So Cantinurjion of the State cf 



drunkennefs. Yet his induflry was fufficierit 

 to carry him to great lengths in his pro- 

 felTion. His works were clear and highly 

 finifhed. He was a friend rather than a rival 

 of Lucas * of Ley den. After fome praflice 

 at home he travelled into Italy, where he 

 acquired more truth in treating naked fub- 

 jedis than freedom of expreflion. Indeed 

 Raphael himfelf had not then ftruck out 

 tliat majeflic freedom, which has fince ani- 

 mated painting, and delivered it from the 

 fervility of coldly copying motionlefs na- 

 ture. Mabufe fo far improved his tafle, as 

 to introduce among his countrymen poetic 

 hiflory, for fo I lliould underftand f San- 

 drart's varia poemata conficiendi, if it is 

 meant as a mark of real tafte, rather than 

 what a later J author afcribes to Mabufe, 

 that he firfl: treated hifloric fubjecfls allego- 

 rically. I never could conceive that rid- 

 dles and rebus's (and I look upon fuch 

 emblems as little better) are any improve- 

 m.ents upon hiflory. Allegoric perfonages 



* Lucas made an entertainment for Mabufe and other 

 artilb tliat coll him fixty florins of gold. 



t P. 234- 

 Defcamps, Vies des Peintres Flamands, p. 83. 



are 



