230 Sbe (Sarfcett 



he discovered any merit in his friend. His por- 

 traits bore little resemblance to the persons that 

 sat for them, and the coloring was worse, more 

 raw and undetermined than that of the most 

 errant journeymen to the profession. The 

 whole lengths at Esher are standing evidences 

 of this assertion. In his ceilings, Kent's draw- 

 ing was as defective as the coloring of his 

 portraits, and as void of every merit. I have 

 mentioned Hogarth's parody, if I may call it so, 

 of his picture at St. Clement's. The hall at 

 Wanstead is another proof of his incapacity. 

 Sir Robert Walpole, who was persuaded to em- 

 ploy him at Houghton, where he painted several 

 ceilings and the staircase, would not permit 

 him, however, to work in colors, which would 

 have been still more disgraced by the presence 

 of so many capital pictures, but restrained him 

 to chiaro-scuro. If his faults are thence not so 

 glaring, they are scarce less numerous. He 

 painted a staircase in the same way for Lord 

 Townshend at Rainham. 



To compensate for his bad paintings, he had 

 an excellent taste for ornaments, and gave de- 

 signs for most of the furniture at Houghton, as 

 he did for several other persons. Yet chaste as 

 these ornaments were, they were often unmeas- 

 urably ponderous. His chimney-pieces, though 

 lighter than those of Inigo, whom he imitated, 



