as the King of France is fuppofed to be the richest man in Europe, he is generally introduced, on these occafions, as the bidder. For myself, I own I am not entirely of the King of France's opinion. I have examined this picture with great attention; and reluctantly own I cannot bring myself to admire it, either in the whole, or in its parts. Vandyck's portrait of King Charles I. over a chimney at Hampton Court*, which confifts only of a fingle figure, I freely own I fhould prefer to this, though it confifts of thirteen.

Vandyck feldom appears to advantage when he has feveral figures to manage. His mafter Rubens early faw this, and defired him to relinquish hiftory, and apply to portrait. He did; but here he is again engaged in history; that is, he has a number of figures at full length to manage in one large piece, which extends twenty feet by twelve. The compofition of fuch a work required more skill than he poffeffed.

In the first place, there is no attempt at defign. Some little family-fcene fshould have been introduced, which might have drawn the figures into one action. Thus Titian represents

*I believe it is now removed.

the

1

the Cornaro family joining in an act of devotion *. Without something of this kind, the figures had better have been painted in feparate pictures.

Compofition too is wanting as well as defign. The figures are ill-grouped, and produce no whole.

The colouring too is glaring. Yellow, red, and blue are the fources, when properly blended, of every harmonious tint; but here they stare in raw colours. Every gaudy figure ftands foremost to catch the eye; except the principal figures, which are attired in black. The young people are all fo richly dressed, that it seems as if their father and mother had ordered them to put on their best clothes, and come down to be painted: and that the painter had drawn them fo attired, juft as he faw them, without any diftinction or choice of drapery. To destroy the harmony ftill more, a large escutcheon of the Pembroke arms hangs in one corner of the picture, filled with such a profufion of red and yellow, that it catches the eye at once, and may properly be called one of the principal figures.

If from a general view of the picture, we proceed to particulars, I fear our criticisms must

* This picture belongs to the Duke of Northumberland.

be equally fevere. Never painter, it must be owned, had that happy art which Vandyck poffeffed, of turning earths and minerals into flesh and blood. Never painter had that happy art of composing a single figure with the chaste fimplicity of nature, and without affectation or artifice of any kind; and fome of the figures in this picture are, no doubt, compofed in this ftyle, particularly the Earls of Pembroke and Carnarvon. But the figures in general, when confidered apart, are far from capital. Some of the attitudes are forced: you look in vain for Vandyck's wonted fimplicity. But what disgusts us most, is a want of harmony. In all pictures, whether the faces are old or young, the fame coloured light, if I may fo express myself, should be spread over all,-the mellow or the bluish tinge, arifing from the state of the atmofphere, whatever it is, through which the light is thrown upon them: but here this rule is fo far from being obferved, that even allowing the variation of different complexions, the faces of all, though of one country, belong to different climates. A yellow-faced boy particularly, among the front figures, has a complexion, which nothing but a jaundice or an Indian fun could have given him. For the

reft,

reft, fome of the carnations are very beautiful; particularly the hands of the Countess of Pembroke.

All this cenfure, however, must not be laid to the charge of Vandyck. His pencil could never have been guilty of fuch violence against Nature. I have been affured *, that about a dozen years ago, this picture was retouched by a painter, I think, of the name of Brompton. I faw it before that time, and fome years after; and as far as my memory ferves, it was altered much for the worfe. This may account for moft of the faults that may be found with the carnations.

It would have been a happy thought to represent the dead children by little cherubs hovering in the air; if the picture had had an em→ blematical caft. In ferious portrait, the thought feems rather out of place.

At Wilton-house the accomplished Sir Philip Sidney (whose beloved fifter was married to the Earl of Pembroke) wrote his Arcadia; a work of fuch fancy, that although not accommodated to the refinement of this age, it was greatly admired in the laft, and went rapidly through eight editions.

* By the late Lord Orford.

I 2

SECT. IX.

FROM Wilton we returned to Salisbury; and from thence proceeded to Fonthill, the feat of Mr. Beckford. The road conveyed us through lanes, along the edge of the plain. About Denton the ground lay beautifully; the hills descending gently on each fide.

Fonthill is a noble house, situated in a park, which contains great variety of ground. It takes its name from a woody hill and fountain hard by it, from which rises a stream that affifts in forming an artificial river, decorated by a very sumptuous bridge. If the bridge had been more fimple, the fcene about it would have been more pleafing. The ground, though artificially formed, flopes well to the river on each fide, and beyond the bridge opens into a fweet retiring valley.

Mr. Beckford feems alfo to have been affiduous in making a collection of pictures; and in point of numbers, he has fucceeded. A Socrates, by Salvator, is most esteemed. But though a capital picture, it seems ill-coloured, being a mere yellowish clair obfcure; nor has Socrates any character. I must add, however,

that