OF THIS EDITION. xvii 



Janssen, and some hope that the original is still in existence 

 and that this notice may lead to the discovery of it. Janssen 

 is said to have come over to England in 1618, the year in 

 which, as I have said, the engraving must have been published. 

 Bacon did sit for his portrait to somebody (but it may no 

 doubt have been to Van Somer) about that time ; at least 33/, 

 was " paid to the picture drawer for his Lp's picture," on the 

 12th of September, 1618. 1 Now I have in my possession 

 an engraving in mezzotinto, purporting to be a portrait of 

 Bacon, representing him in the same position and attitude, 

 and the same dress (only that the figure on the vest is dif- 

 ferent), and having a similar oval frame with the same kind 

 of border. In the left-hand corner, where the painter's 

 name is usually given, are the words Cornelius Johnson 

 pinxit. The engraver's name is not stated ; but there is 

 evidence on the face of the work that he was a poor per- 

 former. In all points which require accuracy of eye and 

 hand, and a feeling of the form to be described, it differs 

 much from Pass's work, and is very inferior ; but in those 

 which the most unskilful artist need never miss, such 

 as the quantity of face shown, the disposition of the hair, 

 and generally what may be called the composition of the pic- 

 ture, there is no more difference between the two than 

 may be well accounted for by the difficulty which is often 

 found in ascertaining the true outlines of the obscure parts 

 of a dark or damaged picture, or by the alterations which 

 an engraver will often introduce when the size of his plate 

 obliges him to cut off the lower part of the figure. The hat, 

 for instance, which is dark against a dark background, sits 

 differently on the head ; sits in fact (in the mezzotint) as 

 it could not possibly have done in nature ; and the flap of 

 the brim follows a somewhat different line, though the ir- 



o 



regularity is of the same kind ; also the light and shadow 

 are differently distributed over the folds of the frill ; the fur 

 hangs differently ; the figure is cut off too short to admit the 



1 See a book of accounts preserved in the State Paper Office. 



VOL. I. a 



