the
"human face divine," he was incapable of assuming the courtly manners so
essential in that branch of the profession. He never, indeed, quite
forgave himself for an approach to duplicity committed at this time upon
an unfortunate gentleman, who sat to him for his portrait, and who
squinted so desperately, that in order to gain a likeness it was
necessary to copy moderately the defect. The poor man, it seemed,
perfectly unconscious of the same, on being invited to inspect the
performance, looked in silence upon it a few moments, and, with rather a
disappointed air, said--

"I don't know--it seems to me--does it squint?"

"Squint!" replied Nicholson, "no more than you do."

"Really! well, you know best of course; but I declare I fancied there was
a _queer look_ about it!"

The opening of the Water-Colour Exhibition, in 1805, may be dated as the
commencement of Mr. Nicholson's fame and success in London. In
conjunction with Glover, Varley, Prout, and others, an advance in the art
of watercolour painting was made, such as to astonish and call forth the
admiration of the public.

In a manuscript autobiography which Mr. Nicholson left behind him, and
which is full of curious anecdotes, he gives the following account of the
formation of that exhibition.

"Messrs. Hills and Pyne asked me to join in the attempt to establish
such a society, which I readily agreed to. It was a long time before
a number of members sufficient to produce so many works as would be
required to cover the walls of the exhibition room in Brook Street
could be brought to join it. Artists were afraid they might suffer
loss by renting and fitting up the room, the expense being certain
and the success very doubtful. After a great while the society was
formed, and, in the first and second exhibition, the sale of drawings
was so considerable, and the visitors so numerous, that crowds of
those who had refused to join were eager to be admitted into the
society."

[Picture: Nicholson's Grave] Since the annexed sketch of Mr. Nicholson's
grave was taken, the stone bears the two additional melancholy
inscriptions of Thomas Crofton Croker, son-in-law of Francis Nicholson,
who died 8th August, 1854, and Marianne, widow of Thomas Crofton Croker,
who died 6th October, 1854; and an iron railing has been erected on
either side of the grave.

[Picture: St. Mark's Chapel] Opposite to the Cemetery gates is Veitch