Page:The Early Kings of Norway.djvu/318

 306 THE PORTEAITS OF JOHN KNOX. ally knowing Mr. Merritt) kindly consented to go to' the South Kensington Museum, and examine the Picture, — I receive, naturally with pleasure and surprise, the following report : ' 9 January 1875. 'After a careful inspection of the Portrait, I am ' Royal Society. This is all the evidence we have to offer on the Somerville Portrait. The preliminary objection in re-
 * 54 Devonshire Street, Portland Place, W.
 * hound to say that the signs of age are ahsent from
 * the surface, and I should therefore conjecture that it
 * is a copy of a portrait of the time of Francis Pourbus,
 * to whom we are indebted for the portrait of George
 * Buchanan, which I believe is in the possession of the
 * My opinion is in favour of the Somerville Portrait
 * being of Knox. Strongly marked features like those
 * were not likely to be confounded with any other
 * man's. The world has a way of handing down the
 * lineaments of great men. Eecords and tradition, as
 * experience has shown me, do their work in this re-
 * spect very effectively. — Henry Merritt.*