552 Account of the late 
pleafure. When he publified an [lluftra- 
tion of the Works of Hogarth, by John Ire- 
Jand, he frequently faid, that if “the public 
knew the incitements to indufry, prudence, 
and hnmahity, in the works there explained. 
few families would be without the volumes. 
Few of our readers are unacquainted with 
the lottery, by which the Shakefpeare Gal- 
lery, &c.isto be difpofedot, The reafons he 
gave for afking a parliamentary fanction to 
it are relaicd with a plainnetfs and fimplicity 
that mutt intereft every reader, in a letter 
to Alderman Anderfon, (publifhed in the 
Monthly Magazine for March 1804). He 
there acknowledges, that in purfuing his 
favourite object, the extenfion and improve- 
ment of the Fine Arts, he met with every 
encouragement ; but the growing produce 
was expended in the advancement of, his fa- 
vourite object, to the amount of three hun- 
dred and fiity thoufand pounds.* He far- 
ther ftates, that he had the nee: of being 
able to bequeath the Shakefpeare Gallery to 
the public, who had fo g encrouily fupported 
him tn all his undertakings ; but the French 
Revolution and its confequences, occafioned 
his foliciting parliamentary permifiion to dif- 
pofe of it by lottery. He had the gratifi- 
cation of living to fee ev ery ticket fold. We 
are, at firt fight, inclined to lament that he 
did not live to fee the prizes drawn, and the 
whole terminated. But, for him to have wit- 
neffed his gallery transferred to other hands, 
befides a number of pictures, for the painting 
of which he had paid immenfe fums, {cat- 
tered like the Sybiil’s leaves, might poflibly 
have given him many a heart-rending pang. 
His death was occationed by a too eager at- 
tention to his official duties. The week be- 
tore his death, he went to attend in his ofh- 
cial capacity at the feflions-houte in the 
Old Bailey ; and, as he was always early in 
his attention, to bufinefs, he arrived there 
before any of the other magiftrates, and be- 
fore the fires were lighted. Standing before 
one of the grates while this was done, the 
damps were drawn out, and he took a cold, 
which produced an inflammation of the lungs, 
by which the life of this excellent and ufeful 
man, and upright magifirate, was terminated 
on the 11th of December 1804, in the 86th 
year of his age. He was interred on the. 
19th of December, 1 in a moft ref{pettable man- 
ner; his remains being attended by the Lord 
Mayor and many of “the Aldermen, and nu- 
merous relatives and friends. 
®" When the writer of this articie read 
this account, it ftruck him, that when we.conii- 
der this immenfe fum was paid for productions, 
from materials of comparatively little or no va- 
lue, and almof wholly obtained by. artifts, for 
the execution of their labours and talents, 
it becomes ftill more important, both in, an 
individual and national view. It not only 
prey ented money being fent out of the king-. 
dom but brought money. iato it. 
Witham Hucks, 6/9. { Jan. I, 
| Further particulars of William UHucks, efy. 
wwbofe death is mentioned at p. 464.—Mr. Hucks 
was formerly an eminent brewer in the pa- 
‘rith of Bloomfbury, but had retired from bu- 
finefs many years to the village above-men- 
tioned, where he has fince continued to live’ 
Ina Ayle of genteel independence, highly re- 
fpe&ted and beloved by ali who had the plea- 
fure of his acquaintance. Inthe year 1776, 
he was married to Mifs Sarah Normandy, 
daughter of the late John Normandy, efq. 
who furvives him, but by whom he has no 
family. Of this worthy and highly refpedted 
gentleman, it may be affirmed, without ex- 
agyeration, that his lofs will not only bea 
fource of fincere and lafting regret to his af- 
fliéted family and friends, but will be Jong 
felt by fociety at large, as he both poffefled, 
and exerted for its benefit, many of thofe 
virtues and qualities which are beft calculated 
to fupport and adorn it. Toa found under- 
ftanding, matured by a long and attentive ob- 
fervation of the world, he added a difinte- 
refteg and manly independence of character, 
with an ingenuous franknefs of manners, 
pcintediy abhorrent of every fpecies of du- 
plicity and deceit. Of him, indeed, more 
perhaps than of any other perfon, it might 
emphatically be faid, that, upon every occa- 
fion, **the foul kept the promife we had 
from the face.” Ever a€tive in the fervice 
of his friends, in whofe concerns he at all 
times took the moft lively intereft, he was 
continuaily undervaluing the folid obligations 
he conferred on them, and overrating in the 
fame proportion the trifling attention re-~ 
ceived inreturn. From his general reputa- 
tion for probity and good fenfe, he was fre- 
quently importuned to accept the offices of 
executor and truftee, which an obliging dif- 
pofition, added to a defire of being ufeful to 
fociety, in many inftances induced him to 
undertake ; and it is needlefs to obferve that, 
in the difcharge of thefe confidential, and in 
many refpeéts very troublefome teuitts, he 
acquitted himfelf with equal judgment, 
{pirit, and fidelity. Few perfons. could boaft 
a more liberal or compafiionate heart; the 
benevolent effufions of which were not cone 
fined within the limits of his immediate 
kindred, but, expanded themfelves, in atts 
of the moft feafonable protection and kind- 
nefs, to very, diftant branches of his family; 
and, indeed, to all who in any degree foli- 
cited or required his afiiftance. To his do- 
meftics he was moft affectionately kind ; to 
the tenants upon his eftate, moft liberal and 
indulgent. ‘Thofe who remember him in the 
happier fcenes of focial life, muft long be 
imprefled’ with the pleafing, though now 
mournful, recelle€tion of that energy of fene. 
timent and marked originality of expreffion, 
which gave peculiar intereft and novelty to 
all he-faid, and diffufed a fpirit of cheerful- * 
nefs and vivacity amongft all who: heard him. 
This minor trait, amid& fo much fterling 
worth, ¢adeared him as a companion ta mci 
¥ 8 
