged him to the fabrication of other documents1 described to come from the same quarter4 ,emboldened by success1 he ventured upon higher compositions in prose and verse2 and at length announced the discovery of an original drama1 under the title of ,vortigern1 which he exhibited1 act by act1 written in the period of two months4 ,having provided himself with the paper of the period1 7being the fly-leaves of old books17 and with ink prepared by a bookbinder1 no suspicion was entertained of the deception4 ,the father1 who was a maniac upon such subjects1 gave such clat to the supposed discovery1 that the attention of the literary world1 and all ,england1 was drawn to it2 insomuch that the son1 who had announced other papers1 found it impossible to retreat1 and was goaded into the production of the series which he had promised4 ,the house of ,mr4 ,ireland1 in ,norfolk-street1 ,strand1 was daily crowded to excess by persons of the highest rank1 as well as by the most celebrated men of letters4 ,the ,,mss4 being mostly decreed genuine1 were considered to be of inestimable worth2 and at one time it was expected that ,parliament would give any required sum for them4 ,some conceited amateurs in literature at length sounded an alarm1 which was echoed by certain of the newspapers and public journals2 notwithstanding which1 ,mr4 ,sheridan agreed to give #fjjl4 for permission to play ,vortigern at ,drury-lane ,theatre4 ,so crowded a house was scarcely ever seen as on the night of the performance1 and a vast number of persons could not obtain admission4 ,the predetermined malcontents began an opposition from the outset3 some ill-cast characters converted grave scenes into ridicule1 and there ensued between the believers and sceptics a contest which endangered the property4 ,the piece was1 accordingly1 withdrawn4 ,the juvenile author was now so beset for information1 that he found it necessary to abscond from his father's house2 and then1 to put an end to the wonderful ferment which his ingenuity had created1 he published a pamphlet1 wherein he confessed the entire fabrication4 ,besides ,vortigern1 young ,ireland also produced a play of ,henry ,,ii42 and1 although there were in both such incongruities as were not consistent with ,shakspeare's age1 both dramas contain passages of considerable beauty and originality4 ,the admissions of the son did not1 however1 screen the father from obloquy1 and the reaction of public opinion affected his fortunes and his health4 ,mr4 ,ireland was the dupe of his zeal upon such subjects2 and the son never contemplated at the outset the unfortunate effect4 ,such was the enthusiasm of certain admirers of ,shakspeare1 7among them ,drs4 ,parr and ,warton17 that they fell upon their knees before the ,,mss42 and1 by their idolatry1 inspired hundreds of others with similar enthusiasm4 ,the young author was filled with astonishment and alarm1 which at that stage it was not in his power to check4 ,sir ,richard ,phillips1 who knew the parties1 has thus related the affair in the ,anecdote ,library4 ,in the ,catalogue of ,dr4 ,parr's ,library at ,hatton1 7,bibliotheca ,parriana17 we find the following attempted explanation by the ,doctor3-- 8,ireland's 7,samuel7 #8,great and impudent forgery1 called1' ,miscellaneous ,papers and ,legal ,instruments1 under the hand and seal of ,william ,shakspeare1 folio #agif4 8,i am almost ashamed to insert this worthless and infamously trickish book4 ,it is said to include the tragedy of ,king ,lear1 and a fragment of ,hamlet4 ,ireland told a lie when he imputed to me the words which ,joseph ,warton used1 the very morning ,i called on ,ireland1 and was inclined to admit the possibility of genuineness in his papers4 ,in my subsequent conversation1 ,i told him my change of opinion4 ,but ,i thought it not worth while to dispute in print with a detected impostor4--,s4 ,p40 ,mr4 ,ireland died about #ahjb4 ,his son1 ,william ,henry1 long survived him2 but the forgeries blighted his literary reputation for ever1 and he died in straitened circumstances1 about the year #ahdj4 ,the reputed ,shakspearean ,,mss4 are stated to have been seen for sale in a pawnbroker's window in ,wardour-street1 ,soho4 ,,hoole1 ,,the ,,translator ,,of ,,tasso4 ,,the ,,ghost ,,puzzled4 ,hoole was born in a hackney-coach1 which was conveying his mother to ,drury-lane ,theatre1 to witness the performance of the tragedy of ,timanthes1 which had been written by her husband4 ,hoole died in #ahci1 at a very advanced age4 ,in early life1 he ranked amongst the literary characters that adorned the last century2 and1 for some years before his death1 had outlived most of the persons who frequented the conversazioni of ,dr4 ,johnson4 ,by the will of the ,doctor1 ,mr4 ,hoole was enabled to take from his library and effects such books and furniture as he might think proper to select1 by way of memorial of that great personage4 ,he accordingly chose a chair in which ,dr4 ,johnson usually sat1 and the desk upon which he had written the greater number of the papers of the ,rambler2 both these articles ,mr4 ,hoole used constantly until nearly the day of his death4 ,hoole was near-sighted4 ,he was partial to the drama2 and1 when young1 often strutted his hour at an amateur theatre in ,lincoln's ,inn ,fields4 ,upon one occasion1 whilst performing the ghost in ,hamlet1 ,mr4 ,hoole wandered incautiously from off the trap-door through which he had emerged from the nether world1 and by which it was his duty to descend4 ,in this dilemma he groped about1 hoping to distinguish the aperture1 keeping the audience in wonder why he remained so long on the stage after the crowing of the cock4 ,it was apparent from the lips of the ghost that he was holding converse with some one at the wings4 ,he at length became irritated1 and 8alas6 poor ghost60 ejaculated1 in tones sufficiently audible1 8,i tell you ,i can't find it40 ,the laughter that ensued may be imagined4 ,the ghost1 had he been a sensible one1 would have walked off2 but no--he became more and more irritated1 until the perturbed spirit was placed1 by some of the bystanders1 on the trap-door1 after which it descended1 with due solemnity1 amid roars of laughter4 ,,lord ,,byron',s ,,vanity4 ,during the residence of ,lord ,byron at ,venice1 a clerk was sent from the office of ,messrs4 ,vizard and ,co41 of ,lincoln's ,inn1 to procure his lordship's signature to a legal instrument4 ,on his arrival1 the clerk sent a message to the noble poet1 who appointed to receive him on the following morning4 ,each party was punctual to the minute4 ,his lordship had dressed himself with the most studious care2 and1 on the opening of the door of his apartment1 it was evident that he had placed himself in what he thought a becoming pose4 ,his right arm was displayed over the back of a splendid couch1 and his head was gently supported by the fingers of his left hand4 ,he bowed slightly as his visitor approached him1 and appeared anxious that his recumbent attitude should remain for a time undisturbed4 ,after the signing of the deed1 the noble bard made a few inquiries upon the politics of ,england1 in the tone of a finished exquisite4 ,some refreshment which was brought in afforded the messenger an opportunity for more minute observation4 ,his lordship's hair had been curled and parted on the forehead2 the collar of his shirt was thrown back1 so that not only the throat but a considerable portion of his bosom was exposed to view1 though partially concealed by some fanciful ornament suspended round the neck4 ,his waistcoat was of costly velvet1 and his legs were enveloped in a superb wrapper4 ,it is to be regretted that so great a mind as that of ,byron could derive satisfaction from things so trivial and unimportant1 but much more that it was liable to be disturbed by a recollection of personal imperfections4 ,in the above interview1 the clerk directed an accidental glance at his lordship's lame foot1 when the smile that had played upon the visage of the poet became suddenly converted into a frown4 ,his whole frame appeared discomposed2 his tone of affected suavity became hard and imperious2 and he called to an attendant to open the door1 with a peevishness seldom exhibited even by the most irritable4 ,,lord ,,byron',s ,,apology4 ,no one knew how to apologize for an affront with better grace1 or with more delicacy1 than ,lord ,byron4 ,in the first edition of the first canto of ,childe ,harold1 the poet adverted in a note to two political tracts--one by ,major ,pasley1 and the other by ,gould ,francis ,leckie1 ,esq42 and concluded his remarks by attributing 8ignorance on the one hand1 and prejudice on the other40 ,mr4 ,leckie1 who felt offended at the severity and1 as he thought1 injustice of the observations1 wrote to ,lord ,byron1 complaining of the affront4 ,his lordship did not reply immediately to the letter2 but1 in about three weeks1 he called upon ,mr4 ,leckie1 and begged him to accept an elegantly-bound copy of a new edition of the poem1 in which the offensive passage was omitted4 ,,fine ,,flourishes4 ,lord ,brougham1 in an essay published long ago in the ,edinburgh ,review1 read a smart lesson to ,parliamentary wits4 8,a wit10 says his lordship1 8though he amuses for the moment1 unavoidably gives frequent offence to grave and serious men1 who don't think public affairs should be lightly handled1 and are constantly falling into the error that when a person is arguing the most conclusively1 by showing the gross and ludicrous absurdity of his adversary's reasoning1 he is jesting1 and not arguing2 while the argument is1 in reality1 more close and stringent1 the more he shows the opposite picture to be grossly ludicrous--that is1 the more effective the wit becomes4 ,but1 though all this is perfectly true1 it is equally certain that danger attends such courses with the common run of plain men4 8,nor is it only by wit that genius offends3 flowers of imagination1 flights of oratory1 great passages1 are more admired by the critic than relished by the worthy baronets who darken the porch of ,boodle's--chiefly answering to the names of ,sir ,robert and ,sir ,john--and the solid traders1 the very good men who stream along the ,strand from #8,change towards ,st4 ,stephen's ,chapel1 at five o'clock1 to see the business of the country done by the ,sovereign's servants4 ,a pretty long course of observation on these component parts of a ,parliamentary audience begets some doubt if noble passages1 7termed #8fine flourishes1'7 be not taken by them as personally offensive40 ,take1 for example1 8such fine passages as ,mr4 ,canning often indulged himself and a few of his hearers with2 and which certainly seemed to be received as an insult by whole benches of men accustomed to distribute justice at sessions4 ,these worthies1 the dignitaries of the empire1 resent such flights as liberties taken with them2 and always say1 when others force them to praise--#8,well1 well1 but it was out of place2 we have nothing to do with king ,priam here1 or with a heathen god1 such as olus2 those kind of folk are all very well in ,pope's ,homer and ,dryden's ,virgil2 but1 as ,i said to ,sir ,robert1 who sat next me1 what have you or ,i to do with them matters8 ,i like a good plain man of business1 like young ,mr4 ,jenkinson--a man of the pen and desk1 like his father was before him--and who never speaks when he is not wanted3 let me tell you1 ,mr4 ,canning speaks too much by half4 ,time is short--there are only twenty four hours in the day1 you know4'nbsp20 ,,mathematical ,,sailors4 ,nathaniel ,bowditch1 the translator of ,laplace's ,mcanique ,cleste1 displayed in very early life a taste for mathematical studies4 ,in the year #aghh1 when he was only fifteen years old1 he actually made an almanack for the year #agij1 containing all the usual tables1 calculations of the eclipses1 and other phenomena1 and even the customary predictions of the weather4 ,bowditch was bred to the sea1 and in his early voyages taught navigation to the common sailors about him4 ,captain ,prince1 with whom he often sailed1 relates1 that one day the supercargo of the vessel said to him1 8,come1 ,captain1 let us go forward and hear what the sailors are talking about under the lee of the long-boat40 ,they went forward accordingly1 and the captain was surprised to find the sailors1 instead of spinning their long yarns1 earnestly engaged with book1 slate1 and pencil1 discussing the high matters of tangents and secants1 altitudes1 dip1 and refraction4 ,two of them1 in particular1 were very zealously disputing1--one of them calling out to the other1 8,well1 ,jack1 what have you got80 8,i've got the sine10 was the answer4 8,but that ain't right10 said the other2 8,i say it is the cosine40 ,,lewis',s 8,,monk40 ,this romance1 on its first appearance1 roused the attention of all the literary world of ,england1 and even spread its writer's name to the continent4 ,the author--8wonder-working ,lewis10 was a stripling under twenty when he wrote ,the ,monk in the short space of ten weeks6 ,sir ,walter ,scott1 probably the most rapid composer of fiction upon record1 hardly exceeded this1 even in his latter days1 when his facility of writing was the greatest4 ,,thomson',s ,,recitations4 ,thomson1 the author of the 8,seasons10 was a very awkward reader of his own productions4 ,his patron1 ,doddington1 once snatched a ,,ms4 from his hand1 provoked by his odd utterance1 telling him that he did not understand his own verses6 ,a gentleman of ,brentford1 however1 told the late ,dr4 ,evans1 in #ahbd1 that there was a tradition in that town of ,thomson frequenting one of the inns there1 and reciting his poems to the company4 ,,goldsmith',s 8,,she ,,stoops ,,to ,,conquer40 ,goldsmith1 during the first performance of this comedy1 walked all the time in ,st4 ,james' ,park in great uneasiness4 ,finally1 when he thought that it must be over1 hastening to the theatre1 hisses assailed his ears as he entered the green-room4 ,asking in eager alarm of ,colman the cause--8,pshaw1 pshaw60 said ,colman1 8don't be afraid of squibs1 when we have been sitting on a barrel of gunpowder for two hours40 ,the comedy had completely triumphed--the audience were only hissing the after farce4 ,goldsmith had some difficulty in getting the piece on the stage1 as appears from the following letter to ,colman3--8,i entreat you'll relieve me from that state of suspense in which ,i have been kept for a long time4 ,whatever objections you have made1 or shall make1 to my play1 ,i will endeavour to remove1 and not argue about them4 ,to bring in any new judges either of its merits or faults1 ,i can never submit to4 ,upon a former occasion1 when my other play was before ,mr4 ,garrick1 he offered to bring me before ,mr4 ,whitehead's tribunal1 but ,i refused the proposal with indignation4 ,i hope ,i shall not experience as hard treatment from you1 as from him4 ,i have1 as you know1 a large sum of money to make up shortly2 by accepting my play1 ,i can readily satisfy my creditor that way2 at any rate1 ,i must look about to some certainty to be prepared4 ,for ,god's sake take the play1 and let us make the best of it2 and let me have the same measure at least which you have given as bad plays as mine40 ,,silence ,,not ,,always ,,wisdom4 ,coleridge once dined in company with a person who listened to him1 and said nothing for a long time2 but he nodded his head1 and ,coleridge thought him intelligent4 ,at length1 towards the end of the dinner1 some apple dumplings were placed on the table1 and the listener had no sooner seen them than he burst forth1 8,them's the jockeys for me60 ,coleridge adds3 8,i wish ,spurzheim could have examined the fellow's head40 ,coleridge was very luminous in conversation1 and invariably commanded listeners2 yet the old lady rated his talent very lowly1 when she declared she had no patience with a man who would have all the talk to himself4 ,,dr4 ,,chalmers ,,in ,,london4 ,when ,dr4 ,chalmers first visited ,london1 the hold that he took on the minds of men was unprecedented4 ,it was a time of strong political feeling2 but even that was unheeded1 and all parties thronged to hear the ,scottish preacher4 ,the very best judges were not prepared for the display that they heard4 ,canning and ,wilberforce went together1 and got into a pew near the door4 ,the elder in attendance stood alone by the pew4 ,chalmers began in his usual unpromising way1 by stating a few nearly self-evident propositions1 neither in the choicest language1 nor in the most impressive voice4 8,if this be all10 said ,canning to his companion1 8it will never do40 ,chalmers went on--the shuffling of the conversation gradually subsided4 ,he got into the mass of his subject2 his weakness became strength1 his hesitation was turned into energy2 and1 bringing the whole volume of his mind to bear upon it1 he poured forth a torrent of the most close and conclusive argument1 brilliant with all the exuberance of an imagination which ranged over all nature for illustrations1 and yet managed and applied each of them with the same unerring dexterity1 as if that single one had been the study of a whole life4 8,the tartan beats us10 said ,mr4 ,canning2 8we have no preaching like that in ,england40 ,,romilly ,,and ,,brougham4 ,hallam's ,history of the ,middle ,ages was the last book of any importance read by ,sir ,samuel ,romilly4 ,of this excellent work he formed the highest opinion1 and recommended its immediate perusal to ,lord ,brougham1 as a contrast to his dry ,letter on the ,abuses of ,charities1 in respect of the universal interest of the subject4 ,yet1 ,sir ,samuel undervalued the ,letter1 for it ran through eight editions in one month4 ,,physiognomy ,,of ,,the ,,french ,,revolutionists4 ,it is remarkable1 7says ,bulwer1 in his ,zanoni17 that most of the principal actors of the ,french ,revolution were singularly hideous in appearance--from the colossal ugliness of ,mirabeau and ,danton1 or the villanous ferocity in the countenances of ,david and ,simon1 to the filthy squalor of ,marat1 and the sinister and bilious meanness of the ,dictator's features4 ,but ,robespierre1 who was said to resemble a cat1 and had also a cat's cleanliness1 was prim and dainty in dress1 shaven smoothness1 and the womanly whiteness of his hands4 ,rn ,dumas1 born of reputable parents1 and well educated1 despite his ferocity1 was not without a certain refinement1 which perhaps rendered him the more acceptable to the precise ,robespierre4 ,dumas was a beau in his way3 his gala-dress was a blood-red coat1 with the finest ruffles4 ,but ,henriot had been a lacquey1 a thief1 a spy of the police2 he had drank the blood of ,madame de ,lamballe1 and had risen for no quality but his ruffianism2 and ,fouquier ,tinville1 the son of a provincial agriculturist1 and afterwards a clerk at the bureau of the police1 was little less base in his manners1 and yet more1 from a certain loathsome buffoonery1 revolting in his speech2 bull-headed1 with black1 sleek hair1 with a narrow and livid forehead1 and small eyes that twinkled with sinister malice2 strongly and coarsely built1 he looked what he was1 the audacious bully of a lawless and relentless bar4 ,,death ,,of ,,sir ,,charles ,,bell4 ,this distinguished surgeon died suddenly on ,april #bi1 #ahdb1 at ,hallow ,park1 near ,worcester1 while on his way to ,malvern4 ,he was out sketching on the #bhth1 being particularly pleased with the village church1 and some fine trees which are beside it2 observing that he should like to repose there when he was gone4 ,just four days after this sentiment had been expressed1 his mortal remains were accordingly deposited beside the rustic graves which had attracted his notice1 and so recently occupied his pencil4 ,there is a painful admonition in this fulfilment4 ,,classic ,,pun4 ,it was suggested to a distinguished gourmet1 what a capital thing a dish all fins 7turbot's fins7 might be made4 8,capital10 said he2 8dine with me on it to-morrow40 8,accepted40 ,would you believe it8 when the cover was removed1 the sacrilegious dog of an ,amphytrion had put into the dish 8,cicero ,de finibus40 8,there is a work all fins10 said he4 ,,poetry ,,of ,,the ,,sea4 ,campbell was a great lover of submarine prospects4 8,often in my boyhood10 says the poet1 8when the day has been bright and the sea transparent1 ,i have sat by the hour on a ,highland rock admiring the golden sands1 the emerald weeds1 and the silver shells at the bottom of the bay beneath1 till1 dreaming about the grottoes of the ,nereids1 ,i would not have exchanged my pleasure for that of a connoisseur poring over a landscape by ,claude or ,poussin4 ,enchanting nature6 thy beauty is not only in heaven and earth1 but in the waters under our feet4 ,how magnificent a medium of vision is the pellucid sea6 ,is it not like poetry1 that embellishes every object that we contemplate80 8,,felon ,,literature40 ,one of the most stinging reproofs of perverted literary taste1 evidently aimed at ,newgate ,calendar literature1 appeared in the form of a valentine1 in ,no4 #ca of ,punch1 in #ahdb4 ,the valentine itself reminds one of ,churchill's muse2 and it needs no finger to tell where its withering satire is pointed3-- 8,,the ,,literary ,,gentleman4 8,illustrious scribe6 whose vivid genius strays ',mid ,drury's stews to incubate her lays1 ,and in ,st4 ,giles's slang conveys her tropes1 ,wreathing the poet's lines with hangmen's ropes2 ,you who conceive 'tis poetry to teach ,the sad bravado of a dying speech2 ,or1 when possessed with a sublimer mood1 ,show 8,jack o',dandies0 dancing upon blood6 ,crush bones--bruise flesh1 recount each festering sore-- ,rake up the plague-pit1 write--and write in gore6 ,or1 when inspired to humanize mankind1 ,where doth your soaring soul its subjects find8 ,not 'mid the scenes that simple ,goldsmith sought1 ,and found a theme to elevate his thought2 ,but you1 great scribe1 more greedy of renown1 ,from ,hounslow's gibbet drag a hero down4 ,imbue his mind with virtue2 make him quote ,some moral truth before he cuts a throat4 ,then wash his hands1 and soaring o'er your craft-- ,refresh the hero with a bloody draught3 ,and1 fearing lest the world should miss the act1 ,with noble zeal italicize the fact4 ,or would you picture woman meek and pure1 ,by love and virtue tutor'd to endure1 ,with cunning skill you take a felon's trull1 ,stuff her with sentiment1 and scrunch her skull6 ,oh6 would your crashing1 smashing1 mashing pen were mine1 ,that ,i could 8scorch your eyeballs0 with my words1 8,,my ,,valentine40 ,,death ,,bed ,,revelations4 ,men before they die see and comprehend enigmas hidden from them before4 ,the greatest poet1 and one of the noblest thinkers of the last age1 said on his death-bed3--8,many things obscure to me before1 now clear up and become visible40 ,,stammering ,,wit4 ,stammering1 7says ,coleridge17 is sometimes the cause of a pun4 ,some one was mentioning in ,lamb's presence the cold-heartedness of the ,duke of ,cumberland1 in restraining the duchess from rushing up to the embrace of her son1 whom she had not seen for a considerable time1 and insisting on her receiving him in state4 8,how horribly cold it was10 said the narrator4 8,yes10 said ,lamb1 in his stuttering way2 8but you know he is the ,duke of ,cu-cum-ber-land40 ,,origin ,,of ,,bottled ,,ale4 ,alexander ,newell1 ,dean of ,st4 ,paul's1 and ,master of ,westminster ,school1 in the reign of ,queen ,mary1 was an excellent angler4 ,but ,fuller says1 while ,newell was catching of fishes1 ,bishop ,bonner was catching of ,newell1 and would certainly have sent him to the shambles1 had not a good ,london merchant conveyed him away upon the seas4 ,newell was fishing upon the banks of the ,thames when he received the first intimation of his danger1 which was so pressing1 that he dared not go back to his own house to make any preparation for his flight4 ,like an honest angler1 he had taken with him provisions for the day2 and when1 in the first year of ,england's deliverance1 he returned to his country1 and to his own haunts1 he remembered that on the day of his flight he had left a bottle of beer in a safe place on the bank3 there he looked for it1 and 8found it no bottle1 but a gun--such the sound at the opening thereof2 and this 7says ,fuller7 is believed 7casualty is mother of more invention than industry7 to be the original of bottled ale in ,england40 ,,bad',s ,,the ,,best4 ,canning was once asked by an ,english clergyman1 at whose parsonage he was visiting1 how he liked the sermon he had preached that morning4 8,why1 it was a short sermon10 quoth ,canning4 8,o yes10 said the preacher1 8you know ,i avoid being tedious40 8,ah1 but10 replied ,canning1 8you were tedious40 ,,ludicrous ,,estimate ,,of ,,mr4 ,,canning4 ,the ,rev4 ,sydney ,smith compares ,mr4 ,canning in office to a fly in amber3 8nobody cares about the fly3 the only question is1 how the devil did it get there80 8,nor do ,i10 continues ,smith1 8attack him for the love of glory1 but from the love of utility1 as a burgomaster hunts a rat in a ,dutch dyke1 for fear it should flood a province4 ,when he is jocular1 he is strong2 when he is serious1 he is like ,samson in a wig4 ,call him a legislator1 a reasoner1 and the conductor of the affairs of a great nation1 and it seems to me as absurd as if a butterfly were to teach bees to make honey4 ,that he was an extraordinary writer of small poetry1 and a diner-out of the highest lustre1 ,i do most readily admit4 ,after ,george ,selwyn1 and perhaps ,tickell1 there has been no such man for the last half-century40 ,,the ,,authorship ,,of 8,,waverley40 ,mrs4 ,murray ,keith1 a venerable ,scotch lady1 from whom ,sir ,walter ,scott derived many of the traditionary stories and anecdotes wrought up in his novels1 taxed him one day with the authorship1 which he1 as usual1 stoutly denied4 8,what60 exclaimed the old lady1 8d'ye think ,i dinna ken my ain groats among other folk's kail80 ,,quid ,,pro ,,quo4 ,campbell relates3--8,turner1 the painter1 is a ready wit4 ,once at a dinner where several artists1 amateurs1 and literary men were convened1 a poet1 by way of being facetious1 proposed as a toast the health of the painters and glaziers of ,great ,britain4 ,the toast was drunk2 and ,turner1 after returning thanks for it1 proposed the health of the ,british paper-stainers40 ,,hope',s 8,,anastasius40 ,lord ,byron1 in a conversation with the ,countess of ,blessington1 said that he wept bitterly over many pages of ,anastasius1 and for two reasons3 first1 that he had not written it2 and secondly1 that ,hope had2 for it was necessary to like a man excessively to pardon his writing such a book2 as1 he said1 excelling all recent productions1 as much in wit and talent as in true pathos4 ,lord ,byron added1 that he would have given his two most approved poems to have been the author of ,anastasius4 ,,smart ,,repartee4 ,walpole relates1 after an execution of eighteen malefactors1 a woman was hawking an account of them1 but called them nineteen4 ,a gentleman said to her1 8,why do you say nineteen8 there were but eighteen hanged40 ,she replied1 8,sir1 ,i did not know you had been reprieved40 ,,colton',s 8,,lacon40 ,this remarkable book was written upon covers of letters and scraps of paper of such description as was nearest at hand2 the greater part at a house in ,princes-street1 ,soho4 ,colton's lodging was a penuriously-furnished second-floor1 and upon a rough deal table1 with a stumpy pen1 our author wrote4 ,though a beneficed clergyman1 holding the vicarage of ,kew1 with ,petersham1 in ,surrey1 ,colton was a well-known frequenter of the gaming-table2 and1 suddenly disappearing from his usual haunts in ,london about the time of the murder of ,weare1 in #ahbc1 it was strongly suspected he had been assassinated4 ,it was1 however1 afterwards ascertained that he had absconded to avoid his creditors2 and in #ahbh a successor was appointed to his living4 ,he then went to reside in ,america1 but subsequently lived in ,paris1 a professed gamester2 and it is said that he thus gained1 in two years only1 the sum of #be1jjjl4 ,he blew out his brains while on a visit to a friend at ,fontainebleau1 in #ahcb2 bankrupt in health1 spirits1 and fortune4 ,,bunyan',s ,,copy ,,of 8,,the ,,book ,,of ,,martyrs40 ,there is no book1 except the ,bible1 which ,bunyan is known to have perused so intently as the ,acts and ,monuments of ,john ,fox1 the martyrologist1 one of the best of men2 a work more hastily than judiciously compiled1 but invaluable for that greater and far more important portion which has obtained for it its popular name of ,the ,book of ,martyrs4 ,bunyan's own copy of this work is in existence1 and valued of course as such a relic of such a man ought to be4 ,it was purchased in the year #aghj1 by ,mr4 ,wantner1 of the ,minories2 from him it descended to his daughter1 ,mrs4 ,parnell1 of ,botolph-lane2 and it was afterwards purchased1 by subscription1 for the ,bedfordshire ,general ,library4 ,this edition of ,the ,acts and ,monuments is of the date #afda1 #c vols4 folio1 the last of those in the black-letter1 and probably the latest when it came into ,bunyan's hands4 ,in each volume he has written his name beneath the title-page1 in a large and stout print-hand4 ,under some of the woodcuts he has inserted a few rhymes1 which are undoubtedly his own composition2 and which1 though much in the manner of the verses that were printed under the illustrations of his own ,pilgrim's ,progress1 when that work was first adorned with cuts1 7verses worthy of such embellishments17 are very much worse than even the worst of those4 ,indeed1 it would not be possible to find specimens of more miserable doggerel4 ,here is one of the ,tinker's tetrasticks1 penned in the margin1 beside the account of ,gardiner's death3-- 8,the blood1 the blood that he did shed ,is falling one his one head2 ,and dredfull it is for to see ,the beginers of his misere40 ,one of the signatures bears the date of #affb2 but the verses must undoubtedly have been some years earlier1 before the publication of his first tract4 ,these curious inscriptions must have been ,bunyan's first attempts in verse3 he had1 no doubt1 found difficulty enough in tinkering them to make him proud of his work when it was done2 otherwise1 he would not have written them in a book which was the most valuable of all his goods and chattels4 ,in later days1 he seems to have taken this book for his art of poetry4 ,his verses are something below the pitch of ,sternhold and ,hopkins4 ,but if he learnt there to make bad verses1 he entered fully into the spirit of its better parts1 and received that spirit into as resolute a heart as ever beat in a martyr's bosom4#a ,,literary ,,localities4 ,leigh ,hunt pleasantly says3--8,i can no more pass through ,westminster1 without thinking of ,milton2 or the ,borough1 without thinking of ,chaucer and ,shakspeare2 or ,gray's ,inn1 without calling ,bacon to mind2 or ,bloomsbury-square1 without ,steele and ,akenside2 than ,i can prefer brick and mortar to wit and poetry1 or not see a beauty upon it beyond architecture in the splendour of the recollection4 ,i once had duties to perform which kept me out late at night1 and severely taxed my health and spirits4 ,my path lay through a neighbourhood in which ,dryden lived1 and though nothing could be more common-place1 and ,i used to be tired to the heart and soul of me1 ,i never hesitated to go a little out of the way1 purely that ,i might pass through ,gerard-street1 and so give myself the shadow of a pleasant thought40 ,,creed ,,of ,,lord ,,bolingbroke4 ,lord ,brougham says3--8,the dreadful malady under which ,bolingbroke long lingered1 and at length sunk--a cancer in the face--he bore with exemplary fortitude1 a fortitude drawn from the natural resources of his vigorous mind1 and unhappily not aided by the consolations of any religion2 for1 having early cast off the belief in revelation1 he had substituted in its stead a dark and gloomy naturalism1 which even rejected those glimmerings of hope as to futurity not untasted by the wiser of the heathens40 ,lord ,chesterfield1 in one of his letters1 which has been published by ,earl ,stanhope1 says that ,bolingbroke only doubted1 and by no means rejected1 a future state4 ,,bunyan',s ,,preaching4 ,it is said that ,owen1 the divine1 greatly admired ,bunyan's preaching2 and that1 being asked by ,charles ,,ii4 8how a learned man such as he could sit and listen to an itinerant tinker80 he replied3 8,may it please your ,majesty1 could ,i possess that tinker's abilities for preaching1 ,i would most gladly relinquish all my learning40 ,,hone',s 8,,every-,,day ,,book40 ,this popular work was commenced by its author after he had renounced political satire for the more peaceful study of the antiquities of our country4 ,the publication was issued in weekly sheets1 and extended through two years1 #ahbd and #ahbe4 ,it was very successful1 the weekly sale being from #bj1jjj to #cj1jjj copies4 ,in #ahcj1 ,mr4 ,southey gave the following tribute to the merits of the work1 which it is pleasurable to record2 as these two writers1 from their antipodean politics1 had not been accustomed to regard each other's productions with any favour4 ,in closing his ,life of ,john ,bunyan1 ,mr4 ,southey says3-- 8,in one of the volumes1 collected from various quarters1 which were sent to me for this purpose1 ,i observe the name of ,william ,hone1 and notice it that ,i may take the opportunity of recommending his ,every-day ,book and ,table ,book to those who are interested in the preservation of our national and local customs4 ,by these curious publications1 their compiler has rendered good service in an important department of literature2 and he may render yet more1 if he obtain the encouragement which he well deserves40 ,,bunyan',s ,,escapes4 ,bunyan had some providential escapes during his early life4 ,once1 he fell into a creek of the sea1 once out of a boat into the river ,ouse1 near ,bedford1 and each time he was narrowly saved from drowning4 ,one day1 an adder crossed his path4 ,he stunned it with a stick1 then forced open its mouth with a stick and plucked out the tongue1 which he supposed to be the sting1 with his fingers2 8by which act10 he says1 8had not ,god been merciful unto me1 ,i might1 by my desperateness1 have brought myself to an end40 ,if this1 indeed1 were an adder1 and not a harmless snake1 his escape from the fangs was more remarkable than he himself was aware of4 ,a circumstance1 which was likely to impress him more deeply1 occurred in the eighteenth year of his age1 when1 being a soldier in the ,parliament's army1 he was drawn out to go to the siege of ,leicester1 in #afde4 ,one of the same company wished to go in his stead2 ,bunyan consented to exchange with him1 and this volunteer substitute1 standing sentinel one day at the siege1 was shot through the head with a musket-ball4 8,this risk10 ,sir ,walter ,scott observes1 8was one somewhat resembling the escape of ,sir ,roger de ,coverley1 in an action at ,worcester1 who was saved from the slaughter of that action1 by having been absent from the field40--,southey4 ,,drollery ,,spontaneous4 ,more drolleries are uttered unintentionally than by premeditation4 ,there is no such thing as being 8droll to order40 ,one evening a lady said to a small wit1 8,come1 ,mr4 ----1 tell us a lively anecdote20 and the poor fellow was mute the rest of the evening4 8,favour me with your company on ,wednesday evening--you are such a lion10 said a weak party-giver to a young littrateur4 8,i thank you10 replied the wit1 8but1 on that evening ,i am engaged to eat fire at the ,countess of ----1 and stand upon my head at ,mrs4 ----40 ,,origin ,,of ,,cowper',s 8,,john ,,gilpin40 ,it happened one afternoon1 in those years when ,cowper's accomplished friend1 ,lady ,austen1 made a part of his little evening circle1 that she observed him sinking into increased dejection2 it was her custom1 on these occasions1 to try all the resources of her sprightly powers for his immediate relief4 ,she told him the story of ,john ,gilpin1 7which had been treasured in her memory from her childhood71 to dissipate the gloom of the passing hour4 ,its effects on the fancy of ,cowper had the air of enchantment4 ,he informed her the next morning that convulsions of laughter1 brought on by his recollection of her story1 had kept him waking during the greatest part of the night6 and that he had turned it into a ballad4 ,so arose the pleasant poem of ,john ,gilpin4 ,to ,lady ,austen's suggestion1 also1 we are indebted for the poem of 8the ,task40 ,,hard ,,fate ,,of ,,authors4 ,sir ,e4 ,b4 7now ,lord7 ,lytton1 in the memoir which he prefixed to the collected works of ,laman ,blanchard1 draws the following affecting picture of that author's position1 after he had parted from an engagement upon a popular newspaper3-- 8,for the author there is nothing but his pen1 till that and life are worn to the stump3 and then1 with good fortune1 perhaps on his death-bed he receives a pension--and equals1 it may be1 for a few months1 the income of a retired butler6 ,and1 so on the sudden loss of the situation in which he had frittered away his higher and more delicate genius1 in all the drudgery that a party exacts from its defender of the press1 ,laman ,blanchard was thrown again upon the world1 to shift as he might and subsist as he could4 ,his practice in periodical writing was now considerable2 his versatility was extreme4 ,he was marked by publishers and editors as a useful contributor1 and so his livelihood was secure4 ,from a variety of sources thus he contrived1 by constant waste of intellect and strength1 to eke out his income1 and insinuate rather than force his place among his contemporary penmen4 ,and uncomplainingly1 and with patient industry1 he toiled on1 seeming farther and farther off from the happy leisure1 in which #8the something to verify promise was to be completed4' ,no time had he for profound reading1 for lengthened works1 for the mature development of the conceptions of a charming fancy4 ,he had given hostages to fortune4 ,he had a wife and four children1 and no income but that which he made from week to week4 ,the grist must be ground1 and the wheel revolve4 ,all the struggle1 all the toils1 all the weariness of brain1 nerve1 and head1 which a man undergoes in his career1 are imperceptible even to his friends--almost to himself2 he has no time to be ill1 to be fatigued2 his spirit has no holiday2 it is all school-work4 ,and thus1 generally1 we find in such men that the break up of the constitution seems sudden and unlooked-for4 ,the causes of disease and decay have been long laid2 but they are smothered beneath the lively appearances of constrained industry and forced excitement40 ,,james ,,smith1 ,,one ,,of ,,the ,,authors ,,of 8,,rejected ,,addresses40 ,a writer in the ,law ,quarterly ,magazine says3--,to the best of our information1 ,james's coup d'essai in literature was a hoax in the shape of a series of letters to the editor of the ,gentleman's ,magazine1 detailing some extraordinary antiquarian discoveries and facts in natural history1 which the worthy ,sylvanus ,urban inserted without the least suspicion4 ,in #ahjc1 he became a constant contributor to the ,pic-,nic and ,cabinet weekly journals1 in conjunction with ,mr4 ,cumberland1 ,sir ,james ,bland ,burgess1 ,mr4 ,horatio ,smith1 and others4 ,the principal caterer for these publications was ,colonel ,greville1 on whom ,lord ,byron has conferred a not very enviable immortality-- 8,or hail at once the patron and the pile ,of vice and folly1 ,greville and ,argyle40 ,one of ,james ,smith's favourite anecdotes related to him4 ,the ,colonel requested his young ally to call at his lodgings1 and in the course of their first interview related the particulars of the most curious circumstance in his life4 ,he was taken prisoner during the ,american war1 along with three other officers of the same rank2 one evening they were summoned into the presence of ,washington1 who announced to them that the conduct of their ,government1 in condemning one of his officers to death as a rebel1 compelled him to make reprisals2 and that1 much to his regret1 he was under the necessity of requiring them to cast lots1 without delay1 to decide which of them should be hanged4 ,they were then bowed out1 and returned to their quarters4 ,four slips of paper were put into a hat1 and the shortest was drawn by ,captain ,asgill1 who exclaimed1 8,i knew how it would be2 ,i never won so much as a hit of backgammon in my life40 ,as ,greville told the story1 he was selected to sit up with ,captain ,asgill1 under the pretext of companionship1 but1 in reality1 to prevent him from escaping1 and leaving the honour amongst the remaining three4 8,and what10 inquired ,smith1 8did you say to comfort him80 8,why1 ,i remember saying to him1 when they left us1 ,d--it1 old fellow1 never mind20 but it may be doubted 7added ,smith7 whether he drew much comfort from the exhortation4 ,lady ,asgill persuaded the ,french minister to interpose1 and the captain was permitted to escape4 ,both ,james and ,horatio ,smith were also contributors to the ,monthly ,mirror1 then the property of ,mr4 ,thomas ,hill1 a gentleman who had the good fortune to live familiarly with three or four generations of authors2 the same1 in short1 with whom the subject of this memoir thus playfully remonstrated3 8,hill1 you take an unfair advantage of an accident2 the register of your birth was burnt in the great fire of ,london1 and you now give yourself out for younger than you are40 ,the fame of the ,smiths1 however1 was confined to a limited circle until the publication of the ,rejected ,addresses1 which rose at once into almost unprecedented celebrity4 ,james ,smith used to dwell with much pleasure on the criticism of a ,leicestershire clergyman3 8,i do not see why they 7the ,addresses7 should have been rejected3 ,i think some of them very good40 ,this1 he would add1 is almost as good as the avowal of the ,irish bishop1 that there were some things in ,gulliver's ,travels which he could not believe4 ,though never guilty of intemperance1 ,james was a martyr to the gout2 and1 independently of the difficulty he experienced in locomotion1 he partook largely of the feeling avowed by his old friend ,jekyll1 who used to say that1 if compelled to live in the country1 he would have the drive before his house paved like the streets of ,london1 and hire a hackney-coach to drive up and down all day long4 ,he used to tell1 with great glee1 a story showing the general conviction of his dislike to ruralities4 ,he was sitting in the library at a country-house1 when a gentleman proposed a quiet stroll into the pleasure-grounds3-- 8nbsp2#8,stroll6 why1 don't you see my gouty shoe8' 8nbsp2#8,yes1 ,i see that plain enough1 and ,i wish ,i'd brought one too1 but they're all out now4' 8nbsp2#8,well1 and what then8' 8nbsp2#8,what then8 ,why1 my dear fellow1 you don't mean to say that you have really got the gout8 ,i thought you had only put on that shoe to get off being shown over the improvements4'nbsp20 ,his bachelorship is thus attested in his niece's album3 8,should ,i seek ,hymen's tie1 ,as a poet ,i die1 ,ye ,benedicts mourn my distresses3 ,for what little fame ,is annexed to my name1 ,is derived from ,rejected ,addresses40 ,the two following are amongst the best of his good things4 ,a gentleman with the same ,christian and surname took lodgings in the same house4 ,the consequence was1 eternal confusion of calls and letters4 ,indeed1 the postman had no alternative but to share the letters equally between the two4 8,this is intolerable1 sir10 said our friend1 8and you must quit40 8,why am ,i to quit more than you80 8,because you are ,james the ,second--and must abdicate40 ,mr4 ,bentley proposed to establish a periodical publication1 to be called ,the ,wit's ,miscellany4 ,smith objected that the title promised too much4 ,shortly afterwards1 the publisher came to tell him that he had profited by the hint1 and resolved on calling it ,bentley's ,miscellany4 8,isn't that going a little too far the other way80 was the remark4 ,a capital pun has been very generally attributed to him4 ,an actor1 named ,priest1 was playing at one of the principal theatres4 ,some one remarked at the ,garrick ,club1 that there were a great many men in the pit4 8,probably1 clerks who have taken ,priest's orders40 ,the pun is perfect1 but the real proprietor is ,mr4 ,poole1 one of the best punsters as well as one of the cleverest comic writers and finest satirists of the day4 ,it has also been attributed to ,charles ,lamb4 ,formerly1 it was customary1 on emergencies1 for the judges to swear affidavits at their dwelling-houses4 ,smith was desired by his father to attend a judge's chambers for that purpose1 but being engaged to dine in ,russell-square1 at the next house to ,mr4 ,justice ,holroyd's1 he thought he might as well save himself the disagreeable necessity of leaving the party at eight by dispatching his business at once3 so1 a few minutes before six1 he boldly knocked at the judge's1 and requested to speak to him on particular business4 ,the judge was at dinner1 but came down without delay1 swore the affidavit1 and then gravely asked what was the pressing necessity that induced our friend to disturb him at that hour4 ,as ,smith told the story1 he raked his invention for a lie1 but finding none fit for the purpose1 he blurted out the truth3-- 8nbsp2#8,the fact is1 my lord1 ,i am engaged to dine at the next house--and--and----' 8nbsp2#8,and1 sir1 you thought you might as well save your own dinner by spoiling mine8' 8nbsp2#8,exactly so1 my lord1 but----' 8nbsp2#8,sir1 ,i wish you a good evening4'nbsp20 ,smith was rather fond of a joke on his own branch of the profession2 he always gave a peculiar emphasis to the line in his song on the contradiction of names3 8,mr4 ,makepeace was bred an attorney20 and would frequently quote ,goldsmith's lines on ,hickey1 the associate of ,burke and other distinguished cotemporaries3 8,he cherished his friend1 and he relished a bumper2 ,yet one fault he had1 and that was a thumper1 ,then1 what was his failing8 come1 tell it1 and burn ye3 ,he was1 could he help it8 a special attorney40 ,the following playful colloquy in verse took place at a dinner-table between ,sir ,george ,bose and himself1 in allusion to ,craven-street1 ,strand1 where he resided3-- 8,j4 ,s4--#8,at the top of my street the attorneys abound1 ,and down at the bottom the barges are found3 ,fly1 ,honesty1 fly to some safer retreat1 ,for there's craft in the river1 and craft in the street4'nbsp20 8,sir ,g4 ,r4--#8,why should ,honesty fly to some safer retreat1 ,from attorneys and barges1 od rot 'em8 ,for the lawyers are just at the top of the street1 ,and the barges are just at the bottom4'nbsp20 ,,contemporary ,,copyrights4 ,the late ,mr4 ,tegg1 the publisher in ,cheapside1 gave the following list of remunerative payments to distinguished authors in his time2 and he is believed to have taken considerable pains to verify the items3 ,fragments of ,history1 by ,charles ,fox1 sold by ,lord ,holland1 for #ejjj guineas4 ,fragments of ,history1 by ,sir ,james ,mackintosh1 #ejjl4 ,lingard's ,history of ,england1 #dfhcl4 ,sir ,walter ,scott's ,bonaparte was sold1 with the printed books1 for #ah1jjjl42 the net receipts of copyright on the first two editions only must have been #aj1jjjl4 ,life of ,wilberforce1 by his sons1 #djjj guineas4 ,life of ,byron1 by ,moore1 #djjjl4 ,life of ,sheridan1 by ,moore1 #bjjjl4 ,life of ,hannah ,more1 #bjjjl4 ,life of ,cowper1 by ,southey1 #ajjjl4 ,life and ,times of ,george ,,iv41 by ,lady ,c4 ,bury1 #ajjjl4 ,byron's ,works1 #bj1jjjl4 ,lord of the ,isles1 half share1 #aejjl4 ,lalla ,rookh1 by ,moore1 #cjjjl4 ,rejected ,addresses1 by ,smith1 #ajjjl4 ,crabbe's ,works1 republication of1 by ,mr4 ,murray1 #cjjjl4 ,wordsworth's ,works1 republication of1 by ,mr4 ,moxon1 #ajejl4 ,bulwer's ,rienzi1 #afjjl4 ,marryat's ,novels1 #ejjl4 to #aejjl4 each4 ,trollope's ,factory ,boy1 #ahjjl4 ,hannah ,more derived #cj1jjjl4 per annum for her copyrights1 during the latter years of her life4 ,rundell's ,domestic ,cookery1 #bjjjl4 ,nicholas ,nickleby1 #cjjjl4 ,eustace's ,classical ,tour1 #bajjl4 ,sir ,robert ,inglis obtained for the beautiful and interesting widow of ,bishop ,heber by the sale of his journal1 #ejjjl4 ,,miss ,,burney',s 8,,evelina40 ,the story of ,evelina being printed when the authoress was but seventeen years old is proved to have been sheer invention1 to trumpet the work into notoriety2 since it has no more truth in it than a paid-for newspaper puff4 ,the year of ,miss ,burney's birth was long involved in studied obscurity1 and thus the deception lasted1 until one fine day it was ascertained1 by reference to the register of the authoress' birth1 that she was a woman of six or seven-and-twenty1 instead of a 8,miss in her teens10 when she wrote ,evelina4 ,the story of her father's utter ignorance of the work being written by her1 and recommending her to read it1 as an exception to the novel class1 has also been essentially modified4 ,miss ,burney1 7then ,madame ,d',arblay17 is said to have taken the characters in her novel of ,camilla from the family of ,mr4 ,lock1 of ,norbury ,park1 who built for ,gen4 ,d',arblay the villa in which the work was written1 and which to this day is called 8,camilla ,lacy40 ,by this novel1 ,madame ,d',arblay is said to have realized #cjjj guineas4 ,,epitaph ,,on ,,charles ,,lamb4 ,lamb lies buried in ,edmonton churchyard1 and the stone bears the following lines to his memory1 written by his friend1 the ,rev4 ,h4 ,f4 ,cary1 the erudite translator of ,dante and ,pindar3-- 8,farewell1 dear friend6--that smile1 that harmless mirth1 ,no more shall gladden our domestic hearth2 ,that rising tear1 with pain forbid to flow-- ,better than words--no more assuage our woe4 ,that hand outstretch'd from small but well-earned store ,yield succour to the destitute no more4 ,yet art thou not all lost3 through many an age1 ,with sterling sense and humour1 shall thy page ,win many an ,english bosom1 pleased to see ,that old and happier vein revived in thee4 ,this for our earth2 and if with friends we share ,our joys in heaven1 we hope to meet thee there40 ,lamb survived his earliest friend and school-fellow1 ,coleridge1 only a few months4 ,one morning he showed to a friend the mourning ring which the author of ,christabelle had left him4 8,poor fellow60 exclaimed ,lamb1 8,i have never ceased to think of him from the day ,i first heard of his death40 ,lamb died in five days after--,december #bg1 #ahcd1 in his fifty-ninth year4 8,,tom ,,cringle',s ,,log40 ,the author of this very successful work1 7originally published in ,blackwood's ,magazine17 was a ,mr4 ,mick ,scott1 born in ,edinburgh in #aghi1 and educated at the ,high ,school4 ,several years of his life were spent in the ,west ,indies4 ,he ultimately married1 returned to his native country1 and there embarked in commercial speculations1 in the leisure between which he wrote the ,log4 ,notwithstanding its popularity in ,europe and ,america1 the author preserved his incognito to the last4 ,he survived his publisher for some years1 and it was not till ,mr4 ,scott's death that the sons of ,mr4 ,blackwood were aware of his name4 ,,chances ,,for ,,the ,,drama4 ,the royal patent1 by which the performance of the regular drama was restricted to certain theatres1 does not appear to have fostered this class of writing4 ,dr4 ,johnson forced ,goldsmith's ,she ,stoops to ,conquer into the theatre4 ,tobin died regretting that he could not succeed in hearing the ,honeymoon performed4 ,lillo produced ,george ,barnwell 7an admirably written play7 at an irregular theatre1 after it had been rejected by the holders of the patents4 ,douglas was cast on ,home's hands4 ,fielding was introduced as a dramatist at an unlicensed house2 and one of ,mrs4 ,inchbald's popular comedies had lain two years neglected1 when1 by a trifling accident1 she was able to obtain the manager's approval4 ,,fuller',s ,,memory4 ,marvellous anecdotes are related of ,dr4 ,thomas ,fuller's memory4 ,thus1 it is stated that he undertook once1 in passing to and from ,temple ,bar to the farthest conduit in ,cheapside1 to tell at his return every sign as they stood in order on both sides of the way1 repeating them either backward or forward4 ,this must have been a great feat1 seeing that every house then bore a sign4 ,yet1 ,fuller himself decried this kind of thing as a trick1 no art4 ,he relates that one 7who since wrote a book thereof7 told him1 before credible people1 that he1 in ,sidney ,college1 had taught him 7,fuller7 the art of memory4 ,fuller replied that it was not so1 for he could not remember that he had ever seen him before2 8which1 ,i conceive10 adds ,fuller1 8was a real refutation20 and we think so1 too4 ,,lord ,,hervey',s ,,wit4 ,horace ,walpole records ,lord ,hervey's memorable saying about ,lord ,burlington's pretty villa at ,chiswick1 now the ,duke of ,devonshire's1 that it was 8too small to inhabit1 and too large to hang to your watch20 and ,lady ,louisa ,stuart has preserved a piece of dandyism in eating1 which even ,beau ,brummell might have envied--8,when asked at dinner whether he would have some beef1 he answered1 #8,beef8 oh1 no6 faugh6 don't you know ,i never eat beef1 nor horse1 nor any of those things8'nbsp20--,the man that said these things was the successful lover of the prettiest maid of honour to the ,princess of ,wales--the person held up to everlasting ridicule by ,pope--the vice-chamberlain whose attractions engaged the affections of the daughter of the ,sovereign he served2 and the peer whose wit was such that it 8charmed the charming ,mary ,montague40 ,,anacreontic ,,invitation1 ,,by ,,moore4 ,the following1 one of the latest productions of the poet ,moore1 addressed to the ,marquis of ,lansdowne1 shows that though by that time inclining to threescore and ten1 he retained all the fire and vivacity of early youth4 ,it is full of those exquisitely apt allusions and felicitous turns of expression in which the ,english ,anacreon excels4 ,it breathes the very spirit of classic festivity4 ,such an invitation to dinner is enough to create an appetite in any lover of poetry3-- 8,some think we bards have nothing real-- ,that poets live among the stars1 so ,their very dinners are ideal1-- 7,and heaven knows1 too oft they are so37 ,for instance1 that we have1 instead ,of vulgar chops and stews1 and hashes1 ,first course1--a phnix at the head1 ,done in its own celestial ashes3 ,at foot1 a cygnet1 which kept singing ,all the time its neck was wringing4 ,side dishes1 thus1--,minerva's owl1 ,or any such like learned fowl2 ,doves1 such as heaven's poulterer gets ,when ,cupid shoots his mother's pets4 ,larks stew'd in morning's roseate breath1 ,or roasted by a sunbeam's splendour2 ,and nightingales1 be-rhymed to death-- ,like young pigs whipp'd to make them tender4 ,such fare may suit those bard's who're able ,to banquet at ,duke ,humphrey's table2 ,but as for me1 who've long been taught ,to eat and drink like other people1 ,and can put up with mutton1 bought ,where ,bromham rears its ancient steeple2 ,if ,lansdowne will consent to share ,my humble feast1 though rude the fare1 ,yet1 seasoned by that salt he brings ,from ,attica's salinest springs1 ',twill turn to dainties2 while the cup1 ,beneath his influence brightening up1 ,like that of ,baucis1 touched by ,jove1 ,will sparkle fit for gods above60 ,,the ,,poets ,,in ,a ,,puzzle4 ,cottle1 in his ,life of ,coleridge1 relates the following amusing incident3-- 8,i led the horse to the stable1 when a fresh perplexity arose4 ,i removed the harness without difficulty2 but1 after many strenuous attempts1 ,i could not remove the collar4 ,in despair1 ,i called for assistance1 when aid soon drew near4 ,mr4 ,wordsworth brought his ingenuity into exercise2 but1 after several unsuccessful efforts1 he relinquished the achievement1 as a thing altogether impracticable4 ,mr4 ,coleridge now tried his hand1 but showed no more grooming skill than his predecessors2 for1 after twisting the poor horse's neck almost to strangulation and the great danger of his eyes1 he gave up the useless task1 pronouncing that the horse's head must have grown 7gout or dropsy87 since the collar was put on2 for he said #8it was a downright impossibility for such a huge os frontis to pass through so narrow a collar6' ,just at this instant1 a servant-girl came near1 and1 understanding the cause of our consternation1 #8,la6 master1' said she1 #8you don't go about the work in the right way4 ,you should do like this1' when1 turning the collar completely upside down1 she slipped it off in a moment1 to our great humiliation and wonderment1 each satisfied afresh that there were heights of knowledge in the world to which we had not yet attained40 ,,sale ,,of ,,magazines4 ,sir ,john ,hawkins1 in his 8,memoirs of ,johnson10 ascribes the decline of literature to the ascendancy of frivolous ,magazines1 between the years #agdj and #agfj4 ,he says that they render smatterers conceited1 and confer the superficial glitter of knowledge instead of its substance4 ,sir ,richard ,phillips1 upwards of forty years a publisher1 gives the following evidence as to the sale of the ,magazines in his time3-- 8,for my own part1 ,i know that in #agij1 and for many years previously1 there were sold of the trifle called the ,town and ,country ,magazine1 full #ae1jjj copies per month2 and1 of another1 the ,ladies' ,magazine1 from #af1jjj to #bb1jjj4 ,such circumstances were1 therefore1 calculated to draw forth the observations of ,hawkins4 ,the ,gentleman's ,magazine1 in its days of popular extracts1 never rose above #aj1jjj2 after it became more decidedly antiquarian1 it fell in sale1 and continued for many years at #cjjj4 8,the veriest trifles1 and only such1 move the mass of minds which compose the public4 ,the sale of the ,town and ,country ,magazine was created by a fictitious article1 called ,bon-,ton1 in which were given the pretended amours of two personages1 imagined to be real1 with two sham portraits4 ,the idea was conceived1 and1 for above twenty years1 was executed by ,count ,carraccioli2 but1 on his death1 about #agib1 the article lost its spirit1 and within seven years the magazine was discontinued4 ,the ,ladies' ,magazine was1 in like manner1 sustained by love-tales and its low price of sixpence1 which1 till after #agij1 was the general price of magazines40 ,things have now taken a turn unlooked for in those days4 ,the price of most magazines1 it is true1 is still more than sixpence--usually a shilling1 and at that price the ,cornhill in some months reached an impression of #abj1jjj2 but the circulation of ,good ,words1 at sixpence1 has touched #ahj1jjj1 and continues1 we believe1 to be over #ajj1jjj4 ,,mrs4 ,,southey4 ,and who was ,mrs4 ,southey8--who but she who was so long known1 and so great a favourite1 as ,caroline ,bowles2 transformed by the gallantry of the laureate1 and the grace of the parson1 into her matrimonial appellation4 ,southey1 so long ago as the #bast of ,february1 #ahbi1 prefaced his most amatory poem of ,all for ,love1 with a tender address1 that is now1 perhaps1 worth reprinting3-- 8,,to ,,caroline ,,bowles4 8,could ,i look forward to a distant day1 ,with hope of building some elaborate lay1 ,then would ,i wait till worthier strains of mine1 ,might have inscribed thy name1 ,o ,caroline6 ,for ,i would1 while my voice is heard on earth1 ,bear witness to thy genius and thy worth4 ,but we have been both taught to feel with fear1 ,how frail the tenure of existence here2 ,what unforeseen calamities prevent1 ,alas6 how oft1 the best resolved intent2 ,and1 therefore1 this poor volume ,i address ,to thee1 dear friend1 and sister poetess6 8,keswick1 ,feb4 #ba1 #ahbi4 8,,robert ,,southey40 ,the laureate had his wish2 for in duty1 he was bound to say1 that worthier strains than his bore inscribed the name of ,caroline connected with his own--and1 moreover1 she was something more than a dear friend and sister poetess4 8,the laureate10 observes a writer in ,fraser's ,magazine1 8is a fortunate man2 his queen supplies him with butts 7alluding to the laureateship71 and his lady with ,bowls3 then may his cup of good fortune be overflowing40 ,,devotion ,,to ,,science4 ,m4 ,agassiz1 the celebrated palontologist1 is known to have relinquished pursuits from which he might have been in the receipt of a considerable income1 and all for the sake of science4 ,dr4 ,buckland knew him1 when engaged in this arduous career1 with the revenue of only #ajjl43 and of this he paid fifty pounds to artists for drawings1 thirty pounds for books1 and lived himself on the remaining twenty pounds a year6 ,thus did he raise himself to an elevated ,european rank2 and1 in his abode1 au troisime1 was the companion and friend of princes1 ambassadors1 and men of the highest rank and talent of every country4 ,,disadvantageous ,,correction4 ,lord ,north had little reason to congratulate himself when he ventured on an interruption with ,burke4 ,in a debate on some economical question1 ,burke was guilty of a false quantity--8,magnum vectgal est parsimonia40 8,vectgal10 said the minister1 in an audible under-tone4 8,i thank the noble lord for his correction10 resumed the orator1 8since it gives me the opportunity of repeating the inestimable adage--8,magnum vectgal est parsimonia40 7,parsimony is a great revenue47 ,,patronage ,,of ,,literature4 ,when ,victor ,hugo was an aspirant for the honours of the ,french ,academy1 and called on ,m4 ,royer ,collard to ask his vote1 the sturdy veteran professed entire ignorance of his name4 8,i am the author of ,notre ,dame de ,paris1 ,les ,derniers ,jours d'un ,condamn1 ,bug-,jargal1 ,marian ,delorme1 c40 8,i never heard of any of them10 said ,collard4 8,will you do me the honour of accepting a copy of my works80 said ,victor ,hugo4 8,i never read new books10 was the cutting reply4 ,,dr4 ,,johnson',s ,,wigs4 ,dr4 ,johnson's wigs were in general very shabby1 and their fore-parts were burned away by the near approach of the candle1 which his short-sightedness rendered necessary in reading4 ,at ,streatham1 ,mr4 ,thrale's butler always had a wig ready2 and as ,johnson passed from the drawing-room1 when dinner was announced1 the servant would remove the ordinary wig1 and replace it with the newer one2 and this ludicrous ceremony was performed every day4--,croker4 ,,sheridan',s 8,,pizarro40 ,mr4 ,pitt was accustomed to relate very pleasantly an amusing anecdote of a total breach of memory in some ,mrs4 ,lloyd1 a lady1 or nominal housekeeper1 of ,kensington ,palace4 8,being in company10 he said1 8with ,mr4 ,sheridan1 without recollecting him1 while ,pizarro was the topic of discussion1 she said to him1 #8,and so this fine ,pizarro is printed8' #8,yes1 so ,i hear1' said ,sherry4 #8,and did you ever in your life read such stuff8' cried she4 #8,why ,i believe it's bad enough1' quoth ,sherry2 #8but at least1 madam1 you must allow it's very loyal4' #8,ah6' cried she1 shaking her head--#8loyal8 you don't know its author as well as ,i do4'nbsp20 ,,dr4 ,,johnson ,,in ,,london4 ,the following were ,dr4 ,johnson's several places of residence in and near ,london3-- #a4 ,exeter-street1 off ,catherine-street1 ,strand4 7#agcg47 #b4 ,greenwich4 7#agcg47 #c4 ,woodstock-street1 near ,hanover-square4 7#agcg47 #d4 ,castle-court1 ,cavendish-square2 ,no4 #f4 7#agch47 #e4 ,boswell-court4 #f4 ,strand4 #g4 ,strand1 again4 #h4 ,bow-street4 #i4 ,holborn4 #aj4 ,fetter-lane4 #aa4 ,holborn again2 at the ,golden ,anchor1 ,holborn ,bars4 7#agdh47 #ab4 ,gough-square4 7#agdh47 #ac4 ,staple ,inn4 7#ageh47 #ad4 ,gray's ,inn4 #ae4 ,inner ,temple-lane1 ,no4 #a4 7#agfj47 #af4 ,johnson's-court1 ,fleet-street1 ,no4 #e4 7#agfe47 #ag4 ,bolt-court1 ,fleet-street1 ,no4 #h4 7#aggf47 ,,regality ,,of ,,genius4 ,gibbon1 when speaking of his own genealogy1 refers to the fact of ,fielding being of the same family as the ,earl of ,denbigh1 who1 in common with the ,imperial family of ,austria1 is descended from the celebrated ,rodolph1 of ,hapsburgh4 8,while the one branch10 he says1 8have contented themselves with being sheriffs of ,leicestershire1 and justices of the peace1 the others have been emperors of ,germany and kings of ,spain2 but the magnificent romance of ,tom ,jones will be read with pleasure1 when the palace of the ,escurial is in ruins1 and the ,imperial ,eagle of ,austria is rolling in the dust40 ,,fielding',s 8,,tom ,,jones40 ,fielding having finished the manuscript of ,tom ,jones1 and being at the time hard pressed for money took it to a second-rate publisher1 with the view of selling it for what it would fetch at the moment4 ,he left it with the trader1 and called upon him next day for his decision4 ,the bookseller hesitated1 and requested another day for consideration2 and at parting1 ,fielding offered him the ,,ms4 for #bel4 ,on his way home1 ,fielding met ,thomson1 the poet1 whom he told of the negotiation for the sale of the ,,ms42 when ,thomson1 knowing the high merit of the work1 conjured him to be off the bargain1 and offered to find a better purchaser4 ,next morning1 ,fielding hastened to his appointment1 with as much apprehension lest the bookseller should stick to his bargain as he had felt the day before lest he should altogether decline it4 ,to the author's great joy1 the ignorant trafficker in literature declined1 and returned the ,,ms4 to ,fielding4 ,he next set off1 with a light heart1 to his friend ,thomson2 and the novelist and the poet then went to ,andrew ,millar1 the great publisher of the day4 ,millar1 as was his practice with works of light reading1 handed the ,,ms4 to his wife1 who1 having read it1 advised him by no means to let it slip through his fingers4 ,millar now invited the two friends to meet him at a coffee-house in the ,strand1 where1 after dinner1 the bookseller1 with great caution1 offered ,fielding #bjjl4 for the ,,ms4 ,the novelist was amazed at the largeness of the offer4 8,then1 my good sir10 said ,fielding1 recovering himself from his unexpected stroke of good fortune1 8give me your hand--the book is yours4 ,and1 waiter10 continued he1 8bring a couple of bottles of your best port40 ,before ,millar died1 he had cleared eighteen thousand pounds by ,tom ,jones1 out of which he generously made ,fielding various presents1 to the amount of #bjjjl42 and he closed his life by bequeathing a handsome legacy to each of ,fielding's sons4 ,,voltaire ,,and ,,ferney4 ,the showman's work is very profitable at the country-house of ,voltaire1 at ,ferney1 near ,geneva4 ,a ,genevese1 an excellent calculator1 as are all his countrymen1 many years ago valued as follows the yearly profit derived by the above functionary from his situation3-- ,francs4 #hjjj busts of ,voltaire1 made with earth of ,ferney1 at a franc a-piece #h1jjj #abjj autograph letters1 at #bj francs #bd1jjj #ejj walking canes of ,voltaire1 at #ej francs each #be1jjj #cjj veritable wigs of ,voltaire1 at #ajj francs #cj1jjj ------ ,in all #hg1jjj ,,clean ,,hands4 ,lord ,brougham1 during his indefatigable canvass of ,yorkshire1 in the course of which he often addressed ten or a dozen meetings in a day1 thought fit to harangue the electors of ,leeds immediately on his arrival1 after travelling all night1 and without waiting to perform his customary ablutions4 8,these hands are clean60 cried he1 at the conclusion of a diatribe against corruption2 but they happened to be very dirty1 and this practical contradiction raised a hearty laugh4 ,,moderate ,,flattery4 ,jasper ,mayne says of ,master ,cartwright1 the author of tolerable comedies and poems1 printed in #afea3-- 8,yes1 thou to ,nature hadst joined art and skill2 ,in thee1 ,ben ,jonson still held ,shakspeare's quill40 ,,every-,,day ,,life ,,of ,,james ,,smith4 8,one of the ,authors of the ,rejected ,addresses0 thus writes to a friend3#b-- 8,let me enlighten you as to the general disposal of my time4 ,i breakfast at nine1 with a mind undisturbed by matters of business2 ,i then write to you1 or to some editor1 and then read till three o'clock4 ,i then walk to the ,union ,club1 read the journals1 hear ,lord ,john ,russell deified or diablerized1 7that word is not a bad coinage17 do the same with ,sir ,robert ,peel or the ,duke of ,wellington2 and then join a knot of conversationists by the fire till six o'clock1 consisting of lawyers1 merchants1 members of ,parliament1 and gentlemen at large4 ,we then and there discuss the three per cent4 consols1 7some of us preferring ,dutch two-and-a-half per cent471 and speculate upon the probable rise1 shape1 and cost of the ,new ,exchange4 ,if ,lady ,harrington happen to drive past our window in her landau1 we compare her equipage to the ,algerine ,ambassador's2 and when politics happen to be discussed1 rally ,whigs1 ,radicals1 and ,conservatives alternately1 but never seriously1--such subjects having a tendency to create acrimony4 ,at six1 the room begins to be deserted2 wherefore ,i adjourn to the dining-room1 and gravely looking over the bill of fare1 exclaim to the waiter1 #8,haunch of mutton and apple tart4' ,these viands despatched1 with the accompanying liquids and water1 ,i mount upward to the library1 take a book and my seat in the arm-chair1 and read till nine4 ,then call for a cup of coffee and a biscuit1 resuming my book till eleven2 afterwards return home to bed4 ,if ,i have any book here which particularly excites my attention1 ,i place my lamp on a table by my bed-side1 and read in bed until twelve4 ,no danger of ignition1 my lamp being quite safe1 and my curtains moreen4 ,thus #8ends this strange eventful history1'nbsp20 c4 ,,french-,,english ,,jeu-,,de-,,mot4 ,the celebrated ,mrs4 ,thicknesse undertook to construct a letter1 every word of which should be ,french1 yet no ,frenchman should be able to read it2 while an illiterate ,englishman or ,englishwoman should decipher it with ease4 ,here is the specimen of the lady's ingenuity3-- 8,pre1 dire sistre1 comme and se us1 and pass the de here if yeux canne1 and chat tu my dame1 and dine here2 and yeux mai go to the faire if yeux plaise2 yeux mai have fiche1 muttin1 porc1 buter1 foule1 hair1 fruit1 pigeon1 olives1 sallette1 forure diner1 and excellent te1 cafe1 port vin1 an liqueurs2 and tell ure bette and poll to comme2 and ,ile go tu the faire and visite the ,baron4 ,but if yeux dont comme tu us1 ,ile go to ure house and se oncle1 and se houe he does2 for mi dame se he bean ill2 but deux comme2 mi dire yeux canne ly here yeux nos2 if yeux love musique1 yeux mai have the harp1 lutte1 or viol heere4 ,adieu1 mi dire sistre40 ,,relics ,,of ,,izaak ,,walton4 ,flatman's beautiful lines to ,walton1 7says ,mr4 ,jesse7 commencing-- 8,happy old man1 whose worth all mankind knows ,except himself10 have always struck us as conveying a true picture of ,walton's character1 and of the estimation in which he was held after the appearance of his 8,angler40 ,the last male descendant of our 8honest father10 the ,rev4 ,dr4 ,herbert ,hawes1 died in #ahci4 ,he very liberally bequeathed the beautiful painting of ,walton1 by ,houseman1 to the ,national ,gallery2 and it is a curious fact1 as showing the estimation in which any thing connected with ,walton is held in the present day1 that the lord of the manor in which ,dr4 ,hawes resided1 laid claim to this portrait as a heriot1 though not successfully4 ,dr4 ,hawes also bequeathed the greater portion of his library to the ,dean and ,chapter of ,salisbury2 and his executor and friend presented the celebrated prayer-book1 which was ,walton's1 to ,mr4 ,pickering1 the publisher4 ,the watch which belonged to ,walton's connexion1 the excellent ,bishop ,ken1 has been presented to his amiable biographer1 the ,rev4 ,w4 ,lisle ,bowles4 ,walton died at the house of his son-in-law1 ,dr4 ,hawkins1 at ,winchester4 ,he was buried in ,winchester ,cathedral1 in the south aisle1 called ,prior ,silkstead's ,chapel4 ,a large black marble slab is placed over his remains2 and1 to use the poetical language of ,mr4 ,bowles1 8the morning sunshine falls directly on it1 reminding the contemplative man of the mornings when he was1 for so many years1 up and abroad with his angle1 on the banks of the neighbouring stream40 ,,praise ,,of ,,ale4 ,dr4 ,still1 though ,bishop of ,bath and ,wells1 seems not to have been over fond of water2 for thus he sings3-- 8,a stoup of ale1 then1 cannot fail1 ,to cheer both heart and soul2 ,it hath a charm1 and without harm ,can make a lame man whole4 ,for he who thinks1 and water drinks1 ,is never worth a dump3 ,then fill your cup1 and drink it up1 ,may he be made a pump40 ,,dangerous ,,fools4 ,sydney ,smith writes3--,if men are to be fools1 it were better that they were fools in little matters than in great2 dulness1 turned up with temerity1 is a livery all the worse for the facings2 and the most tremendous of all things is a magnanimous dunce4 ,,bulwer',s ,,pompeian ,,drawing-,,room4 ,in #ahda1 the author of ,pelham lived in ,charles-street1 ,berkeley-square1 in a small house1 which he fitted up after his own taste2 and an odd mele of the classic and the baronial certain of the rooms presented4 ,one of the drawing-rooms1 we remember1 was in the ,elizabethan style1 with an imitative oak ceiling1 bristled with pendents2 and this room opened into another apartment1 a fac-simile of a chamber which ,bulwer had visited at ,pompeii1 with vases1 candelabra1 and other furniture to correspond4 ,james ,smith has left a few notes of his visit here3 8,our host10 he says1 8lighted a perfumed pastile1 modelled from ,vesuvius4 ,as soon as the cone of the mountain began to blaze1 ,i found myself an inhabitant of the devoted city2 and1 as ,pliny the elder1 thus addressed ,bulwer1 my supposed nephew3--#8,our fate is accomplished1 nephew6 ,hand me yonder volume6 ,i shall die as a student in my vocation4 ,do thou hasten to take refuge on board the fleet at ,misenum4 ,yonder cloud of hot ashes chides thy longer delay4 ,feel no alarm for me2 ,i shall live in story4 ,the author of ,pelham will rescue my name from oblivion4' ,pliny the younger made me a low bow1 c40 ,we strongly suspect ,james of quizzing 8our host40 ,he noted1 by the way1 in the chamber were the busts of ,hebe1 ,laura1 ,petrarch1 ,dante1 and other worthies2 ,laura like our ,queen4 ,,sterne',s ,,sermons4 ,sterne's sermons are1 in general1 very short1 which circumstance gave rise to the following joke at ,bull's ,library1 at ,bath3--,a footman had been sent by his lady to purchase one of ,smallridge's sermons1 when1 by mistake1 he asked for a small religious sermon4 ,the bookseller being puzzled how to reply to his request1 a gentleman present suggested1 8,give him one of ,sterne's40 ,it has been observed1 that if ,sterne had never written one line more than his picture of the mournful cottage1 towards the conclusion of his fifth sermon1 we might cheerfully indulge the devout hope that the recording angel1 whom he once invoked1 will have blotted out many of his imperfections4 8,,tom ,,hill40 ,a few days before the close of #ahdj1 ,london lost one of its choicest spirits1 and humanity one of her kindest-hearted sons1 in the death of ,thomas ,hill1 ,esq4--8,tom ,hill10 as he was called by all who loved and knew him4 ,his life exemplified one venerable proverb1 and disproved another2 he was born in ,may1 #agfj1 and was1 consequently1 in his #hast year1 and 8as old as the hills20 having led a long life and a merry one4 ,he was originally a drysalter2 but about the year #ahaj1 having sustained a severe loss by a speculation in indigo1 he retired upon the remains of his property to chambers in the ,adelphi1 where he died2 his physician remarking to him1 8,i can do no more for you--,i have done all ,i can4 ,i cannot cure age40 ,hill1 when in business at the unlettered ,queenhithe1 found leisure to accumulate a fine collection of books1 chiefly old poetry1 which afterwards1 when misfortune overtook him1 was valued at #fjjjl4 ,hill was likewise a ,mcenas3 he patronized two friendless poets1 ,bloomfield and ,kirke ,white4 ,the ,farmer's ,boy of the former was read and admired by him in manuscript1 and was recommended to a publisher4 ,hill also established ,the ,monthly ,mirror1 to which ,kirke ,white was a contributor4 ,hill was the ,hull of ,hook's ,gilbert ,gurney4 ,he happened to know everything that was going on in all circles2 and was at all 8private views0 of exhibitions4 ,so especially was he favoured1 that a wag recorded1 when asked whether he had seen the new comet1 he replied--8,pooh6 pooh6 ,i was present at the private view40 ,hill left behind him an assemblage of literary rarities1 which it occupied a clear week to sell by auction4 ,among them was ,garrick's cup1 formed from the mulberry tree planted by ,shakespeare in his garden at ,new ,place1 ,stratford-upon-,avon2 this produced forty guineas4 ,a small vase and pedestal1 carved from the same mulberry-tree1 and presented to ,garrick1 was sold with a coloured drawing of it1 for ten guineas4 ,and a block of wood1 cut from the celebrated willow planted by ,pope1 at his villa at ,twickenham1 brought one guinea4 ,,tycho ,,brahe',s ,,nose4 ,sir ,david ,brewster relates that in the year #aeff1 an accident occurred to ,tycho ,brahe1 at ,wittenberg1 which had nearly deprived him of his life4 ,on the #ajth of ,december1 ,tycho had a quarrel with a noble countryman1 ,manderupius ,rasbergius1 and they parted ill friends4 ,on the #bgth of the same month1 they met again2 and having renewed their quarrel1 they agreed to settle their differences by the sword4 ,they accordingly met at seven o'clock in the evening of the #bith1 and fought in total darkness4 ,in this blind combat1 ,manderupius cut off the whole of the front of ,tycho's nose1 and it was fortunate for astronomy that his more valuable organs were defended by so faithful an outpost4 ,the quarrel1 which is said to have originated in a difference of opinion respecting their mathematical attainments1 terminated here2 and ,tycho repaired his loss by cementing upon his face a nose of gold and silver1 which is said to have formed a good imitation of the original4 ,thus1 ,tycho was1 indeed1 a 8,martyr of ,science40 ,,foote',s ,,wooden ,,leg4 ,george ,colman1 the younger1 notes3--8,there is no ,shakspeare or ,roscius upon record who1 like ,foote1 supported a theatre for a series of years by his own acting1 in his own writings2 and for ten years of the time1 upon a wooden leg6 ,this prop to his person ,i once saw standing by his bedside1 ready dressed in a handsome silk stocking1 with a polished shoe and gold buckle1 awaiting the owner's getting up3 it had a kind of tragic1 comical appearance1 and ,i leave to inveterate wags the ingenuity of punning upon a ,foote in bed1 and a leg out of it4 ,the proxy for a limb thus decorated1 though ludicrous1 is too strong a reminder of amputation to be very laughable4 ,his undressed supporter was the common wooden stick1 which was not a little injurious to a well-kept pleasure-ground4 ,i remember following him after a shower of rain1 upon a nicely rolled terrace1 in which he stumped a deep round hole at every other step he took1 till it appeared as if the gardener had been there with his dibble1 preparing1 against all horticultural practice1 to plant a long row of cabbages in a gravel walk40 ,,rival ,,remembrance4 ,mr4 ,gifford to ,mr4 ,hazlitt4 8,what we read from your pen1 we remember no more40 ,mr4 ,hazlitt to ,mr4 ,gifford4 8,what we read from your pen1 we remember before40 ,,who ,,wrote 8,,junius',s ,,letters08 ,this question has not yet been satisfactorily answered4 ,in #ahab1 ,dr4 ,mason ,good1 in an essay he wrote on the question1 passed in review all the persons who had then been suspected of writing these celebrated letters4 ,they are1 ,charles ,lloyd and ,john ,roberts1 originally treasury clerks2 ,samuel ,dyer1 a learned man1 and a friend of ,burke and ,johnson2 ,william ,gerard ,hamilton1 familiarly known as 8,single-speech ,hamilton20 ,mr4 ,burke2 ,dr4 ,butler1 late ,bishop of ,hereford2 the ,rev4 ,philip ,rosenhagen2 ,major-,general ,lee1 who went over to the ,americans1 and took an active part in their contest with the mother-country2 ,john ,wilkes2 ,hugh ,macaulay ,boyd2 ,john ,dunning1 ,lord ,ashburton2 ,henry ,flood2 and ,lord ,george ,sackville4 ,since this date1 in #ahac1 ,john ,roche published an ,inquiry1 in which he persuaded himself that ,burke was the author4 ,in the same year there appeared three other publications on ,junius3 these were1 the ,attempt of the ,rev4 ,j4 ,b4 ,blakeway1 to trace them to ,john ,horne ,tooke2 next were the 8,facts0 of ,thomas ,girdlestone1 ,m4,d41 to prove that ,general ,lee was the author2 and1 thirdly1 a work put forth by ,mrs4 ,olivia ,wilmot ,serres1 in the following confident terms3--8,life of the ,author of ,junius's ,letters1--the ,rev4 ,j4 ,wilmot1 ,d4,d41 ,fellow of ,trinity ,college1 ,oxford20 and1 like most bold attempts1 this work attracted some notice and discussion4 ,in #ahae1 the ,letters were attributed to ,richard ,glover1 the poet of ,leonidas2 and this improbable idea was followed by another1 assigning the authorship of the ,letters to the ,duke of ,portland1 in #ahaf4 ,in the same year appeared 8,arguments and ,facts10 to show that ,john ,louis de ,lolme1 author of the famous ,essay on the ,constitution of ,england1 was the writer of these anonymous epistles4 ,in #ahaf1 too1 appeared ,mr4 ,john ,taylor's 8,junius ,identified10 advocating the claims of ,sir ,philip ,francis so successfully that the question was generally considered to be settled4 ,mr4 ,taylor's opinion was supported by ,edward ,dubois1 ,esq41 formerly the confidential friend and private secretary of ,sir ,philip1 who1 in common with ,lady ,francis1 constantly entertained the conviction that his deceased patron was identical with ,junius4 ,in #ahag1 ,george ,chalmers1 ,f4,s4,a41 advocated the pretensions of ,hugh ,macaulay ,boyd to the authorship of ,junius4 ,in #ahbe1 ,mr4 ,george ,coventry maintained with great ability that ,lord ,george ,sackville was ,junius2 and two writers in ,america adopted this theory4 ,thus was the whole question re-opened2 and1 in #ahbh1 ,mr4 ,e4 ,h4 ,barker1 of ,thetford1 refuted the claims of ,lord ,george ,sackville and ,sir ,philip ,francis1 and advocated those of ,charles ,lloyd1 private secretary to the ,hon4 ,george ,grenville4#c ,in #ahda1 ,mr4 ,n4 ,w4 ,simons1 of the ,british ,museum1 refuted the supposition that ,sir ,philip ,francis was directly or indirectly concerned in the writing2 and1 in the same year1 appeared ,m4 ,jaques's review of the controversy1 in which he arrived at the conclusion that ,lord ,george ,sackville composed the ,letters1 and that ,sir ,philip ,francis was his amanuensis1 thus combining the theory of ,mr4 ,taylor with that of ,mr4 ,coventry4 ,the question was reviewed and revived in a volume published by ,mr4 ,britton1 ,f4,s4,a41 in ,june #ahdh1 entitled 8,the ,authorship of the ,letters of ,junius ,elucidated20 in which is advocated with great care the opinion that the ,letters were1 to a certain extent1 the joint productions of ,lieut4-,colonel ,isaac ,barr1 ,m4,p41 ,lord ,shelburne1 7afterwards ,marquess of ,lansdowne17 and ,dunning1 ,lord ,ashburton4 ,of these three persons the late ,sir ,francis ,baring commissioned ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds1 in #aghd-e1 to paint portraits in one picture1 which is regarded as evidence of joint authorship4 ,only a week before his death1 #ahjd1 the ,marquess of ,lansdowne was personally appealed to on the subject of ,junius1 by ,sir ,richard ,phillips4 ,in conversation1 the ,marquess said1 8,no1 no1 ,i am not equal to ,junius2 ,i could not be the author2 but the grounds of secrecy are now so far removed by death 7,dunning and ,barr were at that time dead71 and change of circumstances1 that it is unnecessary the author of ,junius should much longer be unknown4 ,the world is curious about him1 and ,i could make a very interesting publication on the subject4 ,i knew ,junius1 and ,i know all about the writing and production of these ,letters40 ,the ,marquess added1 8,if ,i live over the summer1 which1 however1 ,i don't expect1 ,i promise you a very interesting pamphlet about ,junius4 ,i will put my name to it2 ,i will set the question at rest for ever40 ,the death of the ,marquess1 however1 occurred in a week4 ,in a letter to the ,monthly ,magazine1 ,july #ahac1 the son of the ,marquess of ,lansdowne says3--8,it is not impossible my father may have been acquainted with the fact2 but perhaps he was under some obligation to secrecy1 as he never made any communication to me on the subject40 ,lord ,mahon 7now ,earl ,stanhope7 at length and with minuteness enters1 in his ,history1 into a vindication of the claims of ,sir ,philip ,francis1 grounding his partisanship on the close similarity of handwriting established by careful comparison of facsimiles2 the likeness of the style of ,sir ,philip's speeches in ,parliament to that of ,junius--biting1 pithy1 full of antithesis and invective2 the tenderness and bitterness displayed by ,junius towards persons to whom ,sir ,philip stood well or ill affected2 the correspondence of the dates of the letters with those of certain movements of ,sir ,philip2 and the evidence of ,junius' close acquaintance with the ,war ,office1 where ,sir ,philip held a post4 ,it seems generally agreed that the weight of proof is on the side of ,sir ,philip ,francis2 but there will always be found adherents of other names--as ,o',connell1 in the following passage1 of ,burke3-- 8,it is my decided opinion10 said ,o',connell1 8that ,edmund ,burke was the author of the #8,letters of ,junius4' ,there are many considerations which compel me to form that opinion4 ,burke was the only man who made that figure in the world which the author of #8,junius' must have made1 if engaged in public life2 and the entire of #8,junius's ,letters' evinces that close acquaintance with the springs of political machinery which no man could possess unless actively engaged in politics4 ,again1 ,burke was fond of chemical similes2 now chemical similes are frequent in ,junius4 ,again2 ,burke was an ,irishman2 now ,junius1 speaking of the ,government of ,ireland1 twice calls it #8the ,castle1' a familiar phrase amongst ,irish politicians1 but one which an ,englishman1 in those days1 would never have used4 ,again2 ,burke had this peculiarity in writing1 that he often wrote many words without taking the pen from the paper4 ,the very same peculiarity existed in the manuscripts of ,junius1 although they were written in a feigned hand4 ,again2 it may be said that the style is not ,burke's4 ,in reply1 ,i would say that ,burke was master of many styles4 ,his work on natural society1 in imitation of ,lord ,bolingbroke1 is as different in point of style from his work on the ,french ,revolution1 as both are from the #8,letters of ,junius4' ,again2 ,junius speaks of the ,king's insanity as a divine visitation2 ,burke said the very same thing in the ,house of ,commons4 ,again2 had any one of the other men to whom the #8,letters' are1 with any show of probability1 ascribed1 been really the author1 such author would have had no reason for disowning the book1 or remaining incognito4 ,any one of them but ,burke would have claimed the authorship and fame--and proud fame4 ,but ,burke had a very cogent reason for remaining incognito4 ,in claiming ,junius he would have claimed his own condemnation and dishonour1 for ,burke died a pensioner4 ,burke was1 moreover1 the only pensioner who had the commanding talent displayed in the writings of ,junius4 ,now1 when ,i lay all these considerations together1 and especially when ,i reflect that a cogent reason exists for ,burke's silence as to his own authorship1 ,i confess ,i think ,i have got a presumptive proof of the very strongest nature1 that ,burke was the writer40#d ,,literary ,,coffee-,,houses ,,in ,,the ,,last ,,century4 ,three of the most celebrated resorts of the literati of the last century were ,will's ,coffee-house1 ,no4 #bc1 on the north side of ,great ,russell-street1 ,covent ,garden1 at the end of ,bow-street4 ,this was the favourite resort of ,dryden1 who had here his own chair1 in winter by the fireside1 in summer in the balcony3 the company met in the first floor1 and there smoked2 and the young beaux and wits were sometimes honoured with a pinch out of ,dryden's snuff-box4 ,will's was the resort of men of genius till #agaj3 it was subsequently occupied by a perfumer4 ,tom's1 ,no4 #ag1 ,great ,russell-street1 had nearly #gjj subscribers1 at a guinea a-head1 from #agfd to #agfh1 and had its card1 conversation1 and coffee-rooms1 where assembled ,dr4 ,johnson1 ,garrick1 ,murphy1 ,goldsmith1 ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds1 ,foote1 and other men of talent3 the tables and books of the club were not many years since preserved in the house1 the first floor of which was then occupied by ,mr4 ,webster1 the medallist4 ,button's1 8over against0 ,tom's1 was the receiving-house for contributions to ,the ,guardian1 in a lion-head box1 the aperture for which remains in the wall to mark the place4 ,button had been servant to ,lady ,warwick1 whom ,addison married2 and the house was frequented by ,pope1 ,steele1 ,swift1 ,arbuthnot1 and ,addison4 ,the lion's head for a letter-box1 8the best head in ,england10 was set up in imitation of the celebrated lion at ,venice3 it was removed from ,button's to the ,shakspeare's ,head1 under the arcade in ,covent ,garden2 and in #agea1 was placed in the ,bedford1 next door4 ,this lion's head is now treasured as a relic by the ,bedford family4 ,,lord ,,byron ,,and 8,,my ,,grandmother',s ,,review40 ,at the close of the first canto of ,don ,juan1 its noble author1 by way of propitiating the reader for the morality of his poem1 says3-- 8,the public approbation ,i expect1 ,and beg they'll take my word about the moral1 ,which ,i with their amusement will connect1 ,as children cutting teeth receive a coral2 ,meantime1 they'll doubtless please to recollect ,my epical pretensions to the laurel2 ,for fear some prudish reader should grow skittish1 ,i've bribed my ,grandmother's ,review--the ,british4 ,i sent it in a letter to the editor1 ,who thank'd me duly by return of post-- ,i'm for a handsome article his creditor2 ,yet if my gentle muse he please to roast1 ,and break a promise after having made it her1 ,denying the receipt of what it cost1 ,and smear his page with gall instead of honey1 ,all ,i can say is--that he had the money40 ,canto ,i4 st4 ccix4 ccx4 ,now1 8the ,british0 was a certain staid and grave high-church review1 the editor of which received the poet's imputation of bribery as a serious accusation2 and1 accordingly1 in his next number after the publication of ,don ,juan1 there appeared a postscript1 in which the receipt of any bribe was stoutly denied1 and the idea of such connivance altogether repudiated2 the editor adding that he should continue to exercise his own judgment as to the merits of ,lord ,byron1 as he had hitherto done in every instance6 ,however1 the affair was too ludicrous to be at once altogether dropped2 and1 so long as the prudish publication was in existence1 it enjoyed the sobriquet of 8,my ,grandmother's ,review40 ,by the way1 there is another hoax connected with this poem4 ,one day an old gentleman gravely inquired of a printseller for a portrait of 8,admiral ,noah0--to illustrate ,don ,juan6 ,,walpole',s ,,way ,,to ,,win ,,them4 ,sir ,robert ,walpole1 in one of his letters1 thus describes the relations of a skilful ,minister with an accommodating ,parliament--the description1 it may be said1 having1 by lapse of time1 acquired the merit of general inapplicability to the present state of things3--8,my dear friend1 there is scarcely a member whose purse ,i do not know to a sixpence1 and whose very soul almost ,i could not purchase at the offer4 ,the reason former ,ministers have been deceived in this matter is evident--they never considered the temper of the people they had to deal with4 ,i have known a minister so weak as to offer an avaricious old rascal a star and garter1 and attempt to bribe a young rogue1 who set no value upon money1 with a lucrative employment4 ,i pursue methods as opposite as the poles1 and therefore my administration has been attended with a different effect40 8,patriots10 elsewhere says ,walpole1 8spring up like mushrooms4 ,i could raise fifty of them within four-and-twenty hours4 ,i have raised many of them in one night4 ,it is but refusing to gratify an unreasonable or insolent demand1 and up starts a patriot40 ,,dr4 ,,johnson',s ,,criticisms4 ,johnson decided literary questions like a lawyer1 not like a legislator4 ,he never examined foundations where a point was already ruled4 ,his whole code of criticism rested on pure assumption1 for which he sometimes gave a precedent or authority1 but rarely troubled himself to give a reason drawn from the nature of things4 ,he judged of all works of the imagination by the standard established among his own contemporaries4 ,though he allowed ,homer to have been a greater man than ,virgil1 he seems to have thought the neid to have been a greater poem than the ,iliad4 ,indeed1 he well might have thought so2 for he preferred ,pope's ,iliad to ,homer's4 ,he pronounced that after ,hoole's translation of ,tasso1 ,fairfax's would hardly be reprinted4 ,he could see no merit in our fine old ,english ballads1 and always spoke with the most provoking contempt of ,dr4 ,percy's fondness for them4 ,of all the great original works which appeared during his time1 ,richardson's novels alone excited his admiration4 ,he could see little or no merit in ,tom ,jones1 in ,gulliver's ,travels1 or in ,tristram ,shandy4 ,to ,thomson's ,castle of ,indolence he vouchsafed only a line of cold commendation--of commendation much colder than what he has bestowed on ,the ,creation of that portentous bore1 ,sir ,richard ,blackmore4 ,gray was1 in his dialect1 a barren rascal4 ,churchill was a blockhead4 ,the contempt which he felt for ,macpherson was1 indeed1 just2 but it was1 we suspect1 just by chance4 ,he criticized ,pope's epitaphs excellently4 ,but his observations on ,shakspeare's plays1 and ,milton's poems1 seem to us as wretched as if they had been written by ,rymer himself1 whom we take to have been the worst critic that ever lived4 ,,gibbon',s ,,house1 ,,at ,,lausanne4 ,the house of ,gibbon1 in which he completed his 8,decline and ,fall10 is in the lower part of the town of ,lausanne1 behind the church of ,st4 ,francis1 and on the right of the road leading down to ,ouchy4 ,both the house and the garden have been much changed4 ,the wall of the ,hotel ,gibbon occupies the site of his summer-house1 and the berceau walk has been destroyed to make room for the garden of the hotel2 but the terrace looking over the lake1 and a few acacias1 remain4 ,gibbon's record of the completion of his great labour is very impressive4 8,it was on the day1 or rather the night1 of the #bgth of ,june1 #aghg1 between the hours of eleven and twelve1 that ,i wrote the last line of the last page1 in a summer-house in my garden4 ,after laying down my pen1 ,i took several turns in a berceau1 or covered walk of acacias1 which commands a prospect of the country1 the lake1 and the mountains4 ,the air was temperate1 the sky was serene1 the silver orb of the moon was reflected from the waves1 and all nature was silent40 ,at a little inn at ,morges1 about two miles distant from ,lausanne1 ,lord ,byron wrote the ,prisoner of ,chillon1 in the short space of two days1 during which he was detained here by bad weather1 ,june #ahaf3 8thus adding one more deathless association to the already immortalized localities of the ,lake40 ,,origin ,,of 8,,boz40 7,,dickens47 ,a fellow passenger with ,mr4 ,dickens in the ,britannia steam-ship1 across the ,atlantic1 inquired of the author the origin of his signature1 8,boz40 ,mr4 ,dickens replied that he had a little brother who resembled so much the ,moses in the ,vicar of ,wakefield1 that he used to call him ,moses also2 but a younger girl1 who could not then articulate plainly1 was in the habit of calling him ,bozie or ,boz4 ,this simple circumstance made him assume that name in the first article he risked to the public1 and therefore he continued the name1 as the first effort was approved of4 ,,boswell',s 8,,life ,,of ,,johnson40 ,sir ,john ,malcolm once asked ,warren ,hastings1 who was a contemporary and companion of ,dr4 ,johnson and ,boswell1 what was his real estimation of ,boswell's ,life of ,johnson8 8,sir10 replied ,hastings1 8it is the dirtiest book in my library20 then proceeding1 he added3 8,i knew ,boswell intimately2 and ,i well remember1 when his book first made its appearance1 ,boswell was so full of it1 that he could neither think nor talk of anything else2 so much so1 that meeting ,lord ,thurlow hurrying through ,parliament-street to get to the ,house of ,lords1 where an important debate was expected1 for which he was already too late1 ,boswell had the temerity to stop and accost him with 8,have you read my book80 8,yes10 replied ,lord ,thurlow1 with one of his strongest curses1 8every word of it2 ,i could not help it40 ,,patronage ,,of ,,authors4 ,in the reigns of ,william ,,iii41 of ,anne1 and of ,george ,i41 even such men as ,congreve and ,addison could scarcely have been able to live like gentlemen by the mere sale of their writings4 ,but the deficiency of the natural demand for literature was1 at the close of the seventeenth1 and at the beginning of the eighteenth century1 more than made up by the artificial encouragement--by a vast system of bounties and premiums4 ,there was1 perhaps1 never a time at which the rewards of literary merit were so splendid--at which men who could write well found such easy admittance into the most distinguished society1 and to the highest honours of the state4 ,the chiefs of both the great parties into which the kingdom was divided1 patronized literature with emulous munificence4 ,congreve1 when he had scarcely attained his majority1 was rewarded for his first comedy with places which made him independent for life4 ,rowe was not only poet laureate1 but land-surveyor of the ,customs in the port of ,london1 clerk of the council to the ,prince of ,wales1 and secretary of the ,presentations to the ,lord ,chancellor4 ,hughes was secretary to the ,commissioners of the ,peace4 ,ambrose ,phillips was judge of the ,prerogative ,court in ,ireland4 ,locke was ,commissioner of ,appeals and of the ,board of ,trade4 ,newton was ,master of the ,mint4 ,stepney and ,prior were employed in embassies of high dignity and importance4 ,gay1 who commenced life as apprentice to a silk-mercer1 became a secretary of ,legation at five-and-twenty4 ,it was to a poem on the death of ,charles ,,ii41 and to 8the ,city and ,country ,mouse10 that ,montague owed his introduction into public life1 his earldom1 his garter1 and his auditorship of the ,exchequer4 ,swift1 but for the unconquerable prejudice of the queen1 would have been a bishop4 ,oxford1 with his white staff in his hand1 passed through the crowd of his suitors to welcome ,parnell1 when that ingenious writer deserted the ,whigs4 ,steele was a ,commissioner of ,stamps1 and a member of ,parliament4 ,arthur ,mainwaring was a ,commissioner of the ,customs1 and ,auditor of the ,imprest4 ,tickell was secretary to the ,lords ,justices of ,ireland4 ,addison was ,secretary of ,state4 ,but soon after the succession of the throne of ,hanover1 a change took place4 ,the supreme power passed to a man who cared little for poetry or eloquence4 ,walpole paid little attention to books1 and felt little respect for authors4 ,one of the coarse jokes of his friend1 ,sir ,charles ,hanbury ,williams1 was far more pleasing to him than ,thomson's ,seasons or ,richardson's ,pamela4 ,,learning ,,french4 ,when ,brummell was obliged by want of money1 and debt1 and all that1 to retire to ,france1 he knew no ,french2 and having obtained a grammar for the purpose of study1 his friend ,scrope ,davies was asked what progress ,brummell had made in ,french4 ,he responded1 that ,brummell had been stopped1 like ,buonaparte in ,russia1 by the ,elements4 8,i have put this pun into ,beppo1 7says ,lord ,byron71 which is a fair exchange and no robbery1 for ,scrope made his fortune at several dinners1 7as he owned himself17 by repeating occasionally1 as his own1 some of the buffooneries with which ,i had encountered him in the morning40 ,,johnson',s ,,club-,,room4 ,in a paper in the ,edinburgh ,review1 we find this cabinet picture3--,the club-room is before us1 and the table1 on which stands the omelet for ,nugent1 and the lemons for ,johnson4 ,there are assembled those heads which live for ever on the canvas of ,reynolds4 ,there are the spectacles of ,burke1 and the tall thin form of ,langton2 the courtly sneer of ,beauclerc1 and the beaming smile of ,garrick2 ,gibbon tapping his snuff-box1 and ,sir ,joshua with his trumpet in his ear4 ,in the foreground is that strange figure which is as familiar to us as the figures of those among whom we have been brought up--the gigantic body1 the huge massy face1 seamed with the scars of disease2 the brown coat1 the black worsted stockings1 the grey wig1 with the scorched foretop2 the dirty hands1 the nails bitten and pared to the quick4 ,we see the eyes and nose moving with convulsive twitches2 we see the heavy form rolling2 we hear it puffing2 and then comes the 8,why1 sir60 and the 8,what then1 sir80 and the 8,no1 sir60 and the 8,you don't see your way through the question1 sir60 ,,dr4 ,,chalmers',s ,,industry4 ,in ,october1 #ahda1 ,dr4 ,chalmers commenced two series of biblical compositions1 which he continued with unbroken regularity till the day of his decease1 ,may #ca1 #ahdg4 ,go where he might1 however he might be engaged1 each week-day had its few verses read1 thought over1 written upon--forming what he denominated 8,hor ,biblic ,quotidian30 each ,sabbath-day had its two chapters1 one in the ,old and the other in the ,new ,testament1 with the two trains of meditative devotion recorded to which the reading of them respectively gave birth--forming what he denominated 8,hor ,biblic ,sabbatic40 ,when absent from home or when the manuscript books in which they were ordinarily inserted were not beside him1 he wrote in short-hand1 carefully entering what was thus written in the larger volumes afterwards4 ,not a trace of haste nor of the extreme pressure from without1 to which he was so often subjected1 is exhibited in the handwriting of these volumes4 ,there are but few words omitted--scarcely any erased4 ,this singular correctness was a general characteristic of his compositions4 ,his lectures on the ,epistle to the ,romans were written currente calamo1 in ,glasgow1 during the most hurried and overburthened period of his life4 ,and when1 many years afterwards1 they were given out to be copied for the press1 scarcely a blot1 or an erasure1 or a correction1 was to be found in them1 and they were printed off exactly as they had originally been written4 ,in preparing the 8,hor ,biblic ,quotidian10 ,chalmers had by his side1 for use and reference1 the 8,concordance10 the 8,pictorial ,bible10 8,poole's ,synopsis10 8,henry's ,commentary10 and 8,robinson's ,researches in ,palestine40 ,these constituted what he called his 8,biblical ,library40 8,there10 said he to a friend1 pointing1 as he spoke1 to the above-named volumes1 as they lay together on his library-table1 with a volume of the 8,quotidian10 in which he had just been writing1 lying open beside them1--8,there are the books ,i use--all that is ,biblical is there4 ,i have to do with nothing besides in my ,biblical study40 ,to the consultation of these few volumes he throughout restricted himself4 ,the whole of the ,,mss4 were purchased1 after ,dr4 ,chalmers's death1 for a large sum of money1 by ,mr4 ,thomas ,constable1 of ,edinburgh1 her ,majesty's printer2 and were in due time given to1 and most favourably received by1 the public4 ,,latest ,,of ,,dr4 ,,johnson',s ,,contemporaries4#e ,in the autumn of #ahca1 died the ,rev4 ,dr4 ,shaw1 at ,chesley1 ,somersetshire1 at the age of eighty-three3 he is said to have been the last surviving friend of ,dr4 ,johnson4 ,on the #afth of ,january1 in the above year1 died ,mr4 ,richard ,clark1 chamberlain of the ,city of ,london1 in the ninety-second year of his age4 ,at the age of fifteen1 he was introduced by ,sir ,john ,hawkins to ,johnson1 whose friendship he enjoyed to the last year of the ,doctor's life4 ,he attended ,johnson's evening parties at the ,mitre ,tavern1 in ,fleet-street2#f where1 among other literary characters he met ,dr4 ,percy1 ,dr4 ,goldsmith1 and ,dr4 ,hawksworth4 ,a substantial supper was served at eight o'clock2 the party seldom separated till a late hour2 and ,mr4 ,clark recollected that early one morning he1 with another of the party1 accompanied the ,doctor to his house1 where ,mrs4 ,williams1 then blind1 made tea for them4 ,when ,mr4 ,clark was sheriff1 he took ,johnson to a 8,judges' ,dinner10 at the ,old ,bailey2 the judges being ,blackstone and ,eyre4 ,mr4 ,clark often visited the ,doctor1 and met him at dinner-parties2 and the last time he enjoyed his company was at the ,essex ,head ,club1 of which1 by the ,doctor's invitation1 ,clark became a member4 ,a ,,snail ,,dinner4 ,the chemical philosophers1 ,dr4 ,black and ,dr4 ,hutton1 were particular friends1 though there was something extremely opposite in their external appearance and manner4 ,dr4 ,black spoke with the ,english pronunciation1 and with punctilious accuracy of expression1 both in point of matter and manner4 ,the geologist1 ,dr4 ,hutton1 was the very reverse of this3 his conversation was conducted in broad phrases1 expressed with a broad ,scotch accent1 which often heightened the humour of what he said4 ,it chanced that the two ,doctors had held some discourse together upon the folly of abstaining from feeding on the testaceous creatures of the land1 while those of the sea were considered as delicacies4 ,wherefore not eat snails8 they are known to be nutritious and wholesome1 and even sanative in some cases4 ,the epicures of old praised them among the richest delicacies1 and the ,italians still esteem them4 ,in short1 it was determined that a gastronomic experiment should be made at the expense of the snails4 ,the snails were procured1 dieted for a time1 and then stewed for the benefit of the two philosophers1 who had either invited no guests to their banquet1 or found none who relished in prospect the pice de resistance4 ,a huge dish of snails was placed before them3 still1 philosophers are but men1 after all2 and the stomachs of both doctors began to revolt against the experiment4 ,nevertheless1 if they looked with disgust on the snails1 they retained their awe for each other1 so that each1 conceiving the symptoms of internal revolt peculiar to himself1 began1 with infinite exertion1 to swallow1 in very small quantities1 the mess which he internally loathed4 ,dr4 ,black1 at length1 showed the white feather1 but in a very delicate manner1 as if to sound the opinion of his messmate4 8,doctor10 he said1 in his precise and quiet manner--8,doctor--do you not think that they taste a little--a very little1 green80 8,d----d green6 d----d green6 indeed--tak' them awa'1--tak' them awa'60 vociferated ,dr4 ,hutton1 starting up from table1 and giving full vent to his feelings of abhorrence4 ,so ended all hopes of introducing snails into the modern cuisine2 and thus philosophy can no more cure a nausea than honour can set a broken limb4--,sir ,walter ,scott4 ,,curran',s ,,imagination4 8,curran60 7says ,lord ,byron7 8,curran's the man who struck me most4 ,such imagination6--there never was anything like it that ,i ever heard of4 ,his published life--his published speeches1 give you no idea of the man--none at all4 ,he was a machine of imagination1 as some one said that ,prior was an epigrammatic machine40 ,upon another occasion1 ,byron said1 8the riches of ,curran's ,irish imagination were exhaustless4 ,i have heard that man speak more poetry than ,i have ever seen written--though ,i saw him seldom1 and but occasionally4 ,i saw him presented to ,madame de ,stael1 at ,mackintosh's--it was the grand confluence between the ,rhone and the ,saone2 they were both so d----d ugly1 that ,i could not help wondering how the best intellects of ,france and ,ireland could have taken up respectively such residences40 ,,cowley ,,at ,,chertsey4 ,the poet ,cowley died at the ,porch ,house1 ,chertsey1 on the #bast of ,july1 #affg4 ,there is a curious letter preserved of his condition when he removed here from ,barn ,elms4 ,it is addressed to ,dr4 ,sprat1 dated ,chertsey1 #ba ,may1 #affe1 and is as follows3-- 8,the first night that ,i came hither ,i caught so great a cold1 with a defluxion of rheum1 as made me keep my chamber ten days4 ,and1 too1 after had such a bruise on my ribs with a fall1 that ,i am yet unable to move or turn myself in bed4 ,this is my personal fortune here to begin with4 ,and besides1 ,i can get no money from my tenants1 and have my meadows eaten up every night by cattle put in by my neighbours4 ,what this signifies1 or may come to in time1 ,god knows6 if it be ominous1 it can end in nothing but hanging40----8,i do hope to recover my hurt so farre within five or six days 7though it be uncertain yet whether ,i shall ever recover it7 as to walk about again4 ,and then1 methinks1 you and ,i and the ,dean might be very merry upon ,st4 ,ann's ,hill4 ,you might very conveniently come hither by way of ,hampton ,town1 lying there one night4 ,i write this in pain1 and can say no more4--,verbum sapienti40 ,it is stated1 by ,sprat1 that the last illness of ,cowley was owing to his having taken cold through staying too long among his labourers in the meadows2 but1 in ,spence's ,anecdotes we are informed1 7on the authority of ,pope17 that 8his death was occasioned by a mere accident whilst his great friend1 ,dean ,sprat1 was with him on a visit at ,chertsey4 ,they had been together to see a neighbour of ,cowley's1 who1 7according to the fashion of those times17 made them too welcome4 ,they did not set out for their walk home till it was too late2 and had drank so deep that they lay out in the fields all night4 ,this gave ,cowley the fever that carried him off4 ,the parish still talk of the drunken ,dean40 ,a ,,pretty ,,compliment4 ,although ,dr4 ,johnson had 7or professed to have7 a profound and unjustified contempt for actors1 he succeeded in comporting himself towards ,mrs4 ,siddons with great politeness2 and once1 when she called to see him at ,bolt ,court1 and his servant ,frank could not immediately furnish her with a chair1 the doctor said1 8,you see1 madam1 that wherever you go there are no seats to be got40 ,,thomas ,,day1 ,,and ,,his ,,model ,,wife4 ,day1 the author of ,sandford and ,merton1 was an eccentric but amiable man2 he retired into the country 8to exclude himself10 as he said1 8from the vanity1 vice1 and deceptive character of man10 but he appears to have been strangely jilted by women4 ,when about the age of twenty-one1 and after his suit had been rejected by a young lady to whom he had paid his addresses1 ,mr4 ,day formed the singular project of educating a wife for himself4 ,this was based upon the notion of ,rousseau1 that 8all the genuine worth of the human species is perverted by society2 and that children should be educated apart from the world1 in order that their minds should be kept untainted with1 and ignorant of1 its vices1 prejudices1 and artificial manners40 ,day set about his project by selecting two girls from an establishment at ,shrewsbury1 connected with the ,foundling ,hospital2 previously to which he entered into a written engagement1 guaranteed by a friend1 ,mr4 ,bicknell1 that within twelve months he would resign one of them to a respectable mistress1 as an apprentice1 with a fee of one hundred pounds2 and1 on her marriage1 or commencing business for herself1 he would give her the additional sum of four hundred pounds2 and he further engaged that he would act honourably to the one he should retain1 in order to marry her at a proper age2 or1 if he should change his mind1 he would allow her a competent support until she married1 and then give her five hundred pounds as a dowry4 ,the objects of ,day's speculation were both twelve years of age4 ,one of them1 whom he called ,lucretia1 had a fair complexion1 with light hair and eyes2 the other was a brunette1 with chesnut tresses1 who was styled ,sabrina4 ,he took these girls to ,france without any ,english servants1 in order that they should not obtain any knowledge but what he should impart4 ,as might have been anticipated1 they caused him abundance of inconvenience and vexation1 increased1 in no small degree1 by their becoming infected with the small-pox2 from this1 however1 they recovered without any injury to their features4 ,the scheme ended in the utter disappointment of the projector4 ,lucretia1 whom he first dismissed1 was apprenticed to a milliner2 and she afterwards became the wife of a linendraper in ,london4 ,sabrina1 after ,day had relinquished his attempts to make her such a model of perfection as he required1 and which included indomitable courage1 as well as the difficult art of retaining secrets1 was placed at a boarding-school at ,sutton ,coldfield1 in ,warwickshire1 where she was much esteemed2 and1 strange to say1 was at length married to ,mr4 ,bicknell4 ,after ,day had renounced this scheme as impracticable1 he became suitor to two sisters in succession2 yet1 in both instances1 he was refused4 ,at length1 he was married at ,bath1 to a lady who made 8a large fortune the means of exercising the most extensive generosity40 ,,washington ,,irving ,,and ,,wilkie1 ,,in ,,the ,,alhambra4 ,geoffrey ,crayon 7,irving71 and ,wilkie1 the painter1 were fellow-travellers on the ,continent1 about the year #ahbg4 ,in their rambles about some of the old cities of ,spain1 they were more than once struck with scenes and incidents which reminded them of passages in the ,arabian ,nights4 ,the painter urged ,mr4 ,irving to write something that should illustrate those peculiarities1 8something in the ,haroun-al-,raschid style10 which should have a deal of that ,arabian spice which pervades everything in ,spain4 ,the author set to work1 con amore1 and produced two goodly volumes of ,arabesque sketches and tales1 founded on popular traditions4 ,his study was the ,alhambra1 and the governor of the palace gave ,irving and ,wilkie permission to occupy his vacant apartments there4 ,wilkie was soon called away by the duties of his station2 but ,washington ,irving remained for several months1 spell-bound in the old enchanted pile4 8,how many legends10 saith he1 8and traditions1 true and fabulous--how many songs and romances1 ,spanish and ,arabian1 of love1 and war1 and chivalry1 are associated with this romantic pile40 ,,bolingbroke ,,at ,,battersea4 ,when the late ,sir ,richard ,phillips took his 8,morning's ,walk from ,london to ,kew10 in #ahaf1 he found that a portion of the family mansion in which ,lord ,bolingbroke was born had been converted into a mill and distillery1 though a small oak parlour had been carefully preserved4 ,in this room1 ,pope is said to have written his ,essay on ,man2 and1 in ,bolingbroke's time1 the mansion was the resort1 the hope1 and the seat of enjoyment1 of ,swift1 ,arbuthnot1 ,thomson1 ,mallet1 and all the contemporary genius of ,england4 ,the oak room was always called 8,pope's ,parlour10 it being1 in all probability1 the apartment generally occupied by that great poet1 in his visits to his friend ,bolingbroke4 ,on inquiring for an ancient inhabitant of ,battersea1 ,sir ,richard ,phillips was introduced to a ,mrs4 ,gilliard1 a pleasant and intelligent woman1 who told him she well remembered ,lord ,bolingbroke2 that he used to ride out every day in his chariot1 and had a black patch on his cheek1 with a large wart over his eyebrows4 ,she was then but a girl1 but she was taught to look upon him with veneration as a great man4 ,as1 however1 he spent little in the place1 and gave little away1 he was not much regarded by the people of ,battersea4 ,sir ,richard mentioned to her the names of several of ,bolingbroke's contemporaries2 but she recollected none except that of ,mallet1 who1 she said1 she had often seen walking about in the village1 while he was visiting at ,bolingbroke ,house4 ,,relics ,,of ,,milton4 ,milton was born at the ,spread ,eagle1#g ,bread-street1 ,cheapside1 ,december #i1 #afjh2 and was buried1 ,november1 #afgd1 in ,st4 ,giles's ,church1 ,cripplegate1 without even a stone1 in the first instance1 to mark his resting-place2 but1 in #agic1 a bust and tablet were set up to his memory by public subscription4 ,milton1 before he resided in ,jewin-gardens1 ,aldersgate1 is believed to have removed to1 and 8kept school0 in a large house on the west side of ,aldersgate-street1 wherein met the ,city of ,london ,literary and ,scientific ,institution1 previously to the rebuilding of their premises in #ahci4 ,milton's ,london residences have all1 with one exception1 disappeared1 and cannot be recognised2 this is in ,petty ,france1 at ,westminster1 where the poet lived from #afea to #afei4 ,the lower part of the house is a chandler's-shop2 the parlour1 up stairs1 looks into ,st4 ,james's-park4 ,here part of ,paradise ,lost was written4 ,the house belonged to ,jeremy ,bentham1 who caused to be placed on its front a tablet1 inscribed1 8,,sacred ,,to ,,milton1 ,,prince ,,of ,,poets40 ,in the same glass-case with ,shakspeare's autograph1 in the ,british ,museum1 is a printed copy of the ,elegies on ,mr4 ,edward ,king1 the subject of ,lycidas1 with some corrections of the text in ,milton's handwriting4 ,framed and glazed1 in the library of ,mr4 ,rogers1 the poet1 hangs the written agreement between ,milton and his publisher1 ,simmons1 for the copyright of his ,paradise ,lost4--,note-book of #ahdh4 ,,writing ,,up ,,the 8,,times0 ,,newspaper4 ,dr4 ,dibdin1 in his ,reminiscences1 relates3--8,sir ,john ,stoddart married the sister of ,lord ,moncrieff1 by whom he has a goodly race of representatives2 but1 before his marriage1 he was the man who wrote up the ,times newspaper to its admitted pitch of distinction and superiority over every other contemporary journal4 ,mark1 gentle reader1 ,i speak of the ,times newspaper during the eventful and appalling crisis of ,bonaparte's invasion of ,spain and destruction of ,moscow4 ,my friend fought with his pen as ,wellington fought with his sword3 but nothing like a tithe of the remuneration which was justly meted out to the hero of ,waterloo befel the editor of the ,times4 ,of course1 ,i speak of remuneration in degree1 and not in kind4 ,the peace followed4 ,public curiosity lulled1 and all great and stirring events having subsided1 it was thought that a writer of less commanding talent1 7certainly not the present ,editor17 and therefore procurable at a less premium1 would answer the current purposes of the day2 and the retirement of ,dr4 ,stoddart1 7for he was at this time a civilian1 and particularly noticed and patronised by ,lord ,stowell17 from the old ,times1 and his establishment of the ,new ,times newspaper1 followed in consequence4 ,but the latter1 from various causes1 had only a short-lived existence4 ,sir ,john ,stoddart had been his ,majesty's advocate1 or ,attorney-,general1 at ,malta1 before he retired thither a second time1 to assume the office of ,judge40 ,,relics ,,of ,,the ,,boar',s ,,head ,,tavern1 ,,eastcheap4 ,the portal of the ,boar's ,head was originally decorated with carved oak figures of ,falstaff and ,prince ,henry2 and in #ahcd1 the former figure was in the possession of a brazier1 of ,great ,eastcheap1 whose ancestors had lived in the shop he then occupied since the great fire4 ,the last grand ,shakspearean dinner-party took place at the ,boar's ,head about #aghd4 ,a boar's head1 with silver tusks1 which had been suspended in some room in the house1 perhaps the ,half ,moon or ,pomegranate1 7see ,henry ,,iv41 ,act4 ii41 scene #c17 at the great fire1 fell down with the ruins of the houses1 little injured1 and was conveyed to ,whitechapel ,mount1 where it was identified and recovered about thirty years ago4 ,,origin ,,of 8,,the ,,edinburgh ,,review40 ,the ,edinburgh ,review was first published in #ahjb4 ,the plan was suggested by ,sydney ,smith1 at a meeting of literati1 in the fourth or fifth flat or story1 in ,buccleugh-place1 ,edinburgh1 then the elevated lodging of ,jeffrey4 ,the motto humorously proposed for the new review by its projector was1 8,tenui musam meditamur avena10--i4 e41 8,we cultivate literature upon a little oatmeal20 but this being too nearly the truth to be publicly acknowledged1 the more grave dictum of 8,judex damnatur cum nocens absolvitur0 was adopted from ,publius ,syrus1 of whom1 ,sydney ,smith affirms1 8,none of us1 ,i am sure1 ever read a single line60 ,lord ,byron1 in his fifth edition of ,english ,bards and ,scotch ,reviewers1 refers to the reviewers as an 8oat-fed phalanx40 ,,clever ,,statesmen4 ,however great talents may command the admiration of the world1 they do not generally best fit a man for the discharge of social duties4 ,swift remarks that 8,men of great parts are often unfortunate in the management of public business1 because they are apt to go out of the common road by the quickness of their imagination4 ,this ,i once said to my ,lord ,bolingbroke1 and desired he would observe1 that the clerk in his office used a sort of ivory knife1 with a blunt edge1 to divide a sheet of paper1 which never failed to cut it even1 only by requiring a steady hand2 whereas1 if he should make one of a sharp penknife1 the sharpness would make it go often out of the crease1 and disfigure the paper40 ,,the ,,first ,,magazine4 ,the ,gentleman's ,magazine unaccountably passes for the earliest periodical of that description2 while1 in fact1 it was preceded nearly forty years by the ,gentleman's ,journal of ,motteux1 a work much more closely resembling our modern magazines1 and from which ,sylvanus ,urban borrowed part of his title1 and part of his motto2 while on the first page of the first number of the ,gentleman's ,magazine itself1 it is stated to contain 8more than any book of the kind and price40 ,,mrs4 ,,trimmer4 ,this ingenious woman was the daughter of ,joshua and ,sarah ,kirby1 and was born at ,ipswich1 ,january #f1 #agda4 ,kirby taught ,george the ,third1 when ,prince of ,wales1 perspective and architecture4 ,he was also ,president of the ,society of ,artists of ,great ,britain1 out of which grew the ,royal ,academy4 ,it was the last desire of ,gainsborough to be buried beside his old friend ,kirby1 and their tombs adjoin each other in the churchyard at ,kew4 ,mrs4 ,trimmer1 when a girl1 was constantly reading ,milton's ,paradise ,lost2 and this circumstance so pleased ,dr4 ,johnson1 that he invited her to see him1 and presented her with a copy of his ,rambler4 ,she also repeatedly met ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds1 ,dr4 ,gregory1 ,sharp1 ,hogarth1 and ,gainsborough1 with all of whom her father was on terms of intimacy4 ,mrs4 ,trimmer advocated religious education against the latitudinarian views of ,joseph ,lancaster4 ,it was at her persuasion that ,dr4 ,bell entered the field1 and paved the way for the establishment of the ,national ,society4 ,mrs4 ,trimmer died1 in her seventieth year1 in #ahaj4 ,she was seated at her table reading a letter1 when her head sunk upon her bosom1 and she 8fell asleep20 and so gentle was the wafting1 that she seemed for some time in a refreshing slumber1 which her family were unwilling to interrupt4 ,,boswell',s ,,bear-,,leading4 ,it was on a visit to the parliament house that ,mr4 ,henry ,erskine1 7brother of ,lord ,buchan and ,lord ,erskine17 after being presented to ,dr4 ,johnson by ,mr4 ,boswell1 and having made his bow1 slipped a shilling into ,boswell's hand1 whispering that it was for the sight of his bear4--,sir ,walter ,scott4 ,,lord ,,elibank ,,and ,,dr4 ,,johnson ,lord ,elibank made a happy retort on ,dr4 ,johnson's definition of oats1 as the food of horses in ,england1 and men in ,scotland4 8,yes10 said he1 8and where else will you see such horses1 and such men80--,sir ,walter ,scott4 ,,relics ,,of ,,dr4 ,,johnson ,,at ,,lichfield4 ,the house in which ,dr4 ,johnson was born1 at ,lichfield--where his father1 it is well known1 kept a small bookseller's shop1 and where he was partly educated--stood on the west side of the market-place4 ,in the centre of the market-place is a colossal statue of ,johnson1 seated upon a square pedestal3 it is by ,lucas1 and was executed at the expense of the ,rev4 ,chancellor ,law1 in #ahch4 ,by the side of a footpath leading from ,dam-street to ,stow1 formerly stood a large willow1 said to have been planted by ,johnson4 ,it was blown down1 in #ahbi2 but one of its shoots was preserved and planted upon the same spot3 it was in the year #ahdh a large tree1 known in the town as 8,johnson's ,willow40 ,mr4 ,lomax1 who for many years kept a bookseller's shop--8,the ,johnson's ,head10 in ,bird-street1 ,lichfield1 possessed several articles that formerly belonged to ,johnson1 which have been handed down by a clear and indisputable ownership4 ,amongst them is his own ,book of ,common ,prayer1 in which are written1 in pencil1 the four ,latin lines printed in ,strahan's edition of the ,doctor's ,prayers4 ,there are1 also1 a sacrament-book1 with ,johnson's wife's name in it1 in his own handwriting2 an autograph letter of the ,doctor's to ,miss ,porter2 two tea-spoons1 an ivory tablet1 and a breakfast table2 a ,visscher's ,atlas1 paged by the ,doctor1 and a manuscript index2 ,davies's ,life of ,garrick1 presented to ,johnson by the publisher2 a walking cane2 and a ,dictionary of ,heathen ,mythology1 with the ,doctor's ,,ms4 corrections4 ,his wife's wedding-ring1 afterwards made into a mourning-ring2 and a massive chair1 in which he customarily sat1 were also in ,mr4 ,lomax's possession4 ,among the few persons living in the year #ahdh who ever saw ,dr4 ,johnson1 was ,mr4 ,dyott1 of ,lichfield3 this was seventy-four years before1 or in #aggd1 when the ,doctor and ,boswell1 on their tour into ,wales1 stopped at ,ashbourne1 and there visited ,mr4 ,dyott's father1 who was then residing at ,ashbourne ,hall4#h ,,coleridge ,a ,,soldier4 ,after ,coleridge left ,cambridge1 he came to ,london1 where soon feeling himself forlorn and destitute1 he enlisted as a soldier in the #aeth ,elliot's ,light ,dragoons4 8,on his arrival at the quarters of the regiment10 says his friend and biographer1 ,mr4 ,gilman1 8the general of the district inspected the recruits1 and looking hard at ,coleridge1 with a military air1 inquired #8,what's your name1 sir8' #8,comberbach6' 7the name he had assumed47 #8,what do you come here for1 sir8' as if doubting whether he had any business there4 #8,sir1' said ,coleridge1 #8for what most other persons come--to be made a soldier4' #8,do you think1' said the general1 #8you can run a ,frenchman through the body8' #8,i do not know1' replied ,coleridge1 #8as ,i never tried2 but ,i'll let a ,frenchman run me through the body before ,i'll run away4' #8,that will do1' said the general1 and ,coleridge was turned in the ranks40 ,the poet made a poor dragoon1 and never advanced beyond the awkward squad4 ,he wrote letters1 however1 for all his comrades1 and they attended to his horse and accoutrements4 ,after four months' service1 7,december #agic to ,april #agid71 the history and circumstances of ,coleridge became known4 ,he had written under his saddle1 on the stable wall1 a ,latin sentence 7,eheu6 quam infortunii miserrimum est fuisse felicem67 which led to an inquiry on the part of the captain of his troop1 who had more regard for the classics than ,ensign ,northerton1 in ,tom ,jones4 ,coleridge was1 accordingly1 discharged1 and restored to his family and friends4 ,,cobbett',s ,,boyhood4 ,perhaps1 in ,cobbett's voluminous writings1 there is nothing so complete as the following picture of his boyish scenes and recollections3 it has been well compared to the most simple and touching passages in ,richardson's ,pamela3-- 8,after living within a hundred yards of ,westminster ,hall and the ,abbey church1 and the bridge1 and looking from my own window into ,st4 ,james's ,park1 all other buildings and spots appear mean and insignificant4 ,i went to-day to see the house ,i formerly occupied4 ,how small6 ,it is always thus3 the words large and small are carried about with us in our minds1 and we forget real dimensions4 ,the idea1 such as it was received1 remains during our absence from the object4 ,when ,i returned to ,england in #ahjj1 after an absence from the country parts of it of sixteen years1 the trees1 the hedges1 even the parks and woods1 seemed so small6 ,it made me laugh to hear little gutters1 that ,i could jump over1 called rivers6 ,the ,thames was but #8a creek6' ,but when1 in about a month after my arrival in ,london1 ,i went to ,farnham1 the place of my birth1 what was my surprise6 ,every thing was become so pitifully small6 ,i had to cross in my postchaise the long and dreary heath of ,bagshot4 ,then1 at the end of it1 to mount a hill called ,hungry ,hill2 and from that hill ,i knew that ,i should look down into the beautiful and fertile vale of ,farnham4 ,my heart fluttered with impatience1 mixed with a sort of fear1 to see all the scenes of my childhood2 for ,i had learned before the death of my father and mother4 ,there is a hill not far from the town1 called ,crooksbury ,hill1 which rises up out of a flat in the form of a cone1 and is planted with ,scotch fir-trees4 ,here ,i used to take the eggs and young ones of crows and magpies4 ,this hill was a famous object in the neighbourhood4 ,it served as the superlative degree of height4 #8,as high as ,crooksbury ,hill1' meant with us1 the utmost degree of height4 ,therefore1 the first object my eyes sought was this hill4 ,i could not believe my eyes6 ,literally speaking1 ,i for a moment thought the famous hill removed1 and a little heap put in its stead2 for ,i had seen in ,new ,brunswick a single rock1 or hill of solid rock1 ten times as big1 and four or five times as high6 ,the post-boy1 going down hill1 and not a bad road1 whisked me in a few minutes to the ,bush ,inn1 from the garden of which ,i could see the prodigious sand hill where ,i had begun my gardening works4 ,what a nothing6 ,but now came rushing into my mind all at once my pretty little garden1 my little blue smock-frock1 my little nailed shoes1 my pretty pigeons that ,i used to feed out of my hands1 the last kind words and tears of my gentle and tender-hearted and affectionate mother4 ,i hastened back into the room4 ,if ,i had looked a moment longer1 ,i should have dropped4 ,when ,i came to reflect1 what a change6 ,what scenes ,i had gone through6 ,how altered my state6 ,i had dined the day before at a secretary of state's1 in company with ,mr4 ,pitt1 and had been waited upon by men in gaudy liveries6 ,i had had nobody to assist me in the world4 ,no teachers of any sort4 ,nobody to shelter me from the consequence of bad1 and nobody to counsel me to good behaviour4 ,i felt proud4 ,the distinctions of rank1 birth1 and wealth1 all became nothing in my eyes2 and from that moment 7less than a month after my arrival in ,england71 ,i resolved never to bend before them40 ,cobbett was1 for a short time1 a labourer in the kitchen grounds of the ,royal ,gardens at ,kew4 ,king ,george the ,third often visited the gardens to inquire after the fruits and esculents2 and one day1 he saw here ,cobbett1 then a lad1 who with a few halfpence in his pocket1 and ,swift's ,tale of a ,tub in his hand1 had been so captivated by the wonders of the royal gardens1 that he applied there for employment4 ,the king1 on perceiving the clownish boy1 with his stockings tied about his legs by scarlet garters1 inquired about him1 and specially desired that he might be continued in his service4 ,,coleridge ,,an ,,unitarian ,,preacher4 ,during his residence at ,nether ,stoney1 ,coleridge officiated as ,unitarian preacher at ,taunton1 and afterwards at ,shrewsbury4 ,mr4 ,hazlitt has described his walking ten miles on a winter day to hear ,coleridge preach4 8,when ,i got there10 he says1 8the organ was playing the #ajjth psalm1 and1 when it was done1 ,mr4 ,coleridge rose and gave out his text3--#8,he departed again into a mountain himself alone4' ,as he gave out his text1 his voice rose like a stream of rich distilled perfume2 when he came to the two last words1 which he pronounced loud1 deep1 and distinct1 it seemed to me1 who was then young1 as if the sounds had echoed from the bottom of the human heart1 and as if that prayer might have floated in solemn silence through the universe4 ,the idea of ,st4 ,john came into my mind1 of one crying in the wilderness1 who had his loins girt about1 and whose food was locusts and wild honey4 ,the preacher then launched into his subject1 like an eagle dallying with the wind4 ,the sermon was upon peace and war--upon ,church and ,state2 not their alliance1 but their separation2 on the spirit of the world and the spirit of ,christianity2 not as the same1 but as opposed to one another4 ,he talked of those who had inscribed the cross of ,christ on banners dripping with human gore6 ,he made a poetical and pastoral excursion2 and1 to show the fatal effects of war1 drew a striking contrast between the simple shepherd-boy driving his team a-field1 or sitting under the hawthorn1 piping to his flock1 as though he should never be old1 and the same poor country-lad crimped1 kidnapped1 brought into town1 made drunk at an alehouse1 turned into a wretched drummer-boy1 with his hair sticking on end with powder and pomatum1 a long cue at his back1 and tricked out in the finery of the profession of blood4 8nbsp2#8,such were the notes our once-loved poet sung2' and1 for myself1 ,i could not have been more delighted if ,i had heard the music of the spheres40 ,,fontenelle',s ,,insensibility4 ,fontenelle1 who lived till within one month of a century1 was very rarely known to laugh or cry1 and even boasted of his insensibility4 ,one day1 a certain bon-vivant ,abb came unexpectedly to dine with him4 ,the ,abb was fond of asparagus dressed with butter2 ,fontenelle1 also1 had a great got for the vegetable1 but preferred it dressed with oil4 ,fontenelle said1 that1 for such a friend1 there was no sacrifice he would not make2 and that he should have half the dish of asparagus which he had ordered for himself1 and that half1 moreover1 should be dressed with butter4 ,while they were conversing together1 the poor ,abb fell down in a fit of apoplexy2 upon which ,fontenelle instantly scampered down stairs1 and eagerly bawled out to his cook1 8,the whole with oil6 the whole with oil1 as at first60 ,,pains ,,and ,,toils ,,of ,,authorship4 ,the craft of authorship is by no means so easy of practice as is generally imagined by the thousands who aspire to its practice4 ,almost all our works1 whether of knowledge or of fancy1 have been the product of much intellectual exertion and study2 or1 as it is better expressed by the poet-- 8the well-ripened fruits of wise decay40 ,pope published nothing until it had been a year or two before him1 and even then his printer's proofs were very full of alterations2 and1 on one occasion1 ,dodsley1 his publisher1 thought it better to have the whole recomposed than make the necessary corrections4 ,goldsmith considered four lines a day good work1 and was seven years in beating out the pure gold of the ,deserted ,village4 ,hume wrote his ,history of ,england on a sofa1 but he went quietly on correcting every edition till his death4 ,robertson used to write out his sentences on small slips of paper2 and1 after rounding them and polishing them to his satisfaction1 he entered them in a book1 which1 in its turn1 underwent considerable revision4 ,burke had all his principal works printed two or three times at a private press before submitting them to his publisher4 ,akenside and ,gray were indefatigable correctors1 labouring every line2 and so was our prolix and more imaginative poet1 ,thomson4 ,on comparing the first and latest editions of the ,seasons1 there will be found scarcely a page which does not bear evidence of his taste and industry4 ,johnson thinks the poems lost much of their raciness under this severe regimen1 but they were much improved in fancy and delicacy2 the episode of ,musidora1 8the solemnly ridiculous bathing scene10 as ,campbell terms it1 was almost entirely rewritten4 ,johnson and ,gibbon were the least laborious in arranging their copy for the press4 ,gibbon sent the first and only ,,ms4 of his stupendous work 7the ,decline and ,fall7 to his printer2 and ,johnson's high-sounding sentences were written almost without an effort4 ,both1 however1 lived and moved1 as it were1 in the world of letters1 thinking or caring of little else--one in the heart of busy ,london1 which he dearly loved1 and the other in his silent retreat at ,lausanne4 ,dryden wrote hurriedly1 to provide for the day2 but his ,absalom and ,achitophel1 and the beautiful imagery of the ,hind and ,panther1 must have been fostered with parental care4 ,st4 ,pierre copied his ,paul and ,virginia nine times1 that he might render it the more perfect4 ,rousseau was a very coxcomb in these matters3 the amatory epistles1 in his new ,heloise1 he wrote on fine gilt-edged card-paper1 and having folded1 addressed1 and sealed them1 he opened and read them in the solitary woods of ,clairens1 with the mingled enthusiasm of an author and lover4 ,sheridan watched long and anxiously for bright thoughts1 as the ,,ms4 of his ,school for ,scandal1 in its various stages1 proves4 ,burns composed in the open air1 the sunnier the better2 but he laboured hard1 and with almost unerring taste and judgment1 in correcting4#i ,lord ,byron was a rapid composer1 but made abundant use of the pruning-knife4 ,on returning one of his proof sheets from ,italy1 he expressed himself undecided about a single word1 for which he wished to substitute another1 and requested ,mr4 ,murray to refer it to ,mr4 ,gifford1 then editor of the ,quarterly ,review4 ,sir ,walter ,scott evinced his love of literary labour by undertaking the revision of the whole of the ,waverley ,novels--a goodly freightage of some fifty or sixty volumes4 ,the works of ,wordsworth1 ,southey1 ,coleridge1 and ,moore1 and the occasional variations in their different editions1 mark their love of the touching4 ,southey was1 indeed1 unwearied after his kind--a true author of the old school4 ,the bright thoughts of ,campbell1 which sparkle like polished lances1 were manufactured with almost equal care2 he was the ,pope of our contemporary authors4#aj ,allan ,cunningham corrected but little1 yet his imitations of the elder lyrics are perfect centos of ,scottish feeling and poesy4 ,the loving1 laborious lingering of ,tennyson over his poems1 and the frequent alterations--not in every case improvements--that appear in successive editions of his works1 are familiar to all his admirers4 ,,joe ,,miller ,,at ,,court4 ,joe ,miller1 7,mottley17 was such a favourite at court1 that ,caroline1 queen of ,george ,,ii41 commanded a play to be performed for his benefit2 the queen disposed of a great many tickets at one of her drawing-rooms1 and most of them were paid for in gold4 ,,collins' ,,insanity4 ,much has been said of the state of insanity to which the author of the ,ode to the ,passions was ultimately reduced2 or rather1 as ,dr4 ,johnson happily describes it1 8a depression of mind which enchains the faculties without destroying them1 and leaves reason the knowledge of right1 without the power of pursuing it40 ,what ,johnson has further said on this melancholy subject1 shows perhaps more nature and feeling than anything he ever wrote2 and yet it is remarkable that among the causes to which the poet's malady was ascribed1 he never hints at the most exciting of the whole4 ,he tells us how ,collins 8loved fairies1 genii1 giants1 and monsters20 how he 8delighted to roam through the meanders of enchantment1 to gaze on the magnificence of golden palaces1 to repose by the waterfalls of ,elysian gardens40 ,but never does he seem to have imagined how natural it was for a mind of such a temperament to give an ,eve to the ,paradise of his ,creation4 ,johnson1 in truth1 though1 as he tells us1 he gained the confidence of ,collins1 was not just the man into whose ear a lover would choose to pour his secrets4 ,the fact was1 ,collins was greatly attached to a young lady who did not return his passion2 and there seems to be little doubt1 that to the consequent disappointment1 preying on his mind1 was due much of that abandonment of soul which marked the close of his career4 ,the object of his passion was born the day before him2 and to this circumstance1 in one of his brighter moments1 he made a most happy allusion4 ,a friend remarking to the luckless lover1 that his was a hard case1 ,collins replied1 8,it is so1 indeed2 for ,i came into the world a day after the fair40 ,,moore',s ,,epigram ,,on ,,abbott4 ,mr4 ,speaker ,abbott having spoken in slighting terms of some of ,moore's poems1 the poet wrote1 in return1 the following biting epigram3 8,they say he has no heart2 but ,i deny it2 ,he has a heart--and gets his speeches by it40 ,,negroes ,,at ,,home4 ,when ,lord ,byron was in ,parliament1 a petition setting forth1 and calling for redress for1 the wretched state of the ,irish peasantry1 was one evening presented to the ,house of ,lords1 and very coldly received4 8,ah60 said ,lord ,byron1 8what a misfortune it was for the ,irish that they were not born black6 they would then have had plenty of friends in both ,houses0--referring to the great interest at the time being taken by some philanthropic members in the condition and future of the negroes in our ,west ,indian colonies4 ,a ,,string ,,of ,,jerrold',s ,,jokes4 ,at a club of which ,jerrold was a member1 a fierce ,jacobite1 and a friend1 as fierce1 of the ,orange cause1 were arguing noisily1 and disturbing less excitable conversationalists4 ,at length the ,jacobite1 a brawny ,scot1 brought his fist down heavily upon the table1 and roared at his adversary1 8,i tell you what it is1 sir1 ,i spit upon your ,king ,william60 ,the friend of the ,prince of ,orange rose1 and roared back to the ,jacobite1 8,and ,i1 sir1 spit upon your ,james the ,second60 ,jerrold1 who had been listening to the uproar in silence1 hereupon rang the bell1 and shouted 8,waiter1 spittoons for two60 ,at an evening party1 ,jerrold was looking at the dancers1 when1 seeing a very tall gentleman waltzing with a remarkably short lady1 he said to a friend at hand1 8,humph6 there's the mile dancing with the milestone60 ,an old lady was in the habit of talking to ,jerrold in a gloomy1 depressing manner1 presenting to him only the sad side of life4 8,hang it10 said ,jerrold1 one day1 after a long and sombre interview1 8she would not allow that there was a bright side to the moon40 ,jerrold said to an ardent young gentleman1 who burned with desire to see himself in print3 8,be advised by me1 young man3 don't take down the shutters before there is something in the windows40 ,while ,jerrold was discussing one day1 with ,mr4 ,selby1 the vexed question of adapting dramatic pieces from the ,french1 that gentleman insisted upon claiming some of his characters as strictly original creations4 8,do you remember my ,baroness in ,ask ,no ,questions80 said ,mr4 ,selby4 8,yes1 indeed2 ,i don't think ,i ever saw a piece of yours without being struck by your barrenness10 was the retort4--,mark ,lemon's ,jest-book4 ,,conceited ,,alarms ,,of ,,dennis4 ,john ,dennis1 the dramatist1 had a most extravagant and enthusiastic opinion of his tragedy of ,liberty ,asserted4 ,he imagined that there were in it some strokes on the ,french nation so severe1 that they would never be forgiven2 and that1 in consequence1 ,louis ,,xiv4 would never make peace with ,england unless the author was given up as a sacrifice to the national resentment4 ,accordingly1 when the congress for the negotiation of the ,peace of ,utrecht was in contemplation1 the terrified ,dennis waited on the ,duke of ,marlborough1 who had formerly been his patron1 to entreat the intercession of his ,grace with the plenipotentiaries1 that they should not consent to his surrender to ,france being made one of the conditions of the treaty4 ,the ,duke gravely told the dramatist that he was sorry to be unable to do this service1 as he had no influence with the ,ministry of the day2 but1 he added1 that he thought ,dennis' case not quite desperate1 for1 said his ,grace1 8,i have taken no care to get myself excepted in the articles of peace1 and yet ,i cannot help thinking that ,i have done the ,french almost as much damage as ,mr4 ,dennis himself40 ,at another time1 when ,dennis was visiting at a gentleman's house on the ,sussex coast1 and was walking on the beach1 he saw a vessel1 as he imagined1 sailing towards him4 ,the self-important timidity of ,dennis saw in this incident a reason for the greatest alarm for himself1 and distrust of his friend4 ,supposing he was betrayed1 he made the best of his way to ,london1 without even taking leave of his host1 whom he believed to have lent himself to a plot for delivering him up as a captive to a ,french vessel sent on purpose to carry him off4 ,a ,,composition ,,with ,,conscience4 ,lully1 the composer1 being once thought mortally ill1 his friends called a confessor1 who1 finding the patient's state critical1 and his mind very ill at ease1 told him that he could obtain absolution only one way--by burning all that he had by him of a yet unpublished opera4 ,the remonstrance of his friends was in vain2 ,lully burnt the music1 and the confessor departed well pleased4 ,the composer1 however1 recovered1 and told one of his visitors1 a nobleman who was his patron1 of the sacrifice he had made to the demands of the confessor4 8,and so10 cried the nobleman1 8you have burnt your opera1 and are really such a blockhead as to believe in the absurdities of a monk60 8,stop1 my friend1 stop10 returned ,lully2 8let me whisper in your ear3 ,i knew very well what ,i was about--,i have another copy40 ,,sale1 ,,the ,,translator ,,of ,,the ,,koran4 ,the learned ,sale1 who first gave to the world a genuine version of the ,koran1 pursued his studies through a life of wants4 ,this great ,orientalist1 when he quitted his books to go abroad1 too often wanted a change of linen2 and he frequently wandered the streets1 in search of some compassionate friend1 who might supply him with the meal of the day4 ,,the ,,latter ,,days ,,of ,,lovelace4 ,sir ,richard ,lovelace1 who in #afdi published the elegant collection of amorous and other poems entitled ,lucasta1 was an amiable and accomplished gentleman3 by the men of his time 7the time of the civil wars7 respected for his moral worth and literary ability2 by the fair sex1 almost idolized for the elegance of his person and the sweetness of his manners4 ,an ardent loyalist1 the people of ,kent appointed him to present to the ,house of ,commons their petition for the restoration of ,charles and the settlement of the government4 ,the petition gave offence1 and the bearer was committed to the ,gate ,house1 at ,westminster1 where he wrote his graceful little song1 8,loyalty ,confined10 opening thus3 8,when love1 with unconfined wings1 ,hovers within my gates1 ,and my divine ,althea brings ,to whisper at my grates2 ,when ,i lie tangled in her hair1 ,and fettered in her eye2 ,the birds that wanton in the air ,know no such liberty40 ,but 8dinnerless the polished ,lovelace died40 ,he obtained his liberation1 after a few months' confinement4 ,by that time1 however1 he had consumed all his estates1 partly by furnishing the king with men and money1 and partly by giving assistance to men of talent of whatever kind1 whom he found in difficulties4 ,very soon1 he became himself involved in the greatest distress1 and fell into a deep melancholy1 which brought on a consumption1 and made him as poor in person as in purse1 till he even became the object of common charity4 ,the man who in his days of gallantry wore cloth of gold1 was now naked1 or only half covered with filthy rags2 he who had thrown splendour on palaces1 now shrank into obscure and dirty alleys2 he who had associated with princes1 banqueted on dainties1 been the patron of the indigent1 the admiration of the wise and brave1 the darling of the chaste and fair--was now fain to herd with beggars1 gladly to partake of their coarse offals1 and thankfully to receive their twice-given alms-- 8,to hovel him with swine and rogues forlorn1 ,in short and musty straw40 ,worn out with misery1 he at length expired1 in #afeh1 in a mean and wretched lodging in ,gunpowder ,alley1 near ,shoe ,lane1 and was buried at the west end of ,st4 ,bride's church1 ,fleet ,street4 ,such is the account of ,lovelace's closing days given by ,wood in his ,athen1 and confirmed by ,aubrey in his ,lives of ,eminent ,men2 but a recent editor and biographer 7the son of ,hazlitt7 pronounces1 though he does not prove1 the account much exaggerated4 ,,payment ,,in ,,kind4 ,the ,empress ,catherine of ,russia having sent1 as a present to ,voltaire1 a small ivory box made by her own hands1 the poet induced his niece to instruct him in the art of knitting stockings2 and he had actually half finished a pair1 of white silk1 when he became completely tired4 ,unfinished as the stockings were1 however1 he sent them to her ,majesty1 accompanied by a charmingly gallant poetical epistle1 in which he told her that1 8,as she had presented him with a piece of man's workmanship made by a woman1 he had thought it his duty to crave her acceptance1 in return1 of a piece of woman's work from the hands of a man40--,when ,constantia ,phillips was in a state of distress1 she took a small shop near ,westminster ,hall1 and sold books1 some of which were of her own writing4 ,during this time1 an apothecary who had attended her once when she was ill1 came to her and requested payment of his bill4 ,she pleaded her poverty2 but he still continued to press her1 and urged as a reason for his urgency1 that he had saved her life4 8,you have10 said ,constantia1 8you have indeed done so3 ,i acknowledge it2 and1 in return1 here is my life0--handing him at the same time the two volumes of her 8,memoirs10 and begging that he would now take her life in discharge of his demand4 ,,chatterton',s ,,profit ,,and ,,loss ,,reckoning4 ,chatterton1 the marvellous boy1 wrote a political essay for the ,north ,briton1 ,wilkes's journal2 but1 though accepted1 the essay was not printed1 in consequence of the death of the ,lord ,mayor1 ,chatterton's patron4 ,the youthful patriot thus calculated the results of the suppression of his essay1 which had begun by a splendid flourish about 8a spirited people freeing themselves from insupportable slavery30 8,lost1 by the ,lord ,mayor's death1 in this essay1 #a #aa #f ,gained in elegies1 #b #b #j ,do4 in essays1 #c #c #j -------- #e #e #j -------- ,am glad he is dead by #c #ac #f0 ,,locke',s ,,rebuke ,,of ,,the ,,card-,,playing ,,lords4 ,locke1 the brilliant author of the ,essay on the ,human ,understanding1 was once introduced by ,lord ,shaftesbury to the ,duke of ,buckingham and ,lord ,halifax4 ,but the three noblemen1 instead of entering into conversation on literary subjects with the philosopher1 very soon sat down to cards4 ,locke looked on for a short time1 and then drew out his pocket-book and began to write in it with much attention4 ,one of the players1 after a time1 observed this1 and asked what he was writing4 8,my ,lord10 answered ,locke1 8,i am endeavouring1 as far as possible1 to profit by my present situation2 for1 having waited with impatience for the honour of being in company with the greatest geniuses of the age1 ,i thought ,i could do nothing better than to write down your conversation2 and1 indeed1 ,i have set down the substance of what you have said for the last hour or two40 ,the three noblemen1 fully sensible of the force of the rebuke1 immediately left the cards and entered into a conversation more rational and more befitting their reputation as men of genius4 ,,haydn ,,and ,,the ,,ship ,,captain4 ,when the immortal composer ,haydn was on his visit to ,england1 in #agid1 his chamber-door was opened one morning by the captain of an ,east ,indiaman1 who said1 8,you are ,mr4 ,haydn80 8,yes40 8,can you make me a #8,march1' to enliven my crew8 ,you shall have thirty guineas2 but ,i must have it to-day1 as to-morrow ,i sail for ,calcutta40 ,haydn agreed1 the sailor quitted him1 the composer opened his piano1 and in a few minutes the march was written4 ,he appears1 however1 to have had a delicacy rare among the musical birds of passage and of prey who come to feed on the unwieldy wealth of ,england4 ,conceiving that the receipt of a sum so large as thirty guineas for a labour so slight1 would be a species of plunder1 he came home early in the evening1 and composed other two marches1 in order to allow the liberal sea captain his choice1 or make him take all the three4 ,early next morning1 the purchaser came back4 8,where is my march80 8,here it is40 8,try it on the piano40 ,haydn played it over4 ,the captain counted down the thirty guineas on the piano1 took up the march1 and went down stairs4 ,haydn ran after him1 calling1 8,i have made other two marches1 both better2 come up and hear them1 and take your choice40 8,i am content with the one ,i have10 returned the captain1 without stopping4 8,i will make you a present of them10 cried the composer4 ,the captain only ran down the more rapidly1 and left ,haydn on the stairs4 ,haydn1 opposing obstinacy to obstinacy1 determined to overcome this odd self-denial4 ,he went at once to the ,exchange1 found out the name of the ship1 made his marches into a roll1 and sent them1 with a polite note1 to the captain on board4 ,he was surprised at receiving1 not long after1 his envelope unopened1 from the captain1 who had guessed it to be ,haydn's2 and the composer tore the whole packet into pieces upon the spot4 ,the narrator of this incident adds the remark1 that 8though the anecdote is of no great elevation1 it expresses peculiarity of character2 and certainly neither the composer nor the captain could have been easily classed among the common or the vulgar of men40 ,,haydn',s ,,diploma ,,piece ,,at ,,oxford4 ,during his stay in ,england1 ,haydn was honoured by the diploma of ,doctor of ,music from the ,university of ,oxford--a distinction not obtained even by ,handel1 and it is said1 only conferred on four persons during the four centuries preceding4 ,it is customary to send some specimen of composition in return for a degree2 and ,haydn1 with the facility of perfect skill1 sent back a page of music so curiously contrived1 that in whatever way it was read--from the top to the bottom or the sides--it exhibited a perfect melody and accompaniment4 ,,origin ,,of ,,the ,,beggar',s ,,opera4 ,it was ,swift that first suggested to ,gay the idea of the ,beggar's ,opera1 by remarking1 what an odd1 pretty sort of a thing a ,newgate pastoral might make6 8,gay10 says ,pope1 8was inclined to try at such a thing for some time2 but afterwards thought it would be better to write a comedy on the same plan4 ,this was what gave rise to the ,beggar's ,opera4 ,he began on it2 and when he first mentioned it to ,swift1 the doctor did not much like the project4 ,as he carried it on1 he showed what he wrote to both of us2 and we now and then gave a correction1 or a word or two of advice1 but it was wholly of his own writing4 ,when it was done1 neither of us thought it would succeed4 ,we showed it to ,congreve1 who1 after reading it over1 said1 #8,it would either take greatly1 or be damned confoundedly4' ,we were all1 at the first sight of it1 in great uncertainty of the event1 till we were very much encouraged by hearing the ,duke of ,argyle1 who sat in the next box to us1 say1 #8,it will do--,i see it in the eyes of them4' ,this was a good while before the first act was over1 and so gave us ease soon2 for the ,duke 7besides his own good taste7 has as particular a knack as any one now living1 in discovering the taste of the public4 ,he was quite right in this1 as usual2 the good nature of the audience appeared stronger and stronger every act1 and ended in a clamour of applause40 ,,the ,,two ,,sheridans4 ,sheridan made his appearance one day in a pair of new boots2 these attracting the notice of some of his friends3 8,now guess10 said he1 8how ,i came by these boots80 ,many probable guesses were then ventured1 but in vain4 8,no10 said ,sheridan1 8no1 you have not hit it1 nor ever will4 ,i bought them1 and paid for them60 ,sheridan was very desirous that his son ,tom should marry a young lady of large fortune1 but knew that ,miss ,callander had won his son's heart4 ,sheridan1 expatiating once on the folly of his son1 at length broke out3 8,tom1 if you marry ,caroline ,callander1 ,i'll cut you off with a shilling60 ,tom1 looking maliciously at his father1 said1 8,then1 sir1 you must borrow it40 ,in a large party one evening1 the conversation turned upon young men's allowances at college4 ,tom deplored the ill-judging parsimony of many parents in that respect4 8,i am sure1 ,tom10 said his father1 8you have no reason to complain2 ,i always allowed you #hjj a-year40 8,yes1 father1 ,i confess you allowed it2 but then--it was never paid60 ,,killing ,,no ,,murder4 ,in a journey which ,mademoiselle ,scudry1 the ,sappho of the ,french1 made along with her no less celebrated brother1 a curious incident befell them at an inn at a great distance from ,paris4 ,their conversation happened one evening to turn upon a romance which they were then jointly composing1 to the hero of which they had given the name of ,prince ,mazare4 8,what shall we do with ,prince ,mazare80 said ,mademoiselle ,scudry to her brother4 8,is it not better that he should fall by poison1 than by the poignard80 8,it is not time yet10 replied the brother1 8for that business2 when it is necessary we can despatch him as we please2 but at present we have not quite done with him40 ,two merchants in the next chamber1 overhearing this conversation1 concluded that they had formed a conspiracy for the murder of some prince whose real name they disguised under that of ,mazare4 ,full of this important discovery1 they imparted their suspicions to the host and hostess2 and it was resolved to inform the police of what had happened4 ,the police officers1 eager to show their diligence and activity1 put the travellers immediately under arrest1 and conducted them under a strong escort to ,paris4 ,it was not without difficulty and expense that they there procured their liberation1 and leave for the future to hold an unlimited right and power over all the princes and personages in the realms of romance4 ,,sensitiveness ,,to ,,criticism4 ,hawkesworth and ,stillingfleet died of criticism2 ,tasso was driven mad by it2 ,newton1 the calm ,newton1 kept hold of life only by the sufferance of a friend who withheld a criticism on his chronology1 for no other reason than his conviction that if it were published while he lived1 it would put an end to him2 and every one knows the effect on the sensitive nature of ,keats1 of the attacks on his ,endymion4 ,tasso had a vast and prolific imagination1 accompanied with an excessively hypochondriacal temperament4 ,the composition of his great epic1 the ,jerusalem ,delivered1 by giving scope to the boldest flights1 and calling into play the energies of his exalted and enthusiastic genius--whilst with equal ardour it led him to entertain hopes of immediate and extensive fame--laid most probably the foundation of his subsequent derangement4 ,his susceptibility and tenderness of feeling were great2 and1 when his sublime work met with unexpected opposition1 and was even treated with contempt and derision1 the fortitude of the poet was not proof against the keen sense of disappointment4 ,he twice attempted to please his ignorant and malignant critics by recomposing his poem2 and during the hurry1 the anguish1 and the irritation attending these efforts1 the vigour of a great mind was entirely exhausted1 and in two years after the publication of the ,jerusalem1 the unhappy author became an object of pity and terror4 ,newton1 with all his philosophy1 was so sensible to critical remarks1 that ,whiston tells us he lost his favour1 which he had enjoyed for twenty years1 by contradicting him in his old age2 for 8no man was of a more fearful temper40 ,,butler ,,and ,,buckingham4 ,of ,butler1 the author of ,hudibras--which ,dr4 ,johnson terms 8one of those productions of which a nation may justly boast0--little further is known than that his genius was not sufficient to rescue him from its too frequent attendant1 poverty2 he lived in obscurity1 and died in want4 ,wycherley often represented to the ,duke of ,buckingham how well ,butler had deserved of the royal family by writing his inimitable ,hudibras1 and that it was a disgrace to the ,court that a person of his loyalty and genius should remain in obscurity and suffer the wants which he did4 ,the ,duke1 thus pressed1 promised to recommend ,butler to his ,majesty2 and ,wycherley1 in hopes to keep his ,grace steady to his word1 prevailed on him to fix a day when he might introduce the modest and unfortunate poet to his new patron4 ,the place of meeting fixed upon was the 8,roebuck40 ,butler and his friend attended punctually2 the ,duke joined them1 when1 unluckily1 the door of the room being open1 his ,grace observed one of his acquaintances pass by with two ladies2 on which he immediately quitted his engagement1 and from that time to the day of his death poor ,butler never derived the least benefit from his promise4 ,,the ,,mermaid ,,club4 ,the celebrated club at the 8,mermaid10 as has been well observed by ,gifford1 8combined more talent and genius1 perhaps1 than ever met together before or since40 ,the institution originated with ,sir ,walter ,raleigh2 and here1 for many years1 ,ben ,jonson regularly repaired with ,shakspeare1 ,beaumont1 ,fletcher1 ,selden1 ,cotton1 ,carew1 ,martin1 ,donne1 and many others whose names1 even at this distant period1 call up a mingled feeling of reverence and respect4 ,here1 in the full flow and confidence of friendship1 the lively and interesting 8wit-combats0 took place between ,shakspeare and ,jonson2 and hither1 in probable allusion to some of them1 ,beaumont fondly lets his thoughts wander in his letter to ,johnson from the country3-- 8,what things have we seen ,done at the ,mermaid8 heard words that have been ,so nimble1 and so full of subtle flame1 ,as if that every one from whom they came1 ,had meant to put his whole wit in a jest40 ,for the expression1 8wit-combats10 we must refer to ,fuller1 who in his 8,worthies10 describing the character of the ,bard of ,avon1 says3 8,many were the wit-combats between ,shakspeare and ,ben ,jonson4 ,i behold them like a ,spanish great galleon1 and an ,english man-of-war4 ,master ,jonson1 like the former1 was built far higher in learning1 solid1 but slow in his performances2 ,shakspeare1 like the latter1 less in bulk but lighter in sailing1 could turn with all tides1 tack about and take advantage of all winds1 by the quickness of his wit and invention40 ,with what delight would after generations have hung over any well-authenticated instances of these 8wit-combats60 ,but1 unfortunately1 nothing on which we can depend has descended to us4 ,,porson',s ,,memory4 ,professor ,porson1 the great ,grcist1 when a boy at ,eton1 displayed the most astonishing powers of memory4 ,in going up to a lesson one day1 he was accosted by a boy in the same form3 8,porson1 what have you got there80 8,horace40 8,let me look at it40 ,porson handed the book to his comrade2 who1 pretending to return it1 dexterously substituted another in its place1 with which ,porson proceeded4 ,being called on by the master1 he read and construed the tenth ,ode of the first ,book very regularly4 ,observing that the class laughed1 the master said1 8,porson1 you seem to me to be reading on one side of the page1 while ,i am looking at the other2 pray whose edition have you80 ,porson hesitated4 8,let me see it10 rejoined the master2 who1 to his great surprise1 found it to be an ,english ,ovid4 ,porson was ordered to go on2 which he did1 easily1 correctly1 and promptly1 to the end of the ,ode4 ,much more remarkable feats of memory than this1 however1 have been recorded of ,porson's manhood4 ,,wycherley',s ,,wooing4 ,wycherley being at ,tunbridge for the benefit of his health1 after his return from the ,continental trip the cost of which the king had defrayed1 was walking one day with his friend1 ,mr4 ,fairbeard1 of ,gray's ,inn4 ,just as they came up to a bookseller's shop1 the ,countess of ,drogheda1 a young1 rich1 noble1 and lovely widow1 came to the bookseller and inquired for the ,plain ,dealer--a well-known comedy of ,wycherley's4 8,madam10 said ,mr4 ,fairbeard1 8since you are for the ,plain ,dealer1 there he is for you0--pushing ,wycherley towards her4 8,yes10 said ,wycherley1 8this lady can bear plain dealing2 for she appears to me to be so accomplished1 that what would be compliment said to others1 would be plain dealing spoken to her40 8,no1 truly1 sir10 said the ,countess2 8,i am not without my faults1 any more than the rest of my sex2 and yet ,i love plain dealing1 and am never more fond of it than when it tells me of them40 8,then1 ,madam10 said ,fairbeard1 8,you and the ,plain ,dealer seem designed by ,heaven for each other40 ,in short1 ,wycherley walked with the ,countess1 waited upon her home1 visited her daily while she was at ,tunbridge1 and afterwards when she went to ,london2 where1 in a little time1 a marriage was concluded between them4 ,the marriage was not a happy one4 ,a ,,carouse ,,at ,,boileau',s4 ,boileau1 the celebrated ,french comedian1 usually passed the summer at his villa of ,auteuil1 which is pleasantly situated at the entrance of the ,bois de ,boulogne4 ,here he took delight in assembling under his roof the most eminent geniuses of the age2 especially ,chapelle1 ,racine1 ,molire1 and ,la ,fontaine4 ,racine the younger gives the following account of a droll circumstance that occurred at supper at ,auteuil with these guests4 8,at this supper10 he says1 8at which my father was not present1 the wise ,boileau was no more master of himself than any of his guests4 ,after the wine had led them into the gravest strain of moralising1 they agreed that life was but a state of misery2 that the greatest happiness consisted in having been born1 and the next greatest in an early death2 and they one and all formed the heroic resolution of throwing themselves without loss of time into the river4 ,it was not far off1 and they actually went thither4 ,molire1 however1 remarked that such a noble action ought not to be buried in the obscurity of night1 but was worthy of being performed in the face of day4 ,this observation produced a pause2 one looked at the other1 and said1 #8,he is right4' #8,gentlemen1' said ,chapelle1 #8we had better wait till morning to throw ourselves into the river1 and meantime return and finish our wine2'nbsp20 but the river was not revisited4 ,,thomson',s ,,indolence4 ,the author of the ,seasons and the ,castle of ,indolence1 paid homage in the latter admirable poem to the master-passion or habit of his own easy nature4 ,thomson was so excessively lazy1 that he is recorded to have been seen standing at a peach-tree1 with both his hands in his pockets1 eating the fruit as it grew4 ,at another time1 being found in bed at a very late hour of the day1 when he was asked why he did not get up1 his answer was1 8,troth1 man1 ,i see nae motive for rising60 ,a ,,learned ,,young ,,lady4 ,fraulein ,dorothea ,schlozer1 a ,hanoverian lady1 was thought worthy of the highest academical honours of ,gttingen ,university1 and1 at the jubilee of #aghg1 she had the degree of ,doctor of ,philosophy conferred upon her1 when only seventeen years of age4 ,the daughter of the ,professor of ,philosophy in that ,university1 she from her earliest years discovered an uncommon genius for learning4 ,before she was three years of age1 she was taught ,low ,german1 a language almost foreign to her own4 ,before she was six1 she had learned ,french and ,german1 and then she began geometry2 and after receiving ten lessons1 she was able to answer very difficult questions4 ,the ,english1 ,italian1 ,swedish1 and ,dutch languages were next acquired1 with singular rapidity2 and before she was fourteen1 she knew ,latin and ,greek1 and had become a good classical scholar4 ,besides her knowledge of languages1 she made herself acquainted with almost every branch of polite literature1 as well as many of the sciences1 particularly mathematics4 ,she also attained great proficiency in mineralogy2 and1 during a sojourn of six weeks in the ,hartz ,forest1 she visited the deepest mines1 in the common habit of a labourer1 and examined the whole process of the work4 ,her surprising talents becoming the general topic of conversation1 she was proposed1 by the great ,orientalist ,michaelis1 as a proper subject for academical honours4 ,the ,philosophical ,faculty1 of which the ,professor was ,dean1 was deemed the fittest2 and a day was fixed for her examination1 in presence of all the ,professors4 ,she was introduced by ,michaelis himself1 and distinguished1 as a lady1 with the highest seat4 ,several questions were first proposed to her in mathematics2 all of which she answered to satisfaction4 ,after this1 she gave a free translation of the thirty-seventh ,ode of the first ,book of ,horace1 and explained it4 ,she was then examined in various branches of art and science1 when she displayed a thorough knowledge of the subjects4 ,the examination lasted two hours and a half2 and at the end1 the degree of ,doctor of ,philosophy was unanimously conferred upon her1 and she was crowned with a wreath of laurel by ,fraulein ,michaelis1 at the request of the ,professors4 ,a ,,hard ,,hit ,,at ,,pope4 ,pope was one evening at ,button's ,coffee-house1 where he and a set of literati had got poring over a ,latin manuscript1 in which they had found a passage that none of them could comprehend4 ,a young officer1 who heard their conference1 begged that he might be permitted to look at the passage4 8,oh10 said ,pope1 sarcastically1 8by all means2 pray let the young gentleman look at it40 ,upon which the officer took up the manuscript1 and1 considering it awhile1 said there only wanted a note of interrogation to make the whole intelligible3 which was really the case4 8,and pray1 ,master10 says ,pope with a sneer1 8what is a note of interrogation80--8,a note of interrogation10 replied the young fellow1 with a look of great contempt1 8is a little crooked thing that asks questions40 ,,dryden ,,drubbed4 8,dryden10 says ,leigh ,hunt1 8is identified with the neighbourhood of ,covent ,garden4 ,he presided in the chair at ,russell ,street 7,will's ,coffee-house72 his plays came out in the theatre at the other end of it2 he lived in ,gerrard ,street1 which is not far off2 and1 alas for the anti-climax6 he was beaten by hired bravos in ,rose ,street1 now called ,rose ,alley4 ,the outrage perpetrated upon the sacred shoulders of the poet was the work of ,lord ,rochester1 and originated in a mistake not creditable to that would-be great man and dastardly debauchee40 ,dryden1 it seems1 obtained the reputation of being the author of the ,essay on ,satire1 in which ,lord ,rochester was severely dealt with1 and which was1 in reality1 written by ,lord ,mulgrave1 afterwards the ,duke of ,buckinghamshire4 ,rochester meditated on the innocent ,dryden a base and cowardly revenge1 and thus coolly expressed his intent in one of his letters3 8,you write me word that ,i am out of favour with a certain poet1 whom ,i have admired for the disproportion of him and his attributes4 ,he is a rarity which ,i cannot but be fond of1 as one would be of a hog that could fiddle1 or a singing owl4 ,if he falls on me at the blunt1 which is his very good weapon in wit1 ,i will forgive him if you please1 and leave the repartee to ,black ,will with a cudgel40 8,in pursuance of this infamous resolution10 says ,sir ,walter ,scott1 8upon the night of the #ahth ,december #afgi1 ,dryden was waylaid by hired ruffians1 and severely beaten1 as he passed through ,rose ,street1 ,covent ,garden1 returning from ,will's ,coffee-house to his own house in ,gerrard ,street4 ,a reward of fifty pounds was in vain offered in the ,london ,gazette and other newspapers1 for the discovery of the perpetrators of this outrage4 ,the town was1 however1 at no loss to pitch upon ,rochester as the employer of the bravos2 with whom the public suspicion joined the ,duchess of ,portsmouth1 equally concerned in the supposed affront thus revenged4444 ,it will certainly be admitted that a man1 surprised in the dark1 and beaten by ruffians1 loses no honour by such a misfortune4 ,but if ,dryden had received the same discipline from ,rochester's own hand1 without resenting it1 his drubbing could not have been more frequently made a matter of reproach to him2 a sign1 surely1 of the penury of subjects for satire in his life and character1 since an accident1 which might have happened to the greatest hero that ever lived1 was resorted to as an imputation on his character40 ,,rogers ,,and 8,,junius40 ,samuel ,rogers was requested by ,lady ,holland to ask ,sir ,philip ,francis whether he was the author of ,junius' ,letters4 ,the poet1 meeting ,sir ,philip1 approached the ticklish subject thus3 8,will you1 ,sir ,philip--will your kindness excuse my addressing to you a single question80 8,at your peril1 ,sir60 was the harsh and curt reply of the knight4 ,the intimidated bard retreated upon his friends1 who eagerly inquired of him the success of his application4 8,i do not know10 ,rogers said1 8whether he is ,junius2 but1 if he be1 he is certainly ,junius ,brutus40 ,,alfieri',s ,,hair4 ,alfieri1 the greatest poet modern ,italy produced1 delighted in eccentricities1 not always of the most amiable kind4 ,one evening1 at the house of the ,princess ,carignan1 he was leaning1 in one of his silent moods1 against a sideboard decorated with a rich tea service of china1 when1 by a sudden movement of his long loose tresses1 he threw down one of the cups4 ,the lady of the mansion ventured to tell him1 that he had spoiled the set1 and had better have broken them all4 ,the words were no sooner said1 than ,alfieri1 without reply or change of countenance1 swept off the whole service upon the floor4 ,his hair was fated to bring another of his eccentricities into play4 ,he went one night1 alone1 to the theatre at ,turin2 and there1 hanging carelessly with his head backwards over the corner of the box1 a lady in the next seat on the other side of the partition1 who had on other occasions made attempts to attract his attention1 broke out into violent and repeated encomiums on his auburn locks1 which were flowing down close to her hand4 ,alfieri1 however1 spoke not a word1 and continued his position till he left the theatre4 ,next morning1 the lady received a parcel1 the contents of which she found to be the tresses which she had so much admired1 and which the erratic poet had cut off close to his head4 ,no billet accompanied the gift2 but it could not have been more clearly said1 8,if you like the hair1 here it is2 but1 for ,heaven's sake1 leave me alone60 ,,smollett',s ,,hard ,,fortunes4 ,smollett1 perhaps one of the most popular authors by profession that ever wrote1 furnishes a sad instance of the insufficiency of even the greatest literary favour1 in the times in which he wrote1 to procure those temporal comforts on which the happiness of life so much depends4 8,had some of those10 he says1 8who were pleased to call themselves my friends1 been at any pains to deserve the character1 and told me ingenuously what ,i had to expect in the capacity of an author1 when first ,i professed myself of that venerable fraternity1 ,i should in all probability have spared myself the incredible labour and chagrin ,i have since undergone40 8,of praise and censure both10 he writes at another time1 8,i am sick indeed1 and wish to ,god that my circumstances would allow me to consign my pen to oblivion40 ,when he had worn himself down in the service of the public or the booksellers1 there scarce was left of all his slender remunerations1 at the last stage of life1 enough to convey him to a cheap country and a restoring air on the ,continent4 ,gradually perishing in a foreign land1 neglected by the public that admired him1 deriving no resources from the booksellers who were drawing the large profits of his works1 ,smollett threw out his injured feelings in the character of ,bramble1 in ,humphrey ,clinker3 the warm generosity of his temper1 but not his genius1 seeming to fleet away with his breath4 ,and when he died1 and his widow1 in a foreign land1 was raising a plain memorial over his ashes1 her love and piety but made the little less2 and she perished in unbefriended solitude4 8,there are indeed10 says ,d',israeli1 8grateful feelings in the public at large for a favourite author2 but the awful testimony of these feelings1 by its gradual process1 must appear beyond the grave6 ,they visit the column consecrated by his name--and his features are most loved1 most venerated1 in the bust60 ,,jerrold',s ,,rebuke ,,to ,a ,,rude ,,intruder4 ,douglas ,jerrold and some friends were dining once at a tavern1 and had a private room2 but after dinner the landlord1 on the plea that the house was partly under repair1 requested permission that a stranger might take a chop in the apartment1 at a separate table4 ,the company gave the required permission2 and the stranger1 a man of commonplace aspect1 was brought in1 ate his chop in silence1 and then fell asleep--snoring so loudly and discordantly that the conversation could with difficulty be prosecuted4 ,some gentleman of the party made a noise2 and the stranger1 starting out of his nap1 called out to ,jerrold1 8,i know you1 ,mr4 ,jerrold1 ,i know you2 but you shall not make a butt of me60 8,then don't bring your hog's head in here60 was the instant answer of the wit4 ,,an ,,odd ,,present ,,to ,,shenstone4 ,an ,edinburgh acquaintance is related to have sent to ,shenstone1 in #agfa1 as a small stimulus to their friendship1 8a little provision of the best ,preston ,pans snuff1 both toasted and untoasted1 in four bottles2 with one bottle of ,highland ,snishon1 and four bottles ,bonnels4 ,please to let me know which sort is most agreeable to you1 that ,i may send you a fresh supply in good time40 ,,waller1 ,,the ,,courtier-,,poet4 ,waller wrote a fine panegyric on ,cromwell1 when he assumed the ,protectorship4 ,upon the restoration of ,charles1 ,waller wrote another in praise of him1 and presented it to the ,king in person4 ,after his ,majesty had read the poem1 he told ,waller that he wrote a better on ,cromwell4 8,please your ,majesty10 said ,waller1 like a true courtier1 8we poets are always more happy in fiction than in truth40 ,,anecdotes ,,about ,,art ,,and ,,artists4 ,,part ,,ii4 ,compiler of 8,anecdotes of ,lawyers1 ,doctors and ,parsons40--8,inventions1 ,discoveries10 c41 c4--8,standard ,jest ,book40--8,railway ,book of ,fun40--8,traveller's ,new ,book of ,fun40--8,modern ,joe ,miller40--8,best ,sayings of the ,best ,authors40--8,rule of ,life40--8,maxims for ,everyday ,life10 and 8,art of ,conversation40 ,,note4 ,perhaps there is no notable department of human effort and interest--not excepting literature itself--that furnishes such delightful and plentiful materials for anecdote and illustration1 as ,,art and ,,artists4 ,as the studios of eminent painters or sculptors afford a favourite lounge for men of taste and leisure2 so1 to those to whom such a pleasure is denied1 or as regards those sovereigns of the pencil and chisel who are at rest from their labours1 there is a peculiar gratification in being placed1 in fancy1 in contact with the creators of immortal things of beauty and of power4 ,artists1 besides1 have been and are1 in very many cases1 also men of culture and wit1 of refined taste and powerful intellect--men remarkable quite apart from their performances on canvas or in marble4 ,their works1 moreover1 possess what we may almost term a personal history and vitality3 they are each unique and full of character1 like human beings2 and their voyagings and vicissitudes are at times of even greater interest than those of their authors--whose life1 too1 is but as a span in comparison with theirs4 ,this selection of facts and anecdotes relating to ,art and ,artists1 therefore1 seems to require for its subject-matter no strenuous recommendation to the favour of the reader2 and it is put forth in the confident hope that it may not be found lacking either in variety or in interest4 ,,art ,,and ,,artists4 ,,curious ,,facts ,,and ,,characteristic ,,sketches4 ,,titian ,,and ,,charles ,v4 ,in #aedg1 at the invitation of ,charles ,v41 ,titian joined the imperial court4 ,the ,emperor1 then advanced in years1 sat to him for the third time4 ,during the sitting1 ,titian happened to drop one of his pencils2 the ,emperor took it up2 and on the artist expressing how unworthy he was of such an honour1 ,charles replied that ,titian was 8worthy of being waited upon by ,csar40--7,see the ,frontispiece47--,after the resignation of ,charles ,v41 ,titian found as great a patron in his son1 ,philip ,,ii42 and when1 in #aeed1 the painter complained to ,philip of the irregularity with which a pension of #djj crowns granted to him by the ,emperor was paid to him1 the ,king wrote an order for the payment to the governor of ,milan1 concluding with the following words3--8,you know how ,i am interested in this order1 as it affects ,titian2 comply with it1 therefore1 in such a manner as to give me no occasion to repeat it40 ,the ,duke of ,ferrara was so attached to ,titian1 that he frequently invited him to accompany him1 in his barge1 from ,venice to ,ferrara4 ,at the latter place1 he became acquainted with ,ariosto4 ,but1 to reckon up the protectors and friends of ,titian1 would be to name nearly all the persons of the age1 to whom rank1 talent1 and exalted character appertained4 ,,childhood ,,of ,,benjamin ,,west4 ,benjamin ,west1 the son of ,john ,west and ,sarah ,pearson1 was born in ,springfield1 in the state of ,pennsylvania1 ,october #aj1 #agcc4 ,his mother1 it seems1 had gone to hear one ,edward ,peckover preach about the sinfulness of the ,old ,world and the spotlessness of the ,new3 terrified and overcome by the earnest eloquence of the enthusiast1 she shrieked aloud1 was carried home1 and1 in the midst of agitation and terror1 was safely delivered of the future president of the ,royal ,academy4 ,when the preacher was told of this1 he rejoiced1 8,note that child10 said he1 8for he has come into the world in a remarkable way1 and will assuredly prove a wonderful man40 ,the child prospered1 and when seven years' old began to fulfil the prediction of the preacher4 ,little ,west was one day set to rock the cradle of his sister's child1 and was so struck with the beauty of the slumbering babe1 that he drew its features in red and black ink4 8,i declare10 cried his astonished sister1 8he has made a likeness of little baby60 ,he was next noticed by a party of wild ,indians1 who1 pleased with the sketches which ,benjamin had made of birds and flowers1 taught him how to prepare the red and yellow colours with which they stained their weapons2 to these1 his mother added indigo1 and thus he obtained the three primary colours4 ,it is also related1 that ,west's artistic career was commenced through the present of a box of colours1 which was made to him1 when about nine years old1 by a ,pennsylvanian merchant1 whose attention was attracted by some of the boy's pen-and-ink sketches4 ,,guido',s ,,time4 ,guido1 when in embarrassment from his habit of gaming and extravagance1 is related by ,malvasia1 his well-informed biographer1 to have sold his time at a stipulated sum per hour1 to certain dealers1 one of whom tasked the painter so rigidly1 as to stand by him1 with watch in hand1 while he worked4 ,thus were produced numbers of heads and half figures1 which1 though executed with the facility of a master1 had little else to recommend them4 ,malvasia relates1 that such works were sometimes begun and finished in three hours1 and even less time4 ,,character ,,of ,,gainsborough4 ,shortly after ,gainsborough's death1 ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds1 then ,president of the ,royal ,academy1 delivered a discourse to the students1 of which 8the character of ,gainsborough0 was the subject4 ,in this he alludes to ,gainsborough's method of handling--his habit of scratching4 8,all these odd scratches and marks10 he observes1 8which1 on a close examination1 are so observable in ,gainsborough's pictures1 and which1 even to experienced painters1 appear rather the effect of accident than design--this chaos1 this uncouth and shapeless appearance--by a kind of magic1 at a certain distance1 assumes form1 and all the parts seem to drop into their proper places2 so that we can hardly refuse acknowledging the full effect of diligence1 under the appearance of chaste and hasty negligence40 ,,benefit ,,of ,,rivalry4 ,giorgione is1 in some of his portraits1 still unsurpassed4 ,du ,fresnoy observes of him1 that he dressed his figures wonderfully well2 and it may truly be said1 that1 but for him1 ,titian would never have attained that perfection1 which was the consequence of the rivalship and jealousy which prevailed between them4 ,,backhuysen4 ,backhuysen's favourite subjects were wrecks and stormy seas1 which he frequently sketched from nature in an open boat1 at the great peril of himself and the boatmen4 ,he made many constructive drawings of ships for the ,czar ,peter the ,great1 who took lessons of the painter1 and frequently visited his painting-room4 ,among his other avocations1 ,backhuysen also gave lessons in writing1 in which he introduced a new and approved method4 ,he was a man of cheerful eccentricity4 ,within a few days of his death1 he ordered a number of bottles of choice wine1 on each of which he set his seal4 ,a certain number of his friends were then invited to his funeral1 to each of whom he bequeathed a gold coin1 requesting them to spend it merrily1 and to drink the wine with as much cordiality as he had in consigning it to them4 ,,george ,,morland4 ,george ,morland1 the famous painter of rustic and low life--a great but dissolute genius--when he left the paternal roof1 had for master an ,irishman in ,drury-lane1 who kept him constantly at his easel by never leaving his elbow4 ,his meals were brought him by the shop-boy2 his dinner consisting usually of sixpennyworth of beef from a cookshop1 and a pint of beer4 ,if he asked for five shillings1 his taskmaster would growl1 8,d'ye think ,i'm made of money80 and give him half-a-crown4 ,morland painted pictures for this man enough to fill a room for admittance to which half-a-crown was charged4 ,from this bondage he was freed by an invitation to ,margate1 by a lady of fortune1 to paint portraits in the season2 he stole away from his garret1 and entered on profitable labour4 ,in winter he returned to ,london4 ,he had so risen in repute1 that prints from his pictures had a marvellous sale4 ,soon1 such was the demand for anything from his hand1 that1 though often ill-paid1 he could earn from seventy to a hundred guineas a-week4 ,but no man could be more heedless of money2 and he hardly ever knew what it was to be out of want4 ,he was constantly granting bills1 and when they fell due1 he seldom had cash to meet them4 ,to get a note of #bj renewed for a fortnight1 he has been known to give a picture that at once sold in his presence for #aj4 ,his easel was always surrounded by associates of the lowest cast--horse-dealers1 jockeys1 cobblers1 c4 ,he had a wooden barrier placed across his room1 with a bar that lifted up1 to allow the passage of those with whom he had business1 or who enjoyed his special favour4 ,he might have been said to be in an academy in the midst of models4 ,he would get one to stand for a hand1 another for a head1 an attitude1 or a figure1 according as their countenance or character suited him4 ,thus he painted some of his best pictures1 while his low companions were regaling on gin and red herrings around him4 ,morland1 indeed1 neither in nor beyond the studio let slip an opportunity which he could turn to professional advantage4 ,nature was the grand source from which he drew all his images4 ,he dreaded becoming a mannerist4 ,with other artists he never held any intercourse1 nor had he prints of any kind in his possession2 and he often declared that he would not step across the street to see the finest assemblage of paintings that ever was exhibited4 ,once1 indeed1 he was induced to go to see ,lord ,bute's collection2 but1 having passed through one room1 he refused to see more1 declaring that he did not wish to contemplate the works of any other man1 lest he should become an imitator4 ,at the death of his father1 ,morland was advised to claim the dormant title of ,baronet1 which had been conferred on one of his lineal ancestors by ,charles ,,ii4 ,finding1 however1 that there was no emolument attached to the title1 he renounced the distinction2 saying that 8plain ,george ,morland could always sell his pictures1 and there was more honour in being a fine painter than a titled gentleman2 that he would have borne the vanity of a title had there been any income to accompany it2 but as matters stood1 he would wear none of the fooleries of his ancestors40 ,he died in #ahjd1 while in confinement in consequence of intemperance4 ,,disinterestedness ,,of ,,english ,,painters4 ,there are no examples in the history of painting1 of such noble disinterestedness as has ever been shown by the ,english ,historical ,painters4 ,hogarth and others adorned the ,foundling for nothing2 ,reynolds and ,west offered to adorn ,st4 ,paul's for nothing1 and yet were refused6 ,barry painted the ,adelphi without remuneration2 but1 as ,burke beautifully says1 8the temple of honour ought to be seated on an eminence4 ,if it be open through virtue1 let it be remembered1 too1 that virtue is never tried but by some difficulty and some struggle40--,haydon's ,lectures4 ,,the ,,double ,,chin4 ,one of the finest examples of preserving beauty1 even in maturity1 is given in ,niobe1 the mother4 8,in early life1 at a rout1 7says ,haydon17 ,i admired and followed1 during the evening1 a mother and her daughters1 distinguished for their beauty4 ,the mother did not look old1 and yet looked the mother4 ,on scrutinizing and comparing mother and daughters1 ,i found there was a little double chin in the mother1 which marked her1 without diminishing her beauty4 ,i went at once1 on my return to my studio1 to the ,niobe mother1 and found this very mark in the ,niobe mother1 which ,i had never observed before1 under her chin40 ,,sympathy ,,and ,,calculation4 ,when ,sir ,richard ,phillips1 in his ,morning's ,walk from ,london to ,kew1 visited the ,church on ,kew-green1 he halted beside the tomb of ,gainsborough1 and said to the sexton's assistant1 8,ah1 friend1 this is a hallowed spot--here lies one of ,britain's favoured sons1 whose genius has assisted in exalting her among the nations of the earth40--8,perhaps it was so10 said the man2 8but we know nothing about the people buried1 except to keep up their monuments1 if the family pay2 and1 perhaps1 ,sir1 you belong to this family2 if so1 ,i'll tell you how much is due40--8,yes1 truly1 friend10 said ,sir ,richard1 8,i am one of the great family1 bound to preserve the monument of ,gainsborough2 but if you take me for one of his relatives1 you are mistaken40--8,perhaps1 ,sir1 you may be of the family1 but were not included in the will2 therefore1 are not obligated40 ,sir ,richard could not avoid looking with scorn at the fellow2 but1 as the spot claimed better feelings1 gave him a trifle1 and so got rid of him4 ,,ruskin',s 8,,modern ,,painters40 ,in a note-book of #ahdh1 we read of ,ruskin's first work3--,one of the most extraordinary and delightful books of the day1 is ,modern ,painters1 by a 8,graduate of ,oxford20 in which the author admits and vindicates his direct opposition to the general opinion1 in placing ,turner and other modern landscape painters above those of the seventeenth century--,claude1 ,gaspar ,poussin1 ,salvator ,rosa1 ,canaletto1 ,hobbima1 c4 ,yet1 this remarkable book has been strangely treated by what is called the literary world4 ,the larger reviews have taken little or no notice of it2 and those periodicals which are considered to represent the literature of the fine arts1 and to watch over their progress and interests1 almost without an exception1 have treated it with the most marked injustice1 and the most shameful derision4 ,yet1 in spite of all this neglect and maltreatment1 the work has found its way into the minds and hearts of men4 ,this is better shown by the first volume having reached a third edition1 than by any of the most elaborate patronage from the press4 ,a writer in the ,north ,british ,review1 waxing eloquently wroth at this reception of a work of unquestionably high genius by the critics1 observed3--8,the national treatment is in this case a good index to the national mind and feeling2 so that it is not to be wondered at1 that such productions as ,charles ,lamb's ,essays on the ,genius of ,hogarth1 and on the ,barrenness of the ,imaginative ,faculty in the productions of ,modern ,art--,hazlitt's ,works on ,art--those of ,sir ,charles ,bell and his brother ,john1--should rarely occur1 and be not much regarded1 and little understood1 when they do1 in a country where ,hogarth was looked upon by the majority as a caricaturist fully as coarse as clever1--where ,wilkie's #8,distraining for ,rent' could get no purchaser1 because it was an unpleasant subject1--where to this day ,turner is better known as being unintelligible and untrue1 than as being more truthful1 more thoughtful1 than any painter of inanimate nature1 ancient or modern1--where ,maclise is accounted worthy to illustrate ,shakspeare1 and embody ,macbeth and ,hamlet1 as having a kindred genius1--and where it was reserved to a few young1 self-relying1 unknown ,scottish artists1 7students of the ,royal ,scottish ,academy17 to purchase ,etty's three pictures of ,judith1 the ,combat1 and the ,lion-like ,men of ,moab1 at a price which1 though perilous to themselves1 was equally disgraceful to the public who had disregarded them1 and inadequate to the deserving of their gifted producer40 ,,rubens',s 8,,chapeau ,,de ,,paille40 ,this exquisite picture was the gem of ,sir ,robert ,peel's fine collection4 ,its transparency and brilliancy are unrivalled3 it is all but life itself4 ,it was bought by ,sir ,r4 ,peel for #cejj guineas4 ,the name of 8,chapeau de ,paille10 as applied to this picture1 appears to be a misnomer4 ,the portrait is in what is strangely termed a ,spanish hat4 ,why it has become the fashion in this country to designate every slouched hat with a feather a ,spanish hat1 it is hard to say2 since at the period that such hats were worn1 7about the reign of ,charles ,i4 in ,england17 they were not more peculiar to ,spain than to other ,european countries4 ,rubens himself wore a hat of this description2 and it is related that his mistress1 having placed his hat upon her own head1 he borrowed from this circumstance the celebrated picture in question4 ,with respect to the misnomer1 it has been conjectured that ,span'sh hut being somewhat similar in sound to ,span hut1 ,flemish for straw hat1 first led to the incongruous title 8,chapeau de ,paille40 ,now1 ,span hut1 the ,flemish name of this work1 does not mean a straw hat1 but a wide-brimmed hat2 and further1 whoever has had the good fortune to see the picture1 must be aware that the woman is there represented not in a straw 7paille7 hat1 but a black hat4 ,the ,french title1 8,chapeau de ,paille10 is1 therefore1 and we think with reason supposed to be but a corruption of ,chapeau de ,poil 7nap1 or beaver17 its real designation4 ,a ,,prompt ,,remedy4 ,opie was painting an old beau of fashion4 ,whenever he thought the painter was touching the mouth1 he screwed it up in a most ridiculous manner4 ,opie1 who was a blunt man1 said very quietly1 8,sir1 if you want the mouth left out1 ,i will do it with pleasure40 ,,wilkie',s ,,simplicity4 ,never1 relates ,haydon1 was anything more extraordinary than the modesty and simplicity of ,wilkie1 at the period of his production of 8,the ,village ,politicians40 ,jackson told me he had the greatest difficulty to persuade him to send this celebrated picture to the ,exhibition2 and ,i remember his 7,wilkie's7 bewildered astonishment at the prodigious enthusiasm of the people at the ,exhibition when it went1 ,may1 #ahjf4 ,on the ,sunday after the private day and dinner1 the ,news said3--8,a young ,scotchman1 by name ,wilkie1 has a wonderful work40 ,i immediately sallied forth1 took up ,jackson1 and away we rushed to ,wilkie4 ,i found him in his parlour1 in ,norton-street1 at breakfast4 8,wilkie10 said ,i1 8your name is in the paper40 8,is it1 really80 said he1 staring with delight4 ,i then read the puff1 ore rotundo2 and ,jackson1 ,i1 and he1 in an ecstacy1 joined hands1 and danced round the table4 ,,the ,,grave ,,of ,,lawrence4 ,sir ,thomas ,lawrence1 when attending the funeral of ,mr4 ,dawe1 ,r4,a41 in the vault of ,st4 ,paul's ,cathedral1 was observed to look wistfully about him1 as if contemplating the place as that to which he himself would some day be borne2 and1 when the service was concluded1 it was remarked that he stopped to look at the inscription upon the stone which covers the body of his predecessor1 ,west4 ,within three months from the date of this incident1 the vaults were re-opened to receive ,lawrence's remains4 8,,it ,,will ,,never ,,do40 8,oh1 how ,i hate this expression60 said poor ,haydon1 in his famous ,lectures4 8,when ,wellington said he would break the charm of ,napoleon's invincibility1 what was the reply8 ,it will never do6 ,when ,columbus asserted there was another hemisphere1 what was the reply8 ,it will never do6 ,and when ,galileo offered to prove the earth went round the sun1 the ,holy ,inquisition said1 ,it shall never do6 ,it will never do has been always the favourite watch-cry of those1 in all ages and countries1 who ever look on all schemes for the advancement of mankind as indirect reflections on the narrowness of their own petty comprehensions40 ,,lost ,,chance ,,of ,a ,,national ,,gallery4 ,george the ,fourth 7when ,regent7 proposed to connect ,carlton ,house1 in ,pall-,mall1 with ,marlborough ,house1 and ,st4 ,james's ,palace1 by a gallery of portraits of the sovereigns and other historic personages of ,england2 but1 unfortunately ,mr4 ,nash's speculation of burying ,carlton ,house and ,gardens1 and overlaying ,st4 ,james's ,park with terraces1 prevailed2 and this magnificent design of an historical gallery was abandoned2 although the crown of ,england possesses materials for an historical collection which would be infinitely superior to that of ,versailles4 ,,reynolds',s ,,portrait ,,of ,,lord ,,heathfield4 8,of all conceptions1 as well as executions of portraits10 says ,dr4 ,dibdin1 8that of ,lord ,heathfield1 by ,reynolds1 is doubtless amongst the very finest and most characteristic4 ,the veteran has a key1 gently raised1 in his right hand1 which he is about to place in his left4 ,it is the key of the impregnable fortress of ,gibraltar2 and he seems to say1 #8,wrest it from me at your peril6' ,kneller1 and even ,vandyke1 would have converted this key into a truncheon4 ,what a bluff spirit of unbending intrepidity and integrity was the illustrious ,elliott6 ,his country knows no braver warrior of his class than he60 ,,the ,,elgin ,,marbles 8,what are these marbles remarkable for80 said a respectable gentleman at the ,british ,museum to one of the attendants1 after looking attentively round the ,elgin ,saloon4 8,why1 sir10 said the man1 with propriety1 8because they are so like life40 8,like life60 repeated the gentleman1 with the greatest contempt2 8why1 what of that80 and walked away4 ,,henry ,,howard1 ,r4,a4 ,mr4 ,howard1 the well-known ,secretary and ,professor of ,painting to the ,royal ,academy1 died ,october #e1 #ahdg1 in the seventy-eighth year of his age4 ,he was born in #aggj2 and was at ,rome in #agid1 when1 in his twenty-fourth year1 he forwarded his first work1 8,the ,death of ,cain10 to the ,royal ,academy ,exhibition4 ,in #ahjg1 he painted 8,the ,infant ,bacchus brought by ,mercury to the ,nymphs of ,nysa20 and in the autumn of the same year1 he was elected a ,royal ,academician4 ,of his fellow academicians1 in #ahdh1 only two out of forty survived--,sir ,martin ,archer ,shee1 and ,mr4 ,j4 ,m4 ,w4 ,turner4 ,others1 however1 elected after him1 had died before him--,callcott1 and ,william ,daniell1 for instance2 ,wilkie1 ,dawe1 ,raeburn1 ,hilton1 ,collins1 ,jackson1 ,chantrey1 ,constable1 and ,newton4 ,his diploma picture on his election was 8,the ,four ,angels1 loosed from the ,river ,euphrates40 ,for fifty-three years1 from #agid to #ahdg1 ,mr4 ,howard never missed sending to a ,royal ,academy ,exhibition4 ,it would be difficult1 perhaps1 to find another example of such assiduity2 yet1 where his pictures went--for he had few or no patrons1 so called--it is hard to say4 ,banks and ,flaxman1 the two great sculptors1 took notice of ,howard's early efforts1 gave him friendly encouragement in all he did1 and suggested1 it is said1 new subjects for his pencil4 ,yet1 his pictures were very popular2 they are classically cold2 his place1 therefore1 in the history of ,art is not likely to be high or lasting4 ,,originals ,,of ,,hogarth',s ,,marriage ,a-,,la-,,mode4 ,in #ahda1 ,messrs4 ,smith1 the eminent printsellers1 of ,lisle-street1 had the good fortune to discover in the country a duplicate set of the pictures of 8,the ,marriage -la-,mode10 by ,hogarth2 which appear to have escaped the researches of all the writers on his works4 ,they are evidently the finished sketches1 from which he afterwards painted the pictures now in the ,national ,gallery1 which are more highly wrought4 ,the backgrounds of these pictures are very much subdued1 which gives a greater importance to the figures4 ,they became the property of ,h4 ,r4 ,willett1 ,esq41 of ,merly ,house1 ,dorsetshire1 who added them to his already rich collection of ,hogarth's works4 ,these pictures of 8,the ,marriage--la-,mode0 are painted in an exceedingly free and sketchy manner and are considered to have been most probably painted at the same time as the four pictures of the ,election1 now in the ,soanean ,museum1 the execution of which they very much resemble4 ,there is a considerable number of variations between these and the ,national ,gallery pictures2 and such differences throw much light upon the painter's technical execution1 which is somewhat disputed4 8,although in some respects rather sketchily handled10 says a critic1 8they are not painted feebly2 and if they cannot be called highly finished1 these productions are worthy to rank as cabinet pictures4 ,to be fairly understood1 7to use ,charles ,lamb's happy expression17 #8,hogarth's pictures must be read1 as well as looked at4'nbsp20 ,,homage ,,to ,,art4 ,the first great painter in encaustic1 of whose works lengthened descriptions have been handed down1 was ,polygnotus4 ,he painted his celebrated 8,triumph of ,miltiades and the ,victors of ,marathon10 by public desire2 and such was the admiration in which it was held1 that the ,athenians offered to reward the artist with whatever he might desire4 ,polygnotus nobly declined asking anything2 upon which the ,amphictionic ,council proclaimed that he should be maintained at the public expense wherever he went4 ,such was the homage of a whole nation6 ,what1 then1 shall we say to the sentiments of the narrow-minded prelate1 who declared that a pin-maker was a more valuable member of society than ,raphael6 8,,columbus ,,and ,,the ,,egg0 ,,anticipated4 ,brunelleschi was the discoverer of the mode of erecting cupolas1 which had been lost since the time of the ,romans4 ,vasari relates a similar anecdote of him to that recorded of ,columbus2 though this has unquestionably the merit of being the first1 since it occurred before the birth of ,columbus4 ,brunelleschi died in #addf2 ,columbus was born in #addb4 ,a council of the most learned men of the day1 from various parts of the world1 was summoned to consult and show plans for the erection of a cupola1 like that of the ,pantheon at ,rome4 ,brunelleschi refused to show his model1 it being upon the most simple principles1 but proposed that the man who could make an egg stand upright on a marble base should be the architect4 ,the foreigners and artists agreeing to this1 but failing in their attempts1 desired ,brunelleschi to do it himself2 upon which he took the egg1 and with a gentle tap broke the end1 and placed it on the slab4 ,the learned men unanimously protested that any one else could do the same2 to which the architect replied1 with a smile1 that had they seen his model1 they could as easily have known how to build a cupola4 ,the work then devolved upon him1 but a want of confidence existing among the operatives and citizens1 they pronounced the undertaking to be too great for one man2 and arranged that ,lorenzo ,ghiberti1 an artist of great repute at that time1 should be co-architect with him4 ,brunelleschi's anger and mortification were so great on hearing this decision1 that he destroyed1 in the space of half an hour1 models and designs that had cost him years of labour1 and would have quitted ,florence but for the persuasions of ,donatello4 ,it is almost unnecessary to add1 that the cupola was completed with perfect success by ,brunelleschi2 since ,st4 ,peter's1 at ,rome1 and our own ,st4 ,paul's1 were formed upon the model of his dome at ,florence4 ,by the way1 some of the wise men of the day proposed that a centre column should support the dome2 others1 that a huge mound of earth 7with quatrini scattered among it7 should be raised in the form of a cupola1 the brick or stone wall built upon it4 ,when finished1 an order was to be issued1 allowing the people to possess themselves of what money they might find in the rubbish2 the mound would thus be easily removed1 and the cupola be left clear6 ,,the ,,rival ,,of ,,raphael4 ,when ,raphael enjoyed at ,rome the reputation of being the mightiest living master of the graphic art1 the ,bolognese preferred their countryman1 ,francisco ,francia1 who had long dwelt among them1 and was of eminent talent4 ,the two artists had never met1 nor had one seen the works of the other4 ,but a friendly correspondence existed between them4 ,the desire of ,francia to see some of the works of ,raphael1 of whom he ever heard more and more in praise1 was extreme2 but advanced years deterred him from encountering the fatigues and dangers of a journey to ,rome4 ,a circumstance at last occurred that gave him1 without this trouble1 the opportunity of seeing what he had so long desired4 ,raphael having painted a picture of ,st4 ,cecilia1 to be placed in a chapel at ,bologna1 he wrote to ,francia1 requesting him to see it put up1 and even to correct any defects he might perceive in it4 ,as soon as ,francia took the picture from its case1 and put it in a proper light for viewing it1 he was struck with admiration and wonder1 and felt painfully how much he was ,raphael's inferior4 ,the picture was indeed one of the finest that ever came from ,raphael's pencil2 but it was only so much the more a source of grief to the unhappy ,francia4 ,he assisted1 as desired1 in placing it in the situation for which it was intended2 but never afterwards had he a happy hour4 ,in one moment he had seen all that he had ever done1 all that had been once so much admired1 thrown quite into the shade4 ,he was too old to entertain any hope1 by renewed efforts1 of coming up with the excellence of ,raphael1 or even approaching it4 ,struck to the heart with grief and despair1 he took to his bed1 from which he never rose again4 ,he was insensible to all consolation1 and in a few days1 the victim of a sublime melancholy1 he died1 in his sixty-eighth year4 ,,turner',s ,,masterpiece4 8,i think10 says the 8,graduate of ,oxford0--,ruskin--in his ,modern ,painters1 8the noblest sea that ,turner has ever painted1 and1 if so1 the noblest certainly ever painted by man1 is that of the ,slave ,ship1 the chief ,academy picture of the ,exhibition of #ahdj4 ,it is a sunset on the ,atlantic1 after prolonged storm2 but the storm is partially lulled1 and the torn and streaming rain-clouds are moving in scarlet lines to lose themselves in the hollow of the night4 ,the whole surface of sea included in the picture is divided into two ridges of enormous swell1 not high nor local1 but a low broad heaving of the whole ocean1 like the lifting of its bosom by a deep-drawn breath after the torture of the storm4 ,between these two ridges1 the fire of the sunset falls along the trough of the sea1 dyeing it with an awful but glorious light1--the intense and lurid splendour which burns like gold1 and bathes like blood4 ,along this fiery path and valley1 the tossing waves by which the swell of the sea is recklessly divided1 lift themselves in dark1 indefinite1 fantastic forms1 each casting a faint and ghastly shadow behind it along the illumined foam4 ,they do not rise everywhere1 but three or four together1 in wild groups1 fitfully and furiously1 as the under strength of the swell compels or permits them2 leaving between them treacherous spaces of level and whirling water1 now lighted with green and lamp-like fire1 now flashing back the gold of the declining sun1 now fearfully dyed from above with the indistinguishable images of the burning clouds1 which fall upon them in flakes of crimson and scarlet1 and give to the reckless waves the added motion of their own fiery flying4 ,purple and blue1 the lurid shadows of the hollow breakers1 are cast upon the mist of the night1 which gathers cold and low1 advancing like the shadow of death upon the guilty ship as it labours amidst the lightning of the sea1 its thin masts written upon the sky in lines of blood1 girded with condemnation in that fearful hue which signs the sky with horror1 and mixes its flaming flood with the sunlight2 and cast far along the desolate heave of the sepulchral waves1 incarnadines the multitudinous sea40 ,,intense ,,effect4 ,when ,fuseli went with ,haydon to the ,elgin marbles1 on recognising the flatness of the belly of the ,theseus1 in consequence of the bowels having naturally fallen in1 he exclaimed1 8,by ,gode1 the ,turks have sawed off his belly60 ,his eye was completely ruined4 ,,reynolds ,,and ,,haydn4 ,during the residence of ,haydn1 the celebrated composer1 in ,england1 one of the royal princes commissioned ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds to paint his portrait4 ,haydn went to the residence of the painter1 and gave him a sitting2 but he soon grew tired4 ,sir ,joshua1 with his usual care for his reputation1 would not paint a man of so distinguished genius with a stupid countenance1 and in consequence he adjourned the sitting to another day4 ,the same weariness and want of expression occurring at the next attempt1 ,sir ,joshua went and communicated the circumstance to the commissioning prince1 who contrived the following stratagem4 ,he sent to the painter's house a pretty ,german girl who was in the service of the ,queen4 ,haydn took his seat for the third time1 and as soon as the conversation began to flag1 a curtain rose1 and the fair ,german addressed him in his native tongue1 with a most elegant compliment4 ,haydn1 delighted1 overwhelmed the enchantress with questions1 his countenance recovered its animation1 and ,sir ,joshua rapidly and successfully seized its traits4 ,,haydon',s ,,first ,,sight ,,of ,,the ,,elgin ,,marbles4 ,at my entrance among these divine things1 7says ,haydon17 for the first time with ,wilkie1 #ahjh1 in ,park-lane1 the first thing ,i saw was the wrist of the right hand and arm of one of the ,fates1 leaning on the thigh2 it is the ,fate on the right side of the other1 which1 mutilated and destroyed as it was1 proved that the great sculptor had kept the shape of the radius and ulna1 as always seen in fine nature1 male and female4 ,i felt at once1 before ,i turned my eyes1 that there was the nature and ideal beauty joined1 which ,i had gone about the art longing for1 but never finding6 ,i saw at once ,i was amongst productions such as ,i had never before witnessed in the art2 and that the great author merited the enthusiasm of antiquity1 of ,socrates1 of ,plato1 of ,aristotle1 of ,juvenal1 of ,cicero1 of ,valerius ,maximus1 and of ,plutarch and ,martial4 ,if such were my convictions on seeing this dilapidated but immortal wrist1 what do you think they were on turning round to the ,theseus1 the horse's head1 and the fighting metope1 the frieze1 and the ,jupiter's breast8 ,oh1 may ,i retain such sensations beyond the grave6 ,i foresaw at once a mighty revolution in the art of the world for ever6 ,i saw that union of nature and ideal perfected in high art1 and before this period pronounced by the ablest critics as impossible6 ,i thanked ,god with all my heart1 with all my soul1 and with all my being1 that ,i was ready to comprehend them from dissection4 ,i bowed to the ,immortal ,spirit1 which still hovered near them4 ,i predicted at once their vast effect on the art of the world1 and was smiled at for my boyish enthusiasm6 ,what ,i asserted in their future influence and enormous superiority1 ,canova1 eight years after1 confirmed4 ,on my introduction by ,hamilton1 7author of ,egyptiaca17 ,i asked ,canova what he thought of them8 and he instantly replied1 with a glistening ,italian fire1 8,ils renverseront le systme des autres antiques40 ,mr4 ,hamilton replied1 8,i have always said so1 but who believed me8 and what was the result of the principles ,i laid down8 ,why1 many a squeeze of the hand to support me under my infirmities1 and many a smile in my face in mercy at my delusion4 #8,you are a young man1' was often said2 #8and your enthusiasm is all very proper4'nbsp20 8,after seeing them myself10 says ,haydon1 8,i took ,fuseli to see them2 and1 being a man of quick sensibility1 he was taken entirely by surprise4 ,never shall ,i forget his uncompromising enthusiasm2 he strode about1 thundering out--#8,the ,greeks were gods6--the ,greeks were gods6' ,when he got home he wanted to modify his enthusiasm2 but ,i always reminded him of his first impressions1 and never let him escape40 ,,painters ,,in ,,society4 ,james ,smith says3--8,i don't fancy ,painters4 ,general ,phipps used to have them much at his table4 ,he once asked me if ,i liked to meet them4 ,i answered1 #8,no2 ,i know nothing in their way1 and they know nothing out of it4'nbsp20 ,,anachronisms ,,in ,,painting4 ,these are to be found in works of all ages4 ,thus we have ,verrio's ,periwigged ,spectators of ,christ ,healing the ,sick2 ,abraham about to shoot ,isaac with a pistol2 ,rubens' ,queen-mother1 ,cardinals1 and ,mercury2 ,velvet ,brussels2 ,ethiopian ,king in a surplice1 boots1 and spurs2 ,belin's ,virgin and ,child listening to a ,violin2 the ,marriage of ,christ with ,st4 ,catherine of ,siena1 with ,king ,david playing the ,harp2 ,albert ,durer's flounced-petticoated ,angel driving ,adam and ,eve from ,paradise2 ,cigoli's ,simeon at the ,circumcision1 with 8spectacles on nose20 the ,virgin ,mary helping herself to a cup of coffee from a chased coffee-pot2 ,n4 ,poussin's ,rebecca at the ,well1 with ,grecian architecture in the back-ground2 ,paul ,veronese's ,benedictine ,father and ,swiss ,soldiers2 the red ,lobsters in the ,sea listening to the ,preaching of ,st4 ,anthony of ,padua2 ,st4 ,jerome1 with a clock by his side2 and ,poussin's ,deluge1 with boats4 ,in our time1 ,west1 the ,president of the ,royal ,academy1 has represented ,paris in a ,roman instead of a ,phrygian dress2 and ,wilkie has painted ,oysters in the ,chelsea ,pensioners ,reading the ,gazette of the ,battle of ,waterloo--in ,june6 ,,moving ,,ears4 ,not one in ten thousand1 perhaps1 ,mr4 ,john ,bell says1 can move his ears4 ,the celebrated ,mr4 ,mery used1 when lecturing1 to amuse his pupils by saying that in one thing he surely belonged to the long-eared tribe2 upon which he moved his ears very rapidly backwards and forwards4 ,and ,albinus1 the celebrated anatomist1 had the same power1 which is performed by little muscles1 not seen4 ,mr4 ,haydon tried it once in painting1 with great effect4 ,in his picture of ,macbeth1 painted for ,sir ,george ,beaumont1 when the ,thane was listening in horror before committing the murder1 the painter ventured to press the ears forward1 like an animal in fright1 to give an idea of trying to catch the nearest sound4 ,it was very effective1 and increased amazingly the terror of the scene1 without the spectators being aware of the reason4 ,,russell1 ,,the ,,crayon ,,painter4 ,this ingenious ,r4,a4 was a native of ,guildford1 and the eldest son of ,mr4 ,john ,russell1 bookseller1 of that town4 ,in early youth he evinced a strong predilection for drawing1 and was placed under the tuition of ,mr4 ,francis ,coates1 an academician of great talent1 after whose decease 8he enjoyed the reputation of being the first artist in crayon painting1 in which he particularly excelled in the delineation of female beauty40 ,in #aghi1 ,russell was chosen a member of the ,royal ,academy2 and soon after appointed crayon-painter to the ,king1 the ,prince of ,wales1 and the ,duke of ,york4 ,notwithstanding this constant succession of professional employment1 he devoted considerable attention to astronomical pursuits2 and his ,selenographia1 or ,model of the ,moon1 which occupied the whole of his leisure from the year #aghe until #agig1 affords a remarkable instance of his ingenuity and perseverance4 ,at the time of his decease he had finished two other drawings1 which completed his plan1 and exhibit an elaborate view of the moon in a full state of illumination4 ,mr4 ,russell died at ,hull in #ahjf4 ,,wilkie',s ,,mistaken ,,analogy4 ,on the birth of the son of a friend 7afterwards a popular novelist71 ,sir ,david ,wilkie was requested to become one of the sponsors for the child4 ,sir ,david1 whose studies of human nature extended to everything but infant human nature1 had evidently been refreshing his boyish recollections of kittens and puppies2 for1 after looking intently into the child's eyes1 as it was held up for his inspection1 he exclaimed to the father1 with serious astonishment and satisfaction1 8,he sees60 ,,death ,,of ,,gainsborough4 ,when assured that the progress of his fatal malady 7cancer7 precluded all hopes of life1 ,gainsborough desired to be buried in ,kew churchyard1 and that his name only should be cut on his gravestone4 ,he sent for ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds1 and was reconciled to him3 then exclaiming1 8,we are all going to heaven1 and ,vandyke is of the company10 he immediately expired1 in the sixty-first year of his age4 ,sheridan and ,sir ,joshua followed him to his grave4 ,,fanaticism ,,the ,,destroyer ,,of ,,art4 ,it is curious to reflect1 that mistaken views of religion have in all times been the prime cause of the ruin of art4 ,it was not ,alaric or ,theodoric1 but an edict from ,honorius1 that ordered the early ,christians to destroy such images1 if any remained4 ,flaxman says3 8,the commands for destroying sacred paintings and sculpture prevented the artist from suffering his mind to rise to the contemplation or execution of any sublime effort1 as he dreaded a prison or a stake1 and reduced him to the lowest drudgery in his profession4 ,this extraordinary check to our national art occurred at a time which offered the most essential and extraordinary assistance to its progress40 ,flaxman proceeds to remark1 that 8the civil wars completed what fanaticism had begun2 and ,english art was so completely extinguished that foreign artists were always employed for public or private undertakings40 ,in the reign of ,elizabeth it became a fashionable taste to sally forth and knock pictures to pieces2 and in the 8,state ,trials0 is a curious trial of ,henry ,sherfield1 ,esq41 ,recorder of ,salisbury1 who concealed himself in the church1 and with a long pike knocked a window to pieces3 as he was doing this1 he was watched through the door1 and seen to slip down1 headlong1 where he lay groaning for a long time1 and a horse was sent for to carry him home3 he was fined #ejjl41 and imprisoned in the ,fleet2 and the ,attorney-general for the ,crown1 #afcb1 said there were people1 he verily believed1 who would have knocked off the cherubim from the ark4 ,by the witnesses examined1 it was evidently a matter of religious conscience in ,sherfield1 who complained that his pew was opposite the window1 and that the representation of ,god by a human figure disturbed him at prayer4 ,queen ,elizabeth was the bitterest persecutor3 she ordered all walls to be whitewashed1 and all candlesticks and pictures to be utterly destroyed1 so that no memorial remain of the same4 ,in ,charles the ,first's time1 on the ,journals of the ,house is found1 #afde1 ,july #bc3 8,ordered1 that all pictures having the second person in the ,trinity shall be burnt40 ,walpole relates1 that one ,blessie was hired at half-a-crown a day to break the painted glass window at ,croydon ,church4 ,there is extant the journal of a parliamentary visitor1 appropriately enough named ,dowsing1 appointed for demolishing superstitious pictures and ornaments of churches1 c42 and by calculation1 he and his agents are found to have destroyed about #dffj pictures1 from ,june #i1 #afdc1 to ,october #d1 #afdd1 evidently not all glass1 because when they were glass he specifies them4 ,the result of this continued persecution1 says ,hayden1 was the ruin of 8high art20 for the people had not taste enough to feel any sympathy for it independently of religion1 and every man who has pursued it since1 who had no private fortune1 and was not supported by a pension like ,west1 became infallibly ruined4 ,historical painters left without employment began to complain4 ,in the time of ,edward ,,vi4 and ,elizabeth we find them petitioning for bread6 ,they revived a little with ,charles ,i4 and ,,ii4 ,thornhill got employed in the early part of the last century2 then came the ,society in ,st4 ,martin's ,lane1 #agfj2 and in #agfh was established the ,royal ,academy1 to help high art2 but there being still no employment for it1 the power in art fell into the hands of portrait-painters1 who too long continued to wield it1 with individual exceptions1 to the further decay and destruction of this eminent style4 ,,the ,,thornhill ,,miracle4 ,every one remembers the marvellous story of ,sir ,james ,thornhill stepping back to see the effect of his work1 while painting ,greenwich ,hospital2 and being prevented falling from the ceiling to the floor1 by a person intentionally defacing the picture1 and causing the painter to rush forward1 and thus save himself4 ,this may have occurred2 but we rather suspect the anecdote to be of legendary origin1 and to come from no less distance than the ,tyrol2 in short1 to be a paraphrase of a catholic miracle1 unless the ,tyrolese are quizzing the ,english story1 which is not very probable4 ,at ,innspruck1 you are gravely told that when ,daniel ,asam was painting the inside of the cupola of one of the churches1 and had just finished the hand of ,st4 ,james1 he stepped back on the scaffold to ascertain the effect3 there was no friend at hand gifted with the happy thought of defacing the work1 and thus saving the artist1 as in ,sir ,james ,thornhill's case1 and therefore ,daniel ,asam fell backward2 but1 to the astonishment of the awe-struck beholders1 who were looking up from beneath1 the hand and arm of the saint1 which the artist had just finished1 were seen to extend themselves from the fresco1 and grasping the fortunate ,asam by the arm1 accompany him in his descent of #bjj feet1 and bear him up so gently1 that he reached the ground without the slightest shock4 ,what became of the 8awe-struck beholders10 and why the saint and painter did not fall on their heads1 or why they did not serve as an easel in bringing the pair miraculously to the ground1 we are not told4 ,the ,painted ,hall at ,greenwich1 contains #ec1fgh square feet of ,sir ,james ,thornhill's work1 and cost #f1fhel41 being at the rate of #hl4 per yard for the ceiling1 and #al4 per yard for the sides4 ,the whole is admirably described in ,steele's play of ,the ,lovers4 ,,the ,,pictures ,,at ,,buckingham ,,palace4 ,the pictures which now constitute the private gallery of her ,majesty at ,buckingham ,palace1 were principally collected by ,george the ,fourth1 whose exclusive predilection for pictures of the ,dutch and ,flemish schools is well known4 ,to those which he brought together here1 and which formerly hung in ,carlton ,house1 her present ,majesty has made1 since her accession1 many valuable additions--some purchased1 and others selected from the royal collections at ,windsor and ,hampton ,court2 others have been added by ,prince ,albert1 from the collection of the late ,professor d',alton1 of ,bonn4 99 99 99 ,george ,,iv4 began to form his collection about the year #ahjb1 and was chiefly guided by the advice and judgment of ,sir ,charles ,long1 afterwards ,lord ,farnborough1 an accomplished man1 whose taste for art1 and intimacy with the king1 then ,prince of ,wales1 rendered him a very fit person to carry the royal wishes into execution4 ,the importation of the ,orleans gallery had diffused a feeling--or1 it may be1 a fashion--for the higher specimens of the ,italian schools1 but under the auspices of ,george ,,iv4 the tide set in an opposite direction4 ,in the year #ahab1 the very select gallery of ,flemish and ,dutch pictures collected by ,sir ,francis ,baring was transferred by purchase to the ,prince ,regent4 ,sir ,francis ,baring had purchased the best pictures from the collections of ,m4 ,geldermeester of ,amsterdam1 7sold in #ahjj17 and that of the ,countess of ,holderness1 7sold in #ahjb17 and1 except the ,hope ,gallery1 there was nothing at that time to compare with it in ,england4 ,mr4 ,seguier valued this collection at eighty thousand pounds2 but the exact sum paid for it was certainly much less4 ,the specimens of ,rubens and ,van ,dyck are excellent1 but do not present sufficient variety to afford an adequate idea of the wide range or power of the first of these great painters1 nor of the particular talent of the last4 ,on the other hand1 the works and style of ,gerard ,douw1 ,teniers1 ,jan ,steen1 ,adrian and ,wilhelm ,vandevelde1 ,wouvermans1 and ,burghem1 may be very advantageously studied in this gallery1 each of their specimens being many in number1 various in subject1 and good in their kind4 ,of ,mieris and ,metzes1 there are finer specimens at ,mr4 ,hope's and ,sir ,robert ,peel's2 and the ,hobbimas and ,cuyps must yield to those of ,lord ,ashburton and ,lord ,francis ,egerton4 ,but1 on the whole1 it is certainly the finest gallery of this class of works in ,england4 ,the collection derives additional interest from the presence of some pictures of the modern ,british artists--,reynolds1 ,wilkie1 ,allan1 ,newton1 ,gainsborough4 ,it is1 however1 only just to these painters to add1 that not one of their pictures here ought to be considered as a first-rate example of their power4--,mrs4 ,jameson4 ,,foundation ,,of ,,the ,,historical ,,school ,,of ,,painting ,,in ,,england4 ,to ,west must be given the record of achieving this honour2 and what he has thus done in restoring historical painting to the purity of its original channel1 can only be appreciated by those who have contemplated the debauched taste introduced into this country by ,verrio1 ,laguerre1 and other painters1 who revived the ridiculous fooleries patronized in the reign of ,james the ,first2 but which had1 by the countenance of the nobility1 and people of fashion1 taken strong hold of most men's minds4 8,a change10 says ,cunningham1 8was now to be effected in the character of ,british art3 hitherto historical painting had appeared in a masquing habit2 the actions of ,englishmen seemed all as having been performed1 if costume were to be believed1 by ,greeks or by ,romans4 ,west at once dismissed this pedantry1 and restored nature and propriety in his noble work of #8the ,death of ,wolfe4' ,the multitude acknowledged its excellence at once2 the lovers of old art1 the manufacturers of compositions1 called by courtesy classical1 complained of the barbarism of boots and buttons1 and blunderbusses1 and cried out for naked warriors1 with bows1 bucklers1 and battering rams4 ,lord ,grosvenor1 disregarding the frowns of the amateurs1 and the1 at best1 cold approbation of the ,royal ,academy1 purchased this work1 which1 in spite of laced coats and cocked hats1 is one of the best of our historical pictures4 ,the ,indian warrior watching the dying hero to see if he equalled in fortitude the children of the desert1 is a fine stroke of nature and poetry40 ,west1 however1 was plagued with misgivings as to his new doctrine2 and the dampers came forth in numbers with their unvarying1 8,it will never do40 ,when it was understood that ,west actually intended to paint the characters as they appeared on the scene1 the ,archbishop of ,york called on ,reynolds1 and asked his opinion2 they both called upon ,west to dissuade him from running so great a risk4 ,reynolds warned him of the danger which every innovation incurred of contempt and ridicule2 and concluded by urging him to adopt the costume of antiquity as more becoming the greatness of the subject than the garb of modern warriors4 ,west replied that the event to be commemorated happened in the year #ageh1 in a region of the world unknown to ,greeks and ,romans1 and at a period when no warriors wearing such costumes existed4 ,the subject to be represented was a great battle1 fought and won2 and the same truth which gives laws to the historian should rule the painter2 that he wanted to mark the place1 the time1 the people1 and to do this he must abide by the truth4 ,the objectors went away1 and returned when ,west had finished the picture4 ,reynolds seated himself before it1 and examined it with deep and minute attention for half an hour2 then rising1 said to ,drummond1 8,west has conquered--he has treated his subject as it ought to be treated4 ,i retract my objections3 ,i foresee that this picture will not only become one of the most popular1 but will occasion a revolution in art10 8,i wish10 said king ,george the ,third1 to whom ,west related the conversation1 8that ,i had known all this before1 for the objection has been the means of ,lord ,grosvenor's getting the picture2 but you shall make a copy of it for me40 ,this anecdote1 though it operates against the foresight of ,reynolds1 carries truth on the face of it4 ,the king not only gave ,west a pension of #ajjjl4 a year1 but when the artist hinted that the noble purpose of historical painting was best shown in depicting the excellencies of revealed religion1 the monarch threw open ,st4 ,george's ,chapel to be decorated with sacred subjects2 and on his ,majesty's restoration to health1 finding that the work had been suppressed1 and the money withheld1 he instantly ordered him to be paid1 and the works proceeded with4 ,the heads of the church1 however1 acted otherwise2 for when the ,academy proposed to decorate ,st4 ,paul's with works of art1 and ,reynolds1 ,west1 ,barry1 ,dance1 ,cipriani1 and ,angelica ,kauffman offered pictures free of expense1 the ,bishop of ,bristol1 ,dr4 ,newton1 at that time ,dean of ,st4 ,paul's1 warmly took up the idea2 but the ,archbishop of ,canterbury and the ,bishop of ,london refused their consent4 ,the ,bishop of ,london said3 8,my good ,lord ,bishop of ,bristol1 ,i have already been distantly and imperfectly informed of such an affair having been in contemplation2 but as the sole power at last remains with myself1 ,i therefore inform your lordship that whilst ,i live and have the power1 ,i will never suffer the doors of the metropolitan church to be opened for the introduction of popery into it40 ,notwithstanding this heavy blow to the cause of art1 the example of the king was the cause of many altarpieces being painted by ,west and others2 one of the best of which is the very appropriate one in the chapel of ,greenwich ,hospital4#aa ,,the ,,cat ,,raphael4 ,gottfried ,mind1 a celebrated ,swiss painter1 was called the ,cat ,raphael1 from the excellence with which he painted that animal4 ,this peculiar talent was discovered and awakened by chance4 ,at the time when ,frendenberger painted his picture of the ,peasant cleaving wood before his ,cottage1 with his wife sitting by and feeding her child with pap out of a pot1 round which a cat is prowling1 ,mind cast a broad stare on the sketch of this last figure1 and said1 in his rugged1 laconic way1 8,that is no cat60 ,frendenberger asked1 with a smile1 whether he thought he could do it better8 ,mind offered to try2 went into a corner1 and drew the cat1 which ,frendenberger liked so much that he made his new pupil finish it out1 and the master copied the scholar's work--for it is ,mind's cat that is engraved in ,frendenberger's plate4 ,prints of ,mind's cats are now very common4 ,,small ,,conversation4 ,fuseli had a great dislike to common-place observations4 ,after sitting perfectly silent for a long time in his own room1 during 8the bald disjointed chat0 of some idle callers in1 who were gabbling with one another about the weather1 and other topics of as interesting a nature1 he suddenly exclaimed1 8,we had pork for dinner to-day60 8,dear6 ,mr4 ,fuseli1 what an odd remark60 8,why1 it is as good as anything you have been saying for the last hour40 ,,changing ,,hats4 ,barry1 the painter1 was with ,nollekens at ,rome in #agfj1 and they were extremely intimate4 ,barry took the liberty one night1 when they were about to leave the ,english ,coffee-house1 to exchange hats with him2 ,barry's being edged with lace1 and ,nollekens's a very shabby1 plain one4 ,upon his returning the hat next morning1 he was requested by ,nollekens to let him know why he left him his gold-laced hat4 8,why1 to tell you the truth1 my dear ,joey10 answered ,barry1 8,i fully expected assassination last night1 and ,i was to have been known by my laced hat40 ,nollekens often used to relate the story1 adding3 8,it's what the ,old ,bailey people would call a true bill against ,jem40 ,,sir ,,thomas ,,lawrence',s ,,boyhood4 ,when ,lawrence was but ten years old1 his name had flown over the kingdom2 he had read scenes from ,shakspeare in a way that called forth the praise of ,garrick1 and drawn faces and figures with such skill as to obtain the approbation of ,prince ,hoare2 his father1 desirous of making the most of his talents1 carried him to ,oxford1 where he was patronized by heads of colleges1 and noblemen of taste1 and produced a number of portraits1 wonderful in one so young and uninstructed4 ,money now came in2 he went to ,bath1 hired a house--raised his price from one guinea to two2 his ,mrs4 ,siddons1 as ,zara1 was engraved--,sir ,henry ,harpur desired to adopt him as his son--,prince ,hoare saw something so angelic in his face1 that he proposed to paint him in the character of ,christ1 and the artists of ,london heard with wonder of a boy who was rivalling their best efforts with the pencil1 and realizing1 as was imagined1 a fortune4 ,the ,hon4 ,daines ,barrington has the following record of ,lawrence's precocious talent in his ,miscellanies3 8,this boy is now1 7viz4 ,february1 #aghj17 nearly ten years and a half old2 but1 at the age of nine1 without the most distant instruction from any one1 he was capable of copying historical pictures in a masterly style1 and also succeeded amazingly in compositions of his own1 particularly that of ,peter denying ,christ4 ,in about seven minutes he scarcely ever failed of drawing a strong likeness of any person present1 which had generally much freedom and grace1 if the subject permitted40 ,,harlow',s ,,trial ,,of ,,queen ,,katherine4 ,this celebrated picture1 7known also as 8,the ,kemble ,family10 from its introducing their portraits17 was the last and most esteemed work of ,j4 ,h4 ,harlow1 whom ,sir ,thomas ,lawrence generously characterizes as 8the most promising of all our painters40 ,the painting was commenced and finished in #ahag2 immediately after its exhibition at the ,royal ,academy1 it was finely copied in mezzotint1 by ,g4 ,clint2 and the print in its time probably enjoyed more popularity than any production of its class4 ,a proof impression has been known to realize upwards of twenty guineas4 ,the picture is on mahogany panel1 stated to have cost the artist #ael42 it is one and a half inch in thickness1 and in size about seven feet by five feet4 ,it originated with ,mr4 ,t4 ,welsh1 the professor of music1 who1 in the first instance1 commissioned ,harlow to paint for him a kit-cat size portrait of ,mrs4 ,siddons1 in the character of ,queen ,katherine1 in ,shakspeare's play of ,henry ,,viii41 introducing a few scenic accessories in the distance4 ,for this portrait ,harlow was to receive twenty-five guineas2 but the idea of representing the whole scene occurred to the artist1 who1 with ,mr4 ,welsh1 prevailed upon most of the actors to sit for their portraits2 in addition to these are portraits of the friends of both parties1 including the artist himself4 ,the sum ultimately paid by ,mr4 ,welsh for the picture was one hundred guineas2 and a like amount was paid by ,mr4 ,cribb for ,harlow's permission to engrave the well-known print1 to which we have already adverted4 ,harlow owed many obligations to ,fuseli for his critical remarks on this picture3 when he first saw it1 chiefly in dead-colouring1 he said3 8,i do not disapprove of the general arrangement of your work1 and ,i see you will give it a powerful effect of light and shadow2 but you have here a composition of more than twenty figures1 or1 ,i should rather say1 parts of figures1 because you have not shown one leg or foot1 which makes it very defective4 ,now1 if you do not know how to draw legs and feet1 ,i will show you10 and taking up a crayon1 he drew two on the wainscot of the room4 ,harlow profited by these instructions1 and the next time ,fuseli saw the picture1 the whole arrangement in the foreground was changed4 ,he then said to ,harlow1 8,so far you have done well2 but now you have not introduced a back figure1 to throw the eye of the spectator into the picture20 and then pointed out by what means he might improve it in this particular4 ,accordingly1 ,harlow introduced the two boys who are taking up the cushion4 ,it has been stated that the majority of the actors in the scene sat for their portraits in this picture4 ,john ,kemble1 however1 refused when asked to do so by ,mr4 ,welsh1 strengthening his refusal with emphasis profane4 ,harlow was not1 however1 to be defeated2 and he actually drew ,kemble's portrait in one of the stage-boxes of ,covent ,garden ,theatre1 while the great actor was playing his part4 ,the vexation such a ruse must have occasioned to a man of ,kemble's temperament may be imagined4 ,egerton1 ,pope1 and ,stephen ,kemble were successively painted for ,henry ,,viii41 the artist retaining the latter4 ,the head or ,charles ,kemble was likewise twice painted2 the first1 which cost him many sittings1 was considered by himself and others to be very successful4 ,the artist thought otherwise2 and1 contrary to ,mr4 ,kemble's wish and remonstrance1 he one morning painted out the approved head3 in a day or two1 however1 entirely from memory1 ,harlow repainted the portrait with increased fidelity4 ,it is stated that but one sitting was required of ,mrs4 ,siddons3 the fact is1 the great actress held her uplifted arm frequently till she could hold it raised no longer1 and the majestic limb was finished from another original4 ,,death ,,of ,,correggio4 ,towards the close of ,correggio's days1 it is said that the canons of one of the churches which he was employed to embellish1 were so disappointed with the work1 that1 to insult him1 they paid him the price in copper2 that he had this unworthy burthen to carry eight miles in a burning sun2 the length of the way1 the weight of the load1 and depression of spirits1 brought on a fever which carried him in three days to his grave4 ,among the many legends respecting this illustrious artist1 it is said that1 when young1 he looked long and earnestly on one of the pictures of ,raphael--his brow coloured1 his eye brightened1 and he exclaimed1 8,i also am a painter40 ,titian1 when he first saw his works1 exclaimed1 8,were ,i not ,titian1 ,i would wish to be ,correggio40 ,a ,,lucky ,,purchase4 ,in the spring of #ahcg1 ,mr4 ,atherstone bought for a few guineas a ,magdalen1 by ,correggio1 at the ,auction ,mart1 where he saw it among a heap of spoiled canvass1 that an amateur 7no connoisseur7 of pictures had sent to be sold4 ,this gentleman had bought it in ,italy for #ajjl41 admiring its beauty1 but ignorant of its value4 ,it was in perfect preservation2 in the grandest style of ,correggio3 and in colouring surpassing in brilliancy and depth of tone even the famous specimens in the ,national ,gallery4 ,,copley',s 8,,death ,,of ,,lord ,,chatham0 ,washington1 on seeing this picture1 remarked1 8this work1 highly valuable in itself1 is rendered more estimable in my eye when ,i remember that ,america gave birth to the celebrated artist that produced it40 ,the picture is ten feet long1 and seven feet six inches high4 ,the painter refused fifteen hundred guineas for it2 it was purchased1 we know not at what price1 by the ,earl of ,liverpool1 who used to say that such a work ought not to be in his possession1 but in that of the public4 ,these words were not heard in vain by the son of the ,earl1 who munificently presented it to the ,national ,gallery4 ,,the ,,duke ,,of ,,wellington',s ,,correggio4 ,allan ,cunningham warms into rapture in speaking of this wondrous picture1 captured by ,wellington at ,vittoria4 8,the size is small1 some fifteen inches square1 or so2 but true genius can work miracles in little compass4 ,the central light of the picture is altogether heavenly2 we never saw anything so insufferably brilliant2 it haunted us round the room at ,apsley ,house1 and fairly extinguished the light of its companion-pictures4 ,joseph ,bonaparte1 not only a good king1 but a good judge of painting1 had this exquisite picture in his carriage when the tide of battle turned against him3 it was transferred to the collection of the conqueror40 ,,giotto ,,and ,,the ,,pigs4 ,one day1 when ,giotto1 the painter1 was taking his ,sunday walk1 in his best attire1 with a party of friends1 at ,florence1 and was in the midst of a long story1 some pigs passed suddenly by2 and one of them1 running between the painter's legs1 threw him down4 ,when he got on his legs again1 instead of swearing a terrible oath at the pig1 on the ,lord's-day1 as a graver man might have done1 he observed1 laughing1 8,people say these beasts are stupid1 but they seem to me to have some sense of justice2 for ,i have earned several thousands of crowns with their bristles1 but ,i never gave one of them even a ladleful of soup in my life40 ,,how ,,wilkie ,,became ,a ,,painter4 ,sir ,john ,sinclair1 happening once to dine in company with ,wilkie1 asked1 in the course of conversation1 if any particular circumstance had led him to adopt his profession4 ,sir ,john inquired1 8,had your father1 mother1 or any of your relations a turn for painting8 or what led you to follow that art80 ,to which ,wilkie replied1 8,the truth is1 ,sir ,john1 that you made me a painter40--8,how1 ,i80 exclaimed the ,baronet2 8,i never had the pleasure of meeting you before40 ,wilkie then gave the following explanation3--8,when you were drawing up the ,statistical ,account of ,scotland1 my father1 who was a clergyman in ,fife1 had much correspondence with you respecting his parish1 in the course of which you sent him a coloured drawing of a soldier1 in the uniform of your ,highland ,fencible ,regiment4 ,i was so delighted with the sight1 that ,i was constantly drawing copies of it2 and thus1 insensibly1 ,i was transformed into a painter40 ,,cimabue ,,and ,,giotto4 ,in the year #acjj1 ,giovani ,cimabue and ,giotto1 both of ,florence1 were the first to assert the natural dignity and originality of art2 and the story of these illustrious friends is instructive and romantic4 ,the former was a gentleman by birth and scholarship1 and brought to his art a knowledge of the poetry and sculpture of ,greece and ,rome4 ,the latter was a shepherd2 when the inspiration of art fell upon him1 he was watching his flocks among the hills2 and his first attempts in art were to draw his sheep and goats upon rocks and stones4 ,it happened that ,cimabue1 who was then high in fame1 observed the sketches of the gifted shepherd2 entered into conversation with him2 heard from his own lips his natural notions of the dignity of art2 and was so much charmed by his compositions and conversation1 that he carried him to ,florence1 and became his close and intimate friend and associate4 ,they found ,italian painting rude in form1 without spirit1 and without sentiment4 ,they let out their own hearts fully in their compositions1 and to this day their works are highly esteemed for grave dignity of character1 and for originality of conception4 ,of these great ,florentines1 ,giotto1 the shepherd1 is confessedly the more eminent3 in him we see the dawn1 or rather the sunrise1 of the fuller light of ,raphael4 ,,michael ,,angelo ,,in ,,boyhood ,,and ,,old ,,age4 ,this great man showed from his infancy a strong inclination for drawing1 and made so early a proficiency in it that1 at the age of fourteen1 he is said to have corrected the drawings of his master1 ,domenico ,ghirlandaio4 ,when ,michael ,angelo was an old man1 one of these drawings being shown to him1 he said1 8,in my youth ,i was a better artist than ,i am now40 ,,hogarth',s 8,,march ,,to ,,finchley40 ,this celebrated picture was disposed of by the painter by lottery4 ,there were #ahdc chances subscribed for2 ,hogarth gave the remaining #afg tickets to the ,foundling ,hospital1 and the same night delivered the picture to the ,governors4 ,the fortunate number is generally stated to have been among the tickets which the painter handed to the ,hospital2 but1 it is related in the ,gentleman's ,magazine1 though anonymously1 that a lady was the possessor of the fortunate number1 and intended to present it to the ,foundling ,hospital2 but that some person having suggested what a door would be opened to scandal1 were any of her sex to make such a present1 it was given to ,hogarth1 on the express condition that it should be presented in his own name4 ,,story ,,of ,a ,,miniature4 ,mr4 ,gordon relates3--8,m4 ,averani1 a young ,french artist at ,florence1 had extraordinary talent for copying miniatures1 giving them all the force of oil4 ,i had frequently seen him at work in the gallery1 and ,i purchased of him a clever copy of the ,fornarina of ,raphael1 and one of the ,venus ,vestita of ,titian1 in the ,pitti ,palace1 said to be the only miniature painted by this great man4 ,it had a good deal of the character of ,queen ,mary ,stuart1 was painted on a gold ground1 had great force1 and was highly finished4 ,i gave the artist his price1 six sequins1 and brought it to ,england4 ,when ,i disposed of my vertu1 in ,sloane-street1 previous to my settling in ,scotland1 this miniature made a flaming appearance in the catalogue4 ,the gem was bought by a gentleman for fifty-five guineas4 ,i thought ,i had done very well by this transaction1 until ,i saw it advertised in the ,morning ,chronicle1 stating that 8an original portrait of ,mary1 ,queen of ,scotland1 the undoubted work of ,titian1 value one thousand guineas1 was to be seen at ,no4 #ad1 ,pall-mall2 price of admission1 #bs4 #f;d40 ,the bait took2 the owner put three or four hundred pounds into his pocket by the exhibition1 and sold the portrait for seven or eight hundred pounds4 ,here was ,i an innocent accessory to the greatest imposition that was ever practised on the public4 ,as a work of art1 it was worth all ,i got for it2 and ,i was offered nearly that sum by a friend who knew its whole history4 ,i understand that a nobleman was the purchaser of this beautiful miniature40 ,,sitting ,,for ,a ,,husband4 ,john ,astley1 the painter1 was born at ,wem1 in ,shropshire4 ,he was a pupil of ,hudson1 and was at ,rome about the same time with ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds4 ,after his return to ,england1 he went to ,dublin1 practised there as a painter for three years1 and in that time earned #cjjjl4 ,as he was painting his way back to ,london1 in his own postchaise1 with an outrider1 he loitered in his neighbourhood1 and1 visiting ,nutsford ,assembly1 he there saw ,lady ,daniel1 a widow1 who was so captivated by him1 that she contrived to sit to him for her portrait1 and then offered him her hand1 which he at once accepted4 ,poor ,astley1 in the decline of life1 was disturbed by reflections upon the dissipation of his early days1 and was haunted with apprehensions of indigence and want4 ,he died at his house1 ,duckenfield ,lodge1 ,cheshire1 ,nov4 #ad1 #aghg1 and was buried at the church of that village4 ,,artistic ,,text4 ,wills1 the portrait-painter1 was not very successful in his profession1 and so quitted it1 and1 having received a liberal education1 took orders4 ,he was for several years curate of ,canons1 in ,middlesex1 and at the death of the incumbent he obtained the living4 ,in the year #agfh1 he was appointed chaplain to the chartered ,society of ,artists2 and he preached a sermon at ,covent-garden ,church1 on ,st4 ,luke's ,day1 in the same year2 the text being taken from ,job1 chap4 xxxvii4 verse #ad--8,stand still1 and consider the wondrous works of ,god40 ,this discourse was afterwards printed at the request of the ,society2 but ,wills did not long enjoy his appointment1 in consequence of the disputes which broke out among the members4 ,,generosity ,,of ,,canova4 ,the celebrated ,italian sculptor ,canova1 when rich and titled1 remained the same simple1 unostentatious man as in his unknown and humble youth4 ,he cared nothing for personal luxuries4 ,not only the pension of #cjjj crowns granted him by the ,pope with the title of ,marquis1 but a great part of the wealth acquired by his labours1 were bestowed in acts of charity1 and upon unfortunate artists4 ,one year1 the harvest failing1 he fed the poor of his native ,venetian village all winter at his own expense4 ,the manner in which he bestowed his favours reflected additional honour on him4 ,a poor1 proud1 bad painter1 was in danger of starving1 with all his family4 ,canova knew the man would refuse a gift2 and1 out of respect to his feelings1 he sacrificed his own taste4 ,he requested him to paint a picture1 leaving the subject and size to his own choice1 and saying he had set aside #djj scudi 7not less than #ajj7 for this purpose1 half of which he handed him at present1 the other half should be sent when the work was finished2 adding1 that the sooner he received it1 he should be the better pleased4 ,,hogarth',s ,,vanity4 ,hogarth displayed no little vanity regarding his pretensions as a portrait-painter4 ,one day1 when dining at ,dr4 ,cheselden's1 he was told that ,john ,freke1 surgeon of ,st4 ,bartholomew's ,hospital1 had asserted in ,dick's coffee-house1 that ,greene was as eminent in composition as ,handel4 8,that fellow1 ,freke10 cried ,hogarth1 8is always shooting his bolt absurdly1 one way or another4 ,handel is a giant in music1 ,greene only a light ,florimel-kind of composer40 8,ay1 but10 said the other1 8,freke declared you were as good a portrait-painter as ,vandyke40 8,there he was in the right10 quoth ,hogarth2 8and so ,i am1 give me but my time1 and let me choose my subject40 ,writing of himself1 ,hogarth says3--8,the portrait which ,i painted with most pleasure1 and in which ,i particularly wished to excel1 was that of ,captain ,coram1 for the ,foundling ,hospital20 and he adds1 in allusion to his detraction as a portrait-painter1 8,if ,i am so wretched an artist as my enemies assert1 it is somewhat strange that this1 which was one of the first ,i painted the size of life1 should stand the test of twenty years' competition1 and be generally thought the best portrait in the place1 notwithstanding the first painters in the kingdom exerted all their talents to vie with it40 ,,the ,,foundling ,,hospital ,,and ,,the ,,royal ,,academy4 ,that ,tenterden ,steeple was the cause of ,goodwin ,sands does not appear a whit more strange than that in the ,foundling ,hospital originated the ,royal ,academy of ,arts4 ,yet1 such was the case4 ,the ,hospital was incorporated in #agci1 and in a few years the present building was erected2 but1 as the income of the charity could not1 with propriety1 be expended upon decorations1 many of the principal artists of that day generously gave pictures for several of the apartments of the hospital4 ,these were permitted to be shown to the public upon proper application2 and hence became one of the sights of the metropolis4 ,the pictures proved very attractive2 and this success suggested the annual ,exhibition of the united artists1 which institution was the precursor of the ,royal ,academy1 in the ,adelphi1 in the year #agfj4 ,thus1 within the walls of the ,foundling1 the curious may see the state of ,british art previously to the epoch when ,king ,george the ,third first countenanced the historical talent of ,west4 ,among the earliest 8governors and guardians0 of the ,hospital we find ,william ,hogarth1 who liberally subscribed his money1 and gave his time and talent1 towards carrying out the designs of his friend1 the venerable ,captain ,coram1 through whose zeal and humanity the ,hospital was established4 ,hogarth's first artistical aid was the engraving of a head-piece to a power-of-attorney1 drawn for the collection of subscriptions towards the ,charity2 ,hogarth next presented to the ,hospital an engraved plate of ,coram4 ,among the early artistic patrons of the ,charity1 we find ,rysbrach1 the sculptor2 ,hayman1 the embellisher of ,vauxhall ,gardens2 ,highmore1 ,hudson1 and ,allan ,ramsay2 and ,richard ,wilson1 the prince of ,english landscape-painters4 ,they met often at the hospital1 and thus advanced charity and the arts together2 for the exhibition of their donations in paintings c4 drew a daily crowd of visitors in splendid carriages2 and a visit to the ,foundling became the most fashionable morning lounge of the reign of ,george the ,second4 ,the grounds in front of the ,hospital were the promenade2 and brocaded silks1 gold-headed canes1 and laced three-cornered 7,egham1 ,staines1 and ,windsor7 hats1 formed a gay bevy in ,lambs' ,conduit ,fields4 ,a very interesting series of biographettes of 8the artists of the ,foundling10 with a catalogue raisonne of the pictures presented by them1 will be found in ,mr4 ,brownlow's 8,memoranda2 or1 ,chronicles0 of the ,hospital4 ,among the pictures by ,hogarth1 are--8,moses brought to ,pharaoh's ,daughter10 the 8,march to ,finchley10 and a 8,portrait of ,captain ,coram40 ,here are1 also1 8,the ,charterhouse10 by ,gainsborough2 8,st4 ,george's and the ,foundling ,hospitals10 by ,wilson2 8,portrait of ,handel10 by ,kneller2 8,the ,earl of ,dartmouth10 by ,reynolds2 ,the ,cartoon of 8,the ,murder of the ,innocents10 by ,raphael2 the altarpiece of the chapel1 8,christ presenting a ,little ,child10 by ,west2 ,portrait of the 8,earl of ,macclesfield10 by ,wilson2 8,dr4 ,mead10 by ,allan ,ramsay2 8,george the ,second10 by ,shackleton2 8the ,offering of the ,wise ,men10 by ,casali2 crayon portrait of 8,taylor ,white10 by ,cotes2 8,a ,landscape10 by ,lambert2 8,a ,sea-piece10 by ,brooking1 c4 ,m',,ardell',s ,,prints4 ,m',ardell1 7says ,smith1 in his ,life of ,nollekens71 resided at the ,golden ,ball1 ,henrietta-street1 ,covent ,garden4 ,of the numerous and splendid productions of this excellent engraver of pictures by ,sir ,joshua1 nothing can be said after the declaration of ,reynolds himself1 that 8,m',ardell's prints would immortalize him20 however1 ,i will venture to indulge in one remark more1 namely1 that that engraver has conferred immortality also upon himself in his wonderful print from ,hogarth's picture of #8,captain ,coram1' the founder of the ,foundling ,hospital4 ,a brilliant proof of this head in its finest possible state of condition1 in my humble opinion1 surpasses anything in mezzotinto now extant4 ,,unfortunate ,,accuracy4 ,liotard1 a ,swiss artist1 who came to this country in the reign of ,george ,,ii41 and stayed two years1 is best known by his works in crayons4 ,his likenesses were as exact as possible1 and too like to please those who sat to him3 thus he had great business the first year1 and very little the second4 ,devoid of imagination1 and one would think of memory also1 he could render nothing but what he saw before his eyes4 ,freckles1 marks of the smallpock1 everything1 found its place2 not so much from fidelity1 as because he could not conceive the absence of anything that appeared to him4 ,truth prevailed in all his works2 grace in very few or none4 ,nor was there any ease in his outline2 but the stiffness of a bust in all his portraits4 ,liotard's lack of employment may1 therefore1 easily be accounted for4 ,,immortality ,,of ,,painting4 ,it is painful to think how soon the paintings of ,raphael1 and ,titian1 and ,correggio1 and other illustrious men1 will perish and pass away4 8,how long10 said ,napoleon to ,david1 8will a picture last80 8,about four or five hundred years--a fine immortality60 ,the poet multiplies his works by means of a cheap material2 and ,homer1 and ,virgil1 and ,dante1 and ,tasso1 and ,moliere1 and ,milton1 and ,shakspeare1 may bid oblivion defiance2 the sculptor impresses his conceptions on metal or on marble1 and expects to survive the wreck of nations1 or the wrongs of time2 but the painter commits to perishable cloth or wood1 the visions of his fancy1 and dies in the certain assurance that the life of his works will be but short in the land they adorn4 ,,sir ,,joshua ,,reynolds',s 8,,puck40 ,this merry imp is the portrait of a child1 which was painted without any particular aim as to character4 ,when ,alderman ,boydell saw it1 he said3 8,sir ,joshua1 if you will make this pretty thing into a ,puck1 for my ,shakspeare ,gallery1 ,i will give you a hundred guineas for it40 ,the ,president smiled and said little1 as was his custom3 a few hours' happy labour made the picture what we see it4 ,,raphael',s ,,cartoon ,,of ,,the ,,murder ,,of ,,the ,,innocents4 ,this cartoon came into the possession of the ,foundling ,hospital by the conditional bequest of ,prince ,hoare1 ,esq4 ,haydon describes it as 8one of the finest instances in the world of variety of expression and beauty of composition1 as a work of #8high art4'nbsp20 ,it is the centre part of one of the best cartoons which belonged to the set executed by ,raphael1 at the order of ,leo ,x41 and sent afterwards to ,flanders1 to be copied in tapestry1 for exhibition at the ,vatican4 ,the original number of the cartoons was thirteen2 but in consequence of the ,flemish weavers cutting them into strips for their working machinery1 after the tapestry was executed and sent to ,rome1 the original cartoons were left mingled together in boxes4 ,when ,rubens was in ,england1 he told ,charles ,i4 the condition they were in2 and the king1 who had the finest taste1 desired him to procure them4 ,seven perfect ones were purchased1 all1 it may be inferred1 which remained1 and sent to his majesty2 what became or had become of the remainder1 nobody knows2 but here and there1 all over ,europe1 fragments have appeared4 ,at ,oxford there are two or three heads2 and we believe the ,duke of ,hamilton or ,buccleuch1 has others4 ,after ,charles's misfortunes1 the cartoons now at ,hampton ,court were sold1 with the rest of his ,majesty's fine collection2 but by ,cromwell's express orders they were bought in for three hundred pounds4 ,during the reign of ,charles ,,ii4 they were offered to ,france for fourteen thousand francs1 but ,charles was dissuaded from selling them4 ,the above portion of the 8,murder of the ,innocents10 was sold at ,westminster many years ago1 as disputed property4 ,prince ,hoare's father1 before the sale1 explained to an opulent friend the great treasure about to be disposed of1 and persuaded him to advance the money requisite1 on condition of sharing the property4 ,to his great surprise he bought it for twenty-six pounds2 and his friend1 having no taste1 told ,mr4 ,hoare if he would paint him and his family1 he would relinquish his right4 ,these particulars ,mr4 ,haydon had from ,prince ,hoare1 the son2 they are related in a letter from the painter to ,mr4 ,lievesley1 at the ,foundling ,hospital1 dated ,october #c1 #ahcg1 wherein ,haydon suggests the better exhibition of the work as a model of study2 and soon after the ,governors of the ,hospital sent the cartoon by way of loan1 to the ,national ,gallery1 where it may now be seen and studied4#ab ,,jarvis ,,spencer4 ,spencer was a miniature-painter of much celebrity1 contemporaneous with ,hogarth4 ,he was originally a gentleman's servant1 but having a natural turn for art1 he amused himself with drawing4 ,it happened that one of the family with whom he lived sat for a portrait to a miniature-painter1 and when the work was completed1 it was shown to ,spencer1 who said he thought he could copy it4 ,he was allowed to make the attempt1 when his success was so great1 that the family he lived with at once patronised him1 and by their interest he became a fashionable painter of the day4 ,a ,,drapery ,,painter4 ,peter ,jones1 a pupil of ,hudson1 may be considered a portrait-painter1 though his chief excellence was in painting draperies4 ,in this branch of the art1 so useful to a fashionable face-painter1 he was much employed by ,reynolds1 ,cotes1 and ,west4 ,many of ,sir ,joshua's best whole-lengths are those to which ,jones painted the draperies3 among them was the portrait of ,lady ,elizabeth ,keppell1 in the dress she wore as bridesmaid to the queen3 for this ,jones was paid twelve guineas2 but ,sir ,joshua was not remarkably liberal on such occasions1 of which ,jones did not neglect to complain4 ,when the ,royal ,academy was founded1 he was chosen one of its members4 8,,strange0 ,,adventure4 ,the following anecdote of ,sir ,robert ,strange1 7says ,smith17 was related to me by the late ,richard ,cooper1 who instructed ,queen ,charlotte in drawing1 and was for some time drawing-master to ,eton ,school4 8,robert ,strange1 7says ,cooper17 was a countryman of mine1 a ,north ,briton1 who served his time to my father as an engraver1 and was a soldier in the rebel army of #agde4 ,it so happened when ,duke ,william put them to flight1 that ,strange1 finding a door open1 made his way into the house1 ascended to the first-floor1 and entered a room where a young lady was seated at needlework1 and singing4 ,young ,strange implored her protection4 ,the lady1 without rising1 or being in the least disconcerted1 desired him to get under her hoop4 ,he immediately stooped1 and the amiable woman covered him up4 ,shortly after this1 the house was searched2 the lady continued at her work1 singing as before2 the soldiers upon entering the room1 considering ,miss ,lunsdale alone1 respectfully retired4 ,robert1 as soon as the search was over1 being released from his concealment1 kissed the hand of his protectress1 at which moment1 for the first time1 he found himself in love4 ,he married the lady2 and no persons1 beset as they were with early difficulties1 lived more happily40 ,strange afterwards became a loyal man1 though for a long time he sighed to be pardoned by his king who1 however1 was graciously pleased to be reconciled to him1 and afterwards knighted him4 ,sir ,robert was a conscientious publisher in delivering subscription impressions of prints2 he never took off more proofs than were really bespoken1 and every name was put upon the print as it came out of the press1 unless it were faulty1 and then it was destroyed2 not laid aside for future sale1 as has been the practice with some of our late publishers4 ,,origin ,,of ,,the ,,beef-,,steak ,,club4 ,george ,lambert was for many years principal scene-painter to ,covent ,garden ,theatre2 and being a person of great respectability in character and profession1 he was often visited1 while at work1 by persons of consideration4 ,as it frequently happened that he was too much pressed by business to leave the theatre for dinner1 he contented himself with a beef-steak1 broiled upon the fire in the painting-room4 ,in this humble meal he was sometimes joined by his visitors3 the conviviality of the accidental meeting inspired the party with a resolution to establish a club1 which was accordingly done1 under the title of 8,the ,beef-,steak ,club20 and the party assembled periodically in the painting-room4#ac ,the members were afterwards accommodated with a private apartment in the theatre1 where the meeting was held for many years2 but1 after ,covent ,garden was last rebuilt1 the place of meeting was changed to the ,shakspeare ,tavern4 ,it was then removed to the ,lyceum ,theatre1 in the ,strand1 on the destruction of which1 by fire1 in #ahcj1 the place of meeting was transferred to the ,bedford ,coffeehouse1 in ,covent ,garden4 ,the regime of the club is a course of beef-steaks1 followed by stewed cheese in silver dishes4 ,the number of members is only twenty-four2 and the days of meeting are every ,saturday1 from ,november until the end of ,june4 ,,wilkie',s ,,early ,,life4 ,john ,burnet was educated with ,wilkie in the first four years of his studies in the ,trustees' ,academy of ,edinburgh2 and1 after arriving in ,london1 in #ahjf1 witnessed the progress of nearly every picture of familiar life which he painted4 ,burnet relates1 that ,wilkie was always first on the stairs leading up to the ,academy1 7which was then held in ,st4 ,james's-square17 anxious not to lose a moment of the hours of drawing2 and this love of art1 paramount to all other gratifications1 continued with him to the last1 even when his success had put the means in his power of indulging relaxation and procuring amusement4 ,when in the ,academy1 his intenseness attracted the notice of the more volatile students1 who used to pelt him with small pills of soft bread4 ,as he was one of the first to be present1 so he was one of the last to depart4 ,after ,academy hours1 which were from ten to twelve in the forenoon1 7the best time of the day for application17 those who were apprentices returned to their several professions2 but ,wilkie invariably returned to his lodgings1 there to follow out what was begun in the ,academy1 by copying from his own hands and face in a mirror3 thus1 as it were1 engrafting the great principles of the antique on the basis of nature4 ,,sir ,,joshua ,,reynolds',s ,,dinners4 ,sir ,joshua appears to have been but an irregular manager in his conviviality4 8,often was the dinner board prepared for seven or eight1 required to accommodate itself to fifteen or sixteen2 for often1 on the very eve of dinner1 would ,sir ,joshua tempt afternoon visitors with intimation that ,johnson1 or ,garrick1 or ,goldsmith was to dine there4 ,nor was the want of seats the only difficulty4 ,a want of knives and forks1 of plates and glasses1 as often succeeded4 ,in something of the same style1 too1 was the attendance2 the kitchen had to keep pace with the visitors2 and it was easy to know the guests best acquainted with the house by their never failing to call instantly for beer1 bread1 or wine1 that they might get them before the first course was over1 and the worst confusion began4 ,once was ,sir ,joshua prevailed upon to furnish his table with dinner-glasses and decanters2 and some saving of time they proved2 yet1 as they were demolished in the course of service1 he could never be persuaded to replace them4 8,but these trifling embarrassments10 says ,mr4 ,courtenay1 describing them to ,sir ,james ,macintosh1 8only served to enhance the hilarity and the singular pleasure of the entertainment40 ,it was not the wine1 dishes1 and cookery1 not the fish and venison1 that were talked of or recommended3 those social hours1 that irregular convivial talk1 had matter of higher relish1 and far more eagerly enjoyed4 ,and amid all the animated bustle of his guests1 the host sat perfectly composed2 always attentive to what was said1 never minding what was ate or drank1 and leaving every one at perfect liberty to scramble for himself40--,forster's ,life of ,goldsmith4 ,,finding ,a ,,painter4 ,brooking1 a ship-painter of rare merit1 about the middle of the last century1 like many of the artists of the time1 worked for the shops4 ,mr4 ,taylor ,white1 ,treasurer of the ,foundling ,hospital1 one day saw some of the sea-pieces of this artist in a shop-window in ,castle-street1 ,leicester-square4 ,he inquired his name1 but was answered equivocally by the dealer1 who told ,mr4 ,white that if he pleased he could procure other pictures by the same painter4 ,brooking was accustomed to write his name upon his pictures1 which mark was as often obliterated by the shopkeeper before he placed them in his window4 ,it1 however1 happened that the artist carried home a piece on which his name was inscribed2 and the master being from home1 his wife1 who received it1 placed it in the window without effacing the signature4 ,luckily1 ,mr4 ,white saw the picture before it was removed1 and thus discovered the name of the painter whose works he so much admired4 ,he instantly advertised for the artist to meet him at a certain wholesale linen-draper's in the city4 ,to this invitation1 ,brooking1 at first1 paid no regard2 but1 seeing it repeated1 with assurance of benefit to the person to whom it was addressed1 he prudently attended to it1 and had an interview with ,mr4 ,white1 who1 from that time1 became his friend and patron4 ,one of ,brooking's sea-pieces hangs in the ,foundling ,hospital3 it was painted in eighteen days1 and is1 altogether1 a first-class picture4--,brownlow's ,memoranda of the ,foundling ,hospital4 ,,reynolds',s ,,and ,,lawrence',s ,,portraits4 ,sir ,d4 ,wilkie1 in his remarks on ,portrait ,painting1 says3--,no representations of female character have equalled in sweetness and beauty the female portraits of ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds2 yet1 a contemporary has remarked1 that this was accomplished greatly at the expense of likeness4 ,hoppner1 who was himself distinguished for the beauty with which he endowed the female form1 remarked1 that even to him it was a matter of surprise that ,reynolds could send home portraits with so little resemblance to the originals4 ,this1 indeed1 in his day1 occasioned portraits to be left on his hands1 or turned to the wall1 which1 since the means of comparing resemblances have ceased1 have blazed forth in all the splendour of grace and elegance1 which the originals would have been envied for had they ever possessed them4 ,i may add to this what is remarked of ,sir ,thomas ,lawrence3 his likenesses were celebrated as the most successful of his time2 yet1 no likenesses exalted so much or refined more upon the originals4 ,he wished to seize the expression1 rather than copy the features4 ,his attainment of likeness was most laborious3 one distinguished person1 who favoured him with forty sittings for his head alone1 declared he was the slowest painter he had ever sat to1 and he had sat to many4 ,this distinguished person1 7says ,burnet1 in his ,practical ,essays17 ,i believe1 was ,sir ,walter ,scott4 ,the picture was painted for his ,majesty1 and ,lawrence was most anxious to make the picture the best of any painted from so celebrated a character4 ,at other times1 however1 ,sir ,thomas was as dexterous with his pencil as any artist4 ,i remember him mentioning that he painted the portrait of ,curran1 the celebrated ,irish barrister1 in one day2 he came in the morning1 remained to dinner1 and left at dusk2 or1 as ,lawrence expressed it1 quoting his favourite author1 8,from morn till noon1 ,from noon to dewy eve40 ,,zoffani',s ,,gratitude4 ,zoffani was a native of ,frankfort1 and came to ,england as a painter of small portraits1 when he was about thirty years of age4 ,he was employed by ,george the ,third1 and painted portraits of the royal family4 ,he was celebrated for small whole-lengths1 and painted several pieces of ,garrick1 and his contemporaries in dramatic scenes4 ,he was engaged by the queen to paint a view of the tribune of ,florence2 and while there he was noticed by the ,emperor of ,germany1 who inquired his name2 and on hearing it1 asked what countryman he was4 ,zoffani replied1 8,an ,englishman40 8,why10 said the ,emperor1 8your name is ,german60 8,true10 replied the painter1 8,i was born in ,germany2 that was accidental3 ,i call that my country where ,i have been protected40 ,zoffani was admitted a member of the ,royal ,academy in #aghc4 ,he went afterwards to the ,east ,indies1 where he became a favourite of the ,nabob of ,oude1 and amassed a handsome fortune1 with which he returned to ,england1 and settled at ,strand-on-the-,green4 ,whilst there1 he presented a large and well-executed painting of the ,last ,supper1 as an altarpiece1 to ,st4 ,george's ,chapel1 then lately built1 where it still remains4 ,every head in the picture1 7excepting that of ,christ7 is a likeness4 ,here is a portrait of ,zoffani himself2 the others were likenesses of persons then living at ,strand-on-the-,green and ,old ,brentford4 ,zoffani had in his establishment a nursemaid who possessed fine hands1 which he ever and anon painted in his pictures4 ,,patronage ,,of ,,art4 ,to suffer from the want of discernment on the part of the nobility and the people1 appears to be the fate of artists in this country4 ,it was not a whit better formerly than it is in our own time4 ,hogarth had to sell his pictures by raffle1 and ,wilson was obliged to retire into ,wales1 from its affording cheaper living4 ,the committee of the ,british ,institution purchased a picture by ,gainsborough1 for eleven hundred guineas1 and presented it to the ,national ,gallery1 as an example of excellence2 yet this very picture hung for years in the artist's painting-room without a purchaser2 the price was only fifty pounds4 ,in our own times1 says ,john ,burnet1 8let us take the case of ,sir ,david ,wilkie as an example2 a painter who has founded a school of art unknown before in this or in any other country--a combination of the invention of ,hogarth with the pictorial excellences of ,ostade and ,teniers2 yet this artist's works1 on his coming to ,london in #ahjd1 were exposed in a shop window at ,charing ,cross for a few pounds2 and a work for which he could only receive fifteen guineas1 was sold the other day for eight hundred4 ,do transactions such as these show the taste or discernment of the public8 ,lord ,mansfield thought thirty pounds a large sum for #8the ,village ,politicians2' and ,sir ,george ,beaumont1 as a kind of patronage1 gave ,wilkie a commission to paint the picture of #8the ,blind ,fiddler1' and paid him fifty guineas for what would now bring a thousand at a public sale4#ad ,it seems1 therefore1 a fair inference that a discerning public1 or a patronising nobility1 are only shown when an artist's reputation makes it safe to encourage him40--,practical ,essays4 ,,dangerous ,,retort4 ,antonio ,more was a favourite of ,philip of ,spain1 whose familiarity with him placed the painter's life in danger2 for he one day ventured to return a slap on the shoulder1 which the king in a playful moment gave him1 by rubbing some carmine on his ,majesty's hand4 ,this behaviour was accepted by the monarch as a jest2 but it was hinted to ,more that the holy tribunal might regard it as sacrilege2 and he fled1 to save himself1 into ,flanders1 where he was employed by the ,duke of ,alva4 ,,the ,,venetian ,,school4 ,the late ,sir ,walter ,scott used to say that when he told a story1 he generally contrived to put a laced coat and a cocked hat upon it3 this is a good illustration of the ,venetian painters--their stories look like the spectacles of a melodrama4--,burnet's ,essays4 ,,reynolds',s 8,,nativity40 ,in a fire at ,belvoir ,castle1 in ,october1 #ahaf1 several of the pictures were burnt2 among them was ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds's 8,nativity10 a composition of thirteen figures1 and in dimensions twelve feet by eighteen4 ,this noble picture had been purchased by the ,duke of ,rutland for #abjj guineas4 ,,holloway ,,and 8,,the ,,cartoons40 ,holloway1 who so successfully copied in black chalks the cartoons of ,raphael in ,hampton ,court ,palace1 was an eccentric genius1 deeply read in ,scripture1 which he expounded in the most nasal tone2 but it was very interesting to listen to his observations on the beauties and merits of these master-pieces of art4 ,a ,madame ,bouiller1 a ,french emigre1 was also occupied on the same subjects4 ,she was patronised by ,west1 who gave her permission to study in the palace2 and said that he had never seen such masterly artistical touches of the crayon as hers4 ,one morning ,holloway was found foaming with rage in the ,cartoon ,gallery4 ,some person had written against the cartoons1 denominating them 8wretched daubs20 and sorely did it wound the feelings of the enthusiastic artist1 who worshipped with religious fervour these works of ,raphael4 ,yet it was a grotesque scene to behold ,madame ,bouiller pacing after ,holloway1 up and down the gallery1 with all the grimace and intensity of a ,frenchwoman1 and re-echoing his furious lamentations4 ,,titian',s ,,painting4 ,sir ,abraham ,hume1 the accomplished annotator of ,the ,life and ,works of ,titian1 observes3 8,it appears to be generally understood that ,titian had1 in the different periods of life1 three distinct manners of painting3 the first hard and dry1 resembling his master1 ,giovanni ,bellino2 the second1 acquired from studying the works of ,giorgione1 was more bold1 round1 rich in colour1 and exquisitely wrought up2 the third was the result of his matured taste and judgment1 and1 properly speaking1 may be termed his own--in which he introduced more cool tints into the shadows and flesh1 approaching nearer to nature than the universal glow of ,giorgione40 ,after stating what little is known of the mechanical means employed by ,titian in the colouring of his pictures1 ,sir ,abraham remarks3 8,titian's grand secret of all appears to have consisted in the unremitting exercise of application1 patience1 and perseverance1 joined to an enthusiastic attachment to his art3 his custom was to employ considerable time in finishing his pictures1 working on them repeatedly1 till he brought them to perfection2 and his maxim was1 that whatever was done in a hurry1 could not be well done40 ,in manner and character1 as well as talent1 ,titian may not inappropriately be associated with the most eminent painter this country ever produced1 ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds4 ,,catlin',s ,,pictures4 ,catlin1 the traveller1 was born in ,wyoming1 on the ,susquehannah3 he was bred to the law1 but after he had practised two or three years1 he sold his law library1 and with the proceeds commenced as painter in ,philadelphia1 without either teacher or adviser4 ,within a few years1 a delegation of ,indians arrived from wilds of the far west in ,philadelphia1 8arrayed and equipped in all their classical beauty--with shield and helmet--with tunic and manteau1 tinted and tasselled off exactly for the painter's palette4 ,in silent and stoic dignity1 these lords of the forest strutted about the city for a few days wrapped in their pictured robes1 with their brows plumed with the quills of the war-eagle10 and then quitted for ,washington city1 leaving ,catlin to regret their departure4 ,this1 however1 led him to consider the preservation by pictorial illustrations of the history and customs of these people1 as a theme worthy the life of one man2 and he therefore resolved that nothing short of the loss of life should prevent him from visiting their country1 and becoming their historian4 ,he could find no advocate or abettor of his views2 still1 he broke from all connexions of family and home1 and thus1 firmly fixed1 armed1 equipped1 and supplied1 he started1 in the year #ahcb1 and penetrated the vast and pathless wilds of the ,great ,far ,west--devoted to the production of habitual and graphic portraiture of the manners1 customs1 and character of an interesting race of people who were rapidly passing away from the earth4 ,catlin spent about eight years in the ,indian country1 and1 in #ahda1 brought home portraits of the principal personages from each tribe1 views of their villages1 pastimes1 and religious ceremonies2 and a collection of their costumes1 manufactures1 and weapons4 ,he was undoubtedly the first artist who ever started upon such a labour1 designing to carry his canvass to the ,rocky ,mountains4 ,he visited forty-eight different tribes1 containing #djj1jjj souls1 and mostly speaking different languages4 ,he brought home #caj portraits in oil1 all painted in their native dress1 and in their own wigwams2 besides #bjj paintings of their villages1 wigwams1 games1 and religious ceremonies1 dances1 ball-plays1 buffalo-hunts1 c42 containing #cjjj full-length figures2 together with landscapes1 and a collection of costumes and other artificial produce1 from the size of a huge wigwam to that of a rattle4 ,it was for a time expected that the collection would have been purchased by the ,british ,government1 and added to the ,british ,museum1 but the opportunity was let slip2 and thus did we lose these records of a race of our fellow-creatures1 whom we shall very shortly have swept from the face of the globe4 ,,martin',s 8,,deluge40 ,sir ,e4 ,bulwer ,lytton has written this eloquent criticism3 8,martin's #8,deluge' is the most simple of his works2 it is1 perhaps1 also1 the most awful4 ,poussin had represented before him the waste of inundation2 but not the inundation of a world4 ,with an imagination that pierces from effects to their ghastly and sublime agency1 ,martin gives1 in the same picture1 a possible solution to the phenomenon he records2 and in the gloomy and perturbed heaven1 you see the conjunction of the sun1 the moon1 and a comet4 ,i consider this the most magnificent alliance of philosophy and art of which the history of painting can boast40 ,,sir ,,joshua',s ,,goodnature4 ,in the year #agfj1 a youth named ,buckingham1 a scholar at ,mr4 ,king's academy1 in ,chapel-street1 ,soho1 presuming upon his father's knowledge of ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds1 asked the ,president if he would paint him a flag for the next breaking-up of the school2 when ,sir ,joshua goodnaturedly replied1 if he would call upon him at a certain time1 he would see what he could do4 ,the boy accordingly went1 accompanied by a school-fellow1 named ,williamson 7the narrator of this anecdote71 when ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds presented them with a flag1 about a yard square1 on which he had painted the king's coat of arms4 ,this flag was carried in the breaking-up procession to the ,yorkshire ,stingo1 an honour to the boys1 and a still greater honour to him who painted it1 and gave up his valuable time to promote their holiday amusements4 ,,thomas ,,sydney ,,cooper 8,,the ,,english ,,paul ,,potter40 ,the admirers of ,mr4 ,cooper's ,cuyp-like pictures will be gratified with the following anecdote of the early recognition of the painter's genius1 pleasantly related by ,miss ,mitford1 in her ,belford ,regis4 8,sometime in ,november1 #ahca1 ,mr4 ,cribb1 an ornamental gilder in ,london1 7,king-street1 ,covent ,garden17 was struck with a small picture--a cattle-piece1 in a shop window in ,greek-street1 ,soho4 ,on inquiring for the artist1 he could learn no tidings of him2 but the people of the shop promised to find him out4 ,time after time1 our persevering lover of the arts called to repeat his inquiries1 but always unsuccessfully2 until about three months after1 when he found that the person he sought was a ,mr4 ,thomas ,sydney ,cooper1 a young artist1 who had been for many years settled at ,brussels1 as a drawing-master1 but had been driven from that city by the ,revolution1 which had deprived him of his pupils1 among whom were some of the members of the royal family2 and1 unable to obtain employment in ,london as a cattle-painter1 he had1 with the generous self-devotion which most ennobles a man of genius1 supported his family by making lithographic drawings of fashionable caps and bonnets1 ,i suppose1 as a puff for some milliner1 or some periodical which deals in costumes4 ,in the midst of this interesting family1 and of these caps and bonnets1 ,mr4 ,cribb found him2 and deriving from what he saw of his sketches and drawings additional conviction of his genius1 he immediately commissioned him to paint a picture on his own subject1 and at his own price1 making such an advance as the richest artist could not scruple to accept on a commission1 conjuring him to leave off caps and bonnets1 and foretelling his future eminence4 ,mr4 ,cribb says1 that he shall never forget the delight of ,mr4 ,cooper's face when he gave the order--he has the right to the luxury of such a recollection4 ,well6 the picture was completed3 our friend1 ,mr4 ,cribb1 who is not a man to do his work by halves1 bespoke a companion1 and while that was painting1 showed the first to a great number of artists and amateurs1 who all agreed in expressing the strongest admiration1 and in wondering where the painter could have been hidden4 ,before the second picture was half finished1 a ,mr4 ,carpenter1 7,i believe that ,i am right in the name17 gave ,mr4 ,cooper a commission for a piece1 which was exhibited in ,may1 #ahcc1 at the ,suffolk-street ,gallery2 and from that moment orders poured in1 and the artist's fortune was made4 ,it is right to add1 that ,mr4 ,cooper was generously eager to have this story made known1 and ,mr4 ,cribb as generously averse to its publication4 ,but surety1 it ought to be recorded for the example sake1 and for their mutual honour40 ,,verrio ,,and ,,charles ,,ii4 ,verrio1 who painted the ceilings in ,windsor ,castle1 was a great favourite with ,charles ,,ii4 ,the painter was very expensive1 and kept a great table2 he often pressed the ,king for money1 with a freedom encouraged by his ,majesty's own frankness4 ,once1 at ,hampton ,court1 when he had but lately received an advance of #ajjj1 he found the ,king in such a circle1 that he could not approach4 ,he called out1 8,sire1 ,i desire the favour of speaking to your ,majesty40 8,well1 ,verrio10 said the ,king1 8what is your request80 8,money1 ,sire2 ,i am so short of cash1 that ,i am not able to pay my workmen2 and your ,majesty and ,i have learned by experience1 that pedlars and painters cannot long live on credit40 ,the ,king smiled1 and said 8he had but lately ordered him #ajjj40 8,yes1 ,sire10 replied ,verrio2 8but that was soon paid away1 and ,i have no gold left40 8,at that rate10 said the ,king1 8you would spend more money than ,i do to maintain my family40 8,true10 answered ,verrio2 8but does your ,majesty keep an open table as ,i do80 ,,hogarth',s ,,pictures ,,at ,,vauxhall ,,gardens4 ,soon after his marriage1 ,hogarth had summer lodgings at ,south ,lambeth1 and became intimate with ,jonathan ,tyers1 then proprietor of ,vauxhall ,gardens4 ,on passing the tavern one morning1 ,hogarth saw ,tyers1 and observing him to be very melancholy1 8,how now1 ,master ,tyers2 why so sad this morning80 said the painter4 8,sad times1 ,master ,hogarth10 replied ,tyers1 8and my reflections were on a subject not likely to brighten a man's countenance3 ,i was thinking1 do you know1 which was likely to prove the easiest death1 hanging or drowning40 8,oh10 said ,hogarth1 8is it come to that80 8,very nearly1 ,i assure you10 said ,tyers4 8,then10 replied ,hogarth1 8the remedy you think of applying is not likely to mend the matter2 don't hang or drown to-day4 ,i have a thought that may save the necessity of either1 and will communicate it to you to-morrow morning2 call at my house in ,leicester ,fields40 ,the interview took place1 and the result was the concocting and getting up the first 8,ridotto al ,fresco10 which was very successful2 one of the new attractions being the embellishment of the pavilions in the gardens by ,hogarth's pencil4 ,thus he drew the ,four ,parts of the ,day1 which ,hayman copied2 and the two scenes of ,evening and ,night1 with portraits of ,henry ,,viii4 and ,anne ,boleyn4 ,hayman was one of the earliest members of the ,royal ,academy1 and was1 when young1 a scene-painter at ,drury ,lane ,theatre4 ,hogarth was at this time in prosperity1 and assisted ,tyers more essentially than by the few pieces he painted for the gardens2 and for this ,tyers presented the painter with a gold ticket of admission for himself and friends1 which was handed down to ,hogarth's descendants--the medal being for the admission of six persons1 or 8one coach10 as it was termed4 ,,rubens ,,and ,,the ,,lion4 ,it is related that ,rubens caused a remarkably fine and powerful lion to be brought to his house1 in order to study him in every variety of attitude4 ,one day1 ,rubens observing the lion yawn1 was so pleased with his action1 that he wished to paint it1 and he desired the keeper to tickle the animal under the chin1 to make him repeatedly open his jaws2 at length1 the lion became savage at this treatment1 and cast such furious glances at his keeper1 that ,rubens attended to his warning1 and had the animal removed4 ,the keeper is said to have been torn to pieces by the lion shortly afterwards2 apparently1 he had never forgotten the affront4 ,,narrow ,,escape4 ,andrea ,boscoli1 the ,italian painter1 whilst sketching the fortifications of ,loretto1 was seized by the officers of justice1 and condemned to be hanged2 but he happily escaped within a few hours of execution1 by the interposition of ,signor ,bandini1 who explained to the chief magistrate the painter's innocent object4 ,,gainsborough4 ,gainsborough was born at ,sudbury1 in ,suffolk1 in #agbg1 and had the good fortune to take ,nature for his mistress in art1 and her to follow through life4 ,respecting this painter1 memory is strong in his native place4 ,a beautiful wood1 of four miles extent1 is shown1 whose ancient trees1 winding glades1 and sunny nooks inspired him while yet a school-boy with the love of art4 ,scenes are pointed out where he used to sit and fill his copy-books with pencillings of flowers and trees1 and whatever pleased his fancy4 ,no fine clump of trees1 no picturesque stream nor romantic glade1 no cattle grazing1 nor flocks reposing1 nor peasants pursuing their work1 nor pastoral occupations1 escaped his diligent pencil4 ,he received some instruction from ,gravelot2 and from ,hayman1 the friend of ,hogarth4 ,having married1 he settled in ,ipswich2 but in his thirty-first year removed to ,bath1 where he was appreciated as he deserved1 and was enabled by his pencil to live respectably4 ,he then removed to ,london1 where he added the lucrative branch of portrait-painting to his favourite pursuit of landscape4 ,the permanent splendour of his colours1 and the natural and living air which he communicated to whatever he touched1 made him at this time1 in the estimation of many1 a dangerous rival of ,sir ,joshua himself4 ,gainsborough was quite a child of nature1 and everything that came from his easel smacked strongly of that raciness1 freshness1 and originality1 the study of nature alone can give4 8,the ,woodman and his ,dog in the ,storm0 was one of his favourite compositions2 yet1 while he lived1 he could find no purchaser at the paltry sum of one hundred guineas4 ,after his death1 five hundred guineas were paid for it by ,lord ,gainsborough1 in whose house it was subsequently burnt4 8,the ,shepherd's ,boy in the ,shower10 and the 8,cottage ,girl with her ,dog and ,pitcher10 were also his prime favourites4 ,although having the good taste to express no contempt for the society of literary or fashionable men1 ,gainsborough1 unlike the courtly ,sir ,joshua1 cared little for their company4 ,music was his passion1 or rather1 next to his profession1 the business of his life4 ,smith1 in his ,life of ,nollekens1 relates that he once found ,colonel ,hamilton playing so exquisitely to ,gainsborough on the violin1 that the artist exclaimed1 8,go on1 and ,i will give you the picture of the #8,boy at the ,stile1' which you have so often wished to purchase of me40 ,the ,colonel proceeded1 and the painter stood in speechless admiration1 with tears of rapture on his cheek4 ,hamilton then called a coach1 and carried away the picture4 ,,haydon ,,at ,,school4 ,haydon was born at ,plymouth1 and at ten years old was sent to the ,grammar ,school1 under the care of the ,rev4 ,dr4 ,bidlake1 who possessed great taste for painting1 and first noticed ,haydon's love of drawing2 and1 as a reward for diligence in school1 the reverend gentleman used to indulge his pupil by admitting him to his painting-room1 where he was allowed to pass his hal4-holidays4 ,at the age of fourteen1 ,haydon was sent to ,plympton ,st4 ,mary ,school1 where ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds acquired all the scholastic knowledge he ever received4 ,on the ceiling of the school-room was a sketch drawn by ,reynolds with a burnt cork2 and it was young ,haydon's delight to sit and contemplate this early production of the great master4 ,whilst at this school1 he was about to join the medical profession2 but the witnessing of an operation at once debarred him4 ,when he left the ,plympton ,school1 after a stay there of about two years1 he had not decided what profession he should pursue2 and whilst at home in this unsettled state1 his mind was never at rest1 but he was constantly employed in drawing or painting1 and reading hard4 ,about this time1 ,reynolds's 8,discourses0 attracted his attention1 and fixed his resolution on painting2 and1 as the first step to which1 he resolved to study anatomy4 ,,rubens',s ,,day4 ,rubens was in the habit of rising very early3 in summer at four o'clock1 and immediately afterwards he heard mass4 ,he then went to work1 and while painting1 he habitually employed a person to read to him from one of the classical authors1 7the favourites being ,livy1 ,plutarch1 ,cicero1 and ,seneca17 or from some eminent poet4 ,this was the time when he generally received his visitors1 with whom he entered willingly into conversation on a variety of topics1 in the most animated and agreeable manner4 ,an hour before dinner was always devoted to recreation1 which consisted either in allowing his thoughts to dwell as they listed on subjects connected with science or politics1--which latter interested him deeply1--or in contemplating his treasures of art4 ,from anxiety not to impair the brilliant play of his fancy1 he indulged but sparingly in the pleasures of the table1 and drank but little wine4 ,after working again till evening1 he usually1 if not prevented by business1 mounted a spirited ,andalusian horse1 and rode for an hour or two4 ,this was his favourite exercise3 he was extremely fond of horses1 and his stables generally contained some of remarkable beauty4 ,on his return home1 it was his custom to receive a few friends1 principally men of learning1 or artists1 with whom he shared his frugal meal1 7he was the declared enemy of all excess17 and passed the evening in instructive and cheerful conversation4 ,this active and regular mode of life could alone have enabled ,rubens to satisfy all the demands which were made upon him as an artist2 and the astonishing number of works he completed1 the genuineness of which is beyond all doubt1 can only be accounted for through his union of extraordinary diligence with the acknowledged fertility of his productive powers4 ,,diligence ,,of ,,rubens4 ,like other great painters1 ,rubens was an architect1 too2 and1 besides his own house1 the church and the college of the ,jesuits1 in ,antwerp1 were built from his designs4 ,we are enabled to form some estimate of the astonishingly productive powers of ,rubens1 when we consider that about #ajjj of his works have been engraved2 and1 including copies1 the number of engravings from his works amount to more than #aejj4 ,the extraordinary number of his paintings adorn not merely the most celebrated public and private galleries1 and various churches in ,europe1 but they have even found their way to ,america4 ,in ,lima1 especially1 there are several1 and some of them of considerable value and excellence4 ,yet1 of the countless pictures everywhere attributed to ,rubens1 but a small proportion were entirely painted by his own hands2 the others contain more or less of the workmanship of his pupils4 ,the greatest number of works1 begun and finished by his own hands1 are to be found in the galleries of ,madrid1 ,antwerp1 and ,blenheim4--,mrs4 ,jameson's ,translation of ,dr4 ,waagen's ,essay on ,rubens4 ,,haydon',s 8,,judgment ,,of ,,solomon40 ,this picture was bought of the artist by ,sir ,w4 ,elford and ,mr4 ,tingcomb1 for #gjjl4 ,whilst painting it1 ,haydon got embroiled in a controversy on the ,elgin ,marbles1 with ,mr4 ,payne ,knight1 one of the ,directors of the ,british ,institution4 ,this gave great offence2 and when the painter had been four months at work on the 8,solomon10 he was left without resources2 but1 by selling successively his books1 prints1 and clothes1 he was enabled to go on with his picture4 ,at length1 after a labour of two years1 and by a closing exertion of painting six days1 and nearly as many nights1 the picture was completed1 and exhibited in ,spring ,gardens1 with great success4 ,the ,directors of the ,british ,institution then showed their sense of ,haydon's genius by a vote of #ajj guineas1 and all ill-feeling was forgotten4 ,for this work1 ,haydon was presented with the freedom of the borough of ,plymouth1 says the vote1 8as a testimony of respect for his extraordinary merit as an historical painter2 and particularly for the production of his recent picture1 #8the ,judgment of ,solomon1' a work of such superior excellence1 as to reflect honour on his birthplace1 distinction on his name1 lustre on the art1 and reputation on the country40 ,miss ,mitford addressed to the painter the following ,sonnet on this picture3-- 8,tears in the eye1 and on the lips a sigh6 ,haydon1 the great1 the beautiful1 the bold1 ,thy ,wisdom's ,king1 thy ,mercy's ,god unfold8 ,there art and genius blend in unison high1 ,but this is of the soul4 ,the majesty ,of grief dwells here2 grief cast in such a mould ,as ,niobe's of yore4 ,the tale is told ,all at a glance4 #8,a childless mother ,i6' ,the tale is told1 and who can e'er forget1 ,that e'er has seen that visage of despair6 ,with unaccustomed tears our cheeks are wet1 ,heavy our hearts with unaccustomed care1 ,upon our thoughts it presses like a debt1 ,we close our eyes in vain2 that face is there40 ,mr4 ,west1 on seeing the picture1 was affected to tears1 at the figure of the pale1 fainting mother4 ,,van ,,de ,,velde ,,and ,,backhuysen4 ,when ,dr4 ,waagen visited ,england in #ahce1 his sea passage gave rise to the following exquisite critical observations3 8,i must mention as a particularly fortunate circumstance1 that the sea gradually subsided from a state of violent agitation to a total calm and a bright sunshine1 attenuated with a clouded sky1 and flying showers4 ,i had an opportunity of observing in succession all the situations and effects which have been represented by the celebrated ,dutch marine painters1 ,william ,van de ,velde1 and ,backhuysen4 ,now1 for the first time1 ,i fully understood the truth of their pictures1 in the varied undulation of the water1 and the refined art with which1 by shadows of clouds1 intervening dashes of sunshine near1 or at a distance1 and ships to animate the scene1 they produce such a charming variety in the uniform surface of the sea4 ,to conclude in a striking manner this series of pictures1 ,nature was so kind as to favour us at last with a thunder-storm1 but not to interrupt by long-continued rain1 suffered it to be of very short duration40 ,a ,,painter',s ,,hair-,,dressing4 ,it was the constant practice of ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds1 as soon as a female sitter had placed herself on his throne1 to destroy the tasteless labours of the hairdresser and the lady's maid with the end of a pencil-stick4 ,a ,,mis-,,matched ,,portrait4 ,dr4 ,waagen relates the following singular anecdote of one of the portraits in the ,waterloo ,chamber at ,windsor ,castle--that of the minister1 ,william von ,humboldt4 ,the conception is poor1 and the likeness very general2 but the want is1 that the body does not at all suit the head2 for when king ,george the ,fourth1 who was a personal friend of the minister1 during his last visit to ,england1 and a short time before his departure1 made him sit to ,sir ,thomas ,lawrence1 the latter being pressed for time1 took a canvass on which he had begun a portrait of ,lord ,liverpool1 and had already finished his body in a purple coat1 and painted upon it the head of ,m4 ,von ,humboldt1 intending to alter it afterwards4 ,this1 however1 in consequence of the death of the king1 and of ,sir ,thomas ,lawrence1 was not done4 ,,vast ,,painted ,,window4 ,in the spring of #ahcj1 there was exhibited in ,london a superb specimen of painting on glass1 the size almost amounting to the stupendous1 being eighteen by twenty-four feet4 ,the term 8window10 however1 is hardly applicable to this vast work1 for there was no framework visible2 but the entire picture consisted of upwards of #cej pieces1 of irregular forms and sizes1 fitted into metal astragals1 so contrived as to fall with the shadows1 and thus to assist the appearance of an uninterrupted and unique picture upon a sheet of glass4 ,the subject was 8the ,tournament of the ,field of the ,cloth of ,gold10 between ,henry ,,viii4 and ,francis ,i41 in the plain of ,ardres1 near ,calais2 a scene of overwhelming gorgeousness1 and1 in the splendour of its appointments well suited to the brilliant effects which is the peculiar characteristic of painting in enamel4 ,the stage represented was the last tourney on ,june #be1 #aebj4 ,the field is minutely described by ,hall1 whose details the painter had closely followed4 ,there were artificial trees1 with green damask leaves2 and branches and boughs1 and withered leaves1 of cloth-of-gold2 the trunks and arms being also covered with cloth-of-gold1 and intermingled with fruits and flowers of ,venice gold2 and 8their beautie shewed farre40 ,in these trees were hung1 emblazoned upon shields1 8the ,kynge of ,englande's armes1 within a gartier1 and the ,french ,kynge's within a collar of his order of ,sainct ,michael1 with a close croune1 with a flower de lise in the toppe20 and around and above were the shields of the noblemen of the two courts4 ,the two queens were seated in a magnificent pavilion1 and next to the ,queen of ,england sat ,wolsey2 the judges were on stages1 the heralds1 in their tabards1 placed at suitable points2 and around were gathered the flower of the ,french and ,english nobility1 to witness this closing glory of the last days of chivalry4 ,the action of the piece is thus described3--,the trumpets sounded1 and the two kings and their retinues entered the field2 they then put down their vizors1 and rode to the encounter valiantly2 or1 as ,hall says1 8the ii kynges were ready1 and either of them encountered one man-of-armes2 the ,french ,kynge to the erle of ,devonshire1 the ,kynge of ,england to ,mounsire ,florrenges1 and brake his ,poldron1 and him disarmed1 when ye strokes were stricken1 this battail was departed1 and was much praised40 ,the picture contained upwards of one hundred figures 7life size7 of which forty were portraits1 after ,holbein and other contemporary authorities4 ,the armour of the two kings and the challenger was very successfully painted2 their coursers almost breathed chivalric fire2 and the costumes and heraldic devices presented a blaze of dazzling splendour4 ,among the spectators1 the most striking portraits were the two queens2 ,wolsey1 ,anne ,boleyn1 and the ,countess of ,chateaubriant2 ,charles ,brandon1 ,duke of ,suffolk2 and ,queen ,mary1 ,dowager of ,france2 with the ill-fated ,duke of ,buckingham1 whose hasty comment upon the extravagance of the tournament proved his downfall4 ,the elaborate richness of the costumes sparkling with gold and jewels1 the fleecy1 floating feathers of the champions1 their burnished armour and glittering arms1 the congregated glories of velvet1 ermine1 and cloth-of-gold1 and the heraldic emblazonry amidst the emerald freshness of the foliage--all combined to form a scene of unparalleled sumptuousness and effect4 ,the picture was executed in glass by ,mr4 ,thomas ,wilmshurst 7a pupil of the late ,mr4 ,moss71 from a sketch by ,mr4 ,r4 ,t4 ,bone2 the horses by ,mr4 ,woodward4 ,the work cost the artist nearly #cjjjl4 ,it was exhibited in a first-floor at ,no4 #ae1 ,oxford-street1 and occupied one end of a room decorated for the occasion with paneling and carving in the taste of the time of ,henry the ,eighth4 ,it was very attractive as an exhibition1 and nearly #ej1jjj descriptive catalogues were sold4 ,sad1 then1 to relate1 in one unlucky night1 the picture and the house were entirely burnt in an accidental fire2 not even a sketch or study was saved from destruction2 and the property was wholly uninsured4 ,as a specimen of glass painting1 the work was very successful3 the colours were very brilliant1 and the ruby red of old was all but equalled4 ,the artistic treatment was altogether original2 the painters1 in no instance1 borrowing from the contemporary picture of the same scene in the ,hampton ,court collection4 ,,claude',s 8,,libro ,,di ,,verita40 ,it was thus ,claude ,lorraine denominated a book in which he made drawings of all the pictures he had ever executed4 ,since even in his own day his works had obtained a great reputation1 it was found that many inferior artists had painted pictures in his style1 and sold them as genuine ,claudes2 so that it was found necessary to prove the authenticity of his paintings by a reference to his 8,book of ,truth40 ,this renowned record of genius is in the possession of the ,duke of ,devonshire4 ,the drawings are in number about #bjj1 and upon the back of the first is a paper pasted1 with the following words in ,claude's own handwriting and orthography3-- 8,audi #aj dagosto1 #afgg4 ,ce livre aupartien a moy que je faict durant ma vie4 ,claudio ,gillee ,dit le lorains4 ,a ,roma ce #bc4 ,aos4 #afhj40 ,when ,claude wrote the last date1 he was seventy-eight years old1 and he died two years afterwards4 ,on the back of every drawing is the number1 with his monogram1 the place for which the picture was painted1 and usually the person by whom it was ordered1 and the year2 but the 8,claudio fecit0 is never wanting4 ,according to his will1 this book was to remain always the property of his own family2 and it was so faithfully kept by his immediate descendants1 that all the efforts of the ,cardinal d',estres1 the ,french ambassador at ,rome1 to procure it1 were in vain4 ,his later posterity had so entirely lost all traces of this pious reverence for it1 that they sold it for the trifling price of #bjj scudi to a ,french jeweller1 who again sold it in ,holland1 whence it came into the possession of the ,duke of ,devonshire1 who preserved it with due honours4 ,the well-known copies by ,barlow1 in the work of ,boydell1 give but a very vague and monotonous representation of these splendid drawings4 ,dr4 ,waagen1 who inspected the treasure at ,devonshire ,house1 says3 8,the delicacy1 ease1 and masterly handling of all1 from the slightest sketches to those most carefully finished1 exceed description2 the latter produce1 indeed1 all the effect of finished pictures4 ,with the simple material of a pen1 and tints of ,indian ink1 sepia1 or bistre1 with some white to bring out the lights1 every characteristic of sunshine or shade1 or #8the incense-breathing morn1' is perfectly expressed4 ,most happily has he employed for this purpose the blue tinge of the paper1 and the warm sepia for the glow of evening4 ,some are only drawn with a pen1 or the principal forms are slightly sketched in pencil1 with the great masses of light broadly thrown in with white2 the imagination easily fills up the rest40 ,,the ,,oldest ,,picture ,,in ,,the ,,national ,,gallery4 ,this picture is--,portraits of a ,flemish ,gentleman and ,lady1 standing in the middle of an apartment1 with their hands joined4 ,in the back-ground are a bed1 a mirror1 and a window1 partly open2 the objects in the room being distinctly reflected in the mirror4 ,a branch chandelier hangs from the ceiling1 with the candle still burning in it2 in the foreground is a small poodle4 ,in the frame of the mirror are ten minute circular compartments1 in which are painted stories from the life of ,christ2 and immediately under the mirror is written 8,johannes de ,eyck fuit hic10 with the date #adcd below4 ,this signifies literally1 8,john ,van ,eyck was this man10 an interpretation which leads to the conjecture that this may be ,van ,eyck's own portrait1 with that of his wife1 though in this case the wife's name should have been written as well as his own2 and the expression is not exactly that which would have been expected4 ,the words are1 however1 distinctly fuit hic4 ,as already mentioned1 the date of the picture is #adcd1 when ,john ,van ,eyck was1 according to the assumed date of his birth1 in his fortieth year1 which is about the age of the man in this picture4 ,van ,mander speaks of the painting as the portraits of a man and his wife2 or bride and bridegroom3 it may be a bridegroom introducing his bride to her home4 ,this picture1 about a century after it was painted1 was in the possession of a barber-surgeon at ,bruges1 who presented it to the then ,regent of the ,netherlands1 ,mary1 the sister of ,charles ,x41 and ,queen ,dowager of ,hungary4 ,this princess valued the picture so highly1 that she granted the barber-surgeon in return1 an annual pension1 or office worth #ajj florins per annum4 ,it appears1 however1 to have again fallen into obscure hands2 for it was discovered by ,major-,general ,hay in the apartments to which he was taken in #ahae1 at ,brussels1 after he had been wounded at the battle of ,waterloo4 ,he purchased the picture after his recovery1 and disposed of it to the ,british ,government in #ahdb1 when it was placed in the ,national ,gallery4 ,it is the oldest painting in the collection4 ,,experimental ,,colouring4 ,the great experimental colourist of the fifteenth century1 ,van ,eyck1 has left unfading proofs of his skill as well as his genius2 whilst the experimental colourist of the eighteenth century1 ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds1 has already lost so much of his tone and brightness4 ,the painters of our own time throughout ,europe1 notwithstanding the recent discoveries in chemistry and natural science1 are unable to reproduce the rich hues of ,titian1 or of the early ,germans4 ,yet1 ,van ,eyck met with many disappointments4 ,he had just applied a newly-invented combination1 7probably of lime-water and some other ingredients17 to a large and highly-finished picture4 ,this mixture required to be rapidly dried2 and for that purpose the picture was left for a short time in the sun4 ,when the artist returned to witness the result of his experiment1 he found that the action of the heat on the composition had split the canvas1 and that his work was utterly ruined6 ,happily for the arts1 their best votaries have possessed the genius of perseverance1 as well as the genius of enterprise4 ,,stothard',s ,,frieze4 ,one of ,stothard's last great designs was that for the frieze of the interior of ,buckingham ,palace4 ,the subjects are illustrative of the history of ,england1 and principally relative to the ,wars of the ,red and ,white ,roses4 ,the venerable artist was between seventy and eighty years old when he executed these2 and they possess all the spirit and vigour of imagination that distinguished his best days4 ,as a whole1 there is not1 perhaps1 to be found a more interesting series of historical designs of any country in ancient or modern times4 ,the drawing of this frieze ought to have been in the possession of the ,king2 but they were sold at ,christie's1 with other works1 on the decease of the painter4 ,mr4 ,rogers was the purchaser4 ,,john ,,martin ,,on ,,glass ,,painting4 ,about the year #ahdd1 when ,john ,martin1 the historical painter1 was examined before the ,parliamentary ,committee on ,arts and ,manufactures1 he was questioned as to the information he had collected on the subject of glass-painting4 ,to this he replied1 8,glass-painting has fallen almost to the same level as china-painting2 but it might be greatly improved now to what it was in ancient times4 ,there is an ignorant opinion among the people that the ancient art of glass-painting is completely lost3 it is totally void of foundation2 for we can carry it to a much higher pitch than the ancients1 except in one particular colour1 which is that of ruby1 and we come very near to that4 ,we can blend the colours1 and produce the effect of light and shadow1 which they could not do1 by harmonizing and mixing the colours in such a way1 and fixing by proper enameling and burning1 that they shall afterwards become just as permanent as those of the ancients1 with the additional advantage of throwing in superior art40 ,martin began life as a painter on glass4 ,one of his earliest pictures was for the conservatory at the mansion of the ,marquess of ,wellesley1 at ,knightsbridge4 8,,sitting ,,for ,,the ,,hand40 ,if you have an artist for a friend1 7says ,n4 ,p4 ,willis17 he makes use of you while you call1 to 8sit for the hand0 of the portrait on his easel4 ,having a preference for the society of artists myself1 and frequenting their studios considerably1 ,i know of some hundred and fifty unsuspecting gentlemen on canvas1 who have procured1 for posterity and their children1 portraits of their own heads and dress-coats to be sure1 but of the hands of other persons4 ,,haydon ,,and ,,fuseli4 ,prince ,hoare introduced ,haydon to ,fuseli1 who was so struck with his close attendance at the ,royal ,academy1 that he one day said1 8,why1 when do you dine80 ,the account of his introduction is very characteristic4 8,such was the horror connected with ,fuseli's name1 7says ,haydon17 that ,i remember perfectly well the day before ,i was to go to him1 a letter from my father concluded in these words3 #8,god speed you with the terrible ,fuseli4' ,awaking from a night of awful dreaming1 the awful morning came4 ,i took my sketch-book and drawings1--invoking the protection of my good genius to bring me back alive1 and sallied forth to meet the enchanter in his den6 ,after an abstracted walk of perpetual musing1 on what ,i should say1 how ,i should look1 and what ,i should do1 ,i found myself before his door in ,berners-street----#ahje40 ,haydon was shown into his painting-room1 full of ,fuseli's hideous conceptions4 ,he adds3--8,at last1 when ,i was wondering what metamorphosis ,i was to undergo1 the door slowly opened1 and ,i saw a little hand come slowly round the edge of it1 which did not look very gigantic1 or belonging to a very powerful figure1 and round came a little white-faced lion-headed man1 dressed in an old flannel dressing-gown1 tied by a rope1 and the bottom of ,mrs4 ,fuseli's work-basket on his head for a cap4 ,i was perfectly amazed6 there stood the designer of ,satan in many an airy whirl plunging to the earth2 and was this the painter himself8--,certainly4 ,not such as ,i had imagined when enjoying his inventions4 ,i did not know whether to laugh or cry1 but at any rate ,i felt that ,i was his match if he attempted the supernatural4 ,we quietly stared at each other1 and ,fuseli kindly understanding my astonishment and inexperience1 asked in the mildest voice for my drawings4 ,here my evil genius took the lead1 and instead of showing him my studies from the antique1 which ,i had brought1 and had meant to have shown him1 ,i showed him my sketch-book ,i did not mean to show him1 with a sketch ,i had made coming along1 of a man pushing a sugar-cask into a grocer's shop4 ,fuseli seeing my fright1 said1 by way of encouragement1 #8,at least the fellow does his business with energy4'nbsp20 ,from that hour commenced a friendship which lasted till his death4 ,,richard ,,wilson4 ,wilson loved1 when a child1 to trace figures of men and animals1 with a burnt stick1 upon the walls of the house1 a predilection which his father encouraged4 ,his relation1 ,sir ,george ,wynn1 next took him to ,london1 and placed him under the care of one ,wright1 an obscure portrait-painter4 ,his progress was so successful1 that in #agdh1 when he was thirty-five years old1 he had so distinguished himself as to be employed to paint a picture of the ,prince of ,wales and the ,duke of ,york1 for their tutor1 the ,bishop of ,norwich4 ,in #agdi1 ,wilson was enabled by his own savings1 and the aid of his friends1 to go to ,italy1 where he continued portrait-painting1 till an accident opened another avenue to fame1 and shut up the way to fortune4 ,having waited one morning for the coming of ,zuccarelli the artist1 to beguile the time1 he painted a scene upon which the window of his friend looked1 with so much grace and effect1 that ,zuccarelli was astonished1 and inquired if he had studied landscape4 ,wilson replied that he had not4 8,then ,i advise you10 said the other1 8to try--for you are sure of success20 and this counsel was confirmed by ,vernet1 the ,french painter4 ,his studies in landscape must have been rapidly successful1 for he had some pupils in that line while at ,rome2 and his works were so highly esteemed1 that ,mengs painted his portrait1 for which ,wilson1 in return1 painted a landscape4 ,it is not known at what time he returned to ,england2 but he was in ,london in #ageh1 and resided over the north arcade of the ,piazza1 ,covent-garden1 where he obtained great celebrity as a landscape painter4 ,to the first ,exhibition of #agfj1 he sent his picture of ,niobe1 which confirmed his reputation4 ,yet ,wilson1 from inattention to his own interests1 lost his connexions and employment1 and was left1 late in life1 in comfortless infirmity--having been reduced to solicit the office of librarian of the ,royal ,academy1 of which he had been one of the brightest ornaments4 ,,the ,,bridgewater ,,gallery4 ,had its origin in the ,orleans ,gallery4 ,the ,italian part of the collection had been mortgaged for #dj1jjjl4 to ,harman's banking-house1 when ,mr4 ,bryan1 a celebrated collector and picture-dealer1 and author of the 8,dictionary of ,painters10 induced the ,duke of ,bridgewater to purchase the whole as it stood for #dc1jjjl4 ,the pictures1 amounting to #cje1 were then valued separately by ,mr4 ,bryan1 making a total of #gb1jjjl42 and from among them the ,duke selected ninety-four of the finest1 at the prices at which they were valued1 amounting altogether to #ci1jjj guineas4 ,the ,duke subsequently admitted his nephew1 the ,earl ,gower1 and the ,earl of ,carlisle1 to share his acquisition2 resigning to the former a fourth part1 and to the latter an eighth of the whole number thus acquired4 ,the exhibition and sale of the rest produced #da1jjjl42 consequently1 the speculation turned out most profitably2 for the ninety-four pictures1 which had been valued at #ci1jjjl41 were acquired1 in fact1 for #bjjjl4 ,the forty-seven retained for the ,duke of ,bridgewater were valued at #bc1acjl4 99 99 ,the ,duke of ,bridgewater already possessed some fine pictures1 and after the acquisition of his share of the ,orleans ,gallery1 he continued to add largely to his collection1 till his death in #ahjc1 when he left his pictures1 valued at #aej1jjjl41 to his nephew1 ,george1 first ,marquis of ,stafford1 afterwards first ,duke of ,sutherland4 ,during the life of this nobleman1 the collection1 added to one formed by himself when ,earl ,gower1 was placed in the house in ,cleveland-row2 and the whole known then1 and for thirty years afterwards1 as the ,stafford ,gallery1 became celebrated all over ,europe4 ,on the death of the ,marquis of ,stafford1 in #ahcc1 his second son1 ,lord ,francis ,leveson ,gower1 taking the surname of ,egerton1 inherited1 under the will of his grand-uncle1 the ,bridgewater property1 including the collection of pictures formed by the ,duke4 ,the ,stafford ,gallery was thus divided3 that part of the collection which had been acquired by the ,marquis of ,stafford fell to his eldest son1 the present ,duke of ,sutherland2 while the ,bridgewater collection1 properly so called1 devolved to ,lord ,francis ,egerton1 and has resumed its original appellation1 being now known as the ,bridgewater ,gallery4 ,this gallery has a great attraction1 owing principally to the taste of its present possessor3 it contains some excellent works of modern ,english painters4 ,near to the famous 8,rising of the ,gale10 by ,van de ,velde1 hangs the 8,gale at ,sea10 by ,turner1 not less sublime1 not less true to the grandeur and the modesty of nature2 and by ,edwin ,landseer1 the beautiful original of a composition which the art of the engraver has made familiar to the eye1 the 8,return of the ,hawking ,party10 a picture which has all the romance of poetry and the antique time1 and all the charm and value of a family picture4 ,nor should be passed1 without particular notice1 one of the most celebrated productions of the modern ,french historical school--8,charles ,i4 in the ,guard ,room10 by ,paul ,delaroche2 a truly grand picture1 which ,lord ,francis ,egerton has added to the ,gallery since #ahch4--,mrs4 ,jameson4 ,,the ,,lost ,,portrait ,,of ,,prince ,,charles1 ,,by ,,velasquez4 ,it is well known that1 in #afbc1 ,charles1 then ,prince of ,wales1 accompanied by his father's favourite1 ,george ,villiers1 the celebrated ,duke of ,buckingham1 visited ,madrid1 with the avowed object of wooing and winning the ,infanta4 ,we are informed by ,pacheco1 that his son-in-law1 ,velasquez1 received one hundred crowns for taking the portrait of the prince1 probably designed as a present to his lady-love4 ,the suit1 however1 proved unsuccessful2 but what became of the picture has not been recorded1 even incidentally4 ,there is reason to suppose it was committed to the custody of ,villiers1 who had at ,york ,house1 which occupied the site of ,villiers1 ,duke1 and ,buckingham streets1 in the ,adelphi1 a splendid collection of pictures4 ,charles1 on his return from ,spain1 reached ,york ,house past midnight1 on the #fth of ,october2 and the picture may have been left there in some private apartment1 and afterwards have gradually fallen out of mind4 ,there was a sale of pictures on the assassination of the first duke4 ,again1 when the second duke fled to the ,continent1 to escape the vengeance of the parliament1 he sold part of his paintings to raise money for his personal support2 and according to a catalogue of these pictures1 compiled by ,vertue1 the ,velasquez was not among them4 ,subsequently1 the parliament sold part of the remaining pictures4 ,either at or before the death of the second duke1 a fourth sale took place4 ,in #afig1 ,york ,house was burned down2 and it is possible the missing portrait may have been in the house at this date4 ,a very interesting search after the lost treasure is detailed in a pamphlet1 extending to #bbh pages1 published in #ahdg1 from which these particulars are1 in the main1 condensed3 ,about four years since1 ,mr4 ,snare1 a bookseller1 at ,reading1 and a dealer in pictures1 was much struck with the notice of the long-lost portrait of ,charles1 by ,velasquez1 which occurs in ,mr4 ,ford's ,hand-,book for ,spain4 ,not long after1 ,mr4 ,snare1 accompanied by a portrait-painter also living at ,reading1 went to ,radley ,hall1 between ,abingdon and ,oxford1 and there1 among other pictures1 saw a portrait in which he recognised the features of ,charles the ,first2 the owner told him the figure was by ,vandyke1 and the back ground by the artist's most clever pupils2 but a dreamy conviction came over ,mr4 ,snare that it was the missing portrait by ,velasquez4 ,on the #beth of ,october1 #ahde1 the pictures in ,radley ,hall were sold by auction2 ,mr4 ,snare attended1 and bought the portrait for #hl41 notwithstanding many picture-dealers were present4 ,after some delay1 he took the treasure home3 he put it in all lights2 he moistened it with turpentine1 which strengthened his conviction3 he ran for his wife to admire it with him1 and he was wrought up to the highest pitch4 8,i was quite beside myself10 says he1 8with enthusiasm4 ,i could not eat1 and had no inclination to sleep4 ,i sat up till three o'clock looking at the picture2 and early in the morning ,i rose to place myself once more before it4 ,i only took my eyes from the painting to read some book that made reference to the ,spaniard whom ,i believed its author1 or to the ,flemish artist to whom1 by vague report1 it was attributed40 ,to trace the pedigree of the picture was the possessor's next object2 and1 in ,pennant's ,london1 he found mentioned the house of the ,earl of ,fife1 as standing on part of the site of the palace of ,whitehall1 anciently called ,york ,house1 which ,mr4 ,snare confuses with the ,york ,house beyond ,hungerford ,market1 the family mansion of the ,duke of ,buckingham4 ,among the works which adorned ,fife ,house1 ,pennant mentions-- 8,a head of ,charles ,i41 when ,prince of ,wales1 done in ,spain when he was there in #afbc on his romantic expedition to court the ,infanta4 ,it is supposed to have been the work of ,velasco40 ,here was some clue4 ,mr4 ,snare then traced the owner of ,radley ,hall to have received the picture from a connoisseur1 who in his turn received a number of pictures from the ,earl of ,fife's undertaker1 after his lordship's funeral1 in #ahji4 ,next he discovered a quarto pamphlet1 entitled1 8,catalogue of the ,portraits and ,pictures in the different houses belonging to the ,earl of ,fife1 #agih40 ,a reprint of this catalogue was then found in the possession of ,colonel ,tynte1 of ,halewell1 dated in #ahjg1 the only alteration being a slight addition to the preface4 ,colonel ,tynte remembers having been shown the pictures at ,fife ,house1 by the ,earl himself4 ,on page #ch of the ,catalogue1 under the head1 8,first ,drawing-room10 the following entry occurs3-- 8,charles ,i4 when ,prince of ,wales4 ,three quarters4 ,painted at ,madrid1 #afbe1 when his marriage with the ,infanta was proposed4 ---- ,velasquez4 ,this picture belonged to the ,duke of ,buckingham40 ,pennant1 however1 speaks of the portrait as a head2 but this may be owing to confused recollection1 especially as there appears to have been in the #8,little ,drawing-room of the hall' a head of ,charles ,i4 by old ,stone4 ,two persons1 upon inspecting the portrait1 next identified it as the picture they had seen at the connoisseur's1 and at the undertaker's4 ,the general opinion1 however1 seemed to be that the painting was by ,vandyke1 not by ,velasquez3 so believed its possessor at ,radley ,hall1 and the experienced person who cleaned the picture for ,mr4 ,snare4 ,he1 on the other hand1 maintains that although ,vandyke was in ,england for a few weeks in #afbj1 there is no proof that he painted for royalty till #afcb1 when ,charles was too old for the portrait in question1 and when any allusion to the ,spanish match would have been an insult to the nation4 ,cumberland1 in his 8,anecdotes of ,eminent ,painters in ,spain10 states that ,prince ,charles did not sit to ,velasquez1 but that he 7,velasquez7 took a sketch of the prince1 as he was accompanying ,king ,philip in the chase4 ,pacheco seems to have been the authority to ,cumberland1 who1 however1 has mistranslated the passage1 which really should be 8in the meantime1 he also took a sketch 7bosquexo7 of the ,prince of ,wales1 who presented him with one hundred crowns40 ,the word 8sketch10 however suggests another difficulty1 for the picture itself is a fine painting on canvas4 ,mr4 ,ford1 in his ,hand ,book for ,spain1 comes to the rescue1 when he says that ,velasquez 8seems to have drawn on the canvas1 for any sketches or previous studies are not to be met with40 ,still1 the picture in question is all but finished4 ,in it can be traced the red earthy preparation of the canvas1 and the light colour over it1 which ,velasquez was accustomed to introduce4 ,the pigments also bear decisive evidence of their belonging to the ,spanish school1 and are exactly similar to the pigments used in the authenticated works of ,velasquez--8the ,water ,seller10 in the possession of his ,grace the ,duke of ,wellington2 the portrait of ,philip ,,ii41 in the ,dulwich ,gallery2 and a whole-length portrait1 the property of the ,earl of ,ellesmere4 ,mr4 ,snare thus describes the painting itself3-- 8,prince ,charles is depicted in armour1 decorated with the order of ,st4 ,george2 the right arm rests upon a globe1 and in the hand is held a baton2 the left arm is leaning upon the hip1 being partly supported by the hilt of the sword2 a drapery of a yellow ground1 crossed by stripes of red1 is behind the figure1 but the curtain is made to cover one half of the globe on which the right arm is poised2 the expression is tranquil2 but in the distance is depicted a siege1 numerous figures being there engaged in storming a town or fortress40 ,some proofs of identity are traceable in the costume and accessories4 ,thus1 among the jewels sent to the ,prince1 was 8a fair sworde1 which was ,prince ,henry's1 fully garnished with dyamondes of several bignes40 ,now1 the hilt of the sword in the picture sparkles as if jewelled4 ,the drapery1 which covers half of the globe1 is a rich yellow damask1 with streaks of red4 ,these are the national colours of ,spain4 ,in the 8,memoirs of ,george ,villiers1 first ,duke of ,buckingham10 p4 #ag1 we are told that1 on the arrival of the ,prince and ,marquis-- 8,he 7,olivarez7 then complimented the ,marquis1 and told him1 #8,now the ,prince of ,england was in ,spain1 their masters would divide the world between them4'nbsp20 ,similar mention of dividing the world between them also occurs in notices of the above meeting in the ,journals of the ,house of ,commons2 and in ,buckingham's ,narrative1 in ,rushworth's ,historical ,collections4 ,this may explain the ,prince leaning on the globe1 while half of it is covered by the national drapery of ,spain4 ,still1 the globe and drapery were afterthoughts in the painting4 ,the picture was exhibited for some time in ,old ,bond-street2 but the opinion in favour of its being by ,velasquez did not gain ground among connoisseurs3 the distance has more of the painter's manner than the portrait itself1 which is rather that of ,vandyke4 ,the pamphlet goes very far to settle the identity of the picture with that mentioned in the ,fife ,house ,catalogue2 but the ascription may merely have been that of the ,earl of ,fife2 and it is somewhat strange that it should not have been specially mentioned as the lost picture1 had its identity been positively settled4 ,since the publication of ,mr4 ,snare's pamphlet1 ,sir ,edmund ,head1 in his 8,handbook of the ,history of the ,spanish and ,french ,schools of ,painting10 has expressed his disbelief in the authenticity of the picture being the long-lost portrait2 adding1 first1 it is not in his opinion by ,velasquez2 secondly1 it is a finished picture2 and1 thirdly1 it represents ,charles as older than twenty-three years1 which was his age when at ,madrid4 ,again1 ,mr4 ,stirling1 in his 8,annals of the ,artists of ,spain10 published in #ahdh1 does not consider the picture proved to be that formerly at ,fife ,house2 nor does he regard it as a sketch1 78bosquexo107 but more than three parts finished4 ,he thinks also that ,charles looks considerably older than twenty-three2 and he sees 8no resemblance in the style of the execution to any of the acknowledged works of ,velasquez40 ,to both these objections1 ,mr4 ,snare replied1 in a second pamphlet1 wherein he opposed to their opinions the cumulative evidence of his unwearied investigations4 ,his first pamphlet1 8,the ,history and ,pedigree0--is a singularly interesting array of presumptive evidence4#ae ,,haydon',s 8,,mock ,,election40 ,while ,haydon was an inmate of the ,king's ,bench ,prison1 in ,july1 #ahbg1 a burlesque of an election was got up4 8,i was sitting in my own apartment10 7writes the painter17 8buried in my own reflections1 melancholy1 but not despairing at the darkness of my own prospects1 and the unprotected condition of my wife and children1 when a tumultuous and hearty laugh below brought me to my window4 ,in spite of my own sorrow's1 ,i laughed out heartily when ,i saw the occasion40 7,he sketched the grotesque scene1 painted it in four months with the aid of noblemen and friends1 and the advocacy of the press1 in exciting the sympathy of the country47 8,to the joint kindness of each10 wrote the painter1 in gratitude1 8,i owe the peace of the last five months1 without which ,i never could have accomplished so numerous a composition in so short a time40 ,the picture proved attractive as an exhibition2 still better1 it was purchased by ,king ,george ,,iv4 for #ejjl41 and it was conveyed from the ,egyptian-hall to ,st4 ,james's ,palace4 ,a committee of gentlemen then undertook ,mr4 ,haydon's affairs2 and with the purchase-money of the picture1 and the proceeds of the exhibition1 the painter was restored to the bosom of his family4 ,in #ahbh1 he painted1 as a companion to this picture1 8,the ,chairing of the ,members10 which was bought by ,mr4 ,francis1 of ,exeter1 for #cjj guineas4 ,,portraits ,,in ,,the ,,british ,,museum4 ,the ,eastern ,zoological ,gallery of the ,british ,museum has its walls decorated with an assemblage of portraits1 in number upwards of one hundred1 forming1 probably1 the largest collection of portraits in the kingdom4 ,the execution of many of them is but indifferent2 there are others which are exceedingly curious2 and some are unique4 ,great part of them came into the ,museum from having belonged to the ,sloanean1 ,cottonian1 and other collections1 which now form the magnificent library2 and others have been the gifts of individuals4 ,before the rebuilding of the ,museum1 many of these pictures were stowed away in the lumber-rooms and attics of the mansion2 and it was principally at the suggestion of an eminent ,london printseller1 that they were drawn from their 8dark retreat10 cleaned1 and the frames regilt1 and hung in their present position1 above the cases containing the fine zoological specimens4 ,the ,gallery itself occupies the whole of the upper story of the wing of the edifice1 and has five divisions formed by pilasters1 on the side walls1 the ceilings being also divided into the same number of compartments1 which gives an harmonious proportion to the whole it would not otherwise possess4 ,the light comes from elevated skylights1 and it may be a question whether1 taken altogether1 its advantages for the display of paintings are not superior to those of the ,national ,gallery1 in ,trafalgar-square4 ,among the portraits are those of the ,english ,sovereigns1 including ,richard ,,ii41 ,henry ,v41 ,margaret ,countess of ,richmond1 ,edward ,,vi41 7no doubt an original17 and ,elizabeth1 by ,zucchero4 ,here are likewise foreign sovereigns1 ,british statesmen1 heroes1 and divines1 c41 peculiarly appropriate to the place2 naturalists and philosophers1 mathematicians1 navigators1 and travellers1 whose labours have contributed to enrich this national ,museum4 ,a ,,painter ,,of ,,the ,,dead4 ,bacici1 a ,genoese painter1 in the seventeenth century1 had a very peculiar talent of producing exact likenesses of deceased persons he had never seen4 ,he first drew a face at random2 and afterwards1 altering it in every feature1 by the advice and under the inspection of those who had known the subject1 he improved it into striking resemblance4 ,,copley',s ,,portraits4 ,the fame of ,copley as a portrait-painter is comparatively limited4 ,i can speak 7says ,dr4 ,dibdin7 but of four of his portraits from reminiscence2 those of the late ,earl ,spencer1 ,lord ,sidmouth1 ,lord ,colchester1 and the late ,richard ,heber1 ,esq4--the latter when a boy of eight years1 in the dining-room at ,hodnet ,hall4 ,these portraits1 with the exception of the last1 are all engraved4 ,that of ,earl ,spencer1 in his full robes as a ,knight of the ,garter1 and in the prime of his manhood1 now placed at the bottom of the great historical portrait gallery at ,althorp1 must have been a striking likeness2 but1 like almost all the portraits of the artist1 it is too stiff and stately4 ,the portrait of the young ,heber has1 ,i think1 considerable merit on the score of art4 ,there is a play of light and shadow1 and the figure1 with a fine flowing head of hair1 mixes up well with its accessories4 ,he is leaning on a cricket-bat1 with a ball in one hand4 ,the face is1 to my eye1 such as ,i could conceive the original to have been1 when ,i first remember him a ,bachelor of the ,arts at ,oxford1 full1 plump1 and athletic4 ,in short1 as ,dean ,swift expresses it1 8if you should look at him in his boyhood through the magnifying end of the glass1 and in his manhood through the diminishing end1 it would be impossible to spy any difference40 ,the contemplation of this portrait has at times produced mixed emotions of admiration1 regard1 and pity4 8,,bonaparte ,,reviewing ,,the ,,consular ,,guard40 ,in the year #ahjj1 ,m4 ,masquerier had occasion to go to ,paris on family matters4 ,like a sensible man1 who made all his pursuits available to the purposes of his profession1 he conceived the happy thought of obtaining permission to make a portrait of ,bonaparte1 7then ,first ,consul17 and afterwards portraits of his generals the whole of which were concentrated in one grand picture1 of the size of life1 and exhibited in this country as 8,bonaparte ,reviewing the ,consular ,guard40 ,it appears that ,masquerier1 through the interest of a friend acquainted with ,josephine1 got permission to be present at the ,tuilleries1 where he saw ,bonaparte in the grey great-coat1 which has since been so well-known throughout ,europe4 ,masquerier remarked that ,bonaparte's appearance in this costume was so different from all portraits which he had seen1 that he resolved to fix him in his sketch-book in this identical surtout1 the ,french thinking that the portrait of a great man must necessarily be tricked out in finery4 ,he sketched him just as he saw him1 and carried him to ,england2 placing him upon a grey horse1 his usual charger1 and surrounding him with his staff4 ,the picture told in all respects4 ,the ,prince ,regent 7afterwards ,george ,,iv47 and ,tallien1 then in ,london on his return from ,egypt1 were among the twenty-five or thirty-thousand visitors who went to see it4 ,tallien left in the exhibition-room the following testimony to the likeness of the ,first ,consul3-- 8,j'ai vu le portrait du ,general ,buonaparte fait par ,m4 ,masquerier1 et je l'ai trouv tres resemblant40 ,,tallien1 ,londres1 ce #bd ,mars1 #ahja40 ,there is a print of this picture1 which is scarce4 ,the original was afterwards sold1 to be taken to ,america4 ,masquerier netted about #ajjjl4 by this speculation1 but the remuneration did not overpay the toil4 ,such was the reaction1 from incessant application and anxiety1 that the artist was confined to his room several weeks afterwards4 ,,lawrence',s ,,portrait ,,of ,,curran4 ,one of ,lawrence's most remarkable male portraits is that of ,curran3 under mean and harsh features1 a genius of the highest order lay concealed1 like a sweet kernel in a rough husk2 and so little of the true man did ,lawrence perceive in his first sittings1 that he almost laid down his palette in despair1 in the belief that he could make nothing but a common or vulgar work4 ,the parting hour came1 and with it the great ,irishman burst out in all his strength4 ,he discoursed on art1 on poetry1 on ,ireland2 his eyes flashed1 and his colour heightened2 and his rough and swarthy visage seemed1 in the sight of the astonished painter1 to come fully within his own notions of manly beauty4 8,i never saw you till now10 said the artist1 in his softest tone of voice2 8you have sat to me in a mask2 do give me a sitting of ,curran1 the orator40 ,curran complied1 and a fine portrait1 with genius on its brow1 was the consequence4 ,allan ,cunningham1 whose ,memoir of ,lawrence we quote1 states how he gradually raised his prices for portraits as he advanced to fame4 ,in #ahjb1 his charge for a three-quarter size was thirty guineas2 for a half-length1 sixty guineas2 and for a whole-length1 one hundred and twenty guineas4 ,in #ahjf1 the three-quarters rose to fifty guineas2 and the whole length to two hundred4 ,in #ahjh1 he rose the smallest size to eighty guineas1 and the largest to three hundred and twenty guineas2 and in #ahaj1 when the death of ,hoppner swept all rivalry out of the way1 he increased the price of the heads to one hundred1 and the full-lengths to four hundred guineas4 ,he knew--none better--that the opulent loved to possess what was rare1 and beyond the means of poorer men to purchase2 and the growing crowds of his sitters told him that his advance in price had not been ill received4 ,,opie ,,and ,,northcote4 ,it was the lot of ,northcote to live long in something like a state of opposition to ,opie4 ,they were both engaged in historical pictures1 by the same adventurous alderman1 7,boydell17 and acquitted themselves in a way which1 with many1 left themselves in a balance4 ,in after life1 when ,opie had ceased to be in any one's way1 ,northcote would recal1 without any bitterness1 their days of rivalry4 8,opie10 said he to ,hazlitt1 8was a man of sense and observation3 he paid me the compliment of saying1 that we should have been the best of friends in the world if we had not been rivals4 ,i think he had more feeling than ,i had2 perhaps1 because ,i had most vanity4 ,we sometimes got into foolish altercations4 ,i recollect1 once in particular1 at a banker's in the ,city1 we took up the whole of dinner-time with a ridiculous controversy about ,milton and ,shakspeare4 ,i am sure neither of us had the least notion which was right2 and when ,i was heartily ashamed of it1 a foolish citizen added to my confusion by saying1 #8,lor6 what ,i would give to hear two such men as you talk every day6' ,on another occasion1 when on his way to ,devonport1 ,opie parted with him where the road branches off for ,cornwall4 ,he said to those who were on the coach with him1 #8,that's ,opie1 the painter4' #8,is it1 indeed6' they all cried1 and upbraiding ,northcote for not informing them sooner4 ,upon this1 he contrived1 by way of experiment1 to try the influence of his own name2 but his fame had not reached the enlightened #8outsides2' and the painter confessed he felt mortified40--,cunningham4 ,,origin ,,of ,,kit-,,kat ,,pictures4 ,in ,shire-lane1 ,temple ,bar1 is said to have originated the famous ,kit-,kat ,club1 which consisted of thirty-nine distinguished noblemen and gentlemen zealously attached to the protestant succession of the house of ,hanover4 ,the club is supposed to have been named from ,christopher ,kat1 a pastry-cook1 who kept the house where the members dined2 and who excelled in making mutton-pies1 which were always in the bill of fare1 these pies being called kit-kats4 ,jacob ,tonson1 the bookseller1 was secretary to the club4 8,you have heard of the ,kit-,kat ,club10 says ,pope to ,spencer4 ,sir ,richard ,steele1 ,addison1 ,congreve1 ,garth1 ,vanburgh1 ,manwaring1 ,stepney1 and ,walpole1 belonged to it4 ,tonson1 whilst secretary1 caused the club meetings to be transferred to a house belonging to himself at ,barn ,elms1 and built a handsome room for the accommodation of the members4 ,the portrait of each member was painted by ,sir ,godfrey ,kneller2 but1 the apartment not being sufficiently large to receive half-length pictures1 a shorter canvas was adopted2 and hence the technical term of kit-kat size4 ,garth wrote the verses for the toasting-glass of this club1 which1 as they are preserved in his works1 have immortalized four of the reigning beauties at the commencement of the last century--,lady ,carlisle1 ,lady ,essex1 ,lady ,hyde1 and ,lady ,wharton4 ,in #ahag1 the club-room was standing1 and was the property of ,mr4 ,hoare1 the ,london banker4 ,sir ,richard ,phillips visited it at this date1 when it was sadly in decay4 ,it was #ah feet high1 and #dj feet long1 by #bj wide4 ,the mouldings and ornaments were in the most superb fashion of the last century2 but the whole was falling to pieces from the effects of dry-rot4 ,there was the faded cloth-hanging of the walls1 whose red colour once set off the famous portraits of the club that hung around it4 ,their marks and sizes were still visible1 and the numbers and names remained as written in chalk for the guidance of the hanger6 8,thus10 says ,sir ,richard1 8was ,i1 as it were1 by these still legible names1 brought into personal contact with ,addison1 and ,steele1 and ,congreve1 and ,garth1 and ,dryden1 and with many hereditary nobles1 remembered only because they were patrons of those natural nobles6--,i read their names aloud6--,i invoked their departed spirits6--,i was appalled by the echo of my own voice6 ,the holes in the floor1 the forests of cobwebs in the windows1 and a swallow's nest in the corner of the ceiling1 proclaimed that ,i was viewing a vision of the dreamers of a past age--that ,i saw realized before me the speaking vanities of the anxious career of man6 ,the blood of the reader of sensibility will thrill as mine thrilled6 ,it was feeling without volition1 and therefore incapable of analysis60 ,not long after this the club-room was united to a barn1 to form a riding-house4 ,the kit-kat pictures were painted early in the eighteenth century1 and about the year #agaj1 were brought to this spot2 but the club-room was not built till ten or fifteen years afterwards4 ,the paintings were forty-two in number1 and were presented by the members to the elder ,tonson1 who died in #agcf4 ,he left them to his great nephew1 also an eminent bookseller1 who died in #agfg4 ,they were then removed from the building at ,barn-,elms1 to the house of his brother1 at ,water-,oakley1 near ,windsor2 and on his death1 to the house of ,mr4 ,baker1 of ,hertingfordbury1 where they were splendidly lodged1 and in fine preservation4 ,we are not aware if the collection has been dispersed4 ,,copley',s ,,large ,,picture4 ,copley1 the father of ,lord ,lyndhurst1 painted a vast picture of the ,relief afforded to the ,crew of the ,enemy's ,gun-boats on their taking fire at the ,siege of ,gibraltar4 ,the painting was immense1 and it was managed by means of a roller1 so that any portion of it1 at any time1 might be easily seen or executed4 ,the artist himself was raised on a platform4 ,the picture was at length completed1 and a most signal mark of royal favour was granted the painter1 by his receiving permission to erect a tent in the ,green ,park for its exhibition4 ,it attracted thousands4 ,beneath the principal subjects1 in small1 was painted ,lord ,howe's relief of the garrison of ,gibraltar2 and the portraits of ,lords ,heathfield and ,howe1 7heads only17 occupied each one side of this smaller subject4 ,when ,copley's magnificent picture1 afterwards hung up in the ,egyptian darkness of the ,council-room in ,guildhall1 was first exhibited1 ,dr4 ,dibdin one day placed himself in front of it1 and was sketching the portrait of ,lord ,heathfield with a pencil on the last blank page of the catalogue1 when some one to his right exclaimed1 8,pretty well1 but you give too much nose40 ,the ,doctor turned round--it was the artist himself1 who smiled1 and commended his efforts4 ,,sir ,,robert ,,kerr ,,porter',s ,,panorama4 ,mr4 7subsequently ,sir7 ,robert ,kerr ,porter1 at the age of nineteen produced a performance at once inconceivable and unparalleled--the panorama of the ,storming and ,capture of ,seringapatam4 ,it was not the very first thing of its kind1 because there had been a panorama of ,london exhibited in ,leicester ,fields by ,mr4 ,barker2 but it was the very first thing of its kind1 if artist-like attainments be considered4 ,the learned1 7says ,dr4 ,dibdin17 were amazed1 and the unlearned were enraptured4 ,i can never forget its impression upon my own mind4 ,it was a thing dropt from the clouds--all fire1 energy1 intelligence1 and animation4 ,you looked a second time2 the figures moved1 and were commingled in hot and bloody fight4 ,you saw the flash of the cannon1 the glitter of the bayonet1 the gleam of the falchion4 ,you longed to be leaping from crag to crag with ,sir ,david ,baird1 who is hallooing the men on to victory6 ,then again1 you seemed to be listening to the groans of the wounded and the dying--and more than one female was carried out swooning4 ,the oriental dress1 the jewelled turban1 the curved and ponderous scimitar--these were among the prime objects of favouritism with ,sir ,robert's pencil3 and he touched and treated them to the very spirit and letter of the truth4 ,the colouring1 too1 was good and sound throughout4 ,the accessories were strikingly characteristic--rock1 earth1 and water1 had its peculiar and happy touch2 and the accompaniments about the sally-port1 half choked up with the bodies of the dead1 made you look on with a shuddering awe1 and retreat as you shuddered4 ,the public poured in by hundreds and by thousands for even a transient gaze--for such a sight was altogether as marvellous as it was novel4 ,you carried it home1 and did nothing but think of it1 talk of it1 and dream of it4 ,and all this by a young man of nineteen4 ,miss ,jane ,porter1 ,sir ,robert's sister1 wrote for ,dr4 ,dibdin a very interesting narrative of this extraordinary work4 8,it was two hundred and odd feet long10 says ,miss ,porter2 8the proportioned height ,i have now forgotten4 ,but ,i remember1 when ,i first saw the vast expense of vacant canvas stretched along1 or rather in a semicircle1 against the wall of the great room in the ,lyceum1 where he painted it1 ,i was terrified at the daring of his undertaking4 ,i could not conceive that he could cover that immense space with the subject he intended1 under a year's time at least1 but--and it is indeed marvellous6--he did it in ,,six ,,weeks6 ,but he worked on it every day 7except ,sundays7 during those weeks1 from sunrise until dark4 ,it was finished during the time the committees of the ,royal ,academy were sitting at ,somerset ,house1 respecting the hanging of the pictures there for that year's exhibition2 therefore it must have been towards the latter end of ,april4 ,no artist had seen the painting of ,seringapatam during its progress2 but when it was completed1 my brother invited his revered old friend1 ,mr4 ,west1 7the then ,president of the ,royal ,academy17 to come and look at the picture1 and give him his opinion of it1 ere it should be opened to the public view4 99 99 99 ,mr4 ,west went over from the ,lyceum1 on the morning on which he had called to see my brother and his finished painting1 to ,somerset ,house1 where the ,committee had been awaiting his presence above an hour4 #8,what has detained our ,president so long8' inquired ,sir ,thomas ,lawrence of him1 on his entrance4 #8,a wonder6' returned he1 #8a wonder of the world6--,i never saw anything like it6--a picture of two hundred feet dimensions1 painted by that boy ,,kerr ,,porter1 in six weeks6 and as admirably done as it could have been by the best historical painter amongst us in as many months6' ,you1 my dear ,sir1 need no description of this picture2 you saw it2 and at the time of its exhibition you also must have heard of1 and probably also saw1 some of the affecting effects the truth of its pictorial war-tale had on many of the female spectators4 8,after its exhibition closed1 it was deposited1 packed upon a roller1 in a friend's warehouse4 ,thence1 some circumstances caused it to be removed successively to other places of supposed similar security1 but in one of which ,i believe it finally perished by the accidental burning down of the premises4 ,the original sketches of this #8noble and stupendous effort of art1' as you so truly call it1 are now in my own possession2 and you may believe ,i value them as the apple of my eye4 ,i must not forget to mention1 with regard to ,seringapatam1 that had our ,british government1 at the time of my brother's ardour for these paintings1 possessed a building large enough for the purpose1 he would have presented his country with that picture1 and three others on ,british historical subjects1 to form a perpetual exhibition for the benefit of its military and naval hospitals4 ,mr4 ,pitt lamented to him the impossibility then1 of commanding such a building2 so the project fell to the ground4 ,the last of these intended four pictures was that of #8,the ,battle of ,agincourt1' which my brother afterwards presented to the city of ,london1 where it was hung up in the ,egyptian ,hall of the ,mansion ,house4 ,some alterations in the room occasioned its being taken down for a temporary purpose2 but it never saw the light again until last year1 when 7after above a dozen years oblivion in--nobody knew where71 it was accidentally found in one of the vaulted chambers under ,guildhall4 ,when disentombed1 it was hastily spread out against one of the walls of the great hall itself1 and announced1 in the newspapers1 as a picture of unknown antiquity1 of some also unknown but evidently distinguished artist2 and most probably it had been deposited in those vaults for security1 at the great fire of ,london1 and had remained there1 unsuspected1 ever since6 ,the hall was thronged1 day after day1 to see it2 and ,sir ,martin ,shee told me1 that so great was the mysterious valuation the discovery had put on it1 that he heard he had been quoted as having passed his opinion on it1 that #8it was a picture worth #ae1jjj6' ,without proper safeguards behind the canvas1 a long exposure on the wall would have injured the picture2 and it was taken down again before ,i came to ,london1 after having heard of the discovery of the #8,agincourt'--for ,i immediately recognised what1 and whose1 the picture was--and hastened to inform the present gentlemen of the city corporation accordingly40 ,such is the affectionate narrative from the pen of the youthful painter's sister4 ,,zoffani ,,and ,,george ,,iii4 ,zoffani was employed by ,george ,,iii4 to paint a scene from ,reynolds's ,speculation1 in which ,quick1 ,munden1 and ,miss ,wallis were introduced4 ,the ,king called at the artist's to see the work in progress2 and at last it was done1 8all but the coat40 ,the picture1 however1 was not sent to the palace1 and the ,king repeated his visit4 ,zoffani1 with some embarrassment1 said1 8,it is all done but the goat40 8,don't tell me10 said the impatient monarch2 8this is always the way4 ,you said it was done all but the coat the last time ,i was here40 8,i said the goat1 and please your ,majesty10 replied the artist4 8,ay60 rejoined the ,king2 8the goat or the coat1 ,i care not which you call it2 ,i say ,i will not have the picture10 and was about to leave the room1 when ,zoffani1 in agony1 repeated1 8,it is the goat that is not finished10 pointing to a picture of a goat that hung up in a frame1 as an ornament to the scene at the theatre4 ,the ,king laughed heartily at the blunder1 and waited patiently till 8the goat0 was finished4 ,,the ,,true ,,fornarina4 ,in the year #afdd1 ,cosmo1 the son of ,ferdinand ,,ii4 de ,medici1 undertook a journey1 an account of which was written at the time by ,philipe ,pizzichi1 his travelling chaplain4 ,this work was published at ,florence1 in #ahbi4 ,it contains some curious notices of persons and things1 and1 among others1 what will interest every lover of the fine arts4 ,speaking of ,verona1 the diarist mentions the ,curtoni ,gallery of ,paintings1 in which 8the picture most worthy of attention is the ,lady of ,raffaello1 so carefully finished by himself1 and so well preserved1 that it surpasses every other40 ,the editor of these travels has satisfactorily shown that ,raffaello's lady here described is the true ,fornarina2 so that of the three likenesses of her said to be executed by this eminent artist1 the genuine one is the ,veronese1 belonging to the ,curtoni ,gallery1 then the property of a ,lady ,cavalini ,brenzoni1 who obtained it by inheritance4 ,,hogarth ,,and ,,bishop ,,hoadly4 ,upon pulling down the ,bishop's palace at ,chelsea1 many years ago1 a singular discovery was made4 ,in a small room near the north front were found1 on the plaster of the walls1 nine figures as large as life1 three men and six women1 drawn in outline1 with black chalk1 in a bold and animated style4 ,of these correct copies have been published4 ,they display much of the manner of ,hogarth1 who1 it is well known1 lived on intimate terms with ,bishop ,hoadly1 and frequently visited his lordship at this palace2 and it is supposed that these figures apply to some incident in the ,bishop's family1 or to some scene in a play4 ,his lordship's partiality for the drama is well known4 ,his brother1 who resided in ,chelsea1 at ,cremorne ,house1 wrote one of the best comedies in the ,english language--,the ,provoked ,husband4 ,,sir ,,joshua ,,reynolds',s ,,palette4 ,mr4 ,cribb1 of ,king-street1 ,covent ,garden1 has 7#ahdh71 in his collection of memorials of men of genius1 a palette which belonged to ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds4 ,it descended to ,mr4 ,cribb from his father1 who received it from ,sir ,joshua's niece1 the ,marchioness of ,thomond4 ,it is of plain mahogany1 and measures #aa inches by #g inches1 oblong in form1 with a sort of loop handle4 ,cunningham tells us that ,sir ,joshua's sitters' chair moved on castors1 and stood above the floor a foot and a half4 ,he held his palettes by a handle1 and the sticks of his brushes were #ah inches long4 ,the following memoranda are dated #agee3--8;,for painting the flesh1 black1 blue-black1 white1 lake1 carmine1 orpiment1 yellow ochre1 ultramarine1 and varnish4 ,to lay the palette3 first lay1 carmine and white in different degrees2 second lay1 orpiment and white ditto2 third lay1 blue-black and white ditto4 ,the first sitting1 for expedition1 make a mixture as like the sitter's complexion as you can40 ,,sir ,,joshua ,,reynolds' ,,benevolence4 ,sir ,joshua once hearing of a young artist who had become embarrassed by an injudicious marriage1 and was on the point of being arrested1 immediately hurried to his residence1 to inquire into the case4 ,the unfortunate artist told the melancholy particulars of his situation2 adding1 that #dj would enable him to compound with his creditors4 ,after some further conversation1 ,sir ,joshua took his leave1 telling the distressed painter he would do something for him4 ,when bidding him adieu at the door1 ,sir ,joshua took him by the hand1 and1 after squeezing it cordially1 hurried off with a benevolent triumph in his heart--while the astonished and relieved artist found in his hand a banknote for #ajj6 ,a ,,triumph ,,of ,,painting4 ,the anecdotes of the dog which menaced a goat depicted by the faithful pencil of ,glover1 and of the macaw1 which1 with beak and wings1 attacked the portrait of a female servant painted by ,northcote1 are well known4 ,two family portraits1 painted by ,mr4 ,j4 ,p4 ,knight1 were one day sent home1 when they were instantly recognised with great joy by a spaniel which had been a favourite with the originals4 ,on being taken into the room1 and perceiving the canvas thus stamped with identity even to illusion1 the faithful dog endeavoured1 by every demonstration of affection1 to attract the notice of her former friends2 and was with difficulty withheld by one of the bystanders from leaping upon them1 and overwhelming them with her caresses4 ,this interesting recognition continued for many minutes1 and was repeated on the next and following days2 until finding1 doubtless1 that the scent was wanting1 poor 8,flossy0 slunk away abashed1 in evident mortification that her well-known playfellows were so regardless of her proffered kindness4 ,yet1 turning upon them both alternately many a wistful look1 she seemed unwilling to be convinced1 even by experience1 that she had thus mistaken the shadow for the substance4 ,,morland ,,at ,,kensal-,,green4 ,the ,plough public-house at ,kensal-green1 on the road to ,harrow1 was a favourite resort of ,george ,morland4 ,here this errant son of genius was wont to indulge in deep potations4 ,he lodged hard by1 and was frequently in company with ,ward1 the painter1 whose example of moral steadiness was exhibited to him in vain4 ,while at ,kensal-green1 ,morland fell in love with ,miss ,ward1 a young lady of beauty and modesty1 and soon afterwards married her2 she was the sister of his friend1 the painter2 and to make the family union stronger1 ,ward sued for the hand of ,maria ,morland1 and in about a month after his sister's marriage1 obtained it4 ,morland's courtship and honeymoon drew him from the orgies at the ,plough1 but on returning to the metropolis1 he betook himself to his former habits4 ,yet1 with all his dissipation1 ,morland was not indolent2 as is attested by four thousand pictures1 most of them of great merit1 which he painted during a life of forty years4 ,among ,morland's portraits is one which has become of peculiar historical interest3 it is a small whole-length of ,william the ,fourth when a midshipman4 ,the sailor-prince is looking wistfully upon the sea1 which he loved far dearer than the cumbrous splendour of a crown4 ,,origin ,,of ,,the ,,tapestry ,,in ,,the ,,old ,,house ,,of ,,lords4 ,henry ,cornelius ,vroom1 the ,dutchman1 having painted a number of devout subjects1 started for ,spain to sell them2 but was cast away upon a small island near the coast of ,portugal4 ,the painter and some of the crew were relieved by monks1 who lived among the rocks1 and they conducted them to ,lisbon1 where ,vroom was engaged by a picture-dealer to paint the storm he had just escaped4 ,in this picture he succeeded so well1 that the ,portuguese dealer continued to employ him4 ,he improved so much in sea-pieces that he saved money1 returned home1 and applied himself exclusively to that class of painting4 ,he then lived at ,haerlem1 where he was employed to design the suite of tapestry representing the ,defeat of the ,spanish ,armada1 which hung for many years upon the walls of the ,house of ,lords1 at ,westminster4 ,it had been bespoken by ,lord ,howard of ,effingham1 the ,lord ,high ,admiral of the ,english ,fleet1 which engaged the ,armada2 it was sold by him to ,james the ,first4 ,it consisted originally of ten compartments1 forming separate pictures1 each of which was surrounded by a wrought border1 including the portraits of the officers who held command in the ,english fleet4 ,this tapestry was woven1 according to ,sandrart1 by ,francis ,spiering3 it was destroyed in the fire which consumed the two ,houses of ,parliament1 in #ahcd4 ,fortunately1 engravings from these hangings were executed by ,mr4 ,john ,pine1 and published in #agci1 with illustrations from charters1 medals1 c4 ,,melancholy ,,of ,,painters4 ,the following summary of the fortunes of painters is at once curious and interesting3-- 8,one must confess that if the poets were an order of beings of too great sensibility for this world1 the painters laboured still more under this malady of genius4 ,zoppo1 a sculptor1 having accidentally broken the chef d'uvre of his efforts1 destroyed himself4 ,chendi poisoned himself1 because he was only moderately applauded for the decorations of a tournament4 ,louis ,caracci died of mortification because he could not set right a foot in a fresco1 the wrong position of which he did not perceive till the scaffolding was taken away4 ,cavedone lost his talent from grief at his son's death1 and begged his bread from want of commissions4 ,schidone1 inspired with the passion of play1 died of despair to have lost all in one night4 ,there was one who languished1 and was no more from seeing the perfection of ,raphael4 ,torrigini1 to avoid death at the hands of the ,spanish ,inquisition1 put an end to himself1 having broken to pieces his own statue of the ,virgin1 an avaricious hidalgo1 who had ordered it1 higgling at the price4 ,bandinelli died1 losing a commission for a statue2 ,daniel de ,volterra1 from anxiety to finish a monument to ,henry ,,iv4 of ,france4 ,cellini frequently became unwell in the course of his studies1 from the excitement of his feelings4 ,when one sums up the history of painters with the furious and bloody passions of a ,spagnoletto1 and ,caravaggio1 ,tempeste1 and ,calabrese1 one must suppose all their sensibilities much stronger than those of the rest of mankind40 ,,the ,,chandos ,,portrait ,,of ,,shakspeare4 ,this far-famed picture1 believed to be the only genuine portrait of the poet1 was bought at the sale at ,stowe1 in the autumn of #ahdh1 by the ,earl of ,ellesmere1 for #cee guineas4 ,its history1 as stated in the ,athenum shortly after the period of the sale1 is as follows3--8,the ,duke of ,chandos obtained it by marriage with the daughter and heiress of a ,mr4 ,nicholl1 of ,minchenden ,house1 ,southgate2 ,mr4 ,nicholl obtained it from a ,mr4 ,robert ,keck1 of the ,inner ,temple1 who gave 7the first and best7 ,mrs4 ,barry1 the actress1 as ,oldys tells us1 forty guineas for it4 ,mrs4 ,barry had it from ,betterton1 and ,betterton had it from ,sir ,william ,davenant1 who was a professed admirer of ,shakspeare1 and not unwilling to be thought his son4 ,davenant was born in #afje1 and died in #affh2 and ,betterton1 7as every reader of ,pepys will recollect17 was the great actor1 belonging to the ,duke's ,theatre1 of which ,davenant was the patentee4 ,the elder brother of ,davenant1 7,parson ,robert17 had been heard to relate1 as ,aubrey informs us1 that ,shakspeare had often kissed ,sir ,william when a boy4 8,davenant lived quite near enough to ,shakspeare's time to have obtained a genuine portrait of the poet whom he admired--in an age1 too1 when the ,shakspeare mania was not so strong as it is now4 ,there is no doubt that this was the portrait which ,davenant believed to be like ,shakspeare1 and which ,kneller1 before #afib1 copied and presented to glorious ,john ,dryden1 who repaid the painter with one of the best of his admirable epistles4 8,the ,chandos ,shakspeare is a small portrait on canvas1 #bb inches long by #ah broad4 ,the face is thoughtful1 the eyes are expressive1 and the hair is of a brown black4 ,the dress is black1 with a white turnover collar1 the strings of which are loose4 ,there is a small gold ring in the left ear4 ,we have had an opportunity of inspecting it both before and after the sale1 and in the very best light1 and have no hesitation in saying that the copies we have seen of it are very far from like4 ,it agrees in many respects--the short nose especially--with the ,stratford bust1 and is not more unlike the engraving before the first folio--or the ,gerard ,johnson bust on the ,stratford monument--than ,raeburn's ,sir ,walter ,scott is unlike ,sir ,thomas ,lawrence's--or ,west's ,lord ,byron unlike the better known portrait by ,phillips4 ,it has evidently been touched upon2 the yellow oval that surrounds it has a look of ,kneller's age40 ,the opinion of the writer in the ,athenum is1 that the ,chandos picture is not the original for which ,shakspeare sat1 but a copy made for ,sir ,william ,davenant from some known and acknowledged portrait of the poet4 ,,costume ,,of ,,reynolds',s ,,portraits4 ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds has done more than any one else to vindicate the art of portrait-painting as indigenous to our country--he has started it afresh from its lethargy and recovered it from its errors--placed himself at once above all his countrymen who had preceded him1 and has remained above all who have followed4 ,like ,holbein and ,vandyke1 ,sir ,joshua put his stamp upon the times2 or rather1 like a true artist and philosopher1 he took that aggregate impression which the times gave4 ,each has doubtless given his sitters a character of his own2 but this is not our argument4 ,each has also made his sitters what the costume of the time contributed to make them4 ,if ,vandyke's women are dignified and lofty1 it is his doing1 for he was dignified and lofty in all his compositions2 if they are also childish and trivial1 it is the accident of the costume2 for he was never either in his other pictures4 ,if ,reynolds's sitters are all simple1 earnest1 and sober1 it is because he was the artist1 for he was so in all he touched2 if they are also stately1 refined1 and intellectual1 it was the effect of the costume1 for he was not so in his other conceptions4 ,for instance1 ,lady ,st4 ,asaph1 with her infant1 lolling on a couch1 in a loose tumbled dress1 with her feet doubled under her1 is sober and respectable looking--in spite of dress and position4 ,mrs4 ,hope1 in an enormous cabbage of a cap1 with her hair over her eyes1 is blowsy and vulgar in spite of ,reynolds4 ,to our view1 the average costume of ,sir ,joshua was excessively beautiful4 ,we go through a gallery of his portraits with feelings of intense satisfaction1 that there should have been a race of women who could dress so decorously1 so intellectually1 and withal so becomingly4 ,not a bit of the costume appeals to any of the baser instincts4 ,there is nothing to catch the vulgar1 or fix the vicious4 ,all is pure1 noble1 serene1 benevolent4 ,they seem as if they would care for nothing we could offer them1 if our deepest reverence were not with it4 ,we stand before them like ,satan before ,eve1 8stupidly good10 ready to abjure all the fallacies of the ,fathers1 all the maxims of the moderns--ready to eat our own words if they disapproved them--careless what may have been the name or fame1 family or fortune1 of such lofty and lovely creatures--yea1 careless of their very beauty1 for the soul that shines through it4 ,and then to think that they are all dead6--,quarterly ,review4 ,,sign ,,painters ,,in ,,their ,,prime4 ,before the change that took place in the general appearance of ,london1 soon after the accession of ,george ,,iii41 the universal use of signs1 not only for taverns and ale-houses1 but also for tradesmen1 furnished no small employment for the inferior rank of painters1 and sometimes even for the superior professors4 ,cotton painted several good ones2 but among the most celebrated practitioners in this branch1 was a person of the name of ,lamb1 who possessed a considerable degree of ability4 ,his pencil was bold and masterly1 well adapted to the subjects on which it was generally employed4 ,mr4 ,wale1 who was one of the founders of the ,royal ,academy1 and appointed the first ,professor of ,perspective in that institution1 also painted some signs2 the principal one was a full-length of ,shakspeare1 about five feet high1 which was executed for and displayed before the door of a public-house at the corner of ,little ,russel ,street1 ,drury ,lane4 ,it was enclosed in a sumptuously carved gilt frame1 and suspended by rich iron-work4 ,but this splendid object of popular attraction did not stand long before it was taken down1 in consequence of an ,act of ,parliament that was passed for paving1 and removing the signs and other obstructions from1 the streets of ,london4 ,such was the total change of fashion1 and the consequent disuse of signs1 that this representation of the immortal bard was sold for a trifle to a broker1 at whose door it stood for several years1 until it was totally destroyed by the weather and other accidents4 ,a ,,bribe ,,repented4 ,the ,duchess of ,kingston was very anxious to be received by some crowned head1 as the only means of relief from the disgrace fixed upon her by her trial and conviction for bigamy4 ,the ,court of ,russia was chosen1 where pictures were sent as presents1 not only to the ,sovereign1 but to the most powerful of the nobles4 ,count ,tchernicheff was represented to the ,duchess as an exalted character1 to whom she ought1 in policy1 to pay her especial devoirs4 ,feeling the force of the observation1 she sent him two paintings4 ,the ,duchess was no judge of pictures1 and a total stranger to the value of these pieces1 which were originals by ,raphael and ,claude ,lorraine4 ,the ,count was soon apprised of this1 and1 on the arrival of the ,duchess at ,st4 ,petersburg1 he waited on her ,grace1 and professed his gratitude for the present1 at the same time assuring the ,duchess that the pictures were estimated at a value in ,russian money equal to ten thousand pounds sterling4 ,the ,duchess could with the utmost difficulty conceal her chagrin4 ,she told the ,count 8that she had other pictures1 which she should consider it an honour if he would accept2 that the two paintings in his possession were particularly the favourites of her departed lord2 but that the ,count was extremely kind in permitting them to occupy a place in his palace1 until her mansion was properly prepared40 ,this palpable hint was not taken4 ,,practical ,,jokes ,,of ,,swartz4 ,j4 ,swartz1 a distinguished ,german painter1 having engaged to execute a roof-piece in a public townhall1 and to paint by the day1 grew exceedingly negligent2 so that the magistrates and overseers of the work were frequently obliged to hunt him out of the tavern4 ,seeing he could not drink in quiet1 he one morning stuffed a pair of stockings and shoes corresponding with those that he wore1 hung them down betwixt his staging where he sat to work1 removed them a little once or twice a-day1 and took them down at noon and night2 and by means of this deception he drank without the least disturbance a whole fortnight together1 the innkeeper being in the plot4 ,the officers came in twice a-day to look at him2 and1 seeing a pair of legs hanging down1 suspected nothing1 but greatly extolled their convert ,swartz as the most laborious and conscientious painter in the world4 ,swartz had once finished an admirable picture of our ,saviour's ,passion1 on a large scale1 and in oil colours4 ,a certain ,cardinal was so well pleased with it1 that he resolved to bring the ,pope to see it4 ,swartz knew the day1 and1 determined to put a trick on the ,pope and the ,cardinal1 painted over the oil1 in fine water-colours1 the twelve disciples at supper1 but all together by the ears1 like the ,lapith and the ,centaurs4 ,at the time appointed1 the ,pope and ,cardinal came to see the picture4 ,swartz conducted them to the room where it hung4 ,they stood amazed1 and thought the painter mad4 ,at length the ,cardinal said1 8,idiot1 dost thou call this a ,passion80 8,certainly ,i do10 said ,swartz4 8,but10 replied the ,cardinal1 8show me the picture ,i saw when here last40 8,this is it10 said ,swartz1 8for ,i have no other finished in the house40 ,the ,cardinal angrily denied that it was the same4 ,swartz1 unwilling or afraid to carry the joke further1 requested that they would retire a few minutes out of his room4 ,no sooner had they done so1 than ,swartz1 with a sponge and warm water1 obliterated the whole of the water-colour coating2 then1 re-introducing the ,pope and the ,cardinal1 he presented them with a most beautiful picture of the ,passion4 ,they stood astonished1 and thought ,swartz a necromancer4 ,at last the painter explained the mystery2 and then1 as the old chroniclers say1 8they knew not which most to admire1 his work or his wit40 ,,an ,,encouragement ,,to ,,frankness4 ,richardson1 in his anecdotes of painting1 tells the following3--8,some years ago1 a gentleman came to me to invite me to his house4 #8,i have1' said he1 #8a picture of ,rubens1 and it is a rare good one4 ,little ,h----the other day came to see it1 and says it is a copy4 ,if any one says so again1 ,i'll break his head4 ,pray1 ,mr4 ,richardson1 will you do me the favour to come and give me your real opinion of it8'nbsp20 ,,the ,,end4 ,,footnotes3 #a ,southey's ,life of ,john ,bunyan4 #b ,in his ,comic ,miscellanies4 #c ,supported by the following note1 written by ,dr4 ,parr1 in his copy of 8,the ,letters of ,junius30--8,the writer of #8,junius' was ,mr4 ,lloyd1 secretary to ,george ,grenville1 and brother to ,philip ,lloyd1 ,dean of ,norwich4 ,this will one day or other be generally acknowledged4--,s4 ,p40 #d ,personal ,recollections of the late ,daniel ,o',connell1 ,m4,p4 ,by ,william ,j4 ,o',n4 ,daunt4 #e ,see1 also1 an ensuing page1 #abj4 #f ,johnson1 by the way1 had a strange nervous feeling1 which made him uneasy if he had not touched every post between the ,mitre ,tavern and his own lodgings4 #g ,the house has been destroyed many years4 #h 8,the ,dyotts10 notes ,croker1 8are a respectable and wealthy family1 still residing near ,lichfield4 ,the royalist who shot ,lord ,brooke when assaulting ,st4 ,chad's ,cathedral1 in ,lichfield1 on ,st4 ,chad's ,day1 was a ,mr4 ,dyott40 #i 8,i have seen10 says a ,correspondent of the ,inverness ,courier1 8a copy of the second edition of ,burns's #8,poems1' with the blanks filled up1 and numerous alterations made in the poet's handwriting3 one instance1 not the most delicate1 but perhaps the most amusing and characteristic will suffice4 ,after describing the gambols of his #8,twa ,dogs1' their historian refers to their sitting down in coarse and rustic terms4 ,this1 of course1 did not suit the poet's ,edinburgh patrons1 and he altered it to the following3-- ',till tired at last1 and doucer grown1 ,upon a knowe they sat them down4' ,still this did not please his fancy2 he tried again1 and hit it off in the simple1 perfect form in which it now stands3-- #8,until wi' daffin weary grown1 ,upon a knowe they sat them down4'nbsp20 #aj ,campbell's alterations were1 generally1 decided improvements2 but in one instance he failed lamentably4 ,the noble peroration of ,lochiel is familiar to most readers3-- 8,shall victor exult1 or in death be laid low1 ,with his back to the field and his feet to the foe2 ,and leaving in battle no blot on his name1 ,look proudly to heaven from the death-bed of fame40 ,in the quarto edition of ,gertrude of ,wyoming1 when the poet collected and reprinted his minor pieces1 this lofty sentiment was thus stultified3-- 8,shall victor exult in the battle's acclaim1 ,or look to yon heaven from the death-bed of fame40 ,the original passage1 however1 was wisely restored in the subsequent editions4 #aa ,abridged from 8,practical ,essays on the ,fine ,arts10 by ,john ,burnet1 ,f4,r4,s41 an acute and amusing work4 #ab ,see ,haydon's graphic letter in ,brownlow's 8,memoranda2 or1 ,chronicles of the ,foundling ,hospital40 #ac ,peg ,woffington was for some time ,president of the ,club2 and often1 after she had been portraying on the stage 8,the fair resemblance of a martyr queen10 she was to be seen in the ,club-room1 with a pot of porter in her hand1 and crying out1 8,confusion to all order6 let liberty thrive60 #ad ,the ,germans are great admirers of ,english art1 and a picture by ,wilkie has long graced the ,gallery of ,munich4 #ae ,there hangs in the ,long or ,zoological ,gallery of the ,british ,museum a portrait of ,charles ,i41 when ,prince of ,wales4 ,the artist by whom this picture was executed is unknown4 ,neither in the features1 nor in the thoughtful expression of countenance1 does it resemble the portraits taken in his maturer age3 the melancholy which ,vandyke has thrown into the celebrated picture of the ,king1 at ,windsor ,castle1 is here wanting2 yet this portrait is known to have been amongst those that were sold by order of the ,commissioners of the ,commonwealth1 from the collection at ,whitehall4 99 99 99 99 99 ,typographical errors corrected by the etext transcriber3 just by by chance just by chance pg ,i1#ih snm of four hundred sum of four hundred pg ,i1#aaj had a great gout had a great got pg ,i1#abd proved his downfal proved his downfall pg ,,ii1#hh have no hesitatation have no hesitation pg ,,ii1#abf