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affliction upon the confirmation of it-Under tis impression writes the Epitaph given at the conclusion of this Chapter-Short account of the final exit of poor George

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Memoirs of a picture.

CHAP. I.

A GENUINE SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF THE
LATE ORIGINAL, ECCENTRIC, AND JUST-
LY CELEBRATED GENIUS, G. MORLAND,
THE PAINTER; WITH A BRIEF ACCOUNT
OF SEVERAL OF HIS MOST CAPITAL PRO-
DUCTIONS NOT GENERALLY KNOWN:
CLEARLY EVINCING HIM TO HAVE BEEN
A MAN OF MUCH SUPERIOR INTELLECT

TO WHAT THE ENVY OF COTEMPORARY
IGNORANCE HAS FALSELY DESCRIBED

HIM.

THE natural curiosity of mankind, when excited by such motives as are truly amiable, is not only praise-worthy, but highly honourable to the best feelings of the human heart. Every attempt, therefore, to

gratify such laudable curiosity, is entitled to as much encouragement from the public, as the ability and integrity of the person making it shall be fairly judged to have employed in such a well-meant undertaking. That the productions of such a highly gifted genius as the subject of this present Memoir, the beauty and interest of whose pencil will never cease to delight, as long as a ray of natural taste shall distinguish civilized man from the barbarism of Gothic and Vandal ignorance,-we say, that the pleasure resulting from a contemplation of his works, should give birth to an inquiry respecting the origin, habits, and fate of such a genius, does equal credit to our hearts and our understanding.

If to draw a faithful outline, or sketch, of such a phænomenon, from so authentic a source as an intimate acquaintance with him, his family, and connections, for more than twenty years, must have afforded, be considered as facilitating in a great measure that design, the author who is now

about delineating the portrait of G. Morland, has every just reason to anticipate success. In addition to the preceding, a more powerful motive has considerably influenced the mind of his biographer― namely, a promise given to the subject of this narrative, about five or six months previous to his death, when together at his brother's coffee-house, Dean Street, Soho. Upon that occasion it was, that the author was rallied by our painter for his want of industry, in not having yet brought forward the work now before the public. The reply of the former was the first intimation the author ever gave him of the liberties he had taken with his name, in the first volume of these said Memoirs, as being so perfectly appropriate, and connected with that part of the subject. The consequence of this friendly retort, was a good-humoured laugh from the' painter, and a promise, that should the author survive him, the sketch of his life, here added to what had been previously written in this work, should be given to the public

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