MEMORANDUM.
Reading edition
Respect and gratitude having engaged me to compile a memoir of my deceased Master and Patron Mr. Bowyer, in the same performance I included anecdotes of all the eminent persons any way connected with him. A note of about a page's length was allotted to Hogarth. While it was printing, Mr. Walpole's Fourth Volume on the subject of English Painters came out, and was followed by an immediate rage for collecting every scrap of our Artist's designs. Persevering in my enquiries among my friends, I had now amassed so much intelligence relative to these engravings, that it could no longer be crowded into the situation originally meant for it. I was therefore advised to publish it in the form of a sixpenny pamphlet. This intended publication, however, grew up by degrees into a three-shilling book, and, within a year and a half afterwards, was swelled into almost its present bulk, at the price of six shillings. Such was the origin and progress of the following sheets, which, with many corrections, &c. have now reached a Third Edition.
J. N.
Nov. 10, 1785.
ADVERTISEMENT
TO THE SECOND EDITION.
The author of these imperfect sheets cannot present them a second time to the world, before he has expressed his gratitude for the extreme candour with which they have been treated by the Monthly Reviewers. If J. N. has not availed himself of all the corrections designed for his service, it is because the able critic who proposes them has been deluded by intelligence manifestly erroneous. J. N. received each particular he has mentioned, in respect to the assistance bestowed on Hogarth while his Analysis was preparing, from Dr. Morell, a gentleman who on that subject could not easily mistake. Implicit confidence ought rather to be reposed in a literary coadjutor to the deceased, than in any consistory of females that ever "mumbled their wisdom over a gossip's bowl." Authors rarely acquaint domestic women with the progress of their writings, or the proportion of aid they solicit from their friends. If it were needful that Dr. Morell should translate a Greek passage[1] for Hogarth, how chanced it that our artist should want to apply what he did not previously understand? I must add, that the sentiments, published by the Reviewer concerning these Anecdotes, bear no resemblance to the opinion circulated by the cavillers with whom he appears to have had a remote connection. The parties who furnished every circumstance on which he founds his reiterated charges of error and misinformation, are not unknown. Ever since this little work was edited, the people about Mrs. Hogarth have paid their court to her by decrying it as "low, stupid, or false," without the slightest acknowledgement for the sums of money it has conducted to The Golden Head in Leicester Fields. While the talents of the writer alone were questioned by such inadequate judges of literary merit, a defence on his part was quite unnecessary. He has waited, however, with impatience for an opportunity of making some reply to their groundless reflections on his veracity. This purpose he flatters himself will have been completely executed after he has observed that all credentials relative to his disputed assertion shall be ready (as they are at this moment) for the Reviewer's inspection. J. N. cannot indeed dismiss his present advertisement without observing, that though the amiable partialities of a wife may apologize for any contradiction suggested by Mrs. Hogarth herself, the English language is not strong enough to express the contempt he feels in regard to the accumulated censure both of her male and her female Parasites.
J. N.
Nov. 1, 1782.
ADVERTISEMENT TO THE FIRST EDITION.
When this pamphlet was undertaken, the Author had no thought of swelling it to it's present bulk; but communicating his design to his friends, they favoured him with various particulars of information. Some of these accommodated themselves to his original plan, if he can be supposed to have had any, but others were more intractable. Still aware of the value even of disjointed materials, which his profession would not afford him leisure to compact into a regular narrative, and conscious that these sheets, rude and imperfect as they are, may serve to promote a publication less unworthy of its subject, he dismisses his present work without any laboured apology for the errors that may be detected in it; claiming, indeed, some merit on account of intelligence, but not the least on the score of arrangement or composition. He takes the same opportunity to observe, that many curious anecdotes of extraordinary persons have been unfortunately lost, because the possessors of those fugitive particulars had not the power of communicating them in proper form, or polished language, and were unwilling to expose them in such a state as these are offered to the world.
May 9, 1781.
The ingenious Mr. Crayen of Leipzig
having translated the First Edition of these Anecdotes, &c. into the German Language, dispatched a copy of his work to J. N. attended by the obliging letter here subjoined:
SIR,
Though I have not the honour of being acquainted with you, I hope your goodness will excuse the liberty I take of sending you a German translation of the Biographical Anecdotes of Mr. Hogarth you published. Being convinced of the merits of your production, and its usefulness to such collectors of prints and connoisseurs in our country as don't understand the English language, I undertook this translation, and flatter myself you will be pleased to accept of it as a proof of my real esteem for you.
You will find, that I did not always adhere literally to the original, but made some abridgments, alterations, notes, &c. &c. But I hope you will do me the justice to consider, that I wrote for my countrymen, and therefore left out such passages, poems, anecdotes, &c. &c. as would have been entirely uninteresting to them, and have swelled the volume to no purpose.
As to the typographical performance, I think you will be tolerably satisfied of it. Though the noble art of printing is of German origin, your nation has improved and brought it to the highest pitch of perfection in point of neatness, elegance, and correctness.
I remain, with all possible esteem,
Sir,
Your most obedient
and most humble servant,
A. CRAYEN.
Leipzig in Saxony, the 29th Jan. 1783.
The following are Translations, by a Friend, from the Dedication and Preface to Mr. Crayen's performance.
DEDICATION.
To Mr. Gottfried Winkler, in Leipzig;
Honoured and Worthy Friend,
Pardon my presumption in offering you the slender fruit of a few leisure hours. Receive it with your wonted kindness, and judge of it not by the trifling value of the work, but by the intention of its Author, whose most zealous wish has long been to find an opportunity of publickly offering you, however small, a memorial of his respect and friendship.
If my labour in adding a mite towards the diffusion of the knowledge of the Arts, is honoured with the approbation of so enlightened a Connoisseur, I shall feel myself completely rewarded.
Receive at the same time my sincerest thanks for the obliging communication of your Copy of Hogarth's prints, of which, in my translation, I have more than once availed myself.
Live, honoured Sir, many days; happy in the bosom of your worthy family, in the circle of your friends, and in the enjoyment of those treasures of the Arts you have collected with such distinguished taste. Remain also a friend of
Yours, &c.
The Translator.
PREFACE.
To the German Reader.
Collectors of the Fine Arts were already possessed of Catalogues and Memoires Raisonnées of the engravings of many great masters, for which their acknowledgements are due to the industry of a Gersaint, a Jombert, a Hecquet, a Vertue, a de Winter, &c. &c.
But a similar illustration of Hogarth's copper-plates was still wanting; though it may be asked what works have a juster claim to a distinguished place in a compleat collection, than those of this instructive moral painter, this creative genius?
On this account, it is presumed that the German Lover of the Arts will deem himself indebted to the Translator, for giving him, in his own tongue, a concise and faithful version of a book that has lately made its appearance in London, under the title of "Biographical Anecdotes of W. Hogarth, and a Catalogue of his Works chronologically arranged."
The Compiler as well as Editor of this work is Mr. John Nichols, a Printer and Bookseller in London, who, by much reading, and an intimate acquaintance with the Arts and Literature of his Country, has honourably distinguished himself among his professional brethren. How modestly he himself judges of this his useful performance, appears from his preface to the work.
It is true, Mr. Horace Walpole, who possesses perhaps the compleatest collection of the prints of this Master, some years ago published a Catalogue of them; but this is only to be found in his work, intituled, "Anecdotes of Painting in England collected by G. Vertue, and published by H. Walpole," a performance consisting of four volumes in 4to, too costly for many collectors, and inconvenient for others. Moreover all that is to be found there relative to Hogarth, is not only included in Mr. Nichols's publication, but is also improved by considerable additions, so that the curious reader has Walpole's Catalogue incorporated with the present work.
The liberty of abridgement, as mentioned in the title, is ventured only in regard to such diffuse illustrations, repetitions, anecdotes, and local stories, as would be alone interesting to an Englishman; in a word, in such parts as do not immediately contribute to the illustration of Hogarth's plates, and would have tired the patience of the German reader. Of the verses affixed to each copper-plate the first and last words only are given, as those afford sufficient indication for a collector who wishes to become acquainted with any particular print. How far some remarks of the Translator are useful, or otherwise, is left to the indulgent decision of Judges in the Arts.
He must not however forget it is his duty to acknowledge the goodness of old Mr. Hansen of Leipsig. This gentleman's readiness in permitting him to examine his excellent collection of the engravings of British artists, for the purpose of comparing and illustrating several passages in the original of this work, claims his warmest thanks, and a public acknowledgement.
Leipsig, February 1783.
The Translator.
List of Gentlemen, Artists, &c. who furnished incidental intelligence to the Author of this Work.
Mr. Ashby. Mr. Basire. Mr. Baynes. Mr. Belchier—dead. Mr. Bindley. Mr. Birch. Mr. Bowle. Mr. Braithwaite. Mr. Browning. Lord Charlemont. Mr. Charlton. Mr. Cole—dead. Mr. Colman. Mr. Coxe. Mr. Dodsley. Dr. Ducarel—dead. Mr. Duncombe. Mr. Edwards. Mr. Forrest—dead. Mr. Foster—dead. Mr Goodison. Mrs. Gostling. Mr. Gough. Mr. Hall. Sir John Hawkins. Mr. Henderson. Mrs. Hogarth. Dr. Hunter—dead. Mr. S. Ireland. Dr. Johnson—dead. Mr. Keate. Bishop of Kilala. Mr. Lane. Mrs. Lewis. Mr. Livesay. Dr. Lort. Mr. Lyon. Mr. Major. Mr. Malone. Dr. Monkhouse. Dr. Morell—dead. Mr. Morrison. Mr. Pinkerton. Mr. Rayner. Mr. Reed. Sir Joshua Reynolds. Mr. Richards. Mr. Rogers—dead. Mr. Rumsey. Mr. Steevens. Mr. Thane. Mr. Thomas. Mr. Tyers. Mr. Waldron. Mr. Walker. Mr. J. C. Walker. Mr. Walpole. Dr. Warton. Mr. Way. Mr. Welch—dead. Mr. Whately. Mr. B. White. Mr. H. White. Mr. Wilkes. Mr. Williams. Dr. Wright.
COLLECTORS of HOGARTH.
Mr. Ayton.[1] Mr. Bedford. Mr. Bellamy. Mr. Clare. Mr. Crickitt. Dr. Ducarel.[2] Lord Exeter. Mr. Foster.[3] Mr. Goodison. Mr. Gulston. Sir John Hawkins, Kt. Mr. Henderson.[4] Mr. Ireland. Dr. Lort. Mr. Morrison. Mr. Rogers.[5] Mr. Steevens. Mr. Walpole. Mr. Windham .[6]
Extract from the Daily Advertiser, January 27, 1783.
"HOGARTH'S ORIGINAL WORKS.
"As an opinion generally prevails, that the genuine impressions of Hogarth's works are very bad, and the plates retouched; Mrs. Hogarth is under the necessity of acquainting the public in general, and the admirers of her deceased husband's works in particular, that it has been owing to a want of proper attention in the conducting this work for some years past, that the impressions in general have not done justice to the condition of the plates; and she has requested some gentlemen most eminent in the art of engraving, to inspect the plates, who have given the following opinion:
"London, Jan. 21, 1783.
"We, whose names are underwritten, having carefully examined the copper-plates published by the late Mr. Hogarth, are fully convinced that they have not been retouched since his death.
"N. B. All[3] the original works are now properly and well printed, and to be had of Mrs. Hogarth, at her house at The Golden Head, in Leicester-Fields."
This is one of the most extraordinary testimonials ever laid before the public. Hogarth died in 1764. Since that time his plates have been injudiciously and unmercifully worked, so as to leave no means of ascertaining, through any observation or process of art, the exact period when they were last repaired. Notwithstanding this difficulty, in the year 1783, we find several engravers of eminence declaring their full conviction on the subject. All we can do is, to suppose their confidence was grounded on the veracity of Mrs. Hogarth. I believe the parties as to the fact; and yet it was impossible for Messieurs B. W. and R. to be adequate judges of the truth to which they have set their names as witnesses.
Prints published by Mr. Hogarth: Genuine Impressions[1] of which are to be had at Mrs. Hogarth's House in Leicester Fields, 1782.
Size of the plates in inches l.s.d.
16 by 14Frontispiece030
15½ by 12½Harlot's Progress, six prints110
16 by 14Rake's Progress, eight prints220
18 by 15Marriage a-la-mode, six prints1116
19 by 15½Four Times of the Day, four prints100
16½ by 13Before and After, two prints050
18½ by 13½Midnight Conversation050
16 by 14Distress'd Poet030
16 by 14Enraged Musician030
18 by 14Southwark Fair050
20¾ by 16½Garrick in King Richard III.076
18 by 12Calais, or the Roast Beef of Old England 050
20½ by 16Paul before Felix076
Ditto,Ditto, with Alterations060
20½ by 16½Moses brought to Pharaoh's Daughter076
22 by 17March to Finchley0106
Ditto,Strolling Actresses dressing in a Barn050
Ditto,Four Prints of an Election220
19½ by 12Bishop of Winchester030
14 by 10½Idleness and Industry, 12 prints0120
14 by 9Lord Lovat010
10½ by 8½Sleeping Congregation010
12 by 8½Country-Inn Yard010
14 by 10½Paul before Felix, Rembrant050
9 by 8Various Characters of Heads026
6½ by 7½Columbus breaking the Egg010
12 by 8½The Bench016
15 by 13Beer Street and Gin Lane, two prints030
Ditto,Four Stages of Cruelty, four prints060
15 by 12½Two Prints of an Invasion020
Ditto,A Cock Match030
9 by 8The Five Orders of Periwigs010
17 by 13The Medley050
12 by 9½The Times020
12¾ by 9Wilkes010
10 by 11Bruiser016
9 by 7½Finis026
N. B. Any person purchasing the whole together may have them delivered bound, at the Price of Thirteen Guineas; a sufficient Margin will be left for framing.—The Analysis of Beauty, in Quarto, may also be had, with two explanatory Prints, Price 15 Shillings.