William Hogarth; Painter, Engraver, and Philosopher. Essays on the Man, the Work and the Time (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1866 Excerpt: ...him with a perpetual ticket of admission to the gardens for himself and friends. Fancy being on the free-list of Vauxhall for ever The ticket was of gold, and bore this inscription: --En perpstusm icttrfim memartam. Hogarth was a frequent visitor at the " Spring Gardens," Vauxhall. There, I will be bound, he and his pretty young wife frequently indulged in that cool summer evening's stroll which the French call prendre le frais. There he may have had many a bowl of arrack punch with Harry Fielding--he was to live to be firm friends with the tremendous author of " Tom Jones;" there I think he may have met a certain Ferdinand Count Fathom, and a Somersetshire gentleman of a good estate but an indifferent temper and conversation, byname Western, together with my Lady Bellaston (in a mask and a cramoisy grogram sack, laced with silver), and, once in a way, perhaps Mr. Abraham Adams, clerk. There is an authentic anecdote, too, of Hogarth standing one evening at Vauxhall listening to the band, and of a countryman pointing to the roll of paper with which the conductor was beating time, and asking what musical instrument " that white thing was?" " Friend," answered William, "it is a single handed drum "--not a very bright joke, certainly; but then, as has been pertinently observed, a quibble can be excused to Hogarth, if a conundrum can be pardoned to Swift. We would paint our pictures and our progresses in 1730-1-2-3. We were gaining fame. The Lords of the Treasury, as related by old under-Secretary Christopher Tilson, could examine and laugh over our plates even at the august Council Board, in the Cockpit, and, adjourning, forthwith proceed to purchase impressions at Bakewell's shop, near Johnson's Court, in Fleet...