O F PAINTING IN ENGLAND; With fome Account of the principal Artists ; And incidental NOTES on other ARTS; Collected by the late Mr. GEORGE VERTUE; And now digefted and publifhed from his original MSS. To the Right Honourable MARY LEPEL, Baronefs Dowager HERVEY of Ickworth. I MADAM, Shall only fay in excufe for offering this work to your Ladyship, that if I could write any thing really deferving your acceptance, I should not prefix your name to fuch trifles as the following sheets. But my gratitude for the goodness and unmerited diftinction which your Ladyfhip has fo long shown me, is impatient to exprefs itself; and though in the prefent case I am rather an editor than an author, yet having little purpofe of appearing again in the latter character, I am forced to pay my debts to your Ladyship with Mr. Vertue's coin. If his induftry has amassed any thing that can amufe one or two of your idle hours, when neither affection, friendship, nor the feveral duties which you fill with so much ease and dignity, have any demands upon you, I fhall think his life was well employed; I am fure my time will have been so, if I have made him tolerable company to my Lady Hervey, who has converfed familiarly with the most agreeable perfons dead and living of the most polished ages, and most polished nations. I am, MADAM, your Ladyfhip's most obedient Servant, HORACE WALPOLE, PREFACE. W HEN one offers to the public the labours of another person, it is allowable and precedented to expatiate in praise of the work. Of this indulgence however I fhall not make advantage. The industry of Mr. Vertue was fufficiently known; the antiquarian world had fingular obligations to him. The many valuable monuments relating to our hiftory, and to the perfons of our monarchs and great men, which he faved from oblivion, are lafting evidences of his merit. What thanks are due to him for the materials of the following fheets, the public muft determine. So far from endeavouring to prepoffefs them in favour of the work, it shall be my part fairly to tell them what they must expect. In Italy, where the art of painting has been carried to an amazing degree of perfection, the lives of the painters have been written in numberlefs volumes, alone fufficient to compofe a little library. Every picture of every confiderable mafter is minutely defcribed. Those biographers treat of the works of Raphael and Correggio with VOL. I. a |