PAINTINGS. 195 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 



Paintings Cromwell Pastoral Ships Family Portraits and Distant 

 Relations Family Apartments Personal Cleanliness The Wrekin. 



pictures which most interested me were portraits of 

 -"- Cromwell and Charles, one of Rubens, two of very beautiful 

 women of the family by Sir Peter Lely, a female face by Carlo 

 Dolci, and two or three little things by Rubens. The portrait of 

 Cromwell appears as if he might have sat for it, as, if I remem- 

 ber rightly, is asserted. It looks like one's idea of him, but not 

 in the best light of his character a deep melancholy, stern, and 

 somewhat sour face. 



There is a large landscape representing a brook tumbling over 

 a rock into the sea, on which is a fleet of shipping. The story 

 is, that it was painted by a French artist on a visit here, and 

 when first exhibited had, in place of the sea, a broad meadow 

 through which the brook meandered. Lady - suggested that 

 a few sheep on the broad, green ground of the meadow would be 

 a pleasing addition. "Sheeps! mi lady?" said the chagrined 

 artist, " suppose you better like it with sheeps, I shall make de 

 sheeps ;" and so he painted a blue sea over the green meadow, 

 and abruptly embouched his brook into it, that he might appro- 

 priately gratify Lady - 's maritime penchant. 



