Perhaps few events of this strangé mortal's life gave him more cutting uneasiness than being thus obliged to submit to the imposition of such a despicable reptile as he now considered his opponent. It continually goaded him sleeping and waking, and he seemed to have no other respite from the mental torture of his agitated reflections, than he occasionally found in the temporary stupe faction of his senses, with the deadly opiate of ardent spirits. CHAP. XIII. OUR PAINTER, BY THE EXERTIONS EVEN FROM DRINKING SPIRITS THE GOOD IN the month of January, 1805, the bailbond for his appearance was signed by the late candidate for Westminster, and the writer of this. The sum was something more, we believe, than forty-five pounds; and, notwithstanding his emaciated state of body and mind, he paid the debt, by the exertion of his yet remaining talents, in less than a month. It is also necessary to ob serve the allowance of two guineas a-week which he made to his wife, one guinea ditto to his man, and the sums it cost him, not merely for necessary food, drink, and raiment, but, except in the latter, for the downright extravagance of frequent intoxication. Being very frequently with him whilst he remained at his brother's, the author has frequently deplored the situation to which this mulish obstinacy had reduced him; and, by constantly reminding him of the fatal effects of swallowing down such quantities of distilled poison, flattered himself that he had in a great measure weaned him from these baneful excesses. So that, for more than six weeks, he drank scarcely any thing but the best red port, daily, and about two pints of porter, that is, one at each of his meals. At this time, he was fortunate enough to have his old faithful man with him, George Sympson, who took great care to procure him every thing that was likely to nourish and feed him. One morning, about the latter end of March, 1803, the author, with one of his sons, a lad about fourteen, called upon his friend George, who had previously seen the youth at his father's house, where he questioned him respecting his drawing, and complimented him upon the progress he had made in so short a time. The painter happened to be in a very good humour that morning, and his brother kindly took the advantage of the favourable moment to gratify the youth's extreme curiosity to see his brother paint. George was then at work upon a half-length landscape and figures, which had been a considerable time in hand; and, contrary to the prediction of several who knew that circumstance, it has since been finished. He was touching upon some of the figures, and Klob put the young student close to the master's chair, who instantly placed him behind it, where he remained about two hours of the most pleasant he ever studied in his life; where he seemed to imbibe the essence, not only of his manner, but of the spirit of this his favourite master. After this one useful, and never-to-be-forgotten instance of George's condescension, in giving some useful instruction to the son of his disinterested friend for more than twenty years, he, nor his brother Klob, could ever induce him to give the young student more than another hour's instruction, relative to his profession, about a month afterwards. So very tenacious, was he of communicating the smallest hint to any one that might hereafter enter into competition with him, no matter however remote the period. We trust in the candour of our readers, to give us credit for the assertion of being a disinterested friend for more than twenty years; and the solemn declaration, that we neverhad directly from him, either picture or drawing, during the whole of the said period, which is known to hundreds, we hope will receive as fair a portion of credit as such an honest declaration thus made, is justly entitled to. Sometime in the spring of 1803, he left his brother, and went to lock himself up in a spunging-house, in Roll's Buildings, Chancery Lane, where he had been in the |