William III., for example, when sitting for his picture, with a candle in his hand, was suffered by Schalcken to burn his fingers.

"One is at a loss," says Ireland, "to determine which was most to blame, the monarch for want of feeling, or the painter of politeness.

The following circumstance, however, will place the deficiency of the latter beyond controversy.

A lady sitting for her portrait, who was more admired for a beautiful hand than a handsome face, after the head was finished, asked him if she should take off her glove, that he might insert the hand in the picture, to which he replied, he always painted the hands from those of his valet." The most attractive picture by Schalcken that I have seen is a girl sewing by candle light, in the Wallace Collection.

It pairs off with the charming little Gerard Dou at the Ryks--No.