252 tnecHotes of Adrian Broor. -^"S- ^2' 



Of his parentage notliing is known, only that they were 

 of the lowest ranks of the people. Without instructor of 

 any sort, and solely by an irresistible propensity of nature, 

 Broor, while yet in a manner an infant, used to amuse him- 

 self in painting birds and f.owers, upon small bits of linen ; 

 and his mother, for a subsistence, sold them to womtn of 

 the country, who employed them as ornaments of their drefs. 



While he was thus employed, Francis Hals, a famous 

 painter, went by chance to the place where the young 

 Eroor lived, and, struck by his rising talents, he proposed 

 to instruct him. Eoor, charmed with this lucky rencoun- 

 ter, did not hesitate t6 follow him. Eut what he looked 

 upon as extremely fortunate, was to him the source of in- 

 finite chagrins and disappointment. The avarice of Hals 

 and his wife instigated them to avail themselves of the 

 talents of the young unfortunate, whose hard fortune they 

 seemed to bewail. 



As soon as they had him in their power they made him 

 labour to excefs, and made him almost die of hunger. 

 Lean and emaciated, he had scarcely the appearance of 

 a human being ; the rags with whxh he was covered 

 gave him the appearance of the utmost misery. Whilst he 

 himself was in want of the necefsaries of life, the little 

 pictures at which he worked night and day were sold at a 

 very great price. The greedinei^ of his masters, only in- 

 creasing in proportion as they found the means to satisfy 

 themselves, they (hut him up in a garret, that he might 

 be able to produce more works. 



That separation inspired the anxiety or the curiosity 

 of his companions, disciples of Hals, who watched the mo- 

 ment of his absence to discover what Broor did in his pri- 

 son. They went up each in their turn, and, by means of 

 a small window, they saw with surprise that this poor and 

 despised apprentice, was a great painter, and made very 



