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MODERN ROSICRUCIAN SOCIETIES. 429
This gentleman met one day at the coffee-house with
a Venetian nobleman, who was an extraordinary good judge
of pictures : he had heard of Signor Gualdi's collection, and
in a very polite manner desired to see them, to which the
other very readily consented. After the Venetian had
viewed Signor Gualdi's collection, and expressed his satisfac-
tion, by telling him that he had never seen a finer, con-
sidering the number of pieces of which it consisted,
he cast
his eyes by chance over the chamber-door, where hung a
picture of this stranger. The Venetian looked upon it, and
then upon him. 'This picture was drawn for you, sir/
to which the other made no
says he to Signor Gualdi ;
answer but by a low bow. 'You look,' continued the
Venetian, '
like a man of fifty, and yet I know this picture
to be of the hand of Titian, who has been dead one hundred
' '
and thirty years, how is this 1 possible It is not easy,'
said Signor Gualdi gravely, '
to know all things that are
possible, but there is certainly no crime in my being like a
picture drawn by Titian.' The Venetian easily perceived,
by his manner of speaking, that he had given the stranger
offence, and therefore took his leave.
" He could not forbear speaking of this in the evening to
some of his friends, who resolved to satisfy themselves by
looking upon the picture the next day. In order to have
an opportunity of doing so, they went to the coffee-house
about the time that Signor Gualdi was wont to come
thither -,
and not meeting him, one of them, who had often
conversed with him, went to his lodgings to enquire after
him, where he heard that he had set out an hour before for
Vienna. This affair made a great noise, and found a place
in all the newspapers of that time."
The mysterious Signor Gualdi was "'
suspected
to be a