21 8 Painting under Edward VI. and Mary, 



There was in this reign another perfon 

 too illuftrious a lover and even prai^icer of 

 the art to be omitted, though I find no naen- 

 tion of him in Vertue*s MSS. This was 



EDWARD COURTENEY, 



The laft earl of Devonlliire, * 



The comelinefs of whofe perfon was very 

 near raifing him to that throne, for near- 

 nefs to which in blood, he was a prifoner 

 from ten years old ; and from that time to 

 thirty when he died, he fcarce enjoyed two 

 years of liberty. It was a happinefs pecu- 

 liar to him to be able to amufe himfelf with 

 drawing, -f in an age in which there were 



* When queen Mary releafed him, (ho. reflored him 

 too to the Marquifate of Exeter, though that title is 

 omitted by all our hiftorians when they mention him. 



f My authority is Strype, who produces undoubted 

 authority for his affertion, having given us the oration 

 pronounced at his funeral by Sir Thomas Wilfon, after- 

 wards Secretary of State, Befides his progrefs in phi- 

 lofophy, mathematics, mufic, and the French, Spanifh, 

 and Italian languages. Sir Thomas adds, '' Tanta etiam 

 expingendarum effigierum cupiditate ardebat, ut facile 

 et laudabiliter cujufcumque imaginem in tabula expri- 

 meret.*' See Strype's memorials vol. iii. p. 339, and 

 appendix p. 192. 



fo 



