Page:Biographia Hibernica volume 1.djvu/223

This page needs to be proofread.

21e BROOKS. the enlargement of a little plan she bas formed, for the charitable education of ehildren, whose parents are tod poor to afford them the means of instruction." But her praise-worthy literary labours did not close here: anxious to do honour to the memory of her father, she re-published all his works, to which she prefixed a well-written sketch of his life. There her exertions in the fields of literature terminated; for shortly after (on the 29th March, 1793) a malignant fever put an end to her valuable life. It is said, she wrote a tragedy entitled " Belisarius," which was spoken very highly of by those who had read it ; but the manuscript of which is supposed to be lost. 01 JOHN BROOKS, OR BROOKES, Ax ingenious land, and it is to his instruction the world is indebted for two very celebrated mezzotinto engravers, M'Ardell and Houston, who were both apprenticed to him. mezzotinto engraver, was a native of Ire- The year that Brooks left Ireland is unknown but on his arrival in England, he produced a specimen of an art which has since been applied and extended to a very con- siderable manufacture at Liverpool and several other places in England-which was printing in enamel colours to burn on china, which having been shewn to that gene- ral patriot and worthy character, Sir Theodore Jansen, he conceived it might prove a national advantage, and readily embarked in it, taking York-house, at Battersea, and fitting it up at a considerable expense. One Gynn, a native of Ireland, a very ingenious designer and engraver, was em- ployed, with the celebrated John Hall, who at that time was very young. The subjects they chose, consisted the most part of stories from Ovid and Homer, and were greatly admired, not only for their beauty of design and engraving, but for the novelty of execution, and were indefatigably sought after by the curious, for pendents ia cabinets, or covers to toilet boxes, This manufacture