fums larger and larger were annually drawn out of this country by French artists, he fought for an English engraver who could equal, if not excel them-and in Woollet he found one. The temple of Apollo from Claude, and two premium pictures by the Smiths of Chichester, were a-: mong the first that he engraved; but the Niobe, and the Phaton, from Wilfon, which were published by subscription at 5s. each, were the two great pillars on which Woollet's well-earned reputation was built. For the first of them, the alderman agreed to give the engraver fifty guineas*; and when it was completed he paid him a hundred. fecond, the artist agreed to paint for fifty guineas, and the alderman paid him one hundred and twenty. Proof-prints were not, at that time, considered as having any particular value; the few that were taken off to examine the progrefs of the plate, were delivered to fuch fubfcribers as wifhed to: have them, at the fame price as the common impreffions. Several of these have been fince bought in public auctions, at ten pounds each. At Mr. Hilliard's fale, one of them fold for eleven guineas.

The

The number of fine-of inimitably fine prints which have been fince that time engraved in this country, have, indifputably, fixed the English school about every other in Europe; and been a very important article in the commerce of this nation, by altering the balance immenfely in our favour.

The alderman has not confined himself to prints, he has

The immenfe difference between the prices paid to artists new and then, is almost incredible:-the Meflrs. Boydells, in their advertisement to the print of Major Pearson, affert, that painting the picture, engraving the print, and every incidental expence, coft them the immenfe fum of five thousand pounds.

alfo done more towards establishing an English school of historical painting than any other man: it is hardly necefsary to say, we allude to the Shakspeare gallery ; an under ́taking of a magnitude that was never before attempted, and conducted in a manner that must astonish every nation in Europe. With that enthusiastic ardour which he feels for the promotion of the arts, he has presented to the corporation of the city of London several very valuable pictures; which are placed in the council chamber, at Guildhall. Some of them are calculated to commemorate the actions of those heroes who have done honor to the British name; and others, to imprefs on the minds of the rising generation the fentiments of virtue, industry, and prudence, in feveral very well-imagined allegorical reprefentations, painted by Mr. Rigaud, Smirke, Weftall, &c. Such is the flight memorial of his conduct, as an artift and protector of the arts. On his conduct as a citizen, it is not necessary for this page to record any eulogium. In the different offices of alderman, sheriff, and first magistrate of the city of London, he has acted in a manner that will be remembered, and by many remembered gratefully; for though inflexibly juft, he was ever merciful; and when husbands came before him, with complaints of their wives; masters, of their fervants or apprentices; fathers of their children; he invariably, and often fuccefsfully, tried to reconcile them to each other, and accommodate their differen

ces.

To the duties of his office he has ever been peculiarly attentive; and very often, when it was not in his rotation, fupplied the place of a brother alderman. This, consider

ing

The half length of Lord Heathfield, is, perhaps, the finest portrait that Sir Joshua Reynolds ever painted.

ing the great attention neceffary to his own bufinefs, is no flight trouble; but he has been enabled to do it from hay-: ing generally arranged his bufinefs, fo as to be beforehand with the duties of the occafion. In this, his character is diametrically opposite to that of the late duke of Newcastle; of whom George II. once faid, that he loft an hour every morning, and was day.

running after it all the rest of the

Of the alderman's fimplicity of manners, integrity of mind, and private worth, much might be faid-but he lives

and may his life and health be prolonged, and continue to be honourable to himself and useful to his fellow-citi

THE fubject of this memoir is defcended from reputable parents; very early in life, he, himself, was fent to Chrift's hofpital, a most excellent inftitution, which has furnished the universities with admirable scholars, the church with many learned divines, the navy with able officers; and what, in a commercial nation like this, is no fmall praife, the exchange, with enterprifing and successful merchants.

The youthful student difcovered an aftonishing attachment to books; and what, in fuch an inftitution, is no triAling distinction, actually got to the top of the school sooner than ever was known before his time. This rare instance of affiduity, was accompanied by a paffion, which but feldom attends

Y 2

It may not be amifs here to obferve, that his masters were the Rev. Peter Wholley and Rev. James Penn, both known to the world, as litera

ry men.

attends on induftry-a ftrong propenfity for poetry. Pope, fpeaking of himself, says:

As yet a child, nor yet a fool to fame,
"I lifp'd in numbers, for the numbers came."

This feems to have been alfo the cafe of George Dyer, ! with only this difference, that while the one wooed the mufes in his vernacular tongue only, the other had likewife recourfe to a foreign idiom, and addreffed the daughters of Jupiter and Mnemofyne, in what is fuppofed to have been their native language. This claffical tafte, particularly his ardent attachment to the Greek and Latin authors, at length procured him a patron in the perfon of Dr. Askew, a physician of great fortune, and confiderable influence; diftinguished for his knowledge of Greek literature, and his valuable collection of books and MSS. in the fame language. Pleafed with the early proficiency, and congenial difpofition of the young man, he took an interest in his studies, and purfuits; and prefaging that he would distinguish himself at fome future period, promised that he fhould fee him amply provided for. But, alas! fuch is the uncertainty of human life, that this worthy man was cut off foon after; and that, too, at a time, when his pupil only beheld the blossoms, and had not yet realized the fruits of expectation.

Notwithstanding this fevere lefs, he repaired to Cambridge; and, in confequence of the connexion above alluded to, chofe Emanuel college, where his friend had been educated.'

It may not be improper here to obferve, that a confiderable time previous to this epoch, Mr. Dyer acquired fomewhat of a gloomy caft of mind, and connected himself

with

with many of the fetaries. In confequence of this, the claffics were no longer fuch favourites as before; modern religionists were recurred to, in preference to heathen poets; and even the ruling paffion was fufpended: for the mufes and methodism do not affort well together!

During the greater part of his ftay at Emanuel college, George led a retired life; frequenting only the company of fome few men who happened to think like himself. His religious propenfities do not feem, however, to have altogether relaxed his ardour for study, as his application was ftill confpicuous: though his mind revolted at the trammals of collegiate difcipline. This is not at all to be wondered at, when his favourite purfuits are recolle&ed; for men of fervid imaginations are unwilling to fubject themfelves to the rigors of the Alexandrian school; and altho Ptolemy, king of Egypt, difdained not to become the pupil of Euclid, yet but few poets or religionists have evinced a turn for mathematics. Indeed, fuch an averfion is not difficult to be accounted for: this fublime fcience is founded on demonftration, and it is not on fuch a basis, that either the fancy of the one, or the fuperftition of the other, can poffibly be erected.

Mr. D's. ftudies were accordingly confined to Metaphy, fics, Theology, and the Claffics. Some time before he had taken his degree, his mind began to range abroad, and to speculate freely, relative to fyftematic christianity, and abstract enquiries concerning first truths. If this propenfity be not unfortunate, it is, at leaft, unprofitable; more especially to a young man like the prefent, all of whofe hopes in life originated either from his college or the church. The consequence was, that after a fit of melancholy, the stern dictates of principle got the better of all interested views, and the theologian (for such he had now become)