, the
early lives of eminent men frequently remain shrouded in obscurity.
The development of their genius alone draws attention to their history,
which is generally progressive; hence a retrospective view is ambiguous.
Little is known either of Rembrandt's birth or the place of his death;
what is known has already been related, from Houbraken to Bryan, and
from Bryan to Nieuwenhuys, and anecdotes have accumulated, for something
new must be said. It is, however, fortunate that in searching into
the source from which this extraordinary artist drew his knowledge,
we have only to look into the great book of Nature, which existed at
the time of Apelles and Raffaelle; and, notwithstanding the diversity of
styles adopted by all succeeding painters, beauties and peculiarities
are still left sufficient to establish the highest reputation for any
one who has the genius to perceive them, and the industry to make them
apparent. This was the cause of Rembrandt's captivating excellence;
neither a combination of Coreggio and Titian, nor of Murillo and
Velasquez, but as if all the great principles of chiaro-scuro and colour
were steeped and harmonized in the softening shades of twilight; and
this we perceive in nature, producing the most soothing and bewitching
results. These digressions may, however, come more properly into notice
when Rembrandt's principles of colour come under review.

Rembrandt Van Rhyn, the subject of this memoir, was born in the year
1606, between Leydendorp and Koukerk, in the neighbourhood of Leyden, on
the Rhyn, but certainly not in a mill, as there is no habitable dwelling
in the one now known as his father's. My excellent young friend, Mr. E.
W. Cooke, whose works breathe the true spirit of the best of the Dutch
school, in a letter upon this subject, says--

"MY DEAR SIR,

"I send you another sketch of the mill; the picture, including the
doorzigte, or view out of the window, I painted on the spot, and
that picture is now in the possession of the King of Holland, having
taken it back with me to show him. The mill was a magazine for powder
during the Spanish invasion; it was soon after converted into a corn
mill, and was in the possession of Hernan Geritz Van Rhyn when his
son Rembrandt was born; it is situated at Koukerk, on the old Rhyn,
near Leyden. I hope you will correct the vulgar error that Rembrandt
was born IN a mill. There are often dwelling houses attached