By Mr. T. B. Smith. 



199 



him if he had ever drawn the likeness of that gentleman and his 

 horse ? Tom said he believed he had, and taking the enquirers into 

 his bedroom they there found, sketched on one of the walls thereof, 

 a very exeellent picture of the doctor and his favourite white 

 charger. 



Dr Kent was so pleased with this performance, that he immedi- 

 ately took young Lawrence to the shop of a bookseller, Mr. 

 Burrough, Mr. Smith's grandfather, and there made him a present 

 of the first box of colours he ever possessed, and also a choice 

 selection of books. The Rev. Doctor's friendship was from this 

 time of the most substantial and useful kind to the young artist 

 and his family, and terminated only at the doctor's death. 

 Shortly after this first introduction Dr. Kent received from his 

 protege a very spirited head of our Saviour sketched in chalk. It 

 is in an oval frame 9 in. by 7 in. and it has written on the 

 back of it by Lawrence, 



" Dr. Kent is requested to accept this trifle from his grateful 

 friend and servant. T. Lawrence, Jun. 



This picture, which is one of the earliest of his productions extant, 

 is now in the possession of Henry Kent JNorris, Esq., of Devizes, a 

 relative of the doctor's, and would prove a very valuable addition 

 to any collection of the works of the late Sir Thomas. 1 



With this introduction I proceed to give the letters, the originals 

 of which are at present in Mr. JNorris's possession. 



Rev. Dear Sir, — Although I "begin with hoping most sincerely that you are 

 well and happy, I wish to inform you that next Wednesday will be a very 

 flattering day to my youngest son, from the opening of the Royal Exhibition to 

 which their Majesties mean to go to-morrow, and will see of his portraits of 

 the Queen, of the Princess Amelia, the sons of Lord Ducie Moretou, sons and 

 daughter of Lord George Cavendish, son and daughter of the Earl of Abercorne, 

 Gen. Patterson, a Mr. Laskar in the East India Service, the celebrated 

 Mrs. Carter, Mr. Locke, Andrew Lawrence, and Miss Farren, for which last he 

 is to receive one hundred guineas, and he has now with the most general appro- 

 bation raised his price to 20, 40 and foruscore guineas, with plenty of business 

 to go on at these prices, being the highest ever known in this or any other 

 kingdom at his age, who will be one and twenty the 6th May, on which day 

 would you be pleased to have your money lodged with Messrs. Hoare, or 

 remitted to you (with very grateful thanks !) by the post. 



1 The Society is indebted to Mr* Norris for permission to copy this drawing by 

 the photo-lithographic process. The engraving accompanies the present paper. 



