CHRONICLE. 



367 



TJiis gallery I once flattered myself 

 with being able to have left to that 

 generous public, who have for so 

 long a period encouraged my under-' 

 takings: but unfortunately for those 

 connected with the fine arts, a Van- 

 dalic revolution has arisen, which, 

 in convulsing all Europe, has en- 

 tirely extinguished, except in this 

 happy island, all those who had the 

 taste or tiie power to promote those 

 arts ; while the tyrant that at pre- 

 sent governs France, tells that be- 

 lieving and besotted nation, that in 

 the midst of all his robbery and ra- 

 pine, he is a great patron and pro- 

 moter of the fine arts ; just as if 

 those arts that humanize and polish 

 mankind could be promoted by such 

 means and by such a man. You 

 M-iil excuse, my dear Sir, 1 am sure, 

 some warmth in an old man on this 

 subject, when I inform you, that 

 this unhappy revolution has cut up 

 by the roots that revenue from the 

 Continent which enabled me to un- 

 dertake such considerable works in 

 this country. At the same time, as 

 I am laying my case fairly before 

 you, It should not be disguised that 

 my natural enthusiasm for promot- 

 ing the fine arts (perhaps buoyed up 

 by success), made me improvident. 

 For had 1 laid by but ten pounds 

 out of every hundred pounds my 

 plates produced, I should not now 

 have had occasion to trouble my 

 friends, or appeal to the public; but, 

 on the contrary, I flew with impa- 

 tience to employ some new artist 

 with the whole gains of my former 

 undertakings. I see too late my 

 error; for I have thereby decreased 

 my ready money, and increased my 

 stock of copper- plates to such a 

 size, that all the printsellers in Kii- 

 rope could not purchase it, especi- 

 ally at these times so unfavourable 

 to the arts. Having thus candidly 



owned my error, I have but one 

 word to say in extenuation. My 

 receipts from abroad had been so 

 large, and continued so regular, that 

 I at all times found them fully ade- 

 quate to support my undertakings 

 at home — I could not calculate on 

 the present crisis, which has totally 

 annihilated them — I certainly calcu- 

 lated on some defalcation of these 

 receipts, by a French or Spanish 

 war, or both ; but with France or 

 Spain I carried on but little com- 

 merce — Flanders, Holland, and Ger- 

 many, who, no doubt, supplied the 

 rest of Europe, were the great 

 marts; but alas ! they arc now no 

 more. The convulsion that has dis- 

 jointed and ruined the whole Conti- 

 nent, I did not foresee — 1 know no 

 man that did. On that head, there- 

 fore, though it has nearly ruined me 

 and mine, I can take but littleblame 

 to myself. In this state of things, I 

 throw myself with confidence upon 

 that public, who has always been 

 but too partial to my poor endea- 

 vours, for the disposal of that which, 

 in happier days, I flattered myself 

 to have presented to them. I know 

 of no means by which that can be 

 effected just now but by a lottery ; 

 and if the legislature will have the 

 goodness to grant a permission for 

 that purpose, they will at least have 

 • the assurance of the even tenourofa 

 long life, that it will be fairly and 

 honourably conducted. The objects 

 of it are my pictures, galleries, 

 drawings, &c. Sec. which, uncon- 

 nected with my copper-plates and 

 trade, are much more than sufficient 

 to pay, if properly disposed of, all 

 I owe in the world. 1 hope you, 

 my dear Sir, and every honest man. 

 at any age, will feel for' my anxiety 

 to disc]iarge my debts, but at my ad- 

 vanced age of 85, I feel it becomes 



doubly desirable. 



I am, dear Sir. 

 with 



