406

HISTORY OP ENGLAND.

CHAP.

III.

social position was at least as high as at present. Their gains,when compared with the wealth of the nation and with the re-muneration of other descriptions of intellectual labour, wereeven larger than at present. Indeed the munificent patronagewhich was extended to artists drew them to our shores in mul-titudes. Lely, who has preserved to us the rich curls, the fulllips, and the languishing eyes of the frail beauties celebratedby Hamilton, was a Westphalian. He had died in 1680, havinglong lived splendidly, having received the honour of knight-hood, and having accumulated a good estate out of the fruitsof his skill. His noble collection of drawings and pictures was,after his decease, exhibited by the royal permission in theBanqueting House at Whitehall, and was sold by auction forthe almost incredible sum of twenty-six thousand pounds, asum which bore a greaterproportion to the fortunes of the richmen of that day than a hundred thousand pounds would bearto the fortunes of the rich men of our time. * Lely was suc-ceeded by his countryman Godfrey Kneller, who was madefirst a knight and then a baronet, and who, after keeping up asumptuous establishment, and after losing much money by un-lucky speculations, was still able to bequeath a large fortune tohis family. The two Vandeveldes, natives of Holland, hadbeen tempted by English liberality to settle here, and had pro-duced for the King and his nobles some of the finest sea piecesin the world. Another Dutchman, Simon Varelst, paintedglorious sunflowers and tulips for prices such as had never be-fore been known. Verrio, a Neapolitan, covered ceilings andstaircases with Gorgons and Muses, Nymphs and Satyrs,Virtues and Vices, Gods quaffing nectar, and laurelled princesriding in triumph. The income which he derived from hisperformances enabled him to keep one of the most expensivetables inEngland. For his pieces at Windsor alone he received

* Walpole’s Anecdotes of Painting. London Gazette, May 31. 1083.North’s Life of Guildford.