to pronounce discourses either to the members or students; but Sir Joshua reflecting upon the state of the art, and knowing how necessary it was that aspiring genius should be directed to the adoption of sound principles, voluntarily imposed this task upon himself for the benefit of young artists, who could hardly be expected, without assistance, to steer clear of errors sanctioned by great names, or to avoid falling into imbecility of manner by imitating bad models. Actuated solely by the desire to see a British School rising on the royal foundation, now so auspiciously laid, Sir Joshua, therefore, undertook his part of the great work, not only by exhibiting the productions of his own pencil, but by communicating to the academy the result of his observations and experience, as a guide to others in that course which he had himself so gloriously pursued. It is very evident, that the fifteen academical Discourses which he delivered from the chair, must have cost him much labour, considering that his avocations rarely permitted him to indulge even in correspondence. Hence it was, perhaps, that many, knowing how much he was employed in painting, could not bring themselves to believe that these Discourses were entirely of his own composition; and some, who boasted quicker penetration than others, affected to discern the hand of Johnson in them, but with what truth, we may learn from the declaration of the president himself, in an unfinished sketch of

another professional address, which he intended to have delivered from the chair, but was prevented by his last illness: "Whatever merit," says he, "the Discourses, which I have had the honour of delivering from this place, may have, must be imputed, in a great measure, to the education which I may be said to have had under Dr. Johnson. I do not mean to say, though it certainly would be to the credit of these Discourses if I could say it with truth, that he contributed even a single sentiment to them; but he qualified my mind to think justly."

There were others again, who fancied that Burke materially assisted him on these occasions; but there is even less appearance of that great man's style in the Discourses than of Johnson's; though it is not improbable that Sir Joshua consulted both of these intimate friends before he ventured either to pronounce or to print his orations. One thing, however, may be depended upon, though it has not been noticed by any of his former biographers, that the dedication of the collected Discourses to the King, in 1778, was the sole production of Dr. Johnson.

Those persons who thought Reynolds unequal to the style of composition exhibited in these classical performances, might safely have been referred, for the correction of their judgment, to his papers in the Idler, the Memoranda of his Pictorial Tours, and his Notes to Du Fresnoy's Poem on Painting. Of

the various merits of these academical Discourses it is needless here to speak. They have received the public approbation of all who possess a taste refined from prejudice, and there can be no doubt of their having also had the intended effect of leading genius above the mechanism of art. They have, in short, the singular merit of rendering instruction agreeable without pedantry, and of giving pleasantness to criticism by divesting it of technical affectation.

Indefatigable as Reynolds was in his profession, he was fond of company, and though his deafness might have been supposed to have rendered conversation irksome to him, no man enjoyed it more, or profited by it better. He kept a most hospitable table, and he belonged to different associations, in which the feast of reason' was preserved amidst conviviality. One of these clubs was held at the St. James's Coffee House, and consisted, among others, of Dr. Johnson, Dr. Barnard, Dr. Douglas, Garrick, Goldsmith, the two Burkes, and Sir Joshua. Here Garrick, one evening, proposed writing extemporaneous epitaphs upon each other, and by way of beginning, composed some ludicrous lines characteristic of Goldsmith. This occasioned the celebrated poem of the Retaliation," in which Goldsmith sketched the portraits of his compeers with much effect and considerable humour. Though that of Sir Joshua is well known, it cannot properly be omitted in the present memoir.

"Here Reynolds is laid; and to tell you my mind,
He has not left a better or wiser behind;

His pencil was striking, resistless, and grand;
His manners were gentle, complying, and bland;
Still born to improve us in every part,

His pencil our faces, his manners our heart;

To coxcombs averse, yet most civilly steering,

When they judged without skill he was still hard of hearing;

When they talk'd of their Raffaelles, Corregios, and stuff, He shifted his trumpet, and only took snuff!”

Just before this, that pleasant humourist, Caleb Whitefoord, who had been introduced into the club by Sir Joshua, indulged his sportive vein by writing two epitaphs on Goldsmith and Cumberland, which gave such mortal offence to them that the satirist deemed it most prudent not to attend the next meeting. Being loth, however, to remain at variance with any of his friends, he sent the following epistle to Sir Joshua, supplicating his mediatorship :

Admire not, dear knight,

That I keep out of sight,

Consider what perils await him,

Who with ill-season'd jokes
Indiscreetly provokes

The genus irritabile vatum.

I felt, when these swains
Rehears'd their sweet strains,

That mine had too much lemon-juice;

And strove to conceal,

For the general weal,

What at last I was forc'd to produce.

After such panegyric,

The least thing satiric,

Must throw both the bards in the twitters;

'Twas impossible they,

After drinking Tokay,

Could relish a bumper of bitters.

Do talk to each bard,

Beg they won't be too hard,

But be merciful as they are stout;

I rely on your skill,

Say just what you will,

And as you brought me in, bring me out.

To the company too,

Some apology's due,

I know you can do it with ease;

Be it yours, sir, to place,

In the best light my case,

And give it what colour you please.

For those brats of my brain,

Which have caus'd so much pain,

Henceforth I renounce and disown 'em ;

And still keep in sight,

When I epitaphs write,

DE MORTUIS NIL NISI BONUM !

The good offices of Sir Joshua were not withheld on this occasion, and at his friendly table peace was restored between all the parties. About the same time another difference arose between Johnson and Dr. Barnard, the Dean of Derry; on which the latter wrote also a poetical epistle to Sir Joshua, upon whom he passed this elegant compliment: