exquisite copies from two of their choicest MSS., viz., the life of
their founder, and their Comedies of Terence, the monastery finding the
vellum.

The high and puissant Prince, Philip "the Good," Duke of Burgundy,
Luxemburg, and Brabant, Earl of Holland and Zealand, Lord of Friesland,
Count of Flanders, Artois, and Hainault, Lord of Salins and Macklyn--was
versatile.

He could fight as well as any king going; and lie could lie as well as
any, except the King of France. He was a mighty hunter, and could read
and write. His tastes were wide and ardent. He loved jewels like a
woman, and gorgeous apparel. He dearly loved maids of honour, and indeed
paintings generally; in proof of which he ennobled Jan Van Eyck. He had
also a rage for giants, dwarfs, and Turks. These last stood ever planted
about him, turbaned and blazing with jewels. His agents inveigled them
from Istamboul with fair promises; but the moment he had got them, he
baptized them by brute force in a large tub; and this done, let them
squat with their faces towards Mecca, and invoke Mahound as much as they
pleased, laughing in his sleeve at their simplicity in fancying they
were still infidels. He had lions in cages, and fleet leopards trained
by Orientals to run down hares and deer. In short, he relished all
rarities, except the humdrum virtues. For anything singularly pretty or
diabolically ugly, this was your customer. The best of him was, he was
openhanded to the poor; and the next best was, he fostered the arts in
earnest: whereof he now gave a signal proof. He offered prizes for the
best specimens of orfevrerie in two kinds, religious and secular: item,
for the best paintings in white of egg, oils, and tempera; these to
be on panel, silk, or metal, as the artists chose: item, for the best
transparent painting on glass: item, for the best illuminating and
border-painting on vellum: item, for the fairest writing on vellum. The
burgomasters of the several towns were commanded to aid all the poorer
competitors by receiving their specimens and sending them with due care
to Rotterdam at the expense of their several burghs. When this was cried
by the bellman through the streets of Tergou, a thousand mouths opened,
and one heart beat--Gerard's. He told his family timidly he should try
for two of those prizes. They stared in silence, for their breath was
gone at his audacity; but one horrid laugh exploded on the floor like
a petard. Gerard looked down, and the