William Winde, a Dutch architect who visited England in the reign of Charles II., erected, among other works, Buckingham House in St. James’ Park, for the Duke of Bucks. He had nearly finished this edifice, but the payment was most sadly in arrears. Accordingly Winde enticed the Duke one day to mount upon the leads, to enjoy the grand prospect. When there, he coolly locked the trapdoor and threw the key over the parapet, addressing his astounded patron, “I am a ruined man, and unless I have your word of honor that the debts shall be paid, I will instantly throw myself over.” “And what is to become of me?” asked the Duke. “You shall go along with me!” returned the desperate architect. This prospect of affairs speedily drew from the Duke the wished-for promise, and the trapdoor was opened by a workman below, who was a party in the plot. THE FREEDOM OF THE TIMES IN THE REIGN OF CHARLES II. The freedom allowed in social intercourse is well illustrated by a sketch in the account of Graham. William Wissing, a Dutch painter who succeeded Sir Peter Lely in fashionable portrait painting in England, was noted for his complaisant manners, which recommended him to most people’s esteem, “In drawing his portraits, especially those of the fair sex, he always took the _beautiful_ likeness; and when any lady came to sit to him whose complexion was in any ways pale, he would commonly take her by the hand and dance her about the room till she became warmer; by which means he heightened her natural beauty, and made her fit to be represented by his hand”! HANNEMAN’S PICTURE OF “PEACE” Descamps says that Adrian Hanneman painted for the States of Holland an emblematical subject of Peace, impersonated by a beautiful young female habited in white satin, and seated on a throne. The picture was very charming, so much so that the gallant burgomasters presented the living model who served for it with a gratuity of 1000 florins! WEESOP. This Dutch painter is chiefly known in England, for his successful imitations of Vandyck. He spent some time there, but left in 1649, saying, “He would never stay in a country where they cut off their king’s head, and were not ashamed of the action.” Walpole remarks that it would have been more sensible to say, he would not stay where they cut off the head of a king who rewarded painters, and then defaced and sold his collection. FOOTNOTE: [A] “I cannot forbear quoting Madame Hahn-Hahn’s reflections on the Museum of Seville, and the custody of pictures in that city in 1841.