broad, shows the British crown overturned, with the sceptre, and other symbols of kingly power, scattered confusedly around; while Charles himself, indifferently drawn, seems to be contemplating the disorder of his regalia.

Soon after Jamesone's return to Scotland, he married Isabel Tosh, a lady of his native city, who (besides several sons, who all died in their youth,) bore him one daughter, who lived to be thrice married, and to be the mother of three different families, in whose descendants the painter survives to this day. One of his earliest works is a portrait of his wife, his infant son, and himself, painted in 1623. The former has roses in her hands and a tartan scarf thrown gracefully over her head, displaying a fine person, with a cap of pointed lace, and a lace tippet rising close to her chin: the painter holds his pallet and brushes in his hand, and looks over his wife's shoulder; his eyes are very dark, his brow broad, and he wears moustaches, and the tuft of beard on the chin, like the cavaliers of that period.* His fame soon spread beyond Aberdeen; and he was induced to transfer his residence to Edinburgh, where the delicacy and softness of his touch, and his broad clear style of colouring, gained him

* In the collection of Lord Alva there is a portrait by Jamesone of Prince Henry, which, if copied from life, must have been painted long before this portrait of his family. The Prince died in 1612, before Jamesone studied abroad; and as the picture is not suspected to be a copy from another work, it is not improbable that Henry, who was a lover of art and a collector, may have sat to his countryman.

general admiration, and, it would appear, constant employment. But for Rubens and Vandyke, who then filled the eye of London, he would probably have gone at once to the seat of the court. But however this might have been, at Edinburgh he halted, content to be the first in his own land.

"When King Charles visited Scotland in 1633," says Walpole, " the magistrates of Edinburgh, knowing his Majesty's taste, employed Jamesone to make drawings of the Scottish monarchs, with which the King was so much pleased, that, enquiring for the painter, he sat to him, and rewarded him with a diamond ring from his own finger." I know not where Walpole found this anecdote; but part of it is confirmed by northern testimony: The magistrates of Edinburgh," says Mr. George Chalmers, "desirous to pay a compliment to the King's taste in painting, begged of Jamesone to allow them the use of as many of the portraits done by him as could be gathered together. These were hung up on each side of the Netherbow Port, through which the royal cavalcade was to pass. This exhibition so attracted the King's attention, that he stopped his horse for a considerable time, and expressed his admiration of the good painting, and remarked the likeness to some of those they were done for. This was a lucky circumstance for Jamesone, for the King, while at Edinburgh, sat for a full length picture; and having heard that Jamesone had been accustomed to wear his hat while at work, by reason of a complaint in his head, his Majesty very humanely ordered

him to be covered; which privilege he ever thereafter thought himself entitled to in whatever company he was." To reconcile these two accounts we must have recourse to tradition, which avers that Jamesone, to render the pageant prepared for the King's entrance more attractive, introduced the real and imaginary line of Scottish monarchs from Fergus the First welcoming Charles to the throne of his ancestors. These rude and hasty works, having fulfilled their purpose, were probably thrown aside with the other lumber of the pageant. The notice of a king, and such a judge too as Charles, must have been favourable to the fortunes of the painter; it is even said to have given new vigour and purity to his style: "his best works," says one of his biographers, "were from thence to his death." Having obtained the sanction of the chief authority at that time in art, he wrought with confidence, and the confidence of genius inspired his drawing, and gave a freer glow to his colouring.

Though the town of Aberdeen offended him not a little, by offering for his portrait of Charles a price so unworthy that he made haste to dispose of it to a stranger, his country on the whole was not illiberal; nay, in Aberdeen itself, though the corporation acted so penuriously to Jamesone, he had always kind friends; and heads of various of his fellow-citizens yet remembered for their worth and talents appear in the list of his portraits. Of these, the most distinguished are, Dr. Dun, founder of the grammar school - Andrew Cant-Sir Paul Menzies, Provost-Patrick Forbes,

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Bishop of Aberdeen - Professor Sandilands of King's College-Alexander Bannerman of Elsick and David Anderson, merchant and burgess, who, from his eminent skill in mechanics, was commonly called "Davie-do-a'-things." This latter personage was Jamesone's uncle; and though he had three daughters, his widow was rich enough and generous enough to found and endow an hospital for the maintenance and education of ten poor orphans. Most of these portraits are in the University of Aberdeen, others in the city, where the name of Jamesone is held in reverence from the twofold consideration of his professional eminence and the great respectability of his numerous descendants.

The ancient house of Marr afforded a liberal patronage to the painter: a round dozen of the Erskine name, and more, are enumerated in the Alva collection, besides those in other houses of the nobility allied to the old stock. Civil war, the sword, and forfeitures, crushed in one fatal year the noble house of Marr, and dispersed these and other fine pictures: they passed chiefly into the possession of the late Lord Alva and the Earl of Buchan.

Most of the noble families of Scotland have works from his hand; but the greatest collection of them is at Taymouth, in former days called Balloch, the seat of the Earl of Breadalbane. These were painted for Sir Colin Campbell of Glenorchy, a favourite with James the Sixth, and not less so with Anne of Denmark, who, after her succession to the English throne, repeatedly invited the northern knight to her court; and sent

him, as a token of her innocent esteem, a gold ring set with diamonds, and ornamented with a pair of doves exquisitely wrought. With this accomplished cavalier, Jamesone, it is said, travelled abroad; no time, however, is mentioned, and no country named. It was probably before his return from the school of Rubens: men seldom travel for knowledge in their old age; and if Sir Colin Campbell had become a favourite with the Queen before her accession to the English throne, he must have been advanced in life when the painter, in 1635, began his great labours at Taymouth. He commenced with a genealogical picture a family tree, on whose wide spreading branches the chiefs of the house of Campbell are hanging in miniature as numerous as fruit *;

and proceeded to execute, in the size of life, a series of portraits, which few great houses in the island can match; and which has preserved to us

* A vellum manuscript, containing the genealogy of the house of Glenorchy, furnishes various memoranda respecting the works of the painter: for example

Item-the said Sir Coline Campbell, 8th laird of Glenorchy, gave unto George Jameson painter in Edinburgh, for King Robert and King David Bruyses, kings of Scotland, and Charles 1st, King of Great Brittane, France, and Ireland, and his Majesty's queen, and for nine more of the queens of Scotland, their portraits, quhilk are set up in the hall of Balloch, the sum of two hundreth threescore pounds.

"Mair, the said Sir Coline gave to the said George Jamesone, for the knight of Lochowe's lady, and the first countess of Argyle, and six of the ladys of Glenorchy their portraits, and the said Sir Coline his own portrait, quhilk are set up in the Chalmer of Deass of Balloch, ane hundreth fourscore pounds," &c.