IS27.] 



Biographical Memoirs of Emiiw.nl Persons. 



435 



compared with the sophisticated reasoners of 

 our times, I think he would tear his heart 

 from his bosom, if he thought that a single 

 pretension was not the unconstrained and 

 free movement of bis soul." 



Foscolo's memory was remarkably tena- 

 cious. A short time previously to his death, 

 which occurred on the 10th of September, lie 

 had, for the benefit of his health, retired to 

 the vicinity of London. For nearly two 

 years he had laboured under an organic 

 affection; and, before the disease reached 

 its climax, his sufferings were increased by 

 severe inflammatory attacks, which extended 

 to the liver, and terminated in a confirmed 

 dropsy. In a very reduced state, the opera- 

 tion of tapping, a second time performed 

 after a short interval, is thought to have 

 hastened his dissolution. His pecuniary 

 circumstances, it is feared, were not pros- 

 perous. 



WILLIAM BLAKE. 



William Blake, born about the year 1761, 

 was a very remarkable, and a very eccentric 

 character. He was brought up under Basire, 

 an eminent engraver ; but his exertions were 

 not confined to the burin. His designs, illus- 

 trating a quarto edition of Blair's Grave, 

 and ushered into the world by a preface from 

 the pen of the learned and severe Fusel i, are 

 well known. Fiaxman pointed out Blake 

 to an eminent literary man, as a melancholy 

 example of English apathy towards the 

 grand, the philosophic, or the enthusiasti- 

 cally devoted painter By Sir Thomas Law- 

 rence, too, whose judgment in art has never 

 yet been questioned, he was repeatedly em- 

 ployed ; notwithstanding which he existed 

 in a state of penury, which most artists 

 creatures necessarily of a sensitive tempera- 

 ment would deem intolerable. He has 

 been seen living, or rather vegetating, with 

 his affectionate wife, in a close back-room 

 in one of the courts of the Strand; his bed 

 in one corner, his meagre dinner in another ; 

 a ricketty table, holding his copper plates in 

 progress, his large drawings, sketches, tfoc., 

 MSS., his colours, books, <fec. ; amongst 

 which bis Bible, a Sessi Vellutello's Dante, 

 and Mr. Carey's Translation, were at the 

 top. At this time his ancles were fright- 

 fully swelled, his chest was disorJered, old 

 age was striding on, and his wants were in- 

 creasing, but not the means of supplying 

 those wants. Yet his eye was undimmed, 

 the fire oi his imagination was unquenched, 

 the preternatural never-resting activity of 

 his mind was unflagging. He was calm, he 

 was cheerful, at times he was even mirthful. 

 At the age of 66, Mr. Blake commenced 

 the study of Italian, for the sake of reading 

 Dante in the original; and he succeeded in 

 the undertaking. At one period, if we mis- 

 take not, he was upon intimate terms with 

 John Varley, another eccentric, but highly- 

 gifled artist. In temper be was ardent, af- 

 fectionate, and grateful ; in manners and 

 address, simple, courteous, aud agreeable. 



He died calmly and piously, like an infant 

 sinking into its last s'umber, on the 13th of 

 July. He has left milling behind, except 

 some pictures, copper-plates, and his prin- 

 cipal work a series of a hundred large 

 designs from Dante. 



THE EARL OF STIlADBROKE. 



John Rons, Earl of Siradbroke, so created 

 on the JStbof July, 1821, derived his title 

 from Stradbroke or Stradhrook, a parish in 

 the county of Suffolk, in which his an- 

 cestors the family of Le Rus, or Rous 

 were established, and had property, as early 

 as the time of the Heptarchy. The Rons 

 family founded the priory at Woodbridge, 

 where many of them were buried ; and the 

 Le Rouses of Denuington, as well as all 

 others of the name, are descendants from the 

 Rouses of Stradbroke. Sir William Rous, 

 the immediate descendant of Peter Le Rons, 

 of Dennington, in (he reign of Edward III., 

 was father of Sir Anthony Rous, who pur- 

 chased Henfaam-hall, in Suffolk, in the year 

 1545. His great grandson, Sir John Rons, 

 was father of Sir John, created a baronet in 

 the year 1660. Sir John, the fifth baronet, 

 and father of the late Earl, was one of llae 

 representatives of the county of Suffolk in 

 the year 1768. In 1749, he married Judith, 

 the daughter and sole heiress of John Beding- 

 fiel!, of Beeston, in the county of Norfolk. 

 By that lady, his only son and successor was 

 John, the late Earl of Stradbroke, who was 

 born in 1749 or 1750. 



Sir John Rous, who succeeded his father 

 in the title and estates in the year 1771, 

 married first, in January, 1788, Frances Ju- 

 liana Warter, daughter of Edward Warter 

 Wilson, Esq., by whom he had a daughter, 

 married, in 1816, to Admiral Sir Henry Ho- 

 thum, K.C.B. Lady Rous dying in 1790, 

 Sir John formed a second matrimonial union, 

 in 1792, with Charlotte Maria, daughter of 

 A. Whittaker, Esq. Sir John was elevated 

 to the English peerage, by the title of Baron 

 Rous, of Dennington, in the county of Suf- 

 folk, on the Mth of June, 1796; and, in 

 July 1821, he was advanced to the titles of 

 Viscount Dunwich, and Earl of Stradbroke. 



His lordship, who resided on his paternal 

 estate of Henham-hall, was warmly and de- 

 votedly attached through life to the Tory or 

 Pitt system of politics. Liberal, generous, 

 and benevolent, this nobleman, in every 

 relation of life as husband, father, friend, 

 and landlord was universally beloved ; and 

 long and deeply will his loss be fell. Lord 

 Stradbroke died at his house in Hertford- 

 street, May-fair, on the 17th of August; he 

 is succeeded by his eldest son, John Edward 

 Cornwallis Rous, Viscount Dunwich, now 

 Earl of Stradbroke. His lordship, who is a 

 captain in the army, was born in the year 

 1794. 



Besides the son and daughter already men- 

 tioned, the late Karl has left a family of six 

 children : Lady Charlotte Maria, married to 

 Nathaniel Micklethwuite, of Oustou-hall, in 

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