naturally became clever artists and wealthy men, whose attachment it was the policy of the dukes to gain by the gift of places, the duties of which, though not defined, were ever a pretext for gratuities and constant pay. The ducal goldsmiths, and then the ducal painters, were thus early classed as "varlets," though their functions were not menial,-the title coming from France, and ceasing to be in force only when the dukes and princes abandoned the patronage of art. The dignity of painters suffered nothing from the name of “ varlet,” the artist at that time being as much a man of note as he is

now.

If ever prince was proud of show and splendour, Philip, called the Hardy, was the man. He took constant pleasure in making presents of gold and silver images, pictures, diamonds and pearls, to friends and relatives, and even to foes.

He

"In 1389," says Planchet, "Duke Philip, being then in Flanders, sent the king a new year's present of a purse (fermail) of gold, with a lady in an orchard on it, holding in her hand a diamond worth six hundred livres. sent the queen a golden picture of the Burial of the Lord, with our Lady near him, and the Duke of Berri a St. Catherine of gold."

1

To soothe England's anger against France, he sends the royal family sets of costly tapestry. "To the Duke of Lancaster, the History of Clovis ;" "to the Duke of Gloucester, the Story of the Virgin ;"-presents received with grateful sense of the honour conferred, but insufficient

1 Planchet. benedictin. Hist. de Bourgogne. fol. Dijon, 1739, vol iii. p. 117.

"to soften or to gain the English mind," or turn it towards a peace.1

When his pictures and his sculptures failed to make a friend of England, they were used to ransom prisoners of note. When John the Fearless, Count of Nevers, was taken at Nikopoli, on the Danube, the goldsmith Digne Raponde advanced 200,000 ducats: and the King of Mitylene, coming with good tidings, had a cup of gold carved with figures of the Virgin. ?

Peace being signed with England, forthwith the Duke presented the British King with a splendid book, containing a picture of St. George; and gave the Duke of Gloucester an image of St. Anthony.3

Fine arts at this time contributed to display. In them the taste of princes was exhibited. But they also served a pious purpose; and the sacristies of churches were thus enriched with chiselled cups and shrines, and the chapels with pictures given by princes to adorn their walls. Art, it is thus discovered, rose from a sentiment of luxury as much as from religion; and this explains why the Flemings lacked that elevated sentiment which can arise alone from the deepest fervour and a strong religious feeling.

In 1383, Philip the Hardy laid the first stone of the Carthusian convent near Dijon. That convent, although now in ruins, still remains a noble relic of his taste and wealth. In it he not only spent money in profusion, but he gave ornaments of gold and silver, and covered the walls with paintings and the windows with choice 1 Planchet. benedictin. ut sup., vol. iii. p. 136.

2 Ibid. vol. iii. p. 164.

Ibid. vol. iii. p. 159.

coloured glass. He caused two great shrines or altarpieces to be erected and sculptured by a Fleming, and adorned them with pictures by Broederlain. The walls of the edifice were painted by another of his artists and "varlets," Jean Malouel.1 Of the latter, however, no pictures remain, whilst the shrines of Broederlain are still preserved, and form a landmark in the history of Flemish art.

Melchior, it may now be remarked, was a Fleming, and not a painter brought from France by Philip. He had been employed by Louis de Maele in subordinate capacities, as painter of banners and pennons; receiving, according to the "recette de Flandres," seventy-two livres, fifteen sols., and three dens., "for several works of his profession, and stuffs which he had purchased for the preparation and the finish of these pennons and banners.' Philip of Burgundy took him into his service immediately on his accession, at a yearly pension of 200 livres.3 Broederlain at first appears to have confined himself to common labour, such as painting banners

"2

1 Courtépée. Desc. Topog. et Hist. du Duché de Bourgogne, -vol. ii. p. 246. De Salles, benedictin, Etat des officiers et domestiques des Ducs de Bourgogne. Mem. p. servir à l'Hist. de France et de Bourgogne, 4to. Paris, 1729, pp. 137-8. De Lab. ut sup., vol. i. p. 565.

2 "A Melchior, le peintre MS. pour plusieurs ouvrages de son mestier, et estoffes echatées par li pour MS. pour faire banières et pignons. LXXII 1. XVs. IIId."-Recette de Fland. Arch. de Lille.Quart compte. Henry Luppin. de l'an MCCCIIII**II jusque May MCCCIIIIIII. De Labord. ut sup., vol. i. p. 1.

3 "A Melchior Broedlain, pointre de MS. de Bourgogne et varlet de chambre, lequel pointre MS. a retenu à II francs de pension par an tant comme il lui plaira."-Recette de Fland. même Compte. 1385. De Lab. ut sup., p. 4.

for the Duke; but, in 1398, he produced those shrines which still remain as records of his skill. When the monasteries were suppressed in France, pictures and valuables were carefully removed, and these, amongst the rest, were carried to a place of safety in the cathedral of Dijon. They have been since taken to their present place in the museum. They afford a curious instance of the changes which the arts had undergone between the time when La Biloque was painted, and the fourteenth century. Sculpture, architecture, and painting were here commingled. The central portions of the shrines were sculptured subjects, enclosed in Gothic tabernacles. The wings contained the stark and lengthy figures of holy men in pointed niches; and on the outer side were painted scripture subjects in distemper. One of these shrines has suffered much from time-which acted on the gesso and swept away all trace of painting. Fortunately, the pictures of the second are preserved. The central portion

Sereyhem, 1385-6. Recette de Flandres. De Lab. ut sup., vol. i. p. 6. "A. Melchior Broederlain, paintre, à Claux, le tamburier et ménestrier de MS." XL 1.-Ibid. p. 9. 1387.

"A. Melchior Broederlain." .

Ibid. p. 11.

-Comptes Pierre Adorne. 1393-4.

"A. Melchior Broederlain, varlet de chambre et paintre de MS. le Duc de Bourgogne, Comte de Flandres, auquel Mds. a fait paier et délivrer la somme de IIII**III fr. et IIII sols. parisis, monnoie de France p. les parties cy après déclairées, lesquelles il avait p. commad'. et ordonnance de Mds. faites et délivrées au S. de Dicquemmes, pour partir ou voiage de Frize. . . et p. faire deux estandarts de satin, de bateure de fin or, à oille de la dévise de Mds. de Bourgogne.-Tiers compte Pierre Adorne. Féb. MCCCIII** XV au derrain jour de Janv. MCCCIIIIXVI. De Lab. ut sup., vol. i. p. 11.

of this altar-piece is eight feet long, and five feet and ahalf high. The sculptured subjects are the Calvary, with no less than twenty figures; the Adoration of the Magi with nine, and the Burial with eight. These, together with the saints in Gothic niches at the sides, are coloured according to the oldest fashion, and exhibit a fair amount of attainments in the author. The carver is Jacques de la Baerse, sculptor of Dendermonde, who laboured in 1391.1 The painting of the sculptures, as well as the pictures on the wings, were first entrusted to Malouel, who was then at Dijon; but his work being considered unsatisfactory, Melchior Broederlain undertook the task, depicting on the wings the Angel appearing to Mary, the Salutation, the Presentation in the Temple, and the Flight into Egypt, and, above them, God the Father, with the tríple crown and angels near him.

The style and manner of these pictures lead us to consider what may have been the teaching and the sentiment which cast their impress on this early painter.

Of surrounding schools, none, in proximity to Flanders, were likely to exercise a greater influence in the fourteenth century than those of the Rhine. That of Cologne seems, from what relics we possess of it, to have been animated by a religious sentiment calculated to ennoble its cultivators. A certain ideal also seemed to guide its artists in their pursuits. Penetrated with similar ideas, the Flemings might, under similar circumstances, have risen to a sweet and dignified conception of nature; and

] Comptes d'Annot Arnaut. Arch. de Dijon.-Plusieurs mémoires tirés de la chambre des comptes de Dijon et des Arch. de la Chartreuse. 2 vol. 4°. ap. De Laborde, vol. i. Introd. p. lxxiii.