Attention may here be drawn to a fine sea-piece by Everdingen, the master of Ruysdael; to two small portraits of a _Husband and Wife_ of the Van Eyck School; and to a _Procession_ attributed to Dierick Bouts--all excellent examples of the Dutch School. An extremely interesting picture, now known to be of French origin, came also from the Reiset Gallery, namely, _The Virgin as Protector of the Human Race_[26]--a work executed in 1452 by Charonton and Vilatte for Jean Cadard and his wife, and of special importance in the history of French painting. [Illustration: Plate XXIII. Photo. Giraudon. THE MYSTIC MARRIAGE OF S. FRANCIS, BY SASSETTA. Photo. Giraudon. SIMONETTA VESPUCCIA, BY PIERRE DI COSIMO. Musée Condé. _To face page 146_] Five large Poussins, two Gaspar Dughets, a portrait of _Napoleon_ by Gerard; and no less than three works by Ingres came also from this same source: namely, the _Artist's own portrait as a youth_, a portrait of a _Madame Devançay_, and the painting of _Venus Anadyomene_, upon which he is known to have spent much time and thought throughout the last forty years of his life. Finally, to all these other treasures were added some drawings by Prud'hon. Then in 1882, from the Hamilton Palace Sale interesting portraits by Corneille de Lyon, and a small likeness of _Montaigne_ probably by a late pupil of that master; and at various subsequent London sales drawings were purchased by Botticelli, Canaletto, Tiepolo, Salomon Ruysdael, Dumoustier, Ingres, Van Loo, and Gericault, besides a great number of engravings. Whilst the Duke was making these important acquisitions he was at the same time gradually rebuilding the old Château of the Condés in order to house them adequately, and it is not to be wondered at that intellectual France took a great interest in this vast artistic enterprise. His Royal Highness was elected a Member of the Institut de France and invited to occupy the chair of M. de Cardaillac at the Académie des Beaux Arts. It was on this occasion that Victor Hugo, whom the Prince had referred to in his address of eulogy upon his predecessor, wrote him the following memorable letter: _Cher et Royal Confrère,_ _Je viens de lire vos nobles paroles sur moi. Je vous ecris emu. Vous êtes né prince et devenu homme. Pour moi votre royauté a cessé d'être politique et maintenant est historique; ma république ne s'en inquiète pas. Vous faites partie de la grandeur de la France. Et je vous aime._[27] It was, however, during the last years of his life that the Duke really made his most important acquisitions. In 1885, for the sum of £3,800, he bought from Mr. Fuller Russell the charming diptych painted in 1466 for Jeanne de France, daughter of Charles VII. This painting was formerly attributed to Memling, but Count Paul Durrieu now assigns it to Zanetto Bugatto of Milan, one of that master's greatest pupils in Italy. [Illustration: PLATE XXIV. _Photo. Giraudon._ The Three Graces.