freedom of living, and the charms of the surrounding country, holds out the strongest attractions to the recluse and studious. The examinations for academical honours are more severe than even for those of Trinity College Dublin. Amongst other circumstances which have concurred to crown Leyden with celebrity, I must not omit to relate that its neighbourhood gave birth to Rembrandt in 1606. His real name was Gerretz, but he is known by the name of Van Ryn, an appellation given to him from the place where he spent the youthful part of his life, on the borders of the Rhine. This illustrious artist is one amongst the many instances which might be produced, of the effect of accidental circumstances in early life determining the character and formation of genius; he derived his peculiarity of shade from the circumstance of his father’s mill receiving light from an aperture at the top, which, and not his studying under Jacob Pinas, gradually led him to use that breadth of shade for which he was so eminently distinguished. At a very early period he exhibited strong proofs of genius for painting, and by his productions astonished his master Jacques Van Zwanenburg, in whose school he continued three years. His father’s mill, and the circumjacent country, first attracted his attention, which, with the heavy living objects with whom he associated, so completely possessed his mind, that he seldom selected any others which were beautiful or graceful. When very young, one of his friends prevailed upon him to go to Amsterdam, and offer one of his pictures for sale, which he did, and sold it to a very able judge of genius in his line for one hundred florins. He went on foot with the treasure under his arm, but returned in a carriage. This trifling circumstance induced him to settle in that city, where he soon became solicited by persons of the first distinction for his works. Here, from the number of pupils who flocked to him, and the great demand for his paintings, wealth poured in upon him copiously. For instructing each of his pupils he received one hundred florins per annum, but becoming avaricious as he became wealthy, he sold a great number of copies made by them for his own pictures, in which he deceived the purchaser by retouching several parts. The swindling tricks and stratagems by which this great artist used to raise money, threw a deeper breadth of shade than his pencil ever cast upon his canvass, over the brighter parts of his genius. It is related that one of his pupils, well knowing his rapacious disposition, painted a number of coins upon some cards which he laid upon his master’s table when he was from home; on his return, he ran eagerly to seize them and recovered the vexation of his disappointment, only by admiring the dexterity of the deception.