The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-12-11
FROM PUBLIC cHARAcrERs-
MISS LINWOOD.

MISS LINWOOD.
WERE any fculptor of the prefent day TO
give to his figures the correctness and character,
energy and cafe, which we fee diiplayed in thoie
urrivalied models of ancient art which were
wrought in Greece, we ihould claGs him rs the
Shakespeare of his protection, conceive that he
had difcovered the fcale by which fome writers
have fuppofed the ancient fculptors performed
thefe prodigies of art, and venerate his name for
having reftored m art the world had long loft, &
defpai-ed of retrieving.
A portion Of the praife which would be Def
,owed on fuch man, is certainly due TO the
Lady whole name is ut the head of this article,
for fhe has awakened from its long feep, an
art which gave birth 20 painting, aud the needle
Is, in her hands, become formidable rival to
the pencil. She has realized, in the mott glow
ing colours, thofe fplendid wonders that were
recorded by Homer, and other ancient poets !;
for that fbe iabonrJ effhe loom, 70 often alluded
to by bards of other days,
When purple hangings clothd the palace walls
were the art of1,Hking pictures in tapet7ry, there
can be no doubt.
The progrefs of this branch of the arts in
Great Britain is curious. Inthe firf famples,
or rather famplers, when it was in It's infancy,
we fee the Lords prayer, or the ten command
ments, furmounted by Adam and Eve in the
garden of Eden, or Daniel in the den of the Ii
ons; which, in maay Gothic frames, were
wont to decorate the walls of our ancient gen.
try. The frit curious pieces of needle-work
that recolle6 to have feen recorded, are flute
OF chair bottoms, worked by, and under the di-
recton of, Queen Mary, conifing of fome hea-
Wy trophies in honour of her heroic huiband.
Thefe were, probably, laboured, loaded, and
tafteefs, and almoft all the early fpecimens that
we have 6en may &c very fairly put in the fame
clafs.
Since the accefIion of our preGent king, the
art has awakened from its long neep. In the
beginning of his reign, the wife of Worlidge, the
painter, copied fome prints in needlework,
which, though dry and feeble, excited attention,
and were noticed in fome of the public prints
of that day by complimentary yerfes, &c. The
lines that follow will, l believe, be thought
fufhcient fpecimen: they were printed in the
Public Advertiser.
On Jteing Mrs. WorlIdge COPY a Aaadjeape in nee
dle-4vork.
AT Wordges az late faw,
A female artift D1etch and draw;
Now take a crayon, pencil,
Now thread needle-ifrange utenfl
hardly could believe my eyes,
To lse hills, houfes fteeples, rife;
While crewel o'er the canva. drawn,
Became river a lawn
Thought l. it was not iaid thro' malice,
That Worlidge was obliged to Pallas;
For ture iuch be dilplay'd
By none, except the blue-ey'd maid
To him the prude is tender hearted,
The paintreis from her eacel ffarted-
Oh! fr,you iervant, pray lit down;
My hufband's charnd you're come town.
For, would you think it On my life,
Twas all the while the artiRs wife.
Some five and twenty years ago, feYeral of
the orphan daughters of clergymen, patronized
and protected by her majefy, and under the
stTreAN 1r-1 IS IL
work Tome bed-furniture, and feveral other
things which beam with taite and elegance.z
To thele may be added the works of Mrs.
Know ies,S who, to Tome of her fruit-pieces, has
given
The glow of nature, and the bloom OF fpring'
We might grace this lit with many other
names but to Mifs Linwoodi it was re{erved to
produce collection, which, conGdering its mag
nitude and excellence, mutt be deemed monu-
Rent, not only OF uncommon genius, but of an
lnduitry and perseverance which ilirpafles the
long iabours of Penelope at her procrafnated
web. Her works exhibit an honorable hifory
OF that part OF her life which is pan but as her
talents entitle her to place in this mifcellany,
and as many OF the many thouiands who have
Viiiicd the exhibition In Hanoyer-fquare, will
naturally with to know fome particulars of the
creator of fbat 1Vorld Of zvondeyJ, we have endea-
youred to procure all the information we could
taha Ills very iiender) OF the artitt who prcdUc-
ed it.
Her family is of NorthamptonAnire, where
they have reided for iome ages in ftuations
highly respectable. She was born in Warwick
ihre,. and has, from her very early years, ref
ded in Leicefter.
Like many other perfons who have had bias
to what has marked and done honour to their
future lives by trivial caufcs, this lady owes her
frt thought of an art, in which flle has 70
highly diftinguiihed herftlf, TO a very trifing
circumstance.
About the year 1882, a friend fent her a
large collection of prints in the various files of
ffroke, mezZotinto, &c. They were left with
no other view than that of affording a her few
days amuieIneut. Infpectng them with the eye
of genius, ihe conceived that the force Of an en-
craving might be United with the foftncfs of
mezzotinto, Unacquainted with the ufe of a
qua forts 10 etching, Granger to the mode of
mezzGfinto, aad totally ignorant the art of
engraving IN Groke, and the whole nfc ofthe
BURN, fhe had no inltrument but her needle 20
make the experiment. With that lle endea-
voured TO realize and embody Ter firlt idea, by
copying fuch prints as moi truck her attention,
with the rovings of black and pucc colourcd fix