The Polynesian. [volume] (Honolulu (Oahu), Hawaii) 1840-1841, 1841-08-14

priests, VINO nave Decn Tor many centuries
piunderng them This picture was taken
from the monastry by the proper officers
of state. and sold at auction. bought it
for dollar. You may have it for five.
What say YOU 20 the bargain
Done. replied Jerry and the sailor
took his money and departed, remarking
quietly that he was nIuy c"n'en'o with his
FIVE hundred per cent. profit.
while derry $ mauia for art had lasted,
he had learnt now to clean old pictures in
the mos, perfect manner. Indeed, TIC
never dld things by halves; and wien
lugLrd Il, iy hi, classmates for the paIi,s-
taking a,,iIuIly with which nc applied
huisolI To the acquisition OF this accom-
pl>Amcn,, he had only replied by quoting
the old say of his guardian, which was
now to receive It's application. On bis
passage home he cleaned the picture, and
when this interesting process waS'conIpIct-
cd, he became fully convinced that the
Madonna must have been painted by some
great master.
His next voyage was to London, and
the picture remained hung up in his cabin.
untor,unatel Y the ship was wrecked on
the coast of England, and the officers and
crew were barely able to save their lives
and their lightcst valuabIcs, by taking to
the boats. Jerry had learnt to love his
picture and when they refused to let him
take his portable desk, on account OF its
bulk and weight, he hastily seized the Ma
dona, saying, " surel y YOU will not Oh cct
to my taking this. The sailors laughed
at his odd fancy, and permitted him to
convey it on board the boat.
How it escaped ruin in such scene
could never clearly learn bu, one thing is
certain. viz that Jerry, well assured of
its value, held on to it until nc reached
London. a few soverciynS, letter from
his friend, lloraiio, to Il great London ar
tis', and the picture constituted the sum
total Of his personal estate when he reach
ed the metropolis.
" Nimportc," said Jerry, when the
captain quizzed him about his las, incum-
brancc, N'importc, keep a thing seven
years and you will have Il use for it. -
The first thing he did after presenting
his letter to the artist was to show him the
Madonna. He was enraptured. 1t was
real gem of art-an unquestionable Ra-
phael. Jerry's long kept connoisseurship
had not misled him. The artist like ma
ny other artists that know, had soul.
So instead of taking advantage of Jerry's
penniless condition, to cheaper the pic
ture for himself, he set about making a
grand breeze among the connoisseurs and
artists of the metropolis, with view of
raising some money for him by selling it.
He invited all his noble patrons to his STU
do to admire it, wrote about the grand
discovery of " the hitherto unknown pro-
duction Of the divine Raphael" in the
magazines and newspapers and finally
consigned it to Christie, to form the grand
attraction in a coming sale OF paintings.
The sensation was prodigious. All the
amateurs with long purses were at the
auction and when the Madonna, cunning
" reserved till the last, was set up, the
competition was Unprecedented. Two
thousand pounds was the first bid three
thousand the next. The artists themsel-
yes held their breath with amazement, at
the eaucrness of their titled cOmDetitOrs