Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 41.djvu/198

 in the Tower’ and a portrait of Master Betty, the young Roscius.

Not content with his success as a painter, Northcote aspired to rank as an author. In 1807 he contributed some articles to the ‘Artist,’ a weekly periodical edited by [q. v.], and at the request of a friend he wrote a short memoir of Sir Joshua Reynolds for Britton's ‘Fine Arts of the English School.’ This memoir he subsequently expanded into a quarto volume, entitled ‘Memoirs of Sir Joshua Reynolds, Knt., LL.D., F.R.S., F.S.A., &c., late President of the Royal Academy, comprising Original Anecdotes of many Distinguished Persons, his Contemporaries, and a brief Analysis of his Discourses, to which are added Varieties on Art.’ The latter contained reprints of Northcote's articles in the ‘Artist’ and other periodicals. The book was published in 1813, a supplement was added in 1815, and an octavo edition in two volumes was published in 1819. It was awaited with great interest on account of Northcote's close intimacy with Reynolds, but excited some disappointment. Northcote, however, only claimed to have put down exactly what he knew himself, and his memoir has been the foundation of all subsequent biographies of Reynolds. Its insufficiency is shown by the numerous additional details concerning Reynolds which can be gleaned from Northcote's conversations and subsequent writings (see and, Life and Times of Sir Joshua Reynolds, passim). As a devoted admirer of Reynolds, Northcote was very indignant at the rapidly growing success of Sir [q. v.]

Northcote, besides being a very original character, possessed a shrewd observation, a retentive memory, and a caustic if not vivacious wit. His society was sought for this reason by many persons, who liked to draw him out and elicit his strongly expressed opinions on art and artists. Among these was [q. v.], who was a constant visitor at Northcote's house, and made copious notes of his conversations, which were often started and directed to this special purpose by Hazlitt. In 1826 Hazlitt published in the ‘New Monthly Magazine’ a series of articles, entitled ‘Boswell Redivivus,’ containing extracts from Northcote's conversations with himself. They attracted much attention, from the shrewd wisdom of some sallies and the outspoken sarcasm of others. Hazlitt continued the series in the ‘Atlas’ newspaper. Northcote was flattered by the notoriety which he acquired; but when some remarks of his concerning his early benefactors, the Mudges, produced some strong remonstrances from his friends at Plymouth, he turned on Hazlitt, and accused him of malignant misrepresentation. Though affecting to regard Hazlitt as an enemy, he did not discourage his visits. This was probably due to the fact that he was receiving considerable assistance from Hazlitt in the preparation of two other literary ventures. The first of these was his ‘One Hundred Fables, Original and Select,’ which were compiled by Northcote, with apologues and illustrations of his own composition. These illustrations were designed in a curious way, for, though a skilful draughtsman of natural history, Northcote amused himself by cutting out figures from prints, and pasting them together until he had formed his designs; these he handed over to [q. v.], the wood-engraver, who drew them on the wood-blocks, which were then cut by good engravers, and are among the most interesting productions of the art of wood engraving in England. The work was published at the expense of Mr. Lawford, a bookseller, and was warmly commended by [q. v.] A second series of the ‘Fables’ was published after Northcote's death. In 1830 Northcote published ‘The Life of Titian, with Anecdotes of the distinguished Persons of his Time,’ in two octavo volumes. Northcote had collected notes and papers for this throughout his life; but the result is a confused production, based mainly on the earlier life by Ticozzi. The work was one for which Northcote by nature and circumstances was particularly unsuited. In the same year Hazlitt's ‘Conversations with James Northcote’ was published in a single volume. A new edition, edited by Mr. Edmund Gosse, was published in 1894.

Northcote was a small man, with piercing eyes and strongly marked features. These became extremely accentuated in his latest years, and the frugality of his habits caused his figure to become attenuated almost to a skeleton. A contemporary remarked of him that ‘he looks like a rat who has seen a cat.’ From his earliest start in life he accustomed himself to the strictest economy and frugality, which he never abandoned. He was encouraged in his parsimonious habits by his sister Mary, who kept house for him in Argyll Place. Although money and commissions poured in on him, his house was dirty and neglected, and its condition frequently proved very repugnant to his sitters and visitors. His habits did not spring apparently from real miserly tendencies in his nature, for he spent money freely on his hobbies, such as the history and relics of the Northcote family, and at his death was possessed of far less money than had been expected. His