By Mr. T. B. Smith. 



195 



of the Royal Academy, then a very beautiful and engaging child 

 between two and three years of age. He was a boy of remarkably 

 fascinating manner, and frequently amused himself by endeavouring 

 to draw little pictures on paper with a blacklead pencil. 



" I perfectly recollect, as I was one afternoon sitting alone in the 

 bar, watching him whip his top in the entrance hall, his running up 

 to me, and saying, ' Miss Lea/ (that was my maiden name), sit as 

 as you are, and I will draw your picture. I did as he desired, and 

 in a few minutes he produced what was always considered an 

 excellent likeness of me. He was at that time in petticoats, and I 

 think not more than four years of age. I shall never forget the 

 pleasure with which his father caressed him when shewn this his 

 first attempt to portray the " human face divine." He snatched it 

 from the table, and ran out of the house to purchase a frame for it. 

 It hung for some time in the bar, and was much admired by persons 

 frequenting the Inn, I subsequently gave it to one of my brothers 

 on his going abroad, and it was lost, with all the rest of his property, 

 in the French Revolution of 1790. 



" The next likeness wheh young Lawrence executed, was that of 

 your mother's first husband, Mr. Benett Swayne. These portraits, 

 I think I may venture to affirm, were the foundation on which the 

 painter's future fame was raised, as from this time numbers of 

 persons became anxious to have their likenesses taken by a child in 

 petticoats, and the reputation which he thereby acquired, was the 

 cause of his talents being at length directed solely to that occupation 

 which nature had so distinctly pointed out for him. 



"The crayon picture which I now present to you,- was done by 

 young Lawrence when about 14 years of age. It is one of the first 

 which he executed in this style, for which he used to charge three 

 guineas, frame included. It is a portrait of Miss White, who 

 afterwards married the Rev. W. Jacobs, Rector of Shillingstone, 

 Dorsetshire. Her father at that time kept the Castle Inn, at 

 Marlborough, and between him and Mr. Lawrence there existed a 

 degree of intimacy which induced the young artist to bestow especial 

 pains upon the picture. It was given me by Mrs. Jacobs herself. 

 Many years afterwards, at an interview which I had with Sir 



p2 



