The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1805-01-01 00:00:00

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MORLAND THE PAINTER.

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TO THE EDITOR OF THE BRITISH PRESS.

S i a,—Under the head of Memcirs of Eminent Per-
sons, in one of the Monthly Magazines for December,
there is an article, called a Sketch of tbr tar G. Mor-
land, by an Egotist, who therein confidently asserts,
that one part of it, which alludes to the artist copy-
ing Sir Joshua's celebrated pialare of G.zitick dettcern
Tragedy and Corned is, was toll hint by Old Morland.
For which information, he has, in teturn, abused
the memory of the respeatable Fataer, and other
relatives of that late unhappy, and grossly calum-
niated chat-After, G. Morland. Of the Old Gentle-
man, he asserts, " Avarice was his ruling passinna
and as that passion was insatiable, he negleated his
duty to his son, and gave him no other education
than what contributed to feed his avarice."
The said writer, like too many inairirtill Biogra-
phers of the present day, who glean their principal
materials ft iim Newspapers, and other periodical
sources, without having honesty or gratitude enough
to make any acknowledgment, has taken the great-
est part of what lie calls Hi, Sketch of rae Life of
Morlend,fiom 'Fie Barr rsit Pitta and The %/urging
Advertiser. And, as usual with such ingenuous
gleaners, he gives, at his ewe, an idle. vulaar tale,
transcribed verbatim from your Paper, although the
person under whose signature it appeared (S. S.),
has only given it there, as a mere hearsay anecdote :
namely, the disgustiag story aisout Morland being
fout.A in a garret at Sommers Tot.vn, with his infant,
who had been a fortnight dead, in a cradle, and
such companions as a jack-ass, pigs, a mouse, and
other nonsense : al! which, aild some ill-natured
observations, should have bee: answered direitly,
but for a long and painful-illness, that prevented the
writer of this from rendering an aft of common
justice to individual merit. Now, Sir, as there is
not one syli ahle of truth in the said fabricated anec-
dote, which Cis liberal draftsman to the Magazine
has blended in his lank sketch, or rather distorte d ea-
ricatureoutline of a Memoir ; nor in several other
malicious stories respelling Morland and his garret,
which have heels (bitted upon the public by those,
who are as ignorant of him, his family and connec-
tions, as the ingenious &Ardor: of Lives, who ex-
ist by killing repirations.
As an axiom in minds, it may be fairly presumed,
that what is not strialy true in the biography of any
individual, so fat from serving the interests of soci-
ety, or promoting the morality and happiness Of the
rising generation, tends to injure the one, and con-
taminate the other. If to this consideration be ad-
ded the cruelty, to say no worse, of degrading the
memory of a genius, who was an ornament to his
profession, and an honour to the country that pm-
duced him—it must be admitted, that there ate very
few apologies, within the whole compass of literary
duplicity, sitfficient to exonerate the perpetrator
from the guilt of such an insidious Ana cold-blooded
assassination of talent. Ii p.m this principle, and at
the earnest request of the relatives of the late much-
admired Painter, you are now, Sir, requested to
do an all of jus.ice to the memory of departed me-
rit, through the medium of your respeaable Print,
as the attack commenced there, and owes its circu-
lation to that source.
Vs hat follows, the public and you may depend,
pioceeds from an indubitable spirit of truth ; name-
ly, that Mr. G. Morland never was in any such si-
tuation at Sommer's Town, as described in your
Paper. Nor .did he, for several years alter his mar-
riage, contras those degrading habits which have
been falsely ascribed to hills at a much earlier period.
That a garret, to which he was never reduced to
live in at the worst of times, so tar from serving him
for ail the purposes of life, if there were any such
elevated apartment belonging to his dwelling,
could be nothing more than a lumber room Attached
to one of the best houses in Wurress Piece, near blo.
ther Black Cap's, on the Kentish Town Road, where
he lived in a genteel style for some years. That he
rented a very elegant house, after he left the form' r,
in Charlotte-street, Fitzroy-square, with coach-
house and stabling, kept his groom and other ser-
vants, was followed by some persons of rank, and
associated with men of talents, character, and for-
tune, many of whom are still alive, and whose
names will be given to the public, by their own de-
sire, in corroboration of the foregoing assertions.
That far from being always the companion of low
charafters, and a frequenter of the meanest pot-
houses, he was well known and respeaed in most of
the best inns and taverns between this city and
Hampstead and I ligligate. That, in London, until
within a short period of his death, he frequented the
Garrick's Head, Bow-street, Covent-garden;
Coffeehouse, G errard-street ; and several other places
of genteel v.-sr:at, too numerous for the space which
this article, ahead), much longer than at first in-
tended, was meant to occupy in your popular journal.
That Morland had no mean share of ready wit, was
conversant with some of the best historians. under-
stood music, and played upon several instruments
with taste and judgment ; and that his education,
so far from being negl ',led, is best answered by
those who know how readily he convened upon va-
rious subjeas, and the sciences. It is also more
generally known, that he was one of the best rafli-
cal chymists, as far as related to his profession,
amongst all the artists of the present day.
The' whole of the above state) fiats, with several
others, and the authority upon which they stand,
will be submitted to the public in a genuine army, of
this very ecceatric, and justly celebrated master of
the British School of Painting, by an intimate ac-
quaintance of nearly twenty years, who will
Nothlng extenuate, not set down aught malice.
Therefore, without trespassing any longer, at pre-
sent, upon your indulgence, this :Lich shall he con-
chided with two lines upon the inimitable Morland.
S:nie of dearatloon, long his ensvwl name
Shall grape the annals of immortal fame.
I remain, Sir, with much respell, yours•
ruetbnd place, A ISKITIbiI AMATLIJR
Des:entb.-r at', 1604.
llfir7SEreliaMMlß
A new Methodist chapel has been built at Wm:-
ham, and will be opened this day by the flee. Mr.

BS *naval%
The Earl of Powrasr offers twenty ;tonnes Ye.
ward the docovety of some thieves who stole a
brace of doss, sod ludgcJ a ball in a sore in Eaton
Park. near Totircester. And a Mr W•It17111.c•
airs one handreii guineas for the dams who stole
owe of his fat ewe sheep is the same asighliesshocd.