ithout the consent of her father.

Soon after this he began his series of pictures called the "Harlot's
Progress," and when Sir James saw them he was so satisfied with the talent
of Hogarth that he declared that such an artist could support a wife who
had no dower, and the two painters were soon reconciled to each other.
Before 1744 Hogarth had also painted the series of the "Rake's Progress"
and "Marriage a la Mode" (Fig. 71).

These are all pictures which hold up the customs of the time to ridicule
and satire, and his works of this kind are almost numberless. He explains
as follows the cause of his painting in this way: "The reasons which
induced me to adopt this mode of designing were that I thought both
critics and painters had, in the historical style, quite overlooked that
intermediate species of subjects which may be placed between the sublime
and the grotesque. I therefore wished to compose pictures on canvas
similar to representations on the stage; and further hope that they will
be tried by the same test and criticised by the same criticism."

[Illustration: FIG. 71.--THE MARRIAGE CONTRACT. _No. 1 of The Marriage a
la Mode. By Hogarth. In the National Gallery._]

It was in this sort of picture that Hogarth made himself great, though he
supported himself for several years by portrait-painting, in which art he
holds a reputable place. Most of his important pictures are in public
galleries.

Hogarth was a fine engraver, and left many plates after his own works,
which are far better and more spirited than another artist could have made
them. The pictures of Hogarth have good qualities aside from their
peculiar features. He made his interiors spacious, and the furniture and
all the details were well arranged; his costumes were exact, as was also
the expression of his faces; his painting was good, and his color
excellent. In 1753 he published a book called the "Analysis of Beauty."

Ever after his first success his career was a prosperous one. He rode in
his carriage, and was the associate and friend of men in good positions.
Hogarth was buried in Chiswick Churchyard, and on his tombstone are these
lines, written by David Garrick:

"Farewell, great painter of mankind!
Who reach'd the noblest point of Art,
Whose pictur'd morals charm the mind,
And through the eye, correct the heart.
If Genius fire thee, reader, stay;
If Nature touch thee, drop a tear;
If neithe