painted a Madonna and Child.' Mr. Severn brought the German painter Overbeck to see it, who was followed by numbers of the German artist-colony then working in Rome. They were astonished to find that so young a painter had unaided produced so excellent a work, painted on the principles which they had for years been striving to establish; their admiration went so far, that, hearing of Dyce's approaching departure from Rome, and ascribing it to pecuniary reasons, they subscribed among themselves a considerable sum of money to purchase the picture and enable him to prosecute his studies longer in Rome. Their kind assistance was not needed, and Dyce carried out his intention of returning, reaching Aberdeen late in 1828, and set to work painting Madonnas and other similar subjects. Finding that they did not meet with appreciation, he laid aside his brush and devoted himself to scientific pursuits; not long afterwards he gained the Blackwell prize at Marischal College for an essay on Electro-magnetism.' Shortly after this he accepted an offer from the Hon. Mrs. Mackenzie to make a copy of a portrait of her father, Lord Seaforth, by Sir Thomas Lawrence. This was so successful that he was induced to turn his thoughts to portraiture. In 1830 he settled in Edinburgh, where he remained for about seven years, during which time he painted over one hundred portraits; these were executed in a simple and vigorous style that brought out some of the finest qualities of his work, which remain hitherto almost unknown to the world in general. His portraits of ladies and children were much admired. In 1832 he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society at Edinburgh, and in 1835 an associate of the Royal Scottish Academy; this latter distinction he resigned on settling in London, when the honorary rank was conferred on him. He exhibited during these years in Edinburgh the 'Golden Age,' the 'Infant Hercules,' 'Christ crowned with Thorns,' the 'Dead Christ' (an altarpiece), &c., besides portraits; and also in London at the Royal Academy numerous portraits and a 'Descent of Venus' (from Ben Jonson's 'Triumph of Love'), which attracted some attention. During his residence in Edinburgh Dyce became intimately acquainted with several members of the board of trustees for manufactures; he was frequently consulted by them as to the best means of applying design to manufactures, and at last he matured and proposed a scheme for the improvement of their schools, which he published in the form of a letter to Mr. Maconochie Wellwood (Lord Meadowbank). This pamphlet came into the hands of the newly formed council of the school of design at Somerset House. Dyce was sent for, and eventually was requested by the president of the board of trade, Mr. Poulett Thomson, to proceed to the continent on a mission of inquiry into the working of schools established with a similar object in France, Germany, and elsewhere. Dyce returned in 1840 and presented a report, which was printed by order of the House of Commons and led to the remodelling of the school of design, of which Dyce became director and secretary to the council. These posts he held till 1843, when he was appointed inspector of the provincial schools, which had been established on his proposal, retaining a seat on the council. These posts he resigned after about a year and a half. In 1844 he was appointed professor of the fine arts in King's College, London, where he delivered a lecture on 'The Theory of the Fine Arts,' which attracted some notice, and which he published. In the same year he was elected an associate of the Royal Academy, of which he became a full member in 1848. In the latter year it was found that by mismanagement the affairs of the school of design had been brought to a deadlock. Dyce's services were again called into requisition, and he was appointed master of the ornamental class, and master of the class of design. Being, however, thoroughly dissatisfied with the scheme of management, and finding his views not accepted, he resigned these posts, and severed his connection with an enterprise which owed much of its success to his profound knowledge of principles and his administrative ability. During his connection with the school of design Dyce had but little time for painting; he painted a 'Madonna and Child' (Royal Academy, 1846, purchased by the prince consort, and engraved by T. Vernon in the 'Art Journal,' 1855), 'St. Dunstan separating Edwy and Elgiva' (Royal Academy, 1839), 'Titian teaching Irene da Spilemburgo' (Royal Academy, 1840), and 'Jessica' (Royal Academy, 1843). At this point Dyce, feeling that his powers of painting had grown rusty, and never having studied seriously from the life, went through a course of study in Mr. Taylor's life school in St. Martin's Lane. This laudable action was shared by his friend W. Etty, R.A. [q. v.] The result was the production of one of his most successful works, 'King Joash shooting the arrow of deliverance,' and of his cartoon for the competition in Westminster Hall. The destruction of the Houses of Parliament by fire in 1831, and the consequent erection of the present buildings, offered an opportunity for the long-cherished idea of the encouragement of national art at the national expense. In April 1841 a select committee in the queen's robing-room, together with of the House of Commons was appointed, and smaller compartments in the frieze, twentythe evidence was taken of various artists, in- eight in all, to be completed in seven years cluding Dyce. This committee recommended from 1 July 1848 at a total cost of 4,8007. the employment of fresco-painting to deco- This contract, subsequently modified in some rate the vacant wall-spaces in the new build- particulars, turned out to be an unwise one, ings, and it was implied that the style of the owing to the limited portion of the year durMunich artists was the best to be adopted. ing which work in fresco is possible in this In November 1841 a royal commission was climate, and the excessive amount of research appointed, with the prince consort as chair- and study necessary for the correct repreman and Mr. Eastlake as secretary. In 1843 sentation of the details in the Arthurian a cartoon competition was held in West- legends. Another opportunity for indulging minster Hall, and in 1844 a fresco competi- what was perhaps his chief predilection in tion. This latter exhibition disposed of the art occupied much time; he was asked to unobjections of some persons who alleged that dertake the interior decoration of the church no Englishman was capable of painting in of All Saints, Margaret Street, an offer he fresco, and that Cornelius must be brought was unable to refuse, which included a series over to execute them. Cornelius is stated of frescoes from the life of Jesus Christ. This to have himself said that it was needless to he completed during 1858-9, while the House bring him over from Germany when Dyce's of Lords' frescoes remained unfinished. Dyce services were available. Dyce, who enjoyed did not escape censure for accepting a second the confidence of the prince consort, was one commission before the previous contract had of the competitors, though he never con- been fulfilled, and he himself admitted that cealed his opinion that fresco was unsuited to some extent he had laid himself open to it. to the English climate. In the meantime In 1860 his health began to fail him, and his Dyce completed his first fresco of The Con- sufferings were increased by his acute sensecration of Archbishop Parker' in Lambeth sitiveness to the complaints made from time Palace, two heads from which he had sent to time in the houses of parliament as to to the fresco competition. This caused him to the non-completion of the frescoes. Finally, be one of the six artists selected for the fres- feeling that he would not live to complete coes in the House of Lords, and eventually them, he wished to return all the money he the commissioners decided that Dyce should, had received for them. He died in his house complete a fresco in the House of Lords repre- at Streatham on 14 Feb. 1864, having comsenting the 'Baptism of Ethelbert' before any pleted but five of the frescoes in the queen's other commissions were given. This was com-robing-room, viz. those typifying Hospipleted in 1846, and was so successful that the commissioners gave five further commissions to other artists, with instructions to adapt their frescoes to suit Dyce's design and colouring. Before executing this fresco Dyce visited Italy in order to renew and perfect his studies in fresco-painting, and addressed a paper on the subject to the fine arts commission, which was printed in one of their reports. Dyce was next employed by the prince consort to paint a fresco at Osborne of Neptune giving the Empire of the Sea to Britannia,' and also to paint one of the frescoes from the masque of Comus' in the garden pavilion at Buckingham Palace. While painting the former Dyce suggested to his royal highness the suitability of the Arthurian legends as decorations typifying 'Chivalry' for the queen's robing-room in the House of Lords, remarking that they should be treated in the way that the German fresco-painters had treated the Nibelungenlied, and that Maclise was a fitting painter for the task. The subjects were adopted by the commissioners, but the execution was entrusted to Dyce, who agreed to paint in fresco seven compartments tality,' 'Religion,' 'Mercy,' 'Generosity,' and Courtesy,' as component parts of 'Chivalry' which the whole series was intended to depict. Dyce was buried in St. Leonard's Church, Streatham, which had been enlarged from his designs. He married 17 Jan. 1850 Jane Bickerton, eldest daughter of James Brand of Milnathort, Kinross-shire, by whom (who died 29 Dec. 1885, aged 55) he left two sons and two daughters. Dyce's time was fully occupied during the later years of his life, and his easel-paintings are not numerous; among those exhibited by him at the Royal Academy may be noticed The Meeting of Jacob and Rachel' (1850), 'King Lear and the Fool in a Storm' (1851), 'Christabel' (1855), 6 Titian preparing to make his first essay in Colouring (1859), 'St. John leading home his adopted Mother' (1860, commenced in 1844), George Herbert at Bemerton' (1861) and Eleazar of Damascus' (1863). Dyce, who was deeply learned in theology and patristic literature, was one of the leaders in the high church movement. He was also an accomplished musician, both as organist and composer, and composed a 'Non nobis' anthem, Memoir by J. Dafforne in the Art Journal for sometimes sung at the Royal Academy ban-Highland Rambles' (published 1837). In quets. He founded the Motett Society, for all his manifold accomplishments he attained the study and practice of the church music a high degree of proficiency. At the Royal of the sixteenth and seventeenth century, Academy dinner of 1864 Mr. Gladstone, and in 1842-3 he published, in two quarto speaking of Dyce's recent death, said he bevolumes, 'The Book of Common Prayer with lieved that the very ideal of the profession the ancient Canto Fermo set to it at the of an artist had rarely been more honourably Reformation, with two dissertations on that exhibited than in Dyce's character. kind of music. For this he received the Prussian gold medal of science and art from the king of Prussia, who was then interested in framing a liturgy for his national state church. Dyce published numerous pamphlets on art and other subjects, among them being one entitled Shepherds and Sheep,' in answer to Mr. Ruskin's 'Notes on the Construction of Sheepfolds.' In 1853 he published a pamphlet on the National Gallery. His administrative abilities were highly thought of, and he drew up a set of statutes for Dulwich College. In 1851 he was appointed a juror of the Great Exhibition, and published a report on iron and general hardware;' in 1862 he was again a juror of the International Exhibition appointed to judge on 'stained glass and glass used in building and decoration.' This was a subject to which Dyce had given great attention. His mastery of it was shown in his cartoon for the memorial window to the Duke of Northumberland in St. Paul's Church, Alnwick, and in the so-called choristers' window in Ely Cathedral. In these Dyce carried out theories of his own in colour and execution; nothing was left to the discretion of the workmen, as the artist had already thought out every detail. He often employed himself in architectural designs. Dyce also designed the florin which is now in use, and was originally intended for a four-shilling piece. He declined to stand for the presidency of the Royal Academy on the death of Sir Martin Shee; he always took a prominent part in the deliberations of that body, and it was on his proposal that the class of retired academicians was established. He was also a member of the Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia. His works were rather those of a learned student than an original artist, and were marked by a refinement of taste, rather than by any appeal to the feelings of the spectator. Some of his pictures are in the Scottish National Gallery at Edinburgh. Twelve of his later paintings were exhibited at Manchester in 1887, but were inadequate examples of his art. Some of his studies are at the South Kensington Museum and at Owens College, Manchester. During his residence in Edinburgh he etched the illustrations to Sir Thomas Dick Lauder's The Morayshire Floods' (published 1830), and DYCE-SOMBRE, DAVID OCHTERLONY (1808-1851), an eccentric character, was born at Sirdhana, Bengal, in 1808. His grandfather, Walter Reinhard, a native of Strasburg, a carpenter by trade, went to India in 1754, where he became a soldier in the service of several of the native princes, and acquired from the sombre cast of his countenance the nickname of Sombre. In 1777 the emperor of Delhi gave him the principality of Sirdhana, which on his death at Agra, 4 May 1778, passed to his widow Zerbonissa, a dancing girl, who became begum of Sirdhana. By a concubine Reinhard left a son, Aloysius Reinhard, otherwise known as Zuffer Yah Khan. This son died, leaving a daughter Juliana, who married George Alexander Dyce, commandant of the begum's forces. A son by this marriage was D. O. Dyce. He was brought up in the house of the Begum Sombre, and educated by Mr. Fisher, the church of England chaplain at Meerut, but on attaining manhood joined the church of Rome. On 27 Jan. 1836 the begum died, and Dyce inherited from her upwards of half a million sterling, which was paid over to him from the Anglo-Indian exchequer, where it had been deposited, and he then took the additional surname of Sombre. Previously to this he had been created by the pope a chevalier of the order of Christ, in consideration of some very large gifts which the begum had made to his holiness. In October 1836 he left Sirdhana, to which he never returned. In 1837 he went to China, coming back to Calcutta in February 1838. He then embarked for England, and landed at Bristol in August of that year. His arrival attracted much notice, as he brought with him a reputation of vast wealth and of being thoroughly oriental in education, customs of life, and manners of thought, and he soon became the most celebrated personage of the season. On 26 Sept. 1840 he married the Hon. Mary Anne Jervis, third daughter of Edward Jervis, second viscount St. Vincent. He was elected in the liberal interest member for Sudbury 29 June 1841, but after sitting until 14 April 1842 was unseated for 'gross, systematic, and extensive bribery,' and the borough was soon after disfranchised, mainly in consequence of the proceedings at the 1841 election (Barron and Austin's Cases of Controverted Elections, 1844, pp. 237-52). He lived with his wife until March 1843, when a separation took place in consequence of his being put under restraint as a lunatic at the Clarendon Hotel, 169 New Bond Street, London; thence he was removed under the care of a keeper to Hanover Lodge, Regent's Park. On 31 July 1843 a commission de lunatico inquirendo was held at Hanover Lodge before Francis Barlow and a special jury, when a verdict ' of unsound mind from 27 Oct. 1842' was returned. However, in September 1843 he was allowed to travel under the care of Dr. Grant 6 for the benefit of his health, but escaping from his attendant at Liverpool, he left England and arrived in Paris on 22 Sept. Mr. Frere, who was the solicitor of the committees of the person,' followed him to Paris, but an application that Dyce-Sombre should be delivered up to him to be sent back to England was refused by the French government. During the succeeding seven years the unfortunate man was several times in England (with safe-conduct passes from the lord chancellor). Many inquiries were made as to the state of his mind, with varying results, and he lived on the surplus income of his property allowed him by the lord chancellor after deducting an annuity of 4,000l. for the support of his wife. In August 1849 he published in Paris Mr. Dyce-Sombre's Refutation of the Charges of Lunacy brought against him in the Court of Chancery: published by Mr. Dyce-Sombre, 1849.' This is a large and well-written work of 592 pages, in the compilation of which he is said to have been assisted by a Mr. Montucci. He also wrote another work called 'The Memoir,' brought out in English, French, and Italian, in which he grossly abused his brother-in-law, Baron Solaroli. In the summer of 1851 he came to England to petition against the decisions of the court of chancery and with the hope of obtaining a supersedeas, but died at his lodgings, Davies Street, Berkeley Square, London, on 1 July 1851, and was buried in the catacombs at Kensal Green cemetery on 8 July. His will, dated 25 June 1849, which was disputed by his widow and by his two sisters, Ann Mary Dyce, wife of Captain John Troup, and Georgiana Dyce, wife of Baron Peter Solaroli, was before the law courts for more than five years. At last, on 26 Jan. 1856, after the case had been argued nineteen days, Sir John Dodson gave judgment against the will, which judgment on appeal was confirmed by the judicial committee of the privy council on 1 July (Deane and Swabey's Cases in Ecclesiastical Courts, 1858, pp. 22-120). His widow married, 8 Nov. 1862, the Right Hon. George Cecil Weld Forester, who in 1874 became third Baron Forester. [Gent. Mag. August 1851, p. 201; Illustrated London News, 12 July 1851, p. 42; Sleeman's Rambles of an Indian Official (1844). ii. 377-99; Malleson's Recreations of an Indian Official (1872), pp. 438-59; The Heirs of Mr. Dyce-Sombre v. The Indian Government, 1865, p. 18; Macnaghten and Gordon's Reports of Cases in Chancery (1850), i. 101-2, 116-37; Law Mag, and Law Rev. August 1856, pp. 356-68, and November, p. 182.] G. C. B. DYCHE, THOMAS (A. 1719), schoolmaster, was educated at Ashbourne free school, Derbyshire, under the Rev. William Hardestee (dedication of Vocabularium Latiale, 5th edition). He subsequently took orders, and removed to London. In 1708 he was keeping school in Dean Street, Fetter Lane, but some time after 1710 he obtained the mastership of the free school at Stratford Bow. In 1719 he rashly attempted to expose in print the peculations of the notorious John Ward of Hackney 'in discharge of his [Ward's] trust about repairing Dagnam Breach.' Thereupon Ward sued Dyche for libel, and at the trial, 18 June 1719, was awarded 3007. damages (Post Boy, 19 June 1719, cited in ROBINSON, Hist. of Hackney, i. 124). Dyche seems to have died between 1731 and 1735. No entry of his burial occurs in the Bow register from 1728 to the end of 1739. No will or letters of administration are to be found in the calendars of the prerogative court of Canterbury. He left a family (dedication of the Spelling Dictionary). His compilations are as follows: 1. Vocabularium Latiale, or a Latin Vocabulary, in two parts,' 8vo, London, 1708 or 1709; 5th edition, 8vo, London, 1728; 6th edition, 8vo, London, 1735. 2. A Guide to the English Tongue, in two parts,' 8vo, London, 1709; 2nd edition, 8vo, London, 1710; 14th edition, 12mo, London, 1729. This, the forerunner of similar compendiums by Dilworth, Fenning, and Mavor, had the honour of being ushered into the world with lines addressed to my ingenious Friend the Author' by laureate Tate. Another less famous poet, by name John Williams, enthusiastically declares This just essay you have perform'd so well, Records will shew 'twas Dyche first taught to spell. 3. 'The Spelling Dictionary, or a Collection of all the Common Words and Proper Names in the English Tongue . . . Second edition, etc., 12mo, London, 1725; 3rd edition, corrected, 12mo, London, 1731. 4. A New General English Dictionary, to which is prefixed a compendious English Grammar, together with a Supplement of the Proper Names of the most noted Kingdoms, Provinces, Cities, etc., of the World. Originally begun by the late Reverend Mr. Thomas Dyche and now finish'd by William Pardon, Gent. Third edition,' 8vo, London, 1740. Many other editions were subsequently published. A French version, with plates, by Esprit Pezenas, appeared in two vols. 4to, Avignon, 1756. Dyche was also author of 'The Youth's Guide to the Latin Tongue,' and 'Fables of Phædrus, rendered into familiar English.' A portrait of Dyche, by Fry, engraved by J. Nutting, and prefixed to his 'Guide,' represents a comely personage in clerical costume. Another, but fictitious, portrait, engraved by Vandergutch, is sometimes found adorning the 'Spelling Dictionary' (NOBLE, Continuation of GRANGER, ii. 137). [Works cited above; Notes and Queries, 2nd ser. viii. 249, 3rd ser. viii. 9, 4th ser. iii. 395; Evans's Cat. of Engraved Portraits; Lempriere's Universal Biography has a worthless notice.] G. G. DYER, SIR EDWARD (d. 1607), poet and courtier, son of Sir Thomas Dyer, kt., of Somersetshire, by his second wife, the daughter of Lord Poynings (more probably a daughter of one of the bastard brothers of Thomas, lord Poynings, who died 18 May 1545), was born at Sharpham Park, Somersetshire. Wood states that he had in Oxford 'some of his academical education,' either at Balliol College or at Broadgates Hall. Leaving the university without a degree, he travelled on the continent; and in 1566 he was at the court of Elizabeth. His patron in 1571 was the Earl of Leicester, over whom he seems to have exercised much influence. In 1572 he addressed a very curious letter of advice to Sir Christopher Hatton, who had fallen under the displeasure of the queen. Dyer himself had also incurred royal disfavour, for Gilbert Talbot, writing in 1573 to his father, the Earl of Shrewsbury, says: 'Dyer lately was sick of a consumption, in great danger; and, as your lordship knoweth, he hath been in displeasure these eleven years. It was made the queen believe that his sickness came because of the continuance of her displeasure towards him, so that unless she would forgive him he was not like to recover; and hereupon her majesty hath forgiven him, and sent unto him a very comfortable mes sage' (NICOLAS, Memoir). The writer of the letter also states that Leicester, with the connivance of Burghley, intrigued to make Dyer the queen's personal favourite in the place of Hatton. In 1580 Gabriel Harvey in a letter to Spenser (Three Proper and Wittie, Familiar Letters) describes Sidney and Dyer as 'the two very diamondes of her maiesties courte for many speciall and rare qualities.' From Harvey's 'Letter-Book' it appears that Spenser in 1579 obtained some of Harvey's poems and published them with a dedication to the right Worshipfull Gentleman and famous Courtier Master Edwarde Diar, in a manner oure onlye Inglishe poett.' Early in 1584 Dyer was sent on a diplomatic mission to the Low Countries. In May 1585 he addressed a letter to Lord Burghley, whose patronage had been temporarily withdrawn. On 26 Aug. 1586 articles of agreement were drawn up between Lord Burghley and Edward Dyer of Weston, in the county of Somerset, esqr.,' whereby Dyer was empowered, by the authority of the queen, to search and find out what manors, lands, &c., were concealed or detained from her majesty. In May of the same year (1586) Dyer addressed a letter of advice to Leicester on the subject of the expedition for the relief of Grave. Sir Philip Sidney, his intimate friend, died in October 1586, and desired by his will that his books should be divided between Dyer and Fulke Greville. In Davison's 'Poetical Rhapsody,' 1602, are 'Two Pastorals' by Sidney upon his meeting with his two worthy friends and fellow-poets, Sir Edward Dyer and Sir Fulke Greville.' By a warrant dated 30 March 1588 Dyer was granted by the queen all the lands which he had ascertained to have been concealed before the 20th November, 1558,1 Eliz., for five years next insuing' (NICOLAS, from Lansd. MS. 56, f. 42). In 1589 he went on a diplomatic mission to Denmark. His method of dealing with the forfeited lands gave dissatisfaction to the queen, and in March 1592-3 he wrote to solicit Burghley's protection. There is extant a statement by Dyer of 'The whole course of my proceedings, both before and since the granting of her majesty's warrant unto me' (Lansd. MS. 73, f. 37). Oldys reports in his Diary' that Dyer would never fawn and cringe' at court. He soon came into favour with the queen again, for on the death of Sir John Wolley in 1596 he was appointed to the chancellorship of the order of the Garter, and was knighted. After this date little is heard of him. John Davies of Hereford, in the 'Preface' to 'Microcosmos,' 1603, addresses him as Thou virgin knight, that dost thy selfe obscure From world's unequal eyes; 6 |