pictures were level, and the architecture above produced unity of impression from the beauty and glow of color and the purity of form. _Mr. Richmond._ And you would not exclude a Crevelli because it was quaint, or an early master of any school--you would have the infancy, the youth, and the age, of each school, would you not?--Certainly. _Dean of St. Paul's._ Of the German as well as the Italian?--Yes. _Mr. Richmond._ Spanish, and all the schools?--Certainly. 136. _Mr. Cockerell._ You are quite aware of the great liberality of the Government, as we learn from the papers, in a recent instance, namely, the purchase of a great Paul Veronese?--I am rejoiced to hear it. If it is confirmed, nothing will have given me such pleasure for a long time. I think it is the most precious Paul Veronese in the world, as far as the completion of the picture goes, and quite a priceless picture. Can you conceive a Government, or a people, who would countenance so expensive a purchase, condescending to take up with the occupation of the upper story of some public building, or with an expedient which should not be entirely worthy of such a noble Gallery of Pictures?--I do not think that they ought to do so; but I do not know how far they will be consistent. I certainly think they ought not to put up with any such expedient. I am not prepared to say what limits there are to consistency or inconsistency. _Mr. Richmond._ I understand you to have given in evidence that you think a National Collection should be illustrative of the whole art in all its branches?--Certainly. Not a cabinet of paintings, not a collection of sculptured works, but illustrative of the whole art?--Yes. 137. Have you any further remark to offer to the Commissioners?--I wish to say one word respecting the question of the restoration of statuary. It seems to me a very simple question. Much harm is being at present done in Europe by restoration, more harm than was ever done, as far as I know, by revolutions or by wars. The French are now doing great harm to their cathedrals, under the idea that they are doing good, destroying more than all the good they are doing. And all this proceeds from the one great mistake of supposing that sculpture can be restored when it is injured. I am very much interested by the question which one of the Commissioners asked me in that respect; and I would suggest whether it does not seem easy to avoid all questions of that kind. If the statue is injured, leave it so, but provide a perfect copy of the statue in its restored form; offer, if you like, prizes to sculptors for conjectural restorations, and choose the most beautiful, but do not touch the original work.