[166] [A large and most beautiful print of this interesting Shrine has been published since the above was written. It merits every commendation.]
[167] This is a striking and interesting print--and published in England for 1l. 1s. The numerous figures introduced in it are habited in the costume of the seventeenth century.
[168] The author of this work was Franciscus de Retz. As a first essay of printing, it is a noble performance. The reader may see the book pretty fully described in the Bibl. Spenceriana, vol. iii. p. 489.
[169] See p. 320 ante.
[170] See a copy of it described at Paris; vol. ii. p. 126.
[171] See p. 182 ante.
[172] [He is since DEAD.]
[173] Only three livraisons of this work have, I believe, been yet published:--under the title of "Gravures en Bois des anciens maîtres allemands tirées des Planches originales recueillies par IULIAN ALBERT DERSCHAU. Publiées par Rodolphe Zecharie Becker." The last, however, is of the date of 1816--and as the publisher has now come down to wood-blocks of the date of 1556, it may be submitted whether the work might not advantageously cease? Some of the blocks in this third part seem to be a yard square.
[174] They are now in the library of Earl Spencer.
[175] I will describe this singular specimen of old art as briefly and perspicuously as I am able. It consists of an impression, in pale black ink--resembling very much that of aquatint, of a subject cut upon copper, or brass, which is about seventeen inches in height (the top being a little cut away) and about ten inches six-eighths in width. The upper part of the impression is in the shape of an obtusely pointed, or perhaps rather semicircular, gothic window--and is filled by involutions of forms or patterns, with great freedom of play and grace of composition: resembling the stained glass in the upper parts of the more elaborated gothic windows of the beginning of the fifteenth century. Round the outer border of the subject, there are seven white circular holes, as if the metal from which the impression was taken, had been nailed up against a wall--and these blank spots were the result of the aperture caused by the space formerly occupied by the nails. Below, is the subject of the crucifixion. The cross is ten inches high: the figure of Christ, without the glory, six inches: St. John is to the left, and the mother of Christ to the right of the cross; and each of these figures is about four inches high. The drawing and execution of these three figures, are barbarously puerile. To the left of St. John is a singular appearance of the upper part of another plate, running at right angles with the principal, and composed also in the form of the upper portion of a gothic window. To the right of the virgin, and of the plate, is the "staggering" date abovementioned. It is thus: M.cccc.xxx. This date is fixed upon the stem of a tree, of which both the stem and the branches above appear to have been scraped, in the copper, almost white--for the sake of introducing the inscription, or date. The date, moreover, has a very suspicious look, in regard to the execution of the letters of which it is composed. As to the paper, upon which the impression is taken, it has, doubtless, much of the look of old paper; but not of that particular kind, either in regard to tone or quality, which we see in the prints of Mechlin, Schoen, or Albert Durer. But what gives a more "staggering aspect" to the whole affair is, that the worthy Derschau had another copy of this same impression, which he sold to Mr. John Payne, and which is now in the highly curious collection of Mr. Douce. This was fortunate, to say the least. The copy purchased by myself, is now in the collection of Earl Spencer.