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gorical painting, I could not avoid think ing of you when I undertook to publish Spenfer*, who had the fame genius with

through France to Venice. They were recommended to Banks, a Hamburgh merchant, and Godfrey drew him and his family. The pictures pleased. Mr. Vernon, fecretary to the duke of Monmouth, faw them, fat to the new painter, and obtained his mafter's picture by the fame hand. The duke was fo charmed, that he engaged the king his father to fit to Kneller. His fuccefs fixed him here. The feries of his portraits prove the continuance of his reputa

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He was knighted by king William in 1692, was made a baronet by George I, and died Oct. 27, 1723. "Walpole's anecdotes of painting," vol. iii, p. 107—1i1.

There was no man at this time more equal to the task; and, on the other hand, there was no task that could have proved more acceptable to him. Spenfer and Hughes feem to be allied by genius.Both great poets, both remarkable for their strict morals, both public-fpirited men, both well received by the great, and yet neither of them much indebted to fortune. It was happy for the memory of Spenfer, that the revival and illustration of his writings were committed to a perfon of fuch candour and capacity. VOL. I.

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Rubens, and is the most painter-like poet, and the finest defigner of the virtues and vices of any writer extant. As I am fure, therefore, he cannot fail of entertaining you, I beg leave to make you a present of his works. I have, at the fame time, taken the liberty to print you in the lift with my fubfcribers, being very defirous that a work, which will live for ever, fhould be honoured with the name of the best artist our age has produced. If you will accept of this small testimony of the great refpect I have for you and your art*, you will very much oblige, &c.

JOHN HUGHES.

It must have been a very pleasing labour to Mr. Hughes to restore the fenfe, to revive the honour, to repair and deck with fresh garlands the monument of fo worthy a man. The spirit and elegance with which he discharged his truft, as an editor, are inconteftable proofs of all that we have advanced.

Dr. Campbell. See Biog. Brit. vol. iv, p. 2706.

Mr. Hughes was very defirous of paying his poetical tribute to the merit and friendship of this great painter, but was always deterred (he faid) by

reading

LETTER XXXVI.

Sir. GODFREY KNELLER to Mr. HUGHES.

MR. HUGHES, Whitton, August 24, 1715.

I HAD your most obligin letre, with the most acceptable prefent of Mr. Spencer's

reading Dryden's admirable poem on the fame occafion. In honour of painting, as well as of mufic, Pope, however, entered the lifts with his mafter Dryden, whofe fuperiority (diftinguishable as it is) is in nothing more apparent than in the choice of his fubject. Pope was as unlucky in celebrating the paintings of Jervas, as he was in extolling the virtues of Bolingbroke. He compofed indeed an "epitaph" for Kneller: but "what a falling off was there!" How inferior is that bad copy of an extravagant original, not only to Dryden and himself, but also to the eulogiums which fir Godfrey received "on the duke of "Ormond's picture" from Prior, " on his picture "of the king" from Addifon, and " at his country"feat" from Tickell; which laft Mr. Walpole has, by mistake, afcribed to Steele, it being printed in his mifcellanies."

See" Anecdotes of Painting," vol. iii, p. 114.

Near Hounslow,

$ 2

worcks,

worcks, wishing I had knowen of a fubfcription, and hope you will give me an opportunity of showing my obligation, and that I may deserve (in fume degree) your fo favo rable good opinion you have of, Sir, Your most humble and

moft obedient obliged fervant,

G. KNELLER,.

LETTER XXXVII.

Mr. POPE to Mr. HUGHES,

DEAR SIR,

Binfield, Oct. 7, 1715.

EVER fince I had the pleasure to know

you, I have believed you one of that uncommon rank of authors, who are undefigning men and fincere friends; and who, when they commend another, have not any view of being praised themselves. I should be therefore afhamed to offer at faying any

In Windfor-foreft.

of

of those civil things in return to your obliging compliments in regard to my translation of "Homer;" only I have too great a value for you not to be pleased with them; and yet, I affure you, I receive praises from you with less pleasure than I have often paid them to your merit before, and shall (I doubt not) have frequent occasions of doing again, from those useful pieces you are still obliging us with.

If you were pleased with my preface, you have paid me for that pleasure, in the fame kind, by your entertaining and judicious effays* on Spenfer. The present you make me is of the most agreeable nature imaginable, for Spenser has ever been a favourite poet to me he is like a mistress, whose faults we fee, but love her with 'em all.

* "An effay on allegorical poetry," "Remarks "on the fairy queen," "on the fhepherd's calendar, "&c" prefixed to Mr. Hughes's edition of "Spen. "fer's works."

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