Northcote tells us, on the authority of Dr. Johnson, that in 1750, the price of Reynolds for a head, was 20 guineas; and that at this time he often received six sitters in a day, and found it necessary to keep a list of the names of those who waited until vacancies occurred. He then received them in the order in which they were set down; and many portraits were sent home before the colours were dry.

Reynolds is stated to have received sitters as early as six or seven o'clock in the morning; but this is not borne out by Sir Joshua's diary, where no instance is recorded of a sitter coming earlier than nine o'clock. Yet, there was no intermission for some hours: thus in the pocket-book for 1761, we find on one day, the names of seven sitters in as many consecutive hours. Acccording to Reynolds's pocket-book, 1766, his prices were then: whole-length, 1507.; half-length, 70%.; kit-cat, 50l.; head, 307.

In 1780, Sir Joshua raised his price from 30 to 50 guineas for a head size, which he continued for the remainder of his life. (Cotton.)

SIR JOSHUA'S SNUFF.

Reynolds's snuff was Hardham's 37, of which occurs this memorandum in the painter's pocket-book for 1761: "Hardham of Fleet-street, Snuff No. 37." It was so named from the number of Hardham's shop, No. 37, on the north side of Fleet-street. He had been Garrick's numberer (to count the audience in the theatre); and when Hardham invented his "mixture," Garrick rendered him this service. While enacting the character of a man of fashion on the stage, David offered a pinch of his snuff to a fellow-comedian, observing that it was the most fashionable mixture of the day, and to be had only at Hardham's, No. 37, Fleet-street. The puff succeeded beyond Garrick's expectation, and Hardham's 37 was the favourite mixture for many years afterwards, when snuff-taking was the rage and fashion of the time.*

Reynolds took snuff so freely when he was painting, that it sometimes inconvenienced his sitters. Colonel Phillips related to Northcote, that when Sir Joshua was painting the

Hardham was born at Chichester, and having made a large fortune by his snuff-trade in Fleet-street, he retired to his native city, where he died in 1772, having bequeathed a portion of his well-earned wealth to charitable institutions of Chichester.

large picture at Blenheim, of the Marlborough family, the Duchess one day ordered a servant to bring a broom and sweep up Sir Joshua's snuff from the carpet; but Reynolds, who would not suffer any interruption during his application to his art, desired him to let the snuff remain until he had finished the painting; observing that the dust raised by the broom would do more injury to his picture than the snuff could possibly do to the carpet.

Mr. Rogers tells us that at an Academy dinner, Sir Joshua's waistcoat was literally powdered with snuff.

A gentleman told Wilkie he sat to Sir Joshua, who dabbled in a quantity of snuff, laid the picture on its back, shook it about till it settled like a batter-pudding, and then painted away. This, says Cotton, was to get a surface like Rembrandt's, and in accordance with Gandy's advice to Reynolds, for a rich texture, and creamy colour: Sir Joshua often repeated observations by Gandy, and considered some of his portraits equal to those of Rembrandt.

HOGARTH AND REYNOLDS.

The "painting moralist" is scarcely mentioned by "the founder of the English School," save in the following instance.

Before Hogarth had done anything of consequence in his own walk, he entertained some hopes of succeeding in the higher branches of historical painting. "He was not," says Sir Joshua Reynolds, (Discourses, vol. ii. p. 163,) "blessed with the knowledge of his own deficiency, or of the bounds which were set to the extent of his own powers." "After he had invented a new species of dramatic painting, in which probably he will never be equalled, and had stored his mind. with infinite materials to explain and illustrate the domestic and familiar scenes of comic life, which were generally and ought always to have been the subject of his pencil, he very imprudently, or rather presumptuously, attempted the great historical style, for which his previous habits had by no means prepared him; he was, indeed, so entirely unacquainted with the principles of this style that he was not even aware that any artificial preparation was at all necessary."

L

REYNOLDS'S MODELS.

The Girl with a Muff, at Lansdowne House, purchased at Lady Thomond's sale, in 1821, is said to be the portrait of Sir Joshua's favourite niece, Theophila Palmer. The same young lady was, probably, his model for several other pictures of a similar character, as a Girl with a Bird, in the collection at Knowsley; a Girl caressing a Lamb; and a Girl holding a Cat in her arms, called Felina. In all these pictures the female countenance is very much alike, and may be supposed to have been painted from the same model. The Girl with a Muff was, probably, painted in 1767 or 1768, when Miss Palmer was eleven or twelve years of age, and is mentioned in Sir Joshua's private notes.

Miss Gwatkin herself told Mr. Cotton that her mother sat to Sir Joshua for the head of Comedy in the celebrated picture of Garrick between the muses of Tragedy and Comedy. This picture was exhibited in Spring Gardens, in 1762, and was purchased of the Earl of Halifax for 300 guineas: after his death it was sold to Mr. Angerstein for 250 guineas, perhaps the only instance of a depreciation in the value of a fine picture by Sir Joshua Reynolds.

REYNOLDS'S LIBERALITY TO OZIAS HUMPHREY.

When, about 1768, Humphrey came to London, being a great admirer of Mr. Reynolds's pictures, he ventured to show him some of his miniatures. The great painter received him with the utmost cordiality, and requested to know from what county he came, and what his parents were. When Reynolds heard that he was from Devonshire, and that his mother was a lace-maker, he exclaimed: "Born in my county, and your mother a lace-maker!-why, Vandyke's mother was a maker of lace!" at the same time adding, that he should be welcome to copy any of his Vandykes. "Or, perhaps," he said, "you had better allow me to lend you some of mine, as they are better suited by their dress to answer your present purpose."

The generous offer was accepted with the greatest extasy, and Humphrey copied several pictures, which highly improved his natural taste for richness of colouring. He also produced in enamel one of Reynolds's finest works, his

famous head of King Lear in the Storm, which so highly pleased Sir Joshua, that he exclaimed, “This is a beautiful copy; it is so finely painted, that you must allow me to purchase it. What is your price? it will enable me to serve you." The artist, glowing with modesty, begged his patron to accept it. "No; that," he said, "he could not think of." "Three guineas, then, sir, is the price," replied he. "That is too little," observed the great painter; "I shall give you five; and let that be your price for such a picture ;” at the same time advising him to take lodgings near him. Accordingly, in 1768, he took the house now No. 21, in King-street, Covent Garden, where he remained till 1771; during which time he fell in love with the daughter of Payne, the architect; the poor girl being compelled by her sordid father to marry another, Humphrey was so stung with disappointment, that, in 1773, he left London for Rome.

REYNOLDS'S DINNERS.

Mr. Forster, in his eloquent Life and Adventures of Oliver Goldsmith, has the following admirable picture of the gay festal meetings which Sir Joshua gave for many years at his house in Leicester-square.

"Well, Sir Joshua," said lawyer Dunning, on arriving at one of these parties, "and who have you got to dine with you to-day? The last time I dined in your house the company was of such a sort, that by— I believe, all the rest of the world enjoyed peace for that afternoon." But though vehemence and disputation will at times usurp quieter enjoyments, when men of genius and strong character are assembled, the evidence that has survived of these celebrated meetings in no respects impairs their indestructible interest. They were the first great example that had been given in this country, of a social intercourse between persons of distinguished pretensions of all kinds; poets, physicians, lawyers, deans, historians, actors, temporal and spiritual peers, House of Commons men, men of science, men of letters, painters, philosophers, and lovers of the arts; meeting on a ground of hearty ease, good humour, and pleasantry, which exalts my respect for the memory of Reynolds. It was no prim fine table he set them down to. There was little order or arrangement; there was more abundance than elegance; and a happy freedom thrust conventionalism aside. Often was the dinner-board prepared for seven or eight, required to accommodate itself to fifteen or sixteen; for often on the very eve of dinner, would Sir Joshua tempt afternoon visitors with intimation that Johnson, or Garrick, or Goldsmith was to dine there. Nor was the want of seats the only difficulty. A want of knives and forks, of plates and glasses, as often succeeded. In something of the same style, too, was the attendance; the kitchen had to keep pace with the visitors; and it was easy to know the guests well acquainted with the house by their never

failing to call instantly for beer, bread, or wine, that they might get them before the first course was over, and the worst confusion began. Once Sir Joshua was prevailed upon to furnish his table with dinnerglasses and decanters, and some saving of time they proved; yet as they were demolished in the course of service, he could never be persuaded to replace them. "But these trifling embarrassments," added Mr. Courtenay, describing them to Sir James Mackintosh, "only served to enhance the hilarity and singular pleasure of the entertainment." It was not the wine, dishes, and cookery, not the fish * and venison, that were talked of or recommended; those social hours, that irregular convivial talk, had matter of higher relish, and far more eagerly enjoyed. And amid all the animated bustle of his guests, the host sat perfectly composed; always attentive to what was said, never minding what was eat or drank, and leaving every one at perfect liberty to scramble for himself. Though so severe a deafness had resulted from cold caught on the Continent in early life as to compel the use of a trumpet, Reynolds profited by its use to hear or not to hear, or as he pleased to enjoy the privileges of both, and keep his own equanimity undisturbed. “He is the same all the year round," exclaimed Johnson, with honest envy. "In illness and in pain he is still the same. Sir, he is the most invulnerable man I know: the man with whom, if you should quarrel, you will find the most difficulty how to abuse." Nor was this praise obtained by preference of any, but by cordial respect to all; for in Reynolds there was as little of the sycophant as the tyrant. However high the rank of the guests invited, he waited for none. His dinners were served always precisely at five o'clock. "His was not the fashionable ill-breeding," says Mr. Courtenay, "which would wait an hour for two or three persons of title," and put the rest of the company out of humour by the invidious distinction.

SIR JOSHUA'S DEAFNESS.

Sir Martin Shee used to relate a singular fact with regard to the President's deafness, which compelled the constant use of an ear-trumpet. While at breakfast with Sir Joshua, in Leicester-square, in 1790, and during a long protracted interview which followed, the conversation was carried on in the ordinary tone, without any assistance from the acoustic tube, or any indication of imperfect hearing on the part of Sir Joshua. During the morning, however, they were not unfrequently interrupted by the entrance of a servant, with a message or some communication that required his master's attention and oral reply; and on each of such occasions the appearance of a third person was the signal for the President

* In 1859, disappeared the old fishmonger's shop, No. 8, on the northside of Coventry-street, whence for many years Sir Joshua's table was supplied with fish. It is related that Reynolds often took an early morning walk, and a glance at the stock of fish for the day, and would then send his niece to cheapen such fish as he required for dinner.