( too'i y 
could not tell where he was born. And I beh'eve evcrr 
in the Lift of Ecclefiajilid Writers there are fome, and 
rhofe not of the leaft confideration, who (notwithftand- 
ing their Works have been read over and over) are ftill 
reckon'd to be of incertain Age* 
As for PiSnres, though 1 have ijiuch lefs Experience in 
them, than I had once in MSS. yet I will not deny but 
that the Works of an hundred Matters f befides thofc your 
Grace has been pleas'd to mention) may be known by the 
Ba^dsy tho they may be almoft as differettt as their feveral 
Hands in Writing : But that one Painter can't Copy from 
another, fo exaftly, as that in traft of time it ftiall not 
be known which Pifture is the Original, is what I dare 
not aflert. 
It has been frequently praftis*d by Painters to borrow 
Pidures of thofe who are Lovers and Judges of fuch 
things, to Copy them, and to return their Copies for the 
Originals, without any difcovery made by the difcerning 
Owners. And I believe it poffible ( tho exceeding difE^ 
cult) tor a great Mafter to Copy a Pifture fo, that when 
they both ftand together, a good Judge (hall not dare po- 
fitively to fay which is the Copy and which not: Nor he 
that drew the Original, dare to own, that he could imi- 
tate his awn Handy work better than a Stranger has done. 
There are a great many flories common among Painters, 
to this purpofe. And one woay not think it much more 
difficult, for a Man to imitate a Drawing or Pifture, than 
to counterfeit another Mans Hand- writing, which fome 
People can do moft exaftly. And others w-ith Pen and 
Ink will Copy after any thing that is Printed fo nicely, as 
that one would affirm their Writing to be printed off^t the 
Prefs. 
Your Grace's Notions of difcerning the Age as well 2!? 
the Hu7;d of the Painter, by his Pidure, is very curious, 
and altogether new to me : And L doubt not but there is . 
a great deal in it. I only^ want the whole Works of fome 
great 
