artist who gave this design is so justly celebrated.” This passage has surely been written to show how prettily words may be grouped together without meaning. Where is the charity in a mother taking charge of her own children?

The Nativity, a composition of thirteen figures, and in dimensions twelve feet by eighteen, was designed to surmount the Seven Allegories. This was sold to the Duke of Rutland for 1200 guineas, and was burnt at Belvoir Castle, with many other noble performances. It had the fault of almost all Sir Joshua's historical works; it was cold, laboured, and uninspired. He had no revelations of heavenly things, such as descended on Raphael; the visions which presented themselves were unimbodied or dim, and flitted before his sight like the shadowy progeny of Banquo. If angels of light, ministers of grace, and souls of just men made perfect could have sat for their portraits, who could have painted them so divinely as Reynolds ?

Having painted a Thais with a torch in her hand, a death of Dido, and a Boy hearkening to a marvellous story, and placed them in the exhibition, he set off on a tour among the galleries of the continent. The fame of these three new pictures followed him. The Dido, by the loveliness of her face and the rich colouring of her robes, drew immense crowds to Somerset House. Meanwhile he pursued his journey. He stopped at Mechlin, to see the celebrated altar-piece by Rubens, of which he was told the following story:-A citizen commissioned the picture, and Rubens, having made his sketch, employed Van Egmont, one of his scholars, to dead-colour the canvass for the fullsize painting. On this the citizen said to Rubens, "Sir, I bespoke a picture from the hand of the master, not from that of the scholar." "Content you, my friend," said the artist," this is but a preliminary process, which I always intrust to other hands." citizen," said Sir Joshua, "was satisfied, and Rubens proceeded with the picture, which appears to me to

The

have no indications of neglect in any part: on the contrary, I think it has been, for it is a little faded, one of his best pictures, though those who know this circumstance pretend to see Van Egmont's inferior genius through the touches of Rubens."

At Antwerp he noticed a young artist named De Gree, who had been designed for the church, but loved painting more, and pursued it with success. He came afterward to England. Reynolds generously gave him fifty guineas, which the young man, as pious as he was enthusiastic, transmitted home for the use of his aged parents.

When Reynolds returned to London he found that a new candidate for fame had made his appearance, and promised to become fashionable. This was Opie, who, introduced by Wolcot, and remarkable alike by the humility of his birth and the brightness of his talents, rose suddenly into reputation and employment. It is true that he had then but moderate skill, and that the works which the world of fashion applauded were his worst; but he was a peasant, and therefore a novelty; he could paint, and that was a wonder. So eager were the nobility and gentry to crowd into his gallery that their coaches became a nuisance; and the painter jestingly said to one of his brethren, " I must plant cannon at my door to keep the multitude off." This fever soon reached its cold fit. But a little whileand not a coronetted equipage was to be seen in his street; and Opie said to the same friend, with sarcastic bitterness, “They have deserted my house as if it were infected with the plague." Sir Joshua, who knew the giddy nature of popular regard and the hollowness of patronage, regarded all this bustle with calmness; nor was he at all annoyed when the young peasant was employed by the chief nobility of England. He appreciated Opie's real talents, and, always willing to find a foreign forerunner for native genius, compared him to Carravaggio.

At the age of fifty-eight, and in the full enjoyment

of health and vigour, Sir Joshua was attacked by a paralytic affection. His friends were more alarmed than himself, and Johnson, to whom at all times the idea of death was terrific, addressed him in a letter of solemn anxiety. "I heard yesterday," he says, "of your late disorder, and should think ill of myself if I heard it without alarm. I heard likewise of your recovery, which I wish to be complete and permanent. Your country has been in danger of losing one of its brightest ornaments, and I of losing one of my oldest and kindest friends; but I hope you will still live long for the honour of the nation; and that more enjoyment of your elegance, your intelligence, and your benevolence is still reserved for, dear sir, your most affectionate-SAM. JOHNSON."Reynolds soon recovered from this attack.

A sense of the excellence of his works, or acquaintance with his bounty, obtained for him the praise of Wolcot, more widely known by the name of Peter Pindar. In the dearth of good poets and manly satirists this person rose into reputation. His works had a wide circulation; and he was dreaded by all who had a reputation which would pay for an attack. His commendation, however, was about as undesirable as his satire. In his eulogiums on Reynolds, he calls on Rubens and Titian to awake, and see the new master sailing in supreme dominion, like the eagle of Jove, above the heads of all other mortals. Those two great artists are in no haste to arise to behold the elevation of a maker of portraits, and are insulted by the poet, and reproached with jealousy. Simple Portrait stands ready to be limned, and History sighs, anxious for his pencil. Such are the thoughts and many of the words in which Wolcot expressed his admiration of Reynolds. Nor was he much more successful when he condescended to treat of him in prose. "I lately breakfasted," he says, "with Sir Joshua, at his house in Leicester Fields. After some desultory remarks.

on the old masters, but not one word of the living artists-as on that subject no one can ever obtain his real opinion-the conversation turned on Dr. Johnson. On my asking him how the club to which he belonged could so patiently suffer the tyranny of this overbearing man, he replied with a smile that the members often hazarded sentiments merely to try his powers in contradiction. I think I in some measure wounded the feelings of Reynolds by observing that I had often thought that the Ramblers were Idlers, and the Idlers Ramblers, except those papers which he (Reynolds) had contributed; and, farther, that Johnson too frequently acted the reverse of gipsies: the gipsies, said I, when they steal the children of gentle folks, conceal the theft by beggarly disguises; whereas Johnson often steals common thoughts, disguising the theft by a pomp of language.'

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Sir Joshua, supreme head, as he was, of the academy, and unrivalled in fame and influence, was doomed to experience many crosses and vexations, but his sagacious spirit and tranquil temper brought him off triumphant. Barry, a man of great natural talents, and one who flew a flight even beyond Reynolds in his admiration of Michael Angelo, differed with him in every thing else. Becoming Professor of Painting on the resignation of Mr. Penny, he had it in his power to annoy the Chair, and was not slow in perceiving his advantage. Reynolds, in the performance of his duty as President, could not fail to remark how very backward the Professor of Painting was in the performance of his undertaking-he had not delivered the stipulated lectures-and he inquired if they were composed. Barry, a little man, and full of pride, rose on tiptoe-it is even said he clenched his fist to give stronger emphasis to his words-and exclaimed, " If I had only in composing my lectures to produce such poor mistaken stuff as your discourses, I should have my work done, and f be ready to read." To reply suited neither the dig

inity nor the caution of Reynolds. The world praised | him for his mildness and moderation, and censured his fiery opponent, on whom they laid the whole blame of this indecent and unusual scene.

The reformation which the Emperor of Germany wrought among the monastic establishments, brought before the public many of the productions of Rubens; and Reynolds, who seldom missed an opportunity of examining all paintings of eminence, went over to the Netherlands to see them. He remarked, on his return from his first tour, that his own works were deficient in force in comparison to those he had seen: and on his second tour, "He observed to me,” said Sir George Beaumont, "that the pictures of Rubens appeared much less brilliant than they had done on the former inspection. He could not for some time account for this circumstance; but when he recollected that when he first saw them he had his note-book in his hand for the purpose of writing down short remarks, he perceived what had occasioned their now making a less impression than they had done formerly. By the eye passing immediately from the white paper to the picture, the colours derived uncommon richness and warmth: for want of this foil they afterward appeared comparatively cold."

Mason, after having translated Du Fresnoy's Art of Painting, laid it aside, and had nearly forgotten it when it was brought into light and life by the inquiries and commendations and illustrative notes of Sir Joshua. He seems to have been desirous at all times of obtaining literary distinction for himself; or at least of obtaining the regard of literary men. It is true that some of his admirers claim the highest honours of literature for his Discourses, which Malone, inspired by his friendship and his legacy, calls "The Golden Discourses." Others, like Wolcot, see an excellence in his casual essays which those of Johnson never attained; nor is Northcote willing to be behind, for, instead of Burke lending his aid to