Thomas Vertue

“ By his wife Margaret (Hist. Coll. Staffordshire, vi. 1, 106; the pedigree in Nichols's Leicestershire, iii. 640, makes him and his son marry the same person) , Verdon left several children. Their eldest son, John de Verdon, died on 13 June 1297 in Ireland. An attempt of his father to enfeoff him with some estates without royal license caused difficulties with the king (Cal. Genealogicum, p. 768) . The second and youngest son, Theobald de Verdon junior (d. 1316) , accordingly succeeded to his father's lands. ”

“ He started toward the house; but M. Verduret seized his arm and said:
“What are you going to do?”
“Have my revenge! I will break down the door; what do I care for the noise and scandal, now that I have nothing to lose? I shall not attempt to creep into the house like a thief, but as a master, as one who has a right to enter; as a man who, having received an insult which can only be washed out with blood, comes to demand satisfaction.”
“You will do nothing of the sort, Prosper.” ”

“ Verdant Green should also find the sun disagreeable, and should follow his light of love, to burn his wings a little more, and flutter round her fascinations? At any rate, whether natural or no, Verdant also drew back a yard or so, and found himself half within the cart-tilt, and very close to Miss Patty.
The pic-nic party were stretched at their ease upon the grass, drinking wine, munching fruit, talking, laughing, and flirting, with the blue sea before them and the bluer sky above them, when said the squire in heroic strain, "Song alone is wanting to crown our feast! ”

“ Vertue mentions various portraits of Du Bois himself. His elder brother, Edward Dubois (1622–1699?) , was also a painter, though of inferior merit to his brother. He was a ‘history and landskip painter,’ according to Vertue, born at Antwerp, and ‘disciple to one Groenwegen, a landskip painter likewise.’ He travelled with his brother to Italy, and remained there eight years studying the antiques. He also worked some time in Paris, and on his way to Italy executed some works for Charles Emmanuel, duke of Savoy. ”

“ At the age of thirteen he was apprenticed to an heraldic engraver, a Frenchman, who failed in three or four years. Vertue then studied drawing at home, and afterwards worked for seven years as an engraver under Michael Vandergucht. He was patronized by Sir Godfrey Kneller, and was one of the first members of the Academy of Painting which that artist instituted in 1711. His plate of Archbishop Tillotson, after Kneller, commissioned by Lord Somers, established his reputation as an engraver ”

“ As M. Verduret read the note, Prosper’s rage increased. He was angry and perplexed, for he could not explain the rapidly succeeding events which were so calculated to mystify his already confused brain.
“Everybody wishes me to go away,” he cried; “then there must be a conspiracy against me.”
M. Verduret smiled with satisfaction.
“At last you begin to open your eyes, you begin to understand. Yes, there are people who hate you because of the wrong they have done you; there are people to whom your presence in Paris is a constant danger, and who will not feel safe till they are rid of you.” ”

“ Whenever he entered the dining-room my first act was to open Verdant's cage, when he would always fly to the bullfinch's cage and greet him with a chirp, then look to see if his friend had any provender that he could get at-a piece of lettuce between the bars, or a spray of millet to which he could help himself; no matter that Bully remonstrated with open beak, Verdant calmly feasted on stolen goods con gusto, and then scouted around for any dainties on the carpet, where he sometimes found a stray sunflower seed, always his greatest delight. ”

“ The date of his arrival in England is uncertain, but it must have been before 1653, if Vertue be right in assigning his earliest portrait to that year (Walpole, ed. Dallaway, v. 185) . In 1665 he was residing at Nuffeild, near Oxford, and had made the acquaintance of Anthony à Wood. In 1669 (30 March) he was appointed engraver to the university of Oxford, with an annual salary of 20s. In or about 1671 he married a daughter of Robert Jordan, esq., of Kencote Hall in Oxfordshire, by whom he had at least one son, John Loggan, who matriculated at Trinity College on 20 Aug. ”

“ From an early period Vertue was ardently devoted to antiquarian research, and by his incessant and conscientious labours in this field he has earned enduring fame. Obtaining the patronage of the Earl of Oxford, Lord Coleraine, and other noblemen of similar tastes, he travelled in their company through many parts of England, visiting the great country houses and other places of interest, and making careful notes and drawings of everything of artistic and antiquarian value that he met with, and his engravings of these subjects are almost as numerous as his portraits. ”

“ Vesty shivered. With all her earnest, sad experience of life, with her true love for Notely, she was yet in no haste to be bound. Wild, too, at heart; or else somehow the sea wind and the swift sails had freed her.
"Don't say that again. Come, catch the fish for our dinner, Note."
"I'm only a humble Basin, Miss Kirtland. I didn't think to fetch no bait."
Vesty took a parcel of six small herrings from her pocket, laughing.
"Yes, our women are smart," sighed Notely. ”

“ Then, when they talked about sketching, she said how she had missed him, and that she had been reserving the view from Brankham Law, in order that they might sketch it together. Then he showed her his last drawings - and they were beautiful. What can I do against this?" groaned poor Verdant, from under the bed-clothes; "he has accomplishments, and I have none; he has good looks, and I haven't; he has a moustache and a pair of whiskers, - and I have only a pair of spectacles! I cannot shine in society, and win admiration, like he does; I have nothing to offer her but my love. ”

“ Prosper had at first only been surprised at the protection of M. Verduret and the extent of his investigations: now he asked himself, what could have been his motives for acting thus?
What price did he expect for this sacrifice of time and labor?
His anxiety made him say nervously:
“It is unjust to us both, monsieur, for you to preserve your incognito any longer. When you have saved the honor and life of a man, you should at least let him know whom he is to thank for it.”
“Oh!” said M. Verduret smilingly, “you are not out of the woods yet. ”

“ And besides this, think in how many ways it will benefit Verdant to send him to college. By mixing more in the world, and being called upon to act and think for himself, he will gradually gain that experience, without which a man cannot arm himself to meet the difficulties that beset all of us, more or less, in the battle of life. He is just of an age, when some change from the narrowed circle of home is necessary. ”

“ S. VERDIANA, V. R.
(A.D. 1242.) [Roman and Benedictine Martyrology, those of Menardus, Ferrarius, &c. Authority:—An old contemporary life, falsely attributed to Atto, B. of Pistoria.]
Verdiana was the child of poor, though well-born parents; and her knowledge of the sufferings of the poor from her own experience in early years made her ever full of pity for those in need. At twelve years old she was noted for her beautiful and modest countenance, and humble deportment. A wealthy relation, a count, took her into his house, and made her wait upon his wife. ”

“ He raised himself on the pillows as if stung; a deep crimson rushed to his cheeks.
"It is," said Vesty sadly, quietly—"it is. What we want—putting by. Do you think I did not care for you?"
His haggard face turned to her.
"Will not always care for you? But you will never be a great man till you can put by what you want, when they stand against each other, for what is right, though it be hard. Then one would not only admire and love you; they would trust you to death's door, though all the way was hard."
Notely had no answer for the tongue-loosed Basin. ”

“ He subsequently returned to London, and is said to have resumed his practice. He died in London on 28 April 1751, aged about 71. At the Society of Antiquaries there is a portrait of Vertue by Gibson, painted in 1723 (engraved by Vertue himself) ; at the Royal Society a portrait of Flamsteed the astronomer; at the Bodleian Library, Oxford, portraits of Flamsteed and John Locke; and at the National Portrait Gallery a portrait of Archbishop Wake. ”

“ This proposal seemed to stir up all of Prosper’s anger.
“Never!” he exclaimed with excitement, “no, never will I voluntarily set eyes on that wretch!”
This resistance did not surprise M. Verduret.
“I can understand your feelings toward him,” said he, “but at the same time I hope you will change your mind. For the same reason that I wished to see M. de Lagors, do I wish to see M. Fauvel; it is necessary, you understand. Are you so very weak that you cannot put a constraint upon yourself for five minutes? I shall introduce myself as one of your relatives, and you need not open your lips.” ”

“ Verdant Green felt! The desire to bury his head under the clothes, away from Robert's and everyone else's sight; the fever that throbbed his brain and parched his lips, and made him long to drink up Ocean; the eyes that felt like burning lead; the powerless hands that trembled like a weak old man's; the voice that came in faltering tones that jarred the brain at every word! How he despised himself; how he loathed the very idea of wine; how he resolved never, never to transgress so again! But perhaps Mr. Verdant Green was not the only Oxford freshman who has made this resolution. ”

“ Verdant Green is drawing on his gloves, in the nervous manner that tongue-tied gentlemen go through the same performance during the conversational spasms of the first-set of Quadrilles; the groom is leading out the exuberantly playful quadruped on whose back Mr. Verdant Green is to disport himself; Charles Larkyns is mounted; the November sun is shining brightly on the perspective of the yard and stables, and the tower of New College; the dark archway gives one a peep of Holywell Street; while the cold blue sky is flecked with gleaming pigeons. ”

“ Meanwhile, Master Joseph had taken a seat at a table adjoining the one occupied by M. Verduret and Prosper; and, having called for some absinthe, was preparing it by holding the water aloft and slowly dropping it in the glass.
“Speak!” said M. Verduret.
“In the first place, patron, I must say that the position of valet and coachman to M. de Clameran is not a bed of roses.”
“Go on: come to the point. You can complain to-morrow.”
“Very good. Yesterday my master walked out at two o’clock. I, of course, followed him. Do you know where he went? The thing was as good as a farce. ”

“ When a sick child, with a mother like Vesty, turns and clings to one—well, it is like to set one up.
He quotes me, refers to me, defends me, apes all my mannerisms, and struts with them proudly as clear legal type and documentary evidence.
He has my name, Gurdon "Paul," with the rest: he is my heir. Handsome, stalwart, as our race has notably been; loving, generous, fearless, all that the world can give him will be his besides ”

“ Verdant Green wasting time in beating about the bush in this ridiculously timid way! Why could he not at once boldly secure his bird by a straightforward shot? She did not fly out of his range—did she? And yet, here he was making himself unnecessarily hot and uncomfortable, when he might, by taking it coolly, have been at his ease in a moment. What a foolish young man! Nay, he still further lost time and evaded his purpose, by saying once again to Miss Patty—instead of immediately replying to her observation—"'Pon my word, it's uncommonly hot! ”

“ But the young lady and gentleman must have been speaking with the spirit of ostriches, and have imagined that, when they had hidden their heads, they had altogether concealed themselves from observation; for the branches of the apple-tree only drooped low enough to conceal the upper part of their figures, and left the rest exposed to view. "Won't you sit down, also?" asked Verdant, with a gasp and a sensation in his head as though he had been drinking champagne too freely.
"I'm afraid there's scarcely room for me," pleaded Miss Patty. ”

“ They who know the agonies of an ambitious, indolent, doubting, self-accusing man,—of a man who has a skeleton in his cupboard as to which he can ask for sympathy from no one,—will understand what feelings were at work within the bosom of Sir Thomas when his Percycross friends left him alone in his chamber. ”

“ Voltaire, who was both the flatterer and the satirist of despotism, took another line. His forte lay in exposing and ridiculing the superstitions which priest-craft, united with state-craft, had interwoven with governments. It was not from the purity of his principles, or his love of mankind (for satire and philanthropy are not naturally concordant) , but from his strong capacity of seeing folly in its true shape, and his irresistible propensity to expose it, that he made those attacks. They were, however, as formidable as if the motive had been virtuous; ”

“ M. Verduret shrugged his shoulders, and said:
“Did you not perceive the gaps in my narrative?”
“I did not.”
“That is because you don’t know how to listen. In the first place, did Louis de Clameran poison his brother, or not?”
“Yes; I am sure of it, from what you tell me.”
“There you are! You are much more certain, young man, than I am. Your opinion is mine; but what proof have we? None. I skilfully questioned Dr. C——. He has not the shadow of suspicion; and Dr. C—— is no quack; he is a cultivated, observing man of high standing. What poisons produce the effects described? ”