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stated that the portrait was removed from the house of Mr. P. LangtonMassingberd for cleaning, and by some accident was sold at Sir George Lewin's sale in May, 1846, by Christie and Manson, and bought by Mr. Norton, a dealer. We now lose sight of it for a time; but in April 14, 1864, it appears among the pictures of Dr. Turton, Bishop of Ely, sold at Christie and Manson's, where it was bought by Messrs. Henry Graves and Co., and shortly after acquired by Mr. Murray, in whose house I had the pleasure of seeing it lately. It is identified-I venture to say beyond doubt-as the picture once possessed by Bennet Langton by this inscription in a tablet on the frame:

"Iracundior est paulo, minus aptus acutis

Naribus horum hominum; rideri possit eo quod
Rusticius tonso toga defluit et male laxus

In pede calceus hæret; at est bonus ut melior vir
Non alius quisquam, at tibi amicus, at ingenium ingens
Inculto latet hoc sub corpore."

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but, with the picture before us, we see that the whole passage, as given above, was painted on the panel; and Boswell (vol. iii., p. 292) was mistaken when he reported that the inscription was effaced. Hawkins, in his "Apophthegms," speaks of this portrait as an admirable likeness of Johnson, but though he mentions the inscription, he makes no reference to its effacement.

There is yet another replica of the Thrale picture, in the Common Room of Pembroke College, Oxford. This fine picture was presented to the College by the late much lamented Mr. William Spottiswoode. In answer to my inquiries regarding it, I received from him the following interesting letter:

"DEAR SIR,

"41, Grosvenor Place, S.W., "May 19, 1883.

"In reply to your enquiry about the portrait of Dr. Johnson now in the Hall of Pembroke College, Oxford, I have the pleasure to tell you that it was presented to that college about the year 1850, by

Johnsoniana, p. 121.

my father, Mr. Andrew Spottiswoode, at my suggestion, partly in recognition of great kindness which I had received from some members of that college, and partly on account of the fact that no original portrait existed in his old college. The portrait in question was painted by Reynolds for a relative of ours, Mr. Strahan, and always remained in the house where he lived (10, Little New Street, Shoe Lane) until it was removed to Pembroke College. Johnson and Reynolds were both friends and frequent guests at that house, and there formerly existed a tree in a garden at the back, which was said to have been planted by Johnson. The house was pulled down some years ago, but portions of the tree were preserved, and given as relics to several persons to whom the locality had long been familiar. "Believe me, dear Sir, yours very faithfully, "W. SPOTTISWOODE."

In the Pembroke College portrait the left hand, so prominently displayed in all the portraits of this lineage, is not so forcibly painted as it is in the Peel or in the Langton pictures. In these the hand is very distinctive-Johnson's hand, we doubt not.

Of this fine likeness there are, therefore, at least three pictures; the original portrait in the National Gallery, and the two repetitions by the master himself, one belonging to Mr. Murray, the other in the Common Room of Pembroke College. It is not improbable that there may exist other repetitions of it, as it was clearly a favourite with the painter himself. Mr. Edward Walford, with considerable probability, claims to We refer to the article in the "Antiquarian Magazine," possess one. July, 1883, for Mr. Walford's own description of his prize.

Beside these four different and undoubted likenesses by Reynolds, there is yet another picture which has been attributed to Reynolds, a quite different portrait, which also belonged to the late Bishop of Ely. How and where Dr. Turton acquired it, is not known; but Dr. Turton, who was an enthusiastic, if not a judicious collector, regarded it as a genuine portrait of Johnson by Reynolds. Nor have I been able to ascertain where it is now. It was, at any rate, sold among his pictures at Christie and Manson's in April, 1864. Dr. Turton had it engraved by George Zobel, reserving the copies for private distribution. Through the kindness of the venerable Dr. Corrie, Master of Jesus, I have been allowed to examine his print of it. Johnson-for it is evidently a likeness of him-is represented as comparatively a young man; wigless, wearing his own hair, which is copious and well brushed back

from his forehead. He leans on a book, his face turned sideways from the spectator, and on the book there is a lettered title, "Irene." The portrait, then, was not taken before 1749, for though this tragedy had been written before, it was performed and published only in that year. It was not long after this, in 1752, that Reynolds became acquainted with Johnson, and their acquaintance soon ripened into a lasting friendship. Johnson, then, could not have been less than forty when this likeness was painted, and, if Reynolds were the artist, he was not less than forty-two or forty-three. The portrait, if we may judge from the engraving by G. Zobel, represents a somewhat younger man; but the apparent age of the person represented, which strikes different persons differently, cannot fairly be regarded as decisive against its authenticity as a portrait of Johnson by Joshua Reynolds. It is an interesting picture; a portrait of Johnson beyond any reasonable doubt. It was bought at Dr. Turton's sale by Mr. Colnaghi, by whom it was sold to Mr. Studley Martin of Liverpool.

There are three portraits of Johnson by Opie, which are minutely described in Mr. Rogers' life of that artist, published by Colnaghi, London, 1878, p. 115-16. One of these is in the possession of Mrs. H. M. James of Exeter, inherited from her grandfather, the Rev. H. A. Hole; seen nearly to the waist, three-quarter face to left, in a bushy powdered wig, in brown coat and waistcoat, with a fine solemn expression. This portrait was engraved by Heath in line, 1786, from the original then in the possession of Harrison and Co., Paternoster Row. The sarcophagus and other ornamental parts were designed by Mr. R. Smirke. It was also engraved by C. Townley, engraver to His Majesty the King of Prussia, and "dedicated to James Boswell, Esq., by his most obedient, humble servant, Charles Townley," and published in 1792. "This," says Boswell complacently, in the note, p. 493, "is one of the finest mezzotints that was ever executed."

A second by Opie, painted about 1782, was exhibited at the "Old Masters" in 1871, and differs little from the preceding picture. Mr. Rogers remarks that the influence of Gainsborough is evident in this portrait; and in fact it was exhibited at the British Institution as by Gainsborough in 1857. This is the Overstone portrait.

There is also a third by the same artist, commenced in 1783, interrupted by the illness of Johnson, resumed in 1784; now in the possession of Sir John Neeld, Bart., who describes it as without a wig and unfinished, and who regards it as the picture mentioned in Nichols'"Illustrations," vol. vii., p. 459.

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In the account contributed by Mr. Murray to Mr. Croker's edition (1831), he mentions a sketch by Barry, finished only as far as the shoulders, which was sold at Barry's sale; several times engraved. I can report nothing of its present locality.

There is a head, by Trotter, which Johnson himself saw and said was like the original. It serves as frontispiece to the "Memoir" published by Kearsley, 1784, and was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1785. I have heard of a portrait in the possession of Lord Crewe, said to be by Hogarth; and also of one attributed to Wright of Derby, in the gallery of Mr. Alfred Morrison. Neither of these have I seen.

One other representation of Johnson deserves and requires notice -the full-length portrait of him prefixed to the second volume of this edition. In the works of Richard Owen Cambridge, published with a Life by his son Archdeacon Cambridge, 1803, after page 368, there is inserted an engraving which represents Boswell sitting at a table covered with books and documents referring particularly to various publications which issued from the press subsequent to the "Tour to the Hebrides," and anterior to the "Life." Johnson appears as a ghost, standing on and partially surrounded by clouds, and is represented as rebuking Boswell with the indiscretion of publishing so many revelations of the weaknesses of Johnson to gratify the curiosity of the public. The idea was perhaps suggested by the poetical "Epistle from the Ghost of Dr. Johnson to his four friends, Strahan, Boswell, Mrs. Piozzi, and Courtenay," London, 1786. Mr. Richard Owen Cambridge entering into the humour of the conception, summoned an artist who happened to be living at his Twickenham house, to embody his imaginations. The result of this was the picture of which a representation is given at p. 369 of Cambridge's works. The original is now in the possession of Arthur Jelf, Esq., 9, King's Bench Walk, Temple; and from the figure of the ghost in it was devised the engraving by Finden reproduced as the frontispiece of our second volume. The artist is not known; but the print published in Cambridge's works was engraved by C. Bestland, Hampstead, June, 1803.

Sculpture also has contributed to perpetuate his likeness. There is a fine bust by Nollekens, which it is said was never executed in marble by the artist, though there is a marble copy of it by Baily in the vestibule of the National Gallery. Chantrey1 considered this the finest head Nollekens ever produced.

1

See Smith's Life of Nollekens, vol. ii., p. 73 (note).

The statue in St. Paul's, the first monument placed in that building, was by Bacon, and from it several busts have been taken. There is one in the Library of Pembroke College, Oxford, presented by the father of the celebrated Samuel Whitbread, M.P., accompanied by the following letter to the Master of Pembroke :

"SIR,

"Lower Grosvenor Street,

"Dec. 17, 1796.

"It is my duty to inform you that my father has left a direction that a bust of Dr. Johnson, executed by Bacon, which he possessed, should be presented to the Society over which you preside, and of which Dr. Johnson was formerly a member, in his name. I beg to be informed by what conveyance it can be most safely sent to Oxford, and have the honour to be, Sir,

"Your obedient servant,
"S. WHITBREAD.”

It would be an interminable, not to say profitless, task to attempt to enumerate and describe the engraved portraits, of which no less than 108 are entered in Mr. W. Smith's lists.

EDITOR.

JOHNSON'S CATALOGUE OF SCHEMES,

WITH BOSWELL'S OBSERVATIONS ON IT,

Referred to at p. 459 of the present volume.

"DIVINITY.

"A SMALL book of precepts and directions for piety; the hint taken from the directions in Morton's Exercise.

"PHILOSOPHY, HISTORY, AND LITERATURE IN GENERAL. "History of Criticism, as it relates to judging of authours, from. Aristotle to the present age. An account of the rise and improvements of that art; of the different opinions of authours, ancient and modern.

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