New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-12-14


acter. Ii is related that one day when at din
ner with Lord Chancellor Clare n gentleman
who had been asked to the dinner came in
inst as the cloth was being removed. ald was
placed at side table where the servant was
Odered TO serve him. Lord Clare turned 10
Stuart who sat at has side and asked in low
voice if he knew the gentleman. Stuart did
not know him. Then, he was. asked to say
what sort of man he thought MIN to he. Stu
ar; being assured that he was not friend Of
Lrrd Clarcs replied "My Lord, if the Al
mighty ever wrote a legible hand. he il the
greatest rascal that ever disgraced society,"
1t turned ont that the belated guests
was an attorney who had been detected in acts
that were far from honorable. This story has
been told before with Aaron Burps
name in the place of Lord Clare's and Talley-
rand's tor the attorneys. When Stuart was in
| Ireland he was asked to visit certain gem
tleman cat his castle" Stuart went, and
found the owner to be tailor who had made
n fortune out of army contracts, and wished
him to paint the portraits Of his ancestors.
Aud as he had no mniturGs or sIhOuettes
of them he asked him 70 pant the portrait of
such ancestors as he ought TO have had" Tho
artist went seriously to work and produced
series beginning with the time OF the Conquest
and including men in armOr who served in the
Crusades, judges in wigs, and fair women IN
the dresses of different periods. The tailor
was delighted with them and paid Stuart
double the amount that had been agreed
upon.
1t is related that one day when talking with
General Lee, Stuart happened to remark that
Washington had tremendous temper. but
held it under wonderful control" Lee after
ward quoted the first part OF this re-
mark to General Washington in Mrs. WASH
ington's presence, whcrcupon she SAID to him
Upon my word, Mr.. Stuart takes great
deal upon himself to make such remarks
Z" But stay, my dear lady," said Lee, he
wonderful control" With smile, Wash
ingtom then sad: I" He is right"
Stuart could never keep money nucll as he could
earn 1t. The last years of MS life were passed
in Boston, but lie was AS lmprOyldent and
careless in all matters relating to his own
affairs as ever, and as indifferent to OPP
pOrtunItics that were frequently afforded
HIM TO increase his gains and ex.
tend his reputation He once had
an offer of $500 from the Pennsylvania
Academy OF Fine Arts for full length por-
trait of Washington, but he never even an
swered the letter. At another time he
was asked to paint his own portrait
tor the Academy at Florence, but he
took no notice OF the request lie kept no
records OF his works. and paid no attention 10
the details of his affairs. " lie did not even
know, at times, whether picture he
had finished had been paid for.n The
money which he earned IN Philadelphia
from certain pictures he invested III
farm, which he stocked with Durham cows
As fast rs he earned the money he paid iT
over from time to time without taking any
ltNfill, Vi even lOOhiuS W SNt lhul plopti
papers had been given him at all. Before a
final settlement took place it happened
that the person Of whom he bought
the farm died. No evidence existed that
Stuart had ever paid a dollar Oh the farm
He mad nothing himself TO show, and the
books of the man who had died gave no evil
dcnce that the farm had ever been sold. Thus
the entire investment, which amounted 70
So, 4I2, was complete loss TO stuart. lie
once had n cabinet made ~ a mementO
tl,. ubo died nifsrWnTl "A
bill was sent in. Stewart declared that lie
had already paid ii, remarhing that IL was
one of the last he should have neglected. His
wife suggested that he might have overlooked
If. but he insisted that he had paid t long
before, though he could not tell what he had
done with the receipts. year after Stuarts
death, in book which he had probably been
reading when the bill was PAID, the receipt
once lived farmer named Greene,
who supplied him with eggs and poultry.
One day Stuart came in the house
and with very grave face sa ~ ~ Irene IRE r Is
Stuart 'Greene is going TO die" responded
her husband. "Why, Mr.. Stuart" she asked
what do you mean Greene Is as wei as you
or L. The response was this: Greene
nevertheless is gong TO die. l know II, Tor
he has just returned to me $40 that had
oyerpaid HIM. Sir. Mason adds that slngu-
larry enough Greene was never seen again, Tor
in short time ne was taken Ill, and when next
heard from Inc was dead.
A long chapter on the book is devoted to
Stuarts portraits of Washington. What Is
known as the Gibbs portrait, now owned 10y
Dr.. William +. Charming, of Providence,
is pronounced -" the finest. beyond all
comparison" The warmest friendship ex-
isted between Stuart and Colonel Gibbs,
so that I've may feel sure that In painting
this picture the artist aimed TO do bis best
When the Marquis of Landsdown re-
ccivcd the full-length which was pre-
Oh IN him nv Mr. RluVfam.
who commissioned Stuart to paint it., it
created a great sensation in England, and IN
acknowledging the receipt the Marquis said
" III | were not too Old, L would 20 To Nlr-
GINA TO do him homage" When Stuart accepted
the commission for this work lie stipulated TO
Mr.. Bingham that no engraving should be al
lowed but with his consent and for ms
benefit But some years atterward he
writes in a letter to the Marquis: Scarce
ly, however. had the picture been
received by your LOrdship. when had inc
modification to find an engraving promised "
the public, and, soon afterward, at moment
when the sensibility of Europe as well ms OF
America was keeny excited by the death OF
General Washington, the prlnt was published III
England and in the United States" He as
sures him that he had counted upon the
emouments which might arise from the
portrait las n resource to rescue him.
self from pecuniary embarrassment and
to provide for numerous family at the
close of an anxious life and adds that :" there
is something due TO his feelings rs
mau and TO his character as an ar
tist.n He was never able to forgive the
injury. 1t WAS afterward learned, however,
that the injury was due TO 10 fault OF LORD
Landsdowne's This portrait in 1876 was on
exhibition at the Centennial Exhibition at
Philadelphia, and at the close of the Exhibi-
ton was returned to It's owner Ill England.
Nem Dnbllfdtlous.