we have seen, was at his trial cast and condemned to death.  Sir Joshua, much affected by this recital, immediately sent his principal servant, Ralph Kirkly, to make all enquiries into the state of the criminal, and, if necessary, to relieve his wants in whatever way could be done.  When Kirkly came to the prison he was soon admitted to the cell of the prisoner, where he beheld the most wretched spectacle that imagination can conceive—­a poor forlorn criminal, without a friend on earth who could relieve or assist him, and reduced almost to a skeleton by famine and filth, waiting till the dreadful morning should arrive when he was to be made an end of by a violent death.  Sir Joshua now ordered fresh clothing to be sent to him, and also that the black servant should carry him every day a sufficient supply of food from his own table; and at that time Mr E. Burke being very luckily in office, he applied to him, and by their joint interest they got his sentence changed to transportation; when, after being furnished with all necessaries, he was sent out of the kingdom.”—­P. 119.

“In this year Sir Joshua raised his price to fifty guineas for a head size, which he continued during the remainder of his life.  His rapidly accumulating fortune was not, however, for his own sole enjoyment; he still felt the luxury of doing good, and had many objects of bounty pointed out to him by his friend Johnson, who, in one of his letters, in this year, to Mrs Piozzi, enquires ’will the master give me any thing for my poor neighbours?  I have had from Sir Joshua and Mr Strahan.’”—­P. 264.

“Sir Joshua, indeed, seems to have been applied to by his friends on all occasions; and by none oftener than by Dr Johnson, particularly for charitable purposes.  Of this there is an instance, in a note of Johnson’s preserved in his Life, too honourable to him to be here omitted.

    ’To Sir Joshua Reynolds.

’Dear Sir—­It was not before yesterday that I received your splendid benefaction.  To a hand so liberal in distributing, I hope nobody will envy the power of acquiring.—­I am, dear sir, your obliged and most humble servant,

    ‘SAM.  JOHNSON.’

    ‘June 23, 1781.’”—­P. 278.

The following anecdote is delightful:—­

“Whilst at Antwerp, Sir Joshua had taken particular notice of a young man of the name of De Gree, who had exhibited some considerable talents as a painter:  his father was a tailor; and he himself had been intended for some clerical office, but, as it is said by a late writer, having formed a different opinion of his religion than was intended, from the books put into his hand by an Abbe who was his patron, it was discovered that he would not do for a priest, and the Abbe, therefore, articled him to Gerrards of Antwerp.  Sir Joshua received him, on his arrival in England, with much kindness, and even recommended him most strongly to pursue his profession in the metropolis;