The floor of the hall is laid
out in beautiful square slabs of marble, and a staircase of the same
material leads you to the upper apartments, which contain pictures and
numerous curiosities.
Among the fine paintings, I shall notice a few, which appear to me as
being perfect master-pieces. But I must first take the liberty of saying
a word or two about the _gentleman_ who conducts you through the rooms
to _explain_ the several pictures. When I had the pleasure of being with
him, his hair was powdered, and he carried a silver-headed cane. He
hurried me through the rooms, filling my ears with such gibberish as
this:--"That ere picture, sir, up there, was painted, five hundred years
ago, for William the Conqueror, by Wandyke."[4] This is no mean blunder
in chronology!
[4] Sir Antony Vandyke, who died about the year 1640.
There is a fine portrait of _William the Third on horseback_, of the
size of life, by Sir Godfrey Kneller; the horse is painted in a side
view, and has a good effect. There are eight fine female portraits of
distinguished personages, by the same hand, in the highest state of
preservation.
_Bandinella, the Sculptor_, by Corregio, is a most beautiful portrait.
The face of the sculptor is full of vivid expression, and the gold chain
about his neck is almost a deception.
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