whose works are almost uniformly inspired by literature, was born at
Clerkenwell in England, of American parents, October 19, 1794. He was
taken to Philadelphia when five years of age, but returned to England
in 1811, to study at the Royal Academy. Washington Allston and
Benjamin West, both Americans--the latter at the time President of the
Royal Academy--aided Leslie by advice.

After a preliminary stage as a portrait painter, Leslie exhibited at
the Royal Academy in 1819 a picture of "Sir Roger de Coverley Going to
Church," the first of a long series of pictures dependent on books
for their subjects. In 1825 he painted "Sancho Panza and the Duchess,"
which procured him his election as an Academician the following year.
The picture here reproduced is a repetition, with some slight changes,
of the same subject, but was painted in 1844. Leslie may be said to
have originated this style of subject in England, where he has had
many followers; and, given the requisite knowledge of literature, his
pictures tell their story with directness and humor. In painting, his
work is rather hard; but in grace and style of drawing he was much
superior to his contemporaries. Among his pictures are many suggested
by Shakespeare, which have been popularized by engraving.

[Illustration: SANCHO PANZA IN THE APARTMENT OF THE DUCHESS. FROM A
PAINTING BY C.E. LESLIE.

Sancho having, by the command of the Duchess, seated himself upon a
low stool, is saying, "Now, madam, that I am sure that nobody but the
company present hears us, I will answer without fear or emotion to all
you have asked and to all you shall ask me; and the first thing I tell
you is that I take my master, Don Quixote, for a downright madman."
The original picture is in the National Gallery, London.]