DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.51519#0060
46
INTRODUCTION.
priety, which; as it is obviously affected; is almost as bad as the
voluptuous negligence of Lely’s females.*
Kneller’s powers as a wit almost equalled his talents as a
painter; and his vanity appears to have exceeded both. Pope, who
was his personal friend; and who has given him in his verses a
surer immortality than the pencil ever conferred; has left us a
characteristic anecdote of him : it is thus related in Spence : —a I
(it is Pope who speaks) w7as sitting one day by Sir Godfrey Kneller,
whilst he was drawing a picture: he stopped and said, QI can’t do
so well as I should do, unless you flatter me a little; pray flatter
me, Mr. Pope; you know I love to be flattered!’ I was for once
willing to try how far his vanity would carry him; and, after
considering a picture he had just fin’shed for a good while very
attentively, I said to him in French, (for we had been talking for
some time before in that language,) ‘ On lit dans les Ecritures
Saintes, que le bon Dieu faisait 1’homme apres son image; mais, je
crois, s’il voudrait faire un autre a present, qu’il le ferait apres
1’image que voila.’ Sir Godfrey turned round, and said very
gravely, c Vous avez raison, Monsieur Pope , par Dieu, je le crois
aussi.’ ” The gross folly and profaneness of this answer, seem
inconsistent with the wit Sir Godfrey really possessed : possibly he
was playing- off the poet’s trick upon himself, and the reply was
only ironical , for he seems, from the first part of the story, to have
been quite aware of his own foible. His answer to his tailor was
in better taste; the man had proposed his son to him as an
apprentice, and begged he would make him a painter: “ Dost
thou think, man,” exclaimed Sir Godfrey in a rage, “ that I can
make thy son a painter ? No; only God Almighty makes
painters !”f
[* Seven of the heads in the gallery of Admirals, were done by Kneller, and
the portraits of the Kit-cat Club were his. Kneller had an elder brother, who
was also distinguished as a painter, and is said to have studied under Bol and
Rembrandt. He came to England, and died in 1702. Ed.]
t Walpole.
INTRODUCTION.
priety, which; as it is obviously affected; is almost as bad as the
voluptuous negligence of Lely’s females.*
Kneller’s powers as a wit almost equalled his talents as a
painter; and his vanity appears to have exceeded both. Pope, who
was his personal friend; and who has given him in his verses a
surer immortality than the pencil ever conferred; has left us a
characteristic anecdote of him : it is thus related in Spence : —a I
(it is Pope who speaks) w7as sitting one day by Sir Godfrey Kneller,
whilst he was drawing a picture: he stopped and said, QI can’t do
so well as I should do, unless you flatter me a little; pray flatter
me, Mr. Pope; you know I love to be flattered!’ I was for once
willing to try how far his vanity would carry him; and, after
considering a picture he had just fin’shed for a good while very
attentively, I said to him in French, (for we had been talking for
some time before in that language,) ‘ On lit dans les Ecritures
Saintes, que le bon Dieu faisait 1’homme apres son image; mais, je
crois, s’il voudrait faire un autre a present, qu’il le ferait apres
1’image que voila.’ Sir Godfrey turned round, and said very
gravely, c Vous avez raison, Monsieur Pope , par Dieu, je le crois
aussi.’ ” The gross folly and profaneness of this answer, seem
inconsistent with the wit Sir Godfrey really possessed : possibly he
was playing- off the poet’s trick upon himself, and the reply was
only ironical , for he seems, from the first part of the story, to have
been quite aware of his own foible. His answer to his tailor was
in better taste; the man had proposed his son to him as an
apprentice, and begged he would make him a painter: “ Dost
thou think, man,” exclaimed Sir Godfrey in a rage, “ that I can
make thy son a painter ? No; only God Almighty makes
painters !”f
[* Seven of the heads in the gallery of Admirals, were done by Kneller, and
the portraits of the Kit-cat Club were his. Kneller had an elder brother, who
was also distinguished as a painter, and is said to have studied under Bol and
Rembrandt. He came to England, and died in 1702. Ed.]
t Walpole.