DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70266#0110
90
kirby’s wonderful museum.
house of Kofrock, to ask charity of the travellers. He
had but little sight, and his hair and beard were of a green-*
ish colour, like mouldy bread, and few of his teeth re-
mained. His son, ninety-seven years of age, was born of
his father’s third wife. Being a Greek by religion, the old
man was a strict observer of fasts, and never used any food
but milk and cakes, called by the Hungarians kollatschen,
together with a good glass of brandy. He had descendants
in the fifth generation, with whom he sported, carrying
them in his arms. He died in 1724. Count Wallis had
a portrait taken of this old man, when he fell in with him,
previous to his death. The Dutch envoy, then at Vienna,
transmitted this account to the States General.”
Whether the portrait of Zortan, in the possession of Mr.
Boswell, is one of those alluded to in the above short ac-
count, is not certain; but it is more than probable that it
was the case. There are inscriptions in High Dutch on the
picture, of which the following is a translation.
Petratsch Zortan, a peasant at a village called Keve-
retch, in the Banet of Temeswaer, in the 185th year of his
age; he died the 5th day of January, 1723-4. His younger
son is alive, in the 97th year of his age.”
The following description will give the reader some idea
of the picture of Peter Zortan.
“ He is dressed in a white frock, reaching down to his
knees, and a pair of white trowsers, tucked up at the ancles;
round his waist is a girdle made of rushes ; he has two front
teeth remaining in his under jaw ; he is sitting on a part of a
ruin, in a very dark shade: he rests his right hand on his seat,
and with his left,holds the end of his frock, as if somethingwas
contained in his lap; his stick leans against his right knee; his
left foot, (the sole of which is rather turned out), crosses his
right; and this part particularly, with his fingers, and the fold-
ing of his frock at the bottom, at the bosom, is executed with
exquisite taste and judgment; his hair, of which he has very
kirby’s wonderful museum.
house of Kofrock, to ask charity of the travellers. He
had but little sight, and his hair and beard were of a green-*
ish colour, like mouldy bread, and few of his teeth re-
mained. His son, ninety-seven years of age, was born of
his father’s third wife. Being a Greek by religion, the old
man was a strict observer of fasts, and never used any food
but milk and cakes, called by the Hungarians kollatschen,
together with a good glass of brandy. He had descendants
in the fifth generation, with whom he sported, carrying
them in his arms. He died in 1724. Count Wallis had
a portrait taken of this old man, when he fell in with him,
previous to his death. The Dutch envoy, then at Vienna,
transmitted this account to the States General.”
Whether the portrait of Zortan, in the possession of Mr.
Boswell, is one of those alluded to in the above short ac-
count, is not certain; but it is more than probable that it
was the case. There are inscriptions in High Dutch on the
picture, of which the following is a translation.
Petratsch Zortan, a peasant at a village called Keve-
retch, in the Banet of Temeswaer, in the 185th year of his
age; he died the 5th day of January, 1723-4. His younger
son is alive, in the 97th year of his age.”
The following description will give the reader some idea
of the picture of Peter Zortan.
“ He is dressed in a white frock, reaching down to his
knees, and a pair of white trowsers, tucked up at the ancles;
round his waist is a girdle made of rushes ; he has two front
teeth remaining in his under jaw ; he is sitting on a part of a
ruin, in a very dark shade: he rests his right hand on his seat,
and with his left,holds the end of his frock, as if somethingwas
contained in his lap; his stick leans against his right knee; his
left foot, (the sole of which is rather turned out), crosses his
right; and this part particularly, with his fingers, and the fold-
ing of his frock at the bottom, at the bosom, is executed with
exquisite taste and judgment; his hair, of which he has very