ghost of Sir George Beaumont.) Thinks the
public money has in some cases been judiciously
spent in the purchase of pictures. In other
cases, thinks it, has been wasted in a most
monstrous manner. Is of the opinion that the only
thing that justifies the disbursement of the
public money in pictures, is intrinsic merit in
those pictures. Is also of opinion that the
purchase at immense expense of works of art,
which are not good specimens of the masters
they represent, and which are bought simply
because they are by those masters, is a mistaken
proceeding. Supposing such a thing possible,
that  some National Library could only secure
a copy of Castle Dangerous with which to
represent SIR WALTER SCOTT, or of Titus
Andronicus as a specimen of SHAKESPEARE—-
thinks they would do better to have no specimen of
those masters.  If Professor Waghorn thinks
that is not evidence, and would be glad to know
what the witness means, will give as an instance
the purchase of a picture called The Adoration
of the Magi, said to be by PAUL VERONESE,
which is not a good picture, and by no means
worth the money expended on it.

The ghost of Sir George Beaumont wishes to
know whether Professor Fudge is aiming a blow
at the reputation of Paolo Veronese?

Mr. Fudge (resuming his evidence) is of
opnion that Paolo Veronese is one of the greatest
painters that ever lived, but that the picture
alluded to is either a bad one, or a spurious one,
and that the authorities who purchased it would
have done better to wait; as, indeed, the event
has proved, a very fine specimen of this master,
The Family of Darius, having since come into
the possession of the nation.

Professor Waghorn would like to inquire if
there is anything else in which Mr. Smudge
would like to impugn the judgment of persons
who —- or they would not be employed by
government —- are infallible.

The witness (remarking in passing that his
name is not Smudge but Fudge) deposes that
there are a great many more things in which he
is at issue with those infallible persons spoken
of by Professor Waghorn. Witness finds, on
reference to the catalogue which he holds in his
hand, that there are in the national collection
eleven works by RUBENS, seven of which were
purchased with the public money. That of
those seven pictures, three only are good for
anything: that, is to say, the Rape of the Sabines,
lucidly described in the catalogue as " a
tumultuous group of men and women in violent
struggle," the landscape called Rubens's Chateau,
and the Judgment of Paris. The rest, which
are poor affairs (shiver from Sir George Beaumont),
can only be excused as purchases, if they
were inevitable parts of a "lot" which the
country wanted.

Professor Waghorn wishes witness to explain
himself.

Mr. Fudge will have the greatest pleasure in
doing so. What he means may be best shown
by an instance. Witness has been present this
morning at an auction of general property, at
which a nice pair of washing-tubs were put up
for sale; witness wished to purchase the washing-
tubs for domestic purposes, but found that
they were inseparably mixed up with a cockatoo's
cage, seven flat-irons, and two carpet-brooms,
which he did not require. He accepted, however,
these supererogatory appendages because
he wanted the tubs, and he supposes, in his
fairness, that government may have been obliged
to do the like with regard to some of the national
pictures. Witness would think that the pictures
called respectively, The Triumph of Julius Caesar,
The Horrors of War, and The Apotheosis of
William the Taciturn, must have come into the
possession of this unfortunate country under
some such circumstances.

Professor Waghorn has a distinct recollection
of the two first of these magnificent works, but
would be obliged if the witness could refresh
his memory with regard to the last.

The Apotheosis of William the Taciturn, the
witness continues, is a picture representing a
gentleman going up to Heaven in a cuirass and
jack-boots, assisted by numerous angels, who
look heavy enough to require some aid
themselves m getting off the ground, and one of whom
has a helmet on. A disagreeable-looking man,
who probably found the Silent William a
congenial companion, is trying to hold him down to
earth, while a strange, and hitherto unknown
animal, compounded of a lioness, a mastiff, and
a bull-calf, is kicking up his heels below in
evident joy at William's removal from a sphere
where he contributed so little to the general
satisfaction of society.

Sir George Beaumont begs to inquire whether
Mr. Fudge is aware that, in objecting to certain
purchases of pictures by PETER PAUL RUBENS,
he has uttered an implied censure on the
judgment of those persons who bought the glorious
picture called " The Brazen Serpent"?

Mr. Fudge is perfectly aware that he has
implied such a censure. He thinks that that
picture does not justify the outlay of the Public
Money by the Trustees of the National Gallery,
at a time when they were possessed of such
good specimens of the master as are to be found
in the Rape of the Sabines, and the magnificent
landscape of Rubens's Chateau, presented by one
of the gentlemen he sees before him on that
bench. Sir George Beaumont rises, and bows,
and remarks that he is glad Mr. Fudge can
appreciate that work at any rate. After which the
witness goes on to say that the warning
afforded by the collection at the Louvre, in Paris,
should make any nation careful how they
overwhelmed themselves with pictures by the
distinguished artist whose works were under
discussion.

Dr. Waghorn inquires whether witness has
anything else to object to?

Mr. Fudge replies that he has a great deal;
that he has only, in fact, just begun objecting.
He objects to a couple of pictures by Guido,
one, of Susannah assaulted by two mahogany
Elders; the other, of a mahogany Lot and two
Daughters. He also objects to a vile Magdalen by