CHAPTER VII

Dr Johnson reproved by Sir Joshua-Academy Dinner of 1776-Exhibition of 1776—Sir Joshua's Pictures-The Otaheitan Omiah—Sir Joshua's Portrait of Himself for Florence-Baretti again-The Blue StockingsComparison with French Prototypes-The Art of holding a Salon— Mrs Montagu's Prose-Walpole on the Blues-More Social GaietiesBarry and the Society of Arts-Exhibition of 1877-Lady Caroline Montagu, in the Portrait called "Winter ”—“A Fortune-Teller "The Dilettanti Portrait-groups-Portraits of Sir William HamiltonGreat Portrait-group of the Marlborough Family-Its Defects--Miss Burney-First visit to Sir Joshua at Leicester Fields-Allan Ramsay— Boswell and Johnson-Exhibition of 1778-Gainsborough's DisplaySeven Discourses published, with Dedication to the King-Malone— Eighth Discourse and Gainsborough's "Blue Boy "-Window of New College Chapel, Oxford-Its Component Parts.

ABOUT this time Johnson appears to have got it into his head that Reynolds indulged rather more in the fashionable vice of wine-bibbing than was good for him, and thought it necessary to take his friend to task on the delicate subject.

Reynolds had remarked in excuse of wine-drinking that "to please one's company (ie., by taking part in their pleasures) was a strong motive;" when Johnson— the water-drinker-finding no argument handy, blurts out: "I won't argue any more with you, sir; you are too far gone." Whereto Sir Joshua rejoins with dignity, “I should have thought so indeed, sir, had I made such a speech as you have now done." Johnson (drawing him

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self in, and, according to Boswell, actually blushing): 'Nay, don't be angry, I did not mean to offend you."

It is significant that, on this occasion, even the unrivalled equanimity of Sir Joshua was not proof against the sledge-hammer brutalities of his friend, and that with a word he found means to recall him to good mannersor as near thereto as he was ever able to get. That Johnson, the gross and intemperate eater, the Brobdinagian swiller of innumerable cups of tea, should lay down rules of temperance for the most temperate and self-restrained of mortals, was evidently more than could be borne. As usual, the incorrigible doctor is pulled up at once by the recoil of the antagonist stung beyond endurance, and with a child-like expression of penitence at once disarms all resentment.

In the spring of this year, Sir Joshua made great use of his villa at Richmond for the purpose of entertaining parties of friends, whose intellectual and social distinction did not prevent their indulging in the good-natured merriment and give-and-take of unaffected conversation, which wits of an inferior order might have deemed beneath their dignity.

At the Academy dinner of 1776, for most of the invitations to which we may assume that Sir Joshua was, directly or indirectly, responsible, we find such names, representative of artistic supremacy-as distinguished from official or social position-as those of Garrick, Foote, and the greatest executant of this day, the violin-player Giardini. Sir Joshua's courage and loyalty, when his friends were concerned, was especially evidenced by the inclusion, on this particular occasion, of Foote among the invited guests, seeing that he was at that very moment under a dark cloud, in consequence of calumnious accusations of the foulest character, brought against him at the

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instigation of the notorious Elizabeth Chudleigh, Duchess of Kingston-a return for his satire of her as "Lady Kitty Crocodile" in his comedy, A Trip to Calais. Altogether, the selection of guests, at this time when rank and official position counted for so much more than they do at the present time, showed a wider and more catholic view of the position and duties of the Royal Academy than that which obtains to-day, when the so-called patron of artthat is, the purchaser of high-priced pictures-occupies a position sui generis, for which there is no exact parallel in the artistic history of the last century.

Sir Joshua's contribution to the exhibition of 1776 was as follows:

"Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire "-the Althorp fulllength, in which she appears, en grande toilette, descending a flight of steps.

"Mrs Lloyd"-a full-length of the lady, in a white, semi-classic dress, with sandals, affectedly inscribing her name on the trunk of a tree The portrait is now in the possession of Lord Rothschild, and was No. 37 at the Old Masters in 1887.

"Lord Althorp" (full-length, in a black Vandyck dress, leaning on a pedestal, with a book in his right hand). This was George John Spencer, Viscount Althorp, afterwards Earl Spencer, born September 1st, 1758; brother of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. The picture was No. 69 at the Reynolds Exhibition in 1884.

A half-length of "Lord Temple" (much praised by Walpole).

The portrait of Mrs Montagu-showing the Queen of the Blues seated in easy attitude, with a mien of reflection, wearing an elaborately-brocaded and festooned gown.

"Master Crewe as Henry VIII." (at Crewe Hall)—a delightful example of youthful exuberance and jollity,

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in which Sir Joshua, aided by the naturalness of his model, has risen superior to the masquerading costume imposed for the occasion, and even makes use of it to give added character to his picture.

A three-quarter-length of the Duke of Devonshire (at Crewe Hall).

The Thrale portrait of Garrick above described—(now in the Lansdowne Collection).

"Master Herbert as Bacchus" (in Lord Carnarvon's collection at High Clere).

"The Infant St John"-a portrait of Master Wynn, who sits in orthodox fashion, with a lamb by his side, holding a cup into which water flows from a rock. The picture was No. 18 at the Reynolds Exhibition.

"The Infant Daniel."-This would appear to be identical with the picture since known as "The Infant Samuel," under which title it has become universally popular. The original "Samuel" is, or was, at Knole; a replica was bequeathed by Lord Farnborough to the National Gallery in 1838; a duplicate is at the Dulwich Gallery. This is not to be confounded with a much finer picture, the "Calling of Samuel," painted about 1782, and now the property of the Earl of Darnley, by whom it was, in 1884, lent to the Reynolds Exhibition.

The full-length of "Omiah," now at Castle Howard.

This was the amiable Otaheitan Omiah, who had been. brought over by Captain Furneaux in the Adventure, and at once became the plaything of the frivolous, pleasureloving society of the time, delighted with the gentle manners and natural good breeding of a "noble savage who might well have been taken as the living proof of Rousseau's favourite theory of the natural goodness of man; as a typical example, in its more primitive phase, of l'humanité vertueuse et sensible.

If not exactly the conventional manners of the Court and society, at any rate innate good manners of his own carried Omiah through all difficulties, and caused his courteous ways to be admired in all the novel and trying positions in which the enthusiasm of the polite world placed him. We hear of his appearance at Streatham, where he even captivated the censorious Johnson as critical of bad manners in others as he was uncritical in this matter towards himself. We read of his playing at chess and backgammon with Baretti, and beating him, whereat the fiery Italian lost his temper, as he generally managed to do; Mrs Thrale remarking hereupon that everybody "admired the savage's good breeding, and the European's impatient spirit."

Sir Joshua chose for the Otaheitan's dress, not the too scanty one of his own island home, but a white robe and turban a kind of fancy dress, which was at any rate better, as being more suggestive of an exotic nationality, than the hybrid suits in which he was generally made to figure in English society.

To this year, or thereabouts, would appear to belong the "Mercury" or "Mercury as Postman," and "Cupid as Link-boy," perhaps the most admirable examples of humorous characterisation, tempering and transfiguring realism, that the master has given us. The same delightfully audacious and insouciant young street-arab has posed in both cases, and in the one instance looks as untrustworthy yet fascinating a postman as in the other he stands forth an impudent and misleading cupid of the pavement. What gives a peculiar attractiveness to these pieces is, that the roguishness is so real and unforced, so entirely devoid of that simpering self-consciousness which has already so often been remarked upon as marring some of Sir Joshua's prettiest performances in this style.