each side is much smaller than the rest, owing to the Papal chair on the right hand of the altar and the gallery of the choristers on the left; and among the ten tapestries are two smaller ones which suit these smaller spaces-the Stoning of St. Stephen, and Paul in Prison at Philippi, -two, of which the cartoons are lost. The cartoon of the Conversion of St. Paul is likewise lost. The tapestries are supposed to have been placed in the chapel in the order in which they are numbered, commencing at the right hand of the altar with No. 1, and on the left side with No. 6; the series from the life of St. Paul being opposite to the Papal chair. The side walls remain as they were originally painted; and on all great festivals of the Church the painted hangings used formerly to be covered by these tapestries from Raphael's designs. They are, however, now no longer used for church purposes, but are preserved, with a later series, in a corridor of the museum of the Vatican which was built for them by Leo XII.; they were first placed in the museum by Pius VII., in 1814, in the apartments of Pius V. They were carried off from Rome during the French occupation after the Revolution, to be destroyed for the sake of the gold that is worked in them: they were, however, repurchased and restored to Rome in 1808. They had been previously carried off in the year 1527, with other plunder, by the soldiers of Charles V.; but were returned by the Constable Montmorency to Paul III, in 1553.

The later series of tapestries alluded to, which is preserved with the others in the Vatican, consists of twelve designs from the Life of Christ; they are on a larger scale than the others, with which they have no connection. They are supposed, from their style and their mannered drawing, to have been executed from cartoons made by Flemish masters from small sketches by Raphael; they are much too bad in their style of design to have been executed from cartoons by Raphael himself. The fragment of the Slaughter of the Innocents in the Foundling Hospital is a portion of a cartoon of one of these tapestries.

These two sets of tapestries are distinguished as those of the old and new school,—Arazzi della scuola nuova, and Arazzi della scuola vecchia; those executed for the Sistine Chapel being of the old school. The new school appears to signify that mannered, cumbrous style of design which prevailed at Rome shortly after the death of Raphael; and during the lifetime of Michelangelo, whose admirers and imitators were the originators of this corrupt taste.

In considering the care that has been taken of these tapestries, many are struck with surprise at the unaccountable neglect with which the original designs were treated. They appear never to have been inquired for after the tapestries were completed; their preservation seems to be due to Rubens, who mentioned them to Charles I.,

and persuaded him to purchase them. If, however, the cost of a work of art is a criterion of its value, the Roman authorities were not guilty of such indifference as might otherwise appear. The cost of the tapestries is given variously, but the lowest, and probably the correct estimate, is that given by Fea,' who states that they cost Leo X. 34,000 scudi, about 7,000l. sterling,—an immense sum compared with the 150l. paid for the cartoons.

The cartoons were, after the completion of the tapestries in 1519, probably left at the Tapestry fabric at Arras, and were there found by Rubens. Seven, all that remained, were brought to this country about 1630, cut in slips and packed in boxes, and were deposited in Whitehall, previously to their being sent to Mortlake, to be again worked in tapestry. In 1649, at the sale of Charles's effects, they were, through the influence of Cromwell, purchased for the nation for the sum of 3001. In the reign of Charles II., however, but for the representations of the Earl of Danby, that king would have sold them to Louis XIV., who offered a large sum for them. At length, after a lapse of nearly two centuries, William III. had them stretched on canvas, and ordered Sir Christopher Wren to build a room for their reception at Hampton Court. Here they remained until 1764, when they were removed to Buckingham House: in 1787 they were again removed to Windsor, and were finally restored to Hampton Court in 1814, where they still remain, and are now protected with glass; but it is to be hoped that it will not be many years before they will grace the walls of a new National Gallery in the metropolis, and be accessible to the lovers of art, without involving a day's journey into the country. Then we shall be able to exclaim with the enthusiastic Richardson," "God be praised that we have so near us such an invaluable blessing!" "When a man enters," says the same writer, "into that awful gallery at Hampton Court, he finds himself amongst a sort of people superior to what he has ever seen, and very probably to what those really were. Indeed this is the principal excellence of those wonderful pictures, as it must be allowed to be that part of painting which is preferable to all others." "What a grace and majesty is seen in the great Apostle of the Gentiles in all his actions, preaching, rending his garments, denouncing vengeance upon the sorcerer! What a dignity is in

1 "Notizie intorno di Raphacle," &c., p. 92: Platner, "Beschreibung der Stadt Rom," ii. 2, p. 393.

Where King James had established a tapestry manufactory, under the direction of Franz Cleyn, a German painter, of Rostock, in Mecklenburg Schwerin. 3 "Essay on the Theory of Painting," third edition, p. 62, 1773.

4 There are some very bold and effective engravings from these works, by Mr. John Burnet, which are sold at a very low price; they have more of the character of the originals than any previous prints, notwithstanding their too great elaboration of shadow: their somewhat rough execution is rather an advantage to them.

the other Apostles wherever they appear, particularly the prince of them in the cartoon of Ananias! How infinitely and divinely great, with all his gentleness and simplicity, is the Christ in the boat! But these are exalted characters, which have a delicacy in them as much beyond what any of the gods, demi-gods, or heroes of the ancient heathens can admit of, as the Christian religion excels the ancient superstition. The proconsul Sergius Paulus has a greatness and grace superior to his character, and equal to what one can suppose Julius Cæsar, Augustus, Trajan, or the greatest amongst the Romans to have had. The common people are like gentlemen; even the fishermen, the beggars, have something in them much above what we see in those orders of men.

"The scenes are answerable to the actors; not even the beautiful gate of the Temple, nor any part of the first Temple, nor probably any building in the world, had that beauty and magnificence as appears in what we see in the cartoon of Healing the Cripple. Athens and Lystra appear in these cartoons to be beyond what we can suppose they were when Greece was in its utmost glory."

Richardson has made some other excellent general remarks on the colouring and execution of these works, pointing out their great superiority in these minor respects. The younger Richardson compares the frescoes of the Vatican Stanze with the Cartoons; and the latter are, in his opinion, "better painted, coloured, and drawn ; the composition is better, the airs of the heads are more exquisitely fine; there is more grace and greatness spread throughout; in short, they are better pictures, judging of them only as they are commonly judged of, and without taking the thought and invention into the account." Francesco Penni was Raphael's chief assistant in the execution of these works; he was assisted, likewise, by the co-operation of other scholars; "Yet in almost all the Cartoons," says Sir Charles Eastlake," "the hand of the master is apparent; most, perhaps, in the calling of Peter, and least in the Paul preaching at Athens, and Christ's Charge to Peter. As designs they are universally considered the finest inventions of Raphael. At the time he was commissioned to prepare them, the fame of Michelangelo's ceiling, in the same chapel they were destined to adorn, was at its height; and Raphael, inspired with a noble emulation, his practice matured by the execution of several frescoes in the Vatican, treated these new subjects with an elevation of style not perhaps equalled in his former efforts. The highest qualities of these works are undoubtedly addressed to the mind, as vivid interpretations of the spirit and letter of Scripture; but as examples of Art they are the most perfect expressions of that general grandeur of treatment in form, composition, and draperies, which the Italian masters contem

1 Kugler's " "Handbook of Painting," Italy, note.

plated from the first, as suited to the purposes of religion and the size of the temples destined to receive such works. In the Cartoons this greatness of style, not without a due regard to variety of character, pervades every figure, and is so striking in some of the Apostles, as to place them on a level with the Prophets of Michelangelo."

Above a century and a half has elapsed since the elder Richardson first made his observations on the Cartoons; and all the numerous criticisms that have since been made have added little that is essential to the excellent remarks scattered throughout his treatise on "The Theory of Painting," where they have the double interest of truth and originality. Richardson was the contemporary of Sir Christopher Wren, and is probably the first author who published criticisms on the Cartoons themselves.

The seven Cartoons at Hampton Court are, without reference to any particular order, the Miraculous Draught of Fishes; Christ's Charge to Peter; the Sacrifice at Lystra; Elymas struck with Blindness; St. Peter healing the Cripple; Paul preaching at Athens; and the Death of Ananias. They are painted in distemper upon paper, whence their appellation of cartoons. The figures are of a very large size, varying from six to nine feet, and the pictures themselves are about twelve feet high, and three of them are about fourteen and the rest about eighteen feet in width.

THE MIRACULOUS DRAUGHT OF FISHES, OR THE CALLING OF PETER.— "And when they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes and their net brake. And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not, from henceforth thou shalt catch men.” -(Luke v. 6-10.) On this composition Richardson observes" In the cartoon of the Draught of Fishes, Raphael has made a boat too little to hold the figures he has placed in it; and this is so visible that some are apt to triumph over that great man as having nodded on that occasion; which others have pretended to excuse by saying it was done to make the miracle appear the greater. But the truth is, had he made the boat large enough for those figures, his picture would have been all boat, which would have had a disagreeable effect and to have made his figures small enough for a vessel of that size would have rendered them unsuitable to the rest of the set, and have made those figures appear less considerable; there would have been too much boat and too little figure. It is amiss as it is, but would have been worse any other way, as it frequently hap

1 From the Italian cartone, pasteboard.

pens in other cases. Raphael, therefore, wisely chose this lesser inconvenience, this seeming error, which he knew the judicious would know was none; and for the rest, he was above being solicitous for his reputation with them. So that, upon the whole, this is so far from being a fault, that it is an instance of the consummate judgment of that incomparable man.”

Richardson further notices the good effect of the birds in the foreground of this cartoon. He says-" There is a certain sea-wildness in them; and as their food was fish, they contribute mightily to express the affair in hand, which was fishing." They also "prevent the heaviness which that part would otherwise have had, by breaking the parallel lines which would have been made by the boats and the base of the picture."

CHRIST'S CHARGE TO PETER." He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? and he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep." (John xxi. 17.)

The keys in the hands of Peter have reference to a previous promise to that Apostle :-" And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatsover thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (Matt. xvi. 19). Both the promise and the charge are represented in the cartoon by obvious symbols, as the only way of conveying them as subjects of representation. Richardson has remarked somewhat largely upon this cartoon, on its subject, its composition, and on its colouring, which he considers to be "a wonderful harmony." With regard to the subject he observes"The intention of this picture was doubtless to honour the Papal dignity. St. Peter was to be here represented in his brightest character, which consists in his having the keys, and the flock of Christ committed to him; but this last being conferred on him after the other (for Christ was then risen from the dead, and the keys he was in possession of before the crucifixion), both histories could not be brought in without making a double picture. The first is therefore expressed by his having the keys in his hand.” "In this cartoon," he observes in another place, "Our Saviour is wrapped only in one large piece of white drapery, his left arm and breast and part of his leg naked; which undoubtedly was done to denote him now to appear in his resurrection body, and not as before his crucifixion, when this dress would have been altogether improper."

1 Pages 49 and 73, ed. cit.

2 Pages 56, 50. Richardson supposed that the dress of Christ here alluded to was done on second thoughts. This he infers from an old drawing of this cartoon