mity. They ufually come from domeftic fervants, who, in revenge for a juft reprimand, or from the wickednefs of an ungrateful heart, delight in diffeminating the most cruel tales, without the fmalleft foundation in reality. Or, fuppofing fomething fimilar to the calumny did happen in a neighbour's houfe, it is fo difguifed, altered, and exaggerated, by the time it has gone from the top of the town to the bottom, that what was, in truth, no more than a trifle, scarcely worth attention, becomes a charge of a most atrocious and injurious kind, when it has been toffed from tongue to tongue. The vileft menial fhall atter a lie in the meaneft shop of the most paltry town, and, in the fpace of half an hour, it shall be republifhed with additions and embellishments, as a known fact, by the lady of the manor.

The petty offices and distinctions of churchwardens, furveyors, mayors, lords of the manor, commiffioners of turnpike-roads, and fimilar rural dignities, do indeed often fill their poffeffors, and their ladies, with fo high a fenfe of their own importance, and at the fame time excite so much envy in the little minds which afpire at fuch little honours, that, in proportion as the great perfonage advances in the path of glory, he is often obliged to relinquish the comforts of good neighbourhood. It is not, indeed, to be wondered at, if those who have had little or no education, and whofe views have been confined to horfes, dogs, and the affairs of a veftry and a court-leet, fhould value themfelves too much on petty diftinctions; and fhould fuppofe the title of efquire, lord of the manor, or juftice of peace, fuch honours as may justify them in treating others with contempt.Neither is it wonderful, that they who have never wandered beyond the limits of their native parish, should furvey fuch diftinctions with an envious eye. All men ought, indeed, to aspire at diftinction, as it may lead them to afpire at usefulness and virtue; but it is certainly defirable, for the fake of tranquillity, that envy and malice fhould not be mixed with laudable emulation.

But there are other caufes, befides the love of fcandal, and the gratification of vanity, which powerfully operate in interrupting the harmony of a good neighbourhood. Avarice is the occafion of many and indeterminable difagreements. In what part of the country can we fix our refidence, where fome of the clergy are not objects of diflike, because a regard to their wives and children, whofe bread depends upon their lives, induces them to infift on thofe dues which the law has allowed them? The clergymen, in the most defart parts of the country, is ufually a man of learning, and of a polite mind, who might diffufe a tafte for elegant and improving converfation; but he is exVOL. II. 33. cluded

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cluded from the fociety of his parishioners, because he makes a juft claim upon their property. The most fhocking calumnies are propagated against him and his family; every thing is done which can mortify and diftrefs him; and he is frequently involved for life by the farmers, and a pettifogger at their head, in vexatious and expensive litigation. He who preaches peace, and who might foften, by the influence of polished manners, the remains of brutality among his favage and narrow-minded. neighbours, is hunted by them 'till he is forced to take refuge in the lonely retreat of his parfonage.

The various meetings which are neceffary to conduct parish, and other public bunnels in the country, are often productive of violent animofities. An oppofition formed at a veftry, or a turnpike-meeting, is fometimes carried on with more acrimony than in the Houle of Commons. It would not be fo lamentable, if the confequences of the difpute terminated at the time and place in which it arofe; but it ufually happens, that if the gentlemen have difagreed in the veftry, the ladies, at the next teadrinking, put on fullen looks, and commence a fecret attack on each other's perfons, dress, character, and conduct. Hoftilities, which owe their rife to a difference of opinion concerning the mending of a road, or repairing of a steeple, are carried on under the cover of external civility, and continge from generation to generation.

It would be a very valuable point gained, if we could prevail on the many thoufands, who, with all the external means of happiness, lead uncomfortable lives from the diffentions of their neighbourhood, to confider duly the importance of a friendly intercourfe with thofe in whofe vicinity they have been placed by Providence. They may be confidently affared, that no pleature arifing trom fcandal, from petty distinctions, from trifling matters of intereft, or from influence over parish or county meetings, can be compared to the fatisfaction of living in love, and in a conftant interchange of thote good offices which alleviate adverfity, and give to profperity its fweeteft enjoyments. The qualities indifpenfably neceflary to the accompliment of this, defirable purpose, are benevolence and humility.

Authentic Account of MR. WILLIAM WYNNE RYLAND.

TH

HE unhappy man who is the fubject of this article, is about fifty-four years of age, being the eldest of the feven fons of the late Mr. Edward Ryland, copper plate printer, in the Old Bailey.

- Mr. Ryland, the elder, was a native of Wales; and before quitting that country, he had experienced feveral acts of kindnefs from the late Sir Watkyn Williams Wynne; who hap pened once jocofely to fay, that if Mr. Ryland fhould marry, he hould expect the compliment of being asked to become fponfor for his first fon. Some years after Mr. Ryland married, and the circumstance of his wife's being delivered of a male child was no fooner communicated to Sir Watkyn, than, with his accustomed good-humour and politenefs, he accepted an invitation. to be prefent at the baptifm; and with the approbation of the baronet, the boy was, in compliment to him, named William Wynne.

In confideration of a very genteel premium, the celebrated Mr. Francis Ravenet, who then lived at Lambeth, took young Ryland as an apprentice, and in a fhort time difcovered in him very extraordinary prognoftics of future excellency. Mr. Ravenet was not deceived; for the natural talents of his pupil daily became more fplendid by clofe ftudy and application.

During his apprenticeship, young Ryland engraved a head of Sir Watkyn Williams Wynne, which was cfteemed a production of fingular merit for fo young an artist: and this was followed by many other juvenile performances, executed with uncommon tafte, delicacy, and truth of expreffion.

Soon after the expiration of his apprenticeship, Mr. Ryland fet out to vifit the French and Italian fchools, in company with Mr. Gabriel Smith, an artist of great merit, and Mr. Jofeph Howard, afterwards a merchant in the city, but who is now retired to his eftate in Cornwall, with both of whom he had been schoolfellow. During the few years of his refidence abroad, he purfued the study of his favourite art with unremitting affiduity and attention, and greatly, improved himself in manual operation, by exercising his talents under the direction of the most celebrated artists. His motive was improvement, rather than profit; but being mafter of fo fine a genius, and of such vaft powers of execution, he gained not only very diftinguished profeffional celebrity, but alfo large pecuniary emoluments.

Our young artist had not been long in France, before he ob. tained an honorary gold medal from the academy at Paris; and by the members of the academy at Rome he was received with fuch refpect as was due to a young man endowed with qualifications that could not fail to render him eminently confpicuous among the admirers of the fine arts.

Upon the return of Mr. Ryland to England, he introduced the admired art of engraving copper-plates to yield an impreffion refembling drawings in chalk. Though in this branch of engraving

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engraving he cannot claim the merit of originality, it is a fpecies of ingenuity in which he has abundantly surpassed all competition.

While Mr. Ryland yet remained abroad, his prefent majefty came to the throne of these kingdoms; foon after which, an offer was made Mr. Strange of the appointment of engraver to his majefty; which honour being declined by that gentleman, it was conferred upon Mr. Ryland, together with a falary of two hundred pounds a year; and foon after, her majefty was pleased to grant him an annual ftipend of a hundred pounds from her privy purfe, as a teftimony of her approbation of his extraor dinary talents.

The three first of Mr. Ryland's capital productions, after being honoured with the royal patronage, were, a whole length figure of the king, one of the queen, and another of lord Bute, from the paintings of Ramfay. Among a vast number of other pieces, all of which exhibit inconteftible proofs of a mafterly genius, are a fine likeness of her majefty, fmiling with ineffable expreffions of goodnefs upon an infant fleeping in her arms; and a picture expreffive of the story in Plutarch, the substance of which is as follows: A youth pining with love towards his mother-in-law, a young woman of exquifite beauty, but endeavouring to conceal the caufe of his difquietude; a phyfician is fappofed to be feeling the pulfe of his enamoured patient, the caufe of whofe complaint he difcovers, and points out the object of his paffion; whereupon the father propofes to relinquith his wife, as the only expedient for preventing his fon from falling a victim to the violence of unconquerable defire. In this piece the pafions are admirably expreffed, and difcriminated by touches the most delicately refined.

Some years fince, Mr. Ryland, in partnership with Mr. Bryer, opened a fhop in Cornhill, where they carried on a very extenfive trade in prints, the former ftill continuing to exercife his fine talents in the art of engraving. Though their business was productive of great profit, feveral capital loffes occurring almoft at the fame time, the state of their pecuniary affairs became fo difarranged and embarraffed, that a bankruptcy enfued.

Some time after this failure, Mr. Ryland, on his own feparate account, opened a print-fhop in the Strand, where he had every profpect of fuccefs; but being fond of a private life, where he might have leifure to" pursue coy fcience to her laft retreat," he declined public bufinefs, and retired to Pimlico. From Pimlico he removed to Knightsbridge; and while he refided there, he committed that unhappy act which has ruined his reputation

as

as a man: but his name as an artist will ever be held in the highest eftimation.

This unfortunate man has fix children, four of whom were in France for education at the time of his apprehenfion.

Entirely at his own expence, Mr. Ryland educated a young lady, who is allied to him, in all the elegant accomplishments of the age; and from the inftructions given by himself, and his employing the most eminent mafters to cultivate her taste in drawing and painting, fhe is expected to obtain a high rank in the catalogue of modern artifts."

Of late years, Mr. Ryland's principal employment has been upon engravings, after the defigns of Angelica Kauffman, to imitate chalk drawings.

An intimate friend of Mr. Ryland's, who died a few years ago, bequeathed him one of the eleven fhares of the Liverpool water-works, which are each deemed at this time to be worth near 10,000l. To engross the remaining fhares, or at least to encrease his property in thefe works, is faid to have been the great object of Mr. Ryland's purfuit; and it is fuppofed, that to enable himself to attain this point, he was induced to the conduct which has brought him into his prefent calamitous circumftances.

When Mr. Harrifon, deputy recorder, was about to pass fentence on Mr. Ryland, the prifoner being brought up, was asked, in the ufual form, what he had to say in objection to the decifion upon his cafe? He prefented a paper, nearly to the following effect; which, on account of the extreme foreness of his throat, was read by Mr. Reynolds, the clerk of the arraigns. "I dare not challenge the juftice of my verdict: 1 am, however, conscious of my innocence; and hope that my life will be preferved by the royal clemency of my fovereign, on whofe bounty it has long fubfifted."

Mr. Harrison then ftated the nature of the offence, obferving, that the guilt of the prifoner being declared by a jury of his countrymen, it was no longer to be difputed. He next adverted to the circumftances of the cafe, and the fituation of the criminal; remarking, that the forgery had been carried on with that ingenuity and art which were most dangerous, as tending to elude the probability of detection. The prifoner, he faid, had obtained credit with his fellow-citizens, and had unjustly made ufe of it for the purposes of deceit. While the extent of his abilities, as an artift, was on the one hand a fubject of admiration, on the other, by the ill ufe he had applied them to, it be came a matter of regret. To fupport the credit, and continue the circulation of paper, fuch offences must neceffarily be pu