One of his first rude sketches happened to fall into the hands of a
citizen of Leyden who understood painting. Despite of its evident
defects, the germs of rare talent which it evinced struck the
burgomaster; and sending for the young artist, he offered to give
him a recommendation to a celebrated painter living at Amsterdam,
under whom he would have far more opportunity of improvement than
with his present instructor.

Rembrandt accepted the offer, and during the following year toiled
incessantly. Meantime his finances were dreadfully straitened; for
his father, finding that the expected profits were very tardy,
refused to give money to support his son, as he said, in idleness.
Paul, however, was not discouraged. Although far from possessing an
amiable or estimable disposition, he held a firm and just opinion of
his own powers, and resolved to make these subservient first to
fortune and then to fame. Thus while some of his companions, having
finished their preliminary studies, repaired to Florence, to
Bologna, or to Rome, Paul, determined, as he said, not to lose his
own style by becoming an imitator of even the mightiest masters,
betook himself to his paternal mill. At first his return resembled
that of the Prodigal Son. His father believed that he had come to
resume his miller's work; and bitter was his disappointment at
finding his son resolved not to renounce painting.

With a very bad grace he allowed Paul to displace the flour-sacks on
an upper loft, in order to make a sort of studio, lighted by only
one narrow window in the roof. There Paul painted his first finished
picture. It was a _portrait_ of the mill. There, on the canvas, was
seen the old miller, lighted by a lantern which he carried in his
hand, giving directions to his men, occupied in ranging sacks in the