< Page:Nollekens and His Times, Volume 2.djvu
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NOLLEKEN'S CONTEMPORARIES.

Sir Walter Clayes, Bart., and four of their children, viz.: 3, Lawrence, afterwards fourth Earl Ferrers. 4. Washington (the Admiral) afterwards fifth Earl Ferrers. 5. Elizabeth Shirley, died unmarried. 6. Anne Shirley.

"You are, of course, aware that Scheemakers was also the artist who did the monument of Sir Henry Belasyse, in St. Paul's Chapel, Westminster Abbey.

I am, my dear Sir,

"Very sincerely yours,

"Henry Smedley."

Scheemakers and Delvaux, jun. were also both considerably employed in decorating the gardens belonging to the sumptuous palace at Stowe; and the following is a particular description of their works there, with which I have been favoured by my worthy friend, William James Smith, Esq.[1] who has kindly written it from the sculptures themselves.

"There are," says he, "two groups in white marble, now in the Flower-garden, said to have been executed as a trial of mastery between them; and according to the tradition, the palm was given to Delvaux: the subjects are 'Vertumnus and Pomona,' and 'Venus and Adonis,' the figures rather less than half the size of life. In the Temple of Antient Virtue, are statues, life-size, of Lycurgus, Socrates, Homer, and Epaminondas, all by Scheemakers. Under all, are inscriptions in Latin: I will transcribe them in English.

Under Lycurgus—'Who having planned, with consummate wisdom, a system of laws firmly secured against every

  1. ↑ Librarian at Stowe.
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