everal of the petty courts of Italy. His talent
for satire involved him in various literary disputes, as well as some
political quarrels, and he never resided long in one place, until Mary
of Medicis invited him to the court of France, where he passed much of
his life, and where he wrote most of his poems, which, though licentious
both in matter and style, contain numerous beauties, and are full of
classical imagery. Marino gave Poussin an apartment in his house at
Rome, and as his own health was at that time extremely deranged, he
loved to have Poussin by the side of his couch, where he drew or
painted, while Marino read aloud to him from some Latin or Italian
author, or from his own poems, which Poussin illustrated by beautiful
drawings, most of which it is to be feared are lost; although it is
believed that there is still existing in the Massimi library, a copy of
the Adonis in Marino's hand-writing, with Poussin's drawings
interleaved. To this kind of study which he pursued with Marino, may
perhaps be attributed Poussin's predilection for compositions wherein
nymphs, and fairies, and bacchanals are the subjects--compositions in
which he greatly excelled.

POUSSIN ROMANIZED.

While the court of France was at variance with the Holy See,
considerable acrimony existed among his Holiness's troops against all
Frenchmen; consequently, wherever they met them in Rome, they instantly
attacked them with sticks and stones, and sometimes with even more
formidable weapons. It happened one day that Poussin and three or four
of his countrymen, returning from a drawing excursion, met at the
Quattro Fontane near Monte Cavallo, a company of soldiers, who seeing
them dressed in the French costume, instantly attacked them. They all
fled but Poussin, who was surrounded, and received a cut from a sabre
between the first and second finger. Passeri, who relates the anecdote,
says that the sword turned, otherwise "a great misfortune must have
happened both to him and to painting." Not daunted, however, he fought
under the shelter of his portfolio, throwing stones as he retreated,
till being recognized by some Romans who took his part, he effected his
escape to his lodgings. From that day he put on the Roman dress,
adopted the Roman way of living, and became so much a Roman, that he
considered the city as his true home.

POUSSIN'S HABITS OF STUDY.

Poussin not only studied every vestige of antiquity at Rome and in its
env