geometry and all the arts which appertain to the ornament of painting, because he had discovered many things in the properties of colour, of which he had found the source amongst the ancients by the reading of Pliny and other authors." Facio, it must be recollected, was a contemporary of John Van Eyck, whose pictures he, no doubt, admired in the palace of his master. Giovanni Santi, the father of Raphael, wrote a chronicle in rhyme, in which he praised Van Eyck;1-the verses run as follows:

"A Bruggia fu tra gli altri piu lodato;

Il gran Jannes, e'l discepol Rugero."

Santi was fully qualified to speak upon the subject. He lived at Urbino, when Justus of Ghent, a pupil of the elder Van Eyck, painted for the Duke of Montefeltro. Filarete, the architect of Florence, whose treatise we have noticed, and which is still preserved in manuscript at Florence, at the Magliabecchiana library, says: "In Flanders, they work extremely well in oil, but the painters who have used these colours best are Giovanni da Bruggia and Maestro Ruggiero." "2 Filarete was a contemporary of John Van Eyck. Many Flemish authors also give similar testimony. Marchant wrote, in 1596, before Van Mander, and spoke, in his description of the Netherlands, of "Joannes Vaneichus, summi nominis, qui primus oleo ex lini seminibus extuso, cepit picturæ colores Brugæ miscere, ac perpetuare." Vaernewyk, the author

1 Ottobon MSS. Vatican at Rome, apud Pungileone Elogio storico de Giov. Santi. Urbino, 1822. Pp. 72-74.

2 Vasari, ut sup. Com. alla vita d' Anton. da Messina. Tom. v. p. 99. Filarete's treatise was written about the years 1460-64. 3 Marchantius. Flandria Descripta, p. 132.

of a history of Belgium, often quoted here, wrote in a similar strain, as likewise did Sanderus, and the chronicler Opmeer.

Tradition also preserves his fame for inventive genius in chemicals. Le Vieil, the glass painter, says,' that he discovered the secret of enamel colour applied to glass, and the method of abrading the coloured surface of coated glass. He did this so as to expose the whole substratum, whenever it was necessary to obtain white or yellow glass surrounded with colour, without leading in a piece of white. As regards enamel, Van Eyck's invention may be doubted; but as regards abrading surfaces of coated glass, there is no doubt that the discovery was made in his time, and it may therefore be his.

In the meanwhile a period had arrived, as we have said, when the patronage of art could scarcely remain confined to princes and noblesse. The wealthy corporations of the Belgian cities vied with them in splendour and in riches, and pursued the arts which seemed a medium for display with a vigour and pertinacity even greater than was exhibited by their princely rivals.

During the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, Belgian cities had risen to great commercial wealth. The ports were neutral by general consent; and Ghent and Yprès manufactured what Bruges imported. Here the French, the English, the Italians, traded and exchanged commodities; whilst the arts, developed by accumulated capital, vied with manufactures to please the public taste. A middle class rose up, devoted to the wants of the

1 Le Vieil. Der kunst auf glas, aus der Französischen. Nurenberg, 1779. 4to. Pp. 69, 70.

noble and the rich, yet strong enough to hold political and social independence, and sufficiently powerful to gain by stratagem, or wrest by force from their princely rulers, such grants and confirmation of their privileges as tended in those days to give art more development and proficiency than the ruder science-politics.

At the period immediately under notice, Ghent had somewhat fallen from its high estate. D'Arteveldt the younger and Dubois had ruined it by ill-judged resistance; and John the Fearless had humbled its haughty citizens, and destroyed its walls. Bruges, superior at that time to Yprès, thus occupied the pinnacle of commercial and political superiority.'

The old travellers who described this thriving city in the time of its prosperity would scarcely recognise it now in its period of decay. Contemplative minds may still be struck by the beauty and grandeur of monuments, but derive a painful contrast from desert streets and stagnant waters. Bruges, no longer open to the sea, is but the shadow of its 'ancient name. The great canal that stretched from its walls to the port of Sluys, and floated ships of the greatest size, is now sylted up; and on the shores of the sea may still be traced the ancient works, which were the ornament and defence of this commercial capital. The quays, which once were piled with British wool and Eastern silks, are empty. The Turks, the Greeks, the English, and Italians, no longer throng there; and all is silent, still, and lonely.

1 "Pulchra sunt oppida, Gandavum, Antverpia, Bruxella, Lovanium, Mechlinia, sed nihil ad Brugas."-Jacobi Marchantii. Flandriæ Descriptio. 12mo. Antv. 1596, p. 77.

D

In those remote times, when cities were the only refuge from the inroads of the nobles or free companions, they fostered art, by concentrating freedom, wealth, and power into their own hands. Bruges, by doing this, succeeded in first creating a school of art within the Netherlands.

Hubert Van Eyck did not expire without knowing that his brother had been raised to a higher position at the Court of Burgundy, than he had occupied at that of Liège. Philip the Good succeeded to the ducal throne on the murder of his father, and, notoriously fond of art, he chose the courtier painter for his "varlet de chambre.” The appointment, which is dated May 1425, is couched in the most elaborate terms of praise of John Van Eyck, and describes him as well-known for his talent and sufficiency as a painter not merely by common fame, but of the Duke's own knowledge. His emolument was fixed at 100 liv. parisis, and a caution was given to the trea

1 " A Jehan de Heik, jadis pointre et varlet de chambre de feu M. S. le duc Jehan de Bayvière, lequel M.D.S., pour l'abileté et souffisance que par la relacion de plusieurs de ses gens, il avait oy et meismes savait et cognoissoit estre de fait de pointure en la personne dudit Jehan de Heick. Icellui Jehan, confiant de la loyauté et preuddommie, a retenu en son pointre et varlet de chambre, aux honneurs, prérogatives, franchises, libertés, drois, prouffis, et émolumens accoutumez, et qui y appartiennent. Et affin qu'il soit tenu d'ouvrer pour lui de painture toutes les fois qu'il lui plaira, lui a ordonné prendre et avoir de lui sur sa recepte générale de Flandres, la somme de C liv. p. monnoie de Flandres, à deux termes par an, moitié au Noel et l'autre moitié à la St. Jehan dont il veult estre le premier ensuivant, et ainsi d'an en an et de terme en terme, tant qu'il lui plaira. En mandant aux maistres de son hotel et autres, ses officiers quelconques, que d'icelle sa présente retenue ensamble des honneurs prérogatives, drois, prouffis et émolumens dessuz diz facent et laissent le dit Jehan paisiblement joir, sans empeschement ou destourbier, mandant en outre à sondit receveur général de

surers to be regular in their payment of that sum in two instalments every year.

Philip, who obtained the name of Good from his contemporaries, was perhaps the ablest statesman of his day. Versed in all the subtleties of politics, he was also a competent judge of art. He was proud with his superiors, but kind and courteous to those below him; the latter a quality so rare, that it roused the jealousy of men who did not see the use to which he turned it.' The nobles of his court complained that he took the council of his varlets rather than of them; but the men he did employ were zealous in his service, and performed their duty with skill and secrecy. His most trusty servant and confidant was John Van Eyck, whom he employed in various missions, both delicate and secret. The painter, as we have said, though "varlet,” did honourable duty, being served in his own person by domestics in livery. "My Lord Duke," said Philip in an order to his household, Flandres présent et à venir, que la dicte somme de C livres p. par an il paye, baille, et délivre audit Jehan son pointre et varlet de chambre aux termes dessus déclairez comme de tout ce que dit est peut plus à plain apparoir par lettres patentes de mon avant dit S. sur ce scellées et ordonnées en sa ville de Bruges le XIXe jour de May l'an Mil CCCCXXV.

"Pour cecy par vertu d'icelles dont 'vidimus' est cy acourt pour le terme de Noel Mil CCCCXXV par sa quittance qui sert à la partie ensuivante cy rendu acourt. A luy pour semblable et les termes de la Saint Jehan et Noel Mil CCCCXXVI par sa quittance cy acourt ... c. liv.

"Quatrième compte de Gautier Poulain depuis le 1er Janvier MCCCCXXIV jusqu'au dernier jour de Décembre MCCCCXXV.”— De Lab. ut sup., Les Ducs de Bourgogne, Preuves, vol. i. pp. 206, 207. 1 "Avait de condition encore qu'en chambre se tenoit clos souvent avec valets et s'en indignaient nobles hommes."-Esloge de Chastelain-Buchon. Collection de Documents, vol. xlii. 8vo. Paris,

p. 29.