1800-1880 Ink and watercolour on white wove paper, attached to blue card
221 x 145 mm. Bequest: George Powell 1882
Inscriptions reads "Henry 4th and Gabrielle d'Estrees........ Henry and Gabrielle / ''Henry saw her at Goeuvres and loved her; at first she did not pay it with return; she even repulsed him when, after having traversed[?] a large Wood and seven leagues occupied by the troops of the Legues, to visit her, this Prince come to her, disguised as a Peasant; She reproached him even with his [injustice?] towards Bellyarde / In my Picture, the high Wall with Iron Palisadoes is to denote the difficulty he had to get into the Garden of the M. d'Estres in addition to those he had gone through in passing the Enemy's Camp; The tents behind this wall represent that Camp and the Pale White Flag on one of them with the Cross upon it, the Camp of the ''League'' the Darkness in which the whole Back-ground is kept, is to give the character of the Gloomy Light[?]"
Sketch of a theatrical scene from Shakespeare's 'Henry IV', nocturne. Henry, dressed as a peasant, approaches Gabrielle D'Estrius who stands, on the left, on a balcony in front of an open window. He pleads his love to her with hands clasped together before him. In the background is a high wall behind which can be seen the military camp of 'the League', with tents and a flag bearing a cross; night sky, clear with half moon. Sketchily drawn in pen and ink, both red and black ink, with wash and subdued watercolour for tone
