The Gallery of Portraits: with Memoirs opens not with a preface or a portrait but with a dense list of committee members—the Lord Chancellor, Lord John Russell, and dozens of other names from 1830s British public life. This front matter immediately signals that the volume is a product of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, a reforming body that aimed to educate the middle and working classes. The first memoir, on Molière, then demonstrates the Society's approach: it offers a brisk critical assessment of the playwright's place in French literature, a brief personal history, and a pointed remark about his unhappy marriage. The tone is evaluative and occasionally tart, as when the author notes that Molière's enemies said he 'possessed the advantage of painting from the life' in his marital scenes.

The Committee as Context

The opening pages list over fifty committee members, including scientists, politicians, and clergymen. This is not mere decoration: it establishes the volume as a collaborative, institutional project rather than a single author's work. The Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, active from the 1820s to the 1840s, produced cheap, authoritative books for a broad audience. The presence of figures like James Mill and Zachary Macaulay indicates a Benthamite, reformist bent. Readers encountering this list for the first time should note that the memoirs that follow are shaped by the Society's mission: they are meant to instruct, not merely to entertain. The committee's oversight likely encouraged a factual, morally instructive tone, as seen in the Fox memoir's frank discussion of gambling.

Molière: Criticism and Biography Intertwined

The Molière entry blends literary judgment with personal anecdote. It praises Molière as 'the legislator of conventional proprieties' and credits his comedies with attacking courtly affectation and medical quackery. Yet it also dwells on his unhappy marriage, noting that he 'was very jealous, and the young lady was an accomplished coquette.' The author uses this biographical detail to suggest that Molière's marital scenes were drawn from experience—a claim that adds a layer of irony to the comic writer's life. This mixture of critical analysis and personal revelation is characteristic of the volume. Readers should watch for how each memoir balances public achievement with private character, often using the latter to explain or qualify the former.

Charles James Fox: A Candid Portrait

The Fox memoir is notably frank about its subject's flaws. It describes his 'propensity to gaming' as 'the bane of two-thirds of his life' and states that the article is 'not designed to be a mere panegyric.' This directness aligns with the Society's educational goals: it presents a historical figure as a moral example, both positive and negative. The memoir also notes that Fox 'resolutely conquered' his gambling habit after his friends intervened, offering a redemptive arc. The author's willingness to criticize a major political figure suggests that the volume aims for balanced, useful knowledge rather than hagiography. Readers can expect similar candor in other entries, where achievements are weighed against personal failings.

Structure and Selection in the Gallery

The volume contains twenty-six memoirs, but the excerpts provided show only a few. The selection of figures—a French playwright and a British politician—hints at the range: the gallery likely includes artists, scientists, and writers from various periods and nations. Each memoir follows a similar pattern: an opening biographical sketch, a discussion of the subject's work or career, and a concluding assessment. The author often cites sources, as in the Molière entry's reference to 'Joly, Petitot, and Auger.' This scholarly apparatus, combined with the committee's authority, gives the volume a trustworthy, encyclopedic feel. First-time readers should approach each memoir as a self-contained essay, but they may also notice recurring themes, such as the tension between public success and private virtue.

As you read through the Gallery, pay attention to the author's voice: it is often judgmental, sometimes wry, and always intent on extracting a moral or practical lesson. The memoirs are not neutral summaries but arguments about why these lives matter. The committee list at the start is a reminder that this is knowledge curated for a purpose—to improve the reader. Whether discussing Molière's comedies or Fox's gambling, the text invites you to consider how character shapes achievement, and how biography can serve as a guide to living well.