NOLLEKENS

AND

HIS TIMES.

CHAPTER XV.

Cause of Mr. Nollekens dismissing his Confessor.-Songs of his youthful days.-His bed.-Unquiet nights productive of charity.-Liberality to his domestics.-Coarseness of his food and manner of eating.-Inferiority of his wardrobe, and meanness of his domestic arrangements.-Character of his drawings and those of other Sculptors.-His Monumental designs and models.-Infirmity of his latter days, and death.-Attested copy of his Will and Codicils.

ONE rainy morning, Nollekens, after confession, invited his holy father to stay till the weather cleared up. The wet, however, continued till dinner was ready, and Nollekens felt obliged to ask the Priest to partake of a bird, one of the last of a present from his Grace the Duke of Newcastle. Down they sat; the

reverend man helped his host to a wing, and then carved for himself, assuring Nollekens that he never indulged in much food; though he soon picked the rest of the bones. "I have no pudding," said Nollekens, "but won't you have a glass of wine? Oh, you have got some ale." However, Bronze brought in a bottle of wine; and on the remove, Nollekens, after taking a glass, went, as usual, to sleep. The priest, after enjoying himself, was desired by Nollekens, while removing the handkerchief from his head, to take another glass. Tank you, Sare, I have a finish de bottel.""The devil you have!" muttered Nollekens. Now, Sare," continued his Reverence,

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de rain be ovare, I vil take my leaf."-"Well, do so," said Nollekens, who was not only determined to let him go without his coffee, but gave strict orders to Bronze not to let the old rascal in again. Why, do you know," continued he, "that he ate up all that large bird, for he only gave me one wing; and he swallowed all the ale; and out of a whole bottle of wine, I had only one glass!"

After this, being without a Confessor, Mrs. Holt, his kind attendant, read his prayers to him; but when she had gone through them, his feelings were so little affected by his religious

duties, that he always made her conclude her labours by reading either " Gay's Fables," or "The Beggar's Opera!" at the latter of which, when she came to certain songs, he would laugh most heartily, saying, "I used to sing them songs once; and it was when I was courting my Polly."

I recollect that the bedstead upon which Mr. Nollekens slept of late years was four-posted; the curtains being yellow, orange, red, and black, and when first put up, they made a most gorgeous display: though he had for many years but one counterpane, of which he was so extremely choice, that he would not suffer it to be washed, but Mrs. Holt, being ashamed to see it, put on one of her own of a much superior quality. When he saw it upon the bed, he swore at her, and asked her why it had been washed? but upon her informing him that it was one of her own, he allowed it to remain, saying, Well, indeed, it does look very comfortable."*

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* When this counterpane required washing, Mrs. Holt put on his own, at which he angrily cried out, "I won't have it on, I always sleep better without one; I don't like a counterpane;" to which she answered, that "The poorest creature in a workhouse had a rug on his bed, and that she would have it on."

Mrs. Holt, to whom I am obliged for many particulars in these volumes, who had by her amiable disposition and strict attention to cleanliness, rendered the two last years of Mr. Nollekens's life more comfortable than any period of his existence, informed me that when he could not rest in his bed, he would frequently endeavour to raise himself up, and call to her to know if she was asleep. Mrs. Holt, who rested upon a hard sofa by the side of his bed, would answer, "I'm here, Sir; can I give you any thing?"-Nollekens. "Sit up; I can't sleep: I can't rest. Is there any body that I know that wants a little money to do 'em good?"-Mrs. Holt. " "Yes, Sir, there is Mrs. Well, in the morn

."-Nollekens.

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ing I'll send her ten pounds."—"That's a good old boy," said she, patting him on the back, "you will eat a better dinner for it tomorrow, and enjoy it." And Mrs. Holt has added, that she never knew him to forget his promise.

With all his propensity for saving, he indulged for many years in the gratification of making his household domestics a present of a little sum of money on his birth-day; and lately, upon this occasion, he became even more