Notices respectifig Ntw Books. 85 



which he treati-d with surprising force, and tiulh of repre- 

 senlation. 



•' At length, still iinLier the auspices of Dr. Walcott, be 

 came to London, where his reception, and his continued 

 progress, arc the fit objects of the hiographcr. It is the 

 purpose of this paper to delineate solely his character, as a 

 man, a scholar, and an ;irtist. 



" Mr. Opie's ruling passion was ambition, — but ambition 

 tending to the use and delitiht of n^ankind. It impelled 

 him to eminence in his art, and it displayed itself in a reso- 

 lution alwavs decided, sovneiimes impetuous, to obtain 

 every distincticm which his ]-;uh in life laid open to him/. 

 Accustomed in childhood to prove himself superior to his 

 companions, the desire of competition became unexlin- 

 guishable. Wherever eminence appeared, he felt and 

 eagerly showed himself its rival. He was forward to claim 

 the honours which he was si ill n;ore diligent to deserve. 

 He regarded every honouralilc acquisition as a vict(jry, and 

 expressed with openness the dcli<iht he cxpi-rienced in suc- 

 cess. On the profcsR(;rship of painnng in the Royal Aca- 

 demy becoming vacant bv Mr. J'arry's dismissal, he off^-rcd 

 himself a candidate; and being told that he had a con)peti- 

 tor, whose learning and talents pre-eminently entitled him 

 to that office, he replied, that he abstained from further in- 

 terference, but that the person who had been pro])osed was 

 the only one in whose favour he would willingly resign his 

 pretensions: consliiteniiy with h's declaration, on Mr. 

 fuseli's appointment to the '.liice of keeper, he renewed his 

 . laim, and was elected. 



" Examples of a mind more o|ien to the reception of 

 knovvledge, more undaunted bv difficulty, more unwearied 

 in attainment, are rircly to be found. Conducted to Lon- 

 don by the hand of one who discerned his vet unveiled 

 merit, he approached if.K centre of an exalted country with 

 the liveliest hopes: he met its Hatteries with trembling; and 

 he viewed its unfeeling (\'<.priee with the sensitive emotions 

 of genius, but with the uuconquer il)le force of sense and 

 judgment. An inttllect naturally philosojihic, soon disco- 

 vered lo him thill he was not born to depend on the frivo- 



F 3 lous 



