Painters in the Reign of Henry Vlll. 147 



it is beautiful! beyond defcription, and the 

 carnations have that enannelled bloom fo 

 peculiar to Holbein, who touched his works 

 'till not a touch remained difcernible ! A 

 drawing of this pidbure by Bifchop was 

 brought over in 17 2 j, from whence Vertue 

 doubted both of the fubje6l and the painter ; 

 but he never favv the original ! By the de- 

 fcription of the family-pi clure of tlie conful 

 Mcjer, mentioned ^bove, I have no doubt 

 but this is the very pidlure — Mejer and 

 More are names not fo unlike^ but that in 

 procefs of time they may have been con- 

 founded, and that of More retained, as much 

 better known. 



In private houfes in England are or weie 

 the following: works of Holbein, befides 

 what may not have come to Vertue's or 

 my knowledge. 



In the Arundelian collection, fays Ri- 

 chard Symonds, * was a head of Holbein in 

 oil by himfelf, mofl Aveet, dated 1 543. 



impatient for a fon ; at laft they had one, but not mnch 

 above an idiot — ** You have prayed fo long for a boy, 

 faid the chancellor, that now we have got one who, I 

 believe, will be a boy as long as he lives." 



* In one of his pocket-books which will be mentioned 

 more particularly in the fecond volume, 



K2 At 



