The Press.
London, England, 1855-03-03 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

was very much pleased. After saying many most flattering
things, he said : " Mr. Strange, I have another favour to
ask of you." Your father was attentive, and his Majesty
rejoined, " it is that you will attend the levee on Wednes-
day or Friday, that I may confer on you the honour of
knighthood." His Majesty left the room, but coming
quickly back, said, " I'm going immediately to St. James's,
if you'll follow me, I'll do it now ; the sooner the better ;"
so calling one of the pages gave him orders to conduct Mr.
Strange to St. James s, where kneeling down he rose up
Sir Richard Strange.
This honour had the effect of eliciting all
those heraldic details concerning the family of
Strange which Mr. Dennistoun relates at some•
what unnecessary length. The herald-painter
when applied to for " supporters," sketched
figures of antiquity and of a Roman warrior,
suggesting with much simplicity,that, as " they
" were uncommon, they might not be improper
" for Mr. Strange." Sir Robert lived fifteen
years to enjoy his dignity. He amused him-
self with his art to the last. It is supposed that
he injured his health by his application, but
he nevertheless reached the ripe age of seventy-
one. He died wealthy ; he left 10,0001. to his
children in special legacies, and the remainder
of his fortune, with his very valuable stock of
engravings and plates, among them.
Not much is to be said of the character of
Sir Robert. Apart from his art, he had little
intellectual culture, and nothing to distinguish
him from the thousands of prudent Scotch-
men who both before and since have plodded
along the road of industry to fortune. But to
his art ho was entirely devoted. He was so
careful of his reputation that he executed the
greater part of his works withhis own hands :
I find now by experience (he wrote) that I am obliged
with my own hands to execute two-thirds of every plate I
do. Nay I often consume more time in correcting the
work of others, than had I done the whole myself. Could
I see with other eyes than I do, it might be otherwise, but
I am generally the last to please. This will always be the
case with every man who values his reputation.
Sets of his engravings (proofs) were sold after
his death at eighty guineas each, and they still
bring high pricesit is said here thathe "restored
" the reputation of Raffaelle and Correggio, of
" Titian and Guido, in nations among whom
" they had fallen into neglect." This is more
honour than he can justly claim, but he had
undoubtedly a fine taste for the highest walk
of art. His engravings were usually from
excellent works of great masters, and it is
universally acknowledged that in rendering
the softness, roundness, and delicacy of flesh
he had no equal. It is this peculiar quality
of his burin that made his engravings from
Titian so highly prized. By no means indif-
ferent to patronage and profit, it is stated
to his credit that he had yet sufficient inde-
pendence of mind to abstain from engraving
for publishers, which would, in the first in-
stance at least, have afforded him higher re-
muneration. Yet it was by the humblest style
of book-illustration that Stothard worked his
way to eminence. Strange's small patrimony
saved him from some drudgery, but on the
whole it is a mistake to suppose that an artist
of real capacity may not improve by whatever
work he turns his hand to.
His active partner survived him some years,
and at eighty-four could write—" My health
"is excellent ; I have no cough; my cheeks
" are blooming ; I have still two teeth, and
" several brown hairs in my head. I could
" dance at any of my childrens' weddings." A
daughter died so lately as 1849, at the age of
ninety. The sons all prospered. The eldest,
after a residence in India, became a banker in
London, and a member of Parliament, marry-
ing for his second wife a daughter of Lord
Melville. The male line of the Stranges is
carried on through the second son. " Greatly
" do I wish," said his thrifty mother, " to see
" Andrew settled, as it is called. A. decent
" young woman, with education and a penny,
" is what I wish, for the fire of love soon
" burns out when it is founded on beauty
" alone." This Andrew became Chief Justice
of Madras ; married twice, and each time well,
gaining probably the " penny " his mother
desired ; and left a numerous family. The
descendants of Sir Robert take rank with our
first gentry; and it is an odd reflection that
they owe their being to the fashion of the
large hoops of a century ago, and to the ready
wit of the girl who sheltered her lover beneath
her ample petticoat when Cumberland's
troopers, closely dogging his heels, burst into
her presence, clamouring for his blood.