Mr. Whalley is the nephew of John Palmer, whose portrait is mentioned among the works of Hogarth. See p. [295]. This picture too is at Ecton. The foregoing print (as already observed, p. [121].) must have been published before the year 1735.
[1] A copy of this forms the head-piece to a tale printed in Banks's Works, vol, I. p. 248, intituled, "The Substitute Father."
30. Right Hon. Gustavus Lord Viscount Boyne, &c. &c. Whole length, mezzotinto. W. Hogarth pinx. Andrew Miller fecit. "A very bad print, done in Ireland."
I have since met with an early impression of this mezzotinto. The inscription, dedication, &c. underneath it, are as follows:
"W. Hogarth pinx. Ford fecit. The Rt. Honble. Gustavus Lord Visct. Boyne, Baron of Stackallen, one of his Majesty's most Honble. Priuy Council, one of the Comrs. of the Revenue of Ireland, &c.
"To the Rt. Honble. the Earl of Kildare this plate is humbly dedicated by his Lordship's most obedient humble servt. Mich. Ford.
"Published and sold by Mich. Ford, Painter and Print-seller on Cork Hill. Price 5s. 5.d. [i. e. five thirteens.">[
Mr. Walpole's is probably a later or a retouched impression from the same plate, after it had fallen into the hands of one Andrew Miller, who effaced the name of Ford, and substituted his own.
This scarce print will undoubtedly suffer from comparison with the works of Smith, M'Ardell, Earlom, Jones, &c. and yet perhaps it is the best mezzotinto that Ireland has hitherto produced. It must be confessed, however, that Hogarth's whole-length figure of Lord Boyne is equally void of grace, meaning, and proportion; but these defects have no connection with the labours of Ford, which would have appeared to more advantage had they been exerted on a better subject.