BARRY, JAMES, a celebrated historical painter, was born in the city of Cork, on the 11W October, 1741. His father was a coasting trader between England and Ireland, and wishing to engage James, his eldest son, in the same employment, compelled him, when a boy, to make several voyages. But the ac tive and expanding genius of young Barry could not be reconciled to the drudgery and uniformity of a sailor's life. On one occasion he fairly ran away from his ship ; and in his future voyages, instead of learn ing to handle with dexterity the ropes and sails, was generally occupied, in sketching, with black chalk, the scenery of the coasts, or in drawing such figures as his fancy suggested. Convinced, therefore, that he would never become a good sailor, his father re solved at length to indulge his propensity for study, and to give him all the education which his native city could afford. Never, perhaps, was more un wearied industry displayed at such a tender age. Disdaining the childish amusements of his school-fel lows, he employed all leis moments of leisure in his closet, either studying with avidity some favourite author, or attempting to delineate with his pencil•the various expressions and attitudes of the human coun tenance and figure. His slender allowance of money was saved for the purpose of purchasing candles, to enable him to prosecute his studies during the night ; and when his mother, alarmed for the safety of the house, deprived him of his candles in order to force him to bed, he used to lock himself up in his room, and allow no person to enter on any occasion or pre text. The same turn of mind led him to court the society of men of education, whom he in general de lighted by the unaffected eagerness of his curiosity, and the manly sedateness of his manner. Heperused, with the most careful attention, the books which they recommended ; and as his finances did not enable him to accumulate a large library, lie generally made cdt pious extracts from such authors as lie admired, and sometimes even transcribed a whole work, however voluminous. The variety and extent of his attain ments were such as might be expected from his fine genius, cultivated with such intense, though perhaps desultory application. His companions looked up to him as a prodigy of knowledge, and received his opinions with the reverence due to an oracle.
As his mother was a zealous catholic, her house was much frequented by priests of that persuasion, who naturally directed the attention of our young student to ecclesiastical history, and to the peculiar claims and doctrines of the church of Rome. To this circumstance we are to ascribe the strong bias, which he retained through life, for books of polemi cal divinity and church history, with which he ac quired such an extensive acquaintance as would have done honour to the most learned divines.
None of his other studies, however, were allowed to interfere with his drawing, which had always been his favourite employment. No day was allowed to pass without some effort of his pencil. At a very early age, he furnished designs, and is supposed like wise to have assisted in etching the engravings for a book of fables, or tales, which was reprinted by an Irish bookseller. These designs would of course be rude and imperfect ; yet, as they were the first of his public attempts, the book which contains them, were it possible to procure it, could not fail to be interest ing to those, who take pleasure in tracing the pro gress of genius. He does not appear to have attempt ed oil painting before the age of seventeen ; but from that period till his departure for Dublin in his 22d year, he had finished several large paintings, the sub jects of which sufficiently mark his taste for the great style, which he afterwards cultivated with such ar dour and success. * It was during the same period that he produced that picture; which first attracted public notice, and brought him on a theatre more worthy of his talents than the mercantile city of Cork. It is founded on an old' tradition relating to the arri val of St Patrick on the coast of Cashel in Ireland. The monarch of that district, induced by the fame of the saint to investigate the truth of the religion which he preached, professes his belief, and is admitted to baptism. The king steps before the priest, who holds in hit hand a crozier, armed at the lower extremity with a spear. In planting this crozier into the ground, lie accidentally pierces the foot of his royal convert. Absorbed in the duties of his office, he remains alto gether ignorant of the accident, and pours the water on the head of the monarch, who preserves, during the whole ceremony, the most unruffled serenity of countenance, to which the mingled emotions of his at tendants afford a very powerful contrast. One of his guards prepares, with uplifted hattle.axe, to strike the saint to the ground, but is restrained by another who points in admiration to the king : of the female at tendants, some kneel in solemn reverence before the priest, and others tremble in anxiety for their sovereign. When Barry had embodied this story on canvass, he set out with it for Dublin, accompanied by a friend and school-fellow ; and arrived in that capital on the eve of a public exhibition of paintings. Though without a single recommendation, he obtained leave to exhibit his picture ; and had the satisfaction to hear it universally applauded. The superior advan tages which the capital afforded for his improvement and encouragement as a painter, made him relinquish all thoughts of returning to his native city.