the most striking, however, though by no means the most reasonable converser amongst those who

[pg 342]

generally volunteered their colloquial services in st. martin’s-street, was that eminent painter, and entertaining character, mr. barry; who, with a really innocent belief that he was the most modest and moderate of men, nourished the most insatiable avidity of applause; who, with a loudly laughing defiance of the ills of life, was internally and substantially sinking under their annoyance; and who, with a professed and sardonic contempt of rival prosperity or superiority, disguised, even to himself, the bitterness with which he pined at the success which he could not share, but to which he flattered himself that he was indifferent, or above; because so to be, behoved the character of his believed adoption, that of a genuine votary to philanthropy and philosophy.

his ideas and his views of his art he held, and justly, to be sublime; but his glaring execution of the most chaste designs left his practice in the lurch, even where his theory was most perfect.

he disdained to catch any hints from the works, much less from the counsel, of sir joshua reynolds; from whose personal kindness and commanding abilities he had unfortunately been cut off by early disagreement; for nearly as they approached each

[pg 343]

other in their ideas, and their knowledge of their art, their process, in cultivating their several talents, had as little accord, as their method of organizing their intellectual attributes and characters. and, indeed, the inveterate dissension of barry with sir joshua reynolds, must always be in his own disfavour, though his harder fate must mingle pity with censure—little thankfully as his high spirit would have accepted such a species of mitigation. it is not, however, probable, that the fiery mr. barry should have received from the serene and candid sir joshua, the opening provocation; sir joshua, besides his unrivalled professional merits,[56] had a negative title to general approbation, that included many an affirmative one; “sir joshua reynolds,” said dr. johnson,[57] “possesses the largest share of inoffensiveness of any man that i know.”

yet mr. barry had many admirable as well as uncommon qualities. his moral sentiments were liberal, nay, noble; he was full fraught, almost bursting with vigorous genius; and his eccentricities,

[pg 344]

both in manner and notions, made his company generally enlightening, and always original and entertaining.