Gant Mag. March 1786. Plate L Historical Picture (the Sufferings of HENRY VI. contrasted with those of JOB) from the Original in the Possession of W. Jackson of Canterbury Esq. Hiftoric Picture of Henry VII. and Job defcribed. accountable. The drawing is 25 by 16. J. D. MR. URBAN, Canterbury, March 3. Y the defire of a late eminent antiBY quary, I fend you the following account of a curious picture in my poffeffion, with my own conjectures concerning it; hoping that fome of your correfpondents, more converfant with matters of antiquity than myself, may be able to give you a more clear explanation than mine. It confifts of two doors, three feet high, and each of them one foot in breadth; thefe, when fhut, formed one picture; I have therefore put them in one frame. I apprehend that they have formerly belonged to an altarpiece; for I remember to have seen, not unfrequently, in the Flemish churches, a little cupboard in the middle part of the altar, in which the relics are kept; and I particularly recollect fuch a one at the church of St. Bertin, at St. Omer's, which has little folding-doors painted in compartiments, like thefe of mine. The hiftorical part of both of them fhuts inwards. Each door of my picture is divided into eight compartiments. The first of these represents the marriage of Henry the Sixth; the hands of the Royal pair are conjoined; and a prelate is performing the nuptial ceremony, by holding a holy pallium over them. Henry is dreffed in an embroidered gown, which reaches to his feet, and he has a nimbus round his head. The Queen has on a plain blue robe; the crown is on her -head; and her long hair hangs down to her waift, the prominence of which would better befit a matron than a bride. You must perceive that, as far as I have defcribed this compartiment, it bears a very close refemblance to Mr. Walpole's picture of the marriage of Henry the Sixth, defcribed in the first volume of the "Anecdotes of Painting," &c.; and which he imagines to have been painted after the King's death. That both his, and that which I am now defcribing, were fo, is, I think, clear, because of the nimbus round the head; an honour, I believe, not conferred on the living; nor often on the dead, except they were enrolled in the Roman Calendar of Saints. King Henry owed this glorious diftinction to the partiality of the painter, most probably one of his zealous partizans; for this pious monarch was never enlisted, by the Pope, in the Noble Army of Mar * -191 tyrs;" application was indeed made by Henry the Seventh, who was pleased to regard himself as the heir of the Houfe of Lancaster, for that purpose; but it is fuppofed that, on account of the expence which the profecution of the plan would have required, it was filently dropped. The late Mr. Cole had a millal with prayers addreffed to him. But to return to the Picture, Behind the King stands a figure, which, I think, refembles that of the Duke of Gloucester in Mr W's pic&ture of the refemblance I cannot fpeak with certainty, for I have not the 4to edition of the "Anecdotes," in which only the print from the picture is, and it is a long time fince I faw it. This figure is dreffed in a fhort robe of a brown colour, and has a red cap on its head. Behind the Queen is a lady in red; on her head is a large cap, with a black cawl. These are all the figures: the back ground reprefents a chamber. Mr W's picture more properly defcribes the nuptial ceremony performing before the door of a church; for that fuch was the custom of the times, we learn, I think, either from the Prologue or the Tale of the Wife of Bath . Mr. W. fays, very truly, that long hair was a mark of virginity;" it was alfo a mark of royalty; and at a very early period; for, if I recollect right, there was a fevere punishinent ordained, by the Salic law (once fo well known by the fplendid knight-errantry of our Edwards and Henrys), against thofe who fhould cut off the hair of a Prince. So much for the firft compartiment, in the description of which I have been the more diffufe, because of its refemblance to Mr. W's curious picture. The fecond reprefents the Marriage-feast, There are four figures at the table: at the head of it fits the King; next to him a lady in a red drefs, next to her the Queen; and at the bottom of the table an elderly man in red: the two guests do not resemble the two at the marriage. A man playing on a pipe is in the corner of the room. Third compartiment, King Henry standing in a chamber hung round with armour; two chefts, filled with money, are open before him. Fourth, The fame figure, which feems to be receiving intelligence of fome great miffortune, from three foldiers; probably of the lofs of the French Provinces. The *British Top. II. 112, n. Not much. EDIT. Hufbands at the Church-door had the five." hands 192 Hiftoric Picture of Henry VI. and Job defcribed. hands are lifted up; and furprise and grief are well expreffed in the countenance. Beyond this compartiment, I am unable to find any certain traces of the hiftory of Henry; the remaining four, on this part of the door, and all thofe on the other, feem to be occupied by the ftory of Job. The figure and tace of Henry, and the nimbus round he head, are continued through the whole of the picture; as alfo is the drefs, except in thofe parts where Job is reprefented in his extreme mifery. In the fifth compartiment, are ten little children, five of each fex, kneeling before the fame figure as reprefented Henry VI. who is in the attitude of bleffing them. Sixth, Satan "well appointed," according to the mythology of the mob, with cloven feet, and horns, and a tail. He is converfing with the Deity, a figure in a long blue robe, with a globe in the left hand, and with a nimbus round the head. This is Satan's application to God for permiffion to torment Job. Seventh, Satan flaying a labouring fervant, who is in a furrowed field-in the back-ground are two horfes.-This, I fuppofe, alludes to the capture and flaughter of Job's fervants, as they were ploughing in the field. Eighth, Satan deftroving the fons and daughters of Job, who were feafting in a chamber. This is the laft compartiAt the back of this part of the door is a large figure, with a mufical inftrument in his hand, giving directions to another, which feems to be that of a mufician. The principal figure has been thought, by a learned antiquary, to bear much refemblance to that of Henry the Seventh. It is dreffed in a dark brown robe, lined with white, which, being turned back, forms a white band round the neck and shoulders, and is continued, gradually diminishing, to the waift, which Is girt with a belt. There is a black cap on the head, but no glory round it. ment. The first compartment on the correfponding door reprefents three fhepherds telling the tale of their misfortunes and escape to Job; whose figure almost exact- ly resembles that of King Henry, in the 4th compartiment, already defcribed, except that the face of Job feems older than that of the King. Second, Satan fmiting Job with a club, who is fitting naked on fome rushes. Third, Job, in the fame fituation, reasoning with a female figure dreffed in a long robe of a greenish hue; he has on her head a white hood, which falls down on her shoulders, and, I think, is very like those worn by that order of lay fifters, who attend the fick behind her ftand two men. How is this to be reconciled to the ftory of Job Scripture tells us, that his three friends went to comfort him but we do not learn that he received any comfort from his wife. But the expoftulated with him before his three friends came. I am inclined to believe that the objest of the painter, through the whole of his work, was, in fome meafure, to draw a parallel between the fufferings of the King and the Patriarch. The hiftory of Henry is continued as far as it agrees with that of Job. Each of them was born in a state of great worldly profperity, and for fome time enjoyed it: this was fucceeded by the fevereft trials, and the heaviest mifery. But the parallel will hold no farther. Providence, which exercifes its kindness and its wifdom, fometimes, in beftowing temporal feli city, and fometimes in taking it away, allowed that happinefs to Job, which it denied to Henry; and which, if it were to be obtained by worldly magnanimity,. or its decline protracted by human prudence, had perhaps been secured to Henry by the vigorous fpirit and unwearied perfeverance of Margaret of Anjou. The meek and pious king, always occupied in the exercife of religigious offices, refigned all the toils of itate to the care of his abler confort. She was the head and the hand; and directed the confultations of the council, and the operations of the field. Such was the wife of Henry. Let us take a fhort view of the wife of the Patriarch. I will quote from a Right Rev. author.-"The next perfon in the drama," fays he, " is Job's wife: The acts a fhort part indeed, but a very fpi-, rited one. The Devil affaulted Job, but he feems to have got poffeffion of her. Happiness was fo little to be expected with fuch a woman, that one almost wonders the facred writer, when he aims to give us the highest idea of Job's fucceeding felicity, did not tell us, in exprefs terms, that he lived to bury his wife," Whilst I am writing, a thought occurs to me, which will, I think, throw fome light on the more difficult parts of the picture. Perhaps, the painter, who venerated the pious cha racter Sufferings of Henry VI. and Job paralleled.-Hendon Font. 193 facter of Henry, might regard the bold -Whofe mind was bent to holiness, Fourth, Job naked, and on his knees, praying to the Deity, before him, who is a prefented in the ufual maner. Fifth, Three Musicians, one of them offering a piece of yellow money to Job's wife, who is ftanding at the door of a houfe, and feems in the attitude of refufing it. One of the men has an inftrument in his hand, refembling a mandoline. Sixth, Job's wife throwing water on him out of a brafs kettle: he is lying on fome rushes, is covered with boils, and has a piece of money in his hand. which is like thofe in the fifth and fixth compartiments: all of them are marked with a crofs, and have a rude repre fentation of a legend round the edge. Such is the best defcription I am able to give you of the picture. You, Mr. Urban, and your readers, will excufe this defultory letter, written by one little verfed in antiquarian refearches. I fhall be neither offended, nor furprif ed, to be told that my explanation of the story is erroneous; but thall be hap py to be corrected by any of your correfpondents, whofe purfuits and acquirements render them more able to judge of matters of this fort than I am. PLEASE to inform your Correfpondent R. G. of Lichfield, that, im the Library of Corpus Chrifti College, in Oxford, there is alarge collection of the Mercurius Aulicus, probably con taining all the numbers that were pub lifhed; and, I believe, alfo, of its antagonist, the Mercurius Rufticus. It is very many years fince I faw thefe vo lumes and therefore I recollect little elfe of them, but that they were numerous. Some Oxford friend will per haps favour your readers with a more particular defcription of them; and alfo with an account of what traces may remain, either in the books of the corporation, or thofe of particular colleges, relative to Queen Elizabeth's visits to that famous University in 1566 and 3592. Yours &c. $94 Biographical Sketch of Dr. Jebb."" BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH.. ON Thursday, March 2, died at his houfe, in Parliament-ftreet, John Jebb, M. D. F. R. S. one of the ear lieft members of the Society for Conftitutional Information; formerly Fellow of Peter Houfe, Cambridge. Struck with the fate of academical difcipline, he propofed the liberal and great defign of public examination, impartially to include every order of students in the several Colleges, and of adequate encouragement to every kind of proficiency. To him, as an individual, no change in the fyitem was neceffary for the acquirement of fame: for, while excellence of any kind fhould be diftinguished, his would have a fhare ampler than he was ever difpofed to claim in the estimation of the beft judges. He was refpected as a mathematician; ftill more as a philofopher; and published, with the afhftance of two gentlemen, Meffrs. Thorpe and Wollaston, for the ufe of those who were defirous to proseed in that line, a much-esteemed Selection of the Principia" of Newton, that grand refult of fublime geometry, applied to the elements of phyfics: in his claffical tafte he was diftinguished: his critical learning and abilities were ac knowledged, even by thofe who would have withed to have feen them exercif ed in purfuits of lefs free and generous inveftigation. As a preacher, fimplicity, clearness, peculiar power of per fuafion, energy, the advantages of voice and manner, judgement, candour, fince-rity, fenfibility, rendered him worthy to have been heard by any Attic audience; worthy to inform, to animate, to poffefs with the love of truth and good nefs, the reafon and the hearts of a congregation profeffing Christianity. His Difcourfe on Benevolence" will be more particularly recollected by many. It has been reprinted, about two years paft, by the defire of thofe who felt the principles it explains, and affectionately recommends to be the bafe of private contentment and of fo cial good. It will probably be again reprinted; fince thofe labours are fi nished, to which he was impelled by the best and most expanfive affections. But neither prefent honour, early preferment, nor all the inviting hopes the world could offer, were of power to retain him in the church establishment. When his researches had fettled a con 1 viction, that he owed a facrifice to the caufe of truth, whatever it might be, he had purity of mind voluntarily to en counter, and conftancy to fupport. High, indeed, he stood amongst the noble affertors of religious liberty: and he was farther destined to be the ftrenuous, the eniightened defender of civil freedom on its moft folid and comprehenfive foundations. In this field of exertion, this island, Ireland, India, America, and wherever else the rights of mankind feemed_capable of being aided against fraud or force, were to him the objects of an univerfal patriotifm. The trial by juries, in fubftance as well as form; fhort parliaments, equalized reprefentation, unrestricted exercise of the right of fuffragethefe were the fecurities, the conftitutional claims of Englishmen, his efforts ftrove to establish. Far from carving and compromifing how much of their liberties should be indulged them, as a favour, he thought full and fair information was to be laid before them; and, theirfelves, to judge and to act upon it. The mode of expreffing. and of giving effect to their fentiments, which he fuggefted, may be feen in his Letter to the Chairman of the HuntingdonCommittee; and in subsequent tracts. It was direct, open, peaceful, orderly and whenever it fhall be adopted in the feveral counties, an effectual and generally approved reform will be the fruit. Nor can I imagine any other method of uniting the public energy, on clear, confiftent, adequate princi ples, will be found. And the reftitu. tion of our own liberties, with improved fecurity, he wished might be prelu five to the cftablishment of true political freedom in every part of the globe. His benevolent zeal, his eloquence, his unwearied spirit, were exerted in toils like thefe, No confidence in any party, no admiration of any man's abilities, no opinion even of his virtues, no habits of attachment in politics, no influ ence of perfonal friendship (and of friends he was the tendereft and the warmeft), could win his acquiefcence to any act of injuftice, any deflexion from the great and indifpenfable rules of conduct, whatever were the plea." life and death the fame refolute wholly to refign himself to truth and the public, he loft in thefe all inferior confiderations, incorruptible alike by hope or fear; by the love of praife or the |