Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 33.djvu/60

Rh excellent copies in water-colour after Rubens, Vandyck, and other famous artists. Lens was appointed limner to George I and George II. He was also drawing-master to the Duke of Cumberland, the princesses Mary and Louisa, and to Horace Walpole, earl of Orford [q. v.], who paid special testimony to his excellent method of teaching. Lens also taught drawing at Christ's Hospital. He drew the portrait of G. Shelley, writing-master to Christ's Hospital, which was engraved by G. Bickham. His residence at this period was at ‘the Golden Head, between Bridewell Bridge and Fleet Street and Blackfriars’ ( and, London, ii. 55). Lens executed a number of etchings, including some views of St. Leonard's, Shoreditch, and some sketches after Lucatelli. He drew from the life, etched and published on 30 Oct. 1735 a series of plates in outlines representing ‘The Granadier's Exercise of the Granado in his Majesty's first Regiment of Foot-Guards, commanded by his Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland,’ and he drew and engraved sixty-two plates illustrating ‘A New and Compleat Drawing Book,’ which was not published till after his death; a portrait of him is prefixed, from a miniature by himself, and engraved by Boitard. Miniatures of Lens and several members of his family are described by their possessor in ‘Notes and Queries,’ 4th ser. viii. 262. Another portrait, engraved by G. von Gucht, figures with portraits of Laguerre and Charles Gervas [q. v.] in the title to the ‘Catalogue’ of the latter's pictures. Lens died at Knightsbridge on 30 Dec. 1740. He married, at Gray's Inn Chapel, on 30 Nov. 1706, Katherine Woods, and left three sons: Bernard studied art, but through the interest of Horace Walpole obtained a post as clerk in the exchequer office; Peter Paul Lens practised as a miniature-painter; his third son, (fl. 1765–1770), miniature-painter, exhibited miniatures with the Incorporated Society of Artists from 1765 to 1770. In 1744 he re-engraved and published his father's ‘Granadier's Exercise.’ There are three drawings by him in the print room at the British Museum, including a large portrait of J. Claus, done in red chalk, from a portrait by T. Gibson. His collection of miniatures by his father and himself was sold in 1777. 

LENS, JOHN (1756–1825), serjeant-at-law, son of John Lens, a well-known land agent in Norwich, was born there on 2 Jan. 1756. He was educated first at a school in Norwich, and then by the Rev. John Peele. In 1775 he matriculated at St. John's College, Cambridge. He graduated B.A. in 1779, when he was fourth wrangler and chancellor's medallist, and M.A. in 1782. After leaving Cambridge he entered at Lincoln's Inn, whence he was called to the bar in 1781. He at first joined the Norfolk circuit, but soon transferred himself to the western circuit, which he led for many years. On 12 June 1799 he became a serjeant-at-law, and in 1806 king's serjeant. His practice was extensive, and his position at the bar eminent. He was named a lay fellow of Downing College in its charter in 1800, was treasurer of Serjeants' Inn in 1806, succeeded Spencer Perceval in 1807 as counsel to the university of Cambridge, and was engaged in numerous celebrated cases, of which the chief were the action of Charles Perkin Wyatt, surveyor-general of crown lands in Canada, against General Gore, governor of Upper Canada, for libel, in 1816, and the Cranborne Chase boundaries case in the same year (see, Literary Illustrations, vi. 223). He sat as commissioner of assize at Guildford and Maidstone in 1818. He had been a friend and adherent of Fox, was a whig by conviction (see, Memoirs, iv. 128), and might, had he chosen, have represented the university of Cambridge in parliament. But he was as indifferent to honours as he was completely disinterested. In December 1813, on the appointment of Sir Robert Dallas to the bench of the common pleas, he declined the solicitor-generalship (see, Memoirs, iii. 124), although it was pressed upon him by the prime minister at the request of the prince regent, his personal friend. His independence at length became proverbial, and the toast ‘Serjeant Lens and the independence of the bar’ was given at public dinners. In 1817 he retired from his circuit, at the height of his powers, in order to make way for younger men, but continued to practise in London, acting also as commissioner of assize on the home circuit in 1818 (see, Chief Justices, iii. 225, 289). He refused the chief justiceship of Chester, and Lord Ellenborough strongly recommended him as his own successor in the office of lord chief-justice. He died at Ryde in the Isle of Wight on 6 Aug. 1825. He had married in 1818 Mrs. Nares, widow of John Nares, esq., son of Sir George Nares, a judge of the common pleas. His wife predeceased him on 15 June 1820. A portrait of Lens was at Serjeants' Inn. 