"By Canova, at Rome, some magnificent casts, valuable engravings, &c."

CAST OF THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON'S HEAD.

While at Paris, in 1825, Sir Thomas Lawrence visited Dr. Antommarchi, to inspect the cast he had taken of the Emperor Napoleon's head and face after his death. Sir Thomas examined it with great interest, and expatiated upon it for more than an hour. He expressed his admiration of the perfect beauty of the outline, and regularity of features; and pronounced that no portrait of him had equalled this model. In no instance has any cast, statue, or portrait of the Emperor Napoleon represented him with a ruffled brow, or with lines indicative of disturbed passions.-Williams's Life of Lawrence.

LAWRENCE AND THE FREEDOM OF BRISTOL.

The author of the Life of Sir Thomas Lawrence describes the commencement of the year 1829, as "the most blissful period of his life. His chief source of enjoyment, the solace of his solitary hours, and that which shed an enviable influence over his exertions-the happiness and prosperity of his relations—were ample, and in every respect, satisfactory and unalloyed."

In the spring he received from his native Bristol the freedom of the city, procured for him, as he states in his acknowledgment, by Mr. Acraman and his friends. This tribute to Lawrence came very late, seeing the honours and gifts which had long before been heaped upon him from almost every part of the civilized world; and it certainly did not deserve the courteous letter in which Lawrence acknowledged it. This homage of his birthplace was, probably, the last public honour which the great Painter received.

LAWRENCE'S LAST YEAR.

The Exhibition of the Academy this year (1829) contained eight fine portraits by Lawrence, of almost undiminished excellence. They were portraits of the Duke of Clarence, Miss Macdonald, the Duchess of Richmond, Lord Durham, Robert Southey, the Marchioness of Salisbury, and Mrs. Lock, sen. This was the last public exhibition of Lawrence's paintings

during his life. He was now most active in his correspondence. Early in the year appeared the engraving of his portrait of the King, which the painter describes as "universally popular, and the most faithful portrait of his Majesty that has yet been given to his subjects." He sends a first finished proof to Mr. Peel, with a letter saying: "The frame is that in which I presented the engraving for his Majesty's inspection. It will give me the greatest pleasure to see, in the collection of the second patron of my pencil, this portrait of the first." He also sends a proof to his loved sister.

Next month he addressed a letter to Mr. Peel on the Roman Catholic question, with congratulations on the success of the Emancipation Bill; and he next exerted himself in the Oxford University election in favour of Mr. Peel by his efforts to neutralise the votes of two of his family, and to secure in Mr. Peel's favour the vote of another.

Amidst this activity the painter was, however, much pressed to finish in time his whole-length portraits of the Duke of Clarence and the Duchess of Richmond in time for the Exhibition. He writes to his sister: "The pressure of business on me has been very great, and the lassitude proportioned to it. My labours have fortunately succeeded, and perhaps, my two whole-lengths of the Duchess of Richmond and the Marchioness of Salisbury, are the best that I have painted; and the former the most popular and beautiful. I may rationally be proud of succeeding this year, since it is indisputably the best exhibition we have had; and it is universally considered so.

"Many thanks for your remembering my birthday. It is not attended to as it ought to have been; but at least, professional fame is mine; the hope of my youth, and pursuit of my life are comparatively achieved; and the love of my family still continued to me.

:

His letters to Mr. Peel are now frequent in one he requests the loan of the Speaker's mace for a day; in another an admittance for an American friend to Mr. Peel's picturegallery; then requests a frank; and we find this odd postscript, which shows how kindly Lawrence used his influence:

"I have a petitioner-an honest watchman of our Square for four years; with all certificates of good conduct; but alas! five feet six. It is not possible to have him included in the new Police!"

This year he evinced his friendly and impartial feelings

towards the two rival Societies of Arts established at Birmingham. But, he felt that he was overworked: writing to Mr. Angerstein in November, he says: "For me, to use your dear father's expression, I shall live and die in harness." However, there came a slight relief, as the next anecdote will

narrate.

MISS FANNY KEMBLE.

In the autumn of 1829, this highly gifted lady made her theatrical début; and Sir Thomas Lawrence, in a letter to Mr. Angerstein, dated Nov. 22, 1829, thus gives his genuine and private opinions of her success.

"We have little stirring in town, one novelty excepted, which enlivens the evenings of this otherwise dull period. Your respect and regard for Mrs. Siddons and Mr. Kemble, will make you glad to know that the genius and sense of both are recalled to us by the really fine acting of Miss Fanny Kemble, the daughter of their brother Charles. She is not quite nineteen, yet has so satisfied the judgment of the warmest patrons and ablest critics of the stage, that, in its worst season, she has drawn full houses (and continues to draw them) for upwards of twenty-two nights, three nights in each week, without intermission, to one of Shakspeare's finest, but certainly most hackneyed plays, Romeo and Juliet, and the boxes are already taken to Wednesday se'ennight.

"Her face is not regularly handsome, but she has a fine and flexible brow, with eyes and hair like Mrs. Siddons in her finest time. In stature she is rather short, but with such admirable carriage and invariable grace of action, that on the stage she appears fully of woman's height. Her voice is at once sweet and powerful; and blest with a clear 'Kemble' understanding, (for it is peculiar to her family,) she has likewise fine literary talent, having written a tragedy of great interest, besides lighter pieces of admirable verse. Her manner in private is characterised by ease, and that modest gravity which I believe must belong to high tragic genius, and which, in Mrs. Siddons, was strictly natural to her, though, from being peculiar in the general gaiety of society, it was often thought assumed.

"I have for many years given up the theatre, (not going above once or twice in the year,) but this fine genius has drawn me often to it, and each time to witness improvement and new beauties. If she is not taken from the stage, there

is probability that she may remain on it a fine actress for twenty years, and thus have supported the ascendancy of one family in the highest department of the Drama for upwards of seventy years!"

Such of our readers as remember the appearance of Miss Fanny Kemble, and the success with which her genius upheld the falling fortunes of Covent Garden Theatre, will also recollect that immediately after her début, there appeared a charming lithograph portrait of the lady, by Mr. Lane, from a drawing by Sir Thomas Lawrence. Of this exquisite work many thousand impressions were disposed of by the printsellers within an incredibly short space of time.

Lawrence touched no drawing after this beautiful lithograph. In its progress he took exceeding interest. Mr. Lane worked at the sketch for several days, at Sir Thomas's house, under his own eye: he frequently added touches, and was delighted with the process. On the day after Christmas Day, 1829, he writes to his sister, regretting that he has not received the impression of this drawing in time to send to her this was but twelve days before his death. The portrait affords a specimen of the touch of the master-hand upon a material hitherto strange to him: had he lived, he would soon have executed a drawing on stone, entirely of his own production.

LAWRENCE'S DECLINING HEALTH.

The gaiety of the painter began to fail in the year 1828; and in a letter to Mrs. Macdonald, we find him excusing himself for retiring early from a ball, from his practising "the down-hill slope;" "where gentlemen of a certain age have but to fold their arms, and cross their feet, and they go down so comfortably, that the dance is finished before they desire it."

In a similar vein we see him on the last day of the year 1829, when we find him declining an invitation from Mrs. Macdonald on account of the annual dinner at the Academy. "To own the truth," he writes, "as some of us are like the President, bald and grey-headed, we sometimes break up before the hour that proclaims it; but then the knowledge of the scarcity of worth makes us careful of our health, and afraid of listening to syren strains, that might lure it from This old-fashioned winter may possibly usher in our gone-by spring and summer; and in the former Miss Mac

us.

and drink. He accordingly went. Washington Irving sat opposite to him at Mr. Peel's, and relates that Sir Thomas "seemed uneasy and restless; his eyes were wandering; he was as pale as marble; the stamp of death seemed on him. He told me he felt ill; but he wished to bear himself up in the presence of one whom he so much esteemed as his entertainer. He went away early." On his return home he complained only of fatigue; he slept comfortably, and had so far recovered by Tuesday, that he painted nearly an hour on the King's portrait,* and went out in his carriage, to a committee meeting at the Athenæum club-house.

DEATH OF SIR THOMAS LAWRENCE.

During the night of Wednesday, the 6th of January, Sir Thomas experienced a violent relapse. Dr. Holland found him in a very alarming state, with scarcely any pulse at the wrist till after he had lost sixteen ounces of blood. The Doctor did not leave him till Thursday morning, the 7th. Miss Croft then found Sir Thomas, for the first time, in a sick chamber; but he assured her that he was greatly relieved, and desired her not to be alarmed at the change in his looks. He was now considered out of danger, except by his physician. Sir Henry Halford came with Dr. Holland in the afternoon : Sir Henry approved of all that had been done, and merely ordered a more active cathartic. In the evening, Lawrence sent for Mr. Keightley, who came with Miss Croft. They found him altogether relieved; and he took some tea and toast. He then said to Mr. Keightley, "Read that to me"- -an article by Campbell, the poet, on the genius of Flaxman. As Mr. Keightley began to read, Sir Thomas's countenance changed; he put his hand to Miss Croft's, pressed hers in an agitated way, and desired them to leave the room, and send his servant John to him. In about ten minutes the servant cried imploringly for help. On Keightley running up, he found Sir Thomas had slipped from his seat down on the floor. His last words were," John, my good fellow, this is dying." "Oh! no, sir," replied the servant, "it is only fainting." He expired without a groan, Jan 7, 1830.

Mr. Etty has left a touching account of the Painter's death. "The year 1830," (says Etty's biographer, Mr. Gilchrist,)

*This is a fine full-length portrait of George IV.: Sir Thomas was painting one of the orders on the breast. The picture was never finished: it is in the coffee-room of the Athenæum club-house.