"He had no

and the favoured lady believed him sincere. sooner," says Cunningham, "gained her affections, than, without cold words, altered looks, or any dispute whatever, he turned from her to her sister, and had the audacity to make love and offer her marriage in the same breath. This opened the eyes of both; but it was too late for one: the perfidious lover was dismissed; but the young lady was so affected that she drooped and died."

Such was the story; but as Lawrence continued after on good terms with Mrs. Siddons and her family, his apologists generally silenced the public rumour and the private scandal; though this was not accomplished until after much mischief and suffering.

Mr. Cunningham was assured by one who knew both Lawrence and Mrs. Siddons well, that the young lady died much in the usual way of disease and a doctor.

The tale of common rumour had, however, another phase; adding that as the anniversary of the death of Miss Siddons came round, Lawrence gave way to fits of melancholy; that he wore mourning for her sake, while he lived; and sealed his letters with black wax. This is untrue; at least we may infer it to be so.

The egregious public, in this case, seem to have followed the advice of the scandal-monger in one of Douglas Jerrold's piquant comedies," when you do not know anything, think the worst."

PORTRAIT OF CURRAN.

In 1800, Lawrence sent to the Exhibition a portrait of Mr. Curran, which was considered a failure. Shortly after, the painter dined casually with Mr. Curran, and saw him in all his glory of animation; when Lawrence could not help exclaiming to him, "I have not painted your portrait at all, -I never saw your proper character before. Come to-morrow, and give me another sitting." Mr. Curran accordingly gave the painter one sitting, in which he finished the most extraordinary likeness of the most extraordinary face within the memory of man: the fire of the eye is marvellous.

BUST OF MR. W. LOCK.

In 1801, Lawrence modeled with great success his friend, Mr. W. Lock, of Norbury Park. The clay was put together on a modeling board, and conveyed to Norbury, whither

Lawrence went on a visit, during which he took sittings of Mr. Lock, and produced an admirable bust in the antique style the hair was singularly fine, in flowing tresses, and the character of the aged countenance studied with great accuracy. This was Lawrence's first and probably his last essay in modeling: several casts were made of the bust.

LAWRENCE AND THE PRINCESS OF WALES.

In 1802, the Princess and Princess Charlotte of Wales, then living at Montague House, Blackheath, sat to Lawrence for their portraits, which led to an intimacy between the Princess and the painter. This led to a scandalous report, attributing his frequent visits to improper motives; and to such a degree had this slanderous annoyance increased, that in 1806, when "the Delicate Investigation" into the conduct of the Princess was pending, Lawrence offered himself to the scrutiny of the Commissioners (Lords Grenville, Spencer, Erskine, and Ellenborough), who, though acquitting the Princess of criminality, were of opinion that her manners and conduct must be considered as unbecoming levity. As this charge alluded to the Princess' conduct towards Mr. Lawrence and another gentleman, upon this Lawrence illadvisedly made an affidavit at Hatton Garden police-office, avowing that he slept several nights at Montague House in 1801, but that he never was left alone with her Royal Highness, but in the drawing-room; "and never with the door locked, bolted, or fastened" but that any person outside could open it.

The Painter's affidavit was transmitted to the King, with the defence of the Princess, explaining that Mr. Lawrence was, in 1800 or 1801, painting a large picture of her Royal Highness and her Daughter, at Montague House, and that, at his own request, he remained some few nights in the house, so as to begin painting early in the morning. A similar request for a like occasion had been made by Sir William Beechey, and Mr. Lawrence had occupied the same apartment. Lawrence did not dine with the Princess; but occasionally he read in the evening before her Royal Highness and her suite, passages from Shakspeare's plays; and sometimes he played at chess with the Princess.

One of the ladies mentioned by the Princess, in a private letter, alluded, in affectionate terms, to the great danger Mr.

Lawrence was in, of "losing his head." The painter's servant was examined; and shortly after, Lord Eldon, in conversation with Mr. Lawrence, said to him: "Sir, you are a very fortunate man indeed." Why so, my Lord?" "Because you have the most faithful, clever, and prudent servant, who has served you cunningly at the hour of need."

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LAWRENCE AND HARLOW.

George Henry Harlow, whom Lawrence characterised as "the most promising of all our painters," was born in London in 1787; showed early some talent for drawing; and when about sixteen, was placed with De Cort, the Flemish landscape-painter he left him for Mr. Drummond, R.A., the portrait-painter, with whom he remained about twelve months, when he grew desirous of another instructor. By the recommendation of the beautiful Duchess of Devonshire, he was placed under the care of Lawrence, in Greek-street. He was to pay one hundred guineas yearly as a pupil; that is to say, "for permission to have access to Lawrence's house at nine o'clock in the morning, with leave to copy his pictures till four o'clock in the afternoon, but to receive no instruction of any kind." At the expiration, however, of a year and a half, the master and the pupil quarrelled. Lawrence used to employ Harlow to deaden colour, and Harlow had so far a share in painting a much-admired dog in the picture of Mrs. Angerstein, which, at the Angersteins, he had the imprudence to claim as his own. This came, of course, to the ears of Lawrence, who, in consequence, said to the pupil: "As the animal you claim is among the best things I ever painted, of course you have no need of further instruction from me. You must leave my house immediately." It is allowed that Harlow entered more largely into the peculiar style and character of Lawrence's performances than any other of his pupils, so that to his short term in Lawrence's studio may be attributed much of Harlow's success in portrait-painting.

Harlow revenged Lawrence's resentment in an odd way. He made an excursion into the country, and took up his quarters at the Queen's Head, a small roadside inn, on the left hand, as you leave the town of Epsom for Ashtead. Here the young painter stayed some time; when, burning to annoy Lawrence, he painted for the landlord a sign-board, in a bold caricatura style, of the Queen's Head, and in one

corner of the board he wrote, "T. L., Greek-street, Soho!" Lawrence, it is known, became apprised of such a liberty with his name and reputation; but the caricature signboard did service, and remained there for many years. We remember to have seen the sign as early as 1815: upon the obverse was painted a queenly portrait, (the face,) and upon the reverse, the back of the head and bust of the queen. Some twenty years after, missing this peculiar sign from its suspensory iron, (where a written board had been substituted,) we made inquiry at the inn as to the fate of Harlow's Queen's Head, but could not learn anything of its whereabouts.

Lawrence did not, however, remain long estranged from Harlow, for we find him assisting him in his greatest picture -the Trial of Queen Katherine.

Sir Thomas used to relate that great was the distress of Harlow, when painting this superb scene from Henry the Eighth, at the impossibility of getting John Kemble to sit for his likeness. The painting proceeded, and great John still refused. At last, Sir Thomas advised his pupil to go to the front row of the pit of the theatre, four or five times, and sketch the actor's countenance, from which he might be able to make out a likeness, and introduce it into the painting. This expedient was adopted, and not only an inimitable likeness was the result, but the clever artist caught the fine expression of the Cardinal at the point of his surprise, and anger, and self-possession, at the boldness of the Queen. Had Mr. Kemble sat for the portrait, his face would have been in repose, or at best but in a forced imitation of the remarkable expression excited in it by playing the character with the appropriate circumstances and accessories around him.

The painting of this remarkable picture, and the assistance which Fuseli rendered to the painter, is described at page 200. Harlow caught the characteristic excellence of his master, Lawrence, in painting eyes: his eyes of John Kemble, in the Trial Scene, are a fine specimen of his power.

There is, however, still further evidence that Lawrence was neither jealous of Harlow, nor bore him any resentment of his unjustifiable conduct. When Mr. Lewis, the engraver, brought to Russell-square a proof of Harlow's best work, (his portrait of Northcote,) Lawrence resolved to retouch it; observing, "It shall never be said that the finest work, from so great a man, went into the world without such assistance

as I can give. Harlow had faults; but we must not remember the faults of one who so greatly improved himself in his art."

PORTRAIT OF THE PERSIAN AMBASSADOR.

During the short sojourn, in 1810, of the Persian ambassador, Mirza Abul Hassan Khan, in England, Sir Thomas Lawrence contrived, in the space of seventy-four days, to paint a beautiful portrait of his Excellency. Sir Thomas was so proud of it that on Sir Gore Ouseley's return to Persia, he made him promise never to let any one but himself clean or varnish it.

One morning, at Tehran, Mirza Shefi, prime minister of the King of Persia, called upon Sir Gore Ouseley, the British ambassador, so unexpectedly, that he had not time to remove the Persian ambassador's portrait from the sofa on which it had been placed, on being taken from its packing-case.

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Sir Gore Ouseley received the minister at the drawingroom door, and was leading him to the sofa, when he unaccountably drew back. On looking behind to learn the cause of his hesitation, Sir Gore perceived the old minister's countenance inflamed with anger, which, before he could inquire the cause, burst forth. I think," said the minister, "that when the representative of the King of England does me the honour of standing up to receive me, in due respect to him, you should not be seated." Then, turning to Sir Gore, he said: "Yes, it is your Excellency's kindness to that impertinent fellow that encourages such disrespect, but with your permission, I will soon teach him to know his distance." Shaking his cane at the picture, he poured forth a volley of abuse at poor Mirza Abul Hassan, and said, that if he had forgotten all proper respect to Sir Gore Ouseley, he must at least show it to the representative of his own sovereign. His rage was unbounded, and Sir Gore was obliged to bring him close to the picture before he was undeceived.

On approaching the painting, he passed his hand over the canvas, and with a look of unaffected surprise, exclaimed, "Why! it has a flat surface! Yet, at a little distance, I could have sworn by the Koran that it was a projecting substance-in truth, that it was Abul Hassan Khan himself."

*

Abridged from a Letter from Sir Gore Ouseley to Mr. Thomas Campbell; in the Life of Lawrence.