Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1830-09-10
TO THE EDITOR OF THE EMQUIR Err

TO THE EDITOR OF THE ENQUIRER
Petersburg, Sept 3, 1880.
DEAR SIR In consequence OF a paragraph which
appeared in Your last paper sgued W Boiling. on the
subject Of the Portraits OF Rolfe and Pocahonas deem
y necessary 10 address few remarks TO Doubt
less there are many others in the world capable OF
estimating moral probabilities as Mr. b., possibly NAV
be one, therefore, will proceed
In my humble opinion, the manner in which the
Portraits in question were acquired, leaves very little
II indeed any doubt at all, concerning who were the
originals When NJ. RylanG Randolph lat the sale
OF whose Estate, Mr. b acknowledges that hi. father
purchased these pictures) was in England he in
formed that the Portraits of Role and Pocahontas
(accdenay let after the de ath Of the laer) were in
tho possession of an Engli.h famy--he imrne dateIv
called on this family who him that they had such
pictures, and on his Offering to purchase them, gave
them 70 him gratuifomsiy. with The observation ,ha
be (Mr r. being descendant. had the best right to
them. Now,l would ask Mr.. VIM Boiling ques-
ton ere go hrther-Wi he be so good or rather
can he be go ingenious as TO inform us, what motive
could have induced Englisb family of respectabity
TO cheat the public, generation after generation (as
are compelled TO believe they did if we admit the in.
falbily Mr. Bs authority with the story of their
possessing such Portraits Until Mr. b. can give sat-
hiscory reasons why the apparently unbiased tes-
mony OF this family should no, be recoen I al least
sha' continue to attach more importance to il than 10
the very vague and unsupported spe culaons of Mr.
W. Is. They probably knew better how these pictures
came n'o herro'session than Mr.. b. did, who
norm for hall century aher-But let me fairly exam
me the logic CT Mr.. W. Bollings statement and ascer-
tain the precise value Of 1.-THE pictures he saws
were purchased at he price of tcenty sir hiines for
hoth"-What does this prove,-ihat they were not the
Portraits OF Role and Pocahontas' Most as uredly IL
does not but simply, that Mr.. RI executor (another
Mnu mlu') was as Ignorant Of their value Mr.. Boil
ing himself, there being doubt, their orgnal-
iy-l cannot help thinking that Mr.. w b. emory
tails him sadly when he asserts that his father Mr.
nos. Boiling, purchased these pictures not believing
them TO be the Portraits of Rolfs and POcahontas for
am ASSURED that Mr.. T. Boiling did well know that
Mr. Ryland Randolph received them as such when in
Eng and-the truth Of which Mr.. David Meade Ran
tyi Lot ~ a. =
resemblance Of features bettceen the portrait of the
male and that Of his grandfdiher John boiling who
was DESCENDANT, assists Mr.. WIN. Boling's logic in
the least.
My mother Che Granddaughter OF Thos. Bolling) who
was in the habit from infancy, Of making ire quen' and
long vits every wear at the house of her
recornZss the Portrait copied by Mr. Suv as the
one aways shewn by her Grandfather and Gsandmo-
ther for that of Pocsbontas. My father also. remem-
bers distinctly that the pointed out him ny
Mr. boling.as the Portrait OF Pocahonas had pre-
viously fixed upon this very one as such il being the
only one in the collection dre according TO The court
costume OF james the first in whose reign il is well
known that Pocahonas went to England and there
died alter brief sclourn Of about twelve month-bur
sn'pectihet Mr. W. Boiling is TO great connoisseur
IN paintings or antiquitiss-I have long been imprest
with the idea ,la person would not write worse or
any sui sct from understar ding s.nefhing of i'll
throw out us hint, that Mr.. b may not in future
commit himself Before the public he has done-c g.
Mi w. b. says 1t cannot be The Portrait of an
lncian At ALL much less Pocahontas lit represents
female OF sallow complexion with head Of thick curl
ed hair one would naturally conclude from Mr.. b.
phrsseoogv, that il is bushy head of hair like a rus
Iauos wi irh Is tar from being the csse-It IL evidently
long black hair. ouIled in the fashion, by means
hick-A very little antiquarian knowledge would have
certified MIR. w b. that 'be discovery both OF curling
irons and papotes aniceden to the reign of James
the Tristan idea or two OF natural history would have
Induced suspicion that the ends Of Indians hair
however straight by nature, might be arfcally bent
by The aid OF eiiher-Poca h9ntas did not appear in
England at,ired in the costume Of the court of Pow
haan-a bulaoe robe--She adopted the
costume OF the people she going ongs, and she
is OF course las might naturally expecO represe
ed in The court dress of James the fret. every one
will find by reference TO the Portraits Of the day. es.
pecially that of the Princess PaIa,ne Elizabeth In
these Portraits (mos excellent engravngs from which
have SEEM the hair parted the orehead-curled
at TIE sides and behind, precisely in the old picture
OF Pocahonta', the rest of whose dress infinitely
corresponds with the court costume of the day hone
Mr. W. b. will not saw, that her hair could be cutled-
ergo-she was not an Indian--Mr BIS having Por.
trait OF his great grand father, John Boiling which he
like Mummius. he thinks picture must he as va
liable rs an old On the subject of complexion
would only remark That suspect Mr.. w ia no be-
ter judge OF coors than he lie Of costumes Who win
take upon him TO assert that the colors have faded;
when he considers the number Of years elapsed since
hey Transferred from the ralle to the csnvasi-
Possibly, Mr. w. may have heard somewhere, that
there are sl in existence older pictures than those OF
Role aud Pocahontas, The colotng of which is almost
perfect and brilliant at this day. as when thoy were
p'inted,-but This argument will not serve Mr. b a.
moi thrown into old garrett lie there among
lumber Of al Sorts covered with dust and cobwebs and
exposed to the action Of wind aud rain eIse in all pro-
liability they would not have stood such ofdt al bet
ter than the Portraits OF Mr.. w Bs ancestors. But
Is II not very fair and natural supposon, that the
complexion Of the Princess Pocahonas not dark
sbat Of common squdto, (suci days.
whose lie IL Of continual dudgery and to
the DclemeDcles Of NIL seasonslAfter ALL discover no
great difference between the complexion Of the old pic
ture and that Of the Portrait of young Indian erl
w have lafo ,f.I fror,
ture, AZ was assured by The artist Mr.. X. M Suliy,
At least twelve month before either he or dreamt
OF copy from the picture Of Pocahontas. Whether
Mr.. Wsrre and Mr.. Peel Of PHILADELPHIA, declined
copying these pictures, the high authority Of Mr. w
BIS speculaons, motto matter OF equal indifference
gentleman Of this place (Mr. J. w. Campbeu whose
note the subject have before mel informs me
thai Mr.. Tho' suy Of PhiadelPhs. (who is too much
Of artist 10 be deceived on any profe ssionaI poin
told him that he had seen the Porrai, of Pocahontas
about 20 years ago, at Mr. Bolhngs near Petersburg
and that he had frequently thought Of coming on 10
procure H. MIR. t. has since written 10 his NEPHEW
Mr. X. NJ. Suly and advised him stron civ (in spe Of
me curling fongs) to copy the picture il possible.
MI B w. Bolling's opinion concerning the aulhen-
uey OF the pictures in question, must have undergone
material change since he promised them 10 Mrs Da
Vid Meade Randolph the Portraits Of RoIfe and Po
cahooia. Again--Mr w. B. says, that he left then,
behind him II Cobbs, which he would not have done
had they been. what individual that know Of but
ted The State OF the iombs Of hi' ancestors AZ Cobbs
he old family seatohich he has Sold would prove thai
he was not their legitimate descendant. would adj
vise Mr.. w. 10 have nothing DO with paintings or
sntiquiIies--' Ne sufoy ultra erepidam"
WI. M. ROBINSON.