616 



LONGFORD LOL'GHBOROUGH. 



could not be prevailed upon to apply any of his 

 own or other remedies to relieve that pain, or to 

 cure him of a cough which he had contracted. The 

 consequence was that he fell into a rapid decline. 

 He bequeathed the bulk of his property to his 

 brother William ; in which bequest is included his 

 discovery, or secret, which he desires may be sold 

 for 10,000. It is understood that the secret has 

 been purchased. 



LONGFORD; a small county of Ireland, in the 

 province of Leinster, comprehending an area of 

 263,645 acres, of which 192,506 are cultivated 

 land, 55,247 are bog and mountain, and 15,892 are 

 covered with water. It is bounded on the north by 

 the counties of Cavi:n and Leitrim ; on the east and 

 south by Westmeath county ; and on the west by 

 the navigable river Shannon. It presents for the 

 most part a level surface, with the exception of 

 the north-western angle, which is occupied by a 

 chain of rugged hills, forming, in part, the separa- 

 tion between this county and Leitrim. The 

 Shannon is the principal river of the county, after 

 which come the limy, Camlin, Tallen, and others 

 of minor importance. Lakes are numerous, and 

 abound with fish. Longford is almost entirely 

 an agricultural county. Wheat, barley, and oats, 

 are grown extensively, and transported to the 

 markets of Dublin and Drogheda. Minerals have 

 not yet been discovered to any extent. Iron ore 

 is found in the mountains in the northern baronies; 

 and it is probable that the Leitrim coal-field 

 extends into the same district. The civil division 

 of the county includes the baronies of Abbeyshruel, 

 Ardagh (an ancient bishopric), Granard, Moydow, 

 and Rathcline. In these are several good towns, 

 the chief of which are Longford, the assize town, 

 (situated on the river Camlin, seventy- four miles, 

 W. from Dublin; pop. 4354) Granard, Edge- 

 worthstown, (q. v.) Ballymahon, and Lanes- 

 borough. Linen is manufactured in various places, 

 and markets for linen and yarn established in the 

 principal towns. The navigation of the river 

 Shannon, in its passage along the boundary of this 

 county, admits of a free mode of transport to the 

 port of Limerick, and so on to the Atlantic; while 

 the extension of the royal canal to Richmond 

 Harbour, with a branch to the town of Longford, 

 throws open the market of the metropolis to this 

 county. Population in 18H, 115,491. Longford 

 is the native county of Oliver Goldsmith and 

 Maria Edgeworth. 



LONSDALE, JAMES, an eminent portrait 

 painter, was born in Lancaster, on the 16th May, 

 1777. One of his earliest friends was a gentleman 

 of the name of Threlfall, an architect of that town, 

 who, perceiving his young friend to possess consid- 

 erable talent, and a great love for drawing, lent him 

 every facility which his house could afford for his 

 improvement. Some years afterwards, when he 

 had made considerable advancement, the late duke 

 of (then lord Archibald) Hamilton saw several of 

 his drawings, and was so much pleased with the 

 promise they displayed, that he invited him to Ash- 

 ton hall, his Grace's seat, in the neighbourhood of 

 Lancaster. Here he became acquainted with lady 

 Ann Hamilton, the late duchess of Somerset, and 

 the countess of Dunmore, the duke's daughter, who 

 ever afterwards entertained the highest regard and 

 esteem for him, both as an artist and a man. Mr 

 Lonsdale finding that, however agreeably his time 

 was passe.d at Ashton, another field was necessary 

 for the development of his strength, and for the 



establishment of his reputation as an artist, deter- 

 mined at once to visit the metropolis. This, how- 

 ever, was not done without his having all the diffi- 

 culties of such a course fully laid before him by 

 the duke. Nothing disheartened by these consid- 

 erations, which he had already well weighed in his 

 own mind, he set off for London, and immediately 

 after his arrival was received by Romney into his 

 house as a pupil. He soon afterwards took lodgings 

 in London, and became a constant attendant at the 

 royal academy; but he every year, in the prosecu- 

 tion of his profession, returned to Lancaster, and 

 always with increasing reputation and success. At 

 Opie's death, Mr Lonsdale had been so successful, 

 that he was enabled to purchase the house of that 

 eminent artist, in Berners street, in which he re- 

 sided the remainder of his life. Soon after he had 

 established himself there, he became acquainted 

 with the late duke of Norfolk, who engaged him 

 to paint the large historical picture of King John 

 signing Magna Charta, which was afterwards exe- 

 cuted in stained glass, and placed in the baron's 

 hall at Arundel castle. He also painted several 

 whole-length portraits of his Grace. The original, 

 which is an admirable likeness, full of character, 

 and executed with striking ability, is now in the 

 possession of the present duke. Another, a large 

 whole-length, is, we believe, placed in the county- 

 hall at Hereford. About this time he also had the 

 honour of being patronized by his royal Highness 

 the duke of Sussex, of whom he painted several 

 portraits, as well as those of many of his royal 

 Highness's personal friends. The late queen Caro- 

 line appointed him her Majesty's portrait-painter, 

 and he executed several pictures of her, which were 

 striking and characteristic likenesses. One of 

 them, a half-length, with her celebrated letter to 

 George IV. in her hand, is in the council-room at 

 Guildhall. Amongst others of the numerous list 

 of distinguished men who were the subjects of Mr 

 Lonsdale's pencil, we may mention the emperor of 

 Russia, the king of the Belgians, the grand duke 

 Maximilian, the duke of Leinster, the duke of 

 Argyll, Dr Parr, Sir Humphrey Davy, Talma, 

 &c. &c. He became a member of the Beef-Steak 

 club soon after his acquaintance with the duke of 

 Norfolk, (by whom, we believe, he was introduced 

 there,) and in that society formed a friendly inter- 

 course with many of the most distinguished char- 

 acters of his time. His portraits of lord Brougham 

 and baron Wood are full of character, and perfectly 

 identify the men. His three last pictures painted 

 shortly before his death, were lord Camperdown, 

 lord Zetland, and lord Dinorben. As an artist, he 

 was more intent in bringing out the peculiarities of 

 the mind, in conjunction with a strict, but judicious, 

 representation of the features, than in working up 

 inferior details, and in rendering his pictures capti- 

 vating to common observers. Mr Lonsdale's death 

 took place on the 17th Jan. 1839. He married, 

 shortly before he purchased Opie's house a lady 

 from Lancaster, by whom he left three sons. In 

 private life he was highly esteemed; and numbered 

 among his friends many of the most distinguished 

 men of the age for wit, ability, and high birth. 



LOUGHBOROUGH ; a town in the county of 

 Leicester, situated on the river Soar, on the great 

 road from London to Manchester, distant 108 miles 

 from the former. The town has, within these 

 twenty years, been much improved by the erection 

 of a new market-house and many handsome private 

 edifices. The manufactures carried on here are 



