dis is!'"

"Very true, indeed," said I, "no great man can be expected to waste his
talents without his proper reward of praise. But, Heavens, Tarleton, did
you ever see anything so wonderful? that hand, that arm, how exquisite!
If Apollo turned painter, and borrowed colours from the rainbow and
models from the goddesses, he would not be fit to hold the pallet to Sir
Godfrey Kneller."

"By Got, Count Tevereux, you are von grand judge of painting," cried
the artist, with sparkling eyes, "and I will paint you as von tamned
handsome man!"

"Nay, my Apelles, you might as well preserve some likeness."

"Likeness, by Got! I vill make you like and handsome both. By my shoul
you make me von Apelles, I vill make you von Alexander!"

"People in general," said Tarleton, gravely, "believe that Alexander
had a wry neck, and was a very plain fellow; but no one can know about
Alexander like Sir Godfrey Kneller, who has studied military tactics so
accurately, and who, if he had taken up the sword instead of the pencil,
would have been at least an Alexander himself."

"By Got, Meester Tarleton, you are as goot a judge of de talents for de
war as Count Tevereux of de _genie_ for de painting! Meester Tarleton, I
vill paint your picture, and I vill make your eyes von goot inch bigger
than dey are!"

"Large or small," said I (for Tarleton, who had a haughty custom of
contracting his orbs till they were scarce perceptible, was so much
offended, that I thought it prudent to cut off his reply), "large or
small, Sir Godfrey, Mr. Tarleton's eyes are capable of admiring your
genius; why, your painting is like lightning, and one flash of your
brush would be sufficient to restore even a blind man to sight."

"It is tamned true," said Sir Godfrey, earnestly; "and it did restore
von man to sight once! By my shoul, it did! but sit yourself town, Count
Tevereux, and look over your left shoulder--ah, dat is it--and now,
praise on, Count Tevereux; de thought of my genius gives you--vat you
call it--von animation--von fire, look you--by my shoul, it does!"

And by dint of such moderate panegyric, the worthy Sir Godfrey completed
my picture, with equal satisfaction to himself and the original. See
what a beautifier is flattery: a few sweet words will send the Count
Devereux down to posterity with at least three times as much beauty as
he could justly lay claim to.*

* This picture represents the Count in an undress. The face is
decidedly, thou