The Death of Wolfe," painted in 1771, which represents his figures in
the uniforms they wore instead of dressed as Romans, a revolt which
caused no small stir.

Engraving on copper flourished, aided by the enterprise of Boydell, and
wood-engraving was brought to perfection by the brothers Bewick. In
sculpture, Flaxman, Nollekens, and Bacon did first-rate work. Music
alone of the arts really interested the king. The public taste was
stimulated by the establishment of Handel commemoration concerts; the
opera was well attended, and church music was enriched by some
distinguished composers. People of the upper and middle classes cared
far more for art of all kinds than in the earlier half of the century:
the rich bought the works of old Italian and French masters; exhibitions
of art were thronged, and articles of _virtu_ found a ready sale.

[Sidenote: _VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY._]

During the earlier years of the reign much interest in natural science
was aroused, probably through French influence. England soon came to the
front in scientific investigation. Among the principal contributors to
this movement were Priestley, the discoverer of oxygen, and Black, of
latent heat; Cavendish, the investigator of air and water; Sir William
Herschel, the astronomer, who spent most of his life in England; Hutton,
the father of British geological science; Sir Joseph Banks, the
naturalist; Hunter, the "founder of scientific surgery"; and Jenner, who
in 1798 announced the protective power of vaccination against small-pox.
Science was aided by voyages of discovery, some of them of the highest
future importance in the history of the world, and in the extension of
the British empire. Between 1764 and 1768 come Commodore Byron's
fruitless voyage round the world, and the discovery of a large number of
islands in the South Pacific by Captains Wallis and Carteret. Cook's
three great voyages were made between 1768 and 1779. In the course of
them he sailed round New Zealand, explored the east coast of Australia
and the new Hebrides, discovered New Caledonia and the Sandwich islands,
and attempted to find a passage from the North Pacific round the north
of the American continent. In 1780 an expedition under Captain Bligh,
sent to transport bread-fruit trees from Otaheite to the West Indies for
acclimatisation, ended in the famous mutiny on board his ship, the
_Bounty_. To the last years of the century belong the voyages of Bass
and Flinders in Austr