not peculiarly meritorious.. His political connections, besides, led to very great expences, both in his general mode of living and in special contributions. There have been several imputations of unjustifiable means used by him to recruit his frequently exhausted finances; but there is no evidence of either the truth of such assertions, or the justness of such suspicions. Wanting probability in his general character, and proof as to particular acts, they will be more or less readily believed by different persons, according to their consciousness of what they have done themselves, or conception of what they would do in such a situation.

Occasional difficulties in his affairs did not prevent his philosophic mind froin enjoying very great happiness in the exercise of the kindest affections to his friends and family. No man, indeed, could be a warmer friend, a more indul, gent master, a more affectionate father, and a fonder husband; no one was, in all his actions, more influenced by his private connections, unless duty interfered.

His desire of extending the means of beneficial conduct made him bestow attention on practical medicine, and he frequently made up prescriptions. He once, in an attempt of this sort, involved himself in very great unhappiness for several hours. Mrs. Burke haying been indisposed, her husband undertook to make up a draught ordered by the

r

[ 454 ]

physician; but unfortunately mistaking one phial for another, he gave her laudanum. The mistake being immediately discovered by examining the other phial, efficacious antidotes were applied; and the lady, after undergoing much torture from the conflicting operation, to the inexpressible terror and horror of her husband, at length recovered.

and

Burke lost, in his eminent friend Sir Joshua Reynolds, almost the last of the literary convivial associates of his early years. Sir Joshua had always regarded Burke as the first of men, and was in turn loved, esteemed, and respected by his illustrious friend. He had assisted him when embarrassed, and, by his will, after cancelling a bond for 20001. bequeathed him 20001. more. The orator and painter were so often together, and the fulness of Burke's mind ran in such abundance, force, and clearness, that Sir Joshua must have remembered many of his ideas, and even expressions. At the opening of the Royal Academy, Jan. 2, 1769, Sir Joshua, the President, delivered a discourse on the object of the institution and the principles of painting. At the annual distribution of prizes, he also thereafter delivered an oration on similar subjects. The ingenuity of the reflections, the extent of the knowledge, and the elegance of the composition, made them supposed by some to be the productions of genius more exclusively devoted to literary efforts than

Sir Joshua's. They were, at one time, imputed
to Dr Johnson, Admitting the just and phi
losophical view exhibited by Mr. Courtenay
of the influence of that great man's intellectual.
exertions on literary composition, readers had
no evidence that he actually assisted the painter
in composing his essays. From his intercourse
with Johnson it was probable that he derived
knowledge and principles which may have been
transfused into his discourses. But neither tes-
timony, nor the internal evidence of the works
themselves, are in favour of the supposition that
they were written by Johnson. Mr. M'Cormick
thinks they must have been written by Burke;
and internal evidence is certainly much more
in favour of his hypothesis than of the former.
Burke was much more conversant in the fine
arts than his friend Johnson. But there is the
testimony of Mr. Malone, who had every op-
portunity, as the constant companion of Sir
Joshua, to be informed of the truth during Sir
Joshua's life and as his executor, from the
perusal of papers after his death, who had the
best means (if any one could have them) of not
being deceived himself, and could have no mo-
tive to deceive others, positively asserts that
they were the composition of Sir Joshua himself
Agreeing, therefore, in the probability, a prioriy
of Mr. McCormick's supposition, I think it òvèr-
turned in fact by the evidence of Mr. Malone.
Burke was one of the chief mourners at his

[436]

He

friend's funeral. An account of the procession
was drawn up by Mr. Burke and Mr. Malone.
The following sketch of his character, composed
by Burke, was also published. "His illness
was long, but borne with a mild and chearful
fortitude, without the, least mixture of any
thing irritable or querulous, agreeably to the
placid and even tenor of his whole life.
had, from the beginning of his malady, a dis
tinct view of his dissolution; and he contem-
plated it with that entire composure, which
nothing but the innocence, integrity, and uses
fulness of his life, and an unaffected submission
to the will of Providence, could bestow. In this
situation he had every consolation from family
tenderness, which his own kindness had, indeed,
well deserved.

*

SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS was, indeed, on very many accounts, one of the most memorable men of his time. He was the first Englishman who added the praise of the elegant arts to the other glories of his country. In taste, in grace, in facility, in happy invention, and in the richness and harmony of colouring, he was equal to the great masters of the renowned ages. In portrait he went far beyond them; for he communicated to that description of the art, in which English artists are the most engaged, a variety, a fancy, and a dignity, derived from the higher branches, which even those, whơ professed them in a superior manner, did not

t

always préserve, when they delineated indivi dual nature. His portraits remind the spectator of the invention of History, and the amenity of Landscape. In painting portraits, hế appeared not to be raised upon that platform, but to descend to it from a higher sphere. His paintings illustrate his lessons, and his lessons seem to be derived from his paintings.

"He possessed the theory as perfectly as the practice of his art. To be such a painter, he was a profound and penetrating philosopher.

"In full assurance of foreign and domestic fame, admired by the expert in art and the learned in science, courted by the great, caressed by sovereign powers, and celebrated by distinguished poets, his native humility, modesty, and candour never forsook him, even on surprise or provocation; nor was the least degree of arrogance or assumption visible to the most scrutinizing eye, in any part of his conduct or discourse.

"His talents of every kind, powerful from nature, and not meanly cultivated by letters, his social virtues in all the relations and all the habitudes of life, rendered him the centre of a very great and unparalleled variety of so-, cieties, which will be dissipated by his death. He had too much merit not to excite some jealousy, too much innocence to provoke any enmity. The loss of no man of his time can be

3 N