We are not told from what paintings Nos. 2. and 3. are engraved, but they
resemble each other, and are somewhat like that in Bell's edition; so I
shall set these three down as forming one class of portraits. No. 2. has,
however, a curious inscription, _Edmund Spenser_, _obiit 1559_, which would
lead us to reject it altogether, and look on it as an imaginary likeness.
4. The portrait in Pickering's Aldine edition, 1839: this bears no
resemblance, either in costume or features, to those already mentioned;
but, if I mistake not, is like that in Todd's edition, published in
1805,--we may call these a second class.
An original portrait of Spenser is said to be in Lord Chesterfield's
collection; another in Duplin Castle, the seat of Lord Kinnoul (of this
there is a copy at Althorpe by Sir Henry Raeburn). Mr. Wright, in his
_Memorials of Cambridge_, mentions a portrait at Pembroke College, "a copy
by Wilson," but he does not say from what original: Mr. Craik, in _Spenser
and his Writings_, speaks of _two_ as being in this college.
The writer thinks he recollects a law-suit relative to a portrait of the
poet, which had been sold to the late Sir Robert Peel, and which was stated
to have come from Ireland. Perhaps some of your readers could give
information respecting this picture.
It is clear, if the first three are all from the Chesterfield original,
that this painting, and the one from which Mr. Pickering's is taken, cannot
both be portraits of Spenser. The object of this Query is to ascertain, if
possible, which engraving, or class of engravings, resembles the poet.