ISAAC AND PETER OLIVER.

Horace Walpole's mention of the sale of an historical miniature by Peter Oliver, in May 1726, suggests this as an opportunity to allude to the performances of Peter, and his distinguished father, Isaac Oliver.

Mr. Granger says, there never appeared in England, nor perhaps in the whole world, a greater master in miniature than Isaac Oliver. He painted a few pieces of history, but generally portraits; which have so much truth and delicacy, as never to have been equalled, but by the smaller works of Holbein. He died in the reign of Charles I. Peter died in 1654. In por traits he was comparable with his father. Granger adds, that the head of Peter Oliver's wife is supposed to be the most capital of his works.

The greater part of the collection of pictures made by Charles I., among which were several of the Oliver's, being dispersed in the troubles, Charles II., who remembered and was desirous of recovering them, made many inquiries about them after the restoration. At last he was told that Peter Oliver's widow was living at Isleworth and had many of their works. The king went very privately and unknown to see them, and the widow showed several finished and unfinished. Charles asked if she would sell them; she replied she had a mind the king should see them first. He then discovered himself, on which she produced others which she seldom exhibited. The king desired her to set her price: she said she did not care to do that with his majesty, she would leave it to him; but she promised to look over her husband's books, and let his majesty know what prices his father, the late king, had paid. The king took away what he liked, and sent a message to Mrs. Oliver with the option of £1000 or an annuity of £300 for her life. She chose the annuity. Some years afterwards it happened that Charles's mistresses had begged all or most of these pictures, which Mrs. Oliver being told of, she said that if she thought that the king would have given them away to such--[sort of people]-he never should have had them. This reached the court, the poor woman's annuity was

stopped, and she never received it afterwards.

The name of Oliver appears to have been connected with the arts from the time of James I., to whom John Oliver was master-mason. His descendant, of the same name, was one of the three commissioners for regulating the plan of building the city of London after the great fire in 1666. Aubrey says, that he was the city surveyor, and that he became possessed of a great part of the MS. designs and sketches of Inigo Jones. This John Oliver, who is presumed to have been son to James, a younger brother of Peter Oliver's, is also presumed to have been the painter of the Saving of St. Peter from prison, on a glass window, at ChristChurch, Oxford, inscribed, "J. Oliver, aetat. suæ 84, anno 1700, pinxit deditque." The finest specimen of his minute works, sun-dials with flies, insects, and butterflies, is (or was) in the parlour window of the rectory house at Northill in Bedfordshire, where he had been employed to make a window of exquisitely finished blazoning for the chancel of the church. One of his best performances is a sun-dial, with the arms of archbishop Sheldon, and a view of the theatre at Oxford, now in Lambeth palace.

[Copy.] "Newcastle, the 7th day of May, 1660. "Sir,-The country as well as the town abounds with vanities, now the reins of liberty and licentiousness are let loose. May-poles, and Plays, and Juglers, and all things else now pass current; sin now appears with a brazen face. That wicked spirit amongst men, that formerly was curbed and restrained, doth now auda ciously and impudently show itself with boasting and gloriation."*

GROOM PORTER

[For the Year Book.]

Whether the decorous spectacle described in the Year Book at pp. 25, 60, of royalty throwing dice at the Groom Porter's, is still exhibited I cannot say; but that the custom was observed so late as a century since is proved by the first number of the Gentleman's Magazine, which after describing various other ceremonies at Court on Twelfth Day, 1731, proceeds:-"At night, their Majesties play'd at hazard with the Nobility, for the benefit of the Groom Porter; and 'twas said the king won 600 guineas, the queen 360, the princess Amelia twenty, the princess Caroline ten, the earl of Portmore and duke of Grafton several thousands."

I cannot refrain from adding the paragraph which immediately succeeds, because, taken in connexion with the preceding, it describes a delightful mode of dispensing equally those "laws which were made for ev'ry degree"

"At night, Mr. Sharpless, hign constable of Holborn division, together with several of his petty constables, went to scarch a notorious gaming-house behind Grays Inn Walks, by virtue of a warrant under the hands and seals of the right honorable Lord Delawar, and eleven

Loud call to England, 1660, p. 24.

other of His Majesty's justices of the peace for the county of Middlesex ; but the gamesters having previous notice they all fled, except the master of the house, who, being named in the warrant, was apprehended, examined, and bound in a recognizance of £200 penalty, pursuant to the old statute of 33 Henry VIII."

Certainly there is nothing more commendable than even-handed justice.

Soine farther allusions to the practices at the Groom Porter's may be collected from old plays,—

"He will win you,

By unresistible luck, within this fortnight, Enough to buy a barony. They will set him Upmost at the Groom Porter's, all the Christmas."-Jonson's Alchemist, Act 3.

"Faith! ill company, and that common vice of the town, gaming, soon ran out my younger brother's fortune; for, imagining, like some of the luckier gamesters, to improve my stock at the Groom Porter's, I ventured on and lost all."Mrs. Behn's Widow Ranter, Act 1.

"O happy man! I shall never need to sneak after a lord, to sing catches, to break jests, to eat and rook with him. I'll get me a pack of fox-dogs, hunt every day, and play at the Groom Porter's at night."-Shadwell's True Widow, Act 3. J. B――n.

Staffordshire Moorlands.

F. Nash, 1600.

The annexed notice is by a gentleman who possesses a set of elegant chessmen, which he most obligingly lent, for the purpose of drawings being made from such of the pieces as might be selected. Six engravings are executed, including the king and queen above.

FLAXMAN'S CHESSMEN.

[For the Year Book.]

In this country the game of chess is generally played with pieces either of wood or ivory, just sufficiently carved at the top to denote their different character and power, and with turned bases. In many of our shops for articles of eastern luxury, sets of chessmen of elaborate workmanship, and costly material, are exhibited, to attract the notice of the "passers by," while it is not generally known that the late distinguished sculptor, John Flaxman, R. A., of whom it has been justly said, that "he was the first

of our countrymen who united poetry with sculpture, executed for Messrs. Wedgewood, of Etruria, a series of models for a set of chessmen, which, for beauty of design, and variety of attitude, are unrivalled. It is to be regretted that, from the close of Messrs. Wedgewood's establishment in London, no further information relative to these specimens of elegant pottery can be obtained than that "the moulds are still in existence."

As you, Mr. HONE, have thought designs from some of these "pieces" would form a pleasing embellishment to the Year Book, I will endeavour to give some little description of them.

The kings and queens are statues of about three inches and a-half, standing on circular pedestals of three quarters of an inch in height; the postures of the black king and queen are very bold and striking; but the expression of simpie dignity in the white king and queen [engraved above] is particularly interesting.

The bishops are from one mould. Could your readers see the cast, I think they would acknowledge that the figure could not be surpassed. The spirit of religion and meekness has never been developed in a purer form; the countenance, the attitude, the fall of the drapery, are all inexpressibly beautiful.

The knights are likewise from the same mould the grouping of the man and horse is very graceful, and the action highly spirited and characteristic.

The castles, also alike, represent a square "Donjon keep," with a single turret, or watch tower, at one angle of the battlements.

The pawns, about two inches in height, are figures of men at arms, bill-men and bow-men, in various positions of offence or defence: the attitude of a wounded warrior, and of another who is about to hurl a large stone on his enemy, is very good.

Every figure in this set of chessmen is modelled with anatomical correctness, and, in the movements of the game, they form very beautiful groups, and impart to it an additional interest.

R. R.

A LESSON ON THE GAME. [For the Year Book.] A few evenings ago, my friend Jamieson called at my chambers to play a game of chess. He has taste in the fine arts, as well as skill in the game, and I produced a set of Flaxman's chess-men, by Wedgewood, which I deem it good fortune to possess, and which I think must be the pieces alluded to in the Year Book, p. 271.

We had just concluded a game, and were admiring the beauty of the bishop, when a card was brought to my friend. ""Tis from a country client," said he, "I must attend to him." "You can see him in the next room," I replied, "and in the mean time I will endeavour to amuse mysclf with one of Carrera's situations" Jamieson retired, and I was soon deep in the study of the sixteenth problem. With the assistance of pen and paper to note my moves, I was enabled to master it without reference to the printed solution; and, in expectation of my opponent's return, I arranged the pieces on the board for a fresh game. Upon raising my eyes, I was surprised to find my friend's chair occupied by a very quaint looking person,

whose style of dress reminded me of Vandyk's picture of the earl of Arundel, only that my visitor's garments did not appear to have been made with quite so much care as that nobleman's are represented to have been.

I can hardly describe my sensations; but they were not those of fear. I looked upon a manly brow, illumined by a clear blue eye, and, although the general expression of the face was as I have before termed quaint, the smile that played over the features was highly characteristic of benevolence. Yet I was uneasy; for I felt myself in the presence of an unearthly being, and anxiously waited for him to communicate the object of his

visit.

"My name," said the unknown, "is not strange to you: I am Don Pietro de Carrera; and I have been so much pleased with the patient attention which you have bestowed upon that problem, that, if you will listen to me, I will teach you a lesson on the game which you may find of great service in your path through life."

I bowed, and, as stenography is one of the arts I have studied professionally, I instinctively took up the pen I had just used. I was enabled to write every word that fell from his lips. This circumstance now appears to me to be very extraordinary. The sounds he uttered were in a strange language-it must have been the spirituality of his communication which went direct to my understanding.

Carrera resumed-"From the earliest age of civilized society, the game of chess has been considered a study which would amply repay the steady application and serious reflection necessary to acquire its perfect knowledge. In my day its professors were sought after, and entertained as the friends of the great, and the companions of princes-those times are long since past, and I cannot regret, that, with the general diffusion of knowledge, this game, which was once the science of the few,' is now the never-failing source of rational enjoyment to the many. The studious, the wise, the good, in every clime have considered it a noble recreation; following the example of the early masters of its mysteries, they have recorded for the benefit of posterity the result of their practice; and the moralist has formed from it many a pleasing and instructive allegory.

"The work before you contains my

principles of the game of chess. I intended to have given in a concluding chapter some remarks on the application of those principles to the game of life.

"The Board may be considered the field of life, chequered with good and evil, on which man is to play his game and be rewarded according to his deserts.

"The Pawns may be looked upon as representing those feelings which are first excited by circumstances, and form barriers to those stronger passions which I would represent by the superior pieces. Happy is the man, who, by care and attention to his pawns, maintains that barrier, behind which he may securely bring his pieces into play. But in the game of life, as in chess, the players are generally anxious for early distinction; and, to the imprudence of suffering the passions to escape from their line of defence, most of the difficulties and dangers that immediately beset them may be traced.

"The Castle, moving over the board in direct lines, represents that innate sense of justice pervading every human breast, which, however attacked, when properly maintained, cannot be conquered. Strong in its own might, it forms a bulwark of defence at home, while it controls and punishes at a distance the errors of the adversary.

"The Knight, eccentric in his movements, but regulated by fixed principles of action, pourtrays that feeling of honor which, deviating from the beaten course, seeks for adventures. He often proves a firm friend in the hour of need; yet his roving propensity sometimes carries him far from succor, and he falls a victim to his chivalrous nature.

"By the walk of the Bishops may be considered the religious feeling which is continually crossed by the movements of ordinary life as they never leave the color of the square tney start from, they are typical of a firm faith.

"Ambition may find a representative in the Queen; combining the power of the castle and bishop, she roams over the field; like the ambitious of the world, she requires great support from the lower pieces, and is frequently cut off when she ventures too boldly to attack.

The King, only moving one square at a time, while every direction is open to his choice, is highly characteristic of Prudence. He seldom moves unless forced, shelters himself behind, and claims the succor of Justice, Honor, Religion and

Ambition. The rule which gives the game to the party who deprives the opponent's king of the power of motion proves that the inventors of the game, unlike the levellers of the present day, were firm loyalists, and duly impressed with the divinity that 'doth hedge a king.'”

I here felt a touch on my elbow, and my pen fell from my hand, "Confound it, what a blot!" I exclaimed; and, as I spoke, I was surprised to see a cloud, from which issued a most delicious fragrance, pass over the face of Carrera. On its clearing away, I discovered the fea

tures of Jamieson.

My friend laughed immoderately. "Why Granville," said he, "when I returned, your candle snuffs were of portentous length; I trimmed them, and as you did not acknowledge the obligation, but continued your writing, I quietly took a cigar; and have been enjoying, for this half hour, the sight of a man making hieroglyphics in his sleep."-" Hieroglyphics do you term them," I replied, I will send them to friend HONE, and, should he deem them worthy of a page in his Year Book, I hope they may not send any of his readers to sleep. A. I.

March, 1831.

WRITERS ON CHESS-PLAYERS AT THE GAME-CHESSMEN.

[For the Year Book.]

Much learning has been wasted, to very little purpose, in tracing the origin of the game of chess: it has been referred by some to the TETTεía, and by others to the TAOior of the Greeks. Some have considered it to bear a resemblance to the Latrunculus, some to the Alveus, of the Romans. Some, again, have believed it to be the invention of the Chinese, and some, of the Hindoos; but, after all, the question re nains in as much uncertainty as at first. It is clear, however, that the Greek and Roman games were games of chance: in chess chance has no part; and, in so far, the games, as played by the Chinese and Hindoos, from times "beyond which the memory of man reacheth not," resemble that of the present day; varying, as they both do, their similarity is sufficient to prove that, in essentials, they are the same, and, therefore, that the game, as played in Europe, whoever may have been the inventor, was brought from the east.