provisions of the Insolvent Debtors' bill; the objects being, to establish a single officer in a new court, and to intrust to him the administration of the whole law on that subject. As a court of appeal, lord Redesdale proposed to constitute one, consisting of one judge from each of the Courts of King's Bench, Common Pleas, and Exchequer.

In 1812, the Insolvent Debtors' bill was a subject of frequent discussion, and many of the difficulties were, from time to time, met by corresponding amendments and alterations. The noble lord also took a leading part in the appointment of the vice-chancellor's court, attending to the bill, for that purpose, during its progress through the House, until it finally passed into a law; and, on this subject, he published a Treatise (preserved in the Pamphleteer), entitled, "Observations occasioned by a Pamphlet, entitled, Objections to the Project of creating a ViceChancellor of England.'

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Opinions respecting the Insolvents' Act were still so much at variance, that, in 1813, lord Ellenborough introduced another bill, as a substitute for that of lord Redesdale, while his lordship, concurrently, brought in a bill for amending the act of last session hoping thereby to do away with the necessity for the measure proposed by lord Ellenborough. In the course of the discussion, lord Redesdale showed the ease with which the real objections to his act might be got rid of, by empowering the commissioner to re

move from place to place; by obliging gaolers to bring up their prisoners; by appointing an officer to take a provisional assignment of the debtor's effects; by repealing the court of appeal; by substituting a recognizance to be given by the debtor, as to the liability of his future property, instead of an engagement; and, finally, by giving a discretionary power to the commissioner to authorise justices in quarter session to discharge debtors.

On the conclusion of the war, when the further continuance of the Income Tax became a subject of general dissatisfaction, his lordship maintained the propriety and policy of such an impost, and expressed his regret that it should be rejected.

He took an active part in most of the parliamentary discussions on questions of internal policy to the time of his death.

His lordship's death took place, after a short illness, at his seat, Batsford Park, near Moreton in the Marsh, Gloucestershire, on the 16th of January, 1830.

Lord Redesdale married, June the 6th, 1803, lady Frances Perceval, seventh daughter of John, second earl of Egmont, and sister to the right honourable Spencer Perceval, and to the present lord Arden. Lady Redesdale, who died August the 22nd, 1817, gave birth to one son and two daughters:— Frances Elizabeth Mitford; John Thomas, now lord Redesdale; and Catharine, who died in 1811.

Sir Thomas Lawrence was born at Bristol, on the 13th of April,

1769. His father, Thomas, who had been a supervisor of excise,

took possession of the White Lion inn, in Broad-street, on the 3rd of June following. His mother was the daughter of the rev. W. Read, the incumbent of Tetbury, in Gloucestershire. He had two brothers and two sisters. His elder brother, the rev. Andrew Lawrence, was chaplain of Haslar hospital, and his brother William, a major in the army both have been dead some years. His elder sister, Lucy, was married in March, 1800, to Mr. Meredith, solicitor, of Birmingham: she died in February, 1813, leaving one daughter. His younger sister, Anne, married the rev. Dr. Bloxam, of Rugby.

The speculation at Bristol having proved unsuccessful, Mr. Lawrence, the father, in 1772, became the landlord of the Black Bear at Devizes.

At six years of age, young Lawrence was sent to a respectable school, kept by a Mr. Jones, at a place called the Fort, near Bristol; but he was removed from it before the age of eight. This was all the formal education he ever received, except instructions in reading and recitation from his father, and a few lessons in Latin and French from a dissenting clergyman, named Jervis, whose son was chaplain or librarian to the earl of Shelburne, afterwards marquis of Lansdown, at Bow-wood, in Wiltshire. He very early showed a great talent for taking likenesses. It is said, that the first painting he ever saw, except the daubs in the country inns, or the portraits over the farmers' chimneypieces, was in 1777, when he was eight years old, and was taken through Corsham-house, the seat of the Methuen family. Going over the rooms, the visitants totally forgot the child, and, retracing their steps,

they found him in one of the apartments, rivetted to the spot by a painting of Rubens.-"Ah! I shall never be able to paint like that!" was his exclamation upon their removing him from the picture.

At the age of ten, he attempted original compositions of the highest class. He painted Christ reproving Peter for denying him before Pilate; and Reuben's application to his father, that Benjamin might accompany his brethren into Egypt. Encouraged in these attempts, he next chose for a subject "Haman and Mordecai," which he finished with great rapidity.

The fame of the juvenile artist now spread among the higher families of Wiltshire and the neighbouring counties, and we find Mr. Weld, of Lulworth-castle, taking him to the earl of Pembroke's, at Wilton, and to the mansions of other noblemen and gentlemen, who possessed galleries of the emi

nent masters.

Not long after this, the honourable Daines Barrington notices young Lawrence in his Miscellanies: after speaking of the early musical talent exhibited by the earl of Mornington, he proceeds,"As I have mentioned so many other proofs of early genius in children, I here cannot pass unnoticed a Master Lawrence, son of an innkeeper at Devizes, in Wiltshire. This boy is now (Feb. 1780) nearly ten years and a half old; but at the age of nine, without the most distant instruction from any one, he was capable of copying historical pictures in a masterly style, and also succeeded amazingly in compositions of his own, particularly that of Peter denying Christ. In about seven minutes he scarcely ever failed in drawing a strong likeness of any

person present, which had generally much freedom and grace, if the subject permitted. He is like wise an excellent reader of blank verse, and will immediately convince any one, that he both understands and feels the striking passages of Milton and Shakspeare." Failing in business at Devizes, as he had failed at Bristol, Mr. Lawrence repaired to Bath, where he took a private residence in Alfredstreet. Here he placed his son for some time as a pupil with Mr. Hoare, the father of Mr. Prince Hoare, secretary for foreign correspondence to the royal academy, and a crayon painter of exquisite taste, fancy, and feeling.

The hon. John Hamilton, a member of the Abercorn family, who resided on Lansdown-hill, also contributed greatly towards the cultivation of the young artist's talents, as well by pecuniary encouragement, as by affording him access to some very fine scriptural pieces, the production of the old masters, in his possession. Another of his early patrons was sir Henry Harpur, a Derbyshire baronet of fortune and liberality, who even went so far as to offer to send the lad to Italy at his own expense, and dedicate 1,000l. to that purpose; but the proposal was declined by the father (who was naturally very proud of his son), on the alleged ground that "Thomas's genius stood in needof no such aid."

But the most remarkable incident in the life of young Lawrence, during his residence at Bath, was, his receiving, in 1794, the great silver pallet from the Society of Arts. The further grant of five guineas was a very uncommon thing at this period of the society's history, and shows how highly Lawrence's performance-the Transfiguration of VOL. LXXII.

Raphael, in crayons-was appreciated by his judges; one of whom, the chairman of the committee, was Valentine Green, the celebrated engraver.

During Mr. Lawrence's residence at Bath, he took his son on excursions to Oxford, Salisbury, and Weymouth, where he obtained considerable occupation for his pencil. His large crayon drawings became in great request. He generally received four sitters every day; gave to each half an hour, and painted half an hour longer from memory.

When about sixteen years old, young Lawrence was strongly inclined to make the stage his profession. His father had taught him to read Shakspeare and Milton with considerable effect, and deemed his ability in this respect, of a much higher order than the talent for painting. The young artist was, however, dissuaded from this preject.

At seventeen, he made his first attempt in oils. The subject was Christ bearing the Cross, and the canvass was eight feet high. After this large painting, young Lawrence painted his own portrait in oils. In this, he evidently aimed at the style of Rembrandt in his middle life, when he had neglected his high finish, and availed himself of the broad fulness of the brush, with deep contrasts and sudden transitions, and with great breadth of light and shade.

In the early part of the year 1787, when in his eighteenth year, young Lawrence came to London, to avail himself of the public institutions for instruction in his art. His father, on his arrival, immediately hired a handsome suite of apartments in Leicester-square. Sir Joshua, in reply to an appli2 I

cation from the father, immediately appointed an interview; and young Lawrence, with the sensibility inseparable from worth and talents, was taken to the painting room of this distinguished head of the English school of art. Sir Joshua was forcibly struck by the beauty, fine figure, and graceful manners of the lad, and receiv ed him with an attention and a benignity that dissipated his apprehensions, and restored him to selfpossession. Sir Joshua inspected the performance of young Lawrence; he bestowed on it a very long scrutiny, and at last addressed the youth with an air of kindness, though seriously and impressively: -"Stop, young man, I must have some talk with you. Well, I sup pose you think this is very fine, and this colouring very natural, hey? hey?" He then began to analyse the performance, and to point out imperfections, sufficient, in the alarmed imagination of the sensitive lad, to destroy all hope of being a great painter. Presently, altering his tone, he expatiated on its merits; and concluded in a mild manner," It is very clear you have been copying the old masters; but my advice to you is, to study nature; apply your talents to nature, and don't copy paintings." He then took him by the hand, and kindly told him he was wel come, whenever he chose to call. Young Lawrence was always well received by sir Joshua from that hour to his last illness, which occurred four years after.

Mr. Lawrence was now admitted a student at the Royal Academy. His presence among the young artists produced a very extraordinary

effect.

His countenance, person, and manners, excited great admir ation; his liberal and conciliatory

disposition created attachment; and his superior talents and rapid progress were acknowledged without envy or detraction. The mode of study which he adopted was, to make small, but most highly finished, drawings. In that style he drew the Apollo all round. When twenty years of age, he was permitted to draw from the living subject-a privilege at that period not so extensively granted as at present.

He made his first appearance as an exhibitor at Somerset house in 1787, the year of his arrival in London. His address was then No. 4, Leicester-square; and his performances were seven in number; viz. a portrait of Mrs. Esten in the character of Belvidera, four other portraits of ladies, a Vestal Virgin, and a Mad Girl. Next year the artist resided at No. 41, in Jermyn-street, and sent six of his performances, all portraits. In 1789, he exhibited no fewer than thirteen pieces, and was evidently advancing rapidly in his profession, as three of the portraits were "ladies of quality," besides his royal highness the duke of York. In 1790, among twelve pictures, occur the princess Amelia, her ma jesty, a nobleman's son, a general officer, and a celebrated actress. The last was Miss Farren, whose beautiful whole-length was hung as a pendant to the celebrated one of Mrs. Billington, as St. Cecilia, by sir Joshua Reynolds. Some of the critics of the day objected to the inconsistency in the portrait of Miss Farren, of a muff and furred cloak, with foliage on the trees in the back ground. Young Lawrence happening to meet in the exhi bition room with Mr. Burke, to whom he had been previously introduced by sir Joshua, asked him

if he thought it an impropriety. "Nevermind what they say, young gentleman," was Mr. Burke's reply, "in a picture, painters' proprieties are the best."

In the year 1791, Mr. Lawrence's address was 24, Old Bondstreet; and "Homer reciting his Poems to the Greeks," is the first subject with his name in the catalogue of the exhibition. This picture he painted for Mr. Payne Knight, and it is now in the possession of Mr. Andrew Knight, of Downton-castle. It was considered a very extraordinary performance for so young a man, and evinced very unequivocally the elegance and discrimination of the artist's mind.

On the 10th of November, 1791, Mr. Lawrence was elected an associate of the Royal Academy. The other candidates were Messrs. Smirke, Stothard, Marchant, and Tresham.

At the death of sir Joshua, Mr. Lawrence had not completed his twenty-third year, and yet numerous honours were bestowed on him, in preference to his very able competitors. The race was honourable to all, and his success was merited, and therefore excited no mean or malignant passions. The Dilettanti Society unanimously chose him to succeed sir Joshua, as their painter; though, to effect this, they were obliged to rescind a regulation, which prevented the admission to the society of any person who had not crossed the Alps: Mr. Lawrence's foot had never quitted the soil of England. His majesty, George the Third, also appointed him to succeed sir Joshua Reynolds, as his principal painter in ordinary.

In the exhibition of 1792, Mr. Lawrence's principal pictures were

a portrait of his majesty George the Third, and another of a lady of fashion as La Penserosa. An enumeration of his subsequent portraits would comprehend all the rank, fashion, and intelligence of the times in which he lived.

In the year 1818, on the assembling of the potentates and statesmen of Europe at Aix-laChapelle, sir Thomas Lawrence received a commission from the prince regent to proceed thither, as well as to the various continental courts, and paint, for his royal highness, the resemblance of those by whose actions posterity was so much to be influenced. To afford every advantage of light, and shade, and arrangement, for the subjects and accessories of those historical monuments, a wooden house was prepared in this country in frame-work, and sent to Aixla-Chapelle; and lord Castlereagh directed that it should be fixed in the garden of his hotel. It contained a room of 50 feet by 18, and two rooms of 20 by 18, and 18 by 12. It was shipped from the Custom-house on the 3rd of October, 1818, but by some mismanagement it did not arrive until long after it was wanted, and the portraits were taken in a large room in the town-hall, little suited to the purpose, or to the dignity of those who had to frequent it.

On the 7th of November, 1818, the emperor of Russia repaired to the town-hall, to sit to sir Thomas Lawrence. The picture, although like, was certainly not one of sir Thomas's most fortunate productions.

Having concluded his mission at Aix-la-Chapelle, sir Thomas proceeded to Vienna, where he was treated with the highest honours, and with great personal kindness