THE PORTRAITS OF JOHN KNOX. 297 and qualities. For the rest, several of these gentle- men objected to the costume as belonging to the Puritan rather than to Knox's time ; concerning which preliminary objection more anon, and again more. Mr. Robert Tait, a well-known Artist, of whom we have already spoken, and who has taken great pains in this matter, says :
- The Engraving from the Somerville Portrait is an
' unusually correct and successful representation of it,
- yet it conveys a higher impression than the picture
' itself does ; the features, especially the eyes and nose, ' are finer in form, and more firmly defined in the
- engraving than in the picture, while the bricky
- colour in the face of the latter and a somewhat
- glistening appearance in the skin give rather a
' sensual character to the head. These defects or pecu-
- liarities in the colour and surface are, however, pro-
- bably due to repainting ; the Picture must have been
- a good deal retouched, when it was lined, some thirty
' or forty years ago ; and signs are not wanting of ' even earlier manipulation .... Some persons have ' said that the dress, especially the falling band, belongs
- to a later age than that of Knox, and is sufficient to
