Notices respecting Xew Books. 87 



ing any collision with the brilliant specimens oF erudition 

 and Ima'jluatlon which had immediately preceded him in 

 that place, appeared to have been unequalled in their kind. 



" In his iormer lectures at the Royal Institution, he was 

 abrupt, crowded, and frequently unmethodical ; rather 

 rushing forward himself, than leading his auditors, to the 

 subject, fn the latter lectures he was rnnre regular, pro- 

 gressive, distinct, instructive; and dviivercd a mixture of 

 humorous and impassioned sentiment in a strain ol c^mt, 

 natural, and flf)\viii^ eloquence. Here he found his gemus 

 roused, and his whole facuhics adequately excited; and he 

 shoue more as professtir at the Academy, than as lecturer 

 at the Institution, because he was more formed by nature 

 and a;>plication to address the studious and philosophic 

 than the light and gay. He possessed no superficial graces, 

 either in his conversation or profession;il practice. Every 

 thing in him was manly, resolute, energetic ; yielding little 

 to fashion, notliintr to caprice; less addressed even to fancy 

 than to judgment; in no measure adapted to catch a care- 

 less glance, but lltted to awaken thought, and gratify re- 

 flection. 



" It has been said by some, who most probably never ex- 

 changed a vvord with Mr. Opie, that his mind was without 

 cultivation. 'I'hal this was not the case, is plain from what 

 has been related. It may not be amiss to notice, that 

 Mr. Opie read French uell, and understood something o{ 

 Latin and music, all attained by his own unceasing ap- 

 pliration. 



" It v.'ould be an omission of public dutv not to add, that 

 to whatever degree of respect Mr. Opie's talents finally 

 raised him, he may yet be brought foiward as another in- 

 stance in which we have cause to regret the want of 

 eatablished public direeiion of his art. After the first flow 

 of curiosity on his arrival in Londcni had subsided, and 

 when he could no longer be ' the wonder of the day,' 

 * the boy drawn out from a tin-mine in Cornwall,' his 

 real qualities ceastd to attract attention, and, what was 

 worse, emidoyment. His respectable and amiable patron, 

 sir John bt. Aubyn, stood his friend at that inter* sting 

 i' 4 moment ; 



