companion and reverenced as a pastor." Northcote had also heard Sir Joshua declare that the elder Mr. Mudge was, in his opinion, the wisest man he had ever met with in his life.

How Reynolds acquired the friendship of Johnson is related by Boswell. The artist, some time in the year 1754, was visiting in Devonshire, and chanced to open the Life of Savage. He began to read, and it seized his attention so strongly, that he was not able to lay down the book till he had finished it. He was solicitous to know an author, one of whose books had thus enchanted him; and by accident or design he met with him as follows:

When Dr. Johnson lived in Castle-street, Cavendish-square, he went frequently to visit two ladies, who lived opposite to him, Miss Cotterells, daughters of Admiral Cotterell. Reynolds used also to visit them, and thus they met.-Boswell, ed. Croker.

Dr. Johnson's regard for Reynolds was thus expressed in an affectionate letter to him, after his serious illness, in 1763: "If I should lose you, (wrote Johnson,) I should lose almost the only man I can call a friend."

Sir Joshua painted a portrait of Dr. Johnson, with his arms raised and his hands bent: this picture was, in 1770, in the possession of Miss Lucy Foster, at Lichfield, where Johnson having seen it, wrote to Reynolds as follows:

Dear Sir,

Ashbourne, July 17, 1771.

When I came to Lichfield, I found that my portrait had been much visited and admired. Every man has a lurking wish to appear considerable in his native place, and I was pleased with the dignity conferred, by such a testimony of your regard.

Be pleased, therefore, to accept the thanks of,

Sir,

Your most obliged and humble Servant,

Compliments to Miss Reynolds.

SAM. JOHNSON.

This picture is now the property of the Duke of Sutherland, and is at Stafford House.

Dr. Johnson sat to Reynolds, also, in 1775: the picture shows him holding a manuscript near his face, and pondering as he reads. The near-sighted" Cham of literature" reproved the painter in these words-" It is not friendly to hand down to posterity the imperfections of any man." Mr. Thrale interposed and said "You will not be known to posterity for your

defects, though Sir Joshua should do his worst." The artist was right-he gave individuality and character to the head.

Reynolds and Johnson differed in their opinions as to the effects of wine. One evening, at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, in the Strand, a favourite supper-house with Johnson, Sir Joshua Reynolds was maintaining the advantages of wine in assisting conversation, and referring particularly to himself, Johnson observed, "I have heard none of those drunkennay, drunken is a coarse word-none of those vinous flights."

"I know no man," said Johnson, "who has passed through life with more observation than Reynolds." And he had so exalted an opinion of Sir Joshua's benevolence, that he once said to him, with a smile, "Reynolds, you hate no person living, but I like a good hater."

Sir Joshua relates this interesting trait in Johnson's nature. When the Doctor had been rough to any person in company, he took the first opportunity of reconciliation by drinking to him; if, however, the other had not grace to accept this reconciliation, then it gave him no more concern.

Dr. Johnson appointed Sir Joshua one of his executors, and bequeathed him his great French Dictionary of Moreri, and his own corrected folio copy of his English Dictionary.

PAINTING ON SUNDAYS.

Sir Joshua used to say: "he will never make a painter, who looks for the Sunday with pleasure as an idle day;" and his pocket journals afford indisputable proofs that it was his habit to receive sitters on Sundays as well as on other days. This was naturally enough displeasing to Dr. Johnson, and we are told by Boswell that he (Johnson) made three requests of Sir Joshua, a short time before his death: one was to forgive him 30%. which he had borrowed of him; another was that Sir Joshua would carefully read the Scriptures; and lastly, that he would abstain from using his pencil on the Sabbath day; to all of these requests Sir Joshua gave a willing assent-and kept his word.

REYNOLDS'S CLUB.

Sir Joshua was by nature a "clubable" man. In 1763, he founded, with Johnson, "the Club," as it was then called, at the Turk's Head, in Gerard-street, Soho. It did not receive the name of the Literary Club till many years later; but that Reynolds was its Romulus, and this the year of its foundation,

is unquestionable. After numerous changes of location, the Club settled at the Thatched-house Tavern, in St. James'sstreet, where its meetings are held to this day. Here is the portrait of Reynolds with spectacles on, similar to the one in the Royal Collection: this picture was presented by Sir Joshua, as the founder of the Club.

Sir Joshua was also a member of the Dilettanti Society, at the Thatched-house Tavern; and he painted for the clubroom three capital pictures :—

1. A group in the manner of Paul Veronese, containing the portraits of the Duke of Leeds, Lord Dundas, Constantine Lord Mulgrave, Lord Seaforth, the Hon. C. Greville, Charles Crowle, Esq., and Sir Joseph Banks. 2. A group in the manner of the same master, containing portraits of Sir William Hamilton, Sir Watkin W. Wynne, Richard Thomson, Esq., Sir John Taylor, Payne Galway, Esq., John Smythe, Esq., and Spencer S. Stanhope, Esq. 3. Head of Sir Joshua, by himself, dressed in a loose robe, and in his own hair. The earlier portraits are by Hudson, Sir Joshua's master.

Sir Joshua acknowledged that he had Paul Veronese in view when he painted the pictures for the Dilettanti, particularly that next the door.

ORIGIN OF THE ROYAL ACADEMY.

Haydon, in his Journal, July 20, 1836, records :

"Went to the British Museum, and found two interesting pamphlets connected with the Royal Academy, by which it appears decidedly that the Directors who were expelled from the chartered body of artists became Academicians, and that not being able to carry their exclusive intentions in the constituent body, they resorted to the scheme of an Academy of forty, securing a majority of their own way of thinking that they might enact their exclusive laws. This is indisputable from Strong's pamphlet, 1775, and another in the Museum, 1771, entitled 'Considerations of the Behaviour of the Academicians who were expelled the Chartered Body of 1760-69.'

"Reynolds promised the chartered body, of which he was member, not to exhibit with the expelled directors; but finding the King protecting them, he broke his word, did exhibit, and was expelled the incorporated body. This is not known, nor did I know it till to-day. Tickled by a knighthood, he joined the Directors, and this was the origin of the Royal Academy-founded in intrigue, based on injustice, treachery, and meanness.

"Reynolds was properly, and very severely, punished after, but the art has suffered ever since."

Such is Haydon's opinion; but Sir Martin Archer Shee, in his evidence before Parliament, states that the artists who

have been represented as guilty of the "basest intrigue" in forming the Royal Academy, were Sir Joshua Reynolds, the greatest portrait-painter that ever lived in any country, and one of the most respectable men that ever graced the annals of society; Benjamin West, the greatest historical painter since the days of Caracci; the greatest architect of the day, Sir W. Chambers; Paul Sandby, the greatest landscapepainter in water-colours of his day; and several others.

Reynolds, who had been mainly instrumental in forming the Academy, was unanimously elected president. It is recorded that Dr. Johnson was so much delighted with his friend's elevation, that he broke through a rule of total abstinence in respect to wine, which he had maintained for several years, and drank bumpers on the occasion.

To the first Exhibition Sir Joshua contributed with others two pictures: 1. The Duchess of Manchester and her Son, as Diana disarming Cupid. 2. Lady Blake as Juno receiving the Cestus from Venus. In the Exhibition Catalogue, purchased by Mr. Sheepshanks, at the Strawberry Hill Sale, Horace Walpole had remarked, that, in the former of these pictures, the attitude is bad; and in the latter, very bad.

THE FIRST ROYAL ACADEMY DINNER.

On the 23d of April, St. George's Day, 1771, the first Annual Dinner of the Royal Academicians was held in the great exhibition room, in old Somerset House, the walls of which were covered with Works of Art about to be exhibited. Sir Joshua Reynolds, who was the first to suggest this elegant festival, presided in his official character. Dr. Johnson and Goldsmith, of course, were present, as Professors of the Academy; and besides the Academicians, there was a large assembly of the most distinguished men of the day as guests.

THE ROYAL ACADEMY AT SOMERSET HOUSE.

Upon the rebuilding of Somerset House, the Royal Academicians received apartments in the western wing, and here the first Exhibition was opened, May, 1780. Sir Joshua Reynolds painted the centre of the Library ceiling with "The Theory of Painting”—a majestic female sitting on a cloud, and holding compasses, and a label inscribed "Theory is the knowledge of what is truly nature.” When the Academy

removed to the National Gallery in 1838, Sir Joshua's painting, and those of the other Academicians, were removed from the ceiling of Somerset House, with great care, and transferred to that of the new council-room in Trafalgar-square here also are one of Reynolds's palettes, and his diploma picture, a whole-length portrait of George III.

The Lords of the Treasury paid Reynolds thirty guineas for this painting, as appears by the existence of the receipt in the handwriting of Sir William Chambers, and signed by Sir Joshua.

SIR JOSHUA ELECTED MAYOR OF PLYMPTON.

In 1773, Reynolds paid a visit to Plympton, and was elected Mayor of the town; when he testified his gratification at the circumstance by presenting his portrait to the Corporation, who placed it in the Town-hall. Reynolds wears his academical dress, as Doctor of Laws. Cotton was informed that it was slightly painted, and sent off in such a hurry, that the colours being scarcely dry, the picture received some damage from the dust and dirt, which penetrated into the case.

When Sir Joshua had finished his portrait for the Townhall, he wrote to Sir William Elford, requesting him to get it hung in a good situation, which Sir William attended to by hanging it between two old pictures; and in his reply to Reynolds he said the bad pictures on each side acted as a foil, and set it off to great advantage. Sir Joshua was highly diverted, as these very pictures were two early ones of his own painting.

Sir William Elford's estimate of the merits of these pictures was, however, very erroneous. The first was the portrait of Captain Ourry, painted by Sir Joshua for the Corporation of Plympton, for which he only received four guineas, including the frame! He is attended by a black boy, thought to be extremely well painted; and this picture and its companion, Captain Edgecumbe, which Wilkie saw, in 1809, in the mayoralty-room, adjoining the Guildhall, he declared to be for composition as fine as anything Sir Joshua ever did afterwards.

Sir Joshua commemorated the fact of his having been Mayor of Plympton in a Latin inscription, which he inserted on the back of his own portrait, painted for the Grand Duke's Gallery at Florence, in these words:

I