PORTRAIT OF HAYDN.

When Haydn was in England, one of the princes commissioned Sir Joshua Reynolds to take his portrait. Haydn went to the painter's house, and sat to him, but soon grew tired. Sir Joshua, careful of his reputation, would not paint a man of acknowledged genius, with a stupid countenance; and deferred the sitting till another day. The same weariness and want of expression occurring at the next attempt, Reynolds went and communicated the circumstance to his royal highness, who contrived the following stratagem. He sent to the painter's house a pretty German girl, in the service of the Queen. Haydn took his seat for the third time, and as soon as the conversation began to flag, a curtain rose, and the fair German addressed him in his native language, with a most elegant compliment. Haydn, delighted, overwhelmed the enchantress with questions; his countenance recovered its animation, and Sir Joshua rapidly seized its traits.

JOUVENAL.

The ceiling of the apartment called "La Seconde Chambre des Enquêtes," at Rouen, was painted by Jouvenal; it was a representation of Jupiter hurling his thunderbolts at Vice. It was among the most highly esteemed productions of this master, and the not less remarkable for having been executed with the left hand, after a paralytic stroke had deprived him of the use of the right.

LE SOEUR.

This excellent painter, who died at the age of thirty, was pupil to Simon Vouet, but he soon surpassed his master; and though he never quitted France, became one of the first painters of his day. His contemporary, Le Brun, appears to have been very jealous of his superior talents, for on hearing of his death, he malignantly said, "I feel now as if I had a thorn just taken out of my foot."

EXCELLENCE.

Sir Joshua Reynolds, like many other distinguished persons, was never satisfied with his own efforts, however well they might satisfy others. When the ingenious M. Mosnier, a French painter, was one day praising to him the excellence of one of his pictures, he replied, "Ah! Monsieur, je ne fais que des ebauches, des ebauches." Alas! sir, I can only make sketches, sketches.

HAVOC OF WAR.

A few days before the entry of the French into Seville, during the Peninsular war, when the inhabitants, in great consternation, were packing up their most valuable effects to send them to Cadiz, a masterpiece of Correggio, representing the adoration of the shepherds, which was painted on wood, and which the proprietors, who were the monks of one of the convents of Seville, wished to preserve safe from the hands

of the enemy, was sawn in two for its more easy carriage. By one of those accidents which will occur in the most regular times, and which are still more excusable in a period of great confusion, the two parts of Correggio got separated on their way to Cadiz; and on their arrival in that city, one part was sold to one connoisseur, with the promise that the part want ing should be subsequently delivered to him; whil. the other part was sold to another connoisseur, under the same engagement. Both the parts arrived in England, and the possessor of each maintained that he was entitled to the other's lot.

It is somewhat remarkable, that though the harmony of the composition is unquestionably broken by the separation of its parts, yet that each part forms of itself an admirable picture; and as the rival proprietors are rich and obstinate, the parts are not likely to be united. The whole picture is worth four

thousand guineas.

MAHOMEDAN IDEA OF PORTRAITS. An English traveller through Greece prevailed on a female slave to have her portrait taken; she at first obstinately refused, but on offering her a present, she consented with fear and mistrust. The painter having made a portrait of her in colours, she was so astonished, and even frightened, at the resemblance, that she cried bitterly, and begged him to take back the money, and undraw her. The most scrupulous and unenlightened Mahomedans, have a kind of horror of their likeness-being put upon paper. They imagine, that after death, their souls, instead of passing

to the limpid streams and cool retreats promised by Mahomet, will enter into the picture; and that Munaker and Nekir, two black angels, will torment them in their tomb; but, in justice, it must be observed, that this notion prevails only among the lowest of the people.

A CONNOISSEUR.

Vernet relates, that he was once employed to paint a landscape, with a cave, and St. Jerome in it; he accordingly painted the landscape with St. Jerome at the entrance of the cave. When he delivered the picture, the purchaser, who understood nothing of perspective, said, "the landscape and the cave are well made, but St. Jerome is not in the cave.”—“I understand you, sir," replied Vernet, "I will alter it." He therefore took the painting, and made the shade darker, so that the saint seemed to sit farther in. The gentleman took the painting; but it again appeared to him that the saint was not in the cave.

Vernet then wiped out the figure, and gave it to the gentleman, who seemed perfectly satisfied. Whenever he saw strangers to whom he showed the picture, he said, "Here you see a picture by Vernet, with St. Jerome in the cave." "But we cannot see the saint," replied the visitors. "Excuse me, gentlemen," answered the possessor, "he is there; for I have seen him standing at the entrance, and afterwards farther back; and am therefore quite sure that he is in it."

DISCOVERY OF A CORREGGIO.

Among the numerous restorers of old pictures, who about thirty years ago visited Rome, were M. Lovera, a Piedmontese, and Hunterspergh, a Tyrolese, both pupils to the celebrated Mengs. They frequented the daily sales of pictures in the Piazza Navona, as well to purchase pictures of ancient masters when at a low price, as to supply themselves with old canvas which they might repaint. These friends bought a lot of old canvas; and having divided it between them, Hunterspergh received, as part of his share, a very bad picture of flowers. He primed it afresh, and painted on the new ground a study of a head. This he showed to Lovera, and wished him to buy it. While his friend was busy about other matters, Lovera carefully examined this picture, and found that the new ground scaled off in many places; having removed some of these scales with his nail, he discovered underneath them, to his great surprise, traces of a figure painted in an admirable style. Replacing the scales, and concealing the discovery, he bought the picture at a small advance on the price of the canvas. At home, he employed himself with the utmost care in removing the two grounds which covered the original picture; and thus restored to the world a capital performance, representing CHARITY under the emblem of a Wonian, surrounded by three Children. The report of this happy discovery soon spread; all the artists and amateurs ran to behold it. The best judges, among whom was Mengs, acknow