,transcriber's ,note ,obvious typographical errors have been corrected4 ,a list of corrections is found at the end of the text4 ,inconsistencies in spelling and hyphenation have been maintained4 ,a list of these words is found at the end of the text4 ,text surrounded with was printed in a black-letter typeface in the original4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,great ,,horse4 ,from an ,allegorical ,engraving by ,albert ,drer4 ,,rambles ,,of ,,an ,,arch,,ologist ,,among ,,old ,,books ,,and ,,in ,,old ,,places3 ,,being ,papers on ,art1 ,,in ,,relation ,,to ,,arch,,ology1 ,,painting1 ,,art-,,decoration1 ,,and ,,art-,,manufacture4 ,,by ,,frederick ,,william ,,fairholt1 ,f4,s4,a41 ,,author ,,of ,,dictionary ,,of ,,terms ,,in ,,art1 ,,etc4 ,illustrated with ,two ,hundred and ,fifty-nine ,wood ,engravings4 ,,london3 ,,virtue ,,and ,,co41 #bf1 ,,ivy ,,lane1 ,,paternoster ,,row4 #ahga4 ,,editorial ,,note4 ,the following ,papers originally appeared in the ,art-,journal1 for which they were specially written4 ,they are from the pen of that painstaking and accurate archologist1 the late ,f4 ,w4 ,,fairholt1 ,f4,s4,a4 ,the illustrations also were engraved from original sketches by the ,author4 ,it has been suggested that the results of so much labour and research should be still further utilised2 and that the merit and value of these ,essays entitle them to a more lasting form than is afforded by the pages of a magazine4 ,the ,editor confidently believes that the popular style in which these articles are written1 and the fund of anecdote and curious information they contain1 will render them acceptable to a large number of general readers4 ,a second series of ,art-papers1 by the same ,author1 is in the press1 and will shortly be published1 under the title of 8,homes1 ,haunts1 and ,works of ,rubens1 ,vandyke1 ,rembrandt1 and ,cuyp2 and of the ,dutch ,genre-,painters40 ,january1 #ahga4 ,,contents4 ,,rambles ,,of ,,an ,,arch,,ologist ,,among ,,old ,,books ,,and ,,in ,,old ,,places4 ,ancient art--,medival art--,the ,renaissance--,heraldry--,enamelling-- ,mosaic--,glass-painting--,gothic metal work--,raffaelle ware--,wood panelling--,decorative furniture--,book illumination--,engraved book ornaments--,metal-workers--,ancient jewellery--,decorative art in the sixteenth century--,the ,renaissance style--,italian art--,the ,gothic #a-dd ,,grotesque ,,design1 ,,as ,,exhibited ,,in ,,ornamental ,,and ,,industrial ,,art4 ,origin of the term grotesque--,egyptian boxes and spoons--,roman knives and lamps--,medival grotesque--,misereres1 bosses1 and capitals--,domestic utensils--,the ,ars ,memorandi--,decorative plate--,the ,italian1 ,german1 and ,french goldsmiths--,book illustrations--,grotesque pottery #de-gj ,,facts ,,about ,,finger-,,rings4 ,antique rings3--,egyptian rings--,legend concerning the ring of ,polycrates--,assyrian1 ,etruscan1 and ,greek rings--,roman rings-- ,inscriptions and devices--,key rings--,gaelic1 ,celtic1 and ,saxon rings4 ,medival rings3--,episcopal rings--,thumb rings--,religious rings--,charm rings--,the crapaudine1 or toad-stone--,the 8,kings of ,cologne0--,mottoes1 or 8reasons0--8,tower0 rings--,martin ,luther's wedding-ring4 ,modern rings3--,signet rings--,story connected with the ring of the ,earl of ,essex--,shakespere's ring--8,gimmal0 rings-- ,wedding-rings and their 8poesies0--,poison rings--,modern versions of the ,eastern tale of 8,the ,fish and the ,ring0--,memorial and relic rings--,death's-head rings--8,giardinetti0 rings--,indian and ,moorish rings--8,harlequin-rings0--8,regard-ring s0--8,fisherman's ring0 of the ,pope #ga-aeg ,,ancient ,,brooches ,,and ,,dress ,,fastenings4 ,greek and ,roman fibul--,roman enamelled brooches--,bow or harp-shaped fibul--,bust of the ,emperor ,constantine ,pogonatus--,early grotesque brooches--,circular fibul--,anglo-,saxon pins--,irish and ,scotch brooches and pins #aei-ahc ,,albert ,d,,rer3 ,,his ,,works1 ,,his ,,compatriots1 ,,and ,,his ,,times4 ,nrnberg--,birth of ,drer--,his early youth--,michael ,wohlgemuth--,drer's early works--,he settles at ,nrnberg--,his house--,martin ,ktzel--,nrnberg ,castle--,drer's paintings1 woodcuts1 and engravings--,melchior ,pfintzing--,pirkheimer--,peter ,vischer--,shrine of ,st4 ,sebald--,adam ,krafft--,veit ,stoss--,hans ,sachs1 8the cobbler-bard0--,albert ,kgler--,death of ,drer--,the ,cemetery of ,st4 ,john1 ,nrnberg--,grave of ,drer #ahe-bei ,illustration ,,rambles ,,of ,,an ,,arch,,ologist ,,among ,,old ,,books ,,and ,,in ,,old ,,places4 ,,rambles ,,of ,,an ,,arch,,ologist ,,among ,,old ,,books ,,and ,,in ,,old ,,places4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,long after the extinction of the practical art-power evolved from the master-minds of ,greece and ,rome1 though rudely shattered by the northern tribes1 it failed not to enforce from them an admission of its grandeur4 ,loving1 as all rude nations do1 so much of art as goes to the adornment of life1 they also felt that there was a still higher aim in the enlarged spirit of classic invention4 ,it is recorded that one of these ancient chieftains gazed thoughtfully in ,rome upon the noble statuary of the fallen race1 and declared it the work of men superior to any then remaining1 and that all the creations of such lost power should be carefully preserved4 ,the quaint imaginings of uncivilised art-workmanship bore the impress of a strong but ruder nature2 elaboration took the place of elegance1 magnificence that of grandeur4 ,slowly1 as centuries evolved1 the art-student came back to the purity of antique taste2 but the process was a tardy one1 each era preferring the impress of its own ideas3 and though the grotesque contortions of medival statuary be occasionally modified by the influence of better art on the ,gothic mind1 it was not till the revival of the study of classic literature1 in the fifteenth century1 that men began to inquire into the art of the past ages1 and endeavoured to obtain somewhat of its sacred fire for the use of their own time4 ,the study was rewarded1 and the style popularly known as that of the ,renaissance rapidly spread its influence over the world of art1 sanctioned by the favour of such master-minds as ,raphael1 and the great men of his era4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #a4 ,it was not1 however1 to be expected that any style should be resuscitated in all its purity without the admixture of some peculiarity emanating from the art which adopted it1 and which was more completely the mode of the era4 ,the ,renaissance is1 therefore1 a ,gothic classicality1 engrafting classic form and freedom on the decorative quaintnesses of the middle ages4 ,fig4 #a is as pertinent a specimen as could be obtained of this characteristic3 the ,greek volute and the ,roman foliage are made to combine with the hideous inventions of monkery1 the grotesque heads that are exhibited on the most sacred edifices1 and which are simply the stone records of the strife and rivalry that prevailed between monks and friars up to the date of the ,reformation1 and are therefore of great value to the student of ecclesiology and ecclesiastical history4 ,in this instance they seem to typify death and hell1 over whom the ,saviour was victorious by his mortal agony3 the emblems of which occupy the central shield1 and tell with much simple force the story of man's redemption4 ,medival art has not unfrequently the merit of much condensation of thought1 always particularly visible in its choice of types by which to express in a simple form a precise religious idea1 at once appealing to the mind of the spectator1 and bringing out a train of thought singularly diffuse when its slight origin is considered4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #b4 ,the easy applicability of the revived art to the taste for fanciful display which characterised the fifteenth century1 led to its universal adoption in decoration2 but the wilder imaginings of the living artist always tampered with the grand features of the design4 ,the panel1 ,fig4 #b1 is an instance4 ,the griffins have lost their classic character1 and have assumed the ,gothic2 the foliations are also subjected to the same process4 ,the design is1 however1 on the whole1 an excellent example of the mode in which the style appeared as a decoration in the houses of the nobility1 whose love of heraldic display was indulged by the wood carver in panelled rooms rich with similar compartments4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #c4 ,heraldry1 with all its adjuncts1 had become so great a passion with the noble1 that the invention of the artist and student was taxed for badges and mottoes by noble families4 ,the custom flourished most in ,italy1 where the impresa of a noble house spoke to the eye at once1 whether it was found on a sword-hilt or over a church-door4 ,we give as an instance1 in ,fig4 #c1 that adopted by the bold ,dukes of ,burgundy1 sovereigns in their own dominions1 and exciting much terror of rivalry in the minds of the kings of ,france themselves4 ,their badge1 or impresa1 was indicative of their rude power2 a couple of knotted clubs1 saltier-wise1 help to support a somewhat conventional figure of the steel used for striking the flint to produce fire2 the whole surmounted by the crown1 and intended to indicate by analogous reflection the vigour of the ducal house4 ,as a bold defiance1 a rival house adopted the rabot1 or carpenter's plane1 by which they indicated their determination to smooth by force the formidable knots from the clubs of the proud rulers of ,burgundy4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #d4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #e4 ,the art of enamelling1 which had reached a high degree of perfection in the ,roman era1 was refined upon in the middle ages1 and ultimately its character was so much altered thereby that it ended in rivalling painting1 rather than retaining its own particular features1 as all arts should do4 ,it may be fairly considered that originally it was used simply to enrich1 by vitrified colour1 articles of use and ornament4 ,metal was incised1 and the ornamental spaces thus obtained filled with one tint of enamel colour1 each compartment having its own4 ,by this means very brilliant effects were often produced1 all the more striking from the pure strength of their simplicity4 ,it was not till the twelfth century that an attempt at floating colours together was made1 and this led ultimately to a pictorial treatment of enamel which destroyed its truest character4 ,the very old form was1 however1 practised in the latest days of its use2 and our engraving of the very beautiful knife-handle designed by ,virgil ,solis at the end of the sixteenth century 7,figs4 #d and #e71 was intended to be filled with a dark blue enamel1 in the parts here represented in black1 while the interstices of the cross-shaped ornaments above would receive some lighter tint of warmer hue4 ,the birds and foliage would be carefully engraved1 the lines of shadow filled with a permanent black1 thus assuring a general brilliancy of effect4 ,such knives were by no means an uncommon decoration of the table at the period when this was designed3 it is now a branch of art utilised until all trace of design has gone from it2 for we cannot accept the slight scroll work and contour of a modern silver knife-handle as a piece of art-workmanship1 when we remember the beautiful objects of the kind produced in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries1 gorgeous in design and colour1 and occasionally enriched by jewels or amber4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #f4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #g4 ,there is one class of ancient manufacturing art which has been revived for the use of the modern world with considerable success4 ,we allude to the ,roman works in mosaic1 which have furnished designs for our encaustic tile-manufacturers and our floor-cloth painters4 ,quaint and peculiar in its necessary features1 it is singularly well adapted for artisans in both materials4 ,there is also a great variety in the ornamental details of ancient pavements1 at home and abroad2 the geometric forms being at times very peculiar1 as in the specimen we give in the previous page 7,fig4 #f71 which has been selected from one discovered at ,aldborough1 in ,yorkshire 7the ,isurium ,brigantum of the ,romans71 a lonely spot1 containing many traces of its ancient importance1 and which has furnished an abundance of relics for the notice of the antiquary from the days of ,camden1 who describes it with that happy brevity that accompanies full knowledge4 ,the pavement we engrave may be seen in full coloured detail in ,mr4 ,ecroyd ,smith's volume on ,isurium2 the borders placed on each side are portions of other pavements from the same place1 selected as showing the commonest and the most unusual patterns4 ,the variety and beauty of design and colour in encaustic tiles adopted by medivalists1 may be slightly illustrated by the quaint specimen of foliation copied in ,fig4 #g4 ,the conjunction of four such tiles produces great variety in pattern1 and excellent contrasts of colour4 ,illustration3 ,figs4 #h and #i4 ,geometric form1 in all its endless variety1 was particularly studied in the ,middle ,ages1 and decorative enrichments of all kind subjected to its ruling control4 ,we add two specimens of glass-painting 7,figs4 #h and #i71 which are in reality the same design slightly varied in the disposition of the tints1 and the interlacing of the double or strap-lines of one1 while the other has them single only4 ,the striking variety that any given design may elicit1 by a mere rearrangement of this interlaced work1 or by a different disposition of the coloured compartments1 will at once be apparent2 it was worked out with singularly good effect by the older artists in decoration of all kinds4 ,the key 7,fig4 #aj7 and the latch 7,fig4 #aa7 are examples of quaint old ,gothic metal works4 ,the latter is copied from the old ,htel de ,ville of ,bruges2 the dragon is used as a lever to lift the latch1 and is one of those grotesque imaginings in which the old art-workmen frequently indulged4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aj4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aa4 ,when the ,dukes of ,urbino1 dazzled with the brilliancy of the ,moorish potters1 had determined to rival their workmanship in manufactories upon their own principality1 the so-called ,raffaelle-ware soon afterwards fascinated the ,italians1 by the quaint design and beautiful colour of the dishes and vases there produced4 ,though popularly named after the great painter1 it was unlikely that he had aught to do therewith2 but his designs were occasionally adapted to its use by the workmen4 ,the circular plateau 7,fig4 #ab7 is a good example of the bold character and vigour of effect occasionally produced in these works4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ab4 ,wood panelling we have already alluded to1 and the large amount of decoration it occasionally displayed4 ,fig4 #ac is a beautiful instance of the grace that characterised the style known as the ,flamboyant1 from the flowing or flame-like curve adopted for the leading lines4 ,in this instance they are happily blended with the earlier ,gothic cusps1 and the quaint ivy-leaves that spring easily out of the severer lines4 ,the ease with which heraldry may be introduced in the design1 gave it a peculiar charm to our ancestors2 in this instance the shields bear the sacred monograms--a purpose to which they were very commonly devoted in the church2 sometimes being further enriched with religious emblems1 as terse and striking as the heraldic ones we have given in a previous page4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ac4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ad4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ae4 ,we give two small drawings of cabinet-handles in ,figs4 #ad and #ae1 part of the elaborate fittings of a piece of furniture which occupied the place of honour in the state-rooms of the wealthy1 and upon which the art of the day was generally lavished with a most liberal hand4 ,ivory1 ebony1 and the rarest woods were employed in their construction1 occasionally plaques of lapis lazuli1 or coloured marbles1 were used for the panels2 ultimately the whole surface became an encrusted mosaic of figures1 birds1 and flowers1 in coloured wood and stone1 occasionally framed in the precious metals4 ,the gorgeous taste of ,louis ,quatorze excited the fancy of the benistes of his court to the most costly invention4 ,furniture inlaid with engraved metal-work1 or embossed with coloured stones1 oppressed the sense of utility2 and when tables1 chairs1 and picture-frames were made of silver1 chased and overloaded with the scroll-work he so abundantly patronised1 common sense seems to have yielded its place to mere display4 ,despite of the costly character of such works1 and their destination as the decoration of a palace1 they are positive vulgarisms1 and we feel little regret when we read in history of the disastrous wars at the close of the king's career1 which obliged him to melt down the silver furniture of ,versailles1 and convert it into cash for the payment of his soldiers4 ,there was more honesty of purpose in the old art-workers1 who never swerved from a leading principle4 ,hence the educated eye can at once detect a piece of genuine old decorative furniture from a ,wardour ,street made-up bit of pseudo-imitation4 ,it must be borne in mind that specimens of genuine old work are by no means common2 the abundance which this street and other localities can supply to order by the cart-load1 are ingenious adaptations of fragments of old work pieced and placed together for a general effect2 but which are sometimes ludicrous1 from the mixture of bits of all ages and style in one cabinet or sideboard4 ,some twenty years ago the city of ,rouen was a mine of wealth to furniture makers4 ,the elaborately carved panels and chimney-pieces in the stately houses of the old ,norman capital1 were converted into all kinds of articles for domestic display4 ,the progress of 8improvement10 as well as the slower process of decay1 have cleared that place of many of its fine features of domestic architecture2 but its beauties have had an enduring memento in the curious volumes by the artist ,langlois1 of ,pont-de-l',arche1 completed after his death by ,m4 ,delaqurrire4 ,in this work every ancient building is carefully noted and described1 throughout every street of the city2 and the finest or most curious examples engraved with a minute truthfulness for which ,langlois was justly celebrated2 and which drew forth the plaudits of ,dr4 ,dibdin1 in the sumptuous work devoted to his foreign tour in search of rarities4#ae-99 ,we propose presently to follow the ,doctor in his investigation of old books1 and exhibit some few of the enrichments that artist and engraver gave to the written or printed volumes which passed from their hands2 at the same time we shall endeavour to take a more general survey of the adaptation of art to works of ordinary use4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #af4 ,the quaint manner in which letters were sometimes braced together may be seen in ,fig4 #af4 ,occasionally1 a name thus formed in monogram would require much ingenuity to unravel1 inasmuch as the entire letters made but one interlaced and closely compacted group1 each limb or portion of a letter helping also to form part of another4 ,in the hospital founded at ,edinburgh by the famous goldsmith1 ,george ,heriot1--the favourite goldsmith and jeweller of ,james ,i41 a monarch who fully appreciated his art1--the name of 8,jingling ,geordie10 as his majesty playfully called him1 is sculptured in such a group1 which appears at first sight an enigma few could unravel2 indeed1 without knowing what letters to look for1 and how to arrange them1 it is a chance if they would be arranged correctly4 ,such a mode of marking would1 however1 have its advantages1 for it would enable those who were in the secret to unravel the mystery of the true proprietorship of any valuable article unfairly abstracted4 ,the shields in ,fig4 #ac are filled with monograms less elaborate1 but bearing a sufficient affinity to those alluded to1 to aid in understanding the rest4 ,,footnotes3 #ae-99 8,biographical1 ,antiquarian1 and ,picturesque ,tour in ,france and ,germany40 ,london1 #ahba4 #c vols4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,we owe the term illumination1 as applied to the decoration of old manuscripts1 to the medival ,latin name of the artist himself1 alluminor1 the root of our ,english word limner1 and of the ,french word enlumineur1 one who colours or paints upon paper or parchment1 giving light and ornament to letters and figures4 ,the brilliancy and beauty of much of this ancient art are marvellous to look upon1 but the names of few of the patient artists1 who devoted their lives to book illustration1 have descended to us4 ,there are1 however1 one or two names well-known to us1 a ,julio ,clovio and a ,girolamo da ,libri 7,jerome ,veronese71 affording a sufficient warrant of the high-class minds who honoured their art by honouring literature4 ,there can be no greater pleasure than in turning over the matchless pages of these old volumes1 and seeing them reveal the passages of the poet or romancist1 as understood by the men of the ,middle ,ages1 to whom they were addressed1 or giving us pictures of life and manners of which we possess no other record4 ,their value as adjuncts to books1 when simply decorative1 is now very generally acknowledged2 and the ladies of the present day rival the cloistered recluses in labouring1 like them1 to enrich a cherished volume4 ,it is1 however1 the art of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries that is now especially imitated1 and the reason is to be found in its showy elaboration of design and colour4 ,there is an earlier style that presents strong claims to attention1 that of the two preceding centuries1 specimens of which are given in ,figs4 #ag-ba4 ,in them will be noticed the ,orientalism that occasionally prevails1 and shows its ,byzantine parentage2 a trace of the ,greek volute and acanthus leaf is visible in ,figs4 #bj and #ba2 in the others we seem to look on ,turkish design4 ,the applicability of such fragments of ornament is manifold4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ag4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ah4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ai4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bj4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ba4 ,illustration3 ,figs4 #bb1 #bc1 #bd1 and #be4 ,when the art of engraving aided the press in producing works of a decorative order1 we occasionally turn over pages in which the master-minds of the day taxed their powers of invention4 ,the old wood-engravers were supplied by designers with drawings of the best class1 and very quaint and original are the ornaments which embellish the books of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries1--particularly such as were published in ,germany1 or at ,lyons1 the latter city being then most eminent for the taste and beauty of its illustrated volumes1 the former for a bolder but quainter character of art4 ,there are useful hints to be had in the pages of all1 for such as would avail themselves of minor book-ornament4 ,to render our meaning more clear1 we select a series of scrolls 7,figs4 #bb-be7 for inscriptions from ,german books1 of the early part of the sixteenth century1 and which might be readily and usefully adapted to modern exigencies1 when dates or mottoes are required either by the painter or sculptor4 ,ornamental frameworks for inscriptions abound in old books1 and are not unfrequently of striking design and peculiar elaboration2 we give an example in ,fig4 #bf1 from a volume dated #aeic1 as an excellent specimen of this particular branch of design4 ,such tablets not unfrequently headed the first page of a volume1 and received in the centre the title of the book4 ,the wood-engraver is thus the legitimate successor of the older illuminator4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bf4 ,a large demand was made on the imaginative faculties of the designers of that day by the metal-workers1 the gold and silversmiths1 the jewellers1 and all connected with such decorative manufactures as the luxury of wealth and taste calls into exertion4 ,the name of ,cellini stands prominently forth as the inventor and fabricator of much that was remarkable2 the pages of his singular autobiography detail the peculiar beauty of many of his designs2 the ,viennese collection still boasts some of the finest of the works so described1 particularly the golden salt-cellar he made for ,francis ,i4 of ,france4 ,the high art which he brought to bear on design applied to jewellery was followed by other artist-workmen1 such as ,stephanus of ,paris1 and ,jamnitzer of ,nuremberg4 ,the metal-workers of the latter city1 and of ,augsburg1 had a universal reputation at the close of the sixteenth century for their jewellery and plate1 particularly the latter4 ,they kept in employ the best designers of the day1 and such men as ,hans ,holbein1 ,albert ,aldegrf1 ,virgilius ,solis1 and a host known as the 8little masters10 supplied the demand with apparent abundance1 but it could only be satisfied by the multiplication of these designs by means of the engraver's art4 ,hence we have at this period1 and the early part of the seventeenth century1 an abundance of small engravings1 comprising a vast variety of designs for all articles of ornament2 and from them we have selected1 in ,figs4 #bg and #bh1 two specimens of those intended to be used in the manufacture of the pendent jewels1 then so commonly worn on the breast of rich ladies4 ,these jewels were sometimes elaborately modelled with scriptural and other scenes in their centre1 chased in gold1 enriched by enamel colours1 and resplendent with jewels4 ,the famed 8,grne ,gewlbe0 at ,dresden have many fine examples1 in the ,louvre are others1 and some few of a good kind are to be seen in the ,museum at ,south ,kensington4 ,the portraits of the age of ,francis ,i4 and our ,queen ,elizabeth1 frequently represent ladies in a superfluity of jewellery1 of a most elaborate character4 ,the portrait of ,mary1 ,queen of ,scots1 in our ,national ,portrait ,gallery1 is loaded with chains1 brooches1 and pendants1 enough to stock the show-case of a modern manufacturer4 ,this love of elaborate jewellery was a positive mania with many nobles in the olden time4 ,james ,i4 was childishly fond of such trinkets1 and most portraits represent the king with hat-bands of jewels1 or sprays of jewellery at their sides4 ,his letters to his favourite1 ,buckingham1 are often full of details of the jewels in which his majesty delighted4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bg4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bh4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bi4 ,perhaps no article of personal ornament has exhibited a greater variety of design and decorative enrichment than the cross4 ,it has at once been made an embellishment and a badge of faith4 ,we select in ,fig4 #bi one of singular elaboration and beauty1 now the property of ,lady ,londesborough4 ,it is a work of the early part of the sixteenth century2 the ground is of frosted gold1 upon which is a foliated ornament in cloissonn enamel of various colours4 ,it is also enriched with pearl and crystal2 the lower part of this cross is furnished with a loop1 from which a jewel of value might be suspended4 ,illustration3 ,figs4 #cj and #ca4 ,by way of curious contrast1 as well as to show the style of various ages in the article of necklaces1 we give1 in ,figs4 #cj and #ca1 two examples of widely different eras4 ,the upper one is that of a ,roman lady1 whose entire collection of jewellery was accidentally discovered at ,lyons1 in #ahda1 by some workmen who were excavating the southern side of the heights of ,fourvires1 on the opposite side of the ,seine4 ,from an inscribed ring and some coins deposited in the jewel-box1 the lady appears to have lived in the time of the ,emperor ,severus1 and to have been the wife of one of the wealthy traders1 who then1 as now1 were enriched by the traffic of the ,rhone4 ,the necklace we engrave is of gold1 set with pearls and emeralds2 the cubical beads are cut in lapis lazuli1 as are the pendants which hang from others4 ,this love of pendent ornament was common to all antique necklaces1 from the days of ancient ,greece to the end of the sixteenth century4 ,our second specimen is an illustration of this3 it is copied from the portrait of a lady 7bearing date #aeic71 and composed of a series of enamelled plaques1 with jewels inserted1 connected with each other by an ornamental chain4 ,illustration3 ,figs4 #cb and #cc4 ,we have already alluded to the constant demand on the inventive faculty of the art-workman for articles of all kinds in the olden times2 nothing was thought unworthy his attention4 ,we give a selection of articles of ordinary use which have received a considerable amount of decorative enrichment4 ,the spur-rowels 7,figs4 #cb and #cc71 from the collection of ,m4 ,sauvageot1 of ,paris1 are remarkable proofs of the faculty of invention possessed by the ancient armourers4 ,so simple a thing as a spur-rowel1 in our days of utilitarianism1 would seem to be incapable of variety1 or at least unworthy to receive much attention4 ,it was not so in past times1 when workmen even delighted to adorn their own tools4 ,we engrave an armourer's hammer 7,figs4 #cd and #ce71 from the collection of ,lord ,londesborough1 which has received an amount of enrichment of a very varied character4 ,the animals on one side1 and in foliated scrolls1 connect the design across the summit of the implement with a totally new composition on the opposite side4 ,we would not insist on any part of the design as remarkable for high character2 it is simply given as an instance of the love of decoration so prevalent in the sixteenth century4 ,illustration3 ,figs4 #cd and #ce4 ,the highly-enriched knocker and door-handle 7,fig4 #cf7 were sketched from the original1 on one of the ancient houses of the quaint city of ,nuremberg4 ,the bell-pull beside it 7,fig4 #cg7 is also from the same locality4 ,there is probably no town in ,germany where more artistic old iron-work is to be seen than in this place1--once the richest of trading communities1 when ,albert ,durer flourished within its walls1 and the ,emperor ,maximilian held royal state in its old castle4 ,to all who would realise the chivalric days of the old ,german ,empire1 we would say1 8,go to ,nuremberg40 ,illustration3 ,figs4 #cf and #cg4 ,the bellows of carved chestnut-wood 7,fig4 #ci7 is in the possession of the ,count de ,courval4 ,it is of simpler and 8severer0 design than common1 inasmuch as it was usual to enrich these useful domestic implements with an abundance of elaborate designs1 and fill their centres with scenes from sacred and profane history4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ch4 ,when ladies delighted in lace-working1 and in starching and preparing their produce most carefully1 they showed their good housewifery in washing and ironing it with their own hands4 ,it was gallantry on the part of their spouses to make befitting presents of all things requisite for their labours1 and worthy their use4 ,the box-iron we engrave in ,fig4 #ci is one which has thus been given2 it bears the monogram of the fair lady who originally owned it1 engraved within a 8true lover's knot40 ,the cupidons of the handle ending in flowers may be an emblem of ,love and ,hymen1 forming an appropriate embellishment4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ci4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,applicability is the most useful characteristic of the style popularly known as the ,renaissance2 it is confined to no one branch of art1 but is capable of extension to all1 from the most delicate work of the jeweller to the boldest scroll-ornament adopted by the sculptor in wood or stone4 ,the ,loggie of the ,vatican is the best original example of the style as perfected by ,raffaelle and his scholars1 and applied to wall-painting4 ,it was a free rendering of the antique fresco ornament then just discovered in the ,baths of ,petus1 where extensive excavations were undertaken in #aejf1 under the superintendence of the ,papal authorities4 ,the classic forms were 8severer0 than those in use by the artists who resuscitated the style1 and were somewhat overlaid with ornament4 ,the details of ,raffaelle's own work will not always bear adverse criticism1 inasmuch as there are heterogeneous features introduced occasionally1 which are not visible in the purer style of antiquity4 ,as the fashion for this decoration travelled northward1 it increased in freedom from classic rule1 and more completely deserved the term 8grotesque10 which it occasionally received1 a term derived from grotte1 an underground room of the ancient baths1 and which we now use chiefly in the sense of a ludicrous composition4 ,such compositions were not unfrequent on the walls of ,greek and ,roman buildings2 and the ,german and ,flemish artists1 with a nationally characteristic love of whimsical design1 occasionally ran riot in invention1 having no rule beyond individual caprice4 ,this unfortunate position offering too great a licence to mere whimsicality1 was felt in ancient as well as in modern times4 ,pliny objected1 on the grounds of false or incongruous taste1 to the arabesques of ,pompeii1 though they approached nearer to the ,greek model2 and ,vitruvius1 with that purity of taste which was his grand characteristic1 endorsed the opinion1 and enforced it in his teaching4 ,we are often in error when we blindly admire1 or unhesitatingly adopt1 the works of the ancients as perfection4 ,in ,athens and ,rome in past time1 as in ,paris and ,london at present1 we may meet with instances of bad taste2 for vulgarity belongs to no age or station1 and may be visible in the costly decoration of a rich mansion1 whose owner is uneducated in art1 and insists on having only what he comprehends4 ,the decadence of the better-class ,renaissance design was a natural consequence of the licence its features might assume1 and in the progress of the sixteenth century it became thoroughly vitiated4 ,the troubles which distracted ,europe in the later part of that century1 and which led to the devastating wars and revolutions of the earlier part of the following one1 completed the debasement of art-workmanship4 ,louis ,,xiv4 had the glory1 such as it was1 of its resuscitation2 but his taste was merely that of an over-wealthy display1 which not unfrequently lapses into positive vulgarisms4 ,the style known distinctively by the name of this monarch--with all its heterogeneous elements1 its scrolls of the most obtrusive form1 fixed to ornament having no proper cohesion1 and overlaid with festoons of flowers and fruit--is more remarkable for the oppressive ostentation which was the characteristic of the monarch and his age1 than for good taste or real elegance4 ,what a very little exaggeration could make of this style may be seen in the productions of the era of his successor1 and which the ,italians stigmatised by the term rococo4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #dj4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #da4 ,the examples of ,renaissance given in our pages exhibit a fair average of its applicability4 ,the pendent ornament 7,fig4 #dj7 includes details adopted by jewellers4 ,the shield1 with the sacred monogram 7,fig4 #da71 is such as appeared in wood-panelling4 ,the handle 7,fig4 #db7 exhibits as much freedom of design as the style could admit2 it is quaint and peculiar1 but not without elegance in the mode of bringing the classic dolphin within the scope of the composition4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #db4 ,the distinctive features of the style may be more readily comprehended by contrasting it with a few specimens of the so-called 8,gothic style10 a style which possesses the strongest original features1 and one which will yield to none in peculiar beauty and applicability4 ,we give two examples--the one ,german1 the other ,french2 they are both wood panel1 filled with tracery which bears the distinctive characteristics of the two schools4 ,the ,german 7,fig4 #dc7 is remarkable for the sudden termination of its flowing lines1 which occasionally gives to the carving of the epoch an appearance of having been suddenly broken1 or chopped off1 in parts4 ,at ,nuremberg this peculiarity is very observable2 our specimen is selected from the church at ,rottweil1 in the ,black ,forest1 which bears the date of #acdj4 ,the ,french 7,fig4 #dd7 is a favourable example of the ,flamboyant style1 which gave freedom to the medival rigidity of the ,gothic1 and paved the way for the ready adoption of the style of ,francis ,i41 which was based on that of the ,italians4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #dc4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #dd4 ,figs4 #de and #dg display one peculiarity in this northern adaptation--the introduction of busts1 in high relief1 in central medallions4 ,it is sometimes introduced so unscrupulously in the carved panelling of ,elizabethan mansions1 that it has almost the effect of a row of wooden dolls peeping through shutters4 ,the latter of the two examples may be received as one of the best of its kind1 exhibiting the utmost enrichment of which the style was generally capable1 and as few heterogeneous features1 though here they are not entirely absent4 ,by way of useful contrast1 we give in ,fig4 #dh1 a very pure specimen of a panel in ,italian workmanship1 from a tomb of the sixteenth century1 in the church of the ,ara ,cli1 at ,rome4 ,the flow of line here is exceedingly graceful2 the whole of the details are characterised by a delicacy unknown to the artists of ,germany and ,flanders2 the torches and volutes point unmistakably to the classic origin of the whole4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #de4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #df4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #dg4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #dh4 ,it was not natural to the ,roman people ever to forget their great art-works of antiquity2 the influence of the 8departed spirits0 still 8ruled them from their urns10 as ,byron truthfully expresses it4 ,the artists of ,greece and ,rome based their compositions on the unvarying truth of nature2 and though the barbaric mind might bear sway for awhile1 it could not triumph but through ignorance4 ,rome is now the great art-teacher only because it is the conservator of its ancient relics2 and they have had their influence undiminished from the days of ,raffaelle and ,michael ,angelo4 ,there are many pleasing bits of design in the antique city1 that show the classic source of inspiration from which their inventors obtained them4 ,the boy and dolphins1 forming the pleasing domestic fountain we engrave in ,fig4 #ea1 is an evident instance of the influence of antique taste4 ,the abundant supply of water was the grand feature of the ,rome of the ,csars1 as it still is of the ,rome of the ,popes2 and the liberality with which every house is served has frequently induced the owners of large mansions to decorate one corner of their external walls with a fountain1 at which all wayfarers may be supplied4 ,in a recess of the lowermost story of one of the great palazzi which line the principal street of ,rome1 8the ,corso10 our second specimen 7,fig4 #eb7 is placed4 ,it represents a wine-merchant liberally pouring from the bung-hole of his barrel its inexhaustible contents4 ,on great festas in the olden time it was not unusual to make public fountains run with wine for an hour or two1 and this may have occurred with the one engraved2 it is a work of the latter part of the sixteenth century1 when luxury reigned in ,rome4 ,as a design it is exceedingly simple and appropriate1 reminding1 by its quaintness1 of ,german rather than ,italian design4 ,the old ,teutonic cities present very many striking inventions of the kind3 and the promoters and designers of our drinking fountains may obtain good and useful hints from that quarter4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #di4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ej4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ea4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #eb4 ,our street architecture has shown recently a greater freedom of design1 and range of study1 than was ever exhibited before4 ,we may owe this1 in some degree1 to the excellent works on the domestic and palatial edifices of the ,low ,countries1 which have issued from the press1 and have vindicated the true character of the great medival builders4 ,germany--taking the term for the nation in its widest sense--can show in its antique cities a vast variety of fancy in architecture and its ornamental details4 ,each city may be made a profitable residence for the study of a young architect2 and the superior knowledge of the leading principles of medival art1 now exhibited in their adaptation of the style to home events1 is a clear proof that the fact has been felt and acted on4 ,the 8infinite variety0 of the old decorator is everywhere apparent1 and the play he gave to his invention4 ,we give in ,fig4 #ec1 as one instance1 the ornamental mouldings of the ,chapel of ,st4 ,nicholas1 in the ,cathedral of ,aix2 in this instance the rigidity of the rule which enforces geometric form to the whole is softened by the introduction of the cable moulding to a portion thereof1 with singularly good effect4 ,it is a work executed under the rule of ,armand de ,hesse1 ,archbishop of ,cologne1 and ,provost of ,aix1 probably about #adhj4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ec4 ,the ,gothic1 therefore1 of the best era1 was by no means the stiff and monotonous style imagined by those who only know its details by the remains of our own ecclesiastical buildings2 not that we infer them to be without much freedom and beauty occasionally1 as in the ,percy shrine at ,beverley ,minster1 or the tomb of ,aylmer de ,valence1 in ,westminster ,abbey4 ,but we have fewer domestic buildings of a florid ,gothic style than are to be found abroad1 and the artists who designed for that style delighted in new ideas4 ,it is even visible in the works of their painters and engravers3 thus the tracery over the doorway in ,durer's print of 8,the ,crucifixion10 one of his series of the life of the ,virgin1 while it conforms to the leading principle of architectural design1 is composed of branches and leaves which flow with a freedom belonging more to the painter than the architect4 ,similar instances abound in old pictures4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ed4 ,the foliation of ,german work was generally crisp and full of convolutions in its minor features1 though the leading lines were boldly conceived4 ,we give an example from a panel carved in wood1 in the ,cathedral of ,stuttgard1 a work of the middle of the fifteenth century4 ,it is almost a return to the old acanthus leaf1 and so completes a cycle of fine art4 ,brief as the review has necessarily been of the decorative arts adorning life throughout the centuries which have passed in rapid succession before us1 they have taught two great facts--the beauty of art as an adjunct to the most ordinary demands of domesticity1 and the value of the study of the varied arts of past ages as an addition to the requirements of our own4 8,ever changing1 ever new10 may be the lesson derived from the investigation of any epoch4 ,how much then may be obtained from a general review of all6 ,seroux d',agincourt deduced a history of art from its monuments2#da-99 and men of the present day have the advantage of all that the world has produced brought easily1 by aid of the burin and the printing-press1 to their own firesides4 ,we are evidently less original in idea than our ancestors1 from the association of their labours with our thought2 but we may yet live in the hope of seeing some new and peculiar feature in the progress of modern decorative art obtained by retrospective glances at the past4 ,it is to the duty of thus learning from the past1 we desire to direct the attention of our readers4 ,slavishly to copy1 or systematically to imitate1 are evils scarcely less reprehensible than to neglect them altogether2 but frequent study of the great masters in any art is indispensable to those who would excel4 ,it is to the absence of such study that we may trace most of the defects of the ,british artisan4 ,unhappily1 he seldom either examines1 reads1 or thinks2 generally he is content to work1 like a horse in a mill1 pursuing the same monotonous round1 producing only that which has been produced before1 without alteration1 and without improvement4 ,until within the last few years1 this defect could hardly have been urged against him as an offence4 ,his employers did not require advancement1 seldom encouraged intelligent workmen1 and rather preferred the mere machine who was content to do no more than his fathers had done1 and who looked upon new inventions as costly whims or expensive absurdities4 ,there were exceptions--glorious exceptions2 but the rule was1 undoubtedly1 as we have stated4 ,this deplorable disadvantage exists no longer2 in nearly every town in the kingdom1 of any size1 there is some institution where knowledge may be obtained readily and cheaply4 ,the societies in connection with the ,department of ,science and ,art now abound with competent masters and teachers1 and all the appliances of instruction4 ,the ,south ,kensington ,museum is alone a mine of wealth4 ,not only are the artisans enabled to resort to it freely1 but every possible inducement is held out to them to do so2 the superintendents there almost go into the highways to 8compel them to come in40 ,there is no calling of any sort or kind that may not be educated here2 the masters1 as well as the workmen1 of all trades may here receive the education1 8free of charge10 which no sum of money could have procured for them twenty years ago4 ,ignorance1 nowadays1 is1 therefore1 totally without excuse4 ,no doubt the seed that has been so extensively and abundantly planted is growing rapidly up2 in some places it has borne fruit4 ,it is utterly impossible that the existing race of art-workmen1 and their successors 8rising up10 can be ignorant as were their predecessors4 ,if they use their eyes merely1 and permit their minds to remain blanks1 they must improve4 ,there is no street in ,london now that will not teach them something2 every shop window contains a lesson2 and it requires no very large observation to perceive advancement in every class of ,british art-manufacture--not1 certainly1 so marked as to produce content1 but exhibiting ample proof that we are progressing in the right direction1 and leading to the conclusion that at no very distant period we shall not have to incur the reproach that our artisans are worse educated than those of ,germany1 ,belgium1 and ,france4 ,these remarks result from the brief insight we have given in these pages into the rich volumes which the past has filled for the use of the present4 ,the books to which we have resorted1 and the places in which we have sought for rarities1 are open to most of those who desire to examine them1 and who will find an expenditure of time and labour to any amount1 be it large or small1 produce an extent of remuneration of which the searcher will have no idea until he begins to gather in the profit he has made4 ,we had intended to supply a list of books1 to be obtained either at the ,british ,museum or the ,museum at ,south ,kensington1 to which we desire to direct the attention of our art-producers and art-workmen2 but thus to occupy space is needless4 ,the requisite information can be easily procured3 any of the superintendents1 at either place1 will gladly direct the searcher1 on receiving information as to his wants4 ,moreover1 it is permitted1 under certain restrictions1 to take sketches of engravings or drawings1 and from objects exhibited2 aids to do this readily present themselves4 ,books1 however1 should be regarded only as auxiliaries2 they will supply in abundance material for suggestion or adaptation2 although1 as we have already observed1 8slavishly to copy1 or systematically to imitate10 are evils to be avoided4 ,illustration ,,footnotes3 #da-99 8,histoire de l',art par les ,monumens1 depuis sa ,dcadence au ,,ive4 ,sicle jusqu' son ,renouvellement au ,,xvie40 ,,grotesque ,,design1 ,,as ,,exhibited ,,in ,,ornamental ,,and ,,industrial ,,art4 ,,grotesque ,,design1 ,,as ,,exhibited ,,in ,,ornamental ,,and ,,industrial ,,art4 ,among the quaint terms in art to which definite meanings are attached1 but which do not in themselves convey any such definite construction1 we may class the term grotesque4 ,the term grotesque was first applied as a generic appellation in the latter part of the fifteenth century1 when the 8grottoes10 or baths of ancient ,rome1 and the lowermost apartments of houses then exhumed1 exhibited whimsically designed wall-decorations1 which attracted the attention of ,raffaelle and other artists1 who resuscitated and modified the style2 adopting it for the famous ,loggie of the ,vatican and for garden pavilions or grottoes4 ,we may safely go back to the earliest era in art for the origin of the style1 if1 indeed1 the grotesque does not so intimately connect itself with the primeval art of all countries as to be almost inseparable4 ,indeed1 it requires a considerable amount of classical education to see seriously the meaning1 that ancient artists desired in all gravity to express1 in works which now excite a smile by their inherent comicality4 ,hence the antiquary may be occasionally ruffled by the remarks of some irreverent spectator1 on a work which the former gravely contemplates1 because he feels the design of its maker1 and is familiar with the antique mode of expression4 ,thus the early ,greek figures of ,minerva1 whether statues or upon coins1 have occasionally an irresistibly ludicrous expression3 but1 as art improved1 this expression softened1 and ultimately disappeared1 the grotesque element taking a more positive form and walk of its own4 ,in that cradle of art and science1 the ancient land of ,egypt1 we shall find grotesque art flourishing in various forms4 ,their artists did not scruple to decorate the walls of tombs with pictures of real life1 in which comic satire often peeps forth amid the gravest surroundings4 ,thus we find representations of persons at a social gathering evidently the worse for wine-drinking2 or the solemn procession of the funeral boats interrupted by a ludicrous delineation of the 8fouling0 or upsetting one unlucky boat and its crew1 which had drifted in the way2 while the most impressive of all scenes1 the final judgment of the soul before ,osiris1 is depicted at ,thebes with the grotesque termination of the forced return of a wicked soul to earth1 under the form of a pig1 in a boat rowed by a couple of monkeys4 ,in the ,british ,museum is a singular papyrus1 upon which are drawn figures of animals performing the actions of mankind2 and among the large number of antiquities which swell the ,egyptian galleries1 there are many that exhibit the partiality of this ancient people for the grotesque4 ,illustration3 ,figs4 #ee-eh4 ,our first examples consist of a group of wooden boxes and spoons1 all of whimsical form1 and selected from the great work by ,sir ,john ,gardner ,wilkinson on the manners and customs of the ancient ,egyptians4#di-99 ,they were formed to contain cosmetics of divers kinds1 and served to deck the dressing-table1 or a lady's boudoir4 ,they are carved in various ways1 and loaded with ornamental devices in relief1 sometimes representing the favourite lotus-flower1 with its buds and stalks1 or a goose1 gazelle1 fox1 or other animal4 ,fig4 #ee is a small box1 made in the form of a goose2 and ,fig4 #ef1 also in the shape of the same bird1 dressed for the cook4 ,the spoon which succeeds this1 ,fig4 #eg1 takes the form of the cartouche1 or oval1 in which royal names were inscribed1 and is held forth by a female figure of graceful proportions4 ,fig4 #eh is a still more grotesque combination2 a hand holds forth a shell1 the arm being elongated and attenuated according to the exigencies of the design1 and terminating in the head of a goose4 ,the abundance of quaint fancy that may be lavished on so simple a thing as a spoon cannot be better illustrated than it has been by an ,american author1 who published1 in ,new ,york1 in #ahde1 an illustrated octavo volume on the history of 8,the ,spoon3 ,primitive1 ,egyptian1 ,roman1 ,medival1 and ,modern40 ,speaking of these antique ,egyptian specimens1 he says1--8,in these forms we have the turns of thought of old artists2 nay1 casts of the very thoughts themselves4 ,we fancy we can almost see a ,theban spoonmaker's face brighten up as the image of a new pattern crossed his mind2 behold him sketch it on papyrus1 and watch every movement of his chisel or graver as he gradually embodied the thought1 and published it in one of the forms portrayed on these pages--securing an accession of customers and a corresponding reward in an increase of profit4 ,we take it for granted that piratical artisans were not permitted to pounce on every popular invention which the wit of another brought forth4 ,had there been no checks to unprincipled usurpers of other men's productions1 the energies of inventors would have been paralysed1 and the arts could hardly have attained the perfection they did among some of that famous people of old40 ,illustration3 ,figs4 #ei-fa4 ,the graceful head and neck of the swan formed for many centuries the favourite termination for the handles of simpula1 or ladles4 ,the ,greeks and ,romans adopted it1 as they freely did grotesque art in general2 and the walls of ,pompeii and ,herculaneum exhibit it in untrammelled style2 while many articles of ornament and use were constructed in the most whimsical taste4 ,we must restrict ourselves to three specimens of ,roman works1 as many hundreds might be readily brought together from public museums4 ,our group consists of two clasp-knives and a lamp4 ,the knife1 ,fig4 #ei1 was found at ,arles1 in the south of ,france2 the handle is of bone1 and has been rudely fashioned into the human form3 the second example1 ,fig4 #fj1 is of bronze1 and represents a canis venati1 of the greyhound species1 catching a hare2 the design is perforated1 so that the steel blade shows through it4 ,it was found within the bounds of the ,roman station of ,reculver1 in ,kent2 another of similar design was found at ,hadstock1 in ,essex3 nor are these solitary examples of what appears to have been a popular design in ,britain4 ,the superiority of the ,british hunting dogs has been celebrated by ,roman writers1 and induced their frequent exportation to the capital of the world4 ,the lamp1 with the quaint head of an ivy-wreathed satyr1 ,fig4 #fa1 was found in the bed of the ,thames1 while removing the foundations of old ,london ,bridge4 ,the protruding mouth of this very grotesque design holds forth the lighted wick4 ,in nothing more than in lamps did the quaint imaginings of the ,roman artists take the wildest license4 ,when the successful incursions of northern barbarism had quenched the light of classic art1 the struggle made by such artists as the ,goths had at command to embody the ideas of power or grace they wished to indicate1 were often as absurd as the work of a modern child4 ,hence the grotesque is an inseparable ingredient in their designs1 often quite accidental1 and frequently in express contradiction to the intention of the designer1 who imagined in all seriousness many scenes that now only excite a smile4 ,a strong sense of the ludicrous was1 however1 felt by medival men1 and embodied in the art-works they have left for our contemplation4 ,with it was combined a relish for satire of a practical kind4 ,a very good and amusing instance is given in ,fig4 #fb1 which is copied from a carved corner-post of an old house in ,lower ,brook ,street1 ,ipswich4 ,it depicts the old popular legend of the ,fox and ,geese1 the latter attracted toward ,reynard by his apparent innocence and sanctity1 as he reads a homily from a lectern1 and meeting the reward of their foolish trustfulness1 in the fattest of their number being carried off by the crafty fox4 ,both incidents are1 as usual with these ancient designers1 represented side by side on different angles of the post4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #fb4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #fc4 ,our next engraving1 ,fig4 #fc1 is a very striking specimen of grotesque design in ironwork of the fourteenth century4 ,it is a door handle from a church in the ,high ,street of ,gloucester1 and a more extraordinary admixture of incongruous details could not very readily be imagined4 ,the ring hangs from the neck of a monster with a human head having ass's ears1 the neck is snake-like1 bat's wings are upon the shoulders1 the paws are those of a wolf4 ,to the body is conjoined a grotesque head with lolling tongue1 the head wrapped in a close hood4 ,grotesque design1 for the reason already stated1 frequently appears in the details of church architecture and furniture during the ,middle ,ages1 particularly from the thirteenth to the seventeenth century4 ,the capital of a column was the favourite place for the indulgence of the mason's taste in caricature2 the misereres1 or folding seats of the choir1 for that of the wood-carver4 ,it is impossible to conceive anything more droll than many of the scenes depicted on these ancient benches4 ,emblematic pictures of the months1 secular games of all kinds1 or illustrations of popular legends1 frequently appeared2 but as frequently satirical and grotesque scenes1 often bordering on positive indelicacy2 and occasionally satires on the clerical character1 which can be only understood when we remember the strength of the odium theologicum1 and how completely the well-established regular clergy disliked the wandering barefooted friars1 who mixed with the people free of all clerical pretence1 and induced unpleasant comparison with the ostentatious pride of the greater dignitaries4 ,the ,franciscans were in this way especially obnoxious1 and between them and the well-established ,benedictines an incessant feud existed4 ,the tone of feeling that pervaded the middle and humbler classes found a mouth-piece in that curious satire1 the ,vision of ,piers ,ploughman1 than which ,luther never spoke plainer4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #fd4 ,one very prevailing form in early ,gothic design was that of the mythic dragon1 whose winged body and convoluted tail were easily and happily adapted to mix with the foliage or other decorative enrichments these artists chose to adopt4 ,hence we find no creature more common in early art than this purely fanciful one1 rendered still more fanciful by grotesque combination4 ,the bosses from which spring the vaulted ribs of ,wells ,cathedral furnish us with the instance engraved in ,fig4 #fd2 here two dragons twine round a bunch of foliage1 biting each other's tails4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #fe4 ,domestic utensils were often made to represent living things2 the tendency to convert a globular vase or jug into a huge head or a fat figure1 has been common to all people in all ages4 ,the highly civilised ,greeks indulged the whim1 and our own potters continue it4 ,in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries1 vessels for liquids were often constructed of bronze1 taking the form of lions1 or mounted knights on horseback1 of which specimens may be seen in our ,british ,museum4 ,the manufacturers of earthenware imitated these at a cheaper rate1 and we engrave 7,fig4 #fe7 one example of their skill1 the original being rudely coloured with a blue and yellow glaze on the surface of the brown clay which forms the body4 ,the door-knocker 7,fig4 #ff71 whimsically constructed in form of a human leg1 the heel hitting against the door1 is also a work of the fourteenth century2 it is affixed to a house in the ,rue des ,conseils1 at ,auxerre1 and is very characteristic in execution4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ff4 ,our selection 7,fig4 #fg7 comprises a most rare domestic antiquity1 to which a date cannot so readily be assigned1 but which cannot be more modern than the sixteenth century1 and may be older4 ,it is a toasting-fork in the form of a dog1 to whose breast a ring is attached for holding a plate4 ,it is entirely constructed of wrought-iron1 the body cut from a flat sheet of metal4 ,it was found in clearing away the foundations of one of the oldest houses in ,westminster4 ,the tail of the dog forms a convenient handle2 to the front foot a cross bar is appended to preserve its due equilibrium4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #fg4 ,grotesque design was adopted by the artists who decorated books from the very earliest time4 ,the margins of ancient manuscripts are often enriched with whimsical compositions1 as well as with flowing designs of much grace and beauty4 ,occasionally the two styles are very happily combined1 and a humorous adjunct gives piquancy to a scholastic composition4 ,the early printed books often adopted a similar style in art1 and we give two curious specimens4 ,the letter ,f1 whimsically composed of two figures of minstrels 7,fig4 #fh71 one playing the trumpet and the other the tabor1 is copied from an alphabet1 entirely composed in this manner1 and now preserved in the ,british ,museum2 it bears no date1 but the late ,mr4 ,william ,young ,ottley1 keeper of the prints there1 was of opinion that it was executed about the middle of the fifteenth century4 ,this quaint alphabet has been repeated by the artists of each succeeding generation1 with variations to adapt the letters to the costume or habit of each era2 but in this unique series we seem to see the origin of them all4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #fh4 ,one of the most singular books ever issued from the press1 was published about the same period2 it is known as the ,ars ,memorandi4#ei-99 ,as its title imports1 it was intended to assist the memory in retaining the contents of the ,gospels in the ,new ,testament4 ,this is done by making the body of the design of the emblematic figure indicative of each1 either the eagle1 angel1 ox1 or lion2 in combination with this figure are many small groups1 symbolic of the contents of the various chapters4 ,the copy we give 7,fig4 #fi71 from the second print devoted to ,st4 ,luke's ,gospel1 will make the plan of this singular picture-book clearer4 ,the winged bull is spread out as a base to the group of minor emblems1 upon its head rests a funeral bier1 and in front of it a pot of ointment2 the numeral #g alludes to the chapter1 the principal contents being thus called to memory4 ,the bier alludes to the ,saviour's miraculous restoration to life of the widow's son1 whom ,he met carried out on a bier as ,he entered the city of ,nain2 the ointment pot alludes to the anointing of ,his feet by ,mary ,magdalene4 ,the bag upon which the figure #h is placed1 indicates the fable of the sower1 it is the seed-bag of the husbandman2 the boat alludes to the passage of the ,lake when the ,saviour quelled the storm4 ,the singular group of emblems in the centre of the figure indicates--the power given to the disciples by the key2 the ,saviour in his transfiguration1 by the sun2 and the miraculous multiplication of the five loaves2 as narrated in the #ith chapter of ,st4 ,luke4 ,the following chapter has its chief contents noted by the scroll indicative of the law2 the sword which wounded the traveller from ,jerusalem whom the good ,samaritan aided2 and the figure of ,mary commended by ,jesus4 ,no4 #aa is typical of the casting out a devil whose back is depicted broken3 and ,no4 #ab1 of the teaching of that chapter in the ,gospel2 for here the heart is set upon a treasure-chest1 an act we are especially taught to avoid4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #fi4 ,these great treasure-chests were important pieces of furniture in ancient houses1 and were generally placed at the foot of the master's bed for the greater safety2 in them were packed the chief valuables he possessed1 particularly the household plate4 ,at a time when banking was unknown1 property was converted into plate1 as a most convenient mode of retaining it4 ,decorative plate increased the public state of its owner1 was a portable thing1 and could be easily hidden in time of danger1 or pledged in time of want4 ,hence the nobility and gentry of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries gave abundant employment to the goldsmith4 ,cellini1 in his ,memoirs1 has noted many fine pieces of ornamental plate he was called upon to design and execute2 and one of the finest still exists in the ,kunst-,kammer1 at ,vienna--the golden salt-cellar he made for ,francis ,i41 of ,france4 ,the 8salt0 was an important piece of plate on all tables at this period1 and to be placed above or below it1 indicated the rank1 or honour1 done to any seated at the banquet4 ,the large engraving 7,fig4 #gj7 delineates a very remarkable salt-cellar1 being part of the collection of antique plate formed by the late ,lord ,londesborough4 ,this curious example of the quaint designs of the old metal-workers1 is considered to have been the work of one of the famous ,augsburg goldsmiths at the latter part of the sixteenth century4 ,it is a combination of metals1 jewels1 and rare shells in a singularly grotesque general design4 ,the salt was placed in the large shell of the then rare pecten of the ,south ,seas1 which is edged with a silver-gilt rim chased in floriated ornament1 and further enriched by garnets2 to it is affixed the half-length figure of a lady1 whose bosom is formed of the larger orange-coloured pecten1 upon which a garnet is affixed to represent a brooch2 a crystal forms the caul of the head-dress1 another is placed below the waist4 ,the large shell is supported by the tail of the whale on one side1 and on the other by the serpent which twists around it2 in this reptile's head a turquoise is set1 the eyes are formed of garnet1 and the tongue of red onyx4 ,the whole is of silver-gilt1 and within the mouth is a small figure of ,jonah1 whose adventure is thus strangely mixed with the general design4 ,the sea is quaintly indicated by the circular base1 chased with figures of sea-monsters disporting in the waves4 ,it would not be easy to select a more characteristic specimen of antique table-plate4 ,the inventories of similar articles once possessed by the ,french king1 ,charles ,v41 and his brother1 the ,duke of ,anjou1 ,king of ,naples and ,provence 7preserved in the ,royal ,library1 ,paris71 give descriptive details of similar quaint pieces of art-manufacture1 in which the most grotesque and heterogeneous features are combined1 and the work enriched by precious stones and enamels4 ,jules ,labarte observes1 8the artists of that period indulged in strange flights of fancy in designing plate for the table1 they especially delighted in grotesque subjects3 a ewer or a cup may often be seen in the shape of a man1 animal1 or flower1 while a monstrous combination of several human figures serves to form the design of a vase40 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #gj4 ,but quaint and fanciful as were the works of the ,parisian goldsmiths1 they were outdone by the grotesque designs of the ,german artificers4 ,they invented drinking-cups of the strangest form1 the whole animal kingdom1 fabulous and real1 birds1 and sea-monsters1 were constructed to hold liquids4 ,a table laid out with an abundance of this strangely-designed plate1 must have had a ludicrous effect4 ,many of their works1 though costly in character1 refined in execution1 and thoroughly artistic in detail1 are absolute caricatures4 ,there is one in ,lord ,londesborough's collection1 and another in that of ,baron ,rothschild1 made in the form of a bagpipe2 the bag holds wine1 and is supported on human feet2 arms emerge from the sides and play on the chanter1 which is elongated from the nose of a grotesque face1 the hair a mass of foliage4 ,dozens of similar examples might be cited1 of the most extraordinary invention1 which the metal-workers of the seventeenth century particularly gave their imaginations licence to construct4 ,indeed1 the ,german artists of that period seem to have had a spice of lunacy in their compositions1 and the works of ,breughel were rivalled and outdone by many others whose fancies were of most unearthly type4 ,salvator ,rosa in ,italy1 and ,callot in ,france1 occasionally depicted what their grotesque and mystic imaginings suggested1 and ,teniers gave the world witch-pictures2 but for the wild and wondrous1 ,germany has always carried the palm from the rest of the world in art as in literature4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ga4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #gb4 ,we engrave a fine example of a vase handle 7,fig4 #ga71 apparently the work of an ,italian goldsmith at the early part of the seventeenth century4 ,the bold freedom of the design is utilised here by the upheaved figure grasped by the monster1 and which gives hold and strength to the handle2 the flowing character throughout the composition accords well with the general curve of the vase to which it is affixed4 ,there is a prevailing elegance in the ,italian grotesque design which is not seen in that of other nations4 ,the knife handle by ,francisco ,salviati1 which we have also selected for engraving 7,fig4 #gb71 is a favourable example of this feeling2 nothing can be more outr than the figure of the monster which crowns the design2 yet for the purpose of utility1 as a firm hold to the handle1 it is unobjectionable2 while the graceful convolutions of the neck1 and the flow of line in the figure1 combined with this monster1 give a certain quaint grace to the design1 which is further relieved by enriched foliage4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #gc4 ,with one specimen of the later work of the silversmith1 we take our leave of grotesque design as applied to art-manufacture2 but that work is as whimsical as any we have hitherto seen4 ,it is a pair of silver sugar-tongs 7,fig4 #gc71 evidently a work of the conclusion of the seventeenth or beginning of the eighteenth century4 ,it is composed of the figure of ,harlequin1 who upholds two coiled serpents1 forming handles2 the body moves on a central pivot1 fastened at the girdle1 and the right arm and left leg move with the front1 as do the others with the back of the body1 which is formed by a double plate of silver1 the junctures being ingeniously hidden by the chequers of the dress4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #gd4 ,we have already had occasion to allude to the adoption of grotesque design in book illustrations1 it is often seen in manuscripts1 and abounds in early printed works4 ,when wood engraving was extensively applied to the enrichment of the books which issued in abundance from the presses of ,germany and ,france1 the head and tail-pieces of chapters gave great scope to the fancies of the artists of ,frankfort and ,lyons4 ,the latter city became remarkable for the production of elegantly illustrated volumes1 which have never been surpassed4 ,our concluding cuts represent one of these tail-pieces 7,fig4 #gd71 in which a fanciful mask combines with scroll-work2 and a head-piece 7,fig4 #ge71 7one half only being given71 where the grotesque element pervades the entire composition to an unusual extent1 without an offensive feature4 ,yet it would not be easy to bring together a greater variety of heterogeneous admixtures than it embraces4 ,fish1 beasts1 insects1 and foliage1 combine with the human form to complete its ensemble4 ,the least natural of the group is the floriated fish1 whose general form has evidently been based on that of the dolphin4 ,when ,hogarth ridiculed the taste for virtu1 which the fashionable people of his own era carried to a childish extent1 and displayed its follies in his picture of 8,taste in high life10 and in the furniture of his scenes of the 8,marriage--la-mode10 he exhibited a somewhat similar absurdity in porcelain ornament4 ,in the second scene of the 8,marriage0 is an amusing example of false combination1 in which a fat ,chinese is embowered in foliage1 above whom floats in air a brace of fish1 which emerge from the leaves1 and seem to be diving at the lighted candles4 ,hogarth's strong sense of the ludicrous was always pertinently displayed in such good-humoured satire4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ge4 ,the pottery manufacturers were always clever at the construction of grotesques4 ,we have noted their past ability1 and our readers may note their present talent in many ,london shops4 ,the ,french fabricants furnish us with the most remarkable modern works1 and very many of the smaller articles for the toilette1 or for children's use1 are designed with a strong feeling for the grotesque4 ,little figures of ,chinese1 rich in colour1 twist about in quaint attitudes1 to do duty as tray-holders or match-boxes4 ,lizards make good paper-weights1 and wide-mouthed frogs are converted into small jugs with perfect ease4 ,there is evidently a peculiar charm possessed by the grotesque1 which appeals to1 and is gladly accepted by1 our volatile neighbours4 ,we are ashamed to laugh at a child-like absurdity1 and take it to our hearts with the thorough delight which they do not scruple to display4 ,in this we more resemble the ,germans1 and1 like them1 we have a sombre element even in our amusements4 ,this subject1 though entering so largely into the decorative designs of all countries and every age1 has never been treated with any attention as a branch of fine art4 ,it is by no means intended here to direct study to the reproduction of anything so false as the grotesque2 but as it has existed1 and does still exist1 its presence cannot be ignored1 and will be recognised constantly by all who study art4 ,illustration ,,footnotes3 #di-99 8,history of ,ancient ,egyptians40 #ei-99 8,ars ,memorandi notabilis per ,figuras ,evangelistarum10 etc4 ,,facts ,,about ,,finger-,,rings4 ,,facts ,,about ,,finger-,,rings4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,antique ,,rings4 ,archology1 which was formerly considered by the majority of persons to be a dull and uninteresting study1 abounding with dry details of small general interest1 which1 when not pompously pretentious1 were1 in the other extreme1 of trifling insignificance1 has1 by a better acquaintance with its true position as the handmaid of history1 become so popular that most ,english counties have societies especially devoted to its district claims1 and our large cities have their archological institutes also4 ,this is due to the good sense which has divested the study of its drier details1 or has had the tact to hide them beneath agreeable information4 ,it is not too much to assert that archology in all its branches may be made pleasurable1 abounding as it does in curious and amusing details1 sometimes humorously contrasting with our modern manners4 ,in taking up one of these branches--the history of finger-rings--we shall briefly show the large amount of anecdote and curious collateral information it abounds in4 ,our illustrations depict the great variety of design and ornamental detail embraced by so simple a thing as a hoop for the finger4 ,it would be easy to multiply the literary and the artistic branch of this subject until a volume of no small bulk resulted from the labour4 ,volumes have been devoted to the history of rings--,gorlus among the older1 and ,edwards1#gd-99 of ,new ,york1 among the modern authors4 ,the ancients had their ,dactyliotheca1 or collection of rings2 but they were luxurious varieties of rings for wear4 ,the modern collections are historic1 illustrative of past tastes and manners4 ,of these the best have been formed by the late ,lord ,londesborough 7whose collection was remarkable for its beauty and value71 and ,edmund ,waterton1 ,esq41 ,f4,s4,a41 who still lives to possess the best chronological series of rings ever brought together4 ,we have had the advantage of the fullest access to each collection4 ,it is in the oldest of histories1 the books of ,moses1 that we find the earliest records of the use of the finger-ring4 ,it originally appears to have been a signet1 used as we now use a written autograph2 and it is not a little curious that the unchanged habit of ,eastern life renders the custom as common now as it was three thousand years ago4 ,when ,tamar desired some certain token by which she should again recognise ,judah1 she made her first request for his signet1 and when the time of recognition arrived1 it was duly and undoubtingly acknowledged by all4#gd- ,fig4 #gf exhibits the usual form assumed by these signets4 ,it has a somewhat clumsy movable handle1 attached to a cross-bar passing through a cube1 engraved on each of its facets with symbolical devices4 ,sir ,john ,gardner ,wilkinson#ge-99 speaks of it as one of the largest and most valuable he has seen1 containing twenty pounds' worth of gold4 8,it consisted of a massive ring1 half an inch in its largest diameter1 bearing an oblong plinth1 on which the devices were engraved1 one inch long1 six-tenths in its greatest and four-tenths in its smallest breadth4 ,on one face was the name of a king1 the successor of ,amunoph ,,iii41 who lived about ,b4,c4 #adjj2 on the other a lion1 with the legend #8lord of strength1' referring to the monarch3 on one side a scorpion1 and on the other a crocodile40 ,judah's signet was1 of course1 formed of less valuable material1 and had probably a single device only4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #gf4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #gg4 ,the lighter kind of hooped signet1 as generally worn at a somewhat more recent era in ,egypt1 is shown in ,fig4 #gg4 ,the gold loop passes through a small figure of the sacred beetle1 the flat under side being engraved with the device of a crab4 ,it is cut in carnelian1 and once formed part of the collection of ,egyptian antiquities gathered by our consul at ,cairo--,henry ,salt1 the friend of ,burckhardt and ,belzoni1 who first employed the latter in ,egyptian researches1 and to whom our national museum owes many of its chief ,egyptian treasures4 ,from a passage in ,jeremiah 7xxii4 #bd7 it appears to have been customary for the ,jewish nation to wear the signet-ring on the right hand4 ,the words of the ,lord are uttered against ,zedekiah--8though ,coniah1 the son of ,jehoiakim1 ,king of ,judah1 were the signet on my right hand1 yet would ,i pluck thee thence40 ,the transition from such signets to the solid finger-ring was natural and easy4 ,the biblical record treats them as contemporaneous even at that early era4 ,thus the story of ,judah and ,tamar is immediately followed by that of ,joseph1 when we are told 8,pharaoh took off the ring from his hand and put it upon ,joseph's hand10 when he invested him with authority as a ruler in ,egypt4 ,dr4 ,abbott1 of ,cairo1 obtained a most curious and valuable ring1 inscribed with a royal name4 ,it is now preserved1 with his other ,egyptian antiquities1 at ,new ,york1 and is thus described in his catalogue3--8,this remarkable piece of antiquity is in the highest state of preservation1 and was found at ,ghizeh1 in a tomb near that excavation of ,colonel ,vyse's called #8,campbell's ,tomb4' ,it is of fine gold1 and weighs nearly three sovereigns4 ,the style of the hieroglyphics is in perfect accordance with those in the tombs about the ,great ,pyramid2 and the hieroglyphics within the oval make the name of that ,pharaoh 7,cheops7 of whom the pyramid was the tomb40 ,fig4 #gh represents this ring1 and beside it 7,fig4 #gi7 is placed the hieroglyphic inscription upon the face of the ring1 which is cut with the most minute accuracy and beauty4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #gh4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #gi4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #hj4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ha4 ,rings of inferior metal1 bearing royal names1 were worn1 probably1 by officials of the king's household4 ,henry ,salt had one such in his collection1 which was afterwards in the remarkable collection of rings formed by the late ,lord ,londesborough4 ,it is represented in ,fig4 #hj1 and is entirely of bronze4 ,the name of ,amunoph ,,iii4 is engraved on the oval face of the ring1 exactly as it appears on the tablet of ,abydus in the ,british ,museum4 ,amunoph 7who reigned1 according to ,wilkinson1 ,b4,c4 #adjc-acfg7 is the same monarch known to the ,greeks as ,memnon2 and the colossal 8head of ,memnon10 placed in the ,british ,museum through the agency of ,mr4 ,salt1 has a similar group of hieroglyphics sculptured on its shoulder4 ,there was another kind of official ring1 which we can recognise from the description of ,pliny1 and of which we give an engraving 7,fig4 #ha7 from the original in the author's possession4 ,it is of bronze1 and has engraved upon its face the figure of the scarabus2 such rings were worn by the ,egyptian soldiers4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #hb4 ,the lower classes1 who could not afford rings of precious metals1 but1 like their modern descendants1 coveted the adornment1 purchased those made of ivory or porcelain4 ,in the latter material they abounded1 and are found in ,egyptian sepulchres in large quantities2 they are very neatly moulded1 and the devices on their faces1 whether depicting gods1 emblems1 or hieroglyphics1 are generally well and clearly rendered4 ,this fondness for loading the fingers with an abundance of rings is well displayed on the crossed hands of a figure of a woman 7,fig4 #hb7 upon a mummy case in the ,british ,museum4 ,here the thumbs as well as the fingers are encircled by them4 ,the left hand is most loaded2 upon the thumb is a signet with hieroglyphics on its surface2 three rings on the forefinger2 two on the second1 one formed like a snail-shell2 the same number on the next1 and one on the little finger4 ,the right hand carries only a thumb-ring1 and two upon the third finger4 ,these hands are cut in wood1 and the fingers are partially broken4 ,wilkinson observes--8,the left was considered the hand peculiarly privileged to bear these ornaments2 and it is remarkable that its third finger was decorated with a greater number than any other1 and was considered by them1 as by us1 par excellence1 the ring-finger2 though there is no evidence of its having been so honoured at the marriage ceremony40 ,herodotus narrates a curious antique legend he obtained in ,egypt1 concerning the ring of ,polycrates4 ,it is remarkable as having spread into the legendary history of all countries1 being still credited by the commonality4 ,we shall have hereafter to note its existence as an old ,london tradition2 but the version of the ,greek historian is briefly thus3--,amasis1 ,king of ,egypt1 conceived an extraordinary friendship for the ,greek1 ,polycrates1 and1 observing that the latter was attended by unusual success in all his adventures1 reflected that such unvarying felicity seldom lasted through life1 and the end of such a career was often calamitous4 ,he therefore advised him to propitiate future fortune by seeking some object whose loss would produce most regret1 and voluntarily casting it away from him where it could never be recovered4 ,polycrates attached most value to a signet-ring he constantly wore2 it was of gold1 set with an emerald cut by ,theodorus of ,samos1 a famed engraver of gems4 ,he went out in a galley far on to the open sea1 and then cast his precious ring into its waters1 returning in an excess of grief4 ,some six days afterwards a fisherman came to his gate1 bearing a fish so fine and large he deemed it to be only fitted for the table of ,polycrates4 ,the ,king of ,samos accepted the gift1 the fish was sent to the royal kitchen1 and on opening it a valuable ring was found in its stomach4 ,it was at once taken to ,polycrates1 who immediately recognised his abandoned treasure1 which he now valued the more as it seemed to be returned by divine interposition4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #hc4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #hd4 ,in the comparatively modern era of ,roman rule in ,egypt1 rings of more fanciful construction were occasionally worn4 ,in the ,british ,museum is a remarkable one 7,fig4 #hc71 having the convolutions of a serpent1 the head of ,serapis at one extremity and of ,isis at the other2 by this arrangement one or other of them would always be correctly posited2 it has also the further advantage of being flexible1 owing to the great sweep of its curve4 ,the ancient ,assyrians1 though remarkable for that love of jewellery which has ever been the characteristic of the ,eastern nations1 appear to have worn no finger-rings4 ,yet many of their bracelets are admirably designed for the purpose if produced on a limited scale2 and they were worn by men as well as by women4 ,bonomi1 in his 8,history of ,nineveh and its ,palaces10 observes1 8that not a single case occurs1 amidst all this display of personal jewellery1 of a finger-ring2 the entire absence of this ornament in sculpture1 wherein details of this nature are so elaborately and carefully attended to1 leads to the conclusion that the finger-ring was an ornament then unknown40 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #he4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #hf4 ,among the earliest traces of western civilisation the finger-ring appears4 ,fig4 #hd is an ,etruscan ring of gold1 now in the ,british ,museum2 upon the face are chimer opposing each other4 ,the style and treatment of this subject partake largely of the ancient character of ,eastern art1 and1 like that1 is very decisive and conventional4 ,the ,greeks and ,romans literally revelled in rings of all styles and sizes4 ,nothing can be more beautiful in design and exquisite in finish than ,greek jewellery1 and the custom of decorating their dead with the most valued of these ornaments has furnished modern museums with an abundance of fine specimens4 ,figs4 #he and #hf are copied from originals found in the more modern ,etruscan sepulchres1 and are probably contemporary with the earliest days of the ,roman empire4 ,fig4 #he is admirably adapted to the finger2 being made of the purest gold1 it is naturally slightly elastic2 but the hoop is not perfected1 each extremity ending in a broad leaf-shaped ornament1 most delicately banded with threads of beaded and twisted wire1 acting as a brace upon the finger4 ,fig4 #hf is equally meritorious2 the solid half-ring is completed by a small golden chain attached to it by a loop passing over studs2 the links of this chain are perfectly flexible1 and of extreme delicacy2 they resemble the modern guard-chain1 or to speak more properly1 the modern chain imitates the ancient one2 and we shall meet in the course of our researches with very many other instances of the oft-repeated fact1 that 8there is nothing new under the sun40 ,this ring mania was not content with considering the ring as an ornament1 or even as a talisman2 a new science was revealed1 the ,dactyliomancia1 so named from two ,greek words1 signifying ring and divination4 ,the performance of its mysteries was in itself so simple1 that it was deemed expedient to add certain formul1 in order to make them more expressive4 ,a ring was held1 suspended by a fine thread1 over a round table1 on the edge of which were placed counters engraved with the letters of the alphabet4 ,the thread was shaken until the ring1 touching the letters1 had united as many as formed an answer to a question previously put4 ,this operation was preceded and accompanied by certain ceremonies4 ,the ring was consecrated with divers mysterious forms4 ,the person who held it was arrayed in linen only2 a circle was shaved round his head1 and in his hand he held a branch of vervain4 ,before commencing the gods were appeased by prayer4#hb-99 ,this practice long prevailed1 and is mentioned by ,gibbon as having given rise to the persecutions for the crime of magic1 in the reign of the ,emperor ,valens1 at ,antioch4#hc-99 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #hg4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #hh4 ,the simplest and most useful form of ring1 and that1 by consequence1 adopted by the people of all early nations1 was the plain elastic hoop1 as shown in ,fig4 #hg4 ,cheap in construction and convenient in wear1 it may be safely said to have been generally patronised from the most ancient to the most modern times4 ,fig4 #hh gives us the old form of a ring made in the shape of a coiled serpent1 equally ancient1 equally far-spread in the old world1 and which has had a very large sale among ourselves revived as a 8decided novelty40 ,in fact it has been the most successful design our ring-makers have produced of late years4 ,yet this antique ring may add another 8new idea0 to the modern designer4 ,it is 8made on the principle of some of our steel rings which we use to hold household keys1 widening their circle by pressure4 ,in this finger-ring the part in the mouth is inserted loose1 so as to draw out and increase to the size of the circle needed40#hc- ,illustration3 ,fig4 #hi4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ij4 ,though a great variety of form and detail was adopted by ,greek and ,roman goldsmiths for the rings they so largely manufactured1 the most general and lasting resembled ,fig4 #hi1 a ,roman ring1 probably of the time of ,hadrian1 which is said to have been found in the ,roman camp at ,silchester1 ,berkshire4 ,the gold of the ring is massive at the face1 making a strong setting for the carnelian1 which is engraved with the figure of a female bearing corn and fruit4 ,by far the greater majority of ,roman rings exhumed at home and abroad are of this fashion1 which recommends itself by a dignified simplicity1 telling1 by quantity and quality of metal and stone1 its true value1 without any obtrusive aid4 ,sometimes a single ring was constructed to appear like a group of two or three upon the finger4 ,mr4 ,edwards has furnished us with the example1 ,fig4 #ij4 8,it has the appearance of three rings united1 widened in the front and tapering within the hand4 ,upon the wide part of each are two letters1 the whole forming ,,zhcaic1 #8,mayest thou live4' ,the ,romans often preferred the ,greek language in their most familiar customs40 ,among the beautiful objects of antique art collected by ,b4 ,hertz1 ,esq41 and sold by auction in #ahei1 by ,messrs4 ,sotheby and ,wilkinson1 were many antique rings inscribed with sentences and mottoes of a remarkable kind4 ,those bearing ,greek inscriptions were the wordiest2 such as--8,i love not lest ,i go astray2 but ,i observe well1 and ,i laugh40--8,they say what they will2 let them say1 ,i care not40 ,many were evidently memorials of friendship2 one represented a hand pulling the lobe of an ear1 with the word 8,remember20 another1 with a similar device1 with the motto 8,remind me of the noble character40 ,others were inscribed--,,eytyxi--8,good luck to you10 and 8,i bring luck to him who wears this ring40 ,among the ,latin inscriptions were simple good wishes expressed in the words 8,vivas0 and 8,bene20 or sentiments expressed in few words1 such as--8,love me1 ,i will love thee20 8,come1 ,i will not20 8,be greeted1 ,fabiana40 ,many were simply inscribed with the names of the persons to whom they were presented1 such as ,,vlp4 ,,priscell 78,ulpia ,priscilla072 others with the names of the owners1 as ,valeria ,cleopatra and ,hermadion ,csaris4 ,a massive silver ring inscribed with the name 8,sabbina0 is engraved 7,fig4 #ia7 from the original in the ,londesborough collection4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ia4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ib4 ,we place beside it a ring with a very different device1 but one that cannot fail to be looked on with singular interest4 ,it is marked with the ,labarum1 the oldest sacred monogram of ,christianity1 which ,constantine believed he saw in a vision1 and placed upon his victorious standard and his coins1 with the motto--8,in hoc signo vinces60 ,this ring came from the ,roman sepulchre of an early ,christian1 and the hand for which it was originally fashioned may have aided in the conquering war of the first ,christian emperor2 or may have been convulsed in an agonising death1 8thrown to the beasts0 of the circus1 but reposing after death with the first martyrs to the faith4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ic4 ,clement of ,alexandria suggests to the ,christians of his era1 that they should have engraved devices of symbolic meaning allusive to their faith1 in place of the heathen deities and other subjects cut by ,roman lapidaries2 such as a dove1 which symbolises life eternal and the ,holy ,spirit2 a palm-branch1 peace2 an anchor1 hope2 a ship in full sail1 the church2 and others of similar import4 ,gorius has preserved a representation of a gold ring 7,fig4 #ic7 which he believes to have been presented by a ,roman lady to the victorious charioteer in the horse-races2 it is of peculiar form1 but one that was a favourite with ,roman wearers4 ,the bust of the donor appears on the summit of the ring1 and on each side are the heads of reined horses1 as shown in our cut4 ,her name is engraved on the lower part of the hoop1 and on each side ,,amorospis4 ,the latter properly being ,,hospes1 having the aspirate omitted and an ,i for an ,e1 induces ,gorius to consider it a late work of the ,roman era4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #id4 ,we have already spoken of the ring-hand and the ring-finger1 but have not noted the origin of the custom of placing the wedding ring on that finger4 ,it resulted from an inaccurate belief that a nerve went from thence to the heart4 ,that the ancients were indiscriminate in the use of their fingers as recipients for rings we have already shown2 ,mr4 ,waterton has placed in his curious ,dactyliotheca the forefinger from a bronze statue of late ,roman workmanship1 wearing a large ring upon the second joint4 ,in ,germany it is still customary to wear the ring in this fashion1 a custom they evidently borrowed from their ,roman subjugators1 and have retained through every century of change since then4 ,as the luxury of ,rome increased1 the wearing of rings increased also1 and the emperors relaxed the law of restraint4 ,thus ,tiberias1 in ,a4,d4 #bb1 gave permission for gold rings to be worn by all persons whose fathers and grandfathers possessed property to the value of #bjj1jjj sesterci4 ,the ,emperors ,severus and ,aurelian ultimately gave the right of wearing gold rings to all soldiers of the empire2 and the ,emperor ,justinian at length gave a similar right to all who had legal claims to ,roman citizenship4 ,distinction once broken through1 and wealth increasing1 ring-wearing became general4 ,seneca1 describing the luxury and ostentation of his time1 says1 8,we adorn our fingers with rings1 and a jewel is displayed on every joint40 ,the ridiculous excess to which the custom was carried may be understood from ,martial's description of ,charinus1 who wore as many as sixty rings on his hands at one time1 and so fond was he of his jewellery that he kept them upon his fingers when in bed4 ,they were decorated with a vast variety of subjects1 originally cut in the metal of which the ring was made1 whether gold1 silver1 or brass2 ultimately the devices were cut upon stones and gems1 occasionally representing the tutelar deity of the wearer4 ,thus ,julius ,csar wore one with ,venus ,victrix upon it1 and his partisans did the same4 ,pompey's ring was engraved with three trophies1 indicating his victories in ,europe1 ,asia1 and ,africa4 ,many used merely fanciful or emblematic devices2 thus ,mcenas had a frog upon his ring4 ,others wore the portraits of their ancestors or friends4 ,publius ,lentulus had that of his grandfather4 ,cornelius ,scipio ,africanus1 younger son of the great ,africanus1 wore the portrait of his father2 but1 as he was a degenerate son of an illustrious sire1 the people gave expression to their disgust at his conduct by depriving him of his ring1 saying he was unworthy to wear the portrait of so great a man4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ie4 ,this ring-wearing became one of the troubles of the wealthy1 and as the ,sybarite complained of the folded rose-leaf inconveniencing his bed1 the rich ,roman was fatigued with his rings4 ,hence came the custom of wearing light or heavy rings1 or as they termed them1 summer or winter rings1 according to the season4 ,that there really was some reason in the complaint1 will be granted by the reader who looks on ,fig4 #ie1 copied from ,montfaucon4#hi-99 ,it is a thumb-ring of unusual magnitude1 and of costly material2 it has upon it a bust in high relief of the ,empress ,plotina1 the consort of ,trajan2 she wears the imperial diadem1 which is here composed of precious stones cut into facets4 ,this bust would of course come outside the hand1 the narrower part of the wreathed ring passing between the thumb and first finger4 ,the gorgeous inconvenience of the whole thing is at once apparent4 ,it probably decorated the hand of some member of the imperial family4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #if4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ig4 ,the enormous sums expended by the wealthy on rings may be best understood by an allusion to the recorded value of two belonging to empresses of ,rome4 ,thus1 the ring of ,faustina1 we are told1 cost #dj1jjj1 and that of ,domitia #fj1jjj1 reckoning the ,roman sestertia at its modern value4 ,sometimes the decoration of a ring was not confined to a single gem1 though such rings were comparatively rare4 ,valerian speaks of the annulus bigemmis1 and ,gorleus furnishes us with the specimen engraved in ,fig4 #if2 the larger gem has cut upon it a figure of ,mars1 holding spear and helmet1 but wearing only the chlamys2 the smaller gem is incised with a dove and myrtle branch4 ,beside it are placed two examples of the emblematic devices and inscriptions adopted for classic rings1 when used as memorial gifts4 ,the first is inscribed1 8,you have a love pledge20 the second1 8,proteros 7to7 ,ugi10 between conjoined hands--a type of concord still familiar to us4 ,though the ancients seem scarcely to have thought of decorating the circlet of the ring1 they occasionally varied its form1 producing novelty at the expense of convenience4 ,fig4 #ih is a whimsical example2 it may1 however1 have been principally used as a signet4 ,the same may be said of ,fig4 #ii1 which has a very broad face1 set with an incised stone bearing a figure of ,hygeia4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ih4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ii4 ,the ancients tell us of charmed rings2 such was the ring of ,gyges1 which was reported to have rendered him invisible when he turned the stone inwardly1 and closed it in his palm4 ,execetus1 tyrant of the ,phocians1 carried two rings1 which he was accustomed to strike together1 to divine by the sound emitted what he had to do1 or what was to happen to him4 ,the most curious adaptation of the finger-ring to a double use was made by the ,romans4 ,it was a combination of a ring and a key1 as represented in ,figs4 #ajj and #aja1 from originals engraved by ,montfaucon in his great work on ,roman antiquities4 ,he has published many varieties1 for they are very commonly discovered in all places where the ,romans located themselves4 ,many have been found in ,london1 ,york1 ,lincoln1 and other old cities1 as well as in the neighbourhood of ,roman camps4 ,the use of these rings is apparent3 they opened the small cabinets or boxes in which the most precious articles were preserved1 and they were less likely to be lost1 mislaid1 or improperly used by others1 when thus worn night and day on the finger4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ajj4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aja4 ,it is recorded of the poisoning ,pope ,alexander ,,vi4 7,borgia71 that he caused a somewhat similar key to be used in opening a cabinet2 but the ,pope's key was poisoned in the handle1 and provided with a small sharp pin1 which gave a slight puncture sufficient to allow the poison to pass below the skin4 ,when the ,holy ,father wished to rid himself of an objectionable friend1 he would request him to unlock his cabinet2 as the lock turned rather stiffly1 a little pressure was necessary on the key-handle1 sufficient to give the trifling wound that ultimately proved mortal4 ,poisoned rings were known to the ancients2 when ,hannibal1 the ,carthaginian general1 was overcome by ,scipio ,africanus1 it is recorded that he fled to ,bithynia1 and ended his life by poison1 which for that purpose he had reserved in a ring4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ajb4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ajc4 ,rings formed of bone1 amber1 and glass1 were provided for the poorer classes1 as was the case in ancient ,egypt4 ,they were also used as mortuary rings1 and are found on the hands of the dead in ,italian sepulchres4 ,the ,waterton collection supplies us with two specimens4 ,fig4 #ajb is of amber1 cut to appear as if set with a stone4 ,fig4 #ajc is of glass1 also made as if set with a jewel4 ,the body of this ring is dark brown with bands of white crossing it2 the jewel is yellow4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ajd4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aje4 ,in the later days of the ,roman empire the simplicity and purity in decorative design that the ,romans obtained from the ,greeks1 gave way to the ostentatious love of gaudy decoration taught at ,byzantium4 ,jewellery became complicated in design2 enrichment was considered before elegance4 ,the old simple form of finger-ring varied much4 ,fig4 #ajd is given by ,montfaucon4 ,fig4 #aje is in the ,londesborough collection1 and was found upon the hand of a lady's skeleton1 buried with her child in a sarcophagus discovered in #ahdf1 in a field near ,amiens1 called 8,le ,camp de ,csar20 on two of her fingers were rings1 one of which was set with ten round pearls1 the other 7here engraved7 is of gold1 in which is set a red carnelian1 engraved with a rude representation of ,jupiter riding on the goat ,amalthea4 ,the child also wore a ring with an engraved stone4 ,the whole of the decorations for the person found in this tomb proclaim themselves late ,roman work1 probably of the time of ,diocletian4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ajf4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ajg4 ,in #ahda a curious discovery was made at ,lyons of the jewel case of a ,roman lady1 containing a complete trousseau1 including the rings here engraved4 ,fig4 #ajf is of gold2 the hoop is slightly ovular1 and curves upward to a double leaf1 supporting three cup-shaped settings1 one still retaining its stone1 an ,african emerald4 ,fig4 #ajg is also remarkable for its general form1 and still more so for its inscription1 ,,veneri ,,et ,,tvtele ,,votvm1 explained by ,m4 ,comarmond as a dedication to ,venus and the local ,tutela1 the guardian of the navigators of the ,rhine2 hence he infers these jewels to have belonged to the wife of one of these rich traders in the reign of ,severus4 ,carrying back our researches to the pre-historic era of our own island1 and searching in the tumuli of the early ,british chieftain and his family1 we shall discover the utmost simplicity of adornment2 not probably the result of indifference to personal decoration1 but simply to the rudeness of his position4 ,the wild ,gaelic hunter1 located in the gloomy fastnesses of wood and morass1 had little or no communication with the southern sea-margin of our isle3 and when we find the south ,cymry of ,britain much advanced in civilisation1 owing to connection with ,belgic ,gaul1 and ,phnician colonists of ,spain1 and the ,greek colonists of the ,mediterranean1 we find the tribes inhabiting the midland and northern counties still barbaric1 and little advanced in the arts that make life pleasant4 ,such decoration as they adopted seems to have originated in the basket-weaving1 for which the ,british ,islands were famous even at ,rome1 where noble dames coveted these works from the far-off and mysterious ,cassiterid4 ,plaited or interlaced-work1 resembling the convolutions of wicker and rush1 was imitated in threads of metal2 thus circlets for the neck1 bracelets for the arms1 or rings for the fingers1 were but twisted strands of gold4 ,the simplest form of finger-ring worn by these ,gaelic ancestors consisted of a band of metal1 merely twisted round to embrace the finger1 and open at either end4 ,fig4 #ajh shows one of these rings1 found in excavating at ,harnham ,hill1 near ,salisbury1 a locality celebrated from the very earliest recorded time as the true centre of ancient ,britain4 ,this ring was found on the middle finger of the right hand of a person of advanced age4 ,sometimes several rings were found on one hand4 8,among the bones of the fingers of the left hand of an adult skeleton was found a silver ring of solid form1 another of spiral form1 and a plain gold ring40#if-99 ,mr4 ,akerman1 who superintended these researches1 says1 8,similar rings have been found at ,little ,wilbraham1 at ,linton ,heath1 at ,fairford1 and other localities4 ,they are for the most part of an uniform construction1 being so contrived that they could be expanded or contracted1 and adapted to the size of the finger of the wearer40#if- ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ajh4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aji4 ,the prevailing form of the old ,celtic finger-ring is shown in ,fig4 #aji4 ,it is formed of thick twisted wires of pure gold4 ,this fashion seems to have been in most favour with all the early ,celtic tribes1 such rings being found in the grave-mounds of ,gaul1 ,germany1 ,belgium1 ,denmark1 ,ireland1 and ,scotland4 ,a discovery of many similar rings was made in one of the ,western ,islands of ,scotland2 they were formed of from three to eight wires each1 elaborately and beautifully enwreathed4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aaj4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aaa4 ,the south ,saxons retained to the last the simple form of wire-ring1 which originated1 as we have already shown1 with the most ancient people4 ,its comparative cheapness and ease of construction were no doubt its great recommendations4 ,similar rings are still made for the poorer classes in the ,east3 the author has seen such worn in modern ,egypt4 ,specimens have been obtained in ,anglo-,saxon grave-mounds in ,england1 and others1 identical in form1 in the old ,saxon cemeteries of ,germany4#ig-99 ,fig4 #aaj represents one of the plainest of these wire-rings2 it was exhumed from a tumulus on ,chartham ,downs1 a few miles from ,canterbury1 ,kent1 in #aggc1 by the ,rev4 ,bryan ,faussett1 who says1 8the bones were those of a very young person40 ,upon the neck was a cross of silver1 a few coloured earthen beads1 and 8two silver rings with sliding knots40 ,the industry of the same collector furnishes us with ,fig4 #aaa1 a specimen of a wire-ring so twisted as to resemble a seal ring1 or one set with a stone3 the wire round the finger has been beaten out flat4 ,it was discovered in the extensive ,saxon cemetery on ,kingston ,downs1 near ,canterbury1 on the ,dover ,road4 ,the tumulus was evidently the last resting-place of a person of small wealth1 as this copper ring and two small beads only were found in it2 and it was customary to bury the ornaments of the deceased1 however valuable1 with them4#ih-99 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aab4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aac4 ,ireland seems to have boasted a higher civilisation at an earlier period than the sister kingdoms1 and her ancient art-works are remarkable for their skilled and tasteful elaboration4 ,gold1 too1 appears to have been used more commonly there1 and the museum of the ,royal ,irish ,academy can show a more wonderful collection of personal ornaments in that precious metal1 as once worn by the native nobles1 than is to be seen in the national museums of any other country1 with the exception of ,denmark4 ,the gold is of the purest kind and richest colour1 and the manner of its working could not be excelled by a modern goldsmith4 ,the ,londesborough collection includes two remarkable rings 7,figs4 #aab and #aac71 which were found with other gold ornaments near the very remarkable tumulus known as 8,new ,grange10 a few miles from ,drogheda4 ,they were accidentally discovered in #ahdb by a labouring man1 within a few yards of the entrance to the tumulus1 at the depth of two feet from the surface of the ground1 and without any covering or protection from the earth about them4 ,two bracelets of thick twisted gold1 and a chain1 also of gold1 were found with them4 ,another labouring man1 hearing of this discovery1 carefully searched the spot whence they were taken1 and found a denarius of ,geta1 which may aid us in arriving at some conclusion as to the age of these curious works4 ,the stone set in both rings is a cut agate4 ,illustration ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,medi,,val ,,rings4 ,the rings worn by the higher class of our ,anglo-,saxon ancestors during the ,heptarchy were often very beautiful1 and of imposing form4 ,one of the finest we have seen belonged to the ,rev4 ,h4 ,b4 ,hutchings1 of ,appleshaw1 ,hants1#ajj-99 and was found in a meadow at ,bosington1 near ,stockbridge1 in the same county1 by a labourer who saw it among a heap of peat4 ,we give a side and front view of this interesting relic2 the whole is of gold1 and is of considerable weight and thickness2 the gold threads are all beautifully reeded1 and the lettering and head executed with great care4 ,the inscription reads--,,nomen ,,ehlla ,,fid ,,in ,,xpo1 equivalent to its owner saying1 8,my name is ,ella1 my faith is in ,christ40 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aad4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aae4 ,the beautiful and remarkable collection of rings formed by ,edmund ,waterton1 ,esq41 ,f4,s4,a41 to which allusion has already been made1 includes a ring of ,south ,saxon workmanship1 which was found in the ,thames at ,chelsea in #ahef4 ,the face of this ring 7,fig4 #aaf7 is an elongated oval1 with a circular centre4 ,within this circle is the conventional figure of a dragon1 surrounded by convoluted ornament1 reminding us forcibly of the prevailing enrichments so lavishly bestowed on old ,runic monuments1 at home and abroad4 ,four quaintly-formed heads of dragons occupy the triangular spaces1 above and below this centre4 ,this ring is of silver4 ,the ground between the ornament has been cut down1 probably for the insertion of niello or enamel colours4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aaf4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aag4 ,fig4 #aag is an historic relic of singular interest1 and a remarkable work of early art4 ,it is the ring of ,ethelwulf1 ,king of ,wessex 7the father of ,alfred the ,great71 who reigned ,a4,d4 #hcf-hch1 and bears the royal name upon it4 ,it was found in the parish of ,laverstock1 ,hants1 in a cart-rut1 where it had become much crushed and defaced4 ,the form is remarkable1 the front rising pyramidally4 ,two birds of conventional form face each other1 a flower ornament dividing them2 these decorations1 like those on ,mr4 ,waterton's ring just described1 are relieved by a ground of glossy bluish-black enamel1 cavities having been cut between the ornament for its infusion4 ,this ring is of gold1 weighing #aa dwts4 #ad grs42 it is now preserved in the ,british ,museum4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aah4 ,mr4 ,waterton is the fortunate possessor of a ring second only in interest and value to this royal relic4 ,it is the ring of ,ahlstan1 ,bishop of ,sherborne1 the friend and counsellor of ,king ,ethelwulf1 who flourished ,a4,d4 #hag-hfg4 ,it was discovered in ,carnarvonshire1 and has the name of the bishop in divided letters distributed on the circular rosettes of the design2 they are connected by lozenge-shaped floriated ornaments1 having dragons in their centres4 ,our cut 7,fig4 #aah7 gives the general form and detail of this beautiful ring1 which is remarkable for the elegance of its design4 ,it is of gold1 like the preceding ring2 both being admirable illustrations of the champ-lev process of enamelling as practised in the ninth century4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aai4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #abj4 ,a remarkable discovery of coins and treasure was made in #ahdj by workmen employed in digging at ,cuerdale1 near ,preston1 in ,lancashire4 ,it consisted of a large mass of silver1 in the form of ingots or bars of various sizes1 a few armlets and rings1 and portions of other ornaments1 cut into pieces as if for remelting4 ,with them were packed nearly seven thousand coins of various descriptions1 consisting of ,anglo-,saxon pennies1 others struck by the second race of ,french kings1 a few ,oriental coins1 and others which appear to have been coined by some of the piratical northern chieftains4 ,this treasure was minutely examined by ,e4 ,hawkins1 ,f4,r4,s41 of the ,british ,museum1 and he came to the conclusion that it had been deposited about the year #iaj1 and that the ornaments must be considered such as were worn about the time of ,alfred1 or perhaps somewhat earlier4 ,the rings retain much of the primitive ,british form1 as will be seen on examining the two selected for engraving here4 ,fig4 #aai is beaten out into a broad face1 which is covered with an indented ornament produced by a chisel-shaped punch of triangular form1 the points of two conjoined in one pattern1 the edge of the ring on each side further enriched by a series of dots4 ,fig4 #abj has a still broader face1 which is decorated by groups of three circles each1 somewhat irregularly distributed over the surface1 with indented lines between them4 ,the open end of this ring has been drawn together and secured by a coil of wire4 ,such rings were probably worn by the middle classes4 ,the passion for gems and jewellery was excessive among all the ,gothic nations4 ,when ,alaric pillaged ,rome1 his booty in this way was enormous2 and it is recorded that his princess1 ,placidia1 received as a present from the conqueror's brother1 fifty basins filled with precious stones of inestimable value4 ,not only were the persons of these sovereigns and nobles covered with gems1 inserted in girdles1 sword-scabbards1 on borders of garments or shoes2 but vases1 dishes1 bowls1 drinking-cups1 as well as portable articles of furniture1 caskets1 c41 were similarly enriched4 ,the ,ostrogoth and ,wisigoth kings amassed1 in ,tolosa and ,narbonne1 immense treasures in gems and gold and silver vessels4 ,when ,narbonne was pillaged1 the number of ornaments of pure gold enriched with gems that fell to the conquerors would scarcely be credited1 were the details recorded by less trustworthy authors1 or not corroborated by some few works of the same age which have fortunately descended to us4 ,the ,church shared largely in this wealth2 crosses1 reliquaries1 and sacred vessels of all kinds1 were made of the most costly material1 and encrusted with gems4 ,one of these ancient works may still be seen in ,cologne ,cathedral--the chasse1 or reliquary1 containing the reputed skulls of the three ,magi1 of whom we shall soon have to speak more fully4 ,this remarkable work is studded all over with engraved intaglios of ,roman workmanship4 ,churchmen at this time were clever artificers2 and ,st4 ,dunstan1 great statesman as he was1 in the ,british1 and ,st4 ,eloi in the ,gallic1 church1 both skilled working goldsmiths1 have since become the patron saints of confraternities of their followers4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aba4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #abb4 ,the higher clergy on all solemn occasions displayed much personal decoration4 ,a jewelled ring was part of the adornment of a bishop when arrayed in full pontificals4 ,it indicated his rank1 was made for him1 and buried with him4 ,the treasuries of our old cathedrals still possess a few of these rings4 ,one of the earliest and most curious is kept by the ,dean of ,winchester1 and is represented in ,fig4 #aba4 ,it was found during the repair of the choir under the tomb of ,william ,rufus1 and is supposed to have been the pontifical ring of ,henry de ,blois1 ,cardinal1 and ,bishop of ,winchester1 ,a4,d4 #aabi4 ,it is a massive ring of solid gold1 set with an oval irregularly-shaped sapphire1 en cabochon1 polished only1 not cut2 held in its heavy socket by four fleur-de-lys1 and still further secured by drilling through its centre a passage for a gold wire--a reckless way of treating valuable jewels1 which is characteristic of almost all these early works4 ,fig4 #abb is an ordinary pontifical gold ring of investiture1 used in the ,anglican ,church about this time4 ,it was found at ,winchester1 and is preserved with ,fig4 #aba1 described above4 ,it has a very massive setting for a large blue sapphire1 and is very characteristic1 though simple in its design4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #abc4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #abd4 ,dignity1 as exhibited by weight and simplicity1 seems to have been chiefly regarded in the design of these old episcopal insignia4 ,in the sacristy at ,york ,minster is preserved a very excellent specimen1 ,fig4 #abc4 ,this was found in the tomb of ,archbishop ,sewall1 who died in #abef4 ,with it is kept another fine ring of more elaborate design 7,fig4 #abd71 which was discovered in the tomb of ,archbishop ,greenfield1 who died in #acae4 ,the foliations which curl around the central stone and its setting1 take the prevailing forms adopted in architectural enrichments of the archbishop's age4 ,the stones usually chosen for such rings were ruby1 emerald1 or crystal1 and had a significance usual with all things connected with the ,roman ,catholic ,church2 ruby indicated its glory1 emerald its tranquillity and happiness1 and crystal its simplicity and purity4 ,the diamond typified invulnerable faith2 the sapphire1 hope2 the onyx1 sincerity2 the amethyst1 humility4 ,in the old romance of 8,sir ,degrevant10 we are told that at the marriage of the hero there came 8,archbishops with rings ,more than fifteen40 ,in the romance of 8,king ,athelstan0 7also a work of the fourteenth century71 the king exclaims to an offending archbishop-- 8,lay doun thy cross1 and thy staff1 ,thy miter1 and thy ring1 that ,i to thee gaff3 ,out of my land thou flee40 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #abe4 ,the episcopal ring1 being thus necessarily a mark of rank1 was worn about this time over the gloves3 sometimes as a thumb-ring1 and often of very large size4 ,the ornaments of the clergy became more massive as the wealth of the ,church increased4 ,as the clergy were during church service separated from the laity1 many of the latter were at a considerable distance from them4 ,this may be a reason for the size adopted for episcopal rings4 ,a late ,dean of ,st4 ,patrick's had in his collection a very large ring of this kind1 represented in ,fig4 #abe1 from a sketch made by the author when it was in the possession of ,w4 ,huxtable1 ,f4,s4,a41 in #ahdg4 ,it was of bronze1 thickly gilt1 and set with a crystal4 ,this peculiar form was generally adopted for rings at this period4 ,the ,londesborough collection furnishes us with a curious specimen 7,fig4 #abf71 formed of gilt copper1 and set with a small ruby1 which must have stood forth from the finger in what would now be considered as a most inconvenient manner4 ,fig4 #abg exhibits the form of the plain hooped ring1 simply decorated with quatrefoils on each side of the stone 7in this instance a small irregularly-shaped sapphire71 which is embedded in a somewhat solid setting projecting from the ring4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #abf4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #abg4 ,in the ,gentleman's ,magazine for #ahdh is engraved a massive ring1 also of brass1 thickly gilt1 the hoop chased with the arms of ,pope ,pius ,,ii4#ajh-99 7the famed neas ,sylvius71 and his name1 ,papa ,pio1 between the tiara and the cross-keys4 ,on each of the four sides of this ring appears one of the four beasts of the ,revelation1 typifying the ,evangelists3 they are executed in high relief4 ,it is set with a large topaz4 ,this ring has since passed into ,mr4 ,waterton's fine collection1 who is the fortunate possessor of others of the same class4 ,one in the ,londesborough collection is here engraved1 ,fig4 #abh1 as a good specimen of the general design adopted for such rings4 ,the crossed-keys surmount a coat of arms on one side of the ring2 the keys alone appear on the opposite side2 foliated ornament fills the space above the circlet on either side4 ,this ring is set with a large crystal4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #abh4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #abi4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #acj4 ,we close our series of episcopal rings with one found in the cathedral at ,hereford during the repairs of the choir in #ahdc1 which rendered the removal of the beautifully carved alabaster monument of ,bishop ,stanbery unavoidable4 ,this bishop held the ,see from #adeb until his death in ,may1 #adgd4 ,upon opening the tomb a few fragments of bone were discovered1 very small portions of the mere remains of the silk of the robes in which the body of the bishop was enveloped1 and this beautiful ring1 of which views are given in ,figs4 #abi and #acj4 ,it is of gold1 set with a sapphire2 the sides of the ring are decorated with sprays and flowers on a ground of dark enamel2 and inside is the motto 8en bon an40 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aca4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #acb4 ,a very large ring1 bearing great general resemblance to the episcopal ring1 was occasionally worn as a thumb-ring by the laity4 ,a specimen of such a one is selected from the ,londesborough collection in ,fig4 #aca4 ,it is somewhat roughly formed of mixed metal1 and has upon the circular face a conventional representation of a monkey looking at himself in a hand-mirror4 ,this is surrounded by a cable moulding1 and on each side is set two large stones4 ,the outer edge of this ring is also decorated with a heavy cable moulding3 inside1 next the finger1 is the cross and sacred monogram1 placed on each side of the mystic word anamzapta1 which we shall immediately have to explain more fully when speaking of the rings commonly worn as charms4 ,these massive thumb-rings were indicative of wealth or importance1 when worn by the middle classes who had obtained any municipal position4 ,when ,falstaff speaks of his slenderness in his youth1 he declares that he could then have 8crept through an alderman's thumb-ring40 ,like the massive gold chains still worn by that honourable fraternity1 they told of a trader's wealth4 ,the inventories of personal property belonging to burgesses in the ,middle ,ages1 contain frequent allusions to such rings1 without which they would have felt shorn of an important part of their head-earned honours4 ,among the wills and inventories preserved at ,bury ,st4 ,edmund's1 published by the ,camden ,society1 is one made by ,edward ,lee1 of that town1 bearing date #aece1 in which he bequeaths to a friend1 8my double wreathed ryng of gold1 whych ,i ware on my thumbe40 ,from this description it is evident that this ring must have borne great resemblance to that given in ,fig4 #aca1 with its outer cable or double wreathed pattern4 ,there is a brass in ,hastings ,church1 ,sussex1 with the effigy of a gowned citizen wearing such a ring4 ,that such rings became in the end indicative of that class1 and were retained in fashion for this reason when they had been long discarded from general use1 may be safely inferred from the description of a character introduced in the ,lord ,mayor's ,show in the year #affd1 who is said to be 8habited like a grave citizen--gold girdle and gloves hung thereon1 rings on his fingers1 and a seal ring on his thumb40 ,such rings were evidently used according to the most ancient mode as personal signets1 by such as were not entitled to bear arms2 hence originated the quaint inventions known as 8merchant's marks10 which were impressed on merchandise1 painted on shields instead of armorial bearings1 inserted in memorial windows of stained glass1 and worn on the thumb for constant use in sealing4 ,a very fine ring of this kind is engraved in the ,journal of the ,archological ,institute1 vol4 iii41 and is here copied in ,fig4 #acb4 ,it was found in the bed of the ,severn1 near ,upton1 and is probably a work of the fifteenth century2 it is of silver1 and has been strongly gilt4 ,the hoop is spirally grooved1 and upon the circular face is a large letter ,h1 surrounded by branches4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #acc4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #acd4 ,the custom of placing initial letters on rings is a very old one1 and they are sometimes surmounted by crowns or coronets2 hence they have frequently been mistakenly appropriated to royalty4 ,fig4 #acc is a ring of this kind1 with a crowned ,i upon it2 hence it was once called 8,king ,john's ring40 ,it is most probably the initial of the ,saviour's name as ,king of the ,jews1 in the same way that the crowned ,m may indicate the ,virgin ,mary as 8,queen of ,heaven10 a favourite popish designation4 ,such rings may have been worn from religious feeling1 or from the superstitious belief in the efficacy of holy names as preservatives from evil4 ,the baseness of the metal of which they are often made1 and their consequent small value1 precludes the possibility of their having belonged to royalty4 ,the same remark will apply to a ring also engraved in the ,journal of the ,archological ,institute1 and now in the possession of the ,rev4 ,walter ,sneyd4 ,it is there described as of mixed yellow metal gilt2 on either side of the hoop there is a crown 7,fig4 #acd71 of the form commonly seen on coins of the twelfth century1 and on the signet are the words1 ,,rogerivs ,,rex1 chased in high relief4 ,in the form of the character they correspond closely with legends upon coins of ,roger1 second ,duke of ,apulia1 of that name1 crowned ,king of ,sicily ,a4,d4 #aabi2 he died ,a4,d4 #aaeb4 ,this ring has every appearance of genuine character1 but it is difficult to explain for what purpose it was fabricated1 the inscription not being inverted1 and the letters in relief ill suited for producing an impression4 ,it seems very improbable that ,king ,roger should have worn a ring of base metal2 and the conjecture may deserve consideration1 that it was a signet not intended for the purpose of sealing1 but entrusted in lieu of credentials to some envoy4 ,the popular literature of the ,middle ,ages abundantly proves this custom to have been in general use4 ,the tale of ,ipomydon1 in ,weber's 8,ancient ,metrical ,romances10 notes the gift of a ring to the hero from his mother1 which is to be used as a token of recognition to his illegitimate brother1 and which is brought secretly to his notice by being dropped into his drinking horn4 ,in the 8,romance of ,florence and ,blancheflor10 a ring serves the purpose of letters of introduction when the hero is on his travels1 and ensures him hospitality when he deserves it4 ,rings sometimes bore the name and title of the ,saviour in full1 as in ,fig4 #ace from the ,londesborough collection4 ,two hands are clasped in front2 it was1 therefore1 most probably a gift1 or betrothal ring4 ,it is silver1 somewhat rudely fashioned4 ,the inscription 7here engraved below it7 is in uncial characters1 and shorn of its somewhat awkward abbreviation1 reads 8,jesus ,nazareneus ,rex40 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ace4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #acf4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #acg4 ,the same collection furnishes us with the specimen of a religious ring 7,fig4 #acf71 apparently a work of the fourteenth century4 ,it has a heart in the centre1 from which springs a double flower4 ,on the upper edge of the ring are five protuberances on each side2 they were used to mark a certain number of prayers said by the wearer1 who turned his ring as he said them1 and so completed the series in the darkness of the night4 ,such rings are of very common occurrence1 and must have been in general use4 ,they are sometimes furnished with more prominent knobs1 as in ,fig4 #acg4 ,they are termed decade rings when furnished with ten bosses1 which were used to count the repetition of ten aves1 but they are occasionally seen with one or two additional bosses2 when there are eleven1 they notify ten aves and a paternoster2 the addition of the twelfth marks the repetition of a creed4 ,allusion has already been made to the mystic virtues attributed to stones during the ,middle ,ages1 and for the fondness for collecting antique gems4 ,they were coveted not only as works of art1 but for their supposed power over the circumstances of life1 or the welfare of individual wearers4 ,the idea very probably originated with the ,gnostics of the ,east1 who engraved stones with mystic figures believed to impart good luck or to keep off evil influences4 ,so completely had this belief gained hold on all classes1 that a ,gnostic gem set as a ring was found on the finger of the skeleton of an ecclesiastic1 in the ,cathedral of ,chichester1 8affording indubitable evidence that these relics were cherished in the ,middle ,ages by those whose express duty it was to reprove and check such gross superstition40#aae-99 ,this belief was ultimately reduced to a system4 ,an old ,french ,lapidaire1 compiled in the thirteenth century1 assures us that a stone engraved with the figure of ,pegasus or ,bellerophon is good for warriors1 8giving them boldness and swiftness in flight10 very contradictory qualifications1 it must be allowed4 ,one with the figure of ,andromeda had the power of conciliating love between man and woman4 8,a gem bearing the figure of ,hercules slaying a lion or other monster1 was a singular defence to combatants4 ,the figure of ,mercury on a gem rendered the possessor wise and persuasive4 ,the figure of ,jupiter with the body of a man and the head of a ram1 made the man who bore it beloved by everybody1 and he was sure to obtain anything he asked4 ,if you find a stone bearing the figure of a hare1 it will be a defence against the devil2 if you find a dog and a lion on the same stone1 it will be a preservative against dropsy or pestilence4 ,the figure of ,orion was believed to give victory in war4 ,if you find a stone1 in which is ,perseus holding in his right hand a sword1 and in his left the ,gorgon's head1 it is a preservative against lightning and tempest and against the assaults of devils4 ,a stone on which is engraved a long-bearded man sitting on a plough1 with a bending in his neck1 and four men lying down1 and holding in his hand a fox and a vulture1 this1 suspended about the neck1 enables you to find treasures4 ,if you find a dove1 with a branch of olive in its mouth1 engraved in pyrites1 and mount it in a silver ring1 and carry it with you1 everybody will invite you to be his guest1 and people will feast you much and frequently4 ,the figure of a syren1 sculptured in a jacinth1 rendered the bearer invisible4 ,a fair head1 well combed1 with a handsome face1 engraved on a gem1 gave to the bearer joy1 reverence1 and honour4 ,such were the qualities attached to ancient gems in the ,middle ,ages40#aaf-99 ,many plain stones were also believed to have magical virtues4 ,thus1 the amethyst prevented drunkenness1 and was consequently often set upon wine cups4 ,the crystal clouded if evil was about to happen to its wearer4 ,amber was good against poison1 hence drinking-cups were formed from it4 ,the topaz cured and prevented lunacy1 increased riches1 assuaged anger and sorrow1 and averted sudden death4 ,such was the faith placed in stones until the end of the sixteenth century4 ,dr4 ,donne speaks of 8,a compassionate turquoise1 that doth tell1 ,by looking pale1 the wearer is not well40 ,but the most curious of all these superstitious beliefs attached itself to the crapaudine1 or toad-stone4 ,it is most unattractive to sight1 of an opaque dirty-brown tint1 and known to mineralogists as a variety of trap-rock4 ,it was believed to have most sovereign virtues against poison if pounded and drank1 and1 like the turquoise1 to give warning of its presence by a change of colour1 when simply worn in a ring4 ,it was believed to exist in the head of the toad4 ,fenton1 writing in #aefi1 says1 8,there is found in the heads of old and great toads a stone which they call borax or stelon2 it is most commonly found in the head of a he-toad40 ,it was not easily attained1 for the toad 8envieth so much that man should have that stone10 says old ,lupton1 in his 8,thousand ,notable ,things40 ,hence came a true test for such stones1 according to the same credulous author1 who thus enlightens us3--8,to know whether the toad-stone called crapaudina be the right and perfect stone or not1 holde the stone before a toad so that he may see it1 and if it be a right and true stone1 the toad will leap toward it1 and make as though he would snatch it from you40 ,it should be obtained1 says a medival author1 while the toad is living1 and this is to be done by simply placing him upon a piece of scarlet cloth1 8wherewithal they are much delighted1 so that while they stretch out themselves as it were in sport upon that cloth1 they cast out the stone of their head1 but instantly they sup it up again1 unless it be taken from them through some secret hole in the same cloth40#aag-99 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ach4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aci4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #adj4 ,lupton1 whom we have just quoted1 tells us of 8a rare good way to get the stone out of the toad10 which has the advantage of greater simplicity4 ,it is to be done thus3--8,put a great or overgrown toad 7first bruised in divers places7 into an earthen pot2 put the same into an ants' hillocke1 and cover the same with earth1 which toad at length the ants will eat1 so that the bones of the toad and stone will be left in the pot40 ,boethius relates how he watched a whole night an old toad he had laid on a red cloth to see him cast forth the stone1 but the tedious watch was not rewarded2 the toad retained his jewel1 and he had nothing from thence to 8gratify the great pangs of his whole night's restlessness40 ,the ,londesborough collection supplies us with two remarkable specimens of rings connected with toad superstition4 ,fig4 #ach is of mixed metal gilt1 having upon it the figure of a toad swallowing a serpent4 ,there is a medival story of a necromancer introducing himself to another professor of magic by showing him a serpent ring1 upon which the latter1 who did not desire any one to interfere with his practice1 produced his toad-stone ring1 observing that the toad might swallow the serpent1 thereby intimating his power to overcome him4 ,fig4 #aci is curious1 not only as containing the true toad-stone1 but also that the stone is embossed with the figure of a toad1 according to the description of ,albertus ,magnus1 who describes the most valuable variety of this coveted gem as having 8the figure of the reptile imprinted upon it40 ,the elder poets have1 as usual with them1 turned into a moralisation this fabulous bit of natural history4 ,lyly1 in his 8,euphues10 observes1 8the foule toad hath a faire stone in his head40 ,shakspere has immortalised the superstition in the most effective and beautiful manner1 when he declares how 8,sweet are the uses of adversity1 ,which1 like the toad1 ugly and venomous1 ,yet wears a precious jewel in its head40 ,superstition did not confine its belief to a few charms2 it ranged over more than we can now record4 ,in the ,londesborough collection is the massive thumb-ring delineated in ,fig4 #adj1 having the tooth of some animal as its principal gem1 fondly believed by its original owner to have mystic power over his well-being4 ,to 8make assurance doubly sure10 it is set all round with precious stones1 all believed to have magical virtues4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ada4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #adb4 ,superstition was not confined to the real world of animal life1 but ranged over the fabulous natural history which mixed largely with the true1 in all men's minds1 at this credulous era of the world's history1 when persons put more faith in false charms for the cure of disease or the prevention of evil1 than in the power of medicine1 or the value of proper preventives4 ,the horn of the unicorn1 the claw of the griffin1 and other relics of equal verity and value1 were sought eagerly by those rich enough to procure them1 and when obtained were believed to ensure much good fortune to the possessor4 ,a fear of the 8evil eye0--that bugbear which still disturbs the happiness of the lower class ,italians and of the ,eastern nations generally--was carefully provided against4 ,one great preservative was the wearing of a ring with the figure of a cockatrice upon it4 ,this imaginary creature was supposed to be produced from that rarest of all rare things1 a cock's egg1 foolishly believed to be laid on certain occasions under magic influence and planetary agencies4 ,sir ,thomas ,browne1 in his 8,vulgar ,errors10 describes this imaginary creature 8with legs1 wings1 a serpentine and winding tail1 and a crest or comb somewhat like a cock40 ,the ,londesborough collection supplies us with a thumb-ring 7,fig4 #ada71 having two cockatrices cut in high relief upon an agate4 ,the eye of the living cockatrice was believed to be so deadly as to kill by a look1 to which ,shakspere alludes in ,twelfth ,night1 and again in ,romeo and ,juliet3-- 8,say thou but ,i1 ,and that base vowel ,i shall poison more ,than the death-darting eye of cockatrice40 ,there was1 however1 a counteraction to the danger1 for it was also believed that if a person saw the creature before it saw him1 then the cockatrice died from the effect of the human eye4 ,to this ,dryden alludes3-- 8,mischiefs are like a cockatrice's eye1 ,if they see first they kill1 if seen they die40 ,the figure of this bird merely gave security against the evil eye2 it had no other effect2 and for this purpose various engraved stones were used4 ,thus1 ,fig4 #adb1 from the same collection1 has set in its centre a ,gnostic gem with cabalistic figures1 believed able to avert the dreadful glance4 ,such stones were1 of course1 8far sought1 dear bought20 and rings believed to possess such covetable power had a high money value4 ,how then were the poor1 still more ignorant and superstitious1 to be aided8 ,craft came to the aid of faith3 demand1 as usual1 produced supply1 and inscriptions took the place of costly jewels4 ,rings were fabricated in silver and baser metals1 having cabalistic words upon them1 the names of spirits or of saints4 ,to meet the poorest ring-wearer they were even cast in lead1 and sold on the cheapest terms4 ,they were believed to prevent cramp and epilepsy4 ,one in the ,londesborough collection is inscribed with the mystic word ,anamzapta4 ,in a manuscript of the fourteenth century1 in the library at ,stockholm1 we have this recipe 8for the falling sickness4 ,say the word anamzaptus in his ear when he is fallen doun in that evyll1 and also in a woman's ear anamzapta1 and they shall never more after feel that evyll40 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #adc4 ,in the ,journal of the ,archological ,institute1 vol4 iii41 is an engraving of a curious magical ring1 copied in ,fig4 #adc4 ,it was found on the coast of ,glamorganshire1 near to 8the ,worm's ,head10 the western extremity of the county1 where numerous objects have been found at various times on the shifting of the sand1 such as firearms1 an astrolabe1 and silver dollars4 ,this ring is of gold1 much bent and defaced1 and inscribed with mystic words inside and outside the hoop4 ,their talismanic character seems to be sufficiently proved by the ,english medical manuscript preserved at ,stockholm1 already alluded to1 in which1 among various cabalistic prescriptions1 is one 8for peynes in theth4444 ,boro berto briore vulnera quinque dei sint medicina mei ,tahebal ,ghether ,othman40 ,the last word should probably be read ,guthman1 and it is succeeded by five crosses1 possibly in allusion to the five wounds of the ,saviour4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #add4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ade4 ,as a preventive of peril by travel and sudden death1 the names of the three ,magi1 or the 8,kings of ,cologne10 as they were more popularly termed1 were believed to be most efficacious4 ,their bodies travelled first to ,constantinople1 thence to ,milan1 and lastly to ,cologne1 by various removals4 ,the faithful may still view the skulls of the ,arabian kings who visited the ,saviour in the manger 7if they can believe the old legend71 in the richly-jewelled reliquary1 guarded so sacredly in the ,cathedral of ,cologne4 ,their possession brought enormous revenues to the building1 and a heavy tax is still imposed on all who would see them4 ,it was once 7and may be still7 believed that anything which had touched these skulls had a protective virtue4 ,their names acted as a charm1 and were inscribed on such articles of wearing apparel as girdles or garters1 of which many specimens exist in the curious collection of ,mr4 ,c4 ,roach ,smith1 and were found at ,london in excavations or in the ,thames4 ,upon rings they are most common2 two are here selected from the ,londesborough collection4 ,fig4 #add is a thick gold hoop1 inscribed with their names1 ,jasper1 ,melchior1 ,balthazar1 and the abbreviated motto1 8in god is a r410 which the late ,mr4 ,crofton ,croker1 who compiled a descriptive catalogue of these rings1 thought might probably mean 8in ,god is a remedy40 ,fig4 #ade furnishes a good example of a fashion of hoop-ring prevalent in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries1 flat inside and angular outside4 ,each face is inscribed with the same talismanic names4 ,it is formed of cheap mixed metal1 was found in ,london1 and presented to the collection by ,mr4 ,roach ,smith4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #adf4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #adg4 ,inscriptions on rings became at this time very common1 nor were they confined to mystic or sacred words4 ,mottoes of love and gallantry were frequent1 as well as moral sentences1 and those strictly heraldic4 ,in the curious inventory of the plate and jewels of the ,duke of ,anjou1 compiled about #acfj1 mention is made of a ring with a large square emerald1 surrounded by letters in black enamel4 ,in 8,archologia10 vol4 xxxi41 is a fine example of such an engraved ring4 ,the representation is copied in ,fig4 #adf4 ,it is a weighty ring of fine gold1 and was found in #ahbc at ,thetford1 in ,suffolk4 ,the device which appears upon this ring is an eagle displayed2 on the inner side is engraved a bird1 with the wings closed1 apparently a falcon1 with a crown upon its head4 ,the following poesy1 or motto1 commencing on the outer side1 is continued on the interior of the ring3--deus me ouroge de bous senir a gree--com moun couer desire--8,god work for me to make suit acceptably to you1 as my heart desires40 ,the devices appear to be heraldic1 and the motto that of a lover1 or a suitor to one in power4 ,the eagle is the bearing of several ancient ,suffolk families2 it was also a badge of the ,house of ,lancaster1 and ,thetford was one portion of the ,duchy of ,lancaster4 ,these mottoes1 or 8reasons10 as they were sometimes termed1 were occasionally engraved in relief4 ,fig4 #adg represents a specimen from the ,londesborough collection4 ,it is of gold1 and was found in the ,thames4 ,the inscription upon it is--sans bilinie--8without baseness10--a motto that may have been adopted by some ,bayard of the ,middle ,ages4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #adh4 ,illustration3 ,figs4 #adi and #aej4 ,a very early ring1 with an unusual pretty poesy1 is in the collection of ,j4 ,evans1 ,esq41 ,f4,s4,a41 and is engraved 7,fig4 #adh74 ,it is of gold1 set with a small sapphire1 and is inscribed--,,ie4 ,,svi ,,ici ,,en ,,li',v ,d',,ami--8,i am here in place of a friend40 ,it was probably made at the beginning of the fourteenth century4 ,fig4 #adi is chased with the ,nortons' motto1 8,god us ayde20 and ,fig4 #aej is inscribed withinside with the sentence1 8,mulier1 viro subjecta esto40 ,both are works of the fifteenth century4 ,in ,bromsgrove ,church1 ,staffordshire1 are the fine monumental effigies of ,sir ,humphrey ,stafford and his wife 7#adej71 remarkable alike for the rich armour of the knight and the courtly costume of the lady4 ,she wears a profusion of rings1 every finger1 except the little finger of the right hand1 being furnished with one4 ,they exhibit great variety of design1 and are valuable as exponents of the fashion of that day4 ,we engrave in ,fig4 #aea the hands of the lady1 as uplifted in prayer1 with four of the rings1 the full size of the originals4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aea4 ,recurring to the ancient people whose sacred records gave us the earliest knowledge of the use of rings1 we may profitably devote some attention to the very beautiful rings1 formerly used by the ,hebrews for betrothals and weddings4 ,the ,londesborough collection furnishes us with the two fine examples engraved in ,figs4 #aeb and #aec4 ,they are often termed 8tower rings10 from the figure of the sacred temple placed on their summit4 ,in the first specimen it takes the form of a sexagonal building1 with a domed roof of an ,eastern character2 in the second it is square1 with a deeply pitched roof1 having movable vanes at the angles1 and is probably the work of some ,german goldsmith4 ,upon the roof of the first is inscribed in enamelled letters the best wish--8joy be with you0--that a newly-married couple would command4 ,the same words are inscribed in more richly-designed letters on the curve of the second ring4 ,both are of gold1 richly chased1 enamelled1 and enriched by filigree work1 and are sufficiently stately for the most imposing ceremonial4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aeb4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aec4 ,a third ,hebrew ring of less striking appearance1 but of equal or greater curiosity1 is also engraved from the same rich collection1 in ,fig4 #aed4 ,it bears on its surface a representation 7in high relief7 of the temptation of our first parents1 who are surrounded by various animals1 real and imaginary1 their joint residents in ,paradise4 ,the workmanship of all these rings has been dated to the commencement of the sixteenth century4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aed4 ,we close our series with a wedding-ring1 commemorative of a marriage which excited the marked attention of the entire ,christian community1 as a vigorous protest against monkery by that 8solitary monk that moved the world0--,martin ,luther4 ,renouncing the faith of ,rome1 he revoked his vow of celibacy1 and completed his total severance from its creed by marrying a lady who had been once a nun1 named ,catharine ,boren4 ,the ring1 here engraved1 is that used on the occasion4 ,it is of elaborate design and execution2 a group of emblems of the ,saviour's ,passion1 the pillar1 the scourge1 the spear1 and various other objects1 combine with a representation of the ,crucifixion1 a small ruby being set in the centre of the ring above the head of the ,saviour4 ,we engrave this most interesting object of personal decoration as it appears to the eye1 and also the full design in plano2 beneath it are the names and date inscribed on the inside of the ring4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aee4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,modern ,,rings4 ,the period known as medival commences with the fall of ancient ,rome under the ,gothic invasion1 and concludes with the capture of ,constantinople by the ,turks in #adec4 ,the modern era therefore commences in the middle of the fifteenth century1 during the reign of ,henry ,,vi4 ,as private wealth increased1 finger-rings became much more ornamental2 to the art which the goldsmith and jeweller devoted to them1 was added that of the engraver and enameller4 ,fig4 #aef1 from the ,londesborough collection1 is decorated with floral ornament1 engraved and filled with green and red enamel colours4 ,the effect on the gold is extremely pleasing1 having a certain quaint sumptuousness peculiarly its own4 ,fig4 #aeg is a fine specimen1 from the same collection1 of a signet-ring1 bearing 8a merchant's mark0 upon its face4 ,these marks varied with every owner1 and were as peculiar to himself as is the modern autograph2 they were a combination of initials or letter-like devices1 frequently surmounted by a cross1 or a conventional sign1 believed to represent the sails of a ship1 in allusion to their trading vessels4 ,the marks were placed upon the bales of merchandize1 and were constantly used where the coat-armour or badge of persons entitled to bear arms would be placed4 ,the authority vested in such merchants' rings is curiously illustrated in one of the historical plays on the life and reign of ,queen ,elizabeth1 written by ,thomas ,heywood1 and to which he gave the quaint title1 8,if you know not me1 you know nobody40 ,sir ,thomas ,gresham1 the great ,london merchant1 is one of the principal characters1 and in a scene where he is absent from home1 and in sudden need of cash1 he exclaims1 8,here1 ,john1 take this seal-ring2 bid ,timothy presently send me a hundred pound40 ,john takes the ring to the trusty ,timothy1 saying1 8,here's his seal-ring2 ,i hope a sufficient warrant40 ,to which ,timothy replies1 8,upon so good security1 ,john1 ,i'll fit me to deliver it40 ,another merchant1 in the same play1 is made to obtain his wants by similar means3-- 8---- receive thou my seal-ring3 ,bear it to my factor2 bid him by that token ,sort thee out forty pounds' worth of such wares ,as thou shall think most beneficial40 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aef4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aeg4 ,the custom must have been common to be thus used in dramatic scenes of real life1 which the plainest audience would criticise4 ,these plays were produced in #afjf1 and serve to show that the value attached to a seal-ring descended from very ancient to comparatively modern times4 ,in the ,waterton collection is a massive gold signet-ring1 with the rebus of the ,wylmot family quaintly designed in the taste of the fourteenth century4 ,in the centre is a tree2 on one side of it the letters ,,wy1 and on the other ,,ot4 ,supposing the tree to be an elm1 the name reads ,wy-elm-ot1 or ,wylmot4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aeh4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aei4 ,in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries religious figures were frequently engraved on rings4 ,fig4 #aeh represents a ring upon which is very delicately engraved a representation of ,st4 ,christopher bearing the ,saviour on his shoulder across an arm of the sea1 in accordance with the old legendary history of this saint4 ,the circle is formed by ten lozenges1 each of which bears a letter of the inscription1 de boen cuer4 ,the figure of ,st4 ,christopher was used as an amulet against sudden death--particularly by drowning2 for it was popularly believed that no sudden or violent death could occur to any person on any day when he had reverently looked upon this saint's effigy4 ,hence it was not uncommon for charitable individuals to place such figures outside their houses1 or paint them on the walls4 ,there is a colossal figure 7and ,st4 ,christopher was said to have been of gigantic stature71 thus painted1 beside the great gate of the ancient city of ,treves1 on the ,moselle4 ,the enameller and engraver were both employed on the ring ,fig4 #aei1 also from the ,londesborough collection4 ,the hoop is richly decorated1 with quaint floriated ornament cut upon its surface1 and filled in with niello1 then extensively used by goldsmiths in enriching their works1 as it is still in ,russia4 ,this beautiful ring is inscribed withinside with the motto mon cor plesor--8my heart's delight0--and was doubtless a gage d'amour4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #afj4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #afa4 ,of ,elizabeth of ,england and ,mary of ,scotland1 interesting mementoes are preserved in the shape of rings4 ,fig4 #afj represents the gold signet-ring of ,mary1 now preserved in the ,british ,museum4 ,upon the face is engraved the royal arms and supporters of ,scotland1 with the motto ,,in 4 ,,defens1 and her initials ,m4,r4 ,but the most curious portion of the ring is the inner side of the seal1 as shown in the cut1 where a crowned monogram is engraved1 which might have been an unsolved enigma1 but for the existence in our ,state ,paper ,office of a letter written by ,mary to ,queen ,elizabeth1 in which she has drawn this identical monogram after signing her name4 ,sir ,henry ,ellis1 who first traced out this curious history1 says1 8,it is clearly formed of the letters ,m and ,a 7for ,mary and ,albany71 and gives countenance to the opinion that the written monogram was intended for ,elizabeth and ,burleigh to study2 the subsequent creation of the title of ,duke of ,albany in ,lord ,darnley ultimately opening their eyes to the enigma40 ,elizabeth's intense dislike to the ,darnley marriage is well known1 as she endeavoured to force ,mary into a match with one of her own favourites1 the ,earl of ,leicester4 ,the ,waterton collection boasts a gem of no inferior interest in connection with this unhappy marriage4 ,it is the ring of ,henry1 ,lord ,darnley1 husband to ,mary ,queen of ,scots4 ,on the bezel it bears the two initials ,m4,h4 united by a lover's knot1 and within the hoop the name engraved of ,,henri 4 ,l 4 ,,darnley1 and the year of the marriage1 #aefe4 ,the cut1 ,fig4 #afa1 shows the face of the ring with the initials2 below is engraved a fac-simile of the interior of the ring as a plane surface4 ,queen ,elizabeth's history1 and that of her unfortunate favourite1 the ,earl of ,essex1 has a tragic story connected with a ring4 ,the narrative is popularly known1 and may be briefly told4 ,it is said that the queen1 at a time when she was most passionately attached to the earl1 gave him a ring1 with the assurance that she would pardon any fault with which he might be accused when he should return that pledge4 ,long after this1 when he was condemned for treason1 she expected to receive this token1 and was prepared to have granted the promised pardon4 ,it came not4 ,the queen was confirmed in the belief that he had ceased to care for her1 and pride and jealousy consigned him to the death of a traitor4 ,but the earl had1 in the last extremity of despair1 entrusted the ring to the ,countess of ,nottingham1 wife of the ,lord ,high ,admiral1 an enemy to the unfortunate ,essex1 who forbade his wife to take any proceedings in the matter1 but to conceal the trust entirely1 and secrete the ring4 ,when the countess lay upon her death-bed1 she sent for her royal mistress1 for the first time told her guilt1 8and humbly implored mercy from ,god and forgiveness from her earthly sovereign1 who did not only refuse to give it1 but having shook her as she lay in bed1 sent her1 accompanied with most fearful curses1 to a higher tribunal40 ,such is the awful account of the scene by ,francis ,osborne4 ,dr4 ,birch says the words used by ,elizabeth were1 8,god may forgive you1 but ,i never can40 ,it was the death-blow to the proud old queen1 whose regret for the death of ,essex could not be quenched by her pride and belief in his ingratitude4 ,a confirmed melancholy settled upon her2 she died lonely and broken-hearted4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #afb4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #afc4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #afd4 ,this ring is now in the possession of the ,rev4 ,lord ,john ,thynne1 and three views of it are given in ,figs4 #afb1 #afc1 and #afd4 ,it is of gold1 of extremely delicate workmanship throughout4 ,a cameo head of the queen is cut on hard onyx and set as its central jewel2 the execution of this head is of the highest order1 and may possibly have been the work of ,valerio ,vincentino1 an ,italian artist who visited ,england and cut similar works for ,elizabeth and ,burleigh4 ,it is one of the most minute but the most striking likenesses4 ,the hoop of the ring is enriched with engraving1 and the under surface decorated with floriated ornament1 relieved by blue enamel4 ,it has descended from ,lady ,frances ,devereux1 ,essex's daughter1 in unbroken succession from mother and daughter1 to the present possessor4 ,although the entire story has met with disbelievers1 the most sceptical must allow that whether this be the ring or not1 it is valuable as a work of art of the ,elizabethan era4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #afe4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aff4 ,a ring possessing even greater claim to notice1 but depending for its appropriation on its own internal evidence1 is the next on our list 7,figs4 #afe and #aff74 ,it purports to be the seal-ring of ,william ,shakspere1 and was found ,march #af1 #ahaj1 by a labourer's wife1 in the mill close adjoining ,stratford-on-,avon churchyard4 ,it passed into the possession of ,r4 ,b4 ,wheler1 ,esq41 the historian of the town2 and his sister1 at his death1 presented it to the museum of ,shaksperian relics formed in the birthplace of the poet4 ,it is of gold1 weighing #ab dwts42 having the initials ,w4,s4 braced together by a tasselled cord2 the only other ornament upon the ring being a band of pellets and lines on the outer edge of the bezel4 ,is it ,shakspere's8 ,it is evidently a gentleman's ring1 and of the poet's era4 ,it is just such a ring as a man in his station would fittingly wear--gentlemanly1 but not pretentious4 ,there was but one other person in the small town of ,stratford at that time to whom the same initials belonged4 ,this was one ,william ,smith1 but his seal is attached to several documents preserved among the records of the corporation1 and is totally different4#acf-99 ,mr4 ,halliwell1 in his 8,life of ,shakspere10 observes that 8little doubt can be entertained that this ring belonged to the poet1 and it is probably the one he lost before his death1 and was not to be found when his will was executed1 the word hand being substituted for seal in the original copy of that document40#acf- ,in the great poet's will1 five of his friends have bequests of memorial rings4 ,two are his townsmen1 ,hamlett ,sadler and ,william ,raynoldes1 who each have twenty-six shillings and eightpence left them 8to buy them ringes20 the other three being the actors 78my fellows10 as he affectionately terms them7 ,john ,heminge1 ,richard ,burbage1 and ,henry ,condell1#acg-99 each of whom has a similar sum4 ,rings were at this time an almost necessary part of the toilet of a gentleman2 they indicated rank and character by their style or their devices4 ,hence the wills and inventories of the era abound with notices of rings1 many persons wearing them in profusion1 as may be seen in the portraits painted at this time4 ,the ,germans particularly delighted in them1 and wore them upon many fingers1 and upon different joints of the fingers1 the forefinger especially2 a custom still followed by their descendants4 ,the ladies even wreathed them in the bands of their head-dresses4 ,rabelais speaks of the rings ,gargantua wore because his father desired him to 8renew that ancient mark of nobility40 ,on the forefinger of his left hand he had a gold ring1 set with a large carbuncle2 and on the middle finger one of mixed metal1 then usually made by alchemists4 ,on the middle finger of the right hand he had 8a ring made spire-wise1 wherein was set a perfect balew ruby1 a pointed diamond1 and a ,physon emerald of inestimable value40 ,italy now furnished the most splendid and tasteful jewellery2 the workmen of ,venice exceeding all others4 ,the ,londesborough collection supplies us with a graceful example1 ,fig4 #afg4 ,the claws support the setting of a sharply-pointed pyramidal diamond1 such as was then coveted for writing on glass4 ,it was with a similar ring ,raleigh wrote the words on the window-pane--8,fain would ,i rise1 but that ,i fear to fall0--to which ,queen ,elizabeth added1 8,if thy heart fail thee1 do not rise at all20 an implied encouragement which led him on to fortune4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #afg4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #afh4 ,in ,burgon's life of ,sir ,thomas ,gresham is engraved the wedding ring of that merchant-prince4 8,it opens horizontally1 thus forming two rings1 which are1 nevertheless1 linked together1 and respectively inscribed on the inner side with a ,scripture poesy4 ,quod ,deus conjunxit is engraved on one half1 and ,homo non seperet on the other40 ,it is here copied1 ,fig4 #afh4 ,in ,ben ,jonson's comedy1 ,the ,magnetic ,lady1 the parson compelled to form a hasty wedding asks-- 8,have you a wedding ring80 ,to which he receives as answer-- 8,ay1 and a poesy3 ,annulus hic nobis1 quod sic uterque1 dabit40 ,he at once exclaims-- 8444 ,good6 ,this ring will give you what you both desire4 ,i'll make the whole house chant it1 and the parish40 ,such rings were known as ,gemel or ,gimmal rings1 the word being derived from the ,latin gemellus1 twins4 ,the two making one1 and though separate1 indivisible1 peculiarly fitted them for wedding rings4 ,their structure will be best understood from the very fine specimen in the ,londesborough collection1 ,fig4 #afi4 ,the ring1 as closed and worn on the finger1 is shown in the uppermost figure 7a74 ,it is set with sapphire and amethyst1 the elaborate and beautiful design enriched by coloured enamels4 ,the lower figure shows the ring parted 7b71 displaying the inscription on the flat side of each section1 which is also enriched by engraving and niello4 ,dryden1 in his play of ,don ,sebastian1 describes such a ring3-- 8,a curious artist wrought them ,with joints so close as not to be perceived2 ,yet they are both each other's counterpart4 7,her part had ,juan inscribed1 and his had ,zaida3 ,you know those names were theirs71 and in the midst ,a heart divided in two halves was placed4 ,now if the rivets of those ,rings inclosed ,fit not each other1 ,i have forged this lie3 ,but if they join1 we must for ever part40 ,a complete illustration of this passage of the poet is afforded in ,fig4 #agj1 from the same collection4 ,it also illustrates ,dr4 ,nares's remark that 8,gimmal rings1 though originally double1 were by a further refinement made triple1 or even more complicated2 yet the name remained unchanged40 ,so ,herrick3-- 8,thou sent'st to me a true love knot2 but ,i ,return a ring of jimmals1 to imply ,thy love had one knot1 mine a triple tye40 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #afi4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #agj4 ,this ring 7,fig4 #agj7 is shown 7a7 as it appears when closed4 ,it parts into three hoops1 secured on a small pivot1 as seen 7b72 the toothed edge of the central hoop forming an ornamental centre to the hoop of the ring1 and having two hearts in the middle2 a hand is affixed to the side of the upper and lower hoop2 the fingers slightly raised1 so that when the hoops are brought together1 they link in each other1 and close over the hearts1 securing all firmly4 ,a mechanical ring of still greater mystic significance is shown1 ,fig4 #aga1 and is one of the most curious of the ,londesborough series4 ,the outside of the hoop is perfectly plain1 and is set with a ruby and amethyst4 ,upon pressing these stones1 a spring opens1 and discovers the surface covered with magical signs and names of spirits2 among them ,asmodiel1 ,nachiel1 and ,zamiel occur1 a similar series occupying the interior of the hoop4 ,such a ring might be worn without suspicion of its true import1 looking simplicity itself1 but fraught with unholy meaning4 ,it was probably constructed for some mystic philosopher1 or student of the occult sciences1 searching for the philosopher's stone1 the elixir of life1 and the power given to man to control the unseen world of spirits4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aga4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #agb4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #agc4 ,we close our review of the art of ring-making in the sixteenth century with two very beautiful examples4 ,fig4 #agb1 from the ,londesborough collection1 has a ruby in a very tall setting1 enriched by enamel4 ,the sides of the hoop are highly decorated with flowers and scroll ornament1 also richly enamelled4 ,the ,waterton collection gives us ,fig4 #agc1 a gold enamelled ring1 set with a large turquoise in the centre1 and surrounded by six raised garnets4 ,this ring is stated to have subsequently belonged to ,frederick the ,great1 ,king of ,prussia1 whose cipher is upon it4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #agd4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #age4 ,we must not1 however1 end this portion of our history without a reference to the simple1 but most important1 8plain gold ring0 of matrimony4 ,it was at this time almost universally inscribed with a 8poesy0 of one or two lines of rhyme4 ,two specimens are here engraved4 ,fig4 #agd is formed like the badge of the ,order of the ,garter1 with the buckle in front1 and the motto of the order outside the hoop2 withinside are the words 8,i'll win and wear you40 ,the ordinary form of ring is shown in ,fig4 #age1 and is inscribed 8,let likinge laste40 ,they were invariably inscribed withinside the hoop4 ,thus ,lyly1 in his 8,euphues10 #aeig1 addressing the ladies1 hopes they will favour his work1 8writing their judgments as you do the poesies in your rings1 which are always next to the finger1 not to be seen of him that holdeth you by the hand1 and yet known by you that wear them on your hands40 ,such jingling rhymes were in great request1 and exerted the ingenuity of poetasters and small wits4 ,in #afbd a small collection of them was printed1 with the quaint title1 8,love's ,garland2 or poesies for rings1 handkerchiefs1 and gloves1 and such pretty tokens that lovers send their loves40 ,they are generally in double1 seldom in triple lines of rhyme4 ,the ,rev4 ,r4 ,brooke1 of ,gateforth ,house1 ,selby1 has presented a curious collection of such rings to the ,south ,kensington ,museum4 ,the six following poesies are selected from this series1 as they are good examples of the average inspirations of ring-poets3-- 8,seithe ,god hath wrought this choice in thee1 ,so frame thyselfe to comfourth mee40 8,united hearts death only parts40 8,let us share in joy and care40 8,a faithfull wife preserveth life40 8,as ,god decreed1 so we agreed40 8,love and live happily40 ,the custom of thus inscribing rings continued until the middle of the last century4 ,there is a story told of ,dr4 ,john ,thomas1 ,bishop of ,lincoln1 in #agec1 that he inscribed his fourth wife's ring with these words3-- 8,if ,i survive ,i'll make them five40 ,horace ,walpole says--8,my ,lady ,rochford desired me t'other day to give her a motto for a ruby ring10 so that at that time poesies were not confined to wedding rings4 ,allusion has already been made in ,chapter ,i4 to the custom of using rings as receptacles for relics or poisons4 ,the most famed belonged to ,csar ,borgia1 son of ,pope ,alexander ,,vi41 both adepts in poisoning2 a grasp from the hand wearing this ring ensured a very slow1 but certain death3 it contained a virulent poison1 which found vent through a small spike1 pressed out by a spring when the hand was grasped1 and which was so slight in its operation as to be scarcely felt1 and not usually noticed by the person wounded during the excitement of the hearty friendship so well simulated4 ,when conspiracies against the life of ,william of ,orange were rife under the influence of the court of ,spain circa #aehb1 the unworthy son of ,count ,egmont 8had himself undertaken to destroy the prince at his own table by means of poison which he kept concealed in a ring4 ,saint ,aldegonde 7his friend and counsellor7 was to have been taken off in the same way1 and a hollow ring filled with poison is said to have been found in ,egmont's lodgings40#add-99 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #agf4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #agg4 ,fig4 #agf represents a curious ,venetian ring1 the bezel formed like a box to contain relics4 ,the face of the ring 7in this instance the cover of the box7 has a representation of ,st4 ,mark seated1 holding his gospel1 and giving the benediction4 ,the spaces between this figure and the oval border are perforated1 so that the interior of the box is visible1 and the relic enshrined might be seen4 ,fig4 #agg is another ring of the same construction3 it is richly engraved and set with two rubies and a pyramidal diamond2 the collet securing the latter stone opens with a spring1 and exhibits a somewhat large receptacle for such virulent poisons as were concocted by ,italian chemists in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries4 ,the elaborate character of design adopted at this time for ,venetian rings1 the highly artistic taste that governed it1 as well as the beauty of the stones employed in settings1 combined to perfect bijouterie that has never been surpassed4 ,fig4 #agh is a ring of very peculiar design4 ,it is set with three stones in raised bezels2 to their bases are affixed1 by a swivel1 gold pendent ornaments1 each set with a garnet2 as the hand moves these pendants fall about the finger1 the stones glittering in the movement4 ,this fashion was evidently borrowed from the ,east1 where people delight in pendent ornaments1 and even affix them to articles of utility4 ,fig4 #agi is a ring of silver1 of ,east ,indian workmanship1 discovered in the ruins of one of their most ancient temples2 to its centre are affixed bunches of pear-shaped hollow drops of silver1 which jingle with a soft low note as the hand moves4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #agh4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #agi4 ,we have already alluded to the old ,eastern tale of 8,the ,fish and the ,ring10 invented some thousands of years since4 ,it has survived to our own day1 and is still related and believed by the commonalty to the east of ,london4 ,in the church at ,stepney is a tomb to the memory of ,lady ,rebecca ,berry1 who died #afif1 in whose coat-of-arms a fish and an annulet appear4 ,she has hence been supposed the heroine of a once popular ballad1 the scene of which is laid in ,yorkshire2 it is entitled1 8,the ,cruel ,knight1 or ,fortunate ,farmer's ,daughter10 and narrates how one of knightly rank in passing a village heard the cry of a woman in travail1 and was told by a witch that he was pre-doomed to marry that girl on her arrival at womanhood4 ,the knight in deep disgust draws a ring from his finger1 and casting it into a rapid river1 vows he will never do so unless she can produce that ring4 ,after many years a fish is brought to the farmer's daughter to dress for dinner1 and she finds the ring in its stomach1 enabling her to win a titled husband1 who no longer fights against his fate4 ,the civic arms of ,glasgow exhibit a fish holding a ring in its mouth4 ,this alludes to an incident in the life of ,st4 ,kentigern1 patron of the ,see1 as related in the 8,acta ,sanctorum40 ,the queen1 who was his penitent1 had formed an attachment to a soldier1 and had given him a ring she had received from her husband4 ,the king knew his ring1 but abided his revenge1 until one day discovering the soldier asleep by the banks of the ,clyde1 he took the ring from his finger and threw it in the stream4 ,he then demanded of his queen a sight of his old love gift1 a request she was utterly unable to comply with4 ,in despair1 she confessed all to ,st4 ,kentigern1 vowing a purer life in future4 ,the saint went to the river1 caught a salmon1 and took from its stomach the missing ring1 which restored peace to all parties4#adg-99 ,the occurrence of the fish and ring in the arms of ,glasgow and in the ,stepney monument1 is 8confirmation strong as proofs of holy writ0 of the truth of these stories1 in the minds of the vulgar1 who would regard scepticism in the same light as religious infidelity4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ahj4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aha4 ,memorial rings were sometimes made to exhibit a small portrait1 and on some occasions to conceal one beneath the stone4 ,such is the ring1 ,fig4 #ahj1 from the ,londesborough collection1 which was made for some devoted adherent of ,king ,charles ,i41 when such devotion was dangerous4 ,a table-cut diamond is set within an oval rim1 acting as a lid to a small case opening by means of a spring1 and revealing a portrait of ,charles executed in enamel4 ,the face of the ring1 its back1 and side portions of the shank1 are decorated with engraved scroll-work1 filled in with black enamel4 8,relics0 of this kind are consecrated by much higher associations than what the mere crust of time bestows upon them2 and even were they not sufficiently old to excite the notice of the antiquary1 they are well deserving of attention from their exhibiting 8memorials of feelings which must ever command respect and admiration40 ,horace ,walpole had in the ,strawberry ,hill collection1 8one of the only seven mourning rings given at the burial of ,charles ,i4 ,it has the king's head in miniature behind a death's head2 between the letters ,c4 ,r4 the motto1 #8,prepared be to follow me4'0 ,a much more lugubrious memorial is presented from the same collection1 ,fig4 #aha4 ,two figures of skeletons surround the finger and support a small sarcophagus4 ,the ring is of gold enamelled1 the skeletons being made still more hideous by a covering of white enamel4 ,the lid of the sarcophagus is also enamelled1 with a ,maltese cross in red1 on a black ground studded with gilt hearts4 ,this lid is made to slide off1 and display a very minute skeleton lying within4 ,these doleful decorations first came into favour and fashion at the court of ,france1 when ,diana of ,poictiers became the mistress of ,henry ,,ii4 ,at that time she was a widow1 and in mourning2 so black and white became fashionable colours3 jewels were formed like funeral memorials2 golden ornaments shaped like coffins1 holding enamelled skeletons1 hung from the neck2 and watches made to fit in little silver skulls were attached to the waist4 ,in the ,duke of ,newcastle's comedy1 ,the ,country ,captain1 #afdi1 a lady of title is told that when she resides in the country a great show of finger-rings will not be necessary3 8,shew your white hand with but one diamond when you carve1 and be not ashamed to wear your own wedding ringe with the old poesy40 ,that many rings were worn by persons of both sexes is clear from another passage in the same play1 where a fop is described1 8who makes his fingers like jewellers' cards to set rings upon40 ,the stock of rings described in the same author's play1 ,the ,varietie1 as the treasure of an old country lady1 is amusingly indicative of past legacies or memorials1 as well as of the tastes of the yeomanry3 8,a toad-stone1 two ,turkies 7,turquoise71 six thumb-rings1 three alderman's seals1 five gemels1 and foure death's head40 ,the enumeration concludes with the uncomplimentary observation1 8these are alehouse ornaments40 ,these death's-head rings were very commonly worn by the middle classes in the latter part of the sixteenth and the early part of the seventeenth centuries2 particularly by such as affected a respectable gravity4 ,luther used to wear a gold ring1 with a small death's head in enamel1 and these words1 8,mori spe cogita0 7,think oft on death72 round the setting was engraved 8,o mors1 ero mors tua0 7,death1 ,i will be thy death74 ,this ring is preserved at ,dresden4 ,shakspere1 in his ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7,act ,v4 scene #b71 makes his jesting courtier1 ,biron1 compare the countenance of ,holophernes to 8a death's face in a ring40 ,we have already adverted to a similar ring worn by one of ,shakspere's fellow townsmen4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ahb4 ,illustration3 ,figs4 #ahc and #ahd4 ,in the 8,recueil des ,ouvrages d',orfeverie10 by ,gilles l',egar1 published in the early part of the reign of ,louis ,,xiv41 is an unusually good design for one of these rings1 which we copy1 ,fig4 #ahb4 ,it is entirely composed of mortuary emblems1 on a ground of black enamel4 ,fig4 #ahc is an ,english memorial ring set with stones2 on the circlet is engraved an elongated skeleton1 with crossbones above the skull1 and a spade and pick-axe at the feet2 the ground is black enamel4 ,it has been converted into a memorial by its original purchaser1 who caused to be engraved withinside the hoop1 8,c4,r41 ,jan4 #cj1 #afdi1 ,martyr40 ,it is now in the ,londesborough collection1 from whence we obtain ,fig4 #ahd1 a very good specimen of a mourning ring of the early part of the last century1 with which we take leave of this branch of the subject4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ahe4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ahf4 ,the jewellers of the last century do not seem to have bestowed the same attention on design as their predecessors did4 ,rings appear to have reached their highest excellence in design and execution in the ateliers of ,venice4 ,we meet with little originality of conception1 and certainly great inferiority of execution1 in the works then issued4 ,in southern ,europe1 where jewellery is deemed almost a necessary of life1 and the poorest will wear it in profusion1 though only made of copper1 greater scope was given to invention4 ,fig4 #ahe is a ,spanish silver ring of the early part of the century4 ,in its centre it has a heart1 winged and crowned2 the heart is transfixed by an arrow1 but surrounded by flowers4 ,it is possibly a religious emblem4 ,fig4 #ahf is another ,spanish ring of more modern manufacture1 but of very light and elegant design4 ,the flowers are formed of rubies and diamonds1 and the effect is extremely pleasing4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ahg4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ahh4 ,such works may have originated the 8giardinetti0 rings1 of which a good collection of specimens may be seen in the ,south ,kensington ,museum1 two being here copied in ,figs4 #ahg and #ahh4 ,they are there described as ,english works of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries1 and appear to have been used as guards1 or 8keepers10 to the wedding-ring4 ,they are of pleasing floriated design1 and of very delicate execution4 ,much taste may be exhibited in the selection of coloured stones for the flowers of such rings1 which are certainly a great ornament to the hand4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ahi4 ,illustration3 ,figs4 #aij and #aia4 ,recurring to the ,eastern nations1 in whose eyes jewellery has always found great favour1 we find that the ,indians prefer rings with large floriated faces1 spreading over three fingers like a shield4 ,when made for the wealthy in massive gold1 the flower leaves are of cut jewels1 but the humbler classes1 who equally love display1 are content with them in cast silver4 ,such a ring is engraved1 ,fig4 #ahi1 from an original in the ,british ,museum1 from whence we also obtain the two specimens of rings beside it1 being such as are worn by the humblest classes4 ,fig4 #aij is of brass1 ,fig4 #aia of silver1 the latter boasting a sort of apology for a jewelled centre4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aib4 ,illustration3 ,figs4 #aic and #aid4 ,a triplicate of ,moorish rings will enable us to understand their peculiarities4 ,fig4 #aib has a large circular face1 composed of a cluster of small bosses1 set with five circular turquoise1 and four rubies2 the centre being a turquoise1 with a ruby and turquoise alternating round it4 ,the ring is of silver4 ,it is in the ,londesborough collection1 as also is ,fig4 #aic1 another silver ring set with an octangular bloodstone1 with a circular turquoise on each side4 ,fig4 #aid is a signet ring1 bearing the name of its original owner engraved on a carnelian4 ,this also is of silver4 ,the modern ,egyptians indulge greatly in finger-rings4 ,the wife of the poorest peasant will cover her hands with them1 though they be only cast in pewter1 decorated with gems of coloured glass1 and not worth a penny each4 ,for ladies of the higher class very pretty rings are designed4 ,one of them is here engraved 7,fig4 #aie71 from an original purchased by the author in ,cairo4 ,it is a simple hoop of twisted gold1 to which is appended a series of pendent ornaments1 consisting of small beads of coral1 and thin plates of gold1 cut to represent the leaves of a plant4 ,as the hand moves1 these ornaments play about the finger1 and a very brilliant effect might be produced if diamonds were used in the pendants4 ,fig4 #aif is the ring commonly worn by the middle class ,egyptian men4 ,they are usually of silver1 set with mineral stones1 and are valued as the manufacture of the silversmiths of ,mecca1 that sacred city being supposed to exert a holy influence on all the works it originates4 ,there is also a curious ring1 with a double 8keeper10 worn by ,egyptian men1 as shown in ,fig4 #aig4 ,it is composed entirely of common cast silver1 set with mineral stone4 ,the lowermost keeper of twisted wire is first put on the finger1 then follows the ring1 the second keeper is then brought down upon it2 the two being held by a brace which passes at the back of the ring1 and gives security to the whole4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aie4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aif4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aig4 ,at the commencement of the present century1 8harlequin-rings0 were fashionable in ,england4 ,they were so called because set round with variously-coloured stones1 in some way resembling the motley costume of harlequin4 ,to these succeeded 8regard-rings10 the stones selected so that the initial of the name of each spelt altogether the word regard1 thus3-- ,r--,ruby4 ,e--,emerald4 ,g--,garnet4 ,a--,amethyst4 ,r--,ruby4 ,d--,diamond4 ,these pleasing and agreeable gages d'amitie originated with the ,french jewellers1 and were soon made to spell proper names4 ,where precious stones could not be obtained with the necessary initial1 mineral stones1 such as lapis-lazuli1 and verde antique1 were pressed into the service4 ,these rings are now occasionally made4 ,her ,royal ,highness the ,princess of ,wales is said to possess one having the familiar name of the ,prince1 8,bertie10 spelt thus upon it4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aih4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aii4 ,with two specimens of modern ,french work we close our selection of designs4 ,fig4 #aih is a signet ring1 the face engraved with a coat-of-arms4 ,at the sides two cupidons repose amid scroll-work partaking of the taste of the ,renaissance4 ,the same peculiarity influences the design of ,fig4 #aii4 ,here a central arch of five stones1 in separate settings1 is held by the heads and outstretched wings of ,chimeras1 whose breasts are also jewelled4 ,both are excellent designs4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bjj4 ,the last ring we shall bring before the reader's notice 7,fig4 #bjj7 is the famous 8,fisherman's ring0 of the ,pope4 ,it is a signet ring of steel used for the briefs issued from the ,romish ,court4 8,when a brief is written to any distinguished personage1 or has relation to religious or general important matter1 the impression from the ,fisherman's ring is said to be made upon a gold surface2 in some other cases it appears upon lead2 and these seals are generally attached by strings of silk4 ,impressions of this seal are also made in ink direct upon the substance on which the brief is written40 ,mr4 ,edwards calls attention to the classic form of the boat and oar1 showing direct derivation from an antique original4 ,the seal is also made in the fashion of a ,roman signet4 ,a new one is made for every pope1 and ,mr4 ,edwards thus narrates the ceremonies connected therewith3--8,when a pope dies1 the ,cardinal ,chamberlain1 or ,chancellor1 accompanied by a large number of the high dignitaries of the papal court1 comes into the room where the body lies1 and the principal or great notary makes an attestation of the circumstance4 ,then the ,cardinal ,chamberlain calls out the name of the deceased pope three times1 striking the body each time with a gold hammer1 and as no response comes1 the chief notary makes another attestation4 ,after this the ,cardinal ,chancellor demands the ,fisherman's ring1 and certain ceremonies are performed over it2 and then he strikes the ring with a golden hammer1 and an officer destroys the figure of ,peter by the use of a file4 ,from this moment all the authority and acts of the late pope pass to the ,college or ,conclave of ,cardinals4 ,when a new pope is consecrated1 it is always the ,cardinal ,chancellor1 or ,chamberlain1 who presents the renewed ,fisherman's ring1 and this presentation is accompanied by imposing ceremonies40 ,the facts we have gathered about finger-rings are scattered over the history of many ages and nations2 and in the selection of illustrations we have been guided by their historic value as well as their artistic merits1 so that they may be referred to as authorities to test the age and country of other works of their class1 if brought to them for comparison4 ,illustration ,,footnotes3 #gd-99 8,history and ,poetry of ,finger-rings40 #gd- ,genesis1 chap4 xxxviii4 #ge-99 8,manners and ,customs of the ,ancient ,egyptians10 vol4 iii4 p4 #cgc4 #hb-99 ,barrera1 8,history of ,gems and ,jewels40 #hc-99 8,decline and ,fall of the ,roman ,empire10 chap4 xxv4 #hc- 8,the ,history and ,poetry of ,finger-rings10 by ,charles ,edwards4 #hi-99 8,antiquit ,explique et ,represente en ,figures40 #if-99 8,account of ,excavations at ,harnham ,hill40 ,archologia1 vol4 xxxv4 #if- 8,remains of ,pagan ,saxondom10 p4 #ga4 #ig-99 ,in the museum at ,augsburg are several which were found in cutting for the railway near that city4 ,a large series of personal ornaments is also preserved there1 which are so exactly similar to others found near ,richborough1 in ,kent1 that they would appear to have come from the same manufactory4 ,as the ,romans introduced their arts wherever they went1 so the ,saxons seem to have continued theirs in all their colonies4 #ih-99 ,see the 8,inventorium ,sepulchrale3 an ,account of some ,antiquities dug up by the ,rev4 ,bryan ,faussett1 of ,heppington1 ,kent40 ,edited by ,c4 ,roach ,smith4 #ajj-99 ,engraved as an illustration to the volume describing the congress of the ,british ,archological ,association at ,winchester1 in #ahde4 #ajh-99 ,he was elected #adah1 and died #adfd4 #aae-99 ,j4 ,y4 ,akerman on ,gnostic ,gems1 in ,archologia1 vol4 xxxii4 #aaf-99 ,t4 ,wright1 ,m4,a41 c41 in ,archologia1 vol4 xxx4 #aag-99 ,masarius1 quoted in ,topsel's 8,history of ,serpents10 #afaa4 #acf-99 ,he was a draper2 and his seal has a device upon it consisting of a skull with a bone in the mouth2 the letters ,w4 ,s4 are under it1 and very small4 ,this ring was most probably of silver4 ,it is unlikely that a small trader like ,smith should wear a heavy gold ring1 like this which claims to be ,shakspere's4 #acf- ,the concluding words of the will are--8in witness whereof ,i have hereunto put my seale10 the last word being struck through with a pen1 and hand substituted4 #acg-99 ,heminge was the old stage-manager1 who1 like ,shakspere1 became very wealthy by the profession4 ,burbage was the great tragedian1 and the original performer of ,richard ,,iii4 ,condell was a comedian1 part-proprietor of the ,globe ,theatre2 it is to him and ,heminge we are indebted for the first complete edition of ,shakspere's works1 the folio of #afbc4 #add-99 ,motley's 8,rise of the ,dutch ,republic40 #adg-99 ,in the ,koran this wild version of the story occurs3--8,solomon entrusted his signet with one of his concubines1 which the devil obtained from her1 and sat on the throne in ,solomon's shape4 ,after forty days the devil departed1 and threw the ring into the sea4 ,the signet was swallowed by a fish1 which being caught and given to ,solomon1 the ring was found in its belly1 and thus he recovered his kingdom40--,,sale',s ,koran1 chap4 xxxviii4 ,,ancient ,,brooches ,,and ,,dress ,,fastenings4 ,,ancient ,,brooches ,,and ,,dress ,,fastenings4 ,every artist who paints an historical picture knows the difficulty of obtaining the necessary minuti1 in order to give vraisemblance to his picture1 as the authorities are widely scattered1 and can only be brought together by those who know where to look for them2 for often they lie hidden in illuminated ,,mss41 or in books of considerable rarity1 seldom looked at by the general reader1 and only fully appreciated by literary men and students4 ,we propose to show how varied and curious the history of any article of dress becomes if studied carefully1 and how such minor details indicate clearly defined periods1 as faithfully as any other historic data left for our guidance4 ,the use of the fibula1 or brooch1 was1 in all probability1 first adopted by men to secure the outer cloak upon the shoulders4 ,it originated among the ancient ,greeks1 and appears to have been considered as a characteristic of ,greek costume1 even after it had long been adopted by the ,romans1 as may be understood from a passage of ,suetonius in his life of ,augustus4 8,he distributed among various other persons1 tog and pallia1 and made a law that the ,romans should wear the ,greek habit1 and the ,greeks the ,roman habit20 that is1 that the ,greeks should wear the toga1 and the ,romans the pallium4 ,now1 though it is certain that the pallium1 or cloak1 was peculiar to the ,greeks1 and that many authors1 besides ,suetonius1 testify the same1 yet it is as evident that this article of dress became afterwards the common habit of ,greeks and ,romans4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bja4 ,the earliest form in which we meet with a fibula is that of a circular disc1 having a pin crossing it behind1 which passed through the folds of the cloak1 and was hidden from sight by this outer disc4 ,it retained that form for ages1 and is rarely seen upon antique monuments in any other shape4 ,it is very clearly represented upon the statue of ,paris1 as shown in ,fig4 #bja4 ,it will be seen that the cloak covered the left arm1 the opening being upon the right one1 where the brooch reposed on the shoulder1 leaving the right arm free4 ,there is a very beautiful and well-known antique statue of ,diana1 representing the goddess fastening her mantel in the same manner4 ,the character of this outer garment varied with the seasons1 but whether heavy and warm1 or light and cool1 it was usually plain in its character1 or simply decorated with a border1 and corner ornament4 ,sometimes1 when worn by great personages1 it appears to have been decorated with needlework1 and shot with threads of gold4 ,such a one is described in the ,odyssey 7book xix47 as worn by ,ulysses3-- 8,in ample mode ,a robe of military purple flow'd ,o'er all his frame3 illustrious on his breast ,the double-clasping gold the king confest4 ,in the rich woof a hound1 mosaic drawn1 ,bore on full stretch1 and seized a dappled fawn3 ,deep in the neck his fangs indent their hold2 ,they pant and struggle in the moving gold40 ,when the brooch secured the short military cloak of the ,romans1 it was usually worn in the centre of the breast4 ,as the desire for personal display increased1 a brooch was worn on each shoulder2 the ladies often wearing a row of them to close the sleeve left open down the arm4 ,occasionally1 they were also used to fasten the tunic above the knee1 in the way that ,diana1 8,queen and huntress1 chaste and fair10 appears to have secured hers before she indulged in the chase4 ,as luxury increased in the ,roman ,empire1 these articles of utility became also ornaments of much cost and splendour4 ,the art of the goldsmith was devoted to enrichments for them2 that of the enameller to brilliant colouring4 ,they increased in size greatly1 and became distinctive of rank and wealth4 ,the influence of ,eastern taste1 when the seat of royalty was transferred from ,rome to ,constantinople1 was visible in the jewellery afterwards usually worn2 nor was the taste by any means confined to the fair sex1 the men in the ,east being still as fond of jewellery as the ladies of the harem4 ,the poorest persons eagerly wear what their limited means allow1 and load themselves with cheap ornaments1 although a pound weight of them would not be worth five shillings4 ,these enamelled brooches are frequently found in places where ,roman towns once stood4 ,they may1 in fact1 be said to abound in most museums4 ,we select two1 as examples1 from the ,york ,museum1 a collection singularly rich in relics of ,roman art4 ,york was one of the most important stations in ,england1 and here died the ,emperor ,septimus ,severus1 in the year #baa1 at the age of sixty-five1 8worn out with anxiety1 fatigue1 and disease10 says the ,rev4 ,c4 ,wellbeloved1 the historian of ,york4 ,he had returned from his successful war in the north1 but had achieved victory with the loss of fifty thousand of his soldiers4 ,caracalla1 his eldest son1 was with him at the time1 but immediately set out for ,rome4 ,in the year #cjd1 when the empire was divided between the ,csars1 ,galerius1 ,maximianus1 and ,constantius ,chlorus1 ,britain fell to the share of the latter1 who immediately came over1 and fixed his residence in ,york4 ,he died two years afterwards1 and his son1 ,constantine the ,great1 by ,helena1 a ,british princess1 succeeded him1 being proclaimed emperor by the army at ,york1 where he was at the time of his father's death4 ,the first of these elegant brooches is of circular form 7,fig4 #bjb71 like a raised shield divided into several compartments4 ,the side view placed with it will enable the reader to understand the arrangement of the pin1 which moves freely on a pivot1 the point held by a curve in the lower projecting bar4 ,the second example 7,fig4 #bjc7 was found near ,bootham bar1 and is of more elaborate design4 ,the raised centre is divided into ornamental compartments1 filled with rich purple and white enamel colours4 ,the point of the pin is here brought closer to the brooch1 as if it had been intended to fasten a finer kind of material than the preceding one1 which from its width would take in a coarser texture4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bjb4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bjc4 ,the use of enamel colours as enrichments to metal ornaments belongs to the later days of ,rome4 ,sometimes the work is very coarse1 but specimens occur 7though rarely7 of extremely delicate execution4 ,it was executed in what the ,french antiquaries term the champ-lev manner2 that is1 the part to be enamelled was cut1 or hollowed1 by a graving tool1 in the surface1 and then filled with fusible colours1 rubbed when cool to a level surface4 ,this decoration was not confined to small articles of jewellery1 but was used for belts and sword-handles4 ,an admirable example of a small bronze vase1 thus beautifully enriched1 was found in excavating the triple tumuli popularly known as the ,bartlow ,hills1 in ,cambridgeshire4 ,horse-trappings were highly enriched in the same manner4 ,boxes1 and small articles of furniture1 were also inlaid with enamelled plaques of metal4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bjd4 ,a tendency to great variety of design characterised the jewellery of the ,byzantine empire2 and the old circular fibula1 that had been worn contentedly for so very many centuries1 was discarded for new forms2 which were again cast aside at the caprice of the wearer1 attracted by the ever-varying designs of the jeweller4 ,the bow or harp-shaped fibula1 however1 retained its place when once introduced1 nearly as long as its circular forerunner4 ,one of the finest specimens of a fibula of this kind is here given1 copied from the original1 which was discovered about twenty years ago by labourers employed on the railway near the town of ,amiens1 at a spot where other objects of the ,gallo-,roman period were met with4 ,the place may probably have been the cemetery of the town1 when the masters of the world ruled there4 ,the workmen found a leaden coffin of great thickness1 which contained two skeletons1 the smaller having within it many articles of female ornament4 ,these consisted of a pair of gold ear-rings of very peculiar and original design2 a gold ring set with a carnelian1 on which was engraved a youthful figure riding on a goat2 a pair of slender armlets of gold2 a pendent ornament of glass1 evidently formed to wear as a charm to keep off the baneful effect of the evil eye1 so much dreaded by the ancients2 and this buckle 7,fig4 #bjd74 ,the latter is constructed of the finest gold1 the bow decorated with an upright row of pellets1 and three small flowerets across the centre4 ,the shaft is covered with most delicate chased ornament1 or reeded patterns1 soldered to the surface2 a row of raised studs are each in the middle of a curved quatrefoil1 the outer border raised in lines of indented decoration4 ,the whole bears traces of the influence of ,greek art1 the workmen of that highly-cultivated and artistic nation always excelling their ,roman brethren1 and the richer classes in ,rome patronising them in preference4 ,nothing can exceed the delicacy and beauty of ,greek jewellery2 the ,roman being of a heavier and less artistic taste4 ,the character of the two nations may thus be clearly traced in so insignificant an article as a breast-pin4 ,figs4 #bje and #bjf represent two of the most ordinary forms of the bronze bow-shaped fibul1 as worn by the ordinary classes4 ,fig4 #bje was found at ,strood1 in ,kent1 in a brick-field opposite ,rochester ,castle1 on the other side of the ,medway1 which field had been the cemetery of the city when the ,romans ruled it4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bje4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bjf4 ,the reader will notice1 in both the latter instances1 the pin is a continuation of a coil of strong metal1 of which it is formed1 and which gives it great strength and elasticity4 ,when the latter was passed through the several folds of the dress1 and the end secured in the strong metal catch below1 it would not be easy to unfasten the garment or lose the pin4 ,the second example is less stiff in contour1 and from it the reader may more clearly comprehend the arrangement for securing the pin4 ,here1 again1 the pin proceeds from spirals at the upper part of the brooch4 ,these common articles were sometimes made more attractive to the eye by decorating the upper portion with coarse enamel colours2 a specimen is given in ,fig4 #bjg2 it is of clumsy form1 and cheap construction2 it was found1 with many other minor antiquities1 among heaps of bones1 in the well-known caves at ,king's ,scarr1 about two miles north-east of ,settle1 in ,yorkshire--caves that are conjectured to have been the homes of the old ,britons who once lived a semi-savage life in them4 ,in the excellent museum at ,boulogne are preserved many articles found in the immediate neighbourhood1 and belonging to the ,gallo-,roman period4 ,among them is the bronze fibula ,fig4 #bjh1 which shows the very decided arc formed by the upper part1 and the mode by which the point of the pin was secured in the sheath below4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bjg4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bjh4 ,sometimes these bow-shaped fibul were made with an extremely large and ugly bow1 as in ,fig4 #bji1 which hung over the dress4 ,they are occasionally met with six inches in width1 with a pin an inch or two longer3 being used for the heavier winter cloaks4 ,the gore-shaped pendant is made hollow1 and is often decorated with incised lines and zigzag patterns4 ,they appear to have been in most favour among the ,roman provincials in ,gaul and ,britain1 particularly as the nature of the winters obliged them to seek in the heavy woollen sagum1 or in the skin mantle1 some greater protection against the inclemency of the weather than their southern conquerors required4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bji4 ,allusion has already been made to the extreme taste for showy jewellery1 and gaudy personal decoration1 indulged in by the later ,roman rulers1 after the seat of government had been removed to ,constantinople4 ,it seems to have increased as their power decayed3 for the rude paintings and mosaics of the eighth and ninth centuries depict emperors and empresses in dresses literally covered with ornament and jewellery--indeed1 the artists must have put forth their best strength in depicting the dresses1 as if they had received similar orders to those given by good ,mrs4 ,primrose1 who expressly desired the painter of her portrait to put as many jewels on her stomacher 8as he could for the money40 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #baj4 ,fig4 #baj1 the bust of the ,emperor ,constantine ,pogonatus 7so called from the ample beard the monarch wore71 is an example of male foppery4 ,this emperor came to the throne ,a4,d4 #ffh1 and died in #fhe4 ,it will be perceived that two brooches fasten his outer garment1 one upon each shoulder4 ,that upon the right one is highly enriched1 but the original1 as really worn by the emperor1 was most probably much more so1 by chasing1 enamel1 and jewels which the artist had not space1 or perhaps ability1 to express4 ,from it hang three chains1 which were most probably formed of hollow gold beads1 cast in an ornamental matrix2 such having been found in ,crimean graves2 and less frequently in those of the ,germanic and ,gaulish chieftains and aristocrats4 ,to the ends of these chains were affixed circular ornaments1 sometimes decorated with enamel1 like the ,york fibul already described1 and sometimes with cameos1 set in a gold framework3 for as the ,arts decayed1 the finer works of this kind1 executed in the palmy days of ,rome1 were much prized and valued as the works of a race who were acknowledged to be mentally superior4 ,the empresses naturally wore a greater abundance of jewellery than their lords2 they also wore great circular brooches on each shoulder1 but they increased the pendent ornaments by adding heavy gold chains1 which hung across the breast1 and from the brooches on both sides nearly to the waist2 at the ends of these chains was a group of smaller chains1 each supporting a jewel of varied form1 so that a heavy bunch of them was formed4 ,ultimately other chains with pendent jewels were attached to the chain that passed across the breast1 and completely covered that part of the person with decoration4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #baa4 ,in the museum at ,mayence is preserved a very curious monumental sculpture1 upon which is presented the effigy of the man for whom it was erected1 his wife1 and son4 ,he was a sailor1 who died at the ripe age of seventy-five1 and appears to have been generous to his lady in the article of jewellery1 according to the usual habit of his craft4 ,mr4 ,c4 ,roach ,smith1 who first published this curious monument in his 8,collectanea ,antiqua10 observes that 8she had evidently dressed for the portrait40 ,she wears a vest1 fitting closely to the arms and bust1 and at the neck gathered to a frill1 which is enclosed by a torque1 or gold necklet4 ,over this hangs a garment1 which falls gracefully down in front1 and is crossed at the breast over the left arm4 ,the jewellery of the widow is of no common description1 nor niggardly bestowed4 ,upon the breast1 below the torque1 is a rose-shaped ornament or brooch1 and beneath that a couple of fibul2 two more of a similar pattern fasten the upper garment near the right shoulder1 and upon the left arm1 just above the elbow2 an armlet encircles the right arm1 and bracelets the wrist4 ,fig4 #baa gives the upper portion of the form of this lady3 judging from the style of her head-dress she may have lived in the reign of the ,emperor ,hadrian4 ,probably many years younger than her sailor-husband1 she appears to have tempered her grief with judgment1 and to have taken advantage of his death to set herself forth to the world in her gayest costume4 ,illustration3 ,figs4 #bab-bad4 ,as barbarism increased1 and subverted good taste1 brooches of the most absurd forms were invented1 and made more grotesque by unnatural enamel colours4 ,birds1 fish1 men on horseback1 formed the face of these brooches1 which would never have been understood by a modern eye1 had they not been found with the pins attached to them behind4 ,three examples from the great work of ,montfaucon are given in ,figs4 #bab1 #bac1 and #bad1 they were found in ,italy and ,germany4 ,the first represents a combination of two warlike implements on one handle--the upper one an axe1 the lower a bipennis4 ,the second specimen is made like a bird3 we have given it at an angle1 to show the way the pin was fastened at the back of it4 ,the third specimen is a fish1 which might pass as a fair representation of some member of the finny tribe1 whose proper name need not be too curiously asked for2 but unluckily the designer of the brooch1 indulging in the grotesque1 has represented some monstrous bird with bat's ears emerging from one side of the fish4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bae4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #baf4 ,we give two specimens1 one from the banks of the ,rhine1 the other found opposite our own shores4 ,fig4 #bae represents a bird1 probably of the hawk kind1 whose eye has been made the socket for a garnet1 and the extremity of his tail a receptacle for another piece of jewellery4 ,it was found on the site of the ,roman station at ,cologne4 ,fig4 #baf1 which is of plain bronze1 is more fortunate as an attempt to represent a cock2 it was discovered1 with many other curious antiquities1 at ,etaples1 near ,boulogne1 and is preserved in the museum of the latter town4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bag4 ,a very distinct character pervades the ornamental works of the ancient nations that once inhabited the ,british ,isles4 ,a curious discovery of the fibula1 ,fig4 #bag1 was made at ,stamford1 ,lincolnshire4 ,it was found in the process of enlarging a stone-pit in the parish of ,castle ,bytham4 ,it is described by ,mr4 ,akerman1 in his 8,pagan ,saxondom10 as 8a ring fibula1 of white metal1 gilt1 in very excellent preservation1 and set with four gems closely resembling carbuncles4 ,an irregular interlacing pattern is worked over the whole front surface1 but it is perfectly plain behind40 ,mr4 ,akerman is inclined to think that it has a ,scandinavian character1 and favours the supposition that its owner was a ,danish lady4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bah4 ,this supposition seems borne out by the researches of ,dr4 ,davies1 in his interesting ethnographical sketch of the various ancient populations who have invaded and inhabited ,anglia in pre-historic times1 prefixed to that very valuable work1 the 8,crania ,britannica40 ,he is of opinion that about the time of ,csar1 the population of our island throughout the northern and midland counties was derived from the tribes of ,jutland and ,north ,germany1 and that the southern portions of the island were exclusively filled by the ,saxon immigrants4 ,a fibula of very peculiar form is found in these northern counties in great abundance4 ,we give an example in ,fig4 #bah4 ,it is of bronze1 and was found at ,driffield1 ,yorkshire1 in the grave of a female4 ,sometimes these fibul are richly ornamented with interlaced patterns1 and heads of strange birds and animals4 ,they are then generally gilt1 and have been found of enormous size1 eight inches in length by six in breadth4 ,i imagine these very large brooches fastened the heavy outer cloak1 the smaller being used for lighter portions of the dress4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bai4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bbj4 ,the ordinary form of brooch worn by the humbler classes is shown in the two specimens 7,figs4 #bai and #bbj71 both are of bronze1 with very slight attempt at ornament1 and were found by labourers employed in repairing the road on the line of the ,watling ,street1 about a mile from the ,romano-,british settlement at ,cesterover1 between ,bensford ,bridge and the road leading from ,rugby to ,lutterworth4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bba4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bbb4 ,two specimens of the circular fibul of the southern ,anglo-,saxons are given in ,figs4 #bba and #bbb4 ,they were both found in ,kent1 where the wealthiest and most refined ,saxons were located4 ,it is curious to note how completely in design and execution they resemble such as are found in ,south ,germany4 ,in the ,augsburg ,museum are some identical in design and execution with ,kentish specimens in the ,mayer ,museum at ,liverpool4 ,they appear as if made by the same workmen4 ,these fibul are generally much enriched on the upper surface4 ,a soft enamel1 or slices of pearl 7which have generally perished71 probably filled the outer rim in ,fig4 #bba2 the centre is here raised1 and is formed of pearl1 in the centre of which is a garnet1 and slices of garnet are cut to fit the triangular ornaments2 to give them greater brilliancy1 they are laid on a thin piece of gold foil4 ,fig4 #bbb is of more elaborate design2 the use of garnet is again apparent1 but the spaces between the jewellery are filled with a double row of incurvated ornaments1 made of fine threads of gold2 sometimes these threads of gold are reeded1 or plaited1 of two or three finer gold threads4 ,i have been assured by practical goldsmiths that more delicate work could not be done in the present day4 ,all these small ornaments are made singly1 and then fastened in their places4 ,they excite astonishment at the great refinement that must have characterised the ,anglo-,saxons1 and which is carried out in other articles found in their tumuli4 ,fig4 #bbc represents a group of ,anglo-,saxon pins4 ,the first specimen is of the simplest design1 with no attempt at ornament1 except the double cross roughly incised in the bronze4 ,the middle pin1 on the contrary1 is one of the finest kind2 the head is ornamented with jewellery and goldsmith's work1 the stem is of bronze4 ,the pin beside it is of silver gilt1 the centre decorated with a raised garnet4 ,i have placed in front of them a very remarkable specimen of a double pin1 connected by a chain1 exactly similar to such as were universally fashionable a few years ago4 ,though fashion may be 8ever changing10 it is not 8ever new40 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bbc4 ,the ancient ,irish brooch was unlike others worn in ,scotland or ,england4 ,it had a long central pin1 with an open ring at its summit1 allowing free motion to the bar which passed through it1 and formed a half-circle1 supporting a lunette-shaped pendant1 covered with elaborate decoration and jewellery4 ,they varied in size and decoration according to the rank of the wearer4 ,the highest price of a silver one for a king1 according to ,vallancey1 was thirty heifers1 when made of refined silver2 the lowest value attached to them being three heifers4 ,i have seen a very large specimen1 of the intrinsic value of three pounds4 ,the pin is #i-a_/b inches long1 and the circular brooch #e inches in diameter4 ,larger specimens have been found and mistaken for poniards4 ,they were made thus large and strong to pass easily through the thick woollen garments necessary to the cold1 wet climate4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bbd4 ,this old style of design in ornament continued in use in ,ireland until the twelfth or thirteenth century--in fact1 until the inhabitants had destroyed its civilisation by internecine war4 ,many works1 like the bell of ,st4 ,patrick at ,belfast1 might1 at the first glance1 be attributed to the same era as the famous 8,durham book10 or book of ,st4 ,cuthbert1 now one of the chief treasures of the ,british ,museum library1 and which is believed to have been executed as early as the seventh century by ,eadfrith1 afterwards of ,lindisfarne1 who died in #gba4 ,we are1 however1 certain as to the date of the bell1 for an inscription is upon it1 stating it was made to the order of ,donnell ,o',lochlain1 one of the old ,irish kings1 who came to the throne in #ajhc1 and died in #aaba4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bbe4 ,the first brooch discovered in ,ireland is in the possession of ,mr4 ,waterhouse1 the goldsmith1 of ,dublin4 ,it is represented in ,fig4 #bbd1 and is engraved the full size of the original1 but the length of the long plain pin has been curtailed4 ,it was found accidentally by a peasant near ,drogheda4 ,it is of bronze1 decorated with gems and ornament in enamel1 and may probably be of no earlier date than the bell just alluded to4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bbf4 ,a simpler kind of ornamental pin was worn by the lower classes1 of which ,i give two specimens in ,fig4 #bbe1 a1 b4 ,they are engraved about half the size of the originals4 ,the first is a plain pin1 with a small ring hanging from its head4 ,the second is unique in its character1 having an old man's head at its summit3 it is of bronze1 gilt4 ,as we descend in the scale of rank1 these pins become plainer1 the poorer classes using them of bone1 roughly fashioned by themselves4 ,the common kind of ,scottish pins was of very similar character1 as the example placed beside those last described will show4 ,the head of the pin c projects some distance in advance of it1 as seen in the side view4 ,a small cross is in the centre of the upper part2 the other ornament is convoluted1 and is brought into relief by chasing4 ,the ordinary form of the later ,scottish brooch is that of a broad open circle1 decorated with intricate knot-work1 or floral designs4 ,dr4 ,wilson1 in his 8,archology and ,pre-historic ,annals of ,scotland10 has engraved one very similar1 and says1 8,the interlaced knot-work appears to have been a favourite device of ,celtic art 7,fig4 #bbf74 ,it occurs on the sculptures1 the jewellery1 the manuscripts1 and the decorated shrines and bookcases of ,early ,irish ,christian art1 and has been perpetuated almost to our own day on the weapons and personal ornaments of the ,scottish ,highlanders40 8,the brooch has always been a favourite ,celtic ornament1 and is1 indeed1 almost indispensable to the ,highland costume4 ,it is worn universally by the ,scottish ,highlanders1 both male and female2 and in many ,highland families of various ranks1 favourite brooches have been preserved through many generations as heirlooms1 which no pecuniary inducement would tempt their humblest owner to part with40 ,illustration ,,albert ,d,,rer3 ,,his ,,works1 ,,his ,,compatriots1 ,,and ,,his ,,times4 ,illustration3 ,,durer',s ,,wife4 ,,albert ,,durer4 ,,pirkheimer4 ,,albert ,d,,rer3 ,,his ,,works1 ,,his ,,compatriots1 ,,and ,,his ,,times4 ,drer is the one great name which represents early ,german art in its pure nationality4 ,in his works we see all its peculiarities and may study all its merits4 ,it is not without its defects also1 but as they may be honestly considered a part of the whole1 it becomes a necessary thing to consider them with the beauties to which they may be conjoined2 nor must we be deterred in our search for the latter quality by such occasional drawbacks1 if we would investigate the efforts of the artist-mind toward excellence1 for that was its characteristic feature from the fall of ,rome to the period in which ,drer flourished4 ,in the somewhat gaudy glories of the ,byzantine school1 we can trace only the failing powers of a great empire conscious of its old dignity but not fully able to display it4 ,in the barbaric night which succeeded1 we find art sunk to the most childish attempt at imitating simple nature2 which was 8copied most vilely40 ,in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries we trace the latent wish for the delineation of beauty struggling again into life2 but it was simply the wish rather than the power to delineate the graceful1 that we find displayed in the contorted figures which the artists of these days attempted to picture as graceful beings4 ,still1 crude and strange1 or even grotesque1 as they may appear1 they are not to be despised4 ,amid much that is repulsive to modern cultivated taste1 we occasionally find nave delineations of simple beauty1 natural expression1 and touches of human pathos1 which tell how honestly and how eagerly these old artists worked2 how truly they wished to do more than they had power to accomplish2 and though clogged to the earth by the dark age they lived in1 how earnestly they wished to soar above that position4 ,the archaisms of old ,greece are not better than such works2 and as we can trace the onward course of those ancient masters of art from the rude outlines on the vases of ,etruria1 to the glorious works of ,phidias and ,praxiteles--even so1 if we wish to know the true course of the revival of modern art1 must we trace it in the sculpture1 wall-painting1 and missal-drawing1 of the middle ages1 until we find it assume a more definite and better-regulated style in the fifteenth century2 that period of the revival of classical tastes1 and bright day-spring of art in ,italy1 from which we ourselves still drink inspiration as from the 8well undefiled40 ,the influence of the ,italian school after the era of ,raffaelle may be said to be paramount4 ,as his works became known and studied1 they gave laws to other artists2 and the mannerisms and peculiarities of earlier schools were softened down and disappeared4 ,gothic art--if such a term may be applied to the art which was the hand-maiden of ,gothic architecture 7the term ,gothic being by no means understood as meaning barbaric7--had run its course by aid of its own experience alone1 possessing qualifications of its own1 but being in some degree more remarkable for its strength of feeling than grace of expression4 ,the ,italian school inoculated it with elegance2 but it naturally possessed an independent power1 together with a vigour and native grace which rewarded those who sought for it1 rather than courted them by its palpable display4 ,gothic art in its native strength1 as it had grown gradually and achieved its own position1 may be seen in the works of the northern contemporaries of ,raffaelle2 the study of its rise and progress is no unworthy study of the human mind in its onward course toward excellence1 nor should we allow prejudice to weigh with us in contemplating these labours4 ,it has been well observed that 8in art as in many other branches of human knowledge and industry1 exclusiveness1 or the tendency to depreciate that which does not conform to our own taste and feelings1 is a fertile source of error and mischief4 ,such a disposition deprives mankind of the free and unrestrained enjoyment of much that is calculated to cheer and improve them4 ,the navet of the early ,german and ,italian painters1 the earnest simplicity with which they conceived and expressed the devotional subjects treated by them1 and the moral beauty of the subjects themselves1 may excite our admiration1 without disqualifying us for duly admiring the brilliant breadth of light and shadow of ,rembrandt1 or the genuine truth and humour of ,wilkie40#aij-99 ,in this spirit must we study the works of the early native artists of the northern schools1 and in this way comprehend their true philosophic position1 and the sthetics of their style4 ,germany1 a great and powerful nation1 was in the fifteenth century the home of northern intelligence2 and nowhere was it more fully made visible than in the old town of ,nrnberg2 it was the centre of trade1 the abode of opulence1 the patron of literature and the arts4 ,here1 amid congenial spirits1 lived ,albert ,drer--8in him10 says ,dr4 ,kgler1 8the style of art already existing attained its most peculiar and its highest perfection4 ,he became the representative of ,german art at this period40 ,to himself and his works1 therefore1 must we look for a true knowledge of the ,german school2 and to ,nrnberg1 as it was in his epoch1 for an acquaintance with the characteristics of the refined life of the ,german people4 ,it is no unprofitable labour to unveil these ancient and forgotten times2 much in man's history1 great and good1 is hidden in the pages of old chronicles1 and it is a worthy task to call back forgotten glories that may induce modern emulation1 or at least vindicate the true position of the great departed4 8,from the barred visor of antiquity1 ,reflected1 shines the eternal light of truth ,as from a mirror40#aia-99 ,the modern traveller who visits ,nrnberg will see an old city most singularly unaltered4 ,for the last two centuries it would seem to have remained almost stationary2 its inhabitants succeeding each other without a wish for change1 living in the old houses of their progenitors1 and quietly retaining a certain stolid position which has neither lost nor won in the great battle of life around them4 ,on approaching its walls it is difficult at first to believe that a city so quaint and peculiar still exists intact4 ,it is precisely like looking at a pictured town in an old missal1 with its series of square towers1 and long curtain wall embracing its entire circumference2 its old castle perched on the rock1 and its great massive round towers proudly protecting its chief gates upon all sides4 ,there is a strange 8old-world0 look about everything within these walls also1 and we scarcely feel that we have arrived at the nineteenth century as we indulge in the thoughts they call forth4 ,it is a place to dream in over the past1 to carry one's mind away from the bustle of modern life to the thoughtful contemplation of that once enjoyed here by generations long departed4 ,it seems no place for the actual realities of our railroad days1 and there is a sort of impertinence in bringing us by such means close to its quiet old walls2 you feel thrown1 as it were1 from the go-a-head rapidities of modern times into the calm1 heavy1 slow-going days of ,kaiser ,maximilian1 without time to consider the change4 ,it is a place for a poet1 one imbued with a love of old cities and their denizens1 like ,longfellow1--and how admirably in a few lines has he described the feeling it engenders1 and the aspect of the city and its suburbs6-- 8,in the valley of the ,pegnitz1 where across broad meadow lands1 ,rise the blue ,franconian mountains1 ,nrnberg1 the ancient1 stands4 ,quaint old town of toil and traffic1 quaint old town of art and song1 ,memories haunt thy pointed gables1 like the rooks that round them throng4 ,memories of the middle ages1 when the emperors1 rough and bold1 ,had their dwelling in thy castle1 time-defying1 centuries old4 ,and thy brave and thrifty burghers boasted in their uncouth rhyme1 ,that their great imperial city stretched its hand through every clime40 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bbh4--,the ,town ,walls1 ,nrnberg4 ,the 8uncouth rhyme0 was the familiar old proverb which told of the universal trade of the old city1 couched in the few words-- ,nrnberg's hand1 ,geht durch alle land2 and which may be rendered in our modern vernacular-- 8,nrnberg's hand ,goes through every land40 ,this proud boast was more truthful than boasts are in general2 its artisans literally sent their handiwork far and wide1 their connections were great1 and their city was the centre of trade between the ,east and ,west2 for1 prior to the discovery of the circumnavigation of the ,cape of ,good ,hope1 it was the dept for eastern merchandise1 which was principally sent with their own productions from ,venice and ,genoa2 its convenient central position in ,europe enabling its traders to distribute such produce1 and all others coming to it1 by means of the ,danube and the ,rhine to the north and west of ,europe4 ,its own manufacturers were also much esteemed1 and their works in metal highly valued1 whether consisting of armour for the knight or bijouterie for his lady4 ,the city1 in fact1 held within its warehouses the combined results of the taste1 luxury1 and necessities of the age1 and was busied in exchanging them with the great trading towns of the low countries1--,bruges1 ,ghent1 and ,antwerp1--the trade of the latter rising on the decline of that of old ,nrnberg1 whose inland position kept it far away from the sea-traffic which resulted from the discovery already alluded to4 ,the religious wars contributed ultimately to accelerate its downfall at the commencement of the seventeenth century1 and when peace was again restored1 prosperity had flown in the turmoil4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bbi4--,the ,castle1 ,nrnberg4 ,it was during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries that ,nrnberg attained its greatest prosperity4 ,at this time it was a free city of the ,german empire1 possessing an independent domain around it extending twenty-three ,german miles1 and was enabled to furnish the ,emperor with six thousand soldiers4 ,its castle had been the home of these rulers from the twelfth century3 memories of such inhabitants may still be traced4 8,in the court-yard of the castle1 bound with many an iron band1 ,stands the mighty linden1 planted by ,queen ,cunigunde's hand40 ,the old tree still overshadows the inner yard of the castle1 and the 8,heathen ,tower0 tells of still earlier times4 ,the entire place is full of antique memories2 it has no sympathy with modern life2 and you stand in its quiet crumbling walls1 and expect1 if the silence be broken at all1 it will be by the heavy tread and clanking echo of a mail-clad knight4 ,maximilian himself and his knights1 so quaintly delineated by ,hans ,burgmair1 might rise from their graves1 and enter their old quarters as if they had but left them yesterday1 so unchanged is the aspect of the picturesque old castle which crowns the rock1 and was erst the proud home of ,germany's proudest rulers4 ,but why dwell on the past glories of the warlike great8 rather let us again quote the words of ,longfellow1 and exclaim 8,not thy councils1 not thy ,kaisers1 win for thee the world's regard2 ,but thy painter ,albert ,drer1 and ,hans ,sachs the cobbler bard40 ,of the latter worthy we shall discourse anon2 but the place of honour and our primary attention must now be given to the artist4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bcj4 ,in the city of ,nrnberg1 on the #bjth of ,may1 in the year #adga1 the house of the goldsmith1 ,albert ,drer1 rejoiced over the birth of a son4 ,albert was thrifty1 industrious1 and had achieved for himself a good position among the burghers of the old town4 ,he was a native of ,cola in ,hungary1 but had sought congenial employ early in life where patronage was more rife1 and had entered the service of the goldsmith1 ,jerome ,haller1 who had perfected him in a knowledge of his art1 and finding the young man worthy1 he had ultimately given him his daughter in marriage1 living to rejoice with him over his increasing prosperity1 and to congratulate him on the birth of his son1 who was destined to bear the same names as his father1 and to give them an undying celebrity4 ,the young ,albert grew up a handsome1 intellectual lad1 and his tastes were such as an artistic life in early youth might lead him to4 ,the old goldsmiths were indeed the best patrons of ancient art2 but for them an important branch of it--ornamental design--would have wanted the constancy of inventive spur1 and the art of engraving and printing from incised plates originated in their workshops4 ,they were intimately connected with the artists of their day2 and the greatest among them did not disdain to furnish designs for their artisans4 ,hence the great variety and flow of fancy exhibited in their works4 ,this intercommunication benefited both parties1 and should be a lesson to modern exclusiveness1 as it is a sort of key to the reason why the artistic beauty of the past eclipses much of the artisan's work of the present age2 and why also it displays an abundance of creative ingenuity1 which can scarcely be compatible with the narrow studio a modern workshop has made itself4 ,the early intercourse of young ,drer with art and artists1 spurred him on to desire to occupy himself in greater works than he could find himself employed upon in his father's house4 ,he had learned nearly all he could learn there1 and had diligently acquired the power to execute good works as a goldsmith by the time he had reached his sixteenth year2 but he was wearied with the task of copying1 and wished to join the ranks of the master spirits of whom he occasionally caught a glimpse in the hours of business4 ,he also would be an artist1 and communicated his higher aspirations to his father4 ,the elder ,drer had worked his way patiently on by a slow and steady course1 and could not understand why his son1 now a good workman1 with a fair prospect of equally succeeding in trade1 should not be content to do as he had done4 ,he had also that unpoetic thrifty style of looking at the whole question1 which led him to consider his son as making a total wreck of the many years' study which he had already gone through to fit him for the goldsmith's trade2 and he was1 consequently1 much displeased4 ,he considered the question in the light of a positive loss for an uncertain gain1 and somewhat rudely dismissed it from his mind4 ,like the majority of men1 he could not bear that his son should shape himself a new course by the aid of the strong will of his own genius1 when he considered the old course the best4 ,he had rested on the hope of his son's aid1 which he saw he was well able to give him2 and the prospect of his quietly succeeding him as a thrifty goldsmith of ,nrnberg he thought enough to satisfy the most ardent hope4 ,it was long before he could patiently listen to his son's contrary mode of reasoning1 and it was not until the young ,albert1 by reiterated attacks of earnest argument1 closely but carefully enforced1 had in some degree shaken him1 that he would turn a willing ear to his wishes4 ,once having done this1 and become fully aware of the strength of his son's hopes1 and the eagerness of his aspirations1 the elder ,drer changed his whole conduct1 and with laudable zeal sought the best artist by whom his son should be instructed4 ,there were always many in ,nrnberg1 but none had better reputation than ,michael ,wohlgemuth2 he also was an earnest1 busy man1 constantly employed in many branches of his profession1 possessing in fact a great deal of the trading spirit1 and therefore he was the man with whom ,drer would most desire to see his son studying4 ,it was ultimately arranged that the young ,albert should be bound to him for the term of three years to learn the art of painting4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bca4--,michael ,wohlgemuth4 ,wohlgemuth was at this period in the full vigour of his life1 and was performing an abundance of labour2 he painted pictures1 he furnished designs for goldsmiths and artisans1 he illustrated books1 and was a thriving and prosperous man4 ,his works would not delight any eye now as they once charmed the ,nrnbergers4 ,they are essentially stiff and hard1 exhibiting the exaggeration of form and attitude which makes early art look grotesque3 he was fond of stern drawing1 and generally painted a firm black outline to his figures1 which has a very harsh effect4 ,his colouring is equally positive1 and his saints are generally arrayed in prismatic tints1 relieved by the gold backgrounds which prevailed so constantly in early art4 ,his portrait painted by ,drer at a later period of his life1 is characteristic of the man4 ,it is now in the ,pinacothek at ,munich1 and has been well described by ,dr4 ,kgler1 as delineating 8a strangely sharp1 bony1 and severe countenance40 ,wohlgemuth was born at ,nrnberg in #adcd1 and died in #aeai4 ,his native city still contains some of his best works1 particularly in the ,moritzkapelle1 that sacred resting-place of quaint old art1 thus religiously preserved for an age which brings to it few worshippers4 ,it is but justice1 however1 to one who was great in his own day1 to observe that he occasionally rises above the level of the bald style above indicated2 and the eminent writer we have just now quoted1 observes1--8whenever tranquil feeling is to be shown1 he then exhibits many indications of a sense for grace in form1 and tenderness in expression20 and at a later period of his life1--8the sharp cutting style1 which strikes us so disagreeably in his early works1 is much softened3 the colouring is also warm and powerful40 ,he was certainly the best of the ,nrnberg painters until his pupil eclipsed him4 ,dr4 ,waagen considers the picture in the south aisle of the ,frauenkirche as one of the best works now possessed by his native city2 it represents ,st4 ,gregory celebrating mass amid many other saints2 but the men of ,nrnberg seem most to value those in the ,moritzkapelle1 and which he painted in #adhg for the high altar of the ,schusterkirche1 at the expense of the family of ,peringsdorfer4 ,they represent various saints life-size1 and are drawn with much vigour1 and coloured with considerable power2 the outlines are strongly marked in black1 and they exhibit his full merits4 ,we select the figure of ,st4 ,margaret as an example of his style2 the somewhat constrained and angular attitude of the right arm carries the mind back to the missal paintings of the previous century2 the small1 pinched1 and confused folds of the drapery1 belong to the ,german school almost entirely2 and to it may be traced ,drer's errors in this particular portion of art4 ,in the figure we have selected from his works for comparison1 we see the same peculiar1 8crinkled10 minute folds1 completely destructive of dignity or breadth1 and untrue to nature3 but we see also a grandeur of general conception1 and the bold leading lines of the composition unbroken by such minuti1 which are secondary to the main idea4 ,it represents ,st4 ,anne 7the mother of the ,virgin7 clasping her hands in anguish at the refusal of the high priest to accept the offering of herself and husband in the temple at ,jerusalem1 and occurs in the first of ,drer's series of woodcuts illustrating the life of the ,virgin4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bcb4--,st4 ,margaret1 after ,wohlgemuth4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bcc4--,st4 ,anne1 after ,drer4 ,this striking peculiarity of treatment adopted by the early ,german artists in their draperies1 was once explained to us by an old native artist1 who assured us that it was entirely caused by the models for study which they universally employed4 ,these were small lay figures1 over which draperies were cast formed in wet paper1 disposed according to the artist's fancy1 and allowed to dry and set in the rigid form we see in their pictures4 ,we have nowhere met with this key to the mode of study adopted by them2 but it so completely accords with the character of their drawings1 and would be so easy to attain in this material1 and so difficult in any other1 that it seems to bear the impress of accuracy4 ,the work of ,wohlgemuth1 by which he is now most familiarly known1 are the illustrations of the ,nrnberg ,chronicle1 of ,hartmann ,schedel1 published in #adic1 which he executed in conjunction with ,william ,pleydenwurff4 ,this once famous history is a folio1 full of historic learning1 and illustrated by more than a thousand woodcuts1 many of which are very large4 ,it would appear that ,pleydenwurff executed the views of cities and minor illustrations1 and his greater fellow-labourer designed and drew upon the wood the historical scenes4 ,in conformity with the custom of ancient chronicles1 the history begins with the creation of the world1 the various incidents connected therewith being all delineated4 ,there is considerable invention1 but great lack of grace1 in all these designs2 they bear1 however1 strong resemblances to the leading characteristics of ,wohlgemuth's paintings1 and they are superior to the woodcuts that preceded him1 particularly as regards the amount of finish and chiaroscuro they exhibit4 ,the earliest woodcuts by ,drer bear some resemblance to these works1 and are in the dry hard style of a master who evidently valued positive drawing at a higher rate than the blandishments of colour2 this1 indeed1 has always been a characteristic of ,german art4 ,the three years of ,drer's pupilage having expired1 in conformity with the usual ,german custom1 he travelled to see the world and improve himself4 ,of the early works of his genius we have no certain trace4 ,that he was a good portrait painter we may be assured by the examination of his own picture in the gallery of the ,uffizi at ,florence1 painted in #adih1 and that of his father1 in the ,pinacotheck at ,munich2 but earlier chalk drawings exist1 showing his proficiency in this branch of art at the age of fourteen4 ,in the course of his peregrinations in ,germany he visited his brother artists1 returning to his native city in #adid4 ,his earliest works on his return seem to have been designs on wood1 for in #adih appeared the series of woodcuts1 illustrating the ,revelations of ,st4 ,john4 ,dr4 ,kgler says 8we should regard them as proofs of his activity in the years immediately preceding2 such at least is the case in similar works4 ,in these compositions the artist has already attained great and peculiar excellence1 but in these1 as might be expected from the subject1 the fantastic element forms the groundwork of the whole4 ,these mystical subjects are conceived in a singularly poetical spirit2 the wonderful and monstrous meet us in living bodily forms4 ,some of them exhibit a power of representation to the eye1 and a grandeur of conception the more surprising1 since the shapeless exuberance of the scriptural visions might easily have led the artist astray1 as has indeed frequently happened in the case of others who have attempted these subjects40 ,in artistic effects these cuts are inferior to his latter works1 and the drawing is sometimes more defective2 but in inventive power they are master-pieces1 and no artist before or since has so successfully treated these mysteries4 ,the reputation of ,drer was well-established by these cuts1 and gave him a good position in his native town1 which he never left afterwards1 except for a journey to ,venice in #aejf1 and to the ,netherlands in #aebj4 ,all ,drer's tastes were essentially national1 if indeed they may not be said to be narrowed within the circle of the town of ,nrnberg and its neighbourhood4 ,he married soon after his return2 and living entirely at home1 prosecuted his art with unwearied assiduity1 the avarice of his wife urging still further his constant labours4 ,his studies seem to have been made from the people around him1 or from the scenes which constantly met his eye4 ,thus1 in his scripture prints1 the people of ,nrnberg and the peasants of the neighbourhood1 figure as representatives of the ancient ,jews4 ,st4 ,joseph is a ,nrnberg carpenter1 and the ,virgin herself seems to have been modelled from some fair maiden of the city4 ,the stout burghers1 who witness the happy meeting of ,st4 ,joachim and ,anne at the golden gate of the temple1 in his series of prints illustrative of the ,life of the ,virgin1 are such as ,drer might have seen daily loitering by the tower gate opposite his own windows2 and the modest-looking maiden with the extravagantly fashionable head-dress1 whom he has introduced in his 8,marriage of the ,virgin10 has been absolutely copied from nature2 the original sketch1 made by his own hand from a ,nrnberg damsel1 is preserved with many similar studies by him in the ,british ,museum4 ,he was untiring in his converse with nature as he saw it around him2 and the minutely careful sketches which now enrich our national collection1 testify to his industry and anxiety for truth as the basis of his labours4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bcd4--,view from ,drer's ,house4 ,the old town of ,nrnberg was eminently picturesque1 and was enriched with artistic works by the best men of the day4 ,the wealth of its inhabitants was expended on their houses within and without1 and the churches were lavishly adorned with paintings and sculpture1 as well as with other riches of art connected with the service of religion4 ,in its quaint old streets might be studied the fruits of the faith and feeling of its inhabitants4 ,numerous figures of the ,holy ,mother decorated the street corners1 or were enshrined over the portals of the doors of the merchantmen1 the light burning before each serving the double purpose of religion and utility1 in a city of dark tortuous lanes4 ,the ingenuity of the mason and sculptor was taxed in varied inventions for the further adornment of the homes of the wealthy2 and the numerous specimens of artistic ironwork still remaining attest the taste and opulence of the merchant princes of the old city4 ,art was thus wedded to utility as well as to luxury1 and at every step in ,nrnberg the attention will still be arrested by its influence4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bce4--,the ,residence of ,albert ,drer4 ,drer lived in a large mansion at one extremity of the town1 close to the gate from whence he could in a few minutes escape from the pent-up city to the open fields4 ,his house is one of those roomy buildings in which there is enough timber to build at least a dozen modern houses4 ,the lower portion is stone1 the upper1 with its open galleries1 of wood4 ,the view from his doors embraced the town gate1 and the picturesque tower1 known as the ,thiergartenthor1 beside it4 ,the house between that and the narrow lane which leads up the castle hill was the property at that time of one ,martin ,ktzel1 who1 having twice employed himself in pilgrimages to ,jerusalem1 and in measuring the number of paces the ,saviour trod on the ,via ,dolorosa1 had determined on his return to consider his house as the representative of ,pilate's house1 the ,gate of ,nrnberg as that of ,jerusalem1 the churchyard of ,st4 ,john in the fields beyond1 as ,calvary1 and the road between as the ,via ,dolorosa1 and to cause representations of the events of the ,saviour's journey in the line of this road at the various distances where they were traditionally supposed to occur2 and the chief sculptor of ,nrnberg1 ,adam ,kraft1 was employed to execute the sculptures1 which still stand a monument of the piety of the old citizen1 whose house 7known by the figure of an armed knight at its angle7 is still familiarly called 8,pilate's ,house40 ,time has written strange alterations on these old works1 and wanton injury has also been done to them1 but there still remains enough to show the ability of their conception and execution4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bcf4--,the ,himmelsthor1 ,nrnberg ,castle4 ,the castle comprises the somewhat rambling series of buildings of all ages1 styles1 and dates1 which crown the rock above4 ,the singular manner in which this isolated mass of stone suddenly rises from the sandy plain may have induced the first foundation of the city1 by the secure locality it afforded the castle of a ruler in days of old4 ,its early history is shrouded in obscurity--one of its towers has been attributed to the ,romans2 it can still show undoubted works of the ninth century in the chapels of ,sts4 ,ottmar and ,margaret1 from which time it received alterations and additions of all kinds1 ending in leaving it the picturesque assemblage of quaint old buildings which it at present remains4 ,the ,himmelsthor1 or 8tower of heaven10 is the name given to the large round tower which is built within the castle precincts on the highest point of the rock1 and which1 as its title implies1 soars toward heaven1 and forms a prominent feature in all views of ,nrnberg4 ,the panorama from its summit is singularly striking1 comprising the entire country for an immense distance round4 ,the alt ,feste1 where ,wallenstein encamped1 in his memorable defence of these lines and of the city when besieged by ,gustavus ,adolphus1 of ,sweden1 and the blue hills known as the ,franconian ,switzerland1 terminating with the ,moritzberg1 give relief to the otherwise flat vicinity4 ,this tower has been introduced in the background of some of ,drer's designs1 as well as other portions of the castle4 ,the old town-walls also figure in those scenes from ,holy ,writ he so frequently designed4 ,the anachronisms which result from such a mode of realising scenes in past history were sufficiently familiar in his own day to save them from all adverse criticism2 indeed1 it had become the formula of early art1 thus to verify sacred events by adapting them to the experiences of every-day life around1 to which it never appealed in vain4 ,to comprehend fully the art of any one period1 and the talent of any artist of that period1 we must go back mentally to the time in which he flourished1 and measure him by such as had preceded him4 ,in this way alone can we form a right judgment of his powers1 and award him his due place in art4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bcg4--;,entrance ,hall of ,drer's ,house4 ,in the days of ,albert ,drer the street in which he resided was known as 8die ,zisselgasse20 it is now appropriately named after the great artist himself4 ,when he lived and worked in his roomy old mansion1 ,nrnberg was not quite so crowded within its own walls as it has since become by the pressure of modern exigencies2 and ,drer's house appears to have had out-buildings1 and1 most probably1 a small garden1 such as was awarded to better-class houses in medival times4 ,dr4 ,frederick ,campe tells us that he bought1 in #ahbf1 from the proprietor of the house1 a balcony in which ,drer worked in summer time1 and which originally must have commanded some sheltered space wherein a few trees might grow4 ,the house has since been purchased by a society of artists1 who honour themselves by that act1 and do honour to ,drer by preserving it as much as possible in the state in which he left it1 and exhibiting his works in the rooms4 ,the interior of the house has undergone some renovation1 but it has been done cautiously1 and in strict character with the original portions3 it chiefly consists of new panelling and new doors1 and they are quaintly carved in the style of the sixteenth century4 ,the external door of the house still retains its old ironwork and lock fittings4#bab-99 ,we pass through from the street1 and enter a roomy hall1 with a wide passage on one side1 and an equally wide staircase on the other1 which leads to the upper floors4 ,a ponderous beam supports the ceiling1 and a massive wooden pillar props the centre of this beam4 ,the profusion of timber1 and abundance of space accorded to passages and staircase1 are indicative of past times1 when wood was of less value than it has since become4 ,the floor on which this pillar rests is flagged with stones2 a small parlour is to the right2 we pass it1 and midway in the passage come to a low door leading into a small square room1--it was the studio of ,drer4 8,here1 when art was still religion1 with a simple1 reverent heart1 ,lived and laboured ,albert ,drer1 the ,evangelist of ,art40#bab- ,it is lighted from the street by a long narrow window about five feet from the ground inserted in the top of an arch in the wall1 as seen from the inside1 beneath which is a shelf of capacious breadth4 ,a small richly-carved altar-piece is now placed within it1 and a few chairs4 ,it is a quiet secluded room1 having no communication with any other4 ,the top of the walls and turrets of the old town1 and a small patch of sky1 may be seen by an upward glance at the window2 but there is no feature to distract the denizen of the apartment3 it is a place for concentration of mind1 and such must have been ,drer's habits1 as the enormous amount of his works show4 ,leaving this room and proceeding farther1 we reach the quaintly constructed kitchen1 with its enormous fire-place half filling the apartment4 ,the one small window to the street lets in a gleam of light such as ,rembrandt would have admired4 ,the arched door is fitted with a lock of that peculiar form and character which assure the spectator that it is the handwork of an ingenious smith of ,drer's day2 its broad plate is decorated with a simple ornament consisting of the favourite gnarled twigs and leaves1 so constantly adopted in ,german decorations of all kinds1 at the end of the fifteenth1 and during the sixteenth century4 ,we leave the ground floor and ascend the wide stairs4 ,the front room on the first floor commands a pleasant view of the small ,platz opposite the house1 as it fronts the ,thiergartenthor1 and the castled crag rises grandly over the houses beside it4 ,the walls are panelled1 and the beams across the wooden ceiling chamfered1 and slightly carved4 ,the aspect of the whole room is striking1 and it is rendered more impressive by the many examples of ,drer's genius placed within it1 as well as of others by his master ,wohlgemuth4 ,the woodcuts are framed1 and comprise the best examples of both masters2 there is also an original drawing on vellum testifying to the minute accuracy of ,drer's studies4 ,it is the figure of a lion1 bearing date #aeab1 drawn with all that patient care which characterises his transcripts from nature4 ,in the ,british ,museum is a large volume containing numerous studies for his principal works1 and it is a wonderful record of truth-seeking patience1 as the minute parts of his designs appear to have been drawn from nature as carefully as if such sketches had been parts of a finished picture2 his unwearied assiduity in his profession has never been exceeded4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bch4--;,drer's ,studio4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bci4--,kitchen in ,drer's ,house4 ,nrnberg contains fewer of ,drer's works than a stranger might be led to expect4#bae-99 ,the print-room of our ,british ,museum1 with its great number of engravings and drawings1 and its wonderful sculpture in hone-stone by him1 is a far better place to study the works of this artist4 ,there is1 however1 one work of singular interest preserved in the old city1 which is worth a long journey to see4 ,it is the portrait of the old ,nrnberg patrician--,jerome ,holzschuher1 the friend and patron of the artist4 ,it represents a cheerful1 healthy man over whose head fifty-seven years have passed without diminishing his freshness and buoyancy of spirit2 the clear complexion1 searching eye1 and general vigour which characterise the features1 almost seem to contradict the white hair that falls in thick masses over the forehead4 ,for freshness1 power1 and truth1 this portrait may challenge comparison with any of its age4 ,time has also dealt leniently with the picture1 for it is as clear and bright as the day it was painted1 and is carefully preserved in its original frame1 into which a sliding wooden panel is made to fit and cover it3 the outside being emblazoned with the armes parlantes of the family of ,holzschuher--a wooden shoe1 raised from the ground in the manner of the ,venetian chopine4 ,the picture was painted in #aebf1 and 8combines10 says ,kgler1 8the most perfect modelling with the freest handling of the colours2 and is certainly the most beautiful of all this master's portraits1 since it plainly shows how well he could seize nature in her happiest moments1 and represent her with irresistible power40 ,it still remains in the possession of the ,holzschuher family1 and is located in their mansion at the back of the ,egidienkirche1 where it is politely shown to strangers on proper application2 and should the visitor have the advantage accorded to the writer1 of the attendance of the last representative of the family1 he will see that the same clear eye and expressive features have also descended as a heir-loom in the house4 ,it is at ,florence1 ,vienna1 and ,munich1 that ,drer's paintings are principally located4 ,the ,castle at ,nrnberg possesses his portraits of the ,emperors ,charlemagne and ,sigismund4 ,in the ,moritzkapelle is the picture which he painted for the church of ,st4 ,sebald in ,nrnberg1 by the order of ,holzschuher4 ,it represents the dead ,saviour just removed from the cross1 and mourned over by his mother and friends4 ,it is peculiarly brilliant in colour1 and there is considerable force in the deep rich draperies with which the figures are clothed1 but it has the defect visible in the works of ,drer's master--a love of hard black outlines4 ,in this picture the faces1 hands1 and feet are delineated by lines very slightly relieved by shadow1 and reminding the spectator too much of his woodcuts4 ,this love for expressing firm outline is better adapted to such works as his wall-paintings in the ,rathhaus1 or ,town-hall4 ,they are executed on the north wall of the grand saloon1 and are divided by the principal door leading from the gallery2 on one side of which is an allegory of the 8,unjust ,judge0 7which formed one of the series of moral broadsheets published by ,hans ,sachs72 and a group of musicians in a gallery1 probably representing those that belonged to the town2 on the other side of the door the entire length of the wall is occupied by the allegorical triumphal car of the ,emperor ,maximilian ,i41 a work which ,drer copied on wood in a series of large cuts1 published in #aebb4 ,in a fanciful car1 drawn by many horses1 sits the emperor in regal state1 attended by all the virtues and attributes which may be supposed to wait on moral royalty4 ,the very nature of such a work is beset with difficulties1 and it is seldom that any artist has entirely surmounted them4 ,state allegories present small fascinations to any but the statesman glorified2 but ,dr4 ,kgler in his criticism of this work1 while he acknowledges its defects1 is prepared to say that some of the figures 8display motives of extraordinary beauty1 such as might have proceeded from the graceful simplicity of ,raphael40#bah-99 ,this painting has suffered from time1 and 8restoration20 the design may be best studied in the woodcut made from it4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bdj4--;,house of ,melchior ,pfintzing4 ,the ,emperor ,maximilian was a great patron of the arts1 but particularly of that branch which had newly arisen--the art of wood-engraving--which he fostered with continual care1 and by the help of such men as ,drer1 ,burgmeyer1 ,schaufflein1 and ,cranach1 produced works which have never been excelled4 ,during this period1 extending over the first quarter of the sixteenth century1 a series of elaborate woodcuts were executed under his own auspices1 which were1 however1 principally devoted to his own glorification4 ,two of these are the well-known 8,adventures of ,sir ,thuerdank10 and 8,the ,wise ,king10 written in ponderous folios after the fashion of the old romances1 by ,melchior ,pfintzing1 who resided in the old parsonage house of ,st4 ,sebald 7he being a canon of that church71 a picturesque building on the sloping ground beside it1 which rises upward to the ,schlossberg1 and which still retains the aspect it bore in his days2 its beautiful oriel and open balcony still testify to the taste of medival architects4 ,it is but a short distance from ,drer's house1 and he must have frequently visited here4 ,here also1 came the emperor to examine the progress of these works3 and the great interest he took in superintending them has been recorded2 for it is said that during the time when ,jerome ,retzsch was engaged in engraving on wood the triumphal car from the drawing by ,drer1 the emperor was almost a daily visitant to his house4 ,this anecdote may naturally lead here to the consideration of the question--did ,drer engrave the cuts which bear his name1 or did he only draw them upon the wood for the engraver8 ,it is generally considered that all cuts bearing an artist's mark are engraved by that artist1 but this is in reality an error resulting from modern practice4 ,it is now the custom for wood-engravers to place their names or marks on their cuts1 and very seldom those of the artists who draw the designs for them upon the wood4 ,it was the reverse in the old time2 then it was usual to place that of the designer alone1 and as he drew upon wood every line to be engraved1 after the manner of a pen-and-ink drawing1 the engraver had little else to do than cut the wood from between the spaces3 hence his art was a very mechanical one1 and his name was seldom recorded4 ,that of ,retzsch does not appear on the car just named1 but the mark of ,drer solely2 and when we consider the vast amount of labour performed by ,drer as an artist1 it is not likely that he wasted time in the mechanical labour of cutting out his own drawings when he could employ it more profitably4 ,the ,baron ,derschau1 himself a collector of old cuts1 assured ,dr4 ,dibdin 8that he once possessed a journal of ,drer's1 from which it appeared that he was in the habit of drawing upon the blocks1 and that his men performed the remaining operation of cutting away the wood40 ,bartsch is decidedly of opinion 8that he had never employed himself in this kind of work40 ,mr4 ,w4 ,a4 ,chatto1 in his anonymous 8,history of ,wood ,engraving10 has gone into this question with much research and learning1 and comes to the same conclusion2 which is strengthened by the fact1 that the names of fourteen engravers1 and the initials of several others1 were found engraved on the backs of the cuts they executed for the 8,triumph of ,maximilian10 now preserved in the imperial library at ,vienna2 the names of others are incidentally preserved2 and among the drawings by ,drer in the ,british ,museum1 is one of a young lady1 whom he has designated 8wood engraver10 and who was most probably employed by him4 ,there is also a sufficient difference in the style and manner of cutting his designs1 which shows they must have been done by different hands4 ,it is not possible to note here a tithe of the cuts done from his drawings4#bba-99 ,his great serials are the 8,apocalypse10 published in #adih1 the two series of the 8,passion of ,christ10 and the 8,life of the ,virgin0 7from which we give a specimen1 ,fig4 #bda1 8,christ bidding ,farewell to his ,mother071 all published in #aeaa4 ,his largest woodcut was published in #aeae1 the 8,triumphal ,arch of the ,emperor ,maximilian10 and this1 like the car already alluded to1 was engraved on a series of ninety-two wood blocks1 and then the impressions pasted together1 forming a large print ten feet high4 ,it is a work of great labour1 and displays considerable invention4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bda4--;,christ bidding farewell to his ,mother4 ,of ,drer's powers as a painter we have already spoken2 but he excelled also as an engraver on copper1 and his prints of 8,adam and ,eve10 8,melancholia10 and the small 8,life of ,christ10 have not been surpassed4 ,to him also we owe the invention of etching2 he practised the art on iron and on copper1 and it is impossible to overvalue its utility4 ,in addition to his other labours he executed several pieces of sculpture1 one of which1 the 8,naming of ,john the ,baptist10 we have already alluded to as preserved in the ,british ,museum1 and some few others in hone-stone1 bearing his well-known mark1 exist4 ,he also wrote on ,art1 and a portion of the original manuscripts of his book on the proportions of the human figure1 is still preserved in the library of the old ,dominican monastery at ,nrnberg4 ,he was a good mathematician1 he also studied engineering1 and is believed to have designed and superintended the additional fortifications in the town walls beside the castle1 which are remarkable as the earliest examples of the more modern system of defence1 which originated in the south of ,europe1 and with which ,drer became acquainted during his sojourn in ,venice1 and the fruits of which he thus practically brought to the service of his native city4#bbc-99 ,he published too an essay on the fortification of towns4 ,in fact1 there were few subjects to which his mind was directed that he did not make himself complete master of4 ,thus lived and laboured ,drer in the city of his adoption1 studying nature most diligently1 and combining therewith high imaginings of his own4 ,in #aejf he undertook a journey to ,venice1 and its influence improved him greatly4 ,in the letters he wrote on this journey to his intimate friend ,pirkheimer he acknowledges this2 in one of them he declares 8the things which pleased me eleven years ago please me no longer40 ,he also notes the popularity which had preceded him1 and says1 8the ,italian artists counterfeit my works in the churches and wherever else they can find them1 and yet they blame them1 and declare that as they are not in accordance with ancient art they are worthless40#bbc- ,but though subjected to the slights of the unworthy1 ,drer gratefully records the nobler acts of nobler men1 and notes that ,giovanni ,bellini publicly praised him before many gentlemen1 8so that ,i am full of affection for him40 ,this noble old man did not confine his acts to praise alone1 but came to ,drer's lodging and requested him to paint him a picture1 as he was desirous to possess one of his works1 and he would pay liberally for it4 ,drer at this time was far from rich1 was merely paying his way by the practice of his art2 and the small sums of money he notes as sending for the use of his wife and widowed mother in ,nrnberg1 sufficiently attest this1 as well as his request to ,pirkheimer to help them with loans which he would repay4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bdb4--;,gate of ,pirkheimer's ,house4 ,pirkheimer's name is so intimately connected with ,drer1 and he remained throughout his life so steady and consistent a friend1 that no memoir of ,drer can be written1 however briefly1 without his name appearing4 ,he was a man of considerable wealth and influence in ,nrnberg1 a member of the ,imperial ,council1 and frequently employed in state affairs4 ,he had it1 therefore1 in his power to aid ,drer greatly2 he did so1 and ,drer returned it with a gratitude which ripened to affection1 he declares in one of his letters that he had 8no other friend but him on earth10 and he was equally attached to ,drer4 ,the constant intercourse and kindly advices of his friend were the few happy relaxations ,drer enjoyed4 ,pirkheimer was a learned man1 and cheerful withal1 as his facetious book 8,laus ,podagr10 or the 8,praise of the ,gout10 can testify4 ,the house in which he resided is still pointed out in the ,egidien ,platz2 it has undergone alterations1 but the old doorway remains intact1 through which ,drer must have frequently passed to consult his friend4 8,what is more touching in the history of men of genius than that deep and constant attachment they have shown to their early patrons80 asks ,mrs4 ,jameson4#bbe-99 ,how many men have been immortalised by friendships of this kind2 how many of the greatest been rendered greater and happier thereby8 ,when the ,elector ,john ,frederick of ,saxony met with his reverses in #aedg1 was driven from his palace1 and was imprisoned for five years1 the painter ,lucas ,cranach1 whom he had patronised in his days of prosperity1 shared his adversity and his prison with him1 giving up his liberty to console his prince by his cheerful society1 and diverting his mind by painting pictures in his company4 ,he thus lightened a captivity and turned a prison into a home of art and friendship2 thus the kindness and condescension of a prince were returned in more value 8than much fine gold10 in the bitter hour of his adversity1 by his humble but warm-hearted artist-friend4 ,that brotherly unity which ought to bind professional men of all kinds--isolated as they must be from the general world--was more of a necessity in the past time than in the present2 and the artists formed a little band of friends within the walls of ancient ,nrnberg1 consulting with and aiding each other4 ,the peculiarity of thought and tendency of habit which constitute the vitality of the artist-mind1 are altogether unappreciated by the general world2 completely misunderstood1 and most frequently contemned by men of a trading spirit1 who look upon artists as 8eccentrics10 upon art as a 8poor business10 and judge of pictures solely by their 8market value40 ,these things should bind professors more strongly together4 ,their numbers are few2 their time for socialities limited2 their world a small select circle2 few can sympathise with their cares or their more exquisite sensibilities2 they must1 therefore1 be content with the few whose minds respond to theirs1 and they ought not to make the narrow circle narrower1 by unworthy jealousies or captious criticism4 ,well would it be for us all1 and infinitely better for the world of art1 if we practised still more 8,those gentler charities which draw ,man closer with his kind1 ,those sweet humilities which make ,the music which they find40#bbg-99 ,drer was essentially a man to love4 ,his nature was kindly and open2 he knew no envy1 and was never known to condemn the work of another artist1--which1 if bad1 he would only criticise with a smile1 and a 8,well6 the master has done his best40 ,his general information was so good1 that it was declared of him by a contemporary1 that his power as an artist was his least qualification4 ,his personal appearance was dignified1 and his face eminently handsome4#bbg- ,yet1 with all these means of being happy1 and making others so1 few men endured more misery4 ,in an evil hour his family made a match for him in the household of ,hans ,frei1 whose daughter ,agnes he married1 and scarcely knew peace after4 ,she was a heartless1 selfish woman1 who could have no feeling in common with her husband1 and who only valued his art according to the money it realised4 8,she urged him to labour day and night solely to earn money1 even at the cost of his life1 that he might leave it to her10 says ,pirkheimer1 in one of his letters to ,tscherte1 their mutual friend the ,viennese architect4 ,all his friends she insulted and drove from the house1 in order that their visits might not interfere with his labours4 ,his aged mother1 whom he had taken into his house after his father's death1 was subject to contempt and ill-treatment4 ,his letters from ,venice are sad1 and show no pleasant home-thoughts4 ,yet he did much for the bad woman to whom he was wedded1 and seems to have thought of her gratification by numerous presents4 ,his amiable heart would not allow him to separate from her1 thus he bore her ill humours for his life1 and patiently endured his lot4#bbh-99 ,there were few men more adapted to make a woman happy than ,drer3 he had a handsome person1 much fame1 good friends1 great talent1 and the most kindly amiability2 but his wife was perhaps the worst on record1 on whom all this was thrown away4 ,yet she was of very religious habit1 and preserved all the externals of propriety2 but1 as ,pirkheimer observes1 8one would rather choose a woman who conducts herself in an agreeable manner1 than a fretful1 jealous1 scolding wife1 however devout she may be40 ,banished from the society of friends1 ,drer's only solace was in his art4 ,here only he found peace and pleasure4 ,how earnestly and deeply he laboured1 the long catalogue of his productions can prove4 ,the truthfulness of his style is shown in his patient studies from nature1 and his works are the reflex of such a habit4 ,the figure of the burly townsman of ,jerusalem who lifts his cap in acknowledgment of ,joachim and ,anna1 as they meet at the ,golden ,gate1 in his illustrations of the ,life of the ,virgin 7,fig4 #bdc71 may be cited for its homely truth1 a characteristic which runs through all ,drer's works1 and gives them a certain navet4 ,the figure is an evident study of an honest townsman of ,nrnberg1 and is as little like an ancient ,jew as possible1 though admirable as a transcript from nature4 ,of far higher order are the figures of the apostles1 ,john1 ,peter1 ,mark1 and ,paul1 which he painted in #aebf1 and presented to his native city4#bbi-99 ,we engrave the figure of ,paul1 the drapery of which is simple and majestic4 ,a study for this drapery1 made as early as #aebc1 is in the collection of the ,archduke ,charles of ,austria4 ,in these pictures1 which are painted of life-size1 he has exerted his utmost ability1 and eschewed any peculiarities of his own which might interfere with the greatness of his design4 8,these pictures are the fruit of the deepest thought which then stirred the mind of ,drer1 and are executed with overpowering force4 ,finished as they are they form the first complete work of art produced by ,protestantism4#bbi- ,what dignity and sublimity pervade those heads of such varied character6#bcj-99 ,what simplicity and majesty in the lines of the drapery6 what sublime and statue-like repose in their attitudes6 ,here we no longer find any disturbing element3 there are no small angular breaks in the folds1 no arbitrary or fantastic features in the countenances1 or even in the fall of the hair4 ,the colouring too is very perfect1 true to nature in its power and warmth4 ,there is scarcely any trace of the bright glazing1 or of those sharply defined forms seen in other works by him1 but everywhere a free pure impasto4 ,well might the artist now close his eyes1 he had in this picture attained the summit of his art--here he stands side by side with the greatest masters known in history40#bca-99 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bdc4--;,figure from ,drer's ,life of the ,virgin4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bdd4--,st4 ,paul1 after ,drer4 ,of the great contemporaries of ,drer--whose works have given undying celebrity to the old town of their residence--we must now discourse a little4 ,honoured as these works still are by the ,nrnbergers1 they are little known out of ,germany2 although1 as exemplars of art in general at the particular period when they were executed1 they may challenge their due position anywhere4 ,the most remarkable is the bronze shrine of ,st4 ,sebald1 the work of ,peter ,vischer and his five sons1 which still stands in all its beauty in the elegant church dedicated to the saint4 ,the shrine encloses1 amid the most florid ,gothic architecture1 the oaken chest encased with silver plates1 containing the body of the venerated saint2 this rests on an altar decorated with basso-relievos1 depicting his miracles4#bca- ,the architectural portion of this exquisite shrine partakes of the characteristics of the ,renaissance forms engrafted on the medival1 by the influence of ,italian art4 ,indeed1 the latter school is visible as the leading agent throughout the entire composition4 ,the figures of the ,twelve ,apostles and others placed around it1 scarcely seem to belong to ,german art3 they are quite worthy of the best ,trans-alpine master4 ,the grandeur1 breadth and repose of these wonderful statues cannot be excelled4 ,vischer seems to have completely freed his mind from the conventionalities of his native schools3 we have here none of the constrained 8crumpled draperies10 the home-studies for face and form1 so strikingly present in nearly all the works of art of this era2 but noble figures of the men elevated above the earthly standard by companionship with the ,saviour1 exhibiting their high destiny by a noble bearing1 worthy of the solemn and glorious duties they were devoted to fulfil4 ,we gaze on these figures as we do on the works of ,giotto and ,fra ,angelico1 until we feel human nature may lose nearly all of its debasements before the 8mortal coil0 is 8shuffled off10 and that mental goodness may shine through and glorify its earthly tabernacle1 and give an assurance in time present of the superiorities of an hereafter4 ,dead1 indeed1 must be the soul that can gaze on such works unmoved1 appealing as they do to our noblest aspirations1 and vindicating humanity from its fallen position1 by asserting its innate1 latent glories4 ,here we feel the truth of the scriptural phrase--8,in his own image made ,he them40 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bde4--,shrine of ,st4 ,sebald4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bdf4--,peter ,vischer's ,house4 ,the memory of ,peter ,vischer is deservedly honoured by his townsmen4 ,the street in which his house is situated1 like that in which ,drer's stands1 has lost its original name1 and is now only known as 8,peter ,vischer's ,strasse20 but these two artists are the only ones thus distinguished4#bcd-99 ,vischer was born in #adfj1 and died in #aebi4 ,he was employed by the warden of ,st4 ,sebald's1 and magistrate of ,nrnberg1 ,sebald ,schreyer1 to construct this work in honour of his patron saint2 he began it in #aejf1 and finished it in #aeai4 ,thirteen years of labour were thus devoted to its completion1 for which he received seven hundred and seventy florins4 8,according to tradition1 ,vischer was miserably paid for this great work of labour and art2 and he has himself recorded in an inscription upon the monument1 that #8he completed it for the praise of ,god ,almighty alone1 and the honour of ,st4 ,sebald1 ,prince of ,heaven1 by the aid of pious persons1 paid by their voluntary contributions4'0#bce-99 ,the elaboration of the entire work is marvellous2 it abounds with fanciful figures1 seventy-two in number1 disposed among the ornaments1 or acting as supporters to the general composition4 ,syrens hold candelabra at the angles2 and the centre has an air of singular lightness and grace4 ,it is supported at the base by huge snails4 ,at the western end there is a small bronze statue of ,vischer1 which we copy 7,fig4 #bdg73 he holds his chisels in his hand1 and in his workman's dress1 with capacious1 leather apron1 stands unaffectedly forth as a true1 honest labourer1 appealing only to such sympathies as are justly due to one who laboured so lovingly and so well4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bdg4--,peter ,vischer4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bdh4--;,adam ,krafft's ,sacramentshauslein4 ,sharing the palm with ,vischer for perfect mastery in sculpture 7the one as a worker in metal1 the other in stone7 stands ,adam ,krafft1 whose works are still the principal ornaments of the city4 ,to him were his fellow-townsmen indebted for the grand gate of the ,frauenkirche1 the series of sculptures on the 8,via ,dolorosa10 numerous others in the churches and public buildings1 but principally for the 8,sacramentshauslein10 in the ,church of ,st4 ,laurence 7,fig4 #bdh74 ,this marvellous work is placed against a pillar beside the high altar1 and is intended as a receptacle for the consecrated bread and wine in its service2 a small gallery runs round the lower portion1 in which the 8host0 is kept2 over this the sculpture ascends upwards in a series of tapering columns and foliage of the most light and fanciful description1 until it reaches the spring of the arched roof1 where the crowning pinnacle 8bows its beautiful head like the snowdrop on its stem10 in the curve of the arch1 gracefully completing a work which1 for originality1 delicacy1 and the most extraordinary elaboration of design1 is a perfect marvel of stone-carving4 ,the foliations are so flowing and delicate1 that it has given rise to a popular tradition that ,krafft was possessed of some secret for making stone plastic4 ,we have nothing so delicate in this country1 unless it be some of the leaflets on the ,percy shrine1 and screen of ,beverley ,minster4 ,krafft's leaves are as thin and delicate1 as crisp and free1 as if moulded from nature in plaster of ,paris1 while the grand curves of his ornamental adjuncts are astonishing1 when we reflect on the mass of stone necessarily cut away to produce these boldly-flowing enrichments4 ,krafft was born at ,ulm in #adcj1 and died #aejg4 ,his father was the printer1 ,ulrich ,krafft4 ,he commenced this work in the year #adif1 and completed it in #aejj4 ,in it we see the perfect mastery produced by a life of labour1 and in front of it he has sculptured his own effigy1 kneeling1 mallet in hand1 and supporting his favourite work4 ,there is a touching simplicity in this union of the artist and his labours1 made in these instances all the more impressive by its utter want of pretension4 ,there is no affectation--no studied artistic or classical portraying2 we have simply the man and his work before us1 appealing by their dumb native eloquence to that homage and love1 which are their due by their own inherent greatness4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bdi4--;,adam ,krafft4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bej4--,the ,goose-seller4 ,that works based on truth and nature will always possess this power1 may be proved by the admiration bestowed on a small work by a pupil of ,vischer's1 which is popularly loved by the ,nrnbergers1 and known as 8,das ,gnsemnchen0 7,fig4 #bej74 ,it forms the central figure of a small fountain beside the ,frauenkirche1 and represents a country boor leaning against a small pillar1 with a goose under each arm1 waiting a customer in the market2 from the mouth of each goose a stream of water descends4 ,the figure is not more than eighteen inches high1 and is1 from the smallness of its size1 compared with the greatness of its celebrity1 a general disappointment to those who see it for the first time4 ,it rivals in celebrity the work of ,vischer himself1 and was executed by his scholar1 ,pancratius ,labenwolf 7born #adib1 died #aefc72 the fountain in the quadrangle of the 8,rathhaus0 is also by him4 ,the ,goose-seller owes its popularity to its perfect truth and simplicity4 ,another artist of this era1 inferior to none in taste and delicacy of sentiment1 was ,veit ,stoss4 ,he was a native of ,poland1 born at ,cracow in #addg2 making ,nrnberg the city of his adoption1 and dying there in #aedb4bdj-99 ,the same exquisite grace and purity which characterises the works of ,vischer is seen in those of ,stoss4 ,he devoted himself to sculpture in wood1 and in this way is said to have furnished models to those who worked in stone1 as well as to goldsmiths1 and other artisans who required designs4 8,the ,crowning of the ,virgin10 still preserved in the old castle at ,nrnberg1 had all the delicacy and grace of the missal paintings of ,julio ,clovio4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bea4--8,the ,nativity10 by ,veit ,stoss4 ,there is an exquisite repose about his works1 only to be gained by great mastership in art4 ,at times a tenderness of sentiment singularly beautiful is apparent in these too-much-forgotten works4 ,we engrave1 as an illustration of this1 one of the compartments of the 8,rosenkranztafel10 preserved in the same locality1 and representing the 8,nativity40 ,the ,virgin in the stable at ,bethlehem1 piously rejoices in the birth of the ,lord1 and is about to wrap the sacred infant in the folds of her own garments1 having no other clothing4 ,she has reverently laid the babe in a corner of her mantle1 when1 penetrated with a sense of the divinity1 she clasps her hands in prayer before the ,infant ,saviour2 while her husband ,joseph1 who holds the lantern beside her1 feeling the same emotion1 drops on one knee1 and reverently lifts his hat in acknowledgment of the ,immortal ,one4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #beb4--8,the ,entombment10 by ,adam ,krafft4 ,it is this fervent devotion1 this pure1 high1 yet simple-mindedness1 which gives vitality to ancient works of art1 and is to be felt by all who are not insensible to its agency in the time present4 ,another touching incident is seen in the sculpture by ,adam ,krafft over the grave of ,schreyer1 representing 8,the ,entombment40#bdc-99 ,the dead body of our ,saviour is being reverently lifted into the tomb2 the sorrowing mother1 loving as only mothers love1 partially supports the wounded body of her inanimate son2 in process of movement the ,saviour's head falls languidly on one side1 and the dead cheek is again greeted with the fervent kiss of love1 which still burns in the breast of the sorrowing mother4 ,who shall rudely criticise the perspective1 the draperies1 the absence of 8scholastic rule10 in this touching work of a true-hearted man8 ,not the writer of these lines6 ,let it be rather his province to vindicate for these old artists their due position1 among the few forming that galaxy of the great and good1 elevating and adorning human nature4 ,our parting glance at 8the ,athens of ,germany0 must comprehend a view of the life and manners of the people among whom ,drer and his compatriots lived4 ,theirs were the palmy days of the old city1 for its glories rapidly fell to decay toward the end of the sixteenth century4 ,its aspect now is that of a place of dignity and importance left to loneliness and the quiet wear of time2 like an antique mansion of a noble not quite allowed to decay1 but merely existing shorn of its full glories4 8,nrnberg--with its long1 narrow1 winding1 involved streets1 its precipitous ascents and descents1 its completely ,gothic physiognomy--is by far the strangest old city ,i ever beheld2 it has retained in every part the aspect of the ,middle ,ages4 ,no two houses resemble each other3 yet1 differing in form1 in colour1 in height1 in ornament1 all have a family likeness2 and with their peaked and carved gables1 and projecting central balconies1 and painted fronts1 stand up in a row1 like so many tall1 gaunt1 stately old maids1 with the toques and stomachers of the last century4 ,age is here1 but it does not suggest the idea of dilapidation or decay2 rather of something which has been put under a glass case1 and preserved with care from all extraneous influences4 ,but1 what is most curious and striking in this old city1 is to see it stationary1 while time and change are working such miracles and transformations everywhere else4 ,the house where ,martin ,behaim1 four centuries ago1 invented the sphere1 and drew the first geographical chart1 is still the house of a map-seller4 ,in the house where cards were first manufactured1 cards are now sold4 ,in the very shops where clocks and watches were first seen1 you may still buy clocks and watches4 ,the same families have inhabited the same mansions from one generation to another for four or five centuries40#bdd-99 ,in a city where all its associations of greatness are with the past1 and its memories essentially connected with those who have been long numbered with the dead1 it is natural we should find a strong tendency to remembrances of events and personages generally forgotten in other and more stirring cities4 ,the ,nrnbergers lovingly preserve all that will connect them with the glorious days of ,kaiser ,maximilian1 when their 8great ,imperial ,city0 held the treasures of the ,holy ,roman empire1 the crown and royal insignia of ,charlemagne1 as well as the still more precious 8relics0 which he had brought from the ,holy ,land4#bde-99 ,among all their literary magnates none is better remembered than 8,hans ,sachs1 the cobbler-bard10 and statuettes of this great poet of small things are to be seen in most ,nrnberg book and print shops4 ,since the days of ,lope de ,vega no writer scribbled so fluently and so well on the thousand-and-one incidents of his own day1 or fancies of his own brain4 ,sachs was born at ,nrnberg in #adid and was the son of a poor tailor1 who insured his education in the free-school of the town1 and at fifteen he was apprenticed to a shoemaker2 when the period of servitude had expired1 in accordance with the ,german practice1 he set out on his travels to see the world4 ,it was a stirring time1 and men's eyes were rapidly opened to the corruptions of church and state2 the great principles of the ,reformation were making way4 ,hans possessed much of that stirling common sense1 and shrewd practical observation which belong to many of the lower class1 and make them outspoken rude despisers of courtiership4 ,on his return he applied for admission as a fellow rhymester among the master-singers' fraternity of ,nrnberg1 a corporation of self-styled poets1 who surrounded the 8divine art0 with all kinds of routine ordinances1 and regulated the length of lines and number of syllables which each 8poem0 787 should contain1 so magisterially that they reduced it to a mathematical precision1 and might class it among the 8exact sciences40 ,before this august tribunal the muse of ,sachs appeared1 his poem was read1 its lines were measured1 its syllables counted1 and he was admitted to the honour of being an acknowledged master of song4 ,from that hour till his death1 he cobbled and sang to the wonderful amusement of the good citizens2 and when seventy-seven years had passed gaily over his head1 8he took an inventory of his poetical stock-in-trade1 and found1 according to his narrative1 that his works filled thirty volumes folio1 and consisted of #d1bgc songs1 #a1gjj miscellaneous poems1 and #bjh tragedies1 comedies and farces1 making an astounding sum-total of #f1aha pieces of all kinds4 ,the humour of his tales is not contemptible2 he laughs lustily and makes his reader join him2 his manner1 so far as verse can be compared to prose1 is not unlike that of ,rabelais1 but less grotesque40#bdf-99 ,his most popular productions were broadsheets with woodcuts1 devoted to all kinds of subjects1 sold about the streets1 and stuck 8like ballads on the wall0 of old ,english cottages2 speaking boldly out to the comprehension and tastes of the people on subjects they were interested in4 ,from a large volume of these 8curiosities of literature0 now lying before the writer1 his immense popularity with the people can be well understood4 ,here we find fables of never-dying interest1 such as 8,the ,old ,man and his ,ass10 reproduced in doggerel they could enjoy1 with a humour they could relish1 and headed by bold woodcuts4 ,if they wanted morality they had it in 8pious chansons0 about fair ,susannah1 8,the ,destruction of ,sodom and ,gomorrah10 8,daniel in the ,lions' ,den10 8,twelve short ,sermons10 c4 ,moral allegories suited to every-day life wooed their attention in his 8,christian ,patience10 where the whole human family is depicted as a solitary in a ship on a stormy sea1 with the world1 death1 and the devil1 as adversaries to oppose his safe entry into his port1 8das vaterland10 but who is mercifully guarded by the ,most ,high4 ,if amusing satire were required1 it might be found in his 8,women setting ,traps for ,fools20 while the strong religious tendencies of the ,reformers were enforced in his rhymes of the 8,true and ,false ,way10 above which was printed a large cut where the ,saviour invites all to the open door of his fold1 while the pope and his priests hinder all from entering1 except by back-doors1 holes1 and corners4 ,at this period ,nrnberg was torn by religious faction2 and it ultimately became enthusiastically ,protestant4 ,there is no doubt that ,hans ,sachs helped greatly to foster the feeling in its favour1 as his 8broadsides0 told forcibly1 and were immensely popular4 ,they were in fact the only books of the poor4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bec4--;,hans ,sachs4 ,the portrait of the old cobbler was painted in #aefh by ,hans ,hoffman1 and is a strikingly characteristic resemblance of a man whose 8age is as a lusty winter1 ,frosty1 but kindly40 ,there is an intensity of expression in the clear1 deep-set eye1 a shrewd observant look in the entire features1 while it shows a capacity of forehead that will make ,hans pass muster with modern phrenologists4 ,the cobbler-bard wrote and sung1 and mended his neighbours' boots in an unpretending domicile in a street leading from the principal market1 which street now goes by his name4 ,since his time the house has been almost rebuilt and entirely new fronted4 ,its old features have been preserved in an etching by ,fleischmann1 after a sketch by ,j4 ,a4 ,klein1 at which period it was a beershop known by the sign of the 8,golden ,bear40 ,hans died full of years and honour in the year #aegf1 and is buried with the great men of his city in the cemetery of ,st4 ,john4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bed4--,the ,house of ,hans ,sachs4 ,the domestic life of the old ,nrnbergers seems to have been characterised by honourable simplicity1 and their posterity appear to follow laudably in their footsteps4 ,they delight in the antiquity of their city1 and reverently preserve the relics of their past glories4 ,their houses seem built for a past generation1 their public edifices for the ,middle ,ages2 their galleries abound in the art of the fifteenth century1 and admit nothing more modern than the seventeenth4 ,in the old garden upon the castle bastion is a quaint quadrangular tower#bej-99 having its entrance therefrom1 and this has been fitted up with antique furniture1 to give a true idea of the indoor life of ,drer's days4 ,it contains a hall hung with tapestries1 from which a staircase leads to a suite of rooms1 one fitted as a kitchen1 another as a music-room1 filled with the most quaint and curious antique instruments1 which have ceased 8discoursing most eloquent music0 for the last two hundred years4 ,the third room 7a view of which we engrave7 is a boudoir1 containing the large antique ,german stove1 built up with ornamental tiles cast in relief1 with stories from bible history of saints1 and arabesque4 ,beside it is a bronze receptacle for water1 shaped like a huge acorn1 the tap having a grotesque head1 and the spigot being a small seated figure2 this was gently turned when wanted1 and a thin stream of water trickled over the hands into the basin beneath2 an embroidered napkin hangs beside it2 and above it is the old-fashioned set of four hour-glasses1 so graduated that each ran out a quarter of an hour after the other4 ,the furniture and fittings of the entire building are all equally curious1 and reproduce a faithful picture of old times1 worthy of being copied in ,national ,museums elsewhere4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bee4--;,apartment in the ,garden of the ,castle of ,nrnberg4 ,nrnberg being a 8free city0 was governed by its own appointed magistrates1 having independent courts of law4 ,the executive council of state consisted of eight members1 chosen from the thirty patrician families who1 by the privilege granted to them from the thirteenth century1 ruled the city entirely4 ,in process of time these privileges assumed the form of a civic tyranny1 which was felt to be intolerable by the people1 and occasionally opposed by them4 ,the fierce religious wars of the sixteenth century assisted in destroying this monopoly of power still more2 yet now that it is gone for ever1 it has left fearful traces of its irresponsible strength4 ,all who sigh for 8the good old times10 should not moralise over the fallen greatness of the city1 and its almost deserted but noble town-hall2 but descend below the building into the dark vaults and corridors which form its basement2 the terrible substructure upon which the glorious municipal palace of a free imperial self-ruled city was based in the ,middle ,ages1 into whose secrets none dared pry1 and where friends1 hope1 life itself1 were lost to those who dared revolt against the rulers4 ,there is no romance-writer who has imagined more horrors than we have evidences were perpetrated under the name of justice in these frightful vaults1 unknown to the busy citizens around them1 within a few feet of the streets down which a gay wedding procession might pass1 while a true patriot was torn in every limb1 and racked to death by the refined cruelty of his fellow-men4 ,the heart sickens in these vaults1 and an instinctive desire to quit them takes possession of the mind1 while remaining merely as a curious spectator within them4 ,the narrow steps leading to them are reached through a decorated doorway1 and the passage below receives light through a series of gratings4 ,you shortly reach the labyrinthine ways1 totally excluded from external light and air1 and enter one after another confined dungeons1 little more than six feet square1 cased with oak to deaden sounds1 and to increase the difficulty of attempted escape4 ,to make these narrow places even more horrible1 strong wooden stocks are in some1 and day and night prisoners were secured in total darkness1 in an atmosphere which even now seems too oppressive to bear4 ,in close proximity to these dungeons is a strong stone room1 about twelve feet wide each way1 into which you descend by three steps4 ,it is the torture-chamber4 ,the massive bars before you are all that remain of the perpendicular rack1 upon which unfortunates were hung with weights attached to their ankles4 ,two such of stone1 weighing each fifty pounds1 were kept here some years back1 as well as many other implements of torture since removed or sold for old iron4 ,the raised stone bench around the room was for the use of the executioner and attendants4 ,the vaulted roof condensed the voice of the tortured man1 and an aperture on one side gave it freedom to ascend into the room above1 where the judicial listeners waited for the faltering words which succeeded the agonising screams of their victim4 ,so much we know and still see1 but worse horrors were dreamily spoken of by the old ,nrnbergers2 there was a tradition of a certain something that not only destroyed life1 but annihilated the body of the person sacrificed4 ,the tradition took a more definite form in the seventeenth century1 and the 8kiss of the ,virgin0 expressed this punishment1 and was believed to consist in a figure of the ,virgin1 which clasped its victim in arms furnished with poignards1 and then opening them1 dropped the body down a trap on a sort of cradle of swords1 arranged so as to cut it to pieces1 a running stream below clearing all traces of it away4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bef4--,the ,torture-chamber4 ,these frightful traditions were received with doubt by many1 and with positive disbelief by others1 until a countryman of our own1 with unexampled patience and perseverance1 fully substantiated the truth of all1 and after many years traced the absolute 8,virgin0 herself1 which had been hurriedly removed from ,nrnberg during the ,french ,revolution1 two or three days before the ,french army entered the town1 and then passed into the collection of a certain ,baron ,diedrich1 and was kept by him in a castle called ,feistritz1 on the borders of ,steinmark4 ,determined to persevere in tracing this figure1 our countryman visited this castle in #ahcd1 and there was the machine2 it was formed of bars and hoops covered with sheet iron1 representing a ,nrnberg maiden of the sixteenth century in the long mantle generally worn4 ,it opened with folding doors1 closing again over the victim1 and pressing a series of poignards into the body1 two being affixed to the front of the face1 to penetrate to the brain through the eyes4 8,that this machine had formerly been used cannot be doubted2 because there are evident blood-stains yet visible on its breast and part of the pedestal40 ,this machine was introduced to ,nrnberg in #aecc1 and is believed to have originated in ,spain1 and to have been transplanted into ,germany during the reign of ,charles ,v41 who was monarch of both countries4 ,at this period there were great tumults in ,germany and continual quarrels at ,nrnberg between the ,catholics and ,protestants3 the men of that city had no doubt to thank 8the most holy ,inquisition0 for this importation of horrors4 ,the great leading principles of the ,reformation interested ,drer as they did other thinking men4 ,he examined by the biblical test the unwholesome power and pretensions of the papacy1 and found it wanting4 ,we have already noted the exhortation to abide by 8the written word0 which he appended to his famous picture of the ,apostles4 ,in his journal he breaks forth into uncontrolled lamentations over the crafty capture of ,luther made by his friend the ,elector of ,saxony1 who conveyed him thus out of harm's way1 and kept him nearly a twelvemonth in the ,wartburg4 ,he exclaims1 8,and is ,luther dead8 who will now explain the ,gospel so clearly to us8 ,aid me1 all pious ,christians1 to bewail this man of heavenly mind1 and pray ,god for some other as divinely enlightened40 ,he then exhorts ,erasmus to 8come forth1 defend the truth1 and deserve the martyr's crown1 for thou art already an old man40 ,drer had painted ,erasmus's portrait at ,brussels in #aebj1 and appears to have been intimate with that great man as he was with ,melancthon1 who said of ,drer1 that 8his least merit was that of his art40 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #beg4--,the ,cemetery of ,st4 ,john4 ,amid the strong dissensions of the ,reformation1 at a time when old ,nrnberg was tottering to its fall1 worn down by mental toil1 and withered at heart by one of the worst wives on record1 died ,albert ,drer at the age of fifty-seven4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #beh4--,the ,grave of ,albert ,drer4 ,in the old cemetery of ,st4 ,john lies all that is mortal of the artist who has given lasting celebrity to ,nrnberg4 ,let us take a walk in that direction4 ,passing out of the town by the gate opposite ,drer's house1 the sculptured representations of the scenes of ,christ's ,passion1 by ,adam ,krafft1 already alluded to1 will guide our footsteps on our way4 ,about three-quarters of a mile from the town1 we reach the gate beside which stands ,krafft's group of the ,crucifixion4#beg-99 ,we enter1 and stand in a graveyard thickly covered with gravestones4 ,here the burgher aristocracy of ,nrnberg have been buried for centuries4 ,the heavy slabs which cover the graves are in many instances highly enriched by bronze plates elaborately executed1 containing coats of arms1 emblems1 or full-length figures4 ,each grave is numbered1 and that of ,drer is marked #fdi4 ,the stone had fallen into decay1 when ,sandrart the painter had it renewed in #afha4beh-99 ,this honourable act of love from a living artist to a dead brother1 enabled the memorial to stand another century of time4 ,the artists of ,nrnberg now look after its conservation2 it has recently been repaired by them1 and on the anniversary of the ,spring morning when the great master departed1 they reverently visit his resting-place4 ,the inscription upon it runs thus3-- ,,me4 ,,al4 ,,du4 ,,quicquid ,,alberti ,,dureri ,,mortale ,,fvit ,,sub ,,hoc ,,conditur ,,tumulo4 ,,emigravit4 ,,viii4 ,,idus4 ,,aprilis ,m4,d4,,xxviii4 ,the sentiment of this epitaph has been beautifully rendered by ,longfellow-- 8,emigravit is the inscription on the tombstone where he lies2 ,dead he is not1--but departed--for the artist never dies40 ,thus ends our brief review of the life and labours of ,drer and his fellow artists4 ,if it has 8called up forgotten glories10 it has not been a labour ill-bestowed4 ,if it should induce others to leave ,england for ,nrnberg1 as the writer hereof was induced1 he can venture to predict full satisfaction from the journey4 ,any one who may ramble through its streets1 know its past history1 feel its poetic associations1 like the ,american bard we have just quoted1 will say1 as he has done1 of old ,nrnberg and the great and good ,albert ,drer-- 8,fairer seems the ancient city1 and the sunshine seems more fair1 ,that he once has trod its pavement1 that he once has breathed its air60 ,,finis4 ,,printed ,,by ,,virtue ,,and ,,co41 ,,city ,,road1 ,,london4 ,,footnotes3 #aij-99 ,sir ,e4 ,head's introduction to the ,english translation of ,kgler's 8,handbook of ,painting40 ,part ,,ii4 #aia-99 ,longfellow's 8,spanish ,student40 #bab-99 ,engravings of these will be found in the ,art-,journal for #ahed1 pp4 #cjg-h4 #bab- ,longfellow4 #bae-99 ,they have been presented from time to time to such potentates as the townsmen wished to conciliate4 ,thus1 his ,four ,apostles1 bequeathed by the artist to his native town1 was presented by the council to the ,elector ,maximilian ,i41 of ,bavaria1 and are now in the ,pinacothek in ,munich4 #bah-99 8,guido seems to have availed himself of some of these figures in his celebrated fresco of the ,car of ,apollo1 preceded by ,aurora1 and accompanied by the ,hours40--,,chatto',s ,history of ,wood ,engraving1 p4 #cjc4 #bba-99 ,for a general notice of ,drer's works1 and several engravings of the best of them1 see the ,art-,journal for #ahea1 pp4 #ada-add and pp4 #aic-aif4 ,see also1 8,vignettes d',albert ,drer10 par ,george ,franz4 #bbc-99 ,these incipient bastions and horn-works may be seen in our cut1 p4 #aid4 #bbc- ,marc ,antonio had copied ,drer's cuts on copper1 but they are poor substitutes for the originals4 ,they1 however1 did ,drer an injury of which he complained4 #bbe-99 ,in her 8,visits and ,sketches of ,art at ,home and ,abroad10 #d vols4 #hvo41 #ahcd4 #bbg-99 ,l4 ,e4 ,l4 #bbg- ,mrs4 ,jameson speaks of his portrait as 8beautiful1 like the old heads of our ,saviour2 and the predominant expression is calm1 dignified1 intellectual1 with a tinge of melancholy4 ,this picture was painted at the age of twenty-eight2 he was then suffering from that bitter domestic curse1 a shrewish1 avaricious wife1 who finally broke his heart40 ,we have engraved this portrait in the head-piece to this subject 7p4 #ahg71 along with those of his wife and of his friend ,pirkheimer4 #bbh-99 ,leopold ,schefer has constructed a novelette on his domestic career1 which has been cleverly translated by ,mrs4 ,stodart4 ,it is entitled 8,the ,artist's ,married ,life1 being that of ,albert ,drer40 ,it teaches much by its pure philosophy4 #bbi-99 ,they are now in the ,pinacothek at ,munich4 #bbi- ,drer had warmly espoused the ,reformation1 and had placed quotations from the gospels and epistles of the ,apostles beneath each picture1 containing pressing warnings not to swerve from the written word1 or listen to false prophets and perverters of the truth4 ,when the town presented these pictures to the ,roman ,catholic ,elector ,maximilian ,i41 of ,bavaria1 in #afbg1 they cut off these inscriptions1 and affixed them to the copies they had made for themselves by ,vischer1 and which are now in the ,landauer ,gallery at ,nrnberg4 #bcj-99 ,there is an old tradition that ,drer intended these figures also as embodiments of the four mental temperaments--,john1 representing the melancholic2 ,peter1 the meditative1 or phlegmatic2 ,mark1 the sanguine2 and ,paul1 the resolute or choleric4 #bca-99 ,kgler4 ,mrs4 ,jameson1 in her 8,visits at ,home and ,abroad10 also speaks of them as 8wonderful6 ,in expression1 in calm religious majesty1 in suavity of pencilling1 and the grand1 pure style of the heads and drapery1 quite like ,raffaelle40 #bca- ,among the rest is the very marvellous one performed during a journey in winter1 when he was nearly destroyed by cold1 and entered a peasant's cottage1 hoping to find relief4 ,the poor man had no fuel1 so the saint made up a fire from the icicles which hung around the house1 completing his good acts by mending his broken kettle1 8by blessing it1 at the request of his host10 and converting stones into bread by the same simple process4 #bcd-99 ,vischer's house is situated on the other side of the ,river ,pegnitz1 which divides the town2 it is in a steep street rising suddenly from the water4 ,the house has undergone some alterations in its external aspect1 apparently about the latter half of the seventeenth century4 ,it is now a baker's shop1 having that quiet aspect which characterises such trades in ,germany1 the central window on the ground-floor being that through which bread is passed to applicants1 who may mount the steps in front1 or rest on them while waiting4 ,the beam projecting from the large window in the roof is used as a crane to lift wood and heavy stores to the upper floors1 which are the depositaries for such necessities1 and not the cellars1 as with us4 #bce-99 ,murray's 8,handbook of ,germany40 #bdj-99 ,his grave is in the cemetery of ,st4 ,john1 ,no4 #bfh4 #bdc-99 ,this grave1 surrounded by sculpture1 forms a little external chapel1 at the back of the choir of ,st4 ,sebald's ,church4 ,we have already mentioned ,schreyer as the originator of ,vischer's shrine in that church4 #bdd-99 ,mrs4 ,jameson1 8,sketches of ,art at ,home and ,abroad40 ,the curious series of views in ,nrnberg1 published there by ,conrad ,monath1 about #afej1 are remarkably identical with the present aspect of each locality engraved4 #bde-99 ,the crown and royal robes of ,charlemagne were those found in his tomb at ,aix-la-,chapelle1 afterwards used in the coronation of the ,german emperors for many centuries1 and only transferred to ,vienna during the great political changes of the last century4 8,the sacred relics0 are also at ,vienna1 and were among the most valued and venerated of church treasures4 ,they also were publicly exhibited at the coronations1 and consisted of the lance which pierced the ,saviour's side when upon the cross2 a piece of the cross1 showing the hole made by the nail which pierced one of the ,saviour's hands2 one of the nails2 and five of the thorns of the crown put upon his head by the soldiers2 a portion of the manger of ,bethlehem2 a piece of the table-cloth used at the ,last ,supper2 and a piece of the towel with which ,christ wiped the ,apostles' feet2 an arm-bone of ,st4 ,anne2 a tooth of ,st4 ,john the ,baptist2 a piece of the coat of ,st4 ,john the ,evangelist2 and three links of the chains which bound ,st4 ,peter1 ,st4 ,paul1 and ,st4 ,john in the ,roman prison4 #bdf-99 ,edgar ,taylor's 8,lays of the ,minnesingers40 #bej-99 ,it is seen in our view from ,albert ,drer's house1 and is close beside the gate of the town4 #beg-99 ,our engraving 7,fig4 #beg7 is taken from a sketch made on this spot1 looking back towards the city1 and its ancient castle on the rock4 ,krafft's sculptures are seen to the left1 at intervals1 on the road-side4 #beh-99 ,he also is interred in this cemetery4 ,so is ,drer's friend1 ,pirkheimer2 his grave is ,no4 #adad4 ,transcriber's ,note ,corrections3 #ie ,gealic changed to ,gaelic #agc ,figs #bab1 changed to ,figs4 #bab1 #agd ,fig #bae represents changed to ,fig4 #bae represents #bdg classical pourtraying changed to classical portraying cross bar _/ cross-bar ,drer _/ ,durer ,d,,rer _/ ,,durer ,drer's _/ ,durer's ironwork _/ iron-work ,pinacotheck _/ ,pinacothek