tions were given where crowds surged and
clamored and fought, just to get a look at the marvelous painting of the
wonderful Fleming. Such gorgeous skill in color had never before been
seen in England.

Charles knighted Rubens and did his best to make him a permanent attache
of his Court; but Rubens had too many interests of a financial and
political nature at home to allow himself to be drawn away from his
beloved Antwerp.

But now he had a rival--the only real rival he had ever known. Van Dyck
was making head. The rival was younger, handsomer, and had such a
blandishing tongue and silken manner that the crowd began to call his
name and declare he was greater than Caesar.

Yet Rubens showed not a sign of displeasure on his fine face--he bowed
and smiled and agreed with the garrulous critics when they smote the
table and declared that all of Van Dyck's Madonnas really winked.

He bided his time.

And it soon came, for the agent of Lord Arundel, that great Maecenas of
the polite arts, came over to Flanders to secure treasures, and of course
called on Rubens.

And Rubens talked only of Van Dyck--the marvelous Van Dyck.

The agent secured several copies of Van Dyck's work, and went back to
England, telling of all that Rubens had told him, with a little
additional coloring washed in by his own warm imagination.

To discover a genius is next to being one yourself. Lord Arundel felt
that all he had heard of Van Dyck must be true, and when he went to the
King and told him of the prodigy he had found, the King's zeal was warm
as that of the agent, for does not the "messianic instinct" always live?

This man must be secured at any cost. They had failed to secure Rubens,
but the younger man had no family ties, no special property interests,
neither was he pledged to his home government as was Rubens.

Straightway the King of England dispatched a messenger urging Anthony Van
Dyck to come over to England. The promised rewards and honors were too
great for the proud and ambitious painter to refuse. He started for
England.

* * * * *

In stature Van Dyck was short, but of a very compact build. He carried
the crown of his head high, his chin in, and his chest out. His name is
another added to that list of big-little men who had personality plus,
and whose presence filled a room. Caesar, Napoleon, Lord Macaulay, Aaron
Burr and that other little man with whom Burr's name is inseparably
linked