account of its rough vigorous character, and afterwards, for practice or a freak, daubed over with a beard and moustache, in which state it was found by Mr. Collins.

The painting is opaque, thick, coarse-entirely unlike the work of any recognised artist of the time of Shakspeare. If it actually is an original, and painted from the life, it must be the product of some Warwickshire amateur, a native, it may be, of Stratford-on-Avon itself. It is too good for a tavern sign, although some critics have goodnaturedly suggested that it originally served as such; moreover, tavern signs were, and are, generally painted on metal, or on good oak panel, not upon canvas. It is not too good to have been painted to order, by some enthusiastic landlord, to adorn his entrance-hall or his best guestchamber; and at Stratford-upon-Avon, the hosts are so thoroughly awake to the value of their great townsman, that they name their coffee-rooms after his comedies, and their bed-chambers after his tragedies; whilst in the "Falcon Tavern " the very bells bear the names of some of the best comic creations of this immortal genius, who, after his retirement to his native town, used the common room in the Falcon for evening recreation, and for the purpose of therein studying character.

Those who have been in the habit of studying portraits painted by great artists, such as Holbein, Vandyke, or Reynolds, will pronounce that this picture has not been painted ad vivum; it lacks all those minute touches and distinct signs which portraits painted from the life always possess. There can be no doubt about its more recent.

history, but documentary evidence extending only for a hundred years is of little value in this case.

Whatever may be the true pedigree and history of this picture, they will now probably never be discovered. Genuine or not, it is of some value, and its original possessor has been generous and wise in presenting it to his native town. In the house of Shakspeare-of which, in its present isolated and restored state, we give a view -it will ever remain, proudly and fondly regarded by the inhabitants of the town; and its possessors may console themselves with the reflection, that although subjected on all sides to adverse criticism, that criticism has, in reality, added to its value and interest.

VII.

PORTRAIT BY CORNELIUS JANSEN.

IN Horace Walpole's Anecdotes of Painting (Works, 3d Vol. 4to Edition, MDCCXCVIII) there is a sketch of the life of Cornelius Jansen, or Janssen-for it is spelt both ways—which has led the commentators upon Shakspeare's portraits into some mistakes, and has given rise to various twittings and bickerings on the part of Boaden, Malone, Steevens, and Wivell.

Walpole, who presents his readers with a very fine portrait of Jansen, engraved by T. Chambers, says that "his first works in England are dated about 1618." The celebrated picture which we are about to describe bears on it the date 1610, and Walpole's supposition-for it hardly amounts to more-has been cited against its originality, and, indeed, against the possibility of its being the portrait of the poet it is claimed to represent. it is claimed to represent. A little preliminary inquiry will be necessary to set matters right.

"CORNELIUS JANSEN," wrote Walpole, "generally, but inaccurately, called Johnson, was, according to Sandrat,