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I had a piece of rich fweet pudding on my fork, when Mifs Louifa Friendly begged to trouble me for a pigeon, that ftood near me; in my hafte, fcarce knowing what I did, I whipped the pudding into my mouth, hot as a burning coal; it was impoffible to conceal my agony, my eyes were ftarting from their fockets. At laft, in fpite of thame and refolution, I was obliged to drop the cause of torment on my plate. Sir Thomas and the ladies all compaffionated my misfortune, and each advised a different application; one recommended oil, another water, but all agreed that wine was beft for drawing out the fire; and a glass of fherry was brought me from the fideboard, which I fnatched up with eager nefs: but, oh! how fhall I tell the fequel? whether the butler by accident miftook, or purposely designed to drive me mad, he gave me the ftrongeft brandy, with which I filled my mouth, already flayed and bliftered; totally unused to every kind of ardent fpirits, with my tongue, throat, and palate, as raw as beef, what could I do? I could not swallow, and clapping my hands upon my mouth, the curfed liquor fquirted through my nofe and fingers like a fountain, over all the dishes; and I was crushed by burfts of laughter from all quarters. In vain did fir Thomas reprimand the fervants, and lady Friendly chide her daughters; for the measure of my fhame and their diverfion was not yet compleat. To relieve me from the intolerable ftate of perfpiration, which this accident had caufed, without confidering what I did, I wiped my face with that ill-fated handkerchief, which was ftill wet from the confequences of the fate of Xenophon, and covered all my features with ftreaks of ink in every direction. The baronet himself could not fupport this fhock, but joined his lady in the general laugh; while I fprung from the table in defpair, rushed out of the houfe, and ran home in an agony of confufion and difgrace, which the moft poignant fenfe of guilt could not have excited.

Thus, without having deviated from the path of moral rectitude, I am fuffering torments like a goblin damned.' The lower half of me has been spoiled, my tongue and mouth grill'd, and I bear the mark of Cain upon my forehead; yet thefe are but trifling confiderations, to the everlafting fhame which I muft feel, whenever this adventure must be mentioned; perhaps by your affif tance, when my neighbours know how much I feel upon the occafion, they will spare a bafhful man, and (as I am just informed my poultice is ready) I truft you will excufe the hafte in which I fubfcribe myself,

Your, &c.

MONGRELL MORELL.
Gent Mag. Sept. 1788.

Anecdotes of the late Mr. Gainsborough, the
Portrait Painter.

ATURDAY morning, August 2, about two o'clock, died, at his houfe in PallMall, Mr. Gainsborough, the Painter, one of the greateft geniufes that ever adorned any age, or any nation!

His diffolution was occafioned by a cancer in the neck; the effects of which became violent a few months fince, owing to a cold caught one morning in Weftminster Hall, while attending the trial of Mr. Haftings.

Mr. Gainsborough a very few weeks fince was in the vigour of his profeffional powers. He was just turned of 61 years of age. He was born at Sudbury in Suffolk, in the year 1727.

His father, on his outfet in life, was pof fefed of a decent competency; but a large family, and liberal heart, foon leffened his wealth to a very humble income.

The son of whom we speak, very early discovered a propenfity to painting. Nature was his teacher, and the Woods of Suffolk his Academy. Here he would pass in folitude his mornings, in making a sketch of an antiquated tree, a marshy brook, a few cattle, a fhepherd and his flock, or any other accidental objects that were prefented.

From delineation he got to colouring; and ofter painting feveral landscapes from the age often to twelve, he quitted Sudbury in his 13th year, and came to London, where he com menced, portrait-painter; and from that time never coft his family the leaft expence. The perfon at whofe house he principally refided, was a filverfmith of fome tafte, and from him he was ever ready to confefs he derived great affifiance. Mr. Gravelot the engraver was alfo his patron, and got him introduced at the Old Academy of the Arts, in St. Martin's-lane. He continued to exercise his pencil in London for fome years, but marrying Mrs. Gainsborough when he was only nineteen years of age, he foon after took up his refidence at Ipfwich; and after practifing there for a confiderable period, went to Bath, where his friends intimated his merits would meet their proper reward.

His portrait of Quin, the actor, which he painted at Bath about thirty years fince, will be ever confidered as a wonderful effort in the portrait line; and it is with a degree of veneration that Mr. Gainsborough always spoke of Mr. Ralph Allen, Earl Camden, and a few other gentlemen for the patronage and favour they extended to him here.

The high reputation which followed, prompted him to return to London, where he arrived in the year 1774.--After paffing a fhort time in town not very profitably, his merit engaged the attention of the King. Among other portraits of the Royal Family, the full length of his Majefty at the Queen's Houfe,

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will ever be viewed as an aftonishing performance. From this period, Mr. Gainsborough entered in a line which afforded a becoming reward to his fuperlative powers.

All our living Princes and Princesses have been painted by him, the Duke of York excepted, of whom he had three Pictures befpoken; and among his latter performances the head of Mr. Pitt and feveral portraits of that gentleman's family afforded him gratification. His portraits will pafs to futurity with a reputation equal to that which follows the pictures of Vandyke; and his landscapes will eftablifh his name on the record of the fine arts, with honours fuch as never before at tended a native of this Ifle.

The landscape of the Woodman in the Storm, finished about eighteen months fince, and now at his rooms in Pall-mall, for ex· preffion, character, and beautiful colouring, is of ineflimable worth.His Majefly's praifs of this picture made Mr. Gainborough feel trebly elate :--and the attention of the Queen, who fent to him foon after, and cominiffioned him to paint the Duke of York, were circumftances that he always dwelt up on with confcious pleafure.

The few pictures he 'attempted that are filed Sea Pieces, may be recurred to in proof of his power in painting water: nothing can exceed them in tranfparency and air.

But he is gone!-and while we lament him as an artist, let us not pass over thofe virtues, which were an honour to human nature! — Let a tear be shed in affection for that generous heart,-whofe ftrongest propenfities were to relieve the claims of poverty, where-ever they appeared genuine!His liberality was not confined to this alone,needy relatives and unfortunate friends were further incumbrances on a fpirit, that could not deny.

It only remains to fay, that an univerfality of powers adorned his mind.

His Epiftolary Correspondence poffeffed the eafe of Swift, and the nervous force of Bolingbroke--and a felection of his letters would offer to the world as much originality and beauty, as is even to be traced in his Painting!

In converfation, his ideas and expreffion difcovered a mind full of rich fancies and elegant truths-and it is not an aggravation to fay, that two of the firft writers of this age, Mr. Sheridan and Mr. Tickell, have frequently been witneffes of the moft aftonifh ing burfts of genius from him at thefe moments; and never fail to bear teflimony of his pregnant imagination.

The fcience to which he was principally attached, befides Painting, was Mufic:-He was killed in all keyed inftruments,-but was moft ftrongly attached to fringed ones. His performance on the Viola da Gamba was in fome movements equal to the touch of

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Abel. He always play'd to the feelings; but as he hated parade, he never could be prevailed upon to difplay this talent, except to his moft felect friends.

"By Heaven, and not a Mafler taught."

OF Mr. GAINSBOROUGH's birth and lamented death you have already told us; with the circumftances that introduced him to the world as a Painter, the public are not generally accquainted.

In the neighbourhood of his father was a very refpectable Clergyman, of the name of Coyte. With the fons of this gentler an young Gainsborough and his brothers paífed much of their time, and from the inftructions of the old man reaped fome advantage. In one of thele vifits there happened a violent commotion in the family, on account of the Parfon's garden having been plundered of a great quantity of wall fruit, and much pains was taken, but without effect, to difcover the thief. Young Gainsborough having one fummer morning rifen at an early hour, and walked into the garden to make a sketch from an old elin, feated himself in an obfcure corner, and had just taken out his chalk to begin, when he obferved a fellow's head peeping over the wall of the garden, which was next the road, with an apparent intenti on of feeing if the coaft was clear. This changed the young Tyro's object, and inftead of sketching the elm, he, in the few moments before he was himself obferved, made a sketch upon a rough board of the head of the man; and fo accurate was the resemblance, that he was inftantly known to be a man from a neighbouring village, and upon a clofe enquiry proved to be the fellow who had before robbed the garden. This was fhewn about the village, and confidered as a ftrong proof of a genius above the common ftandard: the young Coytes lent him their drawingbooks, and the boy fhewing extreme eagernefs in the purfuit, wandering through fields, meadows, and woods, in fearch of rural fcenes, became talked of in the neighbourhood; and there not being any body in the country who could properly inftruct him in his ftudies, he was very foon afterwards fent to London, and here made his first essays in art, by modelling figures of cows, horses, and dogs, in which he attained very great excellence: there is a caft in the plaifter fhops from an old horfe that he modelled, which has peculiar merit. He foon after became a pupil to Mr. Gravelot, under whofe inftructions he drew moft of the ornaments which decorate the illuftrious heads fo admirably engraved by Houbraken, which were they as faithful in their resemblance as they are exquifite in their execution, would be curious and ufeful to the Phyfiognomist,

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as well as they are to the collector; but unfortunately these heads were copied by boys, and very frequently from unafcertained portraits, fent to Holland to be engraved by Houbraken, and when returned, dignified with any illuftrious name which Mr. Knap ton, the publisher, thought proper. Thurlow's and about thirty of the others are copied from heads painted for no one knew who. But to return to Mr. Gainsborough: his firft efforts were small landscapes, which he frequently fold to the dealers at trifling prices; and when he afterwards engaged in portraits, his price was from three to five guineas; but as he extended his fame he advanced his prices: and it may be added, that his powers advanced in nearly equal proportion, for his early portraits have very little to recommend them. Since his return from Bath, as well as before, the portraits of his gentlemen have been very fuperior to thofe of his ladies, which being frequently defigned from women that were painted, gave a general appearance to all his females of painted

women.

His portraits of the angels of the Court frequently gave us as much the idea of Angels as they could do, from having no particle of a grofs, earthy, or fubftantial form about them. But in his portraits of men imitation affumes the energy of life. He feems almoft the only painter of this country, who attempts the thin brilliant ftile of penciling of Vandyke; and yet with all this blaze of excellence, with all this accuracy of refemblance, (and he gives not merely the map of the face, but the character, the foul of the original) his likeneffes are attained by the indecifion more than the precifion of the outlines. He gives the feature and the fhadow, fo that it is fometimes not easy to say which is which; for the fcumbling about the feature fometimes looks like the feature itfelf; fo that he fhews the face in more points of view than one, and by that means it ftrikes every one who has once seen the original with being a refemblance: fo that while the portrait with a rigid outline exhibits the countenance only in one difpofition of mind, he gives it in many. His portraits are calculated to give effect at a distance; and that effect is produced in fo eminent a degree, that the picture may almost be mistaken for the original: but clofely infpected, we wonder at the delufion, and find fcumbling scratches that have no appearance of eye-brows or noftrils. He told the writer of this article, that he never found any portrait fo difficult to hit as that of the late Mr. Garrick : for when he was sketching in the eye brows, and thought he had hit upon the precife fituation, and looked a fecond time at his model, he found the eyebrows lifted up to the middle of his forehead; and when he a third time looked, they were

dropped like a curtain close over the eye; fo flexible and univerfal was the countenance of this great player, that it was as impoffible to catch his likeness as it is to catch the form of a paffing cloud. This portrait did not do any honour to either artift or comedian. Very different is the full length portrait of Mr. Abel, with the dog under the table, which combines with the force of a sketch the high finishing of a miniature. To this may be added many others of equal merit, though not finished with equal delicacy. Indeed, finishirg was not his aim; we may almost say it was not in general poffible to him, for he ufually painted with a very long and very broad brush, stood very far from his canvas, and in a room with very little light. Portraits were not his forte, his fame refts on better ground, upon an almost unparalleled extent of talent in landscapes, animals, and figures. By figures I do not mean the well dreft high powdered gentlemen of St. James's, but the ruftic, the peafant, the fhepherd's boy, and cottage girl. Here nature appears as in a mirror, and in thefe little fimple fubjects a flory is told that awakens the most pathetic fenfations, and equally evinces the truth, tafte, and genius of the mafter. In his landscapes he has at different times affumed the manner of many different artifts, and during the time he adhered to them equalled them all, and in fome of his latter pictures fo far united thefe different ftiles as to form one grand whole, peculiarly his own, and peculiarly excellent.

The first mafter he ftudied was Wynants, whofe thiftles and dock leaves he but frequently introduced into his early pictures. The next was Ruyfdale, but his colouring is lefs fombre, though the pencilling of the Englishman was lefs accurate than that of the Fleming. He has fometimes very happily seized upon the beft manner of Teniers, and may like that artift be very properly called the Proteus of painting. In a view of company in St. James's park he affumed the manner of Watteau, and produced a picture in many refpects fuperior to any Watteau ever painted. Of the animals of Snyders he thought with admiration, and feems to have made that mafter his model, : ough excellently as he painted animals he never equalled that great artift. From a picture of Morillio he copied the figure of an infant Chrift, which was engraved by Major, and is in effect not inferior to the original. In one of his landfcapes he has taken the idea of a country church-Yard from Mr. Gray, and the folemnity of the fcene and fituation of the figures have a moft picturefque and poetical effect; but Mr. Gainsborough was not a man of reading, nor was the figure of Lavinia, which was lately exhibited, painted from Thomfon's character (for at the time the 0002

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figue was painted, it is probable he had new read the book) but a little fimpie character from his own imagination. The figures, animals, and trees of his latter landfcapes are not finished in the manner they were formerly. They have a more powerful effect, with lefs labour, and-evince more genius with lefs pains. He was not the painter for the botanist; he did not minutely defcribe every fibre of a dock leaf, but gave thofe general resemblances which strike every eye. A bank spread with weeds and wild flowers; a ftump of an old tree, which a gentleman would grub out of his eftate; a cottage with fcarce thatch enough to keep out the rain, were objects which he delighted in, and from which he produced interefting and delightful effects, though when closely infpected they appear mere blots

His mufical tafte was perhaps equal to that of any one of his cotemporaries, and he himfelf thought he was not intended by nature for a painter, but for a musician. His fondness for the art was most enthufiaftic, and he would frequently feclude himfelf from all fociety, for weeks together, for the fole purpofe of practising it.

Mr. Gainsborough, a very few weeks before his death, and at a time when he confidered his duration in life of lefs permanency than he even did the day before he expired*,- -wrote fome obfervations relative to his funeral, that his family might be as little perplexed as possible on so diftreffing a fubject.

"He defired he might be privately buried in Kew Church-yard, near the grave of his "friend Mr. Kirby;-that a ftone, with"out either arms or ornament, might be "placed over him; infcribed with his bare "name, and containing space for the names "of fuch of his family who, after death, "might wish to take up their abode with and that his funeral might be "as private as poflible, and attended only "by a few of thofe friends he moft refpect"ed."

him;

In obedience to thefe injunctions, on the 9th inft. Mr. Gainsborough's remains were conveyed from his houfe in Pail-mall to Kew.—He was a tended by the following gentlemen.

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Account of Geoffrey Gambado, Efq; Ridingmafter, Mafter of Harfe, and GrandEquery to the Doge of Venice,.

(With an elegant Engraving.) EOFFREY GAMBADO, Efq; was

G the fon of an eminent taylor who lived

NO T E.

+ Mr. Gainsborough had a brother, who was a diffenting minifter at Henley upon Thames, that poffeffed as ftrong a genius for mechanics, as the artift had for painting. When he died, which was about four or five years ago, all his models of machines, dials, engines, &c. came into the hands of Mr. Gainsborough, of Pall mall, who gave them to Mr. Thickneffe. Among them was a clock of a very peculiar conftruction; it told the hour by a little ball, and was kept in motion by a leaden bullet, which dropped from a fpiral refervoir at the top of the clock into a little ivory bucket. This was fo contrived as to discharge it at the bottom, and by means of a counter weight was carried up to the top of the clock, where it received another bullet, which was difcharged as the former. This was evidently an atempt at the perpetual motion, which he thought attainable. There was alfo the model of a fteam engine, which a crafty man furreptitiously obtained a fight of and pirated; and a curious fundial, the apparatus of which could not have been made by a mathematical inftrument-maker for fifty guineas. The fun-dial Mr. Thickneffe prefented to the British Mufeum, and he had the Governors thanks for enriching it with fo valuable a curiofity. It is very well worthy of the inspection of the curious Mr. T. was willing enough to part with it, yet wifhed to place it where it might remain as long as brafs or iron can endure. The clock Mr. Thickneffe has, with other works, at his own houfe at Bath. Few men were ever more refpected than this worthy Divine; he was as eminent for humanity fimplicity, and integrity as he was for genius. Mr. Gainsborough has, or very lately had, a ftill elder brother living at Sudbury, not less eminent in the arts than the two deccafed.

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