66 vey of London, fpeaking of the cloifters which antiently belonged to St. Paul's church. "About this "cloister was artificially and richly painted the Dance "of Machabray, or DANCE of DEATH, commonly "called the Dance of Paul's: the like whereof was painted about St. Innocent's cloyster at Paris: the "metres or poefie of this Daunce were tranflated out " of French into English by John Lidgate, monk of "Bury, and with the picture of Death leading all "eftates, painted round the cloyfter*." This picture is preferved in a wood-cut, prefixed to the poem we are speaking of, in Tottell's edition of Lydgate, 1554; which, I fuppose, is an exact reprefentation of what was painted in St. Paul's cloisters. It was from thence engraved by Hollar, in Dugdale's Monafticon. In all probability, this painting at St. Paul's, or that, which was the fame, at St. Innocent's, gave Hans Holbein the hint for compofing his famous piece, called the DANCE OF DEATH, now to be feen at Bafil. Edit. 1599. pag. 264. † Vol. 3. pag. 368. But Mr. Walpole, in his very curious and judicious ANECDOTES OF PAINTING IN ENGLAND, just published, endeavours to prove that Holbein did not paint this picture. vol. 1. pag. 74. However, a poet cotemporary with Holbein, Nicholas Borbonius, has addreffed an epigram to Hans Holbein, with this title, "De MORTE PICTA 8 Hanfo Pictore nobili.” Nugæ Poeticæ, lib. 7. car. 58. Bafil. 1540. 12mo. For that this Hanfus, befides his having been the author of a Mor's It is commonly received, that the wood-cuts, from whence Hollar engraved his exquifite set of prints, entitled the DANCE OF DEATH, were executed by Holbein but I am apt to think this a mistake, which arofe from confounding Holbein's fuppofed picture, above-mentioned, with these wood-cuts. For it will appear, that Holbein's manner of cutting in wood, is entirely different from that in which these are finished, by comparing them with Holbein's fcriptural woodcuts, inferted in archbishop Cranmer's catechifm*. In the cuts of this catechism there is a fimple delicacy of handling, not found in thofe of the DANCE OF DEATH; which however have an inimitable expreffion, and are probably the work of Albert Durer. Mors pilta, was no other than Hans Holbein, I prefume from another copy of verses in the fame collection. lib. 3. car. 8. Videre qui vult Parrhafium cum Zeuxide, Accerfat e Britannia Hanfum Ulbium, et Georgium Riperdium Lugduno ab urbe Galliæ, By the way, I cannot find the name of this G. Riperdius, in any collection of Lives of Painters. *CATECHISMUS, that is to fay, &c. Excud. Gualt. Lyne, 1548, 12mo. Hans Holbein is engraved at full length, in the cut at pag. 217. I find alfo his initials, I. H. on the book at the foot of the altar, in cut, pag. 166. Alfo on the pedestal of the table, cut, pag. 203. Mr. Walpole, ubi fupr. pag. 93. mentions an edition of this book in quarto. The edition I have feen has on the back of the title a wood cut, of Edward VI. prefenting the bible to the bishops, and other nobles. It is dedicated to Edward VI. by Cranmer. I am not ignorant, that Rubens, who had copied this DANCE OF DEATH, recommended them to Sandrart, as the performance of Holbein of which Sandrart himself informs us. "Sic memini, &c. ...... I also "well remember, that in the year 1627, when Paul "Rubens came to Utrecht to vifit Handorft, being "escorted, both coming from, and returning to Am❝fterdam, by feveral artifts, as we were in the boat, "the conversation fell upon Holbein's book of cuts, 66 representing the DANCE OF DEATH; that Rubens gave them the higheft encomiums, advifing me, "who was then a young man, to fet the highest "value upon them, informing me, at the fame “time, that he, in his youth, had copied them But if Rubens ftiled these prints, Holbein's, in familiar conversation, it was but calling them by the name which the world had given them, and by which they were generally known. Befides, in another place Sandrart evidently confounds these wood-cuts with Holbein's picture at Bafil. "Sed in foro, &c. But in "the fish-market there [at Bafil] may be feen his "[Holbein's] admirable DANCE OF PEASANTS; "where also, in the fame public manner, is fhewn "his DANCE OF DEATH, in which, by a variety • Joachim, Sandrart, Academ, Pict, part, 2. lib. 3. cap. 7. p. 241. " of "of figures, it is demonftrated, that Death fpares "neither popes, emperors, princes, &c. as may be "feen in his moft elegant wooden cuts, of the fame "work." Now the cuts, of which at prefent I am speaking, are fifty-three in number, every one of which has an unity, and is entirely detatched from the reft; fo that, how could they be representations of one picture? But if it be granted, that they were engraved from this picture, which alfo from their diffimilitude could not be the cafe, how does it follow they were done by Holbein? Shall we fuppose, that Holbein did both the picture and the engravings? The book from which Hollar copied these cuts, is printed at Bafil, 1554, and is thus entitled, "ICONES "MORTIS, duodecim imaginibus, præter priores, toti"demque infcriptionibus, præter epigrammata, e gallicis, a Georgio Emylio in latinum verfa, cumulata." The earliest edition I could meet with, perhaps the first, is one in which the infcriptions, &c. are in italian, printed at Lyons, 1549, with this title, "Simolachri, "Hiftorie, &c." In this there are not so many cuts, by twelve, as in the last-mentioned edition, and in the preface it is faid, that this book had been * Ibid. pag. 238. Evelyn is equally mistaken. Sculptura, pag. 69. Lond. 1754. 8vo. before printed with french and latin inscriptions, &c. and from the french edition, I fuppofe, mylius fpoken of before, tranflated. Spurious editions of thefe cuts foon afterwards appeared, all which I have seen, viz. at Bafil, 1554; at Cologne, 1555; ibid. 1556; ibid. 1557; ibid. 1566; ibid. 1567. Might not Georgius Riperdius of Lyons, mentioned above, have fome hand in these engravings; as they seem to have made their first appearance in that city, about the time he may be fuppofed, from the evidence of Borbonius, to I have lived there? I cannot close this subject more properly, than by remarking, that Spenser alludes to fome of these reprefentations, which, in his age, were fashionable and familiar. All muficke sleepes, where DEATH DOTH LEAD THE DAUNCE. B. i. c. i. f. vii. Of a grove, Not perceable with power of any starre. It was an antient fuperftition, that stars had a ma Hence Milton in Arcades. lign influence on trees. VOL. II. R Under |