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In the Stuttgart Museum is a picture entitled, "Saint Paul in Prison,"
signed by Rembrandt, with the date Sixteen Hundred Twenty-seven. "The
Money-Changers" in the Berlin Gallery bears the same signature and date.
Rembrandt was then twenty years of age, and we see that he was doing good
work. We also know that there was a certain market for his wares.

When twenty-two years of age his marvelous effects of light and shade
attracted people who were anxious to learn how to do it. According to
report he had sixteen pupils in Sixteen Hundred Twenty-eight, each of
whom paid him the fixed sum of one hundred florins. This was not much,
but it gave him an income equal to that of his father, and tended to
confirm his faith in his own powers.

His energy was a surprise to all who had known him, for besides teaching
his classes he painted, sketched and etched. Most of his etchings were of
his own face--not intended as portraits, for they are often purposely
disguised. It seemed to be the intent of the artist to run the whole
gamut of the passions, portraying them on the human face. Six different
etchings done in the year Sixteen Hundred Twenty-eight are to be seen in
the British Museum.

His most intimate friend at this time was Jan Lievens. The bond that
united them was a mutual contempt for Lastman of Amsterdam. In fact, they
organized a club, the single qualification required of each candidate for
admittance being a hatred for Lastman. This club met weekly at a
beer-hall, and each member had to relate an incident derogatory to the
Lastman school. At the close of each story, all solemnly drank eternal
perdition to Lastman and his ilk. Finally, Lastman was invited to join;