The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-01-02
LAUGHED AT DEATH.
INCIDENTS IN THE LIFE OF THE FA-
NOUS GAlNSsORoUGH.

Dcvonshiro-Iow Ho Catered to Ills
Love For 2iusic-The Request of Shcri-
dan and tho Artists Peculiar Death.
Ono of tho most eminent names In brit
1sh art Is that OF Thomas Gainsborough.
Ho WAS born in Suffolk, England. in 1927.
and died in London Aug. 3, 17SS. in his
sixty-flrst year. Ho had handsome faco
nnd>casy, persuasive manners. Ho painted
portraits, but was most distinguished as q
landscape painter. Says u critic: Mature
sat to him in all her attractive attributes
of beauty, and his pencil traced with pccul-
lar and matchlcss facility her finest and
most delicate lincamcnts, whether it was
tho sturdy oak, tho twisted oglnntinc, tho
mower whctting his scythe tho whistling
plowboy or tho shepherd under tho haw-
thorn in the dalc-all camo forth equally
chasto from his inimitable and fanciful
pencil"
He painted n portrait of tho beautiful
Duchess of Dovonshire, but 1t was SO littlo
to his satisfaction that he refused to sond
1t to Chatsworth. Her dazzling beauty
and gay conversation took away, for tho
time, tho readiness Of his hand and tho
hnsty happiness of his touch. Drawing
his wet pencil across tho mouth, which all
who SAW 1t thought exquisitely lovely, he
said, Her grace is too hard for mo-" Tho
portrait is supposed to hnvo been destroyed
A certain lord onco camo to sit for n
portrait. Ho had put on n new suit of
clothes, with well powdered wig. He
took his scat with q practiced look of such
Importance and prcttiness that Gainsbor-
ough began to laugh and was heard to
muttor "This will never do"
Now, Sir, said tho lord, ''I beg you
will not overlook tho dimplo on my chin"
"ConfouDd tho dimplo on your chin" re-
piled tho artist. ~ shall neither paint tho
ono nor the other" Hc ut once laid down
his brushes anu refused to resume them.
Ho was not 1lattcrcr with either his
tongue or his pencil.
He had love for music; but, while he
possessed car, taste and genius, ho did not
havo application enough to learn his notes.
He filled his house with all kinds of mu-
Steal instruments. Having noticed thcr-
DO in Il painting he determined to possess
ono. He assembled to tho garnet of u Ger
nan professor, who WIS found dining on
roasted apples and smoking his pipo with
his thcrbo beside him. 81 am come" said
Gainsborough, "to buy your luto. Nano
your price and here's your money"
II can't sell my lutte, replied tho pro.
fessor. mo, not for guinea or two? But
you must sell it, toll you" MY lutte is
worth much moncy-it is worth 10 gum
cas." ''Ayc, that it is. Sec; here's the
money"
So saying, Gainsborough took up tho
instrument, laid down tho price and went
half way down tho stairs and then re-
turned. 81 have dono but half my GRAND"
he said. What is your luto worth If 1
have not your booll!" "What book, Mas
ter Gainsborough?'' "Why, tho book of
Mrs you have composed for the Lutte"
" Ah, sir, can never part with my book
Pooh, you can make another at any
time. This Is the book mean There's
10 guincas for it. So once moro good day"
Ho went down n few steps, when ho re-
turned again. "What is tho use of your
book to INC if don't understand it, lie
asked, land your Lutte? You may taLo it
again If you won't teach mo to play OH it,
Come homo with mo and give mo the first
lcsson.'
II will como tomorrow
lyon must come now"
81 must dress myself"
"For what? You arc tho best flgaro
h0vo seen today"
81 must shave, sir"
81 honor your beard
81 must, however, put on my wig"
Oh your wig, Your cap and beard
become YOU Do You think if NandyIlo was
to paint you he'd let you 10 shavcd?''
III this eccentric fashion he carried of
tho poor German professor to teach linn
the lutc. He admitted to his table profess
ors of all kinds of Instruments except bag
pipes.
Oncc when Il gentleman played very
finely, Gainsborough cxcitcdly exclaimed,
EGO on, and will give You tho picture of
The Boy at tho Stilc which you so often
wished to purchase of mo" Tho gentle
man proceeded, while tho painter stood il
spccchlcss admiration. with tears of rap
turc on his checks. At tho end Of the music
the gentleman called u coach and carried
away tho picture.
Sir George Beaumont Sheridan and
Gainsborough were 10 dine together on n
certain occasion, says another. They
met, but cloud had descended upon tho
spirit Of Gainsborough, and lic sat silent,
with IL look Of fixed melancholy which no
wit could disairltc. At length hc took
Sheridan by tho hand, led him out of tho
room and said: "Now, don't you laugh,
but listen. | shall dio soon. | know it.
have less time TO 1.-Two than my looks in
fer, but for this l caro- not. What Expresses
my mind is this-I have many acquaint-
anccs and few friends and l wish to have
ono worthy man 10 accompany mo to tho
grave. am DESTROYS Of bcspcaking you.
Will you comc-nyo or no:" Sheridan could
scarcely rcprcss smile ns he mado tho re-
quircd promise Tho looks of Gainsbor-
ough chccrcd up like tho sunshine in ono
of his OWN landscapes. Throughout the
rest OF the evening his wit flowed and his
hlmor ran over, and tho minutes, like
those of tho poet, mingled their way with
pleasure.
In Wow Of this incident it was singular
that about year later Gainsborough went
to hear tho impeachment of Warren Hast
In La u. L