Painters in the Reign of ^een Elizabeth, 253 



famous Sir Philip) prefents the queen at 

 new-year's tide with a whip fet with jewels, 

 aad another time with a caftie enriched with 

 diamonds. 



NICHOLAS HILLIARD 



Limner, jeweller and goldfmith to queen 

 Elizabeth and afterwards to king James, was 

 fon of Richard Hilliard of Exeter, high 

 IherifF of that city and county in the year 

 1 560. Nicholas (I fuppofe a younger fon) 

 was born in 1547, and brought up to the 

 bufinefs of ajev/eller and goldfmith, to which 

 his inclination foon added that of painting 

 in miniature. The want of an able inftmc- 

 tor dire6ted him to ftudy the works of Hol- 

 bein, as he fays in a MS. I fhall mention ; 

 '* Holbein's manner of limning I have ever 

 imitated, and hold it for the befl." But 

 though Hilliard copied the neatnefs of his 

 model, he was far from attaining that na- 

 ture and force which that great mafter im- 

 prelTed on his mod minute works. Hilliard 

 arrived at no flrength of colouring ; his faces 

 are pale, and void of any variety of tints, 

 the features, jewels and ornaments exprefled 

 by lines as flender as a hair, The exad drefs 



of 



