ture which corresponds with this on the other side, is the only one which has no reference to the word Christopher. It represents an Hermit with a lantern, to receive Christ when he arrives at the other side of the river. The hermit appears to be looking to the other side; one hand holds the lantern, and the other is very naturally held up to prevent the light from coming upon his eyes. But on the reverse of this door we have another Christopher; the Priest Simeon bearing Christ high in his arms, and looking upwards. This picture, which has not suffered, is admirable indeed, the head of the priest more especially, which nothing can exceed; the expression, drawing, and colouring, are beyond all description, and as fresh as if the piece were just painted.

The colouring of the St. Christopher is too red and bricky, and the outline is not flowing. This figure was all that the company of the Arquebusers expected; but Rubens justly thought that such a figure would have made but a poor subject for an Altar.

There is a print of the Descent by Luc Vostermans, of the St. Christopher by Remy Eyndhout; of Simeon by P. Pontius: those which have a dedication to Gasp. Hubert, are bad impressions and retouched. The Visitation is engraved by P. de Jode. The Hermit has not been engraved.

RUBENS.-On the side of the choir are the monuments of the two celebrated printers of the Netherlands, John Baptist Moretus and Martin Plantin; that of the former is ornamented with an admirable picture by Rubens, about half the size of life; Christ coming out of the Sepulchre in great splendour, the soldiers terrified, and tumbling one over the other: the Christ is finely drawn, and of a rich colour. The St. John the Baptist on the door is likewise in his best manner;

only his left leg is something too large. On the other door is St. Barbara; the figure without character, and the colouring without brilliancy. The predominant colour in her dress is purple, which has but a heavy effect.

BACKER.- The monument of Plantin has for its ornament the Last Judgment, by Backer, correctly drawn, but without any skill in disposition of light and shadow.

The Chapel of the School-masters.

FRANCIS FRANCK.-Christ among the Doctors, by Francis Franck; called the young Franck. There are some fine heads in this picture; particularly the three men that are looking on one book are admirable characters; the figures are well drawn and well grouped: the Christ is but a poor figure.

B. VAN ORLAY. RUBENS.

On a pillar opposite,

and not far from the Descent from the Cross, is the Adoration of the Magi. The Virgin and the Infant Christ are admirable. It appears to be the work of B. Van Orlay. On the doors on each side are portraits well painted, the woman especially. On one of the pillars is a picture of Rubens, which serves as a monument for the family of Goubau: He and his wife are represented, half length, at prayers, addressing themselves to the Virgin and Infant Christ: the old man is well painted, the Virgin but indifferently.

Cordwainers' Chapel.

AMBROSE FRANCK..

-The martyrdom of St. Crépin and Crepinianus, by Ambrose Franck, has some good heads, but in a dry manner.

The Confrères de L'Arbuletre.

SCHUT. The martyrdom of St. George, by Schut. It is well composed and well drawn, and is one of his best pictures: but the Saint has too much of that character which Painters have fixed for Christ. There is a want of brilliancy from its having too much harmony: to produce force and strength, a stronger opposition of colours is required.

Passing by the chapels in which are altars by Martin and Simon de Vos, and others, which have nothing worth attention, we come to

The Chapel of the Circumcision.

QUINTIN MATSYS.-Where is the famous work of Quintin Matsys, the blacksmith. The middle part is what the Italians call a Pieta; a dead Christ on the knees of the Virgin, accompanied with the usual figures. On the door on one side is the daughter of Herod bringing in St. John's head at the banquet; on the other, the Saint in the caldron. In the Pieta the Christ appears as if starved to death; in which manner it was the custom of the painters of that age always to represent a dead Christ; but there are heads in this picture not exceeded by Raffaelle, and indeed not unlike his manner of painting portraits; hard and minutely finished. The head of Herod, and that of a fat man near the Christ are excellent. The painter's own portrait is here introduced. In the banquet, the daughter is rather beautiful, but too skinny and lean; she is presenting the head to her mother, who appears to be cutting it with a knife.

The Altar of the Gardeners.

FRANCIS FLORIS.-A Nativity, a large composition

of Francis Floris, and perhaps the best of his works. It is well composed, drawn, and coloured; the heads are in general finely painted, more especially St. Joseph, and a woman in the fore-ground.

RUBENS. A Pieta by Rubens, which serves as a monument of the family of Michielsens, and is fixed on one of the pillars: this is one of his most careful pictures; the characters are of a higher style of beauty than usual, particularly the Mary Magdalen, weeping, with her hand clenched. The colouring of the Christ and the Virgin is of a most beautiful and delicate pearly tint, opposed by the strong high colouring of St. Joseph.

I have said in another place, that Rubens does not appear to advantage, but in large works; this picture may be considered as an exception.

The Virgin and Infant Christ on one of the doors is the same as one at Marlborough House. The Virgin is holding Christ, who stands on a table; the Infant appears to be attentively looking at something out of the picture: the vacant stare of a child is very naturally represented; but it is a mean, ordinarylooking boy, and by no means a proper representation of the Son of GOD. The only picture of Christ in which Rubens succeeds is when he represents him dead: as a child, or as a man engaged in any act, there is no divinity; no grace or dignity of character appears.

On the other door is St. John, finely coloured; but this character is likewise vulgar.

On the outside of the door are two pictures in black and white; one of a Christ, and the other the Virgin and Child; these, as well as the two above mentioned, by Rubens.

The great Altar.

RUBENS. The Assumption of the Virgin. She is surrounded by a choir of angels; below are the Apostles, and a great number of figures. This picture has not so rich an appearance in regard to colour as many other pictures of Rubens; proceeding, I imagine, from there being too much blue in the sky: however, the lower part of the picture has not that defect. It is said to have been painted in sixteen days. The print is by Bolswert.

St. Walburge.

RUBENS. The great altar of the choir is the first public work which Rubens executed after he returned from Italy. In the centre is Christ nailed to the Cross, with a number of figures exerting themselves in different ways to raise it. One of the figures appears flushed, all the blood rising into his face from his violent efforts; others in intricate attitudes, which at the same time that they show the great energy with which the business is done, give that opportunity which painters desire, of encountering the difficulties of the art, in foreshortening and in representing momentary actions. This subject, which was probably of his own choosing, gave him an admirable opportunity of exhibiting his various abilities to his countrymen; and it is certainly one of his best and most animated compositions.

The bustle, which is in every part of the picture, makes a fine contrast to the character of resignation in the crucified Saviour. The sway of the body of Christ is extremely well imagined. The taste of the form in the Christ, as well as in the other figures, must be acknowledged to be a little inclinable to the heavy ; but it has a noble, free, and flowing outline. The inven