Garrick often sat to Reynolds for different portraits; and on one of these occasions complained wofully of the unceasing sarcasms of Foote. "Never mind him," replied the shrewd painter, "he only shows his sense of his own inferiority: it is ever the least in talent who becomes malignant and abusive."

COPIES AND ORIGINALS.

In 1763, the eminent portrait-painter, the Chevalier Vanloo, being in England, boasted to Reynolds of his accurate knowledge and experience in the works of the great masters: saying, he could never be deceived or imposed upon by a copy. Reynolds then showed him the head of an old woman, which he had himself copied from a picture by Rembrandt, asking his opinion of it, and was highly amused when Vanloo pronounced it to be an undoubted original.

Reynolds himself was very nearly deceived in the following instance, thus related by him in a letter to Mr. C. Smith, a nephew of Mr. Caleb Whiteford: "I saw the other day, at Mr. Bromel's, a picture of a child with a dog, which, after pretty close examination, I thought was my own painting; but it was a copy, it appears, made by you many years ago."

Sir Joshua said of Gainsborough, that he could copy Vandyke so exquisitely, that, at a little distance, he could not distinguish the copy from the original.—Abridged from Cotton's Sir Joshua Reynolds and his Works.

CHARACTER IN PORTRAITS.

Of mere likeness in portraiture, says Cotton, Reynolds thought very little, and used to say that he could instruct any boy that chance might throw in his way, to paint a likeness in half-a-year; but to give an impressive and just expression and character to a picture, or to paint it like Velasquez, was quite another thing." What we are all," he said, "attempting to do with great labour, he does at once."

It

REYNOLDS AND ROMNEY.

may be said of Reynolds that he could not bear a rival near his throne. He had a great antipathy to Romney, who commenced his career in London by painting heads for four guineas. In 1763, he obtained the prize of the Society of Arts for his picture of the Death of Wolfe; but through the influence of Reynolds, the decision was reversed in favour of

a picture by Mortimer. Romney received a present of twentyfive guineas. This circumstance is said to have made Romney and Reynolds ever after enemies.

Romney became the acknowledged rival of the President in portraits. Northcote says: "Certain it is that Sir Joshua was not much employed in portraits after Romney grew in fashion." Lord Thurlow is also reported to have said: "Reynolds and Romney divide the town: I am of the Romney fashion." These were factions of form and colour— the former being that of Romney.* Reynolds grew jealous of him, and spoke of him as "the man in Cavendish-square," where he lived in the house No. 32, afterwards Sir Martin Archer Shee's. Northcote represents Garrick as saying of Cumberland, the dramatist, "He hates you, Sir Joshua, because you do not admire the painter whom he considers a second Correggio." "Who is that?" said Reynolds. "Why, his Correggio," answered Garrick, "is Romney, the painter."

FRIENDSHIP OF REYNOLDS AND DR. JOHNSON.

Few men in the world have more highly appreciated the value of friendship, especially in exerting an important influence upon his mind, than Reynolds. From the friendship of Burke and Johnson he learnt much to supply the deficiencies of his early education. Although Johnson was profoundly ignorant of art, Reynolds derived much from him: "he qualified my mind," he says, "to think justly. The observations he made on poetry, on life, and on everything about us, I applied to our art, with what success others must judge." This mode of adapting the knowledge possessed by others to our own requirements is one of the greatest benefits which men derive from intercourse with each other.

To no one, perhaps, was Reynolds more indebted than to his countryman, the Rev. Zachariah Mudge, Vicar of St. Andrew's, Plymouth,-a man, (says Dr. Johnson,) "equally eminent for his virtues and abilities, at once beloved as a

*

The secret was this. Romney had painted Lord Chancellor Thurlow, a whole-length, and 'a handsomer man than he had appeared in the halflength of Reynolds. Romney avoided all indication of the suppressed temper that was so apt to explode in violent paroxysms, and thus rendered his picture more acceptable to the original. But he missed what Reynolds alone could give-that extraordinary sapience which made Charles Fox say, "No man could be so wise as Lord Thurlow looked."-Leslie's Handbook, p. 301.

companion and reverenced as a pastor." Northcote had also heard Sir Joshua declare that the elder Mr. Mudge was, in his opinion, the wisest man he had ever met with in his life.

How Reynolds acquired the friendship of Johnson is related by Boswell. The artist, some time in the year 1754, was visiting in Devonshire, and chanced to open the Life of Savage. He began to read, and it seized his attention so strongly, that he was not able to lay down the book till he had finished it. He was solicitous to know an author, one of whose books had thus enchanted him; and by accident or design he met with him as follows:

When Dr. Johnson lived in Castle-street, Cavendish-square, he went frequently to visit two ladies, who lived opposite to him, Miss Cotterells, daughters of Admiral Cotterell. Reynolds used also to visit them, and thus they met.-Boswell, ed. Croker.

Dr. Johnson's regard for Reynolds was thus expressed in an affectionate letter to him, after his serious illness, in 1763: "If I should lose you, (wrote Johnson,) I should lose almost the only man I can call a friend."

Sir Joshua painted a portrait of Dr. Johnson, with his arms raised and his hands bent: this picture was, in 1770, in the possession of Miss Lucy Foster, at Lichfield, where Johnson having seen it, wrote to Reynolds as follows:

Dear Sir,

Ashbourne, July 17, 1771.

When I came to Lichfield, I found that my portrait had been much visited and admired. Every man has a lurking wish to appear considerable in his native place, and I was pleased with the dignity conferred, by such a testimony of your regard.

Be pleased, therefore, to accept the thanks of,

Sir,

Your most obliged and humble Servant,

Compliments to Miss Reynolds.

SAM. JOHNSON.

This picture is now the property of the Duke of Sutherland, and is at Stafford House.

Dr. Johnson sat to Reynolds, also, in 1775: the picture shows him holding a manuscript near his face, and pondering as he reads. The near-sighted" Cham of literature" reproved the painter in these words" It is not friendly to hand down to posterity the imperfections of any man." Mr. Thrale interposed and said "You will not be known to posterity for your

defects, though Sir Joshua should do his worst." The artist was right he gave individuality and character to the head.

Reynolds and Johnson differed in their opinions as to the effects of wine. One evening, at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, in the Strand, a favourite supper-house with Johnson, Sir Joshua Reynolds was maintaining the advantages of wine in assisting conversation, and referring particularly to himself, Johnson observed, "I have heard none of those drunkennay, drunken is a coarse word-none of those vinous flights." "I know no man," said Johnson, "who has passed through life with more observation than Reynolds." And he had so exalted an opinion of Sir Joshua's benevolence, that he once said to him, with a smile, "Reynolds, you hate no person living, but I like a good hater."

Sir Joshua relates this interesting trait in Johnson's nature. When the Doctor had been rough to any person in company, he took the first opportunity of reconciliation by drinking to him; if, however, the other had not grace to accept this reconciliation, then it gave him no more concern.

Dr. Johnson appointed Sir Joshua one of his executors, and bequeathed him his great French Dictionary of Moreri, and his own corrected folio copy of his English Dictionary.

PAINTING ON SUNDAYS.

Sir Joshua used to say: "he will never make a painter, who looks for the Sunday with pleasure as an idle day;' and his pocket journals afford indisputable proofs that it was his habit to receive sitters on Sundays as well as on other days. This was naturally enough displeasing to Dr. Johnson, and we are told by Boswell that he (Johnson) made three requests of Sir Joshua, a short time before his death: one was to forgive him 30%. which he had borrowed of him; another was that Sir Joshua would carefully read the Scriptures; and lastly, that he would abstain from using his pencil on the Sabbath day; to all of these requests Sir Joshua gave a willing assent-and kept his word.

REYNOLDS'S CLUB.

Sir Joshua was by nature a 66 clubable" man. In 1763, he founded, with Johnson, "the Club," as it was then called, at the Turk's Head, in Gerard-street, Soho. It did not receive the name of the Literary Club till many years later; but that Reynolds was its Romulus, and this the year of its foundation,

is unquestionable. After numerous changes of location, the Club settled at the Thatched-house Tavern, in St. James'sstreet, where its meetings are held to this day. Here is the portrait of Reynolds with spectacles on, similar to the one in the Royal Collection: this picture was presented by Sir Joshua, as the founder of the Club.

Sir Joshua was also a member of the Dilettanti Society, at the Thatched-house Tavern; and he painted for the clubroom three capital pictures :

1. A group in the manner of Paul Veronese, containing the portraits of the Duke of Leeds, Lord Dundas, Constantine Lord Mulgrave, Lord Seaforth, the Hon. C. Greville, Charles Crowle, Esq., and Sir Joseph Banks. 2. A group in the manner of the same master, containing portraits of Sir William Hamilton, Sir Watkin W. Wynne, Richard Thomson, Esq., Sir John Taylor, Payne Galway, Esq., John Smythe, Esq., and Spencer S. Stanhope, Esq. 3. Head of Sir Joshua, by himself, dressed in a loose robe, and in his own hair. The earlier portraits are by Hudson, Sir Joshua's master.

Sir Joshua acknowledged that he had Paul Veronese in view when he painted the pictures for the Dilettanti, particularly that next the door.

ORIGIN OF THE ROYAL ACADEMY.

Haydon, in his Journal, July 20, 1836, records :

"Went to the British Museum, and found two interesting pamphlets connected with the Royal Academy, by which it appears decidedly that the Directors who were expelled from the chartered body of artists became Academicians, and that not being able to carry their exclusive intentions in the constituent body, they resorted to the scheme of an Academy of forty, securing a majority of their own way of thinking that they might enact their exclusive laws. This is indisputable from Strong's pamphlet, 1775, and another in the Museum, 1771, entitled 'Considerations of the Behaviour of the Academicians who were expelled the Chartered Body of 1760-69.'

"Reynolds promised the chartered body, of which he was member, not to exhibit with the expelled directors; but finding the King protecting them, he broke his word, did exhibit, and was expelled the incorporated body. This is not known, nor did I know it till to-day. Tickled by a knighthood, he joined the Directors, and this was the origin of the Royal Academy-founded in intrigue, based on injustice, treachery, and meanness.

'Reynolds was properly, and very severely, punished after, but the art has suffered ever since."

Such is Haydon's opinion; but Sir Martin Archer Shee, in his evidence before Parliament, states that the artists who