Ursula received all that she asked, and
started on her journey to Rome, in the course of which she and the eleven
thousand maidens met with many adventures. At last, having reached Cologne
on their return, they encountered an army of barbarians which was
besieging the city, and all were slain.

The subjects of the pictures as they were painted by Memling were: 1, the
first landing at Cologne in the beginning of the journey; 2, the landing
at Basle; 3, the arrival in Rome; 4, the second arrival at Basle on her
return toward home; 5, commencement of the martyrdom, when Ursula and her
train are first seen by the barbarians; 6, death of Ursula.

The works of Memling which still remain are numerous, and are seen in many
public galleries. After the death of this master the purity of Flemish
painting declined. Many artists visited Italy, and the manner of Flemish
painters was influenced by association with Italian art and artists. I
shall, therefore, pass over a period when no very important masters
appeared, and speak next of a great man, QUINTIN MATSYS (1466-1529), who
began life as a blacksmith. He was born at Antwerp, and there are
specimens of iron work there said to have been executed by him. It is said
that he fell in love with the daughter of an artist who refused to allow
him to marry her because he was not a painter; for this reason Matsys
devoted himself to the study of art, and became the best Belgian master of
his time. His pictures of religious subjects are full of tender
earnestness and deep feeling, and his most important work was an
altar-piece which is now in the Museum of Antwerp. His scenes from common
life, his misers and lovers are spirited and truthful.

His portrait and that of his second wife, both painted by himself, are in
the gallery of the Uffizi in Florence. His works are not very numerous,
but they are seen in the principal galleries. He was buried in the
Cathedral of Antwerp, and a slab is inserted in the wall which tells his
story; one sentence is, "_Connubialis amor de mulcibre fecit Apellene_"
(True love changed the smith to an Apelles).

Rubens is the next great master of whom I shall speak, but I wish to say
that during the last part of the sixteenth century there were many Flemish
painters of considerable note whose pictures are seen in galleries, and
are well worth consideration, but whose lives had no circumstances of
especial interest. Among the best of these artists were ANTONIO MOR