Page:Eight Friends of the Great - WP Courtney.djvu/84

 64 and tenpence more gave me an excellent bottle of claret." This was not the conventional language of the time. But the doctor lived and spoke on his own lines. He even went so far, oh grievous offence against propriety ! as " to walk in the streets without gloves." Whatever the " British Fair " may have become, their satirist was restored to them without a change. He was the same genial, kind-hearted, honest old fellow. Hayley was much attached to an illegitimate child, Thomas Alphonso Hayley, a young sculptor and Warner also became fond of him. He addressed the youth in a sportive billet and deter- mined to devote himself to the private education, in a similar manner, of another very promising boy. When this young sculptor came to London to perfect himself in his profession the doctor continued his kindness. His intimacy with Hayley was unbroken. He seems to have paid a visit to Eartham in the summer of 1795. He was there again in April 1796 and had then been engaged to attend the new ambassador to Denmark as his secretary and chaplain. The date of departure was fixed for the 15th of May but I do not find that the appointment was ever carried into effect. Warner's portrait in water colour was painted by Jeremiah Meyer, R.A. the well known artist, particularly in miniatures, who brought Romney and Hayley together in 1776 and as the painter had " a lively friendship " with his subject it was painted con amore. The original was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1776, and in order that it might be preserved for the youth whom Warner was educating it was entrusted to the keeping of Hayley. The young Hayley made a copy of it, but as the picture was not to his satisfaction he made a second attempt and this time succeeded completely. His father took the work on his next visit to town to Warner's rooms in S'- John's Square, and diverted himself in the