XIV 
PREFACE. 
Jonson’s Every Man in his Humour , a part which 
he is known to have played in 1598, and this would 
easily account for Ben Jonson’s commendation.* This 
conjecture is so extremely probable, that I have no 
hesitation in endorsing it. 
We come, then, now to “the Chandos portrait.” With 
the longest pedigree of any, it possesses at least as much 
collateral evidence of probability, and is, moreover, 
important as belonging to the nation.*)- It has been 
traced back to the possession of Shakespeare’s godson, 
William, afterwards Sir William, Davenant, and all that 
seems to be wanting materially, is the artist’s name. 
The general opinion is, that it was painted either by 
Burbage or Taylor, both of whom were fellow-players 
of Shakespeare. It is styled the Chandos portrait from 
having come to the trustees of the National Portrait 
Gallery from the collection of the Duke of Chandos 
and Buckingham, through the Earl of Ellesmere, by 
whom it was purchased and presented. The history 
of the picture, so far as it can be ascertained, is as 
follows :— 
It was originally the property of Taylor, the player 
* Boaden adds : ‘ ‘ Let it be remembered in aid of this inference that tradition 
has invariably assigned to him, as an actor, characters in the decline of life, and 
that one of his relatives is reported to have seen him in the part of old Adam, 
the faithful follower of Orlando, in that enchanting pastoral comedy As You 
Like It.” Op. cit., p. 22. 
f “Life Portraits of William Shakespeare,” by J. Hain Friswell. London, 
1864. 
