Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 10.djvu/583

 io s. x. DEC. 19, iocs.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

481

LONDON, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1908.

CONTENTS. No. 260.

NOTES : The Plas Milton Portrait, 481 Nightcaps, 482 Bibliographical Technical Terms, 484 The Cabinet and the House of Lords Initial T in Place-NamesScottish -is and -es in Proper Names Lord Beaconsfield and the Primrose 'The Flight of the King,' 486 Harrison Ainsworth The Guard Aloft " Sanguis niartyrum, semen Ecclesise "Sir John Mason, 487.

QUERIES : " Psychological moment" William Black- borough, Milton's Relative The 'Promptorium' Capt. W. Bennett Turkish Weights and Measures Northiam Church Mendez Pinto, 488 Crocker the Poet New Zealand Fossil Shells Army and Militia Lists Nathaniel Salmon E. F. Holt, Painter Heren den Family Horse Hill Speakers of the House of Commons George Colt- man, 489 Craven Family Icknield Way Peter Wynne Heighway Family Truss-Fail ' Love-a -la-Mode ' Edward Young, Author of 'Night Thoughts 'Sir John Sydenham-" Waney" Timber, 490.

BEPLIES: London Statues and Memorials, 491 The Tyburn, 494 St. Martin Pomeroy Mediterranean Canadian Natural Dyes Indian Magic. 495 -'The Old- Time Parson': 'Magee and the Tomtit' The Fifth of November : Guy Fawkes Celebrations, 496 Kingsley's 'Lorraine' Authors of Quotations Wanted Surnames in -eng Ovocaor Avoca Hampstead in Song, 497.

INOTES ON BOOKS : Lady Holland's Journal' The Edinburgh Review.'

Booksellers' Catalogues. -Notices to Correspondents.

THE PLAS MILTON PORTRAIT.

THE Milton Tercentenary and the British Museum Milton exhibition of portraits, &c., have again called attention to the painting by Plas in our National Portrait Gallery. As this appears to be the only painting of Milton there, it becomes of no little interest and concern to ascertain as far as possible whether it really represents the author of
 * Paradise Lost.'

In the valuable catalogue of ' The Por- traits, Prints, and Writings of John Milton,' 1908, admirably compiled by Dr. G. C Williamson from the exhibition this year at Christ's College, Cambridge, elever portraits of Milton are engraved, and ful painting in the National Portrait Gallery is engraved at p. 19, and full notices of it are found on pp. 19, 83, 84, Nos. 164, 165. I iormerly belonged to Capel Lofft, and wa engraved by Quinton, Norwich, 1797. I is said that Mr. Lofft published it in hi edition of ' Paradise Lost ' in 1792, anc presented it to the Trustees in 1839. It i remarked that " the Director of the Portrai Gallery is by no means satisfied that it is i picture of Milton " ; and we further reac
 * accounts of them are given. A copy of the

hat "it is suggested that it represents Sunyan rather than Milton." Mr. Lofft tated that the picture was bequeathed to iis father by Col. Holland ; and that seems 11 that is known of it.

The portrait, however, does not agree vith the undoubted representations of Bunyan, of whom see a good portrait in The Pilgrim's Progress,' edited by the Rev. R. Philip, Virtue, 1853. The two leads and faces and the expressions are decidedly different, as also are the nose, lair, and mouth. The only point of con- nexion seems to be the pilgrim's staff and rourd. These are found in the Plas por- xrait, but not in that of Bunyan ; and though as an emblem they would suit Bunyan, they cannot be considered of any weight when the two portraits are so unlike as manifestly to represent different persons. But the important inquiry is whether the Plas portrait represents Milton, or was ntended for him.

By aid of Dr. Williamson's admirable Catalogue, the Plas portrait can be compared with ten other Milton portraits, of which some are undoubtedly genuine. The por- trait in the National Portrait Gallery ap- pears to be by Pieter van der Plas ; but as a painter of this name died in 1626, he cannot thus have painted Milton, who was then only eighteen.

If this Plas portrait is compared with that of Milton taken from life by Faithorne, the difference is at once seen. It is clear they cannot represent the same person, while the other Milton portraits agree with Faithorne, and not with Plas. The general character as seen in the faces differs. That of the Plas portrait is aggressive, combative rather, while Fait home's is quiet, composed, reflective. The mouth is absolutely different. In the Faithorne and others it is rather full, bow-shaped ; in the Plas it is straight, thin, and more military than poetic. The look in the Plas is upward, in Faithorne straight forward. In Plas the hair parts at the side, and does not rest on the shoul- ders ; in Faithorne it is centre-parted, and rests on the shoulders. The nose is different. In Plas it projects more, is longer, and declines at the end ; but not so in Faithorne ; while in the former the nostrils slope, but in the latter are hori- zontal. In Plas the hair looks like a wig, but not at all so in Faithorne. Plas's is like a Puritan soldier-preacher ; Faithorne' s is destitute of any such character. The disposition of the hands in Plas seems quite un-Miltonic. There appears a sort of set