Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1856-04-10

England for the celebrated Sharpe, the nrst
in Europe, who, although retired from
the burin, had consented to execute farewell
of Stuart's Washington. The cop
per-plate was large, thick, and heavy, and pol
ished like o mirror while Stuart, laying his
hand upon the plate, observed with much feel
ing, -" The profits, my young friend, of this cop
pcr-plate engraved by Sharpe were all the for
tune T'expscted to leave to my family" Heath
made noble fortune from his engraving of the
work of Stuart, which engraving is q superb
specimen of the art.
Washington was a bad sitter Itannoyed him
exceedingly to sit at all and after every sitting,
he was won't to declare this must be the last
Stuart, once finding the Chief very dull, be.
thought himself to introduce the subject of
horses. This reused up the sitter, and the ar
tist obtained the desired expression.
The last original tprofle in crayons) was by
Sharpless, 1876, and is now at Arlington House.
So much was this performance admired for the
exquisite likeness and uncommon truthfulness
of expression that the Chief ordered portraits
by the same artist of every member of his do.
nestle family, including George W. Lafayette.
Of the first Presidect there was also portrait
by Remembrance Peale, son of the soldier artist,
painted from sittings during the Presidency
1t elected much commentator from Revolution
ary worthless, and adorns the hall of the United
States Senate.
We have thus enumerated all the reliable
originals Of the Pater Patrie from 1772 to l796,
with remarks upon each. These, with the stat
ue by Houdon in 1856, constitute, in our hum
BILE opinion all the resemblances in paintings
and sculpture of the beloved Washington that
will descend venerated and admired to posteri-
ty. Gracci's bust of the Chief is a failure
his bust of Hamilton magnificent.
OF the painting, said to be original, by Vert
muller, and executed about 1895 we literally
know nothing; yet, in 1875, we were not alb
sent from the Presidential mansion single day.
Again, through whose influence was the sitting
obtained for a picture said to be for a Swedish
nobleman! 1t is notorious that it was only by
hard begging that Mrs Bingham obtained the
:, sittings for the Marquis of Lansdownes g picture
And, again, we knew little of Sweden in the
oldcn days, while we had and still preserve
most honored recollection of Denmark in the
memory of gallant Dane, Colonel Febiger, q
, distinguished officer of our Revolutionary army
And lastly, if the Wertmuller was painted about
1895, where is the Distinguishing feature in the
physioenomy of the Chief at that period-the
projection of the under lip
In giving graphic description of the statue
and form of Washington, we give not only the re-
suit of our personal observation and experience
of many years, but information derived from
the highest authority-a favorte nephew.
Major Lawrence Lewis asked his uncle what
> was his height in the prime of life! He repli
ed, " In my best days, Lawrence, stood siz
feet and two inches in ordinary shoes" W.
> know that he measured by standard precisely
six feet when laid out in death. OF his weigh
. we are an evidence, having heard him say t.
' Crawford. Governor of Canada, in 1899, m.
weight in my best days, sir. never exceeded from
two hundred and ten to twenty" His form
was unique, unlike most athletic frames that ex
pand at the shoulders and then gather in at tn
u hips. The form OF Washington deviated from
j. the general rule, since it descended from tn
q shoulders to the hips in perpendicular lines, tn
r. breadth of the trunk being nearly as great a
u the one as at tho other. His limbs were long
It large and sinewy in his lower limbs he wa
m what is usually called straight-limbed. Hi
ei joints, feet, and hands were large, and could
III cast have been made from his right hand, so ia
D. did its dimensions exceed natures model, that
Vi would have been preserved in museums for ag'
~ = as the anatomical wonder of the 18th centur,
" Lafayette remembered this remarkable hant
~ when, during his triumph in America, he sal
to us in the portico at Mount Vernon, ut WI
I'd here, in 1884, was first introduced to you /
ID, the good General it is long while ago yc
or were den very little gentleman, rugged out
'c- cap and feather, and held by one finger of I'll
es- Generals mighty hand. 1t was all you cou
ch do at dat time, my dear SIR"
ks The eyes of the Chief were light grayi
OF blue, deep sunken in their sockets, giving Il
expression of gravity and thought. Stua
ry painted those eyes of a deeper blue, saying in
re- hundred years they will have faded to the rig
color. His hair was Of a hazel brown, and We
rs thin in his latter days. In his movements
OF preserved, in remarkable degree, and to an a
* vanced age, the elastic step that he had acquir
IN in his service on the frontier.
ter Being ordered one morning very early in
ng the library at Mount Vernon, spot that no
Try entered without orders, the weather being war
ng we found the Chief very much undressed, an
his while looking on his manly frame, we discov'
us, ed that the centre of his chest was indented
rt This is an exception to the general rule Ia
re- down by anatomists, that where the hum
ill frame possesses great muscular power the ch
,le- should rather be rounded out and protubera
MS than ndented. We are equally surprised
has find how thin he was in person, being, with
Die absence OF flesh, literally a man OF thews a
eat sinews." He wore around his neck the min
Pc ture portrait of his wife. This he had We
or through all the vicissitudes of his eyentful
all reer, from the period of his marriage to
our " last days at Mount Vernon"
in In the appearance of Washington there v
ton nothing of bulkness, but there was united
end that was dignifed and graceful, while his
of and manner were at once noble and comma
as ing. No one approached him that did not
the for him, as Lord Erskne observed, "a degree
ing awful reverence He wore sword with q
en- culiar grace. The Viscomte de Nouiles sait
- was because " the man was made for the swo