Buchanan, William: Memoirs of painting: with a chronological history of the importation of pictures by the great masters into England since the French Revolution (Band 2) (London: Ackermann, 1824)

352 MR. BUCHANAN’S IMPORTATIONS.
good price to give off hand, yet, next to Mr.
Gray’s large Hobbima, at Hornsey, I consider these
to be about the best pictures of the master which
I have seen; and there was no time to lose, as I
was only a few hours a-head of several connois-
seurs, who had set off like myself on a voyage of
discovery, and carried heavy metal. This, to be-
gin with, I consider to be a pretty little acquisi-
tion.
44 Being exceedingly anxious to get to Antwerp
to see the picture of the Chapeau de Paille, and
three other fine pictures, by Rubens, which are
soon to be sold, we left Brussels after dinner, in-
tending to remain at Antwerp during the night;
but, on considering the risk I ran of losing the
opportunity of seeing Hoguer’s pictures a day pre-
vious to the sale, in order to enable me to form a
judgment on their merits, I determined on passing
through Antwerp without stopping. We arrived
at that city in time to gain admittance, although
the gates had been shut, and were re-opened to us
per favour; but at the post-house we were in-
formed that no one could get out without an order
from the Governor of the place ; being determined
however to make the attempt, and having agreed
to pay for the hire of fresh horses whether we
should or should not succeed in passing the gates,
we obtained them, and drove up to the post, when