Abstemious by habit, and conscious of his deficiency in point of education, he was never seen at any of the tables of the great, Lord Thurlow's excepted, who, being truly great, knew his merits well, and appreciated them worthily. As an artist, Romney, according to Flaxman, is the first of all painters for poetic dignity of conception. Fuseli accounts for his success, by saying, that "he was made for the times, and the times for him;" whilst another critic observes, that "he was made for better times than those in which he lived." Upon the whole, he seems to merit the eulogium of Flaxman: "Few painters," says he, "have left so many examples in their works of the tender and delicate affections; and several of his pictures breathe a kindred spirit with the Sigismunda of Corregio. His cartoons, some of which have unfortunately perished, were examples of the sublime and terrible; at that time perfectly new in English art. As Romney was gifted with peculiar powers for historical and ideal painting, it was his delight by day and study by night; and for this his food and rest were often neglected. His compositions, like those of the ancient pictures and basso-relievos, told their story by a single group of pictures in the front; whilst the back-ground is made the simplest possible, rejecting all unnecessary episode and trivial ornaments either of secondary groups, or architectural division. In his compositions, the beholder was forcibly struck by the sentiment at the first glance; the gradations and varieties of which he traced through several characters, all conceived in an elevated spirit of dignity and beauty, with a lively expression of nature in all the parts. His heads were various :—the male was decided and grand, the female lovely: his figures resembled the antique,-the limbs were elegant and finely formed; his drapery was well understood, either forming the figure into a mass with one or two deep folds only, or, by its adhesion and transparency, discovering the form of the figure, the lines of which were finely varied with the union or expansion of spiral or cascade folds, composing with, or contrasting the outline and chiaroscuro. Few artists, since the fifteenth century, have been able to do so much in so many different branches; for, besides his beautiful compositions and pictures, which have added to the knowledge and celebrity of the English school, he modelled like a sculptor; carved ornaments in wood with great delicacy; and could make an architectural design in a fine taste, as well as construct every part of the building." - William Jackson. BORN A. D. 1730.-died a. D. 1803. DR BUSBY furnished a memoir of this eminent composer to the pages of the Monthly Magazine,' of which the following is an abstract: "William Jackson was born at Exeter in May, 1730. His father gave him a liberal education, with a view to one of the learned professions; but the youth soon discovering a particular genius for the harmonic science, he was induced to indulge the bent of nature, and placed him under the tuition of Mr Travers, organist of the cathedral church of St Peter, with whom he remained two years. Mr Jackson. after leaving Mr Travers of Exeter, went to London, where, about the year 1748, he became a pupil of the celebrated Mr Travers, author of Haste my Nannette,' and other much-admired two and three-part sougs; and at that time organist of the King's chapel, and St Paul's, Covent-garden. Under this master he studied two years, after which he returned to his native city, where he for many years practised as a composer, performer, and teacher, with considerable profit and reputation. His compositions, chiefly vocal, were numerous, and of such singular merit as in private to command the most flattering approbation of the best judges, both in the country and the metropolis, and quickly elevated him to a respectable rank in his profession. Indeed they, for the most part, exhibited a chasteness of conception, ingenuity of construction, and truth of expression, which not only evinced much native genius, but a taste and knowledge of the higher principles of harmony that could only result from great acuteness of observation, and close and elaborate study; yet notwithstanding his great and acknowledged merit, he did not obtain any settled benefice until Michaelmas, 1777, when he succeeded Mr Richard Langdon, as sub-chanter, organist, lay-vicar, and master of the choristers, in the cathedral of Exeter. In the year 1755 Mr Jackson's fine talents in musical composition first became known to the public. About that time, after amusing his friends with a variety of ingenious literary productions in prose and verse, and giving proofs, by many excellent specimens in landscape-painting, of a real genius for that art, he printed a book of twelve songs, of which 'The heavy hours are almost past,'Ah why must words my flame reveal,' 'Twas when the seas were roaring,' and Ianthe the lovely, the joy of her swain,' were so simple, yet elegant, and so original and striking as speedily to become popular, and at once gave him a station among the first English composers of that day. These were followed by six accompanied sonatas for the harpsichord, in which perhaps his genius did not display itself with equal advantage; but his third work, consisting of six three-part elegies, preceded by an invocation, gave such evidence of taste, feeling, and judgment, as to establish his reputation as a vocal composer. His next publication was a second collection of twelve songs, of which 'Go gentle gales,' 'Let me approach my sleeping love,' and With Delia ever could I stray,' long delighted every cultivated ear; and justly added to the fame he had already so well-earned. Mr Jackson's fourth appeal to the public opinion was in an anthem selected from the Psalms, and Pope's celebrated Ode of a dying Christian to his soul; the preface to which he concludes by saying, that both in the anthem and ode, he has aimed more at style than composition; and that "there is intended to be contrivance enough to engage without perplexing the attention." The fact, however, is, that the style is poor, the contrivance stiff, if not bald, and the expression, especially in the ode, cold and weak. This work was succeeded by a book of twelve hymns in three parts, with adaptations for a single voice, in the preface to which are some very judicious and useful hints respecting the proper style of this species of church composition; but it is easier to point out than to perform, to judge than to execute; and Mr Jackson, we must say, after allowing much praise to his work, has not uniformly given to his hymns that "rational and expressive music" he so earnestly recom mends. But prefatory strictures are dangerous; even Dryden's examples cannot always stand the test of his own precepts. Mr Jackson's next publication, consisting of a third collection of songs, though distinguished by many of the attractions peculiar to his compositions, did not present that aggregate of excellence which characterized his former collections; nor was any single air calculated so far to fascinate the common ear as to become popular. His eighth and greatest work was an 'Ode to Fancy,' the words from Warton. In this production he has necessarily adopted a kind of oratorial style, which, with all his merit in the lighter kinds of composition, was, it is evident, beyond his compass. Dignity of expression, majesty of movement, bold contrivance, and grand construction, are all indispensable to the great ode; and these were not among the general characteristics of Mr Jackson's style, consequently he has not always reached the sentiments of the poet, nor given to the whole that force and importance of effect expected from this higher species of composition: the eight sonatas for the harpsichord by which. this work was succeeded, were written with much taste and spirit, and possessed many passages which at that time were perfectly new. His Opera nine, consisted of twelve canzonets for two voices; the first of which is his charming and so justly admired composition, Time has not thinned my flowing hair,' and which is also enriched with his two beautiful duets, From the plains, the woodlands, and groves,' and 'Ah! where does my Phillida stray. To these were afterwards added six quartetts, consisting of harmonizations of old favourite airs, chiefly taken from Dr Arne; in the disposition of the parts of which he has displayed much ingenuity and knowledge in effect; a collection of twelve canzonets for two voices, in which will be found that elegant and sweetly affecting duet, 'Love in thine eyes for ever plays;' two operas comprising much tasteful and expressive music, and a book of epigrams. But the catalogue of his musical productions would be very incomplete without naming his manuscript services and anthems, which have been repeatedly performed, at Exeter cathedral, to the delight of all who have heard them. These indeed rank among the best of his works; every real judge must confess that the inspiration of the poet and musi. cian are in perfect union; and that the connection is productive of an effect the most solemn and devotional. A piece called the 'Fairy Fantasies,' Milton's May Morning,' 'Lycidas,' an elegy and other vocal works of Mr Jackson's in manuscript, are spoken of with high commendation. In the year 1782 Mr Jackson appeared as a literary author, when he published in two volumes small octavo, his 'Thirty Letters on various Subjects,' forming a miscellaneous collection on literature and science, replete with useful information, and elegant and classical in their diction. On poetry, music, and painting, his opinions are frequently singular, yet generally just in themselves, as well as clearly and neatly conveyed. In the year 1798 Mr Jackson added another volume to his Letters, under the title of "The Four Ages; with Essays on various Subjects.' In this work he considers the four mythological ages as descriptive of so many distinct periods of the world, but in a different order from that in which the poets have placed them. Among the essays there is a most curious and entertaining one, on the character of Gainsborough the painter. His time was devoted to music, painting, and literature; and it is difficult to say which of the three had the greatest share of his attention. But that his music derived much aid from his literary judgment will be universally allowed. Indeed, the taste he constantly maifested in the selection of his words forms an elegant and distinguishing trait in his professional character. The native ease of Shenstone, and the tender sentiment of Hammond furnished many of his subjects; and the address with which he has reduced the heroic lines of the latter to lyric measure is a merit that ought not to be omitted, when we are collecting the evidences of his ingenuity. The subjects on which he chiefly delighted to employ his pencil were those of landscapes; in the colouring of which he was particularly strong and bold. Morning and evening were his favourite seasons; because in the scenery of these he could indulge his love of partial lights and striking effects; his cattle were well drawn, and the disposition of his figures was judicious and happy but his pictures on the whole had more of effect than finish, and rather displayed a clear masterly mind, than the refined touches of an elaborate hand. His music, taken in the aggregate, speaks great justness of conception, much beauty and novelty of idea, considerable powers of expression, a resource in combination and adjustment ranking far above mediocrity, and a matured judgment in general effect. But his melodies are not always free from that mechanical quaintness and rustic inelegance, which, perhaps, only an almost constant residence in the metropolis can wholly surmount; nor are his accompaniments of that artificial and delicate texture, which gives new grace to the air; perpetually embellishing that beauty it ought never to conceal, and occasionally varying from, without deserting, the subject. His basses are not unfrequently chosen with but little art or design, and his elegies and choral scores sometimes betray a want of facility in the interior disposition of the harmony, as well as embarrassment in answering the points. When playing on the organ or harpsichord, he seemed lost to every thing around him. His performance was full, correct, and impassioned; and he had too just a taste, and was too much a devotee to the good old school, ever to destroy a single resident beauty in a composition, for the sake of unnecessary and surreptitious embellishment. "His peculiar forte," says a writer in Ree's Cyclopædia, "consisted in giving an elegant and plaintive melody to elegiac poetry. In constituting harmony, without rendering the middle parts destitute of melody, Jackson stands unrivalled. This is no trivial praise, when it is known that, before his time, composers were, and are at present, very defective in this part of their art. It was, however, a defect in Jackson's music, that his melody would suit any species of plaintive lines : few of his compositions displayed the art of mingling expression with melody, and preserving the latter in its purity." Jacob Bryant. BORN A. D. 1718.-DIED A. D. 1804. THIS learned but visionary scholar was educated at Eton and Cambridge. He proceeded master of arts in 1744; after which he attended the young duke of Marlborough, and his brother Lord Charles Spenser, as their private tutor while at Eton. He afterwards became private secretary to his grace. In this capacify he accompanied the duke of Marlborough to the continent, and attended him during the campaign in which he had the command of the British forces; and upon the duke's being appointed master-general of the ordnance, he promoted Bryant to the office of secretary, a post which was said to be worth about £1400 per annum. The general habits of the latter period of the life of Mr Bryant were sedentary; and, during the last ten years of it, he frequently complained of pains in his chest, the concomitants of close application and a recumbent posture. In his younger days spent at Eton he excelled in various athletic exercises, and by his skill in swimming, was the happy instrument in saving the life of Dr Barnard, afterwards provost of Eton college. The doctor gratefully acknowledged this essential service by embracing the first opportunity that occurred to present the nephew of his preserver with the living of Wootton-Courtney, near Minehead, Somersetshire, a presentation belonging to the provost of Eton in right of his office. With respect to the domestic habits of Mr Bryant, little is known. He was never married. Blessed with every comfort that could be derived from celebrity and fortune, the days of Mr Bryant seem to have glided smoothly on to the period of a long-extended existence; he might be truly said to have enjoyed health, peace, and competence; the first of these he derived from temperance, the second from an evenness of disposition, and the latter from two sources, his own family, and his munificent patron, the duke of Marlborough, who, after the decease of his father, settled on him an annuity of £600, which he continued to receive till his death. Beside the pecuniary expression of esteem already mentioned, the duke of Marlborough assigned two rooms to his use at Blenheim, over the doors of which his name was inscribed; and he was the only person to whom the keys of the choice and magnificent library were presented. In his retreat at Cypenham, near Windsor, he expired on the 13th of November, 1804, of a mortification in his leg, originating in the seemingly slight circumstance of a rasure against a chair, in the act of reaching a book from a shelf. He had presented many of his most valuable books to the king; his editions of Virgil, &c. by Caxton, he had also given to the marquess of Blandford; the remainder of his curious collection he bequeathed to the library of King's college, Cambridge, where he had been educated. The first work Mr Bryant published was in 1767, entitled 'Observations and Inquiries relating to various Parts of Ancient History, containing Dissertations on the Wind Euroclydon; and on the Island |