of nineteen people, and it is probable that the portraits of all are faithful. The portrait of Henry VIII. was said by King James I. to be reported “very like him and well done,” and it is probable that the portraits of the others are equally good. The king is seated, and the eighteen persons receiving the charter are on their knees. These eighteen are arranged in two groups--a group of three on the right hand of the king, and a group of fifteen on the left. Those on the right are probably entitled to take precedence of the others, they are all members of the king’s household--viz., John Chambre, the king’s physician, who was, as we have seen, one of the six persons named in the charter of the College of Physicians; Sir William Butts, physician to Henry VIII., and one of the characters in Shakspeare’s play of that name; and Master J. Alsop, the Royal apothecary. The fifteen on the left are all surgeons or barbers. The chief, to whom the king is handing the charter, is Thomas Vicary, the king’s sergeant-surgeon, and the first medical officer appointed to St. Bartholomew’s Hospital; of the others, Ayliffe, Mumford, and Ferris were king’s surgeons, and Symson, Harman, and Penn were king’s barbers; of the remaining eight little is known. [Illustration: HOLBEIN’S PICTURE: HENRY VIII. GIVING A CHARTER TO THE BARBER-SURGEONS. [_To face p. 97._ ] THE FIRST ANATOMY LECTURES. The original charter to the Barber-Surgeons provided that the two mysteries of barbery and surgery should be kept distinct, and it gave facilities for obtaining the bodies of executed felons for purposes of anatomical study. There is no doubt that the anatomy lectures at the Barber-Surgeons’ Hall preceded those given by the physicians. The necessity of a knowledge of anatomy must have been felt daily by these early surgeons, and, like practical men, they took steps to supply their wants. The giving of these lectures, a physician being appointed lecturer, was the chief work of the Company. Some of the particulars collected by Mr. South are of interest, as showing how this first London School of Anatomy was worked. Every member of the Company was bound to attend the anatomy demonstrations, a fine of fourpence being imposed upon those freemen who were late, and sixpence upon those who were absent. For each summons to “an anatomy” the sum of 3s. 4d. was charged, whether present or absent, and the members of the Company were bound to come “decently appareyled, for their own honestye, and also for the worshippe of the Company.” The anatomical demonstrations appear to have been public, and their occurrence was a solemn festival--in fact, in the early days of the Company “private anatomies” were disallowed, except by special licence from the court. There were two masters of anatomy appointed yearly, and two stewards of anatomy to look after the creature comforts of those who attended the demonstration. It was also the duty of the masters and stewards