g. _The Spanish Gentleman_, by
Velasquez, has engaged the pencils of numerous artists, though they
have not all been so successful as could have been wished; Messrs.
Inskipp, Frisk, Morton and Child have produced the best _fac similes_.
The _Lime Kiln_, by the younger Teniers, has been carefully studied
by Mr. Gill, &c.; and Messrs. M'Call and Morton, have executed the
finest studies from _Innocent X._, by Velasquez. _The Embarkation_,
by Claude, is extremely well imitated in Mr. Cartwright's copy; and
the _Virgin and Child_, which is one of Julio Romano's best works,
has met with due attention from Mr. Farrier, and others. Mr. Novice
has executed the only copy from DeHooge's fine picture--_A Dutch
Family preparing for a Walk_; and Messrs. Foster and Earl display
considerable talent in their copies from the _Landscape and Cattle_,
by Cuyp. Other admirable works by Guido, Rubens, Bassan, Ruysdael,
Vanderneer, and Canaletta, have met with a host of imitators, from
whose talents we may anticipate, at no distant period, pictorial
excellency of the first order. I should discover a want of gallantry,
and, indeed, be most unjust, were I not to say that the ladies, in
nearly all their undertakings, have exerted their utmost to excel;
those especially, who have executed copies in water colours deserve
the highest recommendation.

G.W.N.

* * * * *

THE ANECDOTE GALLERY.

THAXTED HIGHWAYMEN.

_(For the Mirror.)_

The following incident led to the breaking up and dispersion of a gang
of desperate highwaymen, denominated the Thaxted gang, who about sixty
years ago used to infest the roads in the neighbourhood of Dunmow,
Thaxted, and the adjacent towns and villages:--

An opulent farmer of Thaxted, being one day at Dunmow market, received
a considerable sum of money, the produce of grain and other marketable
articles, which he had that day disposed of; and going to the inn
where he had left his horse, he ordered it to be saddled directly
for the purpose of returning home. In those times every tradesman,
salesman and a greater part of the publicans and innkeepers knew what
money each other received on a market day. The innkeeper at whose
house the farmer was in the habit of putting up at, said to him, "Why
you are not going home to-night, are you, with all that money about
you? You will stand a chance of getting a knock on the head."--"Let
them knock away," answered the farmer. "I have n