Lysand. A slight imperfection only; which, as it rarely occurs, makes the impression more valuable. It is only a sombre tinge attached to the copper, before the plate is sufficiently polished by being worked; and it gives a smeared effect, like smut upon a lady's face, to the impression! But I am becoming satirical. Which is the next symptom that you have written down for me to discourse upon?
Lis. I am quite attentive to this delineation of a Print Connoisseur; and will not fail to mark all the Rembrandt[438] varieties, and take heed to the Burr!
[438] All the book and print world have heard of Daulby's Descriptive Catalogue of the works of Rembrandt, &c. Liverpool, 1796, 8vo. The author's collection of Rembrandt's prints (according to a MS. note prefixed to my copy of it, which is upon large paper in 4to.—of which only fifty impressions were struck off) was sold at Liverpool, in 1799, in one lot; and purchased by Messrs. Colnaghi, Manson, and Vernon, for 610l. It was sold in 1800, in separate lots, for 650l., exclusively of every expense; after the purchasers had been offered 800l. for the same. Some of these prints came into the possession of the late Mr. Woodhouse (vide [p. 441], ante); and it is from the Catalogue of his Collection of prints that I present the reader with the following
Rembrandtiana;
beseeching him to take due heed to what Lysander has above alluded to by all the Varieties and the Burr!
| Lot | Daulby. | £ | s. | d. | |
| 5 | 30. | Abraham entertaining the three angels; very fine, with the burr, on India paper. | 2 | 18 | 0 |
| 10 | 43. | The Angel appearing to the Shepherds; very fine, presque unique. | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | 56. | The flight into Egypt, in the style of Elsheimer; on India paper, the 1st impression, extremely rare. | 4 | 16 | 0 |
| 22 | 75. | The Hundred Guilder Piece. This impression on India paper, with the burr, is acknowledged by the greatest connoisseurs in this kingdom to be the most brilliant extant. | 42 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | 75. | Ditto, restored plate, by Capt. Baillie, likewise on India paper, and very fine. | 2 | 12 | 6 |
| 25 | 77. | The Good Samaritan; the 1st impression with the white tail, most beautifully finished, with a light point, and fine hand; very fine and rare. | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| 27 | 79. | Our Lord before Pilate, second impression on India paper, fine and scarce. | 5 | 15 | 6 |
| 28 | 79. | Same subject, third impression, with the mask, extremely rare: from the collection of the Burgomaster Six. | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| 30 | 84. | The Descent from the Cross. This print is beautifully executed, the composition is grand, and the head full of character; 1st and most brilliant impression. | 15 | 15 | 0 |
| 39 | 117. | The Rat-killer; a most beautiful impression. | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 42 | 126. | The Marriage of Jason and Creusa; a 1st impression, without the crown, on India paper, very brilliant. | 4 | 10 | 0 |
| 45 | 152. | The Hog; a remarkably fine impression, from Houbraken's collection: scarce. | 1 | 14 | 0 |
| 46 | 154. | The Shell. This piece is finely executed, and this impression, with the white ground, may be regarded as presque unique. | 9 | 10 | 0 |
| 47 | 178. | Ledikant, or French Bed. This is the entire plate, and is a very great rarity. | 4 | 14 | 6 |
| 56 | 194. | The Woman with the Arrow: very scarce. | 2 | 15 | 0 |
| 61 | 204. | The Three Trees; as fine as possible. | 6 | 10 | 0 |
| 63 | 209. | A Village near a high road, arched: 1st impression on India paper, before the cross hatchings: scarce. | 4 | 14 | 6 |
| 67 | 213. | A landscape of an irregular form; 1st impression, with the burr, very scarce. | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 82 | 232. | Blement de Jonge; 1st impression, the upper bar of the chair is left white, extremely rare. | 2 | 7 | 0 |
| 83 | 252. | Ditto, second impression, very scarce. | 1 | 7 | 0 |
| 84 | 252. | Ditto, third impression, very fine. | 2 | 10 | 0 |
| 85 | 253. | Abraham France, with the curtain, on India paper. | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| 86 | 353. | Ditto: with the chair. | 3 | 18 | 0 |
| 87 | 254. | Ditto; with the figures on the paper which he holds in his wands. All these impressions are rare and fine. | 5 | 10 | 0 |
| 88 | 254. | Old Haaring or Haring, the Burgo-master; beautiful impression on India paper, with the burr, extremely rare. | 7 | 7 | 0 |
| 89 | 255. | Young Haaring, beautiful impression from Houbraken's collection; scarce. | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| 90 | 256. | John Lutma; 1st impression before the window, &c. extremely rare. | 4 | 10 | 3 |
| 93 | 257. | John Aselyn; 1st impression, with the easel, extremely rare. | 9 | 2 | 0 |
| 97 | 259. | Wtenbogardus, the Dutch Minister; a most beautiful and brilliant impression, oval, on a square plate; proof, before the pillar, arch, verses, or any inscription: presque unique. | 9 | 19 | 6 |
| 99 | 261. | The Gold Weigher; 1st impression, with the face blank, extremely rare. | 10 | 10 | 0 |
| 100 | 261. | Ditto; a most beautiful and brilliant impression; and esteemed the finest extant. From the collection of Capt. Baillie. | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| 101 | 262. | The Little Coppenol, with the picture; the second and rarest impression, generally esteemed the 1st; from the Earl of Bute's collection. | 7 | 7 | 0 |
| 102 | 262. | Ditto; without the picture, very fine. | 1 | 13 | 0 |
| 103 | 263. | The great Coppenol, remarkably fine. | 4 | 14 | 6 |
| 104 | 265. | The Advocate Tol; a superb impression, extremely rare with the copy. | 54 | 12 | 0 |
| 145 | 265. | The Burgo-master Six; a most extraordinary impression, the name and age of the Burgo-master are wanting, and the two middle figures in the date are reversed: a very great rarity. | 36 | 15 | 0 |
Perhaps the finest collection of Rembrandt's prints, in great Britain, is that in the possession of Lord Viscount Fitzwilliam, at Richmond; a nobleman of extremely retired habits, and equally distinguished for his taste, candour, and erudition. His Paintings and Books are of the very first class.
Lysand. Do so; and attend the shops of Mr. Richardson, Mr. Woodburn, and Mr. Grave, and you may soon have a chance of gratifying your appetite in these strange particulars. But beware of a Hogarth rage!
Lis. Is that so formidable?
Lysand. The longest life were hardly able to make the collection of Hogarth's prints complete! The late Mr. Ireland has been the Linnæus to whom we are indebted for the most minute and amusing classification of the almost innumerable varieties of the impressions of Hogarth's plates.[439]