London Pub by Sherwood, Gilbert & Piper Paternoster Row, Nov 20, 1827.

FOR

1828;

OR,

A Complete Guide to the Almanack:

CONTAINING AN EXPLANATION

OF

Saints' Days and Holidays;

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS OF BRITISH HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES;
EXISTING AND OBSOLETE RITES AND CUSTOMS,

SKETCHES OF COMPARATIVE CHRONOLOGY,

AND

CONTEMPORARY BIOGRAPHY.

Astronomical Occurrences

IN EVERY MONTH;

COMPRISING REMARKS ON THE PHENOMENA OF THE CELESTIAL BODIES:

Entered at Stationers' Hall.

Compton and Ritchie, Middle Street, Cloth Fair

SOFONISBA ANGOSCIOLA, whose portrait, from a valuable picture painted by herself, is represented in our Frontispiece, was a native of Cremona, daughter of M. Amilcaro Angosciola, and practised the art of painting with more ease and more grace than any other lady of her time. Vasari says, that she not only knew how to draw, colour, paint from nature, and copy excellently from the works of others, but also composed some most rare and beautiful things herself; from which circumstance, Philip King of Spain, having heard from the Duke of Alva of her talents, sent for her, and had her honourably conducted into Spain, where he placed her about the Queen, with a large pension, and where she soon excited the admiration of all the court. During her residence in Spain, she painted a great number of fine portraits and pictures, the fame of which caused Pope Pius IV to signify to Sofonisba that he desired to have, from her hands, the portrait of the Queen of Spain; and the artist, having complied with his wish as speedily as possible, sent the portrait to Rome, with a letter couched in the following terms :—

HOLY FATHER,

I heard from the most reverend Nuncio of your Holiness, that you desired a portrait, from my hands, of her Majesty the Queen, my mistress; and, as I accepted this undertaking, considering it as a mark of peculiar grace and favour, having to serve your Holiness, I asked permission of her Majesty, who most willingly, and with great pleasure, granted it, thereby acknowledging your Holiness's protection towards her. I avail myself of the opportunity of this gentleman's going, to send it to you; and if by my exertions I shall have satisfied the wishes of your Holiness, it will give me infinite consolation. It only remains to say, that if with the pencil it were possible to represent to the eyes of your Holiness the beauties of the mind of this Queen, you could behold nothing more wonderful. But of that which is in the power of art to represent, all my endeavours have been exerted to convey to your Holiness a faithful representation. And with this end, with all reverence and humility, I kiss your Holiness's feet.

"Your Holiness's most humble servant,
"SOFONISBA ANGOSCIOLA.

ii

To this Letter the Pope returned the following answer, accompanied with presents worthy of the many virtues of Sofonisba:

'POPE PIUS IV. WELL BELOVED DAUGHTER IN CHRIST.

We have received the portrait of the most serene Queen of Spain, our dearest daughter, that you have sent us. 'It has given us the greatest satisfaction, as much on account of the person it represents (for whom we have a paternal regard), as well as for the religious virtues and ather fine parts of her mind; and also from its having been so diligently and beautifully executed by your hands. We thank you for it; and assure you that we shall keep it among our most precious things; commending this your great talent, which, however wonderful, we understand is among the least that you possess. And with this end, we again repeat our blessing, that our Lord God may preserve you.

'Rome, October 15, 1561.'

Sofonisba is said to have been a most sweet singer, as well as an eminent painter, which sufficiently accounts for the attitude and action in the picture. By continual application to her profession, she had the misfortune to lose her sight; and it is recorded that Vandyké, having had an opportunity of conversing with Sofonisba, used to say, that he received more beneficial knowledge of the true principles of his art from one blind woman, than by studying all the works of the greatest masters in Italy. She died in the year 1626, and in the ninety-third year of her age. We are indebted to the Rev. Dr. Dibdin for permission to copy the portrait of Sofonisba from his splendid and interesting Edes Althorpianæ (vol. I, p. 6), whence also we have derived the above curious information.-The original picture, one of the most precious in Earl Spencer's collection at Althorpe, was purchased by Sarah Duchess of Marlborough, for seven hundred guineas; a price of very uncommon occurrence a century ago.