IV. A Dance of Death, extremely well executed on wood, the designs of which have been taken from a set of initial letters, that will hereafter be particularly described. They are upright, and measure two inches by one and a half. Each subject is accompanied with two German verses.
V. On the back of the title page to “Die kleyn furstlich Chronica,” Strasb. 1544, 4to. are three subjects that appear to be part of a series. 1. Death and the Pope, who has a book and triple crosier. Death kneels to him whilst he plays on a tabor and drum. 2. Death and the King. Death blows a trumpet. 3. Death shoots an arrow at a warrior armed with sword and battle-axe. All these figures are accompanied with German verses, and are neatly engraved on wood.
VI. A series of single figures, etched with great spirit by Giovanni Maria Mitelli. They are not accompanied by Death, but hold dialogues with him in Italian stanzas. The characters are, 1. The Astrologer. 2. The Doctor of universal science. 3. The Hunter. 4. The Mathematician. 5. The Idolater. They are not mentioned in Bartsch, nor in any other list of the works of engravers. It is possible that there are more of them.
VII. The five Deaths, etched by Della Bella. 1. A terrific figure of Death on a galloping horse. In his left hand a trumpet, to which a flag, agitated by the wind, is attached. In the back ground, several human skeletons, variously employed. 2. Death carrying off an infant in his arms. In the back-ground, the church-yard of the Innocents at Paris. 3. Death walking away with a young child on his back. In the distance, another view of the above cemetery. 4. Death carrying off a female on his shoulders, with her head downwards, followed at a distance by another Death holding a corpse in his arms. 5. Death dragging a reluctant old man towards a grave, in which another Death, with an hour-glass in his hand, awaits him. All these are extremely fine, and executed in the artist’s best time. There is a sixth of the series, representing Death throwing a young man into a well, but it is very inferior to the others. It was begun by Della Bella a short time before his death, and finished by his pupil Galestruzzi, about 1664. Della Bella likewise etched a long print of the triumph of Death.
VIII. A single anonymous French engraving on copper, 14½ by 6½, containing three subjects. 1. Death and the soldier. 2. Death standing with a pruning knife in his right hand, and a winged hour-glass in his left. Under him are three prostrate females, one plays on a violin; the next, who represents Pride, holds a peacock in one hand and a mirror in the other; the third has a flower in her left hand. 3. Death and the lady. He holds an hour-glass and dart, and she a flower in her right hand. Under each subject are French verses. This may perhaps be one only of a set.
IX. A German Dance of Death, in eight oblong engravings on copper, 11 by 8½, consisting of eight sheets and twenty-five subjects, as follow. 1. A fantastic figure of a Death, with a cap and feathers, in the attitude of dancing and playing on a flute. He is followed by another dancing skeleton carrying a coffin on his shoulder. 2. Pope. 3. Emperor. 4 Empress. 5. Cardinal. 6. King. 7. Bishop. 8. Duke or General. 9. Abbot. 10. Knight. 11. Carthusian. 12. Burgomaster. 13. Canon. 14. Nobleman. 15. Physician. 16. Usurer. 17. Chaplain. 18. Bailiff or Steward. 19. Churchwarden. 20. Merchant. 21. Hermit. 22. Peasant. 23. Young Man. 24. Maiden. 25. Child. This is a complete set of the prints, representing the Lubeck painting, already described in p. [43]. In the translation of the inscriptions, as given by Dr. Nugent, two more characters are added at the end, viz. the Dancing Master and the Fencing Master. On the spectator’s left hand of No. 1. of these engravings, is a column containing the following inscription in German, in English as follows: “Silence, fool-hardy one, whoever thou art, who, with needless words, profanest this holy place. This is no chapel for talking, but thy sure place is in Death’s Dance. Silence then, silence, and let the painting on these silent walls commune with thee, and convince thee that man is and will be earth:” and on Nos. 4 and 5, the words “Zu finden in Lubeck by Christian Gotfried Donatius.”
X. The following entry is in the Stationers’ books:
| 28 b. | vo Januarij [1597.] | |
| Tho. Purfoote, sen. | } | Entered their c. Mr. Dix and Wm. M. The |
| Tho. Purfoote, jun. | roll of the Daunce of Death, with pictures | |
| and verses upon the same VId. |
XI. In the catalogue of the library of R. Smith, secretary of the Poultry Compter, which was sold by auction in 1682, is this article “Dance of Death in the cloyster of Paul’s, with figures, very old.” Probably a single sheet.
XII. “The Dance of Death;” a single sheet, engraved on copper, with the following figures. In the middle, Death leading the king; the beggar hand in hand with the king; Death leading the old man, followed by a child; the fool; the wise man, as an astrologer, led by Death. On the spectator’s left hand, Death bringing a man before a judge; with the motto, “The greatest judge that sits in honour’s seat, must come to grave, where’t boots not to intreate.” A man and woman in a brothel, Death behind; with the motto, “Leave, wanton youth, thou must no longer stay; if once I call all mortals must obey.” On the opposite side, the Miser and Death; the motto, “Come, worldling, come, gold hath no power to save, leave it thou shalt, and dance with me to grave.” Death and the Prisoner; the motto, “Prisoner arise, ile ease thy fetterd feet, and now betake thee to thy winding sheet.” In the middle of the print sits a minstrel on a stool formed of bones placed on a coffin with a pick-axe and spade. He plays on a tabor and pipe; with this motto, “Sickness, despaire, sword, famine, sudden death, all these do serve as minstrells unto Death; the beggar, king, fool, and profound, courtier and clown all dance this round.” Under the above figures is a poem of sixty-six lines on the power of Death, beginning thus: