gible. The little sketch of Europa is a study for the splendid picture now at Vienna.

Before we close the list of the elder painters of Italy we must mention as flourishing at this time the Da Ponte family of Bassano. Giacomo da Ponte, called old Bassano, was the head of it. His father had been a painter before him, and he, with his four sons, Leandro, Francesco, Gian Battista, and Girolamo, set up in their native town of Bassano a kind of manufactory of pictures which were sold in the fairs and markets of the neighbouring cities, and became popular all over the north of Italy. The Bassani were among the earliest painters of the genre style; they treated sacred and solemn subjects in a homely familiar manner which was pleasing and intelligible to the people, and, at the same time, with a power of imitation, a light and spirited execution, and in particular a gem-like radiance of colour which fascinates even judges of art. There are pictures of the elder Bassano which at the first glance remind one of a handful of rubies and emeralds. His best and largest works are at Bassano; his small pictures are numerous, and scattered through most galleries. He painted sheep, cattle, and poultry well, and was fond of introducing them in the pastoral scenes of the Old Testament, where they are appropriate: sometimes, unhappily, where

they are least appropriate they are the principal objects. His scenery and grouping have a rural character; and his personages, even sacred and heroic, look like peasants. They are not vulgar, but rustic. The same kind of spirit informed the Bassani that afterwards informed the Dutch school -the imitation of familiar objects without elevation and without selection; but the nature of Italy was as different from that of Holland as Bassano is different from Jan Steen. Like all the Venetians, the Bassani were good portrait painters. We have a fine portrait by Jacopo Bassano in our National Gallery, and at Hampton Court several very fine and characteristic pictures, which will give an excellent idea of his general manner; the best are Jacob's Journey and the Deluge. Mr. Rogers possesses the two best pictures of this artist now in England; they are small, but most beautiful, vivid as gems in point of colour, with more dignity and feeling than is usual the subjects are, the Good Samaritan, and Lazarus at the door of the Rich Man. Nothing could tempt Bassano from the little native town where he flourished, grew rich, and brought up a numerous family: he died in 1592.

All these men had original genius and that individuality of character which lends a vital interest

to all productions of art, whether the style be elevated and ideal or confined to the imitation of common nature: but to them succeeded a race of mannerists and imitators, so that about the close of the sixteenth century all originality seemed extinguished at Venice, as well as everywhere else: and here we close the history of the earlier painters of Italy.

THE END.

LONDON: WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, STAMFORD STREET

November, 1856.

MR. MURRAY'S

GENERAL LIST OF WORKS.

BBOTT'S (REV. J.) Philip Musgrave; or, Memoirs of a Church of England Missionary in the North American Colonies. Post 8vo. 2s. 6d. BERCROMBIE'S (JOHN, M.D.) Enquiries concerning the Intellectual Powers and the Investigation of Truth. Fourteenth Edition. Fcap. 8vo. 6s. 6d.

Philosophy of the Moral Feelings. Tenth

Edition. Fcap. 8vo. 4s.

Pathological and Practical Researches on the Diseases of the Stomach, the Intestinal Canal, the Liver, and other Viscera of the Abdomen. Third Edition. Fcap. 8vo. 6s.

CLAND'S (REV. CHARLES) Popular Account of the Manners and Customs of India, Illustrated with Numerous Anecdotes. Post 8vo. 2s. 6d. ODISON'S WORKS. A New Edition, with a New Life and Notes. By Rev. WHITWELL ELWIN. 4 Vols. 8vo. In Preparation. SCHYLUS. (The Agamemnon and Choephorce.) A New Edition of the Text, with Notes, Critical, Explanatory, and Philological, for the Use of Students. By Rev. W. PEILE, D.D. Second Edition. 2 Vols. 8vo. 9s. each.

SOP'S FABLES. A New Version, chiefly from the Original Greek. By Rev. THOMAS JAMES, M.A. Illustrated with 100 Woodcuts, by JOHN TENNIEL. 21st Edition. Post 8vo. 2s. 6d.

RICULTURAL (THE) JOURNAL. Published (half-yearly) by the Royal Agricultural Society of England. 8vo. 10s.

IBER-WITCH (THE). The most interesting Trial for Witchcraft ever known. Edited by Dr. MEINHOLD. Translated from the German by LADY DUFF GORDON. Post 8vo. 2s. 6d.

ABIAN NIGHTS. A New Translation. By E. W. LANE. With Explanatory Notes, and 600 Woodcuts. Medium 8vo. 21s. ISTOPHANES.

The Birds and the Clouds. Translated from SUVERN by W. R. HAMILTON, F.R.S. 2 Vols. Post 8vo. 9s. THUR'S (LITTLE) History of England. By LADY CALLCOTT.

55th Thousand. With 30 Woodcuts. 18mo. 2s. 6d.

NT IDA'S Walks and Talks; a Story Book for Children. By

a LADY. Woodcuts. 16mo. 5s.

B

2

LIST OF WORKS

ADMIRALTY PUBLICATIONS; Issued by direction of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty:—

1. A MANUAL OF SCIENTIFIC ENQUIRY, for the Use of Officers in H.M. Navy and Travellers in General. By Various Hands. Edited by SIR J. F. HERSCHEL, Bart. Second Edition. Post Svo. 10s. 6d.

2. AIRY'S ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS MADE AT GREENWICH. 1836 to 1847. Royal 4to. 50s. each.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

APPENDIX TO THE ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS. 1836, 1837, 1842, 8s. each; and 1847, 14s. Royal 4to.

CONTENTS.

1836.-Bessel's Refraction Tables.

Tables for converting Errors of R.A. and N.P.D. into Errors of Longitude and Ecliptic P.D.

1837.-Logarithms of Sines and Cosines to every Ten Seconds of Time.

Table for converting Sidereal into Mean Solar Time. 1842.-Catalogue of 1439 Stars.

1847.-Twelve Years' Catalogue of Stars.

MAGNETICAL

AND METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVA

TIONS. 1840 to 1847. Royal 4to. 50s. each.

ASTRONOMICAL, MAGNETICAL, AND METEOROLO GICAL OBSERVATIONS, 1848 to 1853. Royal 4to. 50s. each. REDUCTION OF THE OBSERVATIONS OF PLANETS. 1750 to 1830. Royal 4to. 50s. LUNAR OBSERVATIONS. 1750 to 1830. 2 Vols. Royal 4to. 50s. each.

8. BERNOULLI'S SEXCENTENARY TABLE. London, 1779. 4to. 58. 9. BESSEL'S AUXILIARY TABLES FOR HIS METHOD OF CLEARING LUNAR DISTANCES.

10.

8vo.

FUNDAMENTA ASTRONOMIÆ: Regiomontii, 1818. Folio. 60s. 11. BIRD'S METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING MURAL QUADRANTS. London, 1768. 4to. 2s. 6d.

12.

METHOD OF DIVIDING ASTRONOMICAL INSTRUMENTS. London, 1767. 4to. 2s. 6d.

13. COOK, KING, AND BAYLY'S ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS. London, 1782. 4to. 21s.

14. EIFFE'S ACCOUNT OF IMPROVEMENTS IN CHRONOMETERS. 4to. 28.

15. ENCKE'S BERLINER JAHRBUCH, for 1830. Berlin, 1828. 8vo. 98. 16. GROOMBRIDGE'S CATALOGUE OF CIRCUMPOLAR STARS. 4to. 10s.

17. HARRISON'S PRINCIPLES OF HIS TIME-KEEPER. PLATES. 1767. 4to. 58.

18. HUTTON'S TABLES OF THE PRODUCTS AND POWERS OF NUMBERS. 1781. Folio. 7s. 6d.

19. LAX'S TABLES FOR FINDING THE LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE. 1821. 8vo. 10s.

20. LUNAR OBSERVATIONS at GREENWICH. 1788 to 1819. Compared with the Tables, 1821. 4to. 78. 6d.

21.

DISTANCES of the MOON'S CENTRE from the PLANETS. 1822, 38.; 1823, 4s. 6d. 1824 to 1835, 8vo. 4s. each.

22. MASKELYNE'S ACCOUNT OF THE GOING OF HARRISON'S WATCH. 1767. 4to. 2s. 6d.

23. MAYER'S THEORIA LUNE JUXTA SYSTEMA NEWTONI. ANUM. 4to. 2s. 6d.

24.

25.

TABULE MOTUUM SOLIS ET LUNE. 1770. 4to. 5. ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS MADE AT GOT TINGEN, from 1756 to 1761. 1826. Folio. 7s. 6d.