INIGO JONES.

"Great Ends from Small Beginnings."

THERE resided, towards the latter end of the sixteenth century, in the city of London, and close to the old cathedral of St. Paul's, an honest, respectable citizen, by trade a clothmaker, by name Ignatius Jones.

A kindly, well-intentioned good man; although a strict Roman Catholic, he gained the good will of all, fulfilled his duties, and strove to bring up his children, a son and a daughter, properly, and in the fear of God.

The son, as he grew up, was a source of very great anxiety to his father. His religion prevented him from sending the youthful Inigo to either Oxford or Cambridge; yet, being a man superior to his social position, he appreciated the advantages of education, and desired to have him taught both Greek and Latin.

He, therefore, placed him under the guidance of their old confessor; for, in the sixteenth century,

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FATHER SIMON'S PUPIL.

the clergy were the usual instructors of youth, and, among the Roman Catholics, were, indeed, the only preceptors to be had.

Father Simon found Inigo apt, and quick in learning the classics. He He was also particularly fond of geometry and mathematics; but the teacher's satisfaction at his pupil's progress was marred by one never-ceasing cause of complaint :

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"Your son," said the poor preceptor to Jones' parents, "hath parts, and an excellent memory; but on every book he sketches buildings, animals, nay, even figures ;" "and I ask you, if such idle habits are favourable to acquiring the tongues?" Ignatius, however, did not altogether share Father Simon's sentiments on this subject. He saw the lad had uncommon talent for drawing; and seriously reflected, how such a taste might be turned to good account in Inigo's future career.

Ignatius, so little can we foresee the future, had probably no higher ambition at that time, than that Inigo should rise in an honest trade; not dreaming, that his son's taste for drawing would immortalise his name, and add a lustre to his country's fame, by English genius, and English architecture.

A few years later, however, we find Inigo apprenticed to a joiner or carpenter, on Ludgate Hill East, who was in a large way of business, and employed by all the noblemen about court.

Inigo worked diligently at this craft for three or four years, and associated with other lads of his

LORD PEMBROKE'S CABINET.

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own age, liked his own calling, and gave satisfaction to his employer.

He retained, however, the old fancy for drawing. The auger and the measure had not supplanted the pencil and the paint-brush; and every leisure-hour or holiday was eagerly seized upon, to be filled up by copying pictures, or drawing studies from the workshop; while the praise his performances elicited from his companions, were, perhaps, among his most remembered early triumphs, and, perchance, sweeter to his vanity (ever a distinguishing trait in his character), than the later plaudits of his king or country.

They were the first heralds of his dawning reputation.

One day, the sun streaming through the narrow window of the workshop, and lighting up the room, an incident took place, that in an instant turned the current of his destiny.

His employer had received a command from William, Earl of Pembroke, to make him a cabinet.

Some delay occurring in the completion of the order, Lord Pembroke sent word that he might like some change in the design, and that he would come and see the cabinet himself, so as to judge of the effect of the proposed alteration.

His message had come on the day we are speaking of; Inigo and his companions were busily engaged in fixing a richly carved door in its proper place, while, in the hurry and confusion, Inigo's

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THE ARTIST REVEALED.

easel, at which he had been painting the preceding day, was left in a corner of the room.

On it was standing one of his first original landscapes from nature. The song and the jest went round, each lad taking part in some merry glee to lighten their labour, when Lord Pembroke arrived, and was ushered into the shop.

In those days, before Cromwell had revolutionized the whole country, rank claimed and obtained respect from all classes beneath it.

The apprentices fell back, while the tall and stately nobleman gave his orders to their master. Lord Pembroke had just called for his coach, when his observant eye fell, and rested on Inigo's easel. How quickly the latter's heart rose and fell, and how crimson he became at the idea even of such a well-known judge of art, criticising his picture!

Lord Pembroke went up to it, and immediately enquired the name of the artist.

Great seemed his surprise, when Inigo's master, calling him forward, introduced a slight lad, about twenty years of age, as the painter.

"Dost thou love art?" enquired Lord Pembroke kindly; "be not ashamed, lad, of thy good picture; it doth verily shame the pictures of many of our courtier painters."

"Doth he love his painting? Aye, by my troth, an' it please your lordship, that he doth," replied the joiner, seeing Inigo too confused to speak; "but the lad hath little time or means to be well instructed."