THE THREE PRESIDENTS. 67 



The features of Lawrence finely formed and proportioned, bounded 

 by flowing lines, eked out with the most delicate finish. The eyes, 

 nose and mouth, of Reynolds, on the contrary, are so many powerful 

 touches, or dabs, as the ladies would say, wherein any precision of 

 form or sharpness of coutour are not to be traced. 



We lounge through the other rooms, but amongst the Sir Joshua's 

 we sit down and feel perfectly contented, picking out half a dozen 

 at once, between which it is difficult to decide a preference. There is 

 No. 2. An Infant's Head; can anything be more lovely? Sleep 

 breathes from the open and richly coloured lips, the cheek is like the 

 side of a peach, a soft shade subdues the closed and handsome eye- 

 lid ; we are glad it was never finished it could not be more like 

 nature, but might have been spoiled. Then we steal a glance at No. 

 11, Miss Hickey, as if she were a living beauty looking at us from 

 beneath her overshadowing hat. It is finer than the Chapeau de 

 Faille, because it is less pretending, is equally transparent, more in- 

 tensely real, and as unlike a picture as possible. No. 13, Lord Rod- 

 ney, is as cool and chaste in color as Vandyke. By all that's fine in 

 art, our Sir Joshua is worth two of the Fleming ! No. 24, Nelly 

 O'Brien. 4. Contemplation. 49. Countess Cornwallis and her Son, and 

 50. Lady de Clifford, are all exquisitely painted. The portraits seem 

 so unconscious of being portraits that we are charmed as by the pre- 

 sence of the actual sitters. 47' The First Marquis of Lansdowne, 

 Lord Ashburton and Colonel Barre. In this group of heads, the most 

 noticeable is that of Ashburton, the eminent lawyer ; he is said to 

 have made some remark savouring of a strong contempt of the popu- 

 lace during the riots of 1780; the expression of his countenance in 

 this picture must have been precisely the same as his imperative and 

 stubborn features assumed at the moment of this burst of aristocratic 

 feeling. He paid Dr. Johnson a compliment on his powers of con- 

 versation which the Doctor appeared to value very highly as coming 

 from one unused to the gentle mood. " One is always willing to hear 

 Dr. Johnson/' said his lordship. Johnson, on being told of this, ex- 

 claimed, " Here is a man willing to listen, to whom the world is lis 1 - 

 tening all the rest of the year." Below this group is the Colossus of 

 Literature. It is the original of the print engraved for the early edi- 

 tion of his Dictionary. 



Now for the children ; first, the Infant Academy. It is like a scene 

 in some juvenile comedy where there is no guile, and the playful 

 action is right earnest enjoyment ; nothing can be sweeter than the 

 little huddled up creature in the corner conscious of a bit of finery, 

 and laughing roguishly. We love Sir Joshua for giving up so much of 

 his mind to illustrate the simple manners of life's first stage; such a pic- 

 ture as thisis worth fifty of Ugolino's; from the starved group we|depart 

 melancholy, but unimproved; from the children our maturity derives 

 freshness as delightful as the presence of spring. In 29. Figures by 

 Torch Light, there appears a young head looking round at us under 

 the arm of the girl in the fore-ground ; we saw the same beautiful 

 expression years ago ; it was not forgotten, but hung in memory's 

 picture gallery, among the best of our choice collection. Scores of 

 times have we seen all that this room contains, but never has the en- 



