picture, valued L3 10s.

The King, when a youth in coats, valued L2.

The picture of the Queen when she was with child, sold for five
shillings.

King Charles on horseback, by Sir Anthony Vandyke, was purchased by Sir
Balthazar Gerbier, at the appraised price of L200.[196]

The greatest sums were produced by the tapestry and arras hangings,
which were chiefly purchased for the service of the Protector. Their
amount exceeds L30,000. I note a few.

At Hampton-Court, ten pieces of arras hangings of Abraham, containing
826 yards at L10 a yard, L8260.

Ten pieces of Julius Caesar, 717 ells at L7, L5019.[197]

One of the cloth of estates is thus described:

"One rich cloth of estate of purple velvet, embroidered with gold,
having the arms of England within a garter, with all the furniture
suitable thereunto. The state containing these stones following: two
cameos or agates, twelve chrysolites, twelve ballases or garnets, one
sapphire seated in chases of gold, one long pearl pendant, and many
large and small pearls, valued at L500 sold for L602 10s. to Mr. Oliver,
4 February, 1649."

Was plain Mr. Oliver, in 1649, who we see was one of the earlier
purchasers, shortly after "the Lord Protector?" All the "cloth of
estate" and "arras hangings" were afterwards purchased for the service
of the Protector; and one may venture to conjecture, that when Mr.
Oliver purchased this "rich cloth of estate," it was not without a
latent motive of its service to the new owner.[198]

There is one circumstance remarkable in the feeling of Charles the First
for the fine arts: it was a passion without ostentation or egotism; for
although this monarch was inclined himself to participate in the
pleasures of a creating artist, the king having handled the pencil and
composed a poem, yet he never suffered his private dispositions to
prevail over his more majestic duties. We do not discover in history
that Charles the First was a painter and a poet. Accident and secret
history only reveal this softening feature in his grave and king-like
character. Charles sought no glory from, but only indulged his love for,
art and the artists. There are three manuscripts on his art, by Leonardo
da Vinci, in the Ambrosian library, which bear an inscription that a
King of England, in 1639, offered one thousand guineas of gold for each.
Charles, too, suggested to the two great painters of his age the
subjects he considered worthy of their pencils; and had for