"Some nicer virtuosi have remarked, that in the serious pieces, into which _Hogarth_ has deviated from the natural biass of his genius, there are some strokes of the ridiculous discernible, which suit not with the dignity of his subject. In his PREACHING OF ST. PAUL, a dog snarling at a cat;[48] and in his PHARAOH'S DAUGHTER, the figure of the infant _Moses_, who expresses rather archness than timidity; are alledged as instances, that this artist, unrivalled in his own walk, could not resist the impulse of his imagination towards drollery. His picture, however, of _Richard_ III. is pure and unmixed, without any ridiculous circumstances, and strongly impresses terror and amazement." As these observations are extracted from the _first_ edition of Dr. _Warton's_ "Essay on the Genius and Writings of _Pope_," it would be uncandid if we did not accompany them with the following note from a subsequent edition of that valuable performance: "The author gladly lays hold of the opportunity of this third edition of his work to confess a mistake he had committed with respect to two admirable paintings of Mr. _Hogarth_, his PAUL PREACHING, and his INFANT MOSES; which, on a closer examination, are not chargeable with the blemishes imputed to them. Justice obliges him to declare the high opinion he entertains of the abilities of this inimitable artist, who shines in so many different lights, and on such very dissimilar subjects; and whose works have more of what the ancients called the ΗθΟΣ [Greek: Ethos] in them, than the compositions of any other Modern. For the rest, the author begs leave to add, that he is so far from being ashamed of retracting his error, that he had rather appear a MAN OF CANDOUR, than the best CRITIC that ever lived."[49] In one of the early exhibitions at _Spring Gardens_, a very pleasing small picture by _Hogarth_ made its first appearance. It was painted for the earl of _Charlemont_, in whose collection it remains.[50] It was intituled, _Picquet, or Virtue in Danger,_ and shews us a young lady, who, during a _tête-à-tête_, had just lost all her money to a handsome officer of her own age. He is represented in the act of returning her a handful of bank bills, with the hope of exchanging them for a softer acquisition, and more delicate plunder. On the chimney piece is a watch-case and a figure of Time over it, with this motto--NUNC. _Hogarth_ has caught his heroine during this moment of hesitation, this struggle with herself, and has marked her feelings with uncommon success. Wavering chastity, as in this instance, he was qualified to display; but the graceful reserve of steady and exalted virtue he would certainly have failed to express. He might have conveyed a perfect idea of such an _Iphigenia_ as is described by Mr. _Hayley_, in one of the cantoes of his beautiful poem on the _Triumphs of Temper_; but the dignity of the same female at the _Tauric_ altar would have baffled the most vigorous efforts of his pencil.