to the study of mathematics, in which he made a most extraordinary progress; but was totally unknown and unvalued in his obscure neighbourhood until 1684, when he published his famous "Geometrical Key," in quarto, and in Latin and English. The Royal Society now became ambitious of possessing the result of the labours of his learned life; and having, in particular, but a short time before his death, sent him some difficult and abstruse mathematical queries, he returned an answer so extremely satisfactory, that they voted him a gold medal, with an inscription dictated by the deepest sense of respect. This venerable mathematician died in 1690, and was buried in his own church at Bishop's Nymmet. 1723. JOSHUA REYNOLDS was the son of the Reverend Samuel Reynolds and Theophila his wife, whose maiden name was Potter; he was the seventh of eleven children (five of whom died in their infancy,)* and it has been said by Mr. Malone, that his father was prompted to give him his scriptural appellation, in hopes that one so singular, or at least so uncommon, might, at some future period of his * Of that part of the family which died in infancy, one child, named Theophila, lost her life by falling out of a window from the arms of a careless nurse. their profession.* Of that county also was Sir Joshua Reynolds, eminent in the highest de * In addition to Devonshire artists, perhaps it may not be improper to notice Thomas Rennell, a scholar of Hudson, some years previous to the time of Sir Joshua, who was born of a good family, long settled in that county near Chudleigh, in the year 1718. After remaining some time at the grammar school of Exeter, he was put apprentice to Hudson, the painter, in London. How long he remained in that situation, I am not told; but, at his return into Devonshire, he settled at Exeter, with a wife and family. In process of time, he removed to Plymouth, where he resided many years, and drew several pictures, which were much admired in that neighbourhood, and gained the painter the patronage of the Duke and Duchess of Kingston, who endeavoured to draw him from his obscurity, by a promise of their house and interest in London. But this splendid offer was lost in an indolent mind; and from Plymouth, Rennell went to settle at Dartmouth, where he lived in great poverty several years. He has been known to lie in his bed for a week together, with no other subsistence than a cake and water. His art had only its turn with other amusements; and if a picture was completed in twelve months, it might be considered as very expeditious. No sooner was be in possession of a few pounds, than any stray object that presented itself was instantly bought, though, by so doing, the necessaries of food and clothing were to be sacrificed. About two years before his death, he experienced a comfortable asylum in the bounty of J. Seale, Esq. of Dartmouth; and the manner of his end evinced his serenity, if not his stoicism. Being asked whether his pains were not intense, he replied—“ No ; that they were such feelings as he could not describe, having never felt any thing of the kind before:" then wishing his friend a good night, turned his head aside and expired, October 19th, 1788. The knowledge of Mr. Rennell was universal; for there was hardly a science that did not come within the sphere of his comprehension. As a painter, he is said to have possessed merit, particularly in the draperies of his portraits. In the neighbour gree; this illustrious painter, and distinguished✓ ornament of the English nation, the subject of the following memoir, being born at Plympton, in Devonshire, on the 16th of July, 1723.* It has been noticed as not unworthy of record, that this event took place about three months before the death of Sir Godfrey Kneller, which happened on the 27th of the succeeding October, as if thus perpetuating the hereditary descent of the art; and preceding biographers are correct in stating that he was on every side of his genealogy connected with the clerical profession, as both his father and grandfather were in holy orders, besides having a paternal uncle, John, the elder brother of the family, who was a canon of St. Peter's, Exeter, and held a fellowship of the College at Eton. To hood of Dartmouth are to be seen a few of his landscapes, but those very bad. He was very fond of chemistry, to which he devoted a considerable portion of his time. Most of his colours, which he prepared himself, went through that operation and he is said to have discovered the art of fixing those which are the most fading. Of music he was passionately fond; and though he was not an excellent performer on any instrument, he composed some pieces which display genius. He also invented and constructed an instrument, containing sixty strings struck with a bow, moved by the foot, and modulated by keys. Some of his poetical pieces have been printed, but most of his papers were destroyed. Only one print has been taken from his works; to wit, a mezzotinto scraped by Fisher: it is from a portrait of the eminent Dr. John Huxham, M. D. of Plymouth, and the only portrait ever done of that physician. * On a Thursday, about half an hour after nine o'clock in the morning. this last, Exeter College, in Oxford, is much indebted for the bequest of a very valuable library, and for a considerable part of his fortune, of which it became possessed by his death in 1758. There is a mezzotinto print of him scraped by M'Ardell, from a portrait painted by his Nephew, now in Eton College. In addition to these, it is recorded that his maternal grandfather was in orders, who was married to the daughter of the Reverend Thomas Baker, a most eminent mathematician of the seventeenth century, and one to whom the Royal Society were, on several occasions, particularly indebted. This gentleman was the son of Mr. James Baker of Hilton in Somersetshire, who lived in great respectability, and was steward for the extensive estates of the family of Strangeways in Dorsetshire. Thomas was born at Ilton in 1625, and at the age of fifteen entered a student of Magdalen, at Oxford, from whence he was five years afterwards elected scholar of Wadham College; in which situation, in the year 1645, he proved his loyalty by the performance of some little service for King Charles I. in the garrison of that city. In 1647 he was admitted A. B., but quitted the university without completing that degree by determination; and having taken orders, he was appointed Vicar of Bishop's Nymmet, in Dorsetshire, where he resided many years in studious retirement. Here he applied himself assiduously to the study of mathematics, in which he made a most extraordinary progress; but was totally unknown and unvalued in his obscure neighbourhood until 1684, when he published his famous "Geometrical Key," in quarto, and in Latin and English. The Royal Society now became ambitious of possessing the result of the labours of his learned life; and having, in particular, but a short time before his death, sent him some difficult and abstruse mathematical queries, he returned an answer so extremely satisfactory, that they voted him a gold medal, with an inscription dictated by the deepest sense of respect. This venerable mathematician died in 1690, and was buried in his own church at Bishop's Nymmet. 1723. JOSHUA REYNOLDS was the son of the Reverend Samuel Reynolds and Theophila his wife, whose maiden name was Potter; he was the seventh of eleven children (five of whom died in their infancy,)* and it has been said by Mr. Malone, that his father was prompted to give him his scriptural appellation, in hopes that one so singular, or at least so uncommon, might, at some future period of his * Of that part of the family which died in infancy, one child, named Theophila, lost her life by falling out of a window from the arms of a careless nurse. |