John Eagles

When on his way to draw the Three Temples of Paestum, between Salerno and Eboli he fell in with banditti, and was "literally stript to the skin."

For "society at large" he "cared little," and did not trouble himself touching what the world thought of him or his occupations (introduction to The Sketcher, 1856).

His contributions were chiefly on art, and the best of these were contained in a series of papers entitled The Sketcher, which appeared in the magazine during 1833–35.

Though not in the first rank, they are brimful of shrewd sense, genial humour, amusing anecdote, apt quotation, and duly italicised puns.

Eagles wrote on the fine arts as a critic of the old-fashioned school, to which he loyally adhered in artistic as in other matters.

A selection from these and other of his poems, original or translated, was made by the author's friend, John Mathew Gutch, and fifty copies printed for private distribution, 8vo, Worcester, 1857.

Some imitations in English of the Horatian ode, mostly on similar subjects, also contributed to Felix Farley, are less happy.

A volume of Sonnets, edited by another friend, Zoë King, 8vo, Edinburgh and London, 1858, contains 114 examples, characterised for the most part by thought and refinement.

Nearly half a century afterwards John Eagles told the tale in one of his latest and best Blackwood essays, "The Beggar's Legacy".