XX HISTORY AND PLAN 



execution made them very popular and gave them almost a 

 monopoly of English historical portraiture in the 18th cen- 

 tury, were both utterly without conscience in the matter of 

 likeness. And though many of their works are brilliant 

 specimens of effect in line-engraving, yet regarded as like- 

 nesses of the men, they are all alike worse than worthless. 

 The original from which Vertue's engraving of Bacon was 

 taken, being itself destitute of all true physiognomical cha- 

 racter, is indeed represented well enough. But if any one 

 wishes to form a notion of Bacon's face as interpreted by 

 Van Somer, he must consult the more modern engraving 

 in Lodge's collection, which is at least a conscientious at- 

 tempt to translate it faithfully; Houbraken's can only mis- 

 lead him. 



The other engraving to which I have alluded as not derived 

 from either of the originals above mentioned, is the small 

 head engraved for Mr. Montagu's edition of Bacon's works. 

 This was taken from a miniature by Hilliard then in the 

 possession of John Adair Hawkins, Esq., representing Ba- 

 con in his eighteenth year ; a work of exquisite beauty and 

 delicacy. But here also, I regret to say, the laudable attempt 

 to bring an image of it within reach of the general public 

 has been attended with the same infelicity. The engraver 

 has so completely failed to catch either expression, feature, 

 character, or drawing, that I think no one can have once seen 

 the original without wishing, in justice both to subject and 

 artist, that no one who has not seen it may ever see the 



copy- 

 Judging from the issue of Mr. Montagu's attempt to 

 obtain an engraving of this miniature, it is perhaps fortunate 

 that he did not fulfil the intention which he announced of 

 giving an engraving of a bust in terra cotta representing 

 Bacon in his twelfth year, which is at Gorhambury, in the 

 possession of the Earl of Verulam. But this also is a work 

 of great merit, and extremely interesting. It is coloured, 

 and (like Hilliard's miniature) shows the head. I have been 

 told by artists that it is probably of Italian workmanship ; 



