Becca Hall, Tadcaster.
_Portraits of Burke._--Through the kindness of a friend I have just
examined what I take to be an interesting and curious work of art, viz.,
a miniature of the great Edmund Burke, painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds,
and said to be the _only miniature_ he ever painted. It is a small oval
of ivory executed in water colours, and represents him past the meridian
of life, his hair combed back from his ample forehead, and powdered; the
coat (according to the fashion of the day) without a collar, and, as
well as the waistcoat, of a chocolate colour; a white stock, and the
shirt frill of lace; the features, although retaining great animation
and intelligence, are round and plump. The painting is carefully and
delicately finished. The same friend also possesses another miniature of
the same right honourable gentleman (artist unknown), deserving notice:
it is in a much larger oval, and drawn in coloured crayons. This
likeness represents the statesman at a much earlier period of life, and
is most exquisitely executed: his fine auburn hair in natural waves, if
I may use the expression, is also thrown off the face, the features
rather sharp, the nose prominent, the eyes brilliant, the lips
beautifully expressed, and, on the whole, one of the most highly
finished specimens of this style I ever saw: the costume the same as
that already described, the colour being a snuff-brown. In this
portrait, a black ribbon crosses the lace frill, indicating the presence
of an eye-glass, an appendage not observable in portraits taken later in
life. The lady who owns these paintings is the widow of a gentleman
lately deceased, who being related to, was brought up under the
guardianship of this great man, and was by him introduced into public
life; circumstances which prove the authenticity of the works thus
briefly described.