I. Charles Robert

I. Charles Robert, an English painter, born in London, Oct. 17, 1794, during the temporary residence there of his parents, died there, May 5,1859. His father, a watchmaker of Philadelphia, and a warm personal friend of Franklin, Jefferson, and other distinguished men, went in 1793 to England with the intention of engaging in the exportation of clocks and watches to America. In 1800 young Leslie accompanied the family on their return to Philadelphia, and after the usual term of school education he was apprenticed to a bookseller. He had long shown a predilection for the study of painting, which in a few years he obtained the means of pursuing in London under the auspices of Benjamin West and Washington Allston. He arrived in England in 1813, and, after some attempts at historical painting on a large scale, commenced a class of subjects particularly adapted to display his powers, and in which for many years he had no superior among English artists. The great humorous authors of England became the chief source of his inspiration, and many familiar scenes from Shakespeare, Addison, Sterne, Pope, Goldsmith, Fielding, and Smollett were illustrated by him. From "Don Quixote," "Gil Bias," and Moliere's plays he also drew the subjects of some of his happiest efforts.

His "Anne Page and Master Slender," " Sir Roger de Coverley going to Church," " May Day in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth," and other pictures of the kind exhibited between 1820 and 1825, established his reputation; and within a few years he was elected an associate and a member of the royal academy. In 1833 he accepted the appointment of professor of drawing in the military academy at West Point; but after discharging the duties of the office for a few months he returned to England, where he resided until his death. In 1847 he became professor of painting at the royal academy, and the substance of his lectures daring the four years that he held the office has been published under the title of "A Handbook for Young Painters." He is also the author of "Memoirs of John Constable" (1845); "Life and Times of Sir Joshua Reynolds," continued by Tom Taylor (2 vols., 1865); and " Autobiographical Recollections," edited by Tom Taylor (2 vols., I860). His pictures cover a period of between 40 and 50 years, and many have been engraved. Besides humorous subjects, he painted history, genre, portraits, and ceremonials, among the latter the " Coronation of the Queen " and the " Christening of the Princess Royal." His religious pieces are considered much inferior to his others.

His earlier works are elaborately finished, and are distinguished by peculiar excellence in expression and composition, and a genial humor altogether original.

II. George Dunlop

II. George Dunlop, an English painter, son of the preceding, born in London, July 2, 1835. He was educated at the mercers' school in London, and in 1854 was admitted as a student of the royal academy. His first exhibited painting, " Hope," was in 1857 purchased by Lord Houghton. He was elected an associate of the royal academy in 1808. His works are very numerous; among them are: "Bethlehem" (1860), "Fast Day at the Convent" (1861), "A Summer Song" (1862), "The War Summons" (1863), "The Flower and the Leaf" (1864), "The Defence of Latham House" (1865), "Clarissa" (1866), "The Country Cousin" (1867), "Reminiscences of the Ball" (1868), and "Fortunes" (1870).

III. Eliza

III. Eliza, an American authoress, sister of C. R. Leslie, born in Philadelphia, Nov. 16, 1787, died in Gloucester, N. J., Jan. 2, 1858. She was the eldest child of her parents, whom she accompanied to England in 1793, and with whom she returned to the United States in 1800, after which she resided almost constantly in Philadelphia. Her earliest attempts in literary composition were in verse, but it was not until her 40th year that she appeared as an authoress. Her first work, "Seventy-five Receipts for Pastry, Cakes, and Sweetmeats" (1827), was the precursor of a series of treatises on the culinary art which made her name widely known. "The Domestic Cookery Book" (1837) has passed through many editions, and "The House Book" (1840) and "The Lady's Receipt Book" (1846) have enjoyed a considerable popularity. Shortly after the appearance of her first work she commenced a series of juvenile story books, and in 1831 published " The American Girls' Book." Having obtained a prize for her story of " Mrs. Washington Potts," she was encouraged to write fictions for grown people, and for several years contributed to magazines and journals, besides editing several annuals. " Amelia, or a Young Lady's Vicissitudes," is her only novel, her remaining works being short tales or sketches, of which the most popular are the three volumes of "Pencil Sketches." Besides these, several volumes of her fugitive stories appeared from time to time.

In 1853 she published " The Behavior Book," and during the last years of her life she was engaged upon a life of John Fitch, the experimenter in steam navigation.

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I. John

I. John, a British prelate, born at Balquhain, in the north of Scotland, about 1570, died in Clogher, Ireland, in 1671. He was educated at the universities of Aberdeen and Oxford, and during an extended continental tour became an accomplished linguist. His knowledge of Latin was so remarkable that in Spain it was said of him, Solus Lesleius Latine loquitur. Upon returning to England, after an absence of 22 years, he enjoyed the favor of Charles I., who admitted him into his privy council, made him bishop of the Orkneys, and in 1633 of Raphoe in Ireland. Here he built a palace of great strength, in which during the civil wars he sustained a siege by the parliamentary troops, being the last to surrender to Cromwell. He remained abroad until after the restoration, when he returned to England, and was appointed in 1661 to the see of Clogher. At the time of his death he was the oldest bishop in the world, having filled that station 50 years.

II. Charles

II. Charles, a theological author, son of the preceding, born at Raphoe, county Donegal, Ireland, about 1650, died at Glaslough, Monaghan, April 13, 1722. He was educated at Trinity college, Dublin, studied law and then theology, and took orders in 1680. By opposing the intrusion of a Catholic sheriff he involved himself in a conflict with the government of James II., but refused to take the oaths of allegiance to William after the revolution. In 1689 he engaged in a controversy with Bishop Burnet in defence of the doctrine of passive obedience. In 1709, being suspected by the government, he took refuge at the court of the pretender, and made an effort to convert him to Protestantism, but the prince forbade him to speak on the subject of religion either to himself or his chaplains. After the failure of the pretender's expedition, Leslie accompanied him to Italy, but was allowed to return to England in 1721. The most important and popular of his works is his " Short and Easy Method with the Deists" (1694), many times reprinted.

A collection of his theological works has been published in 1 vols. 8vo (Oxford, 1832).