LIFE OF HOLBEIN. 3

painter. Holbein, however, to be revengedof him, drew the picture of Erasmus for amusty book-worm, who busied himself inscraping together old MSS. and antiquities,and wrote under it " Adagia."

It is said, that an English nobleman, whoaccidentally saw some of Holbein's perform-ances at Basil, invited him to come to Eng-land, where his art was in high esteem ; andpromised him great encouragement fromHenry VIII.; but Holbein was too muchengaged in his pleasures to listen to so advan-tageous a proposal, A few years after, how-ever, moved by the necessities to which anincreased family and his own mismanagementhad reduced him, as well as by the persuasionsof his friend Erasmus, who told him how im-proper a country his own was to do justiceto his merit, he consented to go to England :and he consented the more readily, as he didnot live on the happiest terms with his wife,who is said to have been a termagant. In hisjourney thither he stayed some days at Stras-

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