me, Holder's making, whose pictures of the poet I had never as yet seen. Having suggested to Mr. Liddell, the great satisfaction it would be to have that individual before him to ascertain if he knew the portrait, it was agreed upon to have him: I accordingly sent to him a letter requesting his attendance the next morning, and was rather surprised, as soon as he came into my room, that he should ask "Was the picture he was going to see in the possession of Mr. Liddell"—for I had not even mentioned that gentleman's name in my letter. On our way to Portland Place, I cautioned him not to deceive the gentleman as to what he had done to it, and I should endeavour to trace something of its history. His only reply was, that “ he had repaired no more than a small place in the cheek, and glazed the hair." We had no sooner entered the room than he pointed to the spot, and remarked that he "believed the portrait to be the most perfect and genuine of Shakspeare, and considered its value at two or three hundred pounds," which was only half what it was valued at by its owner. This, of course, was apparently sa tisfactory to all until I questioned him, if he had not painted upon the mouth, beard, and ruff,-when he acknowledged having done two out of the three; he said the beard he had not painted upon to which I replied it had been, for it was not by the same hand that painted the mustachios, which was original. * The portrait was sold by Mr. Lewis, of Charles Street, Soho, to the Hon. T. Liddell, for the sum of thirty-nine pounds. The picture is painted upon oak, about the threequarter size; it has no name or date upon it. Having questioned Holder as to how he formerly came by it, he replied, "That about ten months ago he had it of Mr. Bryant, of Great Ormond Street." As soon as we separated I went to Mr. B.; this gentleman, after hearing all I had to say, assured me that he had never sold the picture as Shakspeare, and was much surprised that it should be said that he had, well knowing it to be no such thing. On my way home, at the corner of Charles Street and Oxford Street, I met Mr. Holder, who informed me that the shop where the picture was bought by Mr. Liddell, was but a few doors up Charles Street; I went there with him, we had been but a few minutes in the shop, when in came Mr. B., who could no more have expected to see us than we him. Mr. B. of course, accused Holder of having wrongfully used his name; the arguments which Holder made in his defence, only showed that he was a man whose word could not be taken; in consequence I requested Mr. Bryant would meet me at the Hon. Thomas Liddell's, to satisfy that gentleman of the spuriousness of the picture; he readily complied; we met, and the result was, he found the picture so very different to what it was when he parted with it, that to make use of Holder's words to a friend * of his, Mr. Bryant informs me that Holder had offered this picture to a friend for nine pounds, but who declined purchasing it, as Mr. Holder had told him it was one of his own making out of a picture he had bought of Mr. B. prior to which Holder had two other old paintings of him, and both also were converted into Shakspeare. " he would not know it again." There were some parts Mr. B. could not speak very positively as to having been altered; but he added to what I had discovered, he remarked, that when the portrait was in his possession, the nose was very different, and that the hair had been taken off the forehead, and what was still there, re-painted, and the ear-ring added. The date, which had been upon the left corner, was obliterated, which would not have answered the purpose to remain, for he perfectly recollects it was of a later date than the poet's life-time. The next day the Hon. Gentleman waited upon me with the intelligence that one of our most distinguished artists, whose judgment in these matters was not to be disputed, would take an oath that the picture was genuine. The following Monday was appointed for him, with Mr. Smith, Mr. Holder, and myself, to meet in Portland Place, for the purpose of re-examining the portrait; and, by the desire of the owner, I addressed a letter to Holder to that effect, and as he was a poor man, he was to be paid for his trouble. I arrived there at the time appointed, but was informed the Hon. Gentleman was in the country; no message was left for me, nor had either the Artist or Holder made their appearance; myself, it seems, was the only one to be disappointed." It is the cause, it is the cause.' "I, that please some, try all; both joy and terror, That the owner of this picture has deceived himself as to its being ar original portrait of the poet; for it was never sold to him as genuine. "I told him what I thought; and told no more than what he found himself was apt and true." It is also very possible that the great artist may find something more genuine to swear to. That Mr. Bryant has acted in this affair the part of a gentleman; and the remuneration offered to Mr. Holder, for his appearance, although a poor man, would not influence him to expose his blushes, which shows that "there is no vice so simple, but assumes some mark of virtue on his outward parts." por I have some hopes the account given of this trait will prove satisfactory, and convince many persons who are very opinionated of their own judgments, how superficial they may prove to be, when put in competition with facts, which cannot be disputed. The circumstances connected with this picture, comes so near to that of Mr. Durnford's, that had it have got into the hands of a publisher, instead of a private gentleman, I do not know but it might have proved the most successful one of the two. END OF THE SPURIOUS PICTURES. FURTHER REMARKS UPON The Chandos Portrait of Shakspeare. HAVING, about three months ago, addressed a letter to the Duke of Buckingham, for the purpose of inspecting the above picture, I have, in consequence, had the honor of receiving an order to visit Stowe, and have availed myself of that opportunity. Of the above painting, or any other, I have refrained from making any statement but what I should be able to realize facts upon. At the time of my inspecting this portrait, I was favoured with a sight of the private engraving from it by Mr. R. Cooper, of both of which I will now speak. The picture has been unjustly ridiculed by Mr. Steevens, not appreciated by Mr. Malone, and puzzled Mr. Boaden what to say; yet something which he has said, induces me to make some remarks thereon. The two last gentlemen have very justly remarked upon the abilities of Mr. Ozias Humphry,* as an * Mr. Humphry's character as an artist has also been praised by Sir Joshua Reynolds-that alone is an honor; but there are various degrees of excellence in the Arts to make a man eminent, of which Sir Joshua had more varieties than is common to a single individual. Some painters are considered fine in their design, some for drawing and colouring, others for exact delineators E E |