Of the earlier men there is not much chance of obtaining new information now, but there is always a possibility that letters or sketches by such a painter as Cooper may again come to light, and if such so fortunate a circumstance were to take place we should delight to learn more of the greatest of our British miniature painters, whose portraits were for so many years ignored in favour of the more brilliant, but far less important, works of the painters who exhibited in the early days of the Royal Academy. GEORGE C. WILLIAMSON. PLATE I [Illustration: MRS. PEMBERTON BY HANS HOLBEIN FROM THE COLLECTION OF MR. J. PIERPONT MORGAN] PLATE II [Illustration: QUEEN ELIZABETH BY NICHOLAS HILLIARD FROM THE CABINET OF A WELL-KNOWN COLLECTOR] PLATE III [Illustration: PHILIP II., KING OF SPAIN BY ISAAC OLIVER MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS BY NICHOLAS HILLIARD QUEEN ANNE OF DENMARK BY ISAAC OLIVER ALL FROM THE COLLECTION OF MR. J. PIERPONT MORGAN] PLATE IV [Illustration: A SON OF SIR KENELM DIGBY BY ISAAC OLIVER (1632) FREDERICK, KING OF BOHEMIA BY ISAAC OLIVER THE QUEEN OF BOHEMIA BY ISAAC OLIVER ALL FROM THE COLLECTION OF THE RT. HON. SIR CHARLES DILKE, BART., M.P.] PLATE V [Illustration: THE DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM BY JOHN HOSKINS, THE ELDER FROM THE CABINET OF A WELL-KNOWN COLLECTOR] PLATE VI [Illustration: QUEEN HENRIETTA MARIA BY JOHN HOSKINS, THE ELDER FROM THE COLLECTION OF MR. J. PIERPONT MORGAN] PLATE VII [Illustration: CHARLES II BY SAMUEL COOPER JOHN, EARL OF LOUDOUN (1598-1662) BY SAMUEL COOPER BOTH FROM THE COLLECTION OF MR. J. PIERPONT MORGAN] PLATE VIII [Illustration: COLONEL LILBURNE (1618-1657) BY SAMUEL COOPER VISCOUNTESS FAUCONBERG, DAUGHTER OF OLIVER CROMWELL BY SAMUEL COOPER BOTH FROM THE COLLECTION OF MR. E. M. HODGKINS] PLATE IX [Illustration: MISS CHRISTIAN TEMPLE BY OR AFTER SAMUEL COOPER FROM THE COLLECTION OF THE RT. HON. SIR CHARLES DILKE, BART., M.P. RACHEL FANE, COUNTESS OF BATH AND LATER OF MIDDLESEX (1612-1680) BY DAVID DES GRANGES FROM THE COLLECTION OF MR. E. M. HODGKINS] PLATE X [Illustration: JOHN MILTON ARTIST UNKNOWN FROM THE COLLECTION OF DR. G. C. WILLIAMSON] PLATE XI [Illustration: GEORGE, PRINCE OF DENMARK BY CHRISTIAN RICHTER FROM THE COLLECTION OF MR. E. M. HODGKINS] PLATE XII [Illustration: MADAME DU BARRY (1746-1793) BY RICHARD COSWAY, R.A. FROM THE COLLECTION OF MR. J. PIERPONT MORGAN] PLATE XIII [Illustration: VISCOUNTESS ST. ASAPH (_NÉE_ LADY CHARLOTTE PERCY) SECOND WIFE OF GEORGE, VISCOUNT ST. ASAPH, AFTERWARDS THIRD EARL OF ASHBURNHAM BY RICHARD COSWAY, R.A. FROM THE COLLECTION OF LORD HOTHFIELD] PLATE XIV [Illustration: LADY AUGUSTA MURRAY WIFE OF THE DUKE OF SUSSEX BY RICHARD COSWAY, R.A. HENRIETTA, LADY DUNCANNON AFTERWARDS COUNTESS OF BESSBOROUGH (Os. 1821) BY RICHARD COSWAY, R.A. BOTH FROM THE COLLECTION OF MR. J. PIERPONT MORGAN]