8g 
sources of national opulence and honour, 
affording scope for still higher purposes, by 
elevating the human character, illustrating 
the truths of religion, promoting the interests 
of moraiity, and conferring the most gratifying 
recompense on those who dedicate their 
powers to the improvement, happiness, and 
security of civilized life. In the year 1799, 
Mr Desenfai’s published a short work, in 
which he presented a plan for advancing the 
British Arts, by the establishment of a 
National Gallery, in order to give encourage- 
ment to rising talents. According to this 
plan, the Gallery was to contain Portraits of 
all who distinguished themselves in the 
service of their country, as well as repre- 
sentations of the atchievements in which 
their heroism might besignalized. The plan 
altogether is the work of a mind animated 
by the most enlightened and capacious de- 
signs, and was formed upon such principles, 
that while it was intended for the national 
honour, it might have been accomplished 
without any burthen upon the public. The 
only ground oF complaint that has ever been 
alledged against Mr. Desenfans, implied, that 
in his partiality to the ancient masters, he 
overlooked living .merit. This complaint, 
however, could never have arisen if his cha- 
racter and conduct had been properly known. 
The truth is, that in the work alluded to, 
Mir.Desenfans speaksvery highly of the merit 
of English Artists, and declares that, ‘* this 
country now pessesses the first Painters and 
the best Engravers.” But his respect for 
British talents was not manifested only in 
complimentary language, for notwithstanding 
the vast sums which he must have devoted 
to the collection of Pictures which he has 
left, and which, for its extent, is one of the 
most valuable in Europe; it can be proved 
that he absolutely expended nine thousand 
five huncred pounds in the patronage cf Bri- 
tish Artists. In the year 1402, Mr. Desen- 
fans published a descriptive Catalogue of a 
Collection of Pictures, which he was com- 
missioned to purchase for the late amiable 
and unfortunate King of Poland, who had 
honourea him with the appointment of Con- 
sul General of Poland in Great Britain. This 
Collection was chosen with great taste and 
judgment, and consisted of admirable works, 
from all the different schools of most cele- 
brity. The Catalogue is rot only a just and 
candid account of the merits of the respective 
works, bit besides all its instractive com- 
Ments ana sagacious refl-cticns is rendered 
very entertaining by Aneccotes of the seveial 
Masters, histoiical Notices, ingenious Strokes . 
of } umour, strong Marks of good Sense, and 
unaffected Piety. In private lite, *'r. De- 
serfans was dist nguished for a liberal hospi- 
tality, firm friendship, and affable and cour- 
te us manners, the naturaf resu't of an ex- 
cellect heart and an expansive mind. 
[ Further account of Charles Dilly, esq. whose 
death was unnounted at p. 604 of vol. 23. 
Hie was born May 2%, 1739, at southil, in 
Bediordshire 3 where his family were of some 
Conseyue nce in the higher ranks of old Eng- 
Account of the late Charles Dilly, Esq. 
[Aug. I, 
lish yeomen ; and for which county his eld- 
est brother, John Dilly, esq. (who cultivated 
the paternal inheritance at Southill) served 
the office of high sheriff in 1783. Edward 
Dilly, the next brother, was a bookseller 
of eminence in the Poultry, particularly in 
the line of American exportation; and in 
the writings of the ofd Schoot of Presbyte- 
rianism, Doddridge, Watts, &c. Mr. Edward: 
Dilly was an enthusiastic admirer of the poli- 
tics (if not the persona) charms) of Catharine 
Macaulay, whose publications he regularly 
ushered into the world; and may truly be 
said to. have been a general and a generous 
patron. He was aman of great pleasantry 
of manners; and so fond of conversatien, 
that he almost literally talked himself to 
death. By this event which happened May 
11,1779, Charles Dilly became the sole pro- 
prietor of a very valuable trading concern, - 
which he continued to cultivate with that in. 
dustry and application which in this great 
commescial Metrepolis almost invariably 
leads to opulence. In 178%, on a vacaney of 
an Alderman for the ward of Cheap, Mr. 
Dilly was invited to accept the scarlet 
gown; but declined that honourable’ office’ 
in favour of Mr. Boydell. ‘That of sheriff 
he escaped. on the plea of nenconformity. 
With the fortunes of Edward, Charles in- 
‘herited also’ some of his good qualities. 
Yhe hospitable table, which Edward was 
famed for spreading, was continued by 
Charles, but with a more sparing hand. 
His parties were not large, but they were 
frequent; and in general so judiciously group- 
ed, as to create a pleasantry ‘of intercourse 
not often to be found in mixed companies. 
Here Johnson and Wilkes forgot the animo- 
sities of whig and tory. Here high-church 
divines and pillars of the meeting- house relin- 
quished their polemics, and enjoyed uninter= 
rupted conviviality. After a lite of uninter= 
rupted care of more than forty years, Mr. 
Dilly on a sudden relinguished business; but 
the transition was too abrupt. He found 
himself a solitary being; and, in the midst 
uf affluence, he soon began to regret the loss 
oi his compting-house and wery pleasant rooms 
in the Poultry ; and actually acquired such a 
dejection of spiricsas to occaston alarm to his 
friends. A few weeks before his death, he gave . 
1001. to the Sea-bathing Infirmary at Margate§ 
to which very excellent institution he has add- 
ed 2001. more by his last will; with the like 
sum to the Society for the Relief of Persons 
confined for Small debts. He has given 1001. 
to the Society for the Relief. of the Indigent 
Biind; 1001. tothe Society for the Relief of 
the Deafand Dumb; and 1001. to the Dis- 
pensary in Red Lion street. The remainder 
of his fortune, amcunting to‘nearly 80,0001. 
he left among various friends For the last 
twelvemonth he had been evidently declining 
in health. He had lately recovered so far 
as to undertake a journey to Ramsgate, where 
he arrived on Saturday, the 2d of May; and 
was on Sunday evening altacked by an op- | 
pression of breath, which carried hin off 
on the fellowing morning, 
