Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 2.djvu/231

 us. viii. SEPT. so, 1913.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

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but acquitted owing to some legal informality, but ordered to [be] detained. Shortly afterwards he died of a fever in Newgate.

This Lady was the niece of Alderman John Boydel and sister of Aid. Josiah B'l. In her youth she was equally admired for beauty, talent, and vivacity, and when residing with her uncle she was surrounded by all the distinguished artist [s] of the day, to whom that mercantile macenas [sic] extended his patronage.

Thus living and breathing the very atmosphere of the fine arts, the love of them continued through life, [and she was] ever anxious to add to her extensive collection of Prints, which after her death was purchased by the present Duke of Buckingham. When Aid. Boydell was elevated to the civic chair Miss B. performed the part of Lady Mayoress, and was most certainly the most accomplished female that ever graced that station. In this situation she was the object of general attention, and [was] incensed with continual flattery. Even old Elliss (the last of the City scriveners) invoked the muse in her praise, and Boswell threw himself on his knees to present his verses to her at a Ball at the Mansion House. This was indeed Comedy running to Farce ; poor Elliot was Tragedy, begun in love, continued to despair, and ending in premature Death.

It was at an advanced period of life that I had the pleasure of becoming known to Mrs. N. Time had indeed impaired those charms which were once so fascinating, and deafness had rendered conversation something difficult ; but memory, faithful to her trust, was stored with anecdotes of departed talents and recollection of bygone days. Age had encreased her ac- quirements without diminishing her bene- volence. Liberal in communicating information, and ever anxious to enrich her folios. In Decem- ber, 1820, the good old Lady departed this life respected and lamented.

I ought to have mentioned before that one day turning over some portraits, Mrs. N. came to that of Miss Bay, when she involuntary observed that she had never given any encouragement, adding that if he had suffered she should never have had another happy day.

It maybe surposed [sic] that all the artist[s] of the time vied with each other in painting this attractive beauty. Two of them are engraved one of them an oval entitled " Maternal In- struction," in which [? William Nichol] is

represented standing near her side. Painted by C. Bockhart, Eng'd by G. Noble, pub. 1791. The other as " Emma," or the " Child of Sorrow." I remain, Sir, with all due respect, yours most oblidged [sic]

CHARLES GEORGE DYER.

The letter is addressed " Mr. George Jones, Pentonville, in North St.," and has a foot-note added when it was given by William Huddesf ord to Mary Nichols, daugh- ter of the printer-antiquary.

Apparently Alderman John Boydell' s bio graphy was written by William Carey; a proof of the first part as a newspaper sheet is with the letter. I am familiar with contemporary appreciations in The Hive

The Bee, and The City Biography, but Carey's Life presumably appeared in one of the journals. It is praise for this after- publication that occasioned many letters rom Mary Nichol, and the following is a 'airly representative excerpt. This letter, on 4 pp. folio, is dated " Pall Mall, March 30th, 1811," and addressed to "William arey, Esq., to be left at the Post Office untiU called for, Nottingham."

If my paper would allow, I could point out

thousand beauties. Your delicate touches of my uncle, the hint for an ungrateful set of men called artists and the liberal amateurs, whose )oasts is to immortalize the arts and the memory* to perpetuate when consigned to the grave, by some mark of public esteem, to make others emulate the same distinction. I can say no more, }han your compliment to commercial men, and /he above caused a few solitary tears, in the recollection of my Revered dear uncle sinking lis whole property, and more than that, to raise jy his liberal patronage the infantine art of this country ....

I hear Mr. West is preparing by raising all the money he can upon his old stack of pictures, that have been so long without a purchaser, in order to leave old England, a Nation or at least its thing [sic], who has so very liberally raised him from obscurity and mean parentage to the highest post an artist could be exalted [to]

And I wish to enter into an agreement with you that you write the life, and I will find paper and printing, and my Brother the portrait, and after you have given each of us a few copies of the Life, the remainder to be published by your- self and for your own emolument, for a douceur for the writing, and you cannot do better than let Mr. Miller, Bookseller, Albemarle St., sell it our end of the town, as he is the most noted for publishing fine works, and Mr. Asperne in Cornhill in the City. Let me hear from you soon and where to address you.

I am ever,

MARY NICHOL.

Dyer's biographical letter affords a refer- ence to this lady's "folios." This repre- sents the several works she was extra- illustrating with fine prints. In the last letter in the series she informs Mrs. Carey that she sends her copy of Edwards's * Lives of the Painters,'

" but Northcote's life of Reynolds I cannot lend, being in sheets, and the paper so thin and hot- pressed, that it would soon be damaged in turning over. I have illustrated it with above 300 portraits, and am going on with it."

This work, I believe, occurred for sale about 1908. I am under the impression it was catalogued by a distinguished bookseller as Having belonged to Mary Boydell.

On the later history of this site I cannot at present offer any data.

ALECK ABRAHAMS.