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and seventeenth centuries. The other case contains capital editions of Warton's History of English Poetry, the works of Thomson and Lyttelton, Baskerville's Addison, Leland's History of Ireland, &c.

There are several portraits and other paintings in this room. The portraits are half-lengths of the first Duke of Rutland, Mrs. Bridget Noel, and Lord Anglesea, by Sir Peter Lely; Earl of Northampton, Earl and Countess of Exeter; a person with a leading staff; and over the door into the library, Marshal Duc de Broglio, (full-length,) in uniform, with star and blue ribbon. I am not able to say by whom the five last were painted. There is another portrait (knee-piece) of a person in state robes, and with walking staff, of whose and the artist's name, I am also ignorant.

King Charles II., by Vosterman (?)

JOHN VOSTERMAN, whose chief excellence consisted in landscape painting, was born at Bommel, in 1643, and learned the rudiments of his art from his father, who was a portrait painter; but obtained that excellence to which he afterwards arrived, from Herman Sachtleven, with whom he studied as a disciple. Nor had he been very long in the school of that eminent artist, before he equalled his instructor; and indeed, shortly afterwards, proved himself superior, not only to Sachtleven, but to all his contemporaries. Vosterman had, however, a great deal of vanity; and instead of pursuing his profession, by which he might have lived in honour and affluence, he wasted his time and fortune, by assuming the appearance of a person of rank; being attended, while he resided in France, by a great number of domestics in rich liveries; frequenting the houses and assemblies of the great, and squandering his patrimony in many ostentatious follies. From necessities which thus arose, he was induced to turn his attention to England, where he was warmly patronised by Charles II. and the principal nobility; but ineffectually, so far as regards retrieving his affairs. Vosterman surpassed by many degrees all the landscape painters of his time, in neatness of touch, and delicacy of finish. He painted for King Charles two

views of Windsor, still in the gallery there; a chimney-piece, at Whitehall; and a view of Stirling Castle, the figures by Wyck. He died in 1693, aged fifty.

Two miniatures, on copper.

Over the fireplace, is a view of Newmarket, with the Duke of Rutland's stud, and portraits of several persons, by Tillemans.

PETER TILLEMANS was born at Antwerp, in the latter end of the seventeenth century. His father was a diamond-cutter. The son soon distinguished himself as a painter, though he studied under very indifferent masters. In 1708, he was brought to England, with his brother-in-law, Casteels, by one Turner, a dealer in pictures; and employed by him in copying Borgognone and other masters, in which he succeeded admirably, particularly Teniers, of whom he preserved all the freedom and spirit. He generally painted landscapes with small figures, seaports, and views. One of his best works is a view from Richmond-hill, in the possession of Mr. Cambridge, of Twickenham. When he came to be known, he was patronised by several men of quality; and drew views of their seats, huntings, races, and horses, in perfection. In this way he was much employed in the west and north of England, and in Wales; and drew many prospects for the intended history of Nottinghamshire by Mr. Bridges. He instructed the Lord Byron of his day, who did great credit to his master, and painted a large picture of the abbey and lake at Newstead, now in the possession of Captain Lord Byron. After suffering many years under an asthma, for which he chiefly resided at Richmond, he died at Norton, in Suffolk, December 5, 1734, at about the fiftieth year of his age, and was buried in the church of Stow Langtoft.

Above the view of Newmarket is a large landscape, said to be by Sir Peter Lely and others.

In different parts of the room are hung four views by Delany; a view of Dublin from the sea, Wicklow Hills in the background; a view of Dublin from the grounds above Chapel Izod; and two others, described as views near Dublin.

SIR PETER LELY, or Peter Van der Faes, was born in 1617, at Soest, in Westphalia. He was placed, at what age does not appear, under Peter Grebber, at Haerlem, an artist of considerable merit, whose school was in high esteem. Lely continued two years with him. By some authors, he is thought to have come to England after the restoration. But Allan Cunningham, whose spirited criticism, on the state of the fine arts during the reigns of Charles I. and II., and during the intermediate period of the usurpation, I avail myself of, relates an anecdote, which proves that Lely must have been in England much earlier, (probably in 1641), and have acquired a considerable reputation in Cromwell's time. When Cromwell sat to Lely, he said, "I desire you will use all skill to paint my picture truly like me, and not flatter me at all; but remark all those roughnesses, pimples, warts, and every thing as you see me; otherwise, I never will pay one farthing for it." Charles II. appointed him state painter; and when the softer customers of that monarch's palace sat to Lely, they laid his talents under no such restrictions as Cromwell did. He seemed to consider himself as chief painter at the court of Paphos. No one knew better than he how to paint

your

"The sleepy eye, that spoke the melting soul;"

to imitate the fascinating undulations of female bosoms, or give voluptuous glow and solid softness to youthful flesh and blood. The beauties of Windsor, as they are called, kindled up old Pepys, who says in his Memoirs, that he called at Mr. Lely's, who was "a mighty proud man, and full of state," where he saw the Duchess of Cleveland "sitting in a chair, dressed in white satin;" also Lady Castlemain, "a most blessed picture, of which he was resolved to have a copy." The lapse of a century and a half, has purified the air round those gay and merry dames, and we can look on Lady Castlemain and her companions as calmly as on the Venus de Medicis. "The bugle eye ball, and the cheek of cream" have lost their magic now.

Lely, however, did not wholly dedicate his pencil to the condescending beauties of Charles' court; he has preserved the features of statesmen, who contrived to walk upright even in those slippery times: nor did he neglect the men of genius, who flourished in his day. He painted Clarendon, Cowley, Butler,

Selden, and Otway. He formed a gallery of the works of Van Dyck and other eminent artists, which was sold at his death for twenty six thousand pounds. He maintained the state of a gentleman, and preserved the dignity due to art in his intercourse with the court. Of the numerous works which he painted-for he was a diligent and laborious man-upwards of seventy are still in the island,-portraits of ladies of rank or note, and of men of birth or genius.

To the coming of Kneller some writers have attributed the death of Lely. But he died suddenly; and jealousy and mortification are more slow in their operations. The new artist was indeed a man of talent, but there was nothing of that high order about him, which could be supposed capable of sickening the soul, or shortening the life of the other. Thus far Cunningham. The merits of Lely may be thus summarily stated. He is especially eminent for his talent in giving a pleasing representation of female beauty. His pencil was light and delicate; his colouring very beautiful; the tone warm, clear, and full; and his execution often spirited. The airs of his heads and figures are pleasing and graceful; and the attitudes easy and unaffected. The hands of his figures are painted with remarkable care and delicacy. His draperies are arranged, with an appearance of negligence, in broad folds. He sometimes gave his pictures a landscape back ground in a style peculiarly calculated to give relief to his figures. He occasionally painted historical pictures, one of the best of which is a representation of Susannah and the Elders, at Burleigh House. His most celebrated performance is a series of portraits of the beauties of the court of Charles II., preserved at Hampton Court: a list of which may be acceptable in this place;-Anne, Duchess of York, daughter of the Earl of Clarendon, Lady Byron, Princess Mary, Queen Catharine, Duchess of Richmond, Nell Gwynne, Countess of Rochester, Countess of Northumberland, Lady Denham, Countess of Sutherland, the Countess de Grammont, Duchess of Cleveland, Countess of Ossory, Lady Whitmore, and Mrs. Middleton. Lely equally excelled as a crayon painter; and his portraits in that style are esteemed equal, and by some are preferred to his paintings in oil. He died in England in 1680, at the age of 63.

There are also two pictures of superior pretensions, by Marlow. One represents a very large galley (Pope's ?), filled with men and oars, and having a standard, argent, two pastoral staves in saltire, in chief a crown, or. The water is dark, but transparent; and the buildings are thrown out with very sharp edges. In the second, is seen a bridge of seven arches, over a river running between houses. The sky is splendidly bright and transparent. There is something in the style and colouring of this artist, to remind us of Le Nain. These pictures are called in a manuscript catalogue, “A view near Naples,” and “A view in Florence;" and were purchased for £30 each.

There is on a table in this room, a model of the former Castle and its outworks, cut in wood, and according to scale, by the Rev. Mr. Mounsey.

LIBRARY.

Passing through double doors, the inner of which are folding, we enter the Library,—a room of proportions sufficiently large to admit of a favourable display of the character given to it in its gilded, panelled roof, and its deeply recessed, elaborately moulded windows; yet not so vast, as to preclude the idea of genuine comfort, to even a solitary student. It has been objected to this room, that it is very gloomy, in consequence of its aspect into the court-yard, which is overshadowed on the opposite side by the central and flag towers, of greater elevation than other portions of the Castle. I cannot appreciate this objection as at all applicable to a room, the very design of which is, to concentrate the attention within its walls, rather than permit a diversion of the thoughts to external beauties. In my view,

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