Hervey, Mary F. S.; Holbein, Hans [Ill.]: Holbein's "Ambassadors": the picture and the men : an historical study (London: George Bell & sons, 1900)

CHAPTER II

The History of the “Ambassadors” from 1654 to the Present Day.

Chronology of the Picture.

EAN WHILE Camusat, ever active in the cause of archae-
ology, carefully preserved the record of the famous Polisy
Holbein, in letters addressed to his friends, the Godefroy
brothers. Those letters themselves, with possibly one
exception, have not been found. But the summary of their contents,
drawn up by the Godefroy family, exists at the present day at the
Bibliotheque de 1’Institut at Paris; and shall here be given word for
word:
“ Memoire1 pour 1’intelligence de trois lettres envoydes par Monsr. Camusat,
1 Memoir in explanation of three letters sent by Monsr. Camusat, Canon of St.
Pierre at Troyes, [touching a picture made in England of George de Selve, Bp. of Lavaur,
who had gone thither to visit the Bailly of Troies, Sr. de Polizi, Jean d’Inteville, at that
time the king’s ambassador].
There are two relating to the Bishop of Lavaur, George de Selve, son of M. le
Premier President de Selve, which Bishop had been invited by M. de Polizy, bailly of
Troyes, ambassador in England in the years 1532 [O.S.] and 1533, to visit him in England,
which he did, having first taken leave of the king. And being in England, they had made
the excellent picture by a Dutch painter, Holben, which picture was preserved in the
House of Polizy, distant but one league from Bar-sur-Seine, a hundred and forty [.57k] years
and more, as belonging to the Seigneur of the place, Sr. de Sessac, until the year 1653,
when he had it removed to Paris, to his house near the parish of St. Sulpice; the said
picture representing the said Sr. de Polizy, Jean de d’Inteville, and the said Bishop of
Lavaur who was afterwards ambassador with Charles V.; the said Bishop died in 1541- The
18