352 
znd impartiality, that would have done 
honour to a Michael Angelo. And 
here let me pauseand drop atear over 
the recollection of an artist, whose good 
nature, hilarity, generosity, and candour, 
could only be equailed by his delicate 
taste, profound knowledge, exquisite 
skill, and unrivailed exertions: a man, 
that, had he been encouraged to come 
liome, or kindly treated by those who 
sent him out, would have reflected ho- 
nour on the artof sculpture; for he made 
a distiict study of every part of his art, 
and was as recherché in hair as in drape- 
ry, as great in drawing aud modelling as 
‘sculpture, wholly devoted to fume, free- 
dom, and the arts; nor wall it be cousi- 
dered as a slight proof of the fact, when 
I mention that the inimitable Canova be- 
held his productions with respect, and 
that even good painters came to him for 
advice and correction. 
_» Such a one was Deare, whose chief 
works went to France, and whose chisel 
is scarcely known in England, except in 
Sir Richard Worsley’s collections, where 
his Marine Venus will shew a hand, that 
when alone disclosed, has often been 
even among artists taken for an an- 
tique. 
‘But where should I stop if I were to ga 
on to enumerate all the amiable and 
‘clever men which Rome has withheld 
from their country by her fascinations ? 
the gentle Robinson of elegant taste ; 
the cheerful good generous-hearted [few- 
itson;.the gay Durna, of grand concep- 
tions the constant owner; the genric 
manly Hamilton, and his ingenious name- 
sake, of parents and husbands the model 
of kindness; with many others, now no 
more! Let me therefore return to the 
subject of these short memoirs, lest L 
should obtrude too much ov your varied 
publication, and go on to speak of other 
works of his, which partly, itmay be said, 
Jed to his hasty dissolution, and affecting 
loss. 
Whilst waiting at Leghorn to collect 
his. studies and etfects, he purchased a 
picture of merit from the altar-piece of 
a church there, and engaged, at the same 
time, to paint, for the guardians of it, 
another to replace it .from his own de- 
signs. The subject he chose was that of 
Elisha ascending in the chariot of fire - 
into. the Heavens, while the son of the 
prophet, with extended arms, is catching 
the falling mantle ; Jordan winds in the 
back-ground with great sublimity and 
grandeur; the cartdon was finished in 
Meioirs of Charles Grignon, Esq. 
‘ Fhaaad; 
black chalk, in a, great manner, but be 
was not destined to live to finish the pic- 
ture; for the 29th of October, 1804, he 
was seized with a malignant fever, then 
raging in Leghorn, died on the 4th of 
November, aiter only four days illuess, 
and was, the next day buried, in the 
ground of the English factory, by his in- 
timate firend the Rev. Mr, Lal, chaplain 
Lo the establishment. 
At that tine the fever was carrying off 
a great many people every day, iInso- 
much, that, frown an idea of its being cou- 
tagious, people greatly avoided each 
other, and many went up to Pisa to be 
_out of the way of its attacks ; to this step 
he was advised by his friends, but, at- 
tached to the studies he had collected, 
he had not the resolution to move, and 
taking leave of Mr. Littledale, (who 
escaped it by going away), he then had 
the feveron him without perceiving it, 
observing, that “it was only a bead-ach.” 
Mr. Littledale died of the same species 
of bilious fever, at Berbice, in South 
America, precisely that day three years. 
But for this fatal attack he would” 
soon hive returned, and reaped the ho- 
nours he had so well deserved from his 
country ; for having in general possessed 
good health, the fruits of great tempe- 
rance, at fifty he might have expected to 
display the vigour of talents renovated by 
an agreeable change, and, having acquir- 
ed a decent competence,, te have en- 
joyed it with satisfaction “ at home at 
last!” Here be would probably have 
finished his designs for Milton, which 
he had begun for Sir Corbet Corbet, and 
which, if we may. give credit to the judg. 
ment of Dr. Clarke, who saw them/at 
Rome, were far advanced, and very va~ 
luable. As a judge of old masters, he 
would also have been a great acquisition 
to thuse who have the good sense to col- 
lect,with the assistance of the artist’s-eye, 
for a judgment more matured could not 
easily be obtained; his long residence 
having given him time to correct those 
ervors by which our early opinions. are 
always accompanied, whilst, his known 
probity, and stern principles of justice 
would have secured his friends from beé- 
ing the dupes of the manufactures of 
stippled old copies of great masters, 
where often nothing is left but the ge< 
neral forms, and general systern of co- 
louring. 
they ave laid bare and naked to the eye 
of the meanest mechanic in oil-painting, 
by the dotting process of repairs, are 
often 
Such pictures, in proportion as: 
ow 
OE —— 
