is so larded with French, Dutch and Italian that we think he must have
been employed on the Tower of Babel."

While painting the ceiling of the banqueting-room at Whitehall (where a
Dutchman was later to be crowned King of England), he discussed politics
with the Duke of Buckingham and the King, from the scaffold. Some years
after we find Buckingham visiting Rubens at his home in Antwerp,
dickering for his fine collection of curios and paintings.

The Duke afterwards bought the collection and paid Rubens ten thousand
pounds in gold for it.

Every one complimented Rubens on his shrewdness in getting so much money
for the wares, and Rubens gave a banquet to his friends in token of the
great sale to the Britisher. It was a lot of money, to be sure, but the
Englishman realized the worth of the collection better than did Rubens.
We have a catalog of the collection. It includes nineteen Titians,
thirteen Paul Veroneses, seventeen Tintorettos, three Leonardos, three
Raphaels and thirteen pictures by Rubens himself.

A single one of the Titians, if sold at auction today, would bring more
than the Duke paid for the entire collection.

James McNeil Whistler has said, "There may be a doubt about Rubens having
been a Great Artist; but he surely was an Industrious Person."

There is barely enough truth in Mr. Whistler's remark, taken with its
dash of wit, to save it; but Philip Gilbert Hamerton's sober estimate is
of more value: "The influence of Rubens for good can not be
overestimated. He gave inspiration to all he met, and his example of