a celebrated painter, was born at Laer, near Narden, in 1613. His name was Peter van Laer; but in Italy they gave him the name of Bamboccio, on account of the uncommon shape of his body, the lower part being one third longer than the upper, and his neck so short that it was buried between his shoulders. Nature, however, had made him amends for the unseemliness of his limbs, in the superior beauties of his mind. His style of painting was sweet and true, and his touch delicate, with great transparency of colouring. His figures were always of a small size, well proportioned, and correctly designed; and although his subjects were taken from the lower kinds of nature, such as plunderings, playing at bowls, inns, farriers' shops, cattle, or conversations, yet whatever he painted was so correctly designed, so happily executed, and so highly finished, that his manner was adopted by many of the Italian painters of his time. We may add that his works are still admired, and that he is justly ranked amongst the class of eminent masters. In the latter part of his life he was severely tormented with an asthmatic complaint, which he endured with much impatience; and it is reported, that as the disorder seemed to him insupportable, he threw himself into a canal to shorten his misery, and was drowned. His death happened in 1673.