48 State of Painting from the Reign of 



difcover king lords and commons in the 

 tumultuary conventions of the Witten- 

 agemot ; and an enthufiaft to the bards 

 find primaeval charms in the rudeft ballad 

 that was bawled by the mob three or four 

 hundred years ago. But the truths we 

 antiquaries fearch for, do not feem of im- 

 portance enough to be fupported by fic- 

 tions : the world in general thinks our 

 ftudies of little confequence ; they do not 

 grow m.ore valuable by being (luffed with 

 guelTes and invention. 



The painters of thefe portraits :j: of king 



Richard 



X Another reprefentatlon of this king is exhibited 

 by Montfaucon from a MS. Froifard in the library of 

 the king of France. There is another illuminated edi- 

 tion of that author in the Britilh Mufeum, in which is 

 a miniature of the young monarch fitting on his 

 throne and attended by his uncles. In the fame place 

 is an hilloric poem in old French, written by a perfon 

 of condition in the fervice of Richard II. and an eye- 

 witnefs of all that he relates. It has fixteen curious 

 illuminations, in which that king is eight times re- 

 prefented in different fituations ||. There are alfo 

 the portraits of Henry of Lancafter ( four times) of 

 Archbilliop Arundel, the dukes of Surry and of Exe- 

 ter, the earls of Northumberland, Salifbury, &c. Part 

 ■5 Str-Jtt has engraved then; for hh regal and ecdefiaftic Antiquities 



of 



