Manchester McdioIj-s, Vol. xliv. (1900J, No. 14. 



jj 



Vice - President, and Thos. Taylor, Secretar}-. This 

 Societ}', of which Taylor speaks so hopefully, survived 

 until 1794. Other attempts were made, but were doomed 

 to fail. The efforts finall)' culminated in 18 14, when the 

 Liverpool Institution was founded. This received a 

 Royal Charter in 1822, and has ever since been highly 

 successful. 



The next letter was written on October 30th. Taylor 

 expresses his regret that he was not able to attend the 

 Review of the Military Association at Manchester — •" Mr. 

 Wallace being at Buxton (evidently for the gout before 

 alluded to) I was tied fast." Ta\'lor, we know, was em- 

 plo}'ed with Mr. Thomas Earle before the latter's death in 

 1 78 1, and this seems to convey the idea that he had now 

 entered the house of Mr. Wallace. The letter continues : — 



I am glad you approve of our intended Academy, we have not launch'd 

 forth in a pompous manner yet the promoters of it shew great zeal for its 

 establishment, and it has met with great encouragement from the inhabitants 

 of Liverpool, not only such as have a taste for the Art of painting, but from 

 many who have never shewn any disposition that way ; I shall enclose you 

 a sketch of the plans which are thought proper to have printed, that the design 

 of the institution might be rightly understood. I have no doubt it will be a 

 very useful one, and setting London aside, I don't suppose there is any place 

 in the kingdom where better instruction may be had on these subjects. 

 Roscoe is to open this day week and I venture to say his lecture will be a high 

 treat, it is his favourite pursuit and it was his Ode on a similar institution 

 here some years since which established his title to poetic fame, he has much 

 at heart the reestablishing the Academy and has endeavoured in forming 

 the plan to avoid the Rock on which the former split, which was that it was 

 made to rest entirely on the Artists, who being transient inhabitants the 

 matter dropt when they left town, but now the artists are secondary 

 instruments only, the principal parts are in the hands of residents. We had 

 like to have had a disagreement among the painters but it has blown over. 

 Tate (who by the by is the most silly ignorant fellow I ever met with) gave 

 himself very great airs, he wanted to have the direction and be at the head of 

 everything and treated Pack very contemptuously, but finding that it would not 

 be submitted to, he declined any part in the Lectures, and is going soon to 

 leave the town. The truth is he is cursedly chagrined at the manner in 

 which he has been received here, he has only done one or two pictures though 

 he has been here these three months, while on the contrary Pack has been 



