VOL. XLVI.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 621 



a basket of fruit; over against her a naked figure of a man, robust and vigorous, 

 with a beard; his back short, and his face seems turned to the left shoulder; a 

 garland of flowers or laurels on his head; a quiver, a bow and arrows by his side; 

 under his left arm something like part of a lion's skin, and one paw, but faintly 

 expressed; a fine natural attitude; most exquisite proportion and drawing. A 

 little higher, close by him, a genius or goddess of fame, with wings, a garland 

 on her head, a sprig like ears of corn in the left hand, and pointing with the 

 right; and both she and the man looking to a young infant below, a most beau- 

 tiful figure, and natural attitude, sucking a doe, finely drawn and spotted, which 

 is licking the child's knee. Under their feet an eagle with his claw on a globe, 

 and a lion, both as large as life. Some reckon the man Hercules and the woman 

 Pomona; but Hercules, I think, did not use the quiver; and Pomona has no 

 such majesty, nor any business with a club, which is longer and smaller than 

 that of Hercules. 



The third is a piece of 4 feet square, representing the centaur Chiron, sitting, 

 as it were, on his backside, and teaching his pupil Achilles, a young lad of 

 about 12, to play on the harp. Part of the horse is a very difficult forced atti- 

 tude; the whole body being in view; left fore foot extended; great expression 

 and attention both in Achilles and Chiron, who is putting his right hand round 

 the boy, and playing, by the help of a small instrument, on the strings, which 

 are 10 in number. This is accounted a most masterly piece as ever was seen. 

 Chiron has a mantle tied round his neck, made of the skin of some animal; 

 and Achilles stands upright naked. 



The fourth is a piece of 5 feet by 4, representing some very solemn and me- 

 lancholy story of the Romans, and contains 7 figures, 3 men and 4 women: 

 perhaps the story of Virginia, when Appius Claudius wanted to accuse her falsely, 

 in order to gratify his lust. One man sitting in a pensive mood, his left elbow 

 on his knee, and his hand up to his forehead; another sitting over-against him, 

 setting forth something in a paper, which he holds to the breast of the first; a 

 young woman sitting on the right side of the first, a figure expressing great con- 

 cern, her left hand affectionately about his shoulder; and another young woman 

 standing with great attention and surprise by her; behind both, the figure of a 

 woman larger than the rest, with a quiver appearing above her shoulder, as 

 Diana ; an elderly woman in a suppliant bending posture, with her finger at her 

 chin, as if she were listening with great grief, and her face to the first figure. 

 Also an old man, in much the same attitude, in great grief, as if weeping. 

 Perhaps the family of Virginia listening to the accusation against her, and fearftil 

 lest she should be delivered over to the brutal lust of the consul ; to avoid which, 

 when no other remedy was left, Virginius desired to speak with his daughter in 

 private, and killed her. 



