angels, by Rubens; the saint herself old and disagreeable.

St. Francis receiving the Stimate, likewise by Rubens; a figure without dignity, and more like a beggar: though his dress is mean, he ought surely to be represented with the dignity and simplicity of a Saint. Upon the whole, Rubens would appear to no great advantage at Ghent, if it was not for the picture of St. Bavon.

St. Nicholas Church.

N. ROOSE. The great altar, representing some history of this saint, is painted by N. Roose, a painter of no great merit; but this is far superior to any other of his works, which are plentifully dispersed over Flanders. It is of a mellow colour, and has great force and brilliancy: it is illuminated by torch-light, but so well managed, as to have nothing of that disagreeable effect which Honthorst, Segers, Schalcken, and others, gave to their pictures, when they represented nightpieces.

ROMBOUTS. St. Joseph advertised by an Angel, by Rombouts. The angel is an upright figure, and treads the air with great grace; his countenance is likewise beautiful, as is also that of the Virgin.

RUBENS.

Alost St. Martin.

St. Rock interceding with Christ for the deceased of the plague, by Rubens. The composition is upon the same plan as that of St. Bavon at Ghent. The picture is divided into two parts; the Saint and Christ are represented in the upper part, and the effects of the plague in the lower part of the picture. In this piece the grey is rather too predominant, and the figures have not that union with

their ground which is generally so admirable in the works of Rubens. I suspect it has been in some picture-cleaner's hands, whom I have often known to darken every part of the ground about the figure, in order to make the flesh look brighter and clearer; by which the general effect is destroyed. There is a print from this picture by P. Pontius.

BRUSSELS.

St. Gudule.

RUBENS. B. VAN ORLAY.-Christ's charge to Peter with two of the Apostles. The characters heavy, without grace or dignity; the handling, on a close examination, appears tame even to the suspicion of its being a copy: the colouring is remarkably fresh. The name of Rubens would not stand high in the world, if he had never produced other pictures than such as this. On the same pillar is a Pieta of B. Van Orlay, with six portraits of the family who presented this picture to the church. The old man who appears to be the father, has great nature, but hard, as the whole picture is in a dry Gothic style.

Unshod Carmelites.

RUBENS. The high altar; the Assumption, by Rubens. The principal figure, the Virgin, is the worst in the composition, both in regard to the character of the countenance, the drawing of the figure, and even its colour; for she is dressed, not in what is the fixed dress of the Virgin, blue and red, but entirely in a colour between blue and grey, heightened with white; and this, coming on a white Glory, gives a deadness to that

part of the picture. The Apostles and the two women are in Rubens's best manner; the angels are beautifully coloured, and unite with the sky in perfect harmony; the masses of light and shade are conducted with the greatest judgment, and excepting the upper part where the Virgin is, it is one of Rubens's rich pictures.

COPIES OF RUBENS.-Here are about the Church pretty good copies, making in all ten pictures, of that great work of Rubens, the Triumph of the church. The originals were destroyed by fire, when the Prince's palace was burnt in 1731.

RUBENS.- On the left side of the high altar, Christ and St. Theresa with two angels; one supports her, and the other presents to her bosom a flaming arrow; neither are very angelical : the head of the saint is finely drawn and painted; the Christ is likewise well drawn for Rubens; but the effect is rather hard, proceeding from its being wrought up too highly it is smooth as enamel, which takes off that suppleness which appears in his other works: this is certainly not in his best manner, though it seems to have cost him the most trouble.

In the sacristy is a fine portrait by Rubens,

Capuchins.

RUBENS. - The high altar by Rubens: Christ dead lying on the lap of the Virgin; two angels holding the lance; near is a St. Francis and St. Elizabeth with a handkerchief to her eyes. This was probably one of Rubens's best pictures, but it appears to have suffered much from cleaning; the mezzotints of the flesh of Christ are quite blue, as is the linen: upon the whole it has the appearance of the coloured prints of Le Blond. The drapery of the Magdalen at the feet of Christ is execrable; the angels have been totally re

painted. There are prints of this picture both by Pontius and Bolswert.

VANDYCK. On the pillar on the right hand near the choir is St. Antony of Padua, holding the Christ in his arms, by Vandyck; and on the left hand its companion, St. Francis: both those figures have great expression; but they are slightly painted, and certainly not intended for public pictures. Prints of these by Krafft.

St. Gery.

KOEBERGER. The entombing of Christ, by Koeberger, 1660; an admirable picture in the style of the Roman school. The character elegant, well drawn and coloured; the blue drapery of the Virgin is the only defective part; it is ill folded, and the colour does not harmonise with the rest. This picture is equal to the best of Domenichino. I was much surprised to find such excellence in a painter of whom I knew little more than seeing a print of his portrait among Vandyck's heads. I have since seen more of his works, but none equal to this; which I would place in the first rank of all the pictures at Brussels.

The fascinating power of Rubens's pencil has prevented this picture from possessing such reputation as it undoubtedly deserves: simplicity is no match against the splendour of Rubens, at least at first sight; and few stay to consider longer. The best pictures of the Italian school, if they ornamented the churches of Antwerp, would be overpowered by the splendour of Rubens; they certainly ought not to be overpowered by it; but it resembles eloquence, which bears down every thing before it, and often triumphs over superior wisdom and learning.

BERNARD VAN ORLAY.-In the first Chapel on the right hand, is the birth of Christ, by Bernard Van

:

Orlay it is a chapel belonging to this painter's family, in which they all lie buried. Under this picture is another, in which are portraits of himself and his family; nine figures on their knees, as praying; but these must have been painted by his descendants, who were likewise painters, the date on the picture being 1590; thirty years after Bernard's death. Both pictures are painted in the old dry manner; but there is great truth in the countenance of the portraits, and the Nativity shows it came from a good school, that of Raffaelle; there is a simplicity and earnestness in one of the shepherds, which is admirable.

M. Coxis. In the second Chapel, a good picture of Christ mocked by the Jews, by M. Coxis.

Mr. Danoot's.

Among the private cabinets at Brussels, that of Mr. Danoot, the banker, claims particular attention. He has appropriated little more than one room of his house for pictures, and has therefore been very attentive in the choice of what he has admitted.

RUBENS. To mention only a few of the most striking-Two sketches by Rubens; the Rape of the Sabines, and the women endeavouring to prevent the Roman and Sabine soldiers from joining battle: this last has more novelty, and is the most interesting of the two. The women are here placed between the two armies, some hanging on the soldier's arms, others pressing the horses backward, and others holding up their infants at arms' length, and showing them to the soldiers, to excite their compassion. The whole composition is full of animation, to which the air of the horses, thus pressed backwards, does not a little contribute. Both these sketches are admirably composed, and in every respect excellent; few pictures