mental editions. 8. Copper-plate works. 9. Books printed with peculiar types, such as those that were issued by the Propaganda. 10. Works remarkable for large paper, vellum, peculiar orthography, or other such circumstances as increase their price. 11. Collections of writings on particular topics, such as Scriptores rerum Germanicarum, &c. 12. Series of writings of particular authors, whose productions have not been collectively published. 13. Voluminous publications, which are seldom obtained entire, such as Acta Eruditorum, Acta Sanctorum, &c. 14. Works consisting of independent parts, which are therefore frequently incomplete.

Concerning all these classes, the industrious author proposes to treat; giving an account of their internal execution, noticing the number of volumes, and in unpaged works the number of sheets, so as to facilitate collation: enumerating the number and order of the maps and copper-plates: recording the comparative variations of different editions: noticing the probable deficiencies of current copies; and narrating the causes which have contributed to the rarity of particular books.

After the preface and prospectus, we have the catalogue itself, which is arranged in the alphabetical order of the names of the authors. The article on Boccaccio occupies nine quarto columns, and notices both the Italian editions and the various translations of this earliest writer, who became a

popular classic. The letters A and B fill 252 pages, and include 3222 separate articles. To furnish an idea of the form of the work, we copy half a column of the letter C.

3223. CAAB BEN ZOHAIR carmen panegyr. in laud. Muhammedis; Amralkeisi Moallakah, c. scholl. arab. et vers. lat. Levini Warneri; acc. sententiæ imp. Ali etc. Edid., vertit, notisq. illustr. Ger. J. Lette. LB., 1748, 4.

" 3224.- -Zohairi carmen templi Meccani foribus appensum, nunc pr. arab. ed., lat. convers. et notis illustr. ab E.F. C. Rosenmüller. Lps., 1792, 4. 70 SS.

3225. CABALLERO, Raym. Diosdado. De prima typographiæ Hispan. ætate specimen (usq. ad 1500) Rom., 1793, 4. *3226. CABASILA, Nilus. De primatu papæ gr. lat. ed. Bon. Vulcanius. LB. 1595, 8.

Zuerst gr. lat. ed. Mthi. Flacius. Ff. 1555. 8. dann von Salmasius *Hanov. 1608, 8. u. in Salmas. de primatu papæ 1645.

3227.-et Demetr. Cydonii binæ epist. nunc pr. ed. a Ch. F. Matthæi. Dresd., 1789, 4.

3228. CABBALA S. liber Sohar, hebr. Mantuæ, anno Jud. 5318-20 (1558-60), 4. 3 Bde.

'Auf Pg. 275 fr. Crevenna, 205 fr. M'Carthy.

< * 3229.-Cabbala denudata s. doctrina Hebræor. transcendentalis et metaphysica atq. theologica (transl. ex hebr. a Ch. Knorr

ab

ab Rosenroth). Sulzbaci, 1677.-Tom. II. i. e. liber Sohar restitutus. Ff. 1684, 4.2 (auch 3) Bde.

Vollständ. Exx. sind sehr selt. Es müss. sich dabei noch find. adumbratio cabbala Christ. v. 70 SS. u. Cohen Irira porta cœlor. V. 192. SS.

3230. CABEUS, N. Philosophia experimentalis s. in IV. libros meteorologicos Aristotelis commentaria. Rom., 1646, f. 4. Thle in 2 Bden.

Handelt Tom. II. Cap. 56. vom Unterricht der Taubstumm. (s. oben BONET.)

* 3231.-philosophia magnetica. Ferrar. (auch Col.) 1629, f. m KK.

As the prices are not here given, we presume that a separate vocabulary is intended to be added, for the purpose of stating them. To all extensive and public libraries, this Lexicon will be valuable, as it must continually suggest to collectors some new object of desire and ambition; and it may be well that every large town should endeavour to found a repository of general literature. Yet voluminous libraries form desultory readers, and multitudinous authorities weigh down the hope of appreciation. A knowlege of many details intercepts comprehension and proportion of view; and, as the workman with numerous tools is commonly less skilful in the use of his fingers than he who performs various operations with a simple utensil, so the man of letters, conversant only with the few strong minds of the world, usually acquires a more critical judgment than he who reads with a ready activity every thing which relates to the topic of his pursuit. The literature of the past is much occupied with useless questions and needless exhortations, and tends rather to detain than to detect groundless notions and pernicious bigotries. Error is more remote from truth than ignorance; it has to unlearn as well as to acquire. Hence the philosopher, who looks round a large collection of books, is likely to exclaim, with Diogenes, "How much is here that I do not want." The bibliographer, on the contrary, exults in a variety too profuse to be useful, and delays over the innumerable dishes of the bill of fare until it is too late to order his repast.

ART. XV. Choix de Tableaux et Statues, &c.; i. e. A Selection of Pictures and Statues from the most celebrated Museums and foreign Cabinets, in outline Engravings, &c. with Historical and Critical Notices. By a Society of Artists and Amateurs. Part I. 8vo. Paris. 1819. Imported by Treuttel and Würtz. Price 158.

THIS

HIS is

one among those numerous productions on the fine arts which are continually poured forth with such laudable activity in Paris; and to which, turpe dictu, no native

parallel

parallel can be brought from the shop of any bibliopolist in London. We have had indeed two works, Tomkins's British Gallery of Pictures, and Forster's British Gallery of Engravings, planned in the spirit of emulation with Laurent's grand Musée François, but both were cut short in their career long ere they reached the goal. In the case of the publication superintended by Tomkins, want of success has not arisen so much from the general lukewarmness of the higher classes towards the cause of British art, as from the crude and ill-conceived scheme that was adopted; a scheme which shewed the most complete ignorance of the taste of those who were likely, from their genuine love of engraving and strength of purse, to give support to any work of such cost and magnitude.

On the Continent, the Chalk Manner is held in such decided contempt that it has been but little used, except for the commonest purposes, such as mere furniture-prints, &c. Any series of plates, therefore, so executed, was sure of rejection in that market; and in England too, at the commencement of these "Galleries," the style in question was evidently in a galloping consumption, with the marks of death strong in its face: but Mr. W. Peltro Tomkins, to whom the management was confided, was a dot engraver; and consequently the general interest of art, and of the real proprietors, gave way to the predilections and private views of an individual. The result was Ruin but a mine of aurumi potabile had been swallowed up; and to repair the losses occasioned by imprudence and an obstinate adherence to a delusive system, the attention of the public was next solicited to a lottery: in which, except some drawings by Uwins and Tomkins himself, and the gilt frames with their accompanying glasses, gain would be worse than loss. We mean that the rest of the prizes, as they are called, consist only of second-rate unsaleable prints and maukish pictures by Wm. Hamilton, valued at ridiculous sums; and recommended by a string of dextrously worded letters, (all bearing the same date,) from some of the Royal Academicians, most of whom, by this time, are no doubt sorry for having written them.

The rival scheme by Forster was projected on very different principles, and no expence deterred the proprietor from endeavouring to procure for it that superiority in chalcographic talent which has rendered it, as far as it goes, the

The principal artists engaged were Louis Schiavonetti, Anker Smith, Cardon, Heath, Burnet, Raimbach, Bromley, Fitler, and Middiman.

most

most uniformly beautiful collection of line-engravings that ever appeared in England. Some misunderstanding, however, between the editor and the publisher has put a temporary stop to its progress: but we trust that it will break forth from its inert state, gorgeous as the painted butterfly from its chrysalis, " and with new spangled ore

Flame in the forehead of the morning sky."

The reader will pardon this little digression, and we will now return to our immediate subject. Messrs. les Artistes et les Amateurs, editors of the selection before us, state that it is intended to serve as a continuation of M. Landon's well known set of outlines, Les Annales du Musée de France, of which we have spoken in our lxviiith volume, p. 481.: though, from their prefatory flourish *, we should have judged the Musée François, in folio, or at least Filhol's Galerie Napoléon, in quarto, to be the object of their supplementary labours. Nevertheless, it is a very elegant little book, and likely to be in great repute with the ladies. The first livraison contains thirty-six delicate outlines by Mad. Soyer and C. Normand, after paintings by the following masters; viz. Albano, Fra. Bartolomeo, Paris Bordone, Augno, Annie, and Ludovico Carracci, Corregio, Coello, Dominichino, Guercino, Guido, Luca Giordano, G. de Lairesse, Michel-Angelo, Murillo, Raffaelle, Reynolds, Rubens, (Diepenbeke,) Titian, and Vandyke; and the historical and critical remarks on them are full, generally accurate, and judicious. We must notice, however, two inadvertences; Ist, The Death of Hippolitus, known by the prints of Earlom and Anker Smith, and purchased by the late Duke of Bedford, (here called Duc de Bedfort +,') though hitherto always ascribed to Rubens, is not in his manner; and we have the authority, oral as well as written, of one of the first judges and writers on art, (need we say, Fuseli?) for substituting "the illustrious name of Abraham Diepenbeke; whose fancy, though not so exuberant, excelled in sublimity the imagination of Rubens. His Bellerophon, Dioscuri, Hippolitus‡, Ixion,

* Nous venons d'indiquer sommairement notre espoir d'exécuter un ouvrage à la fois agréable et utile, peu dispendieux, et qui soit, nous n'hésitons pas à la dire, un monument durable élevé à la gloire

des arts'!!

t

+ L'un des seigneurs Anglais qui savoient faire le meilleur emploi d'une fortune immense.'

The picture in question. The other inventions will be found in that excellent work by the Abbé Marolles, Le Temple des Muses. First Edition. The re-modification of it by the vain B. Picart is of little value.

17

and

and Sysiphus, fear no competition among the works of his master (Rubens)." 2dly, Titian's famous misnamed Venus, from the Florence Gallery*, so voluptuously stretched out in the cool morning on her glowing white bed, under a canopy of rich crimson draperies, damasked over with foliage of gold; a wreath of fresh-gathered flowers, wet with May-dews, in her hand, and a lap-dog curled up drowsily at her dimpled feet. This picture is said never to have been engraved,' (see description of plate xxxi.) which is a strange oversight, as the valuable and wonderfully fleshy print by Sir R. Strange is notorious. One or two other errors may be found, which are too trifling for mention. Considering the prevailing classic or sculpturesque taste of the French school, we were surprized that so much praise has been accorded to Reynolds; and we think that less indulgence might have been shewn to the vulgar expression of the red-haired leering wench, intended by Sir Joshua as a personification of

"Fair Cytherea with the violet crown,

The all-of-gold-made, laughter-loving Queen

Of odorous Cyprus.

Michel Angelo's Cartoon of Pisa is illustrated with an intimacy in antient Italian art, that is rarely manifested in English productions of so humble a size and price. The editors would have done well, however, had they inserted and translated Mr. Fuseli's fiery commentary on this glorious design, which we shall take the liberty of introducing from his Lectures on Painting. (4to. 1820. p. 113.)

"It represents an imaginary moment relative to the war carried on by the Florentines against Pisa, and exhibits a numerous group of warriours, roused from their bathing in the Arno, by the sudden signal of a trumpet, and rushing to arms.

In imagining this transient moment from a state of relaxation to a state of energy, the ideas of motion, to use the bold figure of Dante, seem to have showered into the artist's mind. From the chief, nearly placed in the centre, who precedes, and whose voice

"They've pretty faces yet, those same Venetians,

Black eyes, arch'd brows, and sweet expressions still, And like so many Venuses of Titian's,

(The best's at Florence, see it if ye will.)"

Beppo, stanza xi.

+ A print from Mr. Coke's picture was inserted in the fourth or fifth number of Forster's British Gallery: it is by L. Schiavonetti, and has been always considered by artists as his most vigorous effort. A very fine impression was lately hanging in Colnaghi's print-room.

accom