Volume 1

The Farington diary / edited by James Greig.

  • Joseph Farington
Date:
[1922?-1928]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The Farington diary / edited by James Greig. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    62/464 (page 24)
    It was about the year 1767 or 68. Marat appeared to Bonomi at that time to be about thirty-three years of age. He was called Doctor Marat, and never professed himself to be in any but the Physical line. His object appeared to be improving himself by consulting the practice in different countries. In 1774 he went to Edinburgh, and returned in 1775. He there took a degree or said he did. He was born at Neuf- chatell. Bonomis description of Marat exactly corresponded with that given me by Hamilton [R.A.]. While he resided in this country, in what related to politicks, he was what was called a Wilkite [after John Wilkes, atheist and revolutionary], and was very eager in defending in conversa¬ tion all opposition to Government. Marat lodged in St. Martins-lane. Zucchi had the highest opinion of his abilities. Being a man of extensive classical reading, Marat continually proposed subjects which he had selected for Zucchi to design. Hamilton became the pupil of Zucchi in 1768,* and remained with him some years. He was then upwards of sixteen years old, and had been in Italy. Hamilton’s earliest studies were in the Architectural line. December 7.—Garrick made a will very much exceeding his real fortune. In estimating the value of some of his property he added all he might have laid out upon it to the first expence, and reckoned the whole together. His property might be about £50,000, and he reckoned it at more than £100,000. Garrick had read but little. Palmer, who was Comptroller of the Post Office, has now £3,000 a year allowed to him from the Treasury in lieu of the appointment, from which he has been removed. But he considers it not as a com¬ pensation for what was taken from him, and which government had in a manner contracted to give him if his scheme of mail coaches fully succeeded, which it had done beyond expectation. Mr. Palmer considers himself as having a right agreeable to the engagement to at least £5,000 a year. Palmers interest in the Corporation at Bath may probably cause him to be elected a Member for that City if Lord Bayham vacates the seat. December 9.—I called on Opie [R.A.], who began a three-quarter portrait of me. The Town was this evening alarmed by the firing of the Park and Tower guns. Everybody, expecting that it was in consequence of Lord Howe having taken the French ships he was left chasing, were disap¬ pointed on finding the guns were fired on account of our troops in the West Indies having gained possession of part of the Island of St. Domingo. * Mr. Arthur T. Bolton, F.S.A., Curator of the Soane Museum, Lincoln’s Inn Fields, writing yesterday (January), says : To-day’s instalment of the Diary throws some light on the puzzle of Wm. Hamilton’s visit to Italy. The usual statement is that “ he was sent to Italy by Robert Adam, but too early to derive any profit from it.” It is also stated that he went with Zucchi,. I suggest the following solution : James Adam was in Italy, 1760-1764, and while at Rome started, with Clerisseau as director, a sort of studio where archi¬ tects, painters, &c., worked. If Hamilton, therefore, was “ upwards of 16 ” in 1768, he might have been in Rome at that time. Zucchi might have taken him out at Adam’s request on some short visit to Rome, and Hamilton may have returned with James Adam. Later on he acted as Robert Adam’s deputy in the appoint¬ ment of Clerk of Works at Chelsea Hospital. There was a Hamilton in some way in charge at Ken Wood between 1767 and 1770, for the Adams, which may have been the same person. As Zucchi painted the ceil¬ ing pictures for the library, Hamilton may have assisted him in putting up the pictures, &c. Sir John Soane mentions Hamilton as patronised by Robert Adam, and there are three of his works in this museum,