Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 33.djvu/92

 painted, besides those already mentioned, were those of Miss Fry, Samuel Gurney, the Marquis of Westminster's family, Lady Lilford (for Lord Holland), the Duchess of Sutherland, the Marquis of Stafford, the Archbishop of Canterbury (Dr. Howley), Lord Cottenham, the Baroness Burdett Coutts, Charles Dickens as Bobadil (1846), and (Sir) John Everett Millais, 1854.

Leslie was genial, sociable, of high principle, happy in his home and welcomed as a guest by high and low. He was a pleasant and able writer; his ‘Handbook for Young Painters’ (1855) and his ‘Life of Constable’ (1843, 2nd edit. 1845) are both excellent in their different ways; his letters are natural and full of intelligence, and his appreciation of the work of other artists was sound, generous, and without bias. Though by no means wanting in industry, his production was not large, but this is partly to be accounted for by the popularity of his work, which led to a frequent demand for repetitions of the same subject.

The nation is fortunate in possessing a number of his best works. In the National Gallery are ‘Sancho Panza in the Apartment of the Duchess,’ ‘Uncle Toby and Widow Wadman,’ ‘Scene from Comus;’ and at the South Kensington Museum ‘Scene from “The Taming of the Shrew,”’ ‘The Principal Characters from “The Merry Wives of Windsor,”’ ‘What can this be?’ ‘Whom can this be from?’ ‘Uncle Toby and Widow Wadman’ (a replica of the National Gallery picture), ‘Florizel and Perdita,’ ‘Autolycus,’ ‘Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme,’ ‘Les Femmes Savantes,’ ‘Le Malade Imaginaire,’ ‘Don Quixote and Dorothea,’ ‘Laura introducing Gil Blas to Arsenia,’ ‘A Female Head,’ ‘Queen Katherine and Patience,’ ‘Amy Robsart,’ ‘The Two Princes in the Tower,’ ‘The Toilet,’ ‘The Princess Royal’ (a sketch for ‘The Christening’), ‘Portia,’ ‘Griselda,’ ‘Her Majesty in her Coronation Robes’ (sketch for ‘The Coronation’), ‘A Garden Scene’ (portrait of the artist's youngest son when a child), ‘Dulcinea Del Toboso,’ and ‘Sancho Panza.’ All the works at South Kensington were given by Mr. Sheepshanks. At the National Portrait Gallery there is a portrait of Lord Holland by Leslie.

Between 1813 and 1839 Leslie exhibited seventy-six works at the Royal Academy and eleven at the British Institution. 

LESLIE, DAVID, first (d. 1682), military commander, was the fifth son of Sir Patrick Leslie of Pitcairly, Fifeshire, commendator of Lindores, by his wife Lady Jean Stewart, second daughter of Robert, first earl of Orkney. He entered the service of Gustavus Adolphus, under whom he became colonel of horse. In the summer of 1640 he was severely wounded in Sweden (Cal. State Papers, Dom. Ser. 1640, pp. 319, 443), but was convalescent by September, when he and other Scottish colonels serving in Sweden obtained leave to return to Scotland to aid the covenanters (ib. 1640–1, p. 101). On 24 Nov. 1643 he was appointed major-general in the Scottish army under Alexander Leslie, earl of Leven [q. v.], which crossed the Tweed on 19 Jan. 1644. The part played by Leslie in the battle of Marston Moor on 2 July has given rise to some dispute, but it seems probable that he is entitled to almost equal credit with Cromwell in gaining the victory. Cromwell himself practically ignores the services of Leslie: ‘Our own horse,’ he says, ‘save a few Scots in our rear, beat all the princes horse’ (letter to Colonel Valentine Walton). On the other hand, Robert Baillie asserts that Leslie ‘in all places that day was his [Cromwell's] leader’ (Letters and Journal, ii. 209). One indisputable fact is that Leslie, who commanded three regiments of horse forming the reserve of the left wing commanded by Cromwell, came to Cromwell's assistance at the very instant that his troops showed symptoms of recoiling from the impetuous charge of Rupert. Besides being admirably opportune, Leslie's attack was skilfully delivered, and it practically decided the battle. Probably Leslie also for a short time took command of the whole of the left wing, while Cromwell was getting his wound dressed. He also charged the famous Whitecoats under Newcastle, and annihilated the regiment (see especially, Great Civil War). After the surrender of York Leslie was sent forward in advance to join the Earl of Callendar in the siege of Newcastle (, vol. ii. pt. iii. p. 645), but on the arrival of Leven he was despatched to the north-western shores, and defeated the forces of Musgrave and Fletcher in Westmoreland. He then laid siege to Carlisle, which surrendered on 28 June 1645.

While employed in the midland shires in dogging the movements of the king, and thus preventing him from advancing northwards to effect a junction with Montrose in Scotland, he was suddenly summoned to Scotland by the committee of estates that he might, if possible, retrieve the disaster of Kilsyth on 15 Aug., and check the career of the vic-