In this pamphlet our artist is incidentally mentioned, but in such a manner as shews that he had attained some celebrity so early as 1727. Speaking of some Lilliputian swine, supposed to be in the possession of Dean Swift, Dr. Arbuthnot adds, "But Hogarth the Engraver is making a print after them, which will give a juster idea of them than I can."
[7] Perhaps he was only a fire-eater.
[3.] Judith and Holofernes. "Per vulnera servor, morte tuâ vivens." W. Hogarth inv. Ger. Vandergucht sc. A frontispiece to the Oratorio of Judith.—Our heroine, instead of holding the sword by its handle, grasps it by its edge, in such a manner as should seem to have endangered her fingers. (Judith was an Oratorio by William Huggins, Esq. set to musick by William De Fesch[1] late Chapel-master of the cathedral church of Antwerp. This piece was performed with scenes and other decorations, but met with no success. It was published in 8vo, 1733.)—The original plate of the frontispiece is in the possession of Dr. Monkhouse. This design has little of Hogarth; yet if he furnished other engravers with such slight undetermined sketches as he himself is sometimes known to have worked from, we cannot wonder if on many occasions his usual characteristics should escape our notice. Whoever undertakes to perfect several of his unpublished drawings, will be reduced to the necessity of inventing more than presents itself for imitation.
[1] William Defesch, a German, and some time chapel-master at Antwerp, was in his time a respectable professor on the violin, and leader of the band for several seasons at Marybone-gardens. His head was engraved as a frontispiece to some musical compositions published by him; and his name is to be found on many songs and ballads to which he set the tunes for Vauxhall and Marybone-gardens. He died, soon after the year 1750, at the age of 70.
The following lines were written under a picture of Defesch, painted by Soldi, 1751.
Thou honor'st verse, and verse must lend her wing,
To honor thee, the priest of Phœbus' quire,
That tun'st her happiest lines in hymn or song. Milton.
Defesch was the patriotic Mr. Hollis's music-master.
4. Boys peeping at Nature. "The subscription-ticket to the Harlot's Progress." A copy in aqua-tinta from this receipt was made by R. Livesay in 1781, and is to be had at Mrs. Hogarth's house in Leicester-square.