89 
When Kirby looked at the picture he ex- 
pressed himself with great warmth in its praise, 
enquiring by whom it had been painted; upon 
which the King introduced Mr. West to him. 
It would perhaps be doing injustice to say that 
the surprise with which he appeared to be 
affected on finding it the production of so young 
a man, had in it any mixture of sinister feeling; 
but it nevertheless betrayed him into a; fatal 
indiscretion. As a preceptor to the King, he 
had been accustomed to take liberties which 
ought to have terminated with the duties of that 
office ; he,- however, inadvertently said, " Your 
Majesty never mentioned any thing of this 
work to me." The tone in which this was 
uttered evidently displeased the King, but the 
discretion of the unfortunate" man was gone, 
and he enquired in a still! more disagreeable 
manner, " Who made this frame  Mr. West; 
anxious to turn the conversation", mentioned 
the maker's name  but this only served t0' pre- 
cipitate Mr. Kirby into" still greater imprudence, 
and he answered somewhat sharply, " That 
person is" not Your Majesty's workman  and 
naming the King's carver and gilder said; " It 
n 4