1745.
1. Marriage à la Mode.[1] Six plates. In 1746 was published, "Marriage à la Mode: an Humourous Tale, in Six Canto's, in Hudibrastic Verse; being an Explanation of the Six Prints lately published by the ingenious Mr. Hogarth. London: printed for Weaver Bickerton, in Temple-Exchange Passage, in Fleet-Street, 1746. Price One Shilling." Of this pamphlet it will be sufficient to extract the Preface and the arguments of the several Canto's; the poem itself (if such it may be called) being extended to the length of 59 pages.
"The prints of Marriage à la Mode, being the latest production of that celebrated Artist who had before obliged the town with several entertaining pieces, have, ever since their publication, been very justly admired; the particular vein of humour, that runs through the whole of his works, is more especially preserved in this.
"If the Comic Poet who draws the characters of the age he lives in, by keeping strictly up to their manners in their speeches and expressions; if satirizing vice and encouraging virtue in dialogue, to render it familiar, is always reckoned amongst the liberal arts; and the authors, when dead, dignified with busts and monuments sacred to their memory; sure the master of the pencil, whose traits carry, not only a lively image of the persons and manners, but whose happy genius has found the secret of so disposing the several parts, as to convey a pleasing and instructive moral through the history he represents, may claim a rank in the foremost class, and acquire, if the term is allowable, the appellation of the Dramatic Painter.
"The Modish Husband, incapable of relishing the pleasures of true happiness, is here depicted in his full swing of vice, 'till his mistaken conduct drives his wife to be false to his bed, and brings him to a wretched end; killed in revenging the loss of that virtue which he would never cherish. The Lady is equally represented as a true copy of all the fine ladies of the age, who, by indulging their passions, run into all those extravagances, that at last occasion a shameful exit. If the gentlemen of the long robe, who ought to know the consequences, are guilty of committing such a breach of hospitality as is here described, they are properly reprimanded: the penurious Alderman, and the profligate old Nobleman, are a fine contrast; the Quack Doctor, the Italian Singer, &c. are proofs of the Inventor's judgement and distinction, both in high and low life.
"Though these images are pleasing to the eye, yet many have complained that they wanted a proper explanation, which we hope will plead an excuse for publication of the following Canto's, as the desire to render these pieces more extensive may atone for the many faults contained in this poem, for which the Hudibrastic style was thought most proper."
The ARGUMENTS.
CANTO I.
"The joys and plagues that wedlock brings,
The Limner paints, the Poet sings;
How the old dads weigh either scale,
And set their children up to sale;
How, void of thought, the Viscount weds
The nymph, who such a marriage dreads;
And, whilst himself the Fop admires,
M——y with love her soul inspires."
CANTO II.
"The wedding o'er, the ill-match'd pair
Are left at large, their fate to share;
All public places he frequents,
Whilst she her own delight invents;
And, full of love, bewails her doom,
When drunk i'th' morning he comes home;
The pious stew'rd, in great surprize,
Runs from them with uplifted eyes."
CANTO III.
"My Lord now keeps a common Miss,
Th' effects describ'd of amorous bliss,
Venereal taints infect their veins,
And fill them full of aches and pains;
Which to an old French Doctor drives 'em,
Who with his pill, a grand p—x gives 'em;
A scene of vengeance next ensues,
With which the Muse her tale pursues."
CANTO IV.
"Fresh honours on the Lady wait,
A Countess now she shines in state;
The toilette is at large display'd,
Where whilst the morning concert's play'd,
She listens to her lover's call,
Who courts her to the midnight-ball."
CANTO V.
"The dismal consequence behold,
Of wedding girls of London mould;
The Husband is depriv'd of life,
In striving to detect his Wife;
The Lawyer naked, in surprize,
Out of the Bagnio window flies:
Whilst Madam, leaping from the bed,
Doth on her knee for pardon plead."
CANTO VI.
"The Lawyer meets his just reward,
Nor from the triple tree is spar'd;
The Father takes my Lady home,
Where, when she hears her Lover's doom,
To desperate attempts she flies,
And with a dose of poison dies."
In these plates only a single variation is detected. In the very first impressions of the second of them (perhaps a few only were taken off) a lock of hair on the forehead of the lady is wanting. It was added by our artist, after Baron had finished the plate. In the early copies he inserted it with Indian ink. A passage in the Analysis[2] will perhaps account for this supplemental ornament: "A lock of hair falling cross the temples, and by that means breaking the regularity of the oval, has an effect too alluring to be strictly decent." The room represented in this plate is adorned with a melange of pictures on wanton and devotional subjects.
Mr. Walpole has remarked, that the works of Hogarth have little obscurity. This position is true in general, though Marriage à la Mode may supply an exception to it; no two persons, perhaps, having hitherto agreed in their explanation of Plate the third.[3]
When this set of plates was to be engraved, Ravenet, a young artist, then just coming into employ, was recommended to Mr. Hogarth; and a hard bargain was made. Ravenet went through two of the plates, but the price proved far inadequate to the labour. He remonstrated, but could obtain no augmentation. When the Sigismunda was to be engraved, Mr. Ravenet was in a different sphere of life. The painter, with many compliments, solicited his assistance as an engraver, but Ravenet indignantly declined the connexion.
In the fourth of these plates[4] are the following portraits: Mrs. Lane (afterwards Lady Bingley) adoring Carestini; her husband Fox Lane asleep. Rouquet only calls him "Un gentilhomme campagnard, fatigué d'une course après quelque renard ou quelque cerf, s'endort." This idea seems to be countenanced by the whip in his hand. The same explainer adds, speaking of the two next figures, "Ici on voit en papillotes un de ces personages qui passent toute leur vie à tâcher de plaire sans y reüssir; la, un eventail au poing, on reconnoît un de ces hérétiques en amour, un sectateur d'Anacreon." The former of these has been supposed to represent Monsieur Michel, the Prussian ambassador. Weideman is playing on the German flute.—The pictures in the room are properly suited to the bed-chamber of a profligate pair—Jupiter and Io, Lot with his Daughters, Ganymede and the Eagle, and the Young Lawyer who debauches the Countess. The child's coral, hanging from the back of the chair she sits in, serves to shew she was already a mother; a circumstance that renders her conduct still more unpardonable. Some of her new-made purchases, exposed on the floor, bear witness to the warmth of her inclinations. These will soon be gratified at the fatal masquerade, for which her paramour is offering her a ticket.
The pompous picture on the right hand of the window in the nobleman's apartment, Plate I. also deserves attention. It appears to be designed as a ridicule on the unmeaning flutter of French portraits, some of which (particularly those of Louis XIV.) are painted in a style of extravagance equal at least to the present parody by Hogarth. This ancestor of our peer is invested with several foreign orders. At the top of one corner of the canvas, are two winds blowing across each other, while the hero's drapery is flying quite contrary directions. A comet is likewise streaming over his head. In his hand he grasps the lightning of Jove, and reposes on a cannon going off, whose ball is absurdly rendered an object of sight. A smile, compounded of self-complacency and pertness, is the characteristic of his face.
On the cieling of this magnificent saloon is a representation of Pharaoh and his Host drowned in the Red Sea. The pictures underneath are not on the most captivating subjects—David killing Goliath—Prometheus and the Vulture—the Murder of the Innocents—Judith and Holofernes—St. Sebastian shot full of Arrows—Cain destroying Abel—and St. Laurence on the Gridiron.
Among such little circumstances in this plate as might escape the notice of a careless spectator, is the Thief in the Candle, emblematic of the mortgage on his Lordship's estate.
When engravings on a contracted scale are made from large pictures, a few parts of them will unavoidably become so small, as almost to want distinctness. It has fared thus with a number of figures that appear before the unfinished edifice,[5] seen through a window in the first plate of this work. Hogarth designed them for the lazy vermin of his Lordship's hall, who, having nothing to do, are sitting on the blocks of stone, or staring at the building;[6] for thus Rouquet has described them, "Une troupe de lacquais oisifs, qui sont dans le cour de ce batiment, acheve de caracteriser le faste ruineux qui environne le comte." The same illustrator properly calls the Citizen Echevin (i. e. sheriff) of London, on account of the chain he wears.
Plate II. From the late Dr. Ducarel I received the following anecdote; but there must be some mistake in it, as Herring was not archbishop till several years after the designs for Marriage à la Mode were made.
"Edward Swallow, butler to Archbishop Herring, had an annuity of ten pounds given to him in his Grace's will. For the honesty and simplicity of his physiognomy, this old faithful servant was so remarkable, that Hogarth, wanting such a figure in Marriage à la Mode, accompanied the late dean of Sarum, Dr. Thomas Greene, on a public day, to Lambeth, on purpose to catch the likeness. As they were coming away, he whispered, 'I have him!' And he may now be seen to the life preserved in the old steward, in Plate II. with his hands held up, &c."
In Plate V. the back ground, which is laboured with uncommon delicacy (a circumstance that will be remarked by few except artists), was the work of Mr. Ravenet's wife. Solomon's wise judgement is represented on the tapestry. When Ravenet's two plates were finished, Hogarth wanted much to retouch the faces,[7] and many disputes happened between him and the engraver on this subject. The first impressions, however, escaped without correction. Those who possess both copies, may discover evident marks of Hogarth's hand in the second. See particularly the countenance of the dying nobleman, which is fairly ploughed up by his heavier burin.
I have been told that our artist took the portrait of the female, who is so placed, that the legs of a figure in the tapestry supply the want of her own, from a coarse picture of a woman called Moll Flanders.
Plate the sixth of this set, affords Rouquet an opportunity of illustrating the following remark, which he had made at the outset of his undertaking: "Ce qu'un Anglois lit, pour ainsi dire, en jettant les yeux sur ces estampes, va exiger de vous la lecture de plusieurs pages." Speaking of our citizen's parsimony, says he—"Voyez-vous ces pipes conservées dans le coin d'un armoire? Vous ne devineriez pas, vous qui n'êtes pas jamais venu en Angleterre, qu'elles sont aussi une marque d'economie; mais il faut vous dire que les pipes sont si communes ici, qu'on ne fume jamais deux fois dans la même. La païsan, l'artizan le plus vil prend une pipe gratis dans le premier cabaret où il arrête: il continue son chemin en achevant de la fumer, et la jette à ses pieds."
As Rouquet observes, "Ce qui sert à garnir cet apartement ne contribue pas à l'orner. Tout y indique une économie basse." The scarcity of the real dinner—the picture exhibiting plenty of provision—the starved dog—the departing physician—the infected and ricketty condition of the child who is brought to take a last kiss of its dying mother—are circumstances too striking to be overlooked.
The Daily Advertiser of 1750 affords the following illustration of our artist's history: "Mr. Hogarth proposes to publish by subscription two large prints, one representing Moses brought to Pharaoh's daughter; the other Paul before Felix; engraved after the pictures of his painting which are now hung up in The Foundling Hospital and Lincoln's-Inn Hall. Five Shillings to be paid at the time of subscribing, and Five Shillings more on the delivery of the print. On the first payment a receipt will be given, which receipt will contain a new print (in the true Dutch taste) of Paul before Felix. Note, The above two prints will be Seven Shillings and Six Pence each after the subscription is over; and the receipt-print will not be sold at a less price than One Guinea each. Subscriptions are taken in till the 6th of June next, and no longer, at The Golden-Head in Leicester-Fields, where the drawings may be seen; as likewise the author's six pictures of Marriage-à-la-Mode, which are to be disposed of in the following manner: That every bidder sign a note with the sum he intends to give. That such note be deposited in the drawer of a cabinet, which cabinet shall be constantly kept locked by the said William Hogarth; and in the cabinet, through a glass door, the sums bid will be seen on the face of the drawer, but the names of the bidders may be concealed till the time of bidding shall be expired. That each bidder may, by a fresh note, advance a further sum if he is outbid, of which notice shall be sent him. That the sum so advanced shall not be less than Three Guineas. That the time of bidding shall continue till twelve o'clock the 6th of June next, and no longer. That no dealer in pictures will be admitted a bidder.
"As (according to the standard of judgement, so righteously and laudably established by picture-dealers, picture-cleaners, picture-frame-makers, and other connoisseurs) the works of a painter are to be esteemed more or less valuable as they are more or less scarce, and as the living painter is most of all affected by the inferences resulting from this and other considerations equally uncandid and edifying; Mr. Hogarth, by way of precaution, not puff, begs leave to urge, that, probably, this will be the last suit or series of pictures he may ever exhibit, because of the difficulty of vending such a number at once to any tolerable advantage, and that the whole number he has already exhibited of the historical or humourous kind does not exceed fifty, of which the three sets called The Harlot's Progress, The Rake's Progress, and that now to be sold, make twenty; so that whoever has a taste of his own to rely on, not too squeamish for the production of a Modern, and courage enough to own it, by daring to give them a place in his collection (till Time, the supposed finisher, but real designer of paintings, has rendered them fit for those more sacred repositories where Schools, Names, Heads, Masters, &c. attain their last stage of preferment), may from hence be convinced that multiplicity at least of his (Mr. Hogarth's) pieces will be no diminution of their value."
Mr. Lane, of Hillingdon near Uxbridge, bought the six original pictures for 120 guineas, at Hogarth's auction.[8]
[1] London Daily Post, April 7, 1743. "Mr. Hogarth intends to publish by subscription Six Prints from copper plates, engraved by the best masters in Paris, after his own paintings (the heads, for the better preservation of the characters and expressions, to be done by the author), representing a variety of modern occurrences in high life, and called Marriage a-la-mode.
"Particular care is taken that the whole work shall not be liable to exception on account of any indecency or inelegancy, and that none of the characters represented shall be personal. The subscription will be one guinea; half, &c."
[3] In the third plate of this work, the figure of the female unclasping a penknife, is said to have been designed for the once celebrated Betty Careless. This remark is supposed to be countenanced by the initials E. C. on her bosom. From being in a state to receive company, this woman had been long reduced to show it, and, after repeated confinements in various prisons, was buried from the poor's house of St. Paul, Covent Garden, April 22, 1752, about seven years after this set of prints had been published. Such a representation of her decline from beauty, as may be given in the plate before us, is justified by various passages in Loveling's poems, Latin and English, written about the year 1738, and published in 1741. Thus in his ode, "Ad Sextum,"
Carlesis turpis macies decentem
Occupat vultum——
Again more amply in his Elegiac Epistle, "Ad Henricum:"
Nympha Coventini quæ gloria sulferat Horti,
Cui vix vidisset Druria vestra parem,
Exul, inops, liquit proprios miseranda Penates,
Fortunæ extremas sustinuitque vices,
Nunc trahit infaustam tenebroso in carcere vitam,
Et levat insolito mollia membra toro.
Carlesis, ah! quantum, quantum mutaris ab illâ,
Carlese, quæ Veneris maxima cura fuit!
Æde tua risêre olim Charitesque Jocique,
Hic fuerant Paphiæ currus & arma Deæ;
Arsèrunt Cives, arsit Judæus Apella,
Et te Bellorum deperiêre chori.
Jam sordes, pallensque genas, & flaccida mammas,
Non oculi, quondam qui micuere, micant.
Heu! ubi formosæ referentes lilia malæ!
Labra ubi purpureis quæ rubuére rosis!
Te puer Idalius, te fastiditque juventus
Tam marcescentem, dissimilemque tui.
Siccine tam fidam curas Erycina ministram?
Hæccine militiæ praemia digna tuæ?
O Venus! ô nimium, nimiumque oblita tuarum!
Carlesis an meruit sortis acerba pati?
Quæ posthàc arisve tuis imponet honorem,
Ardebit posthàc vel tua castra sequi?
Omnigenas æquo circumspice lumine mœchas
Quas tua pellicibus Druria dives alit,
Quæ cellas habitant, vicos peditesve peragrant,
Aut quæ Wappinios incoluêre lares;
Invenienda fuit nusquam lascivior, artus
Mobilior, sacris vel magis apta tuis.
Carlesis ah nostris & flenda & fleta Camœnis!
Accedat vestris nulla medela malis?
Te vereor miseram fortuna tenaciter anget,
Nec veniet rebus mollior aura tuis.
Again in his Ode, "Ad Carolum B......."
-----------------relinquent
Carlesis quondam miseræ Penates
Douglasa & Johnson, duo pervicacis
Fulmina linguæ.
Again in a "Copy of Verses on Betty Close's coming to Town, &c."
Roberts will curse all whores—
From worn-out Careless to fair Kitty Walker.
Again in an Ode intituled "Meretrices Britannicæ."
Alma scortorum Druriæque custos
Orta Neptuno! tibi cura pulchræ;
Carlesis satis data, tu secundà
Carlesis regnes.
These lines will serve to enforce the moral of The Harlot's Progress, while they aim at the illustration of a single circumstance in Marriage à la Mode; where if this female is introduced at all, it seems to be in the character of an opulent procuress, either threatening the peer for having diseased her favourite girl, or preparing to revenge herself on the quack whose medicines had failed to eradicate his lordship's disorder. That heroine must have been notorious, who could at once engage the pencil of Hogarth and the pens of Loveling and Fielding, who in the sixth chapter of the first book of Amelia has the following story: "I happened in my youth to sit behind two ladies in a side-box at a play, where, in the balcony on the opposite side was placed the inimitable Betty Careless, in company with a young fellow of no very formal, or indeed sober, appearance. One of the ladies, I remember, said to the other—'Did you ever see any thing look so modest and so innocent as that girl over the way? What pity it is such a creature should be in the way of ruin, as I am afraid she is, by her being alone with that young fellow!' Now this lady was no bad physiognomist; for it was impossible to conceive a greater appearance of modesty, innocence, and simplicity, than what nature had displayed in the countenance of that girl; and yet, all appearances notwithstanding, I myself (remember, critic, it was in my youth) had a few mornings before seen that very identical picture of those engaging qualities in bed with a rake at a bagnio, smoaking tobacco, drinking punch, talking obscenity, and swearing and cursing with all the impudence and impiety of the lowest and most abandoned trull of a soldier." We may add, that one of the mad-men in the last plate of The Rake's Progress has likewise written "charming Betty Careless" on the rail of the stairs, and wears her portrait round his neck. Perhaps between the publication of The Rake's Progress and Marriage à la Mode, she sunk from a wanton into a bawd. Mrs. Heywood's Betsey Thoughtless was at first entitled Betsey Careless, but the name was afterwards changed for obvious reasons.
The London Daily Post, Nov. 28, 1735, contains the following advertisement from this notorious female:
"Mrs. Careless, from the Piazza in Covent-Garden, not being able to make an end of her affairs so soon as she expected, intends on Monday next to open a coffee-house in Prujean's-Court, in The Old Bailey, where she hopes her friends will favour her with their company, notwithstanding the ill situation of the place; since her misfortunes oblige her still to remain there.
"N. B. It is the uppermost house in the court, and coaches and chairs may come up to the door."
Again in The London Daily Post, Oct. 21, 1741, Mrs. Careless advertises The Beggar's Opera, at the theatre in James-Street, Haymarket, for her benefit, Oct. 27. At the bottom of the advertisement she says, "Mrs. Careless takes this benefit because she finds a small pressing occasion for one: and as she has the happiness of knowing she has a great many friends, hopes not to find an instance to the contrary by their being absent the above-mentioned evening; and as it would be entirely inconvenient, and consequently disagreeable, if they should, she ventures to believe they won't fail to let her have the honour of their company." In the bill of the day she says—"N. B. Mrs. Careless hopes her friends will favour her according to their promise, to relieve her from terrible fits of the vapours proceeding from bad dreams, though the comfort is they generally go by the contraries.
"Tickets to be had at Mrs. Careless's Coffee-house, the Playhouse-Passage, Bridges-Street."
Would the public, at this period of refinement, have patiently endured the familiar address of such a shameless, superannuated, advertising strumpet?
The reader will perhaps smile, when, after so much grave ratiocination, and this long deduction of particulars, he is informed that the letters are not E. C. but F. C. the initials of Fanny Cock, daughter to the celebrated auctioneer of that name, with whom our artist had had some casual disagreement.
The following, somewhat different, explanation has also been communicated to me by Charles Rogers, esq. who says it came from Sullivan, one of Hogarth's engravers: "The nobleman threatens to cane a quack-doctor for having given pills which proved ineffectual in curing a girl he had debauched; and brings with him a woman, from whom he alledges he caught the infection; at which she, in a rage, is preparing to stab him with her clasp knife. This wretch is one of the lowest class, as is manifest by the letters of her name marked with gunpowder on her breast. She, however, is brought to the French barber-surgeon for his examination and inspection, and for which purpose he is wiping his spectacles with his coarse muckender."
The explanation given by Rouquet, however, ought not to be suppressed, as in all probability he received it from Hogarth. "Il falloit indiquer la mauvaise conduite du héros de la piece. L'auteur pour cet effet l'introduit dans l'appartement d'un empirique, où il ne peut guères se trouver qu'en consequence de ses débauches; il fait en même tems rencontrer chez cet empirique une de ces femmes qui perdues depuis long-tems, font enfin leur métier de la perte des autres. Il suppose un démêlé entre cette femme et son héros, dont le sujet paroît être la mauvaise santé d'un petite fille, du commerce de laquelle il ne s'est pas bien trouvé. La petite fille au reste fait ici contraste par son âge, sa timidité, sa douceur, avec le caractère de l'autre femme, qui paroît un composé de rage, de fureur, et de tous les crimes qui accompagnent d'ordinaire les dernières débauches chez celles de son sexe.
"L'empirique et son appartement sont des objets entièrement épisodiques. Quoique jadis barbier,[A] il est aujourdhui, si l'on en juge par l'etalage, non seulment chirurgien, mais naturaliste, chimiste, mechanicien, medecin, apoticaire; et vous remarquerez qu'il est François pour comble de ridicule. L'auteur pour achever de le caracteriser suivant son idée, lui fait inventer des machines extrèmement composées pour les opérations les plus simples, comme celles de remettre un membre disloqué, ou de déboucher une bouteille.
"Je ne deciderai pas si l'auteur est aussi heureux dans le choix des objets de sa satire, quand il les prend parmi nous, que lorsqu'il les choisit parmi ceux de sa nation; mais il me semble qu'il doit mieux connoître ceux-ci; et je crois que cette planche vous en paroîtra un exemple bien marqué. Il tourne ici en ridicule ce que nous avons de moins mauvais; que deviendroit le reste s'il étoit vrai qu'il nous connût assez pour nous depeindre?"
[A] This circumstance seems to be implied by the broken comb, the pewter bason, and the horn so placed as to resemble a barber's pole, all which are exhibited either above, or within the glass case, in which the skeleton appears whispering a man who had been exsiccated by some mode of embalming at present unknown. About the time of the publication of this set of prints, a number of bodies thus preserved were discovered in a vault in Whitechapel church.—Our Quack is likewise a virtuoso. An ancient spur, a high-crowned hat, old shoes, &c. together with a model of the gallows, are among his rarities.—On his table is a skull, rendered carious by the disease he is professing to cure.—These two last objects are monitory as well as characteristic.
[4] Scotin engraved the first and sixth; Baron the second and third; Ravenet the fourth and fifth.
[5] The blunders in architecture in this unfinished nobleman's seat, on the same account, are seen to disadvantage.
[6] This edifice seems at a stand for want of money, no workman appearing on the scaffolds, or near them.
[7] In his advertisement for this set of plates, he had engaged to engrave all the faces with his own hand. See note [1] above.
[8] The account given in a former edition of this volume concerning the sale of the original pictures of Marriage-à-la-mode, being somewhat erroneous, I am happy in the present opportunity of acknowledging my obligations to Mr. Lane abovementioned, who has corrected my mistakes by a communication of the following particulars relative to the purchase:
"Some time after they had been finished, perhaps six or seven years, during which period Mr. Hogarth had been preparing and publishing prints from them, in the year 1750 he advertised the sale of the originals by a kind of auction not carried on by personal bidding, but by a written ticket on which every one was to put the price he would give, with his name subscribed to it. These papers were to be received by Mr. Hogarth for the space of one month; and the highest bidder, at twelve o'clock on the last day of the month, was to be the purchaser: and none but those who had in writing made their biddings were to be admitted on the day that was to determine the sale. This nouvelle method of proceeding probably disobliged the public; and there seemed to be at that time a combination against poor Hogarth, who perhaps, from the extraordinary and frequent approbation of his works, might have imbibed some degree of vanity, which the town in general, friends and foes, seemed resolved to mortify. If this was the case (and to me it is very apparent), they fully effected their design; for on the memorable sixth of June 1750, which was to decide the fate of this capital work, about eleven o'clock Mr. Lane, the fortunate purchaser, arrived at the Golden Head: when, to his great surprize, expecting (what he had been a witness to in 1745, when Hogarth disposed of many of his pictures) to have found his painting-room full of noble and great personages, he only found the painter and his ingenious friend Dr. Parsons, secretary to the Royal Society, talking together, and expecting a number of spectators at least, if not of buyers. Mr. Hogarth then produced the highest bidding, from a gentleman well known, of £120. Nobody coming in, about ten minutes before twelve, by the decisive clock in the room, Mr. Lane told Mr. Hogarth he would make the pounds guineas. The clock then struck twelve, and Hogarth wished Mr. Lane joy of his purchase, hoping it was an agreeable one. Mr. Lane answered, Perfectly so. Now followed a scene of disturbance from Hogarth's friend the Doctor, and, what more affected Mr. Lane, a great appearance of disappointment in the painter, and truly with great reason. The Doctor told him, he had hurt himself greatly by fixing the determination of the sale at so early an hour, when the people at that part of the town were hardly up. Hogarth, in a tone and manner that could not escape observation, said, Perhaps it may be so! Mr. Lane, after a short pause, declared himself to be of the same opinion, adding, that the artist was very poorly rewarded for his labour, and, if he thought it would be of service to him, would give him till three o'clock to find a better purchaser. Hogarth warmly accepted the offer, and expressed his acknowledgements for the kindness in the strongest terms. The proposal likewise received great encomiums from the Doctor, who proposed to make it public. This was peremptorily forbidden by Mr. Lane, whose concession in favour of our artist was remembered by him to the time of his death.—About one o'clock, two hours sooner than the time appointed by Mr. Lane, Hogarth said he would no longer trespass on his generosity, but that, if he was pleased with his purchase, he himself was abundantly so with the purchaser. He then desired Mr. Lane to promise that he would not dispose of the pictures without previously acquainting him of his intention, and that he would never permit any person, under pretence of cleaning, to meddle with them, as he always desired to take that office on himself. This promise was readily made by Mr. Lane, who has been tempted more than once by Hogarth to part with his bargain at a price to be named by himself. When Mr. Lane bought the pictures, they were in Carlo Marratt frames which cost the painter four guineas apiece."
The memory of this occurrence ought always to attend the work which afforded Mr. Lane an opportunity of displaying so much disinterested generosity.
Another correspondent begins the same story as follows—A little time before the auction, Hogarth publickly declared, that no picture-dealer should be allowed to bid. He also called on his friends, requesting them not to appear at the sale, as his house was small, and the room might be over crowded. They obeyed his injunctions. Early in this mortifying day he dressed himself, put on his tye-wig, strutted away one hour, and fretted away two more, no bidder appearing, &c. &c.
2. A small print of Archbishop Herring, at the head of the speech he made to the clergy of York, September 24, 1745. William Hogarth pinx. C. Moseley sculp.
3. The same head cut out of the plate, and printed off without the speech.
4. The Battle of the Pictures. "Ticket to admit persons to bid for his works at an auction." On the plate called The Battle of the Pictures is written, "The bearer hereof is entitled (if he thinks proper) to be a bidder for Mr. Hogarth's pictures, which are to be sold on the last day of this month [February, 1744-5.]."
5. A festoon, with a mask, a roll of paper, a palette, and a laurel. Subscription ticket for Garrick in Richard the Third. A very faithful copy from this receipt was made by R. Livesay, 1781. It is to be sold at Mrs. Hogarth's house in Leicester-square.