Painters in the Reign cf Henry VIII. 133 



Cobham are mafter-pieces. * It is great pity- 

 that they have not been engraved,"^not only ^"^ ^ 

 that fuch frail performances of fo great a /^ 

 genius might be preferved, but that the re- / .^jrr 

 femblances of fo many illuftrious perfons, ^^ /^ 

 no where elie exifting, might be faved from 

 dcftrudtion. Vertue had undertaken this / 

 noble work, and after fpending part of three 

 years on it, broke off, I do not know why, 

 after having traced off on oil-paper but 

 about five and thirty. Thefe I bought at 

 his fale j and they are fo exadlly taken as to 

 be little inferior to tke originals. 



In the fame clofet are two fine finifhed 

 portraits by Holbein, faid to be his own and 

 his wife's ; they were prefented to queen 

 Caroline by Sir Robert Walpole, my fa- 

 tlier. f And a circular drawing ; the flory 

 of Solomon and the queen of Sheba. 



I 3 In 



* They were firlt placed by the queen at Richmond, 

 but afterwards removed to Kenfington where they ftill 

 remain ; but it is a very improper place for them, 

 many hanging againft the light or with fcarce any, 

 and fome fo high as not to be difcernible, efpecially a 

 molt: gracefuU head of the duchefs of Suffolk. 



f The father of lord treafurer Oxford pafling over 

 London bridge, was caught in a ihower, and ftepping 



inte 



