Northcote is very sorry, but he is unable to give his correspondent any information about the writer of the life of
Barry. As to the letters of
Sir Joshua Reynolds, he never had but two from him in his life, and he never saw the handwriting of
Angelica Kauffman. His correspondent seemed not to understand that painters never wrote letters if they could avoid it. Northcote had heard
Cosway say that he never gave himself the trouble even to answer a letter.