text:  Opened his heart to humbler people! was the author of this libel upon a generous character ignorant of his charity to humbler people which Johnson certified? Why did he not narrate the robbery of the black servant and his kindness to the humblest and the most wretched? What was fifty guineas to poor De Gree? Who were the humbler people to whom he denied his bounty? And is the fair fame the honest reputation--the honourable reputation we should say--of such a man as Sir Joshua Reynolds--such as he has been proved to be--such as not only such men as Burke and Johnson knew him but such as his pupil and inmate Northcote knew him--to be vilified by a low-minded biography the dirty ingredients of which are raked up from lying mouths or at least incapable of judging of such a character--from the lips of servants whose idle tales of masters who discard them it is the common usage of the decent not to say well-bred world to pay no attention to--not to listen to--and whom none hear but the vulgar-curious or the slanderous? But if a servant's evidence must be taken the fact of the exhibition of Sir Joshua's works for his servant Kirkly should have been enough--to say nothing here of his black servant