XVII. The Dance of Death modernised. Published July 13, 1800, and designed by G. M. Woodward, Berners' Street, Oxford Street. Contains the following caricatures. Size 5 by 4-1/2.

1. King. "Return the diadem and I'll follow you."

2. Cardinal. "Zounds, take care of my great toe, or I shall never rise higher than a cardinal."

3. Bishop. "I cannot go, I am a bishop."

4. Old Man. "My good friend, I am too old, I assure you."

5. Dancing-master. "I never practised such an Allemande as this since I have been a dancing-master."

6. Alderman. "If you detain me in this way my venison will be quite cold."

7. Methodist Preacher. "If you wo'nt take I, I'll never mention you or the Devil in my sarmons as long as I lives."

8. Parson. "I can't leave my company till I've finish'd my pipe and bottle."

9. Schoolmaster. "I am only a poor schoolmaster, and sets good examples in the willage."

10. Miser. "Spare my money, and I'll go contented."

11. Politician. "Stay till I have finished the newspaper, for I am told there is great intelligence from the continent."

12. Press-gang Sailor. "Why d-- me I'm one of your apprentices."

13. Beggar. "This is the universal dance from a king to a beggar."

14. Jockey. "I assure you I am engaged at Newmarket."

15. Undertaker. "A pretty dance this for an undertaker."

16. Gouty Man. "Buzaglo's exercise was nothing to this."

17. Poet. "I am but a poor poet, and always praised the ode to your honour written by the late King of Prussia."

18. Physician. "Here's fine encouragement for the faculty."

19. Lawyer. "The law is always exempt by the statutes."

20. Old Maid. "Let me but stay till I am married, and I'll ask no longer time."

21. Fine Lady. "Don't be so boisterous, you filthy wretch. I am a woman of fashion."

22. Empress. "Fellow, I am an empress."

23. Young Lady. "Indeed, Sir, I am too young."

24. Old Bawd. "You may call me old bawd, if you please, but I am sure I have always been a friend to your worship."

XVIII. Bonaparte's Dance of Death. Invented, drawn, and etched by Richard Newton, 7 by 5.

1. Stabb'd at Malta. 2. Drown'd at Alexandria. 3. Strangled at Cairo. 4.

Shot by a Tripoline gentleman. 5. Devoured by wild beasts in the desert.

6. Alive in Paris.

CHAPTER XII.

_Books in which the subject is occasionally introduced._

To offer any thing in the shape of a perfect list of these, would be to attempt an impossibility, and therefore such only as have come under the author's immediate inspection are here presented to the curious reader.

The same remark will apply to the list of single prints that follows.

There is a very singular book, printed, as supposed, about 1460, at Bamberg, by Albert Pfister. It is in German, and a sort of moral allegory in the shape of complaints against Death, with his answers to these accusations. It is very particularly described from the only known perfect copy in the royal library at Paris, by M. Camus, in vol. ii. of "Memoires de l'institut. national des sciences et arts: litterature et beaux arts,"

p. 6 et seq. It contains five engravings on wood, the first of which represents Death seated on a throne. Before him stands a man with an infant to complain that Death has taken the mother, who is seen wrapped in a shroud upon a tomb. The second cut represents Death also on a throne with the same person as before, making his complaint, accompanied by several other persons at the feet of Death, sorrowfully deposing the attributes of their respective conditions, and at the head of them a Pope kneeling with one knee on the ground. The third cut has two figures of Death, one of which, on foot, mows down several boys and girls; the other is on horseback, and pursues some cavaliers, against whom he shoots his arrows. The fourth cut is in two compartments, the upper representing, as before, a man complaining to Death seated on a throne with a crown on his head. Below, on the spectator's left hand, is a convent whence several monks are issuing towards a garden encircled with hurdles, in which is a tree laden with fruit by the side of a river; a woman is seen crowning a child with a chaplet, near whom stands another female in conversation with a young man. M. Camus, in the course of his description of this cut, has fallen into a very ludicrous error. He mistakes the very plain and obvious gate of the garden, for a board, on which, he says, _several characters are engraved which may be meant to signify the arts and sciences, none of which are competent to protection against the attacks of Death_. These supposed characters, however, are nothing more than the flowered hinges, ring or knocker, and lock of the door, which stands ajar. The fifth cut is described as follows, and probably with greater accuracy than in M. Camus, by Dr. Dibdin, from a single leaf of this very curious work in the Bibliotheca Spenceriana, vol. i. p. 104, accompanied with a copy of part of it only. "Above the figures there seen sits the Almighty upon a throne, with an attendant angel on each side. He is putting the forefinger of his left hand into the centre of his right, and upon each of the hands is an eye, denoting, I presume, the omniscience of the Deity." The fac-simile cut partly corresponds with M. Camus's description of Death, and the complainant before Christ seated on a throne in a heaven interspersed with stars. The above fourth cut among these is on a single leaf in the possession of the author, which had Dr. Dibdin seen, he would not have introduced M. Camus's erroneous account of it, who has also referred to Heineken's Idee, &c. p. 276, where it certainly is not in the French edition of 1771. 8vo.

In the celebrated Nuremberg Chronicle, printed in that city, 1493, large folio, there is at fo. cclxiiii. a fine wood-cut of three Deaths dancing hand in hand, another playing to them on a haut-boy. Below is a skeleton rising from a grave. It is inscribed IMAGO MORTIS.

In the "Stultifera navis" of Sebastian Brant, originally printed in German at Basle and Nuremberg, 1494, are several prints, finely cut on wood, in which Death is introduced. In an edition printed at Basle, 1572, 12mo.

with elegant wood engravings, after the designs of Christopher Maurer, and which differ very materially from those in the early editions, there is a cut of great merit to the verses that have for their title, "Qui alios judicat." It represents a man on his death bed; and as the poet's intention is to condemn the folly of those who, judging falsely or uncharitably of others, forget that they must die themselves, Death is introduced as pulling a stool from under a fool, who sits by the bed-side of the dying man. In the original cut the fool is tumbling into the jaws of hell, which, as usual, is represented by a monstrous dragon.

In the "Calendrier des Bergers," Paris, 1500, folio, at sign. g. 6, is a terrific figure of Death on the pale horse; and at sign. g. 5. Death in a cemetery, with crosses and monuments; in his left hand the lid of a coffin in which his left foot is placed. These cuts are not in the English translation.

"Ortulus Rosarum," circa 1500, 12mo. A wood-cut of Death bearing a coffin on his shoulder, leads a group consisting of a pope, a cardinal, &c.

In the dialogue "Of lyfe and death," at the end of "the dialoges of creatures moralysed," probably printed abroad without date or printer's name soon after 1500, are two engravings in wood, one representing Death appearing to a man with a falcon on his fist, the other Death with his spade leading an emperor, a king, and a duke. The latter is not found in the Latin editions of this work, and has probably formed a part of some very old Dance of Death.

In an edition of "Boetius de consolatione," Strasburg, 1501, folio, is a figure of Death on a lean horse throwing his dart at a group of warriors.

In the "Freidanck," Strasburg, 1508, 4to, near the end is a wood-cut of a garden, in which two men and two women are feasting at a table. They are interrupted by the unexpected appearance of Death, who forcibly seizes one of the party, whilst the rest make their escape.

In the "Mortilogus" of Conrad Reitter, Prior of Nordlingen, printed at Augsbourg by Erhard Oglin and Geo. Nadler, 1508, 4to. there is a wood-cut of Death in a church-yard, holding a spade with one hand and with the other showing his hour-glass to a young soldier; and another of Death shooting an arrow at a flying man.

In "Heures a l'usaige de Sens," printed at Paris by Jean de Brie, 1512, 8vo. the month of December in the calendar is figured by Death pulling an old man towards a grave; a subject which is, perhaps, nowhere else to be found as a representation of that month. It is certainly appropriate, as being at once the symbol of the termination of the year and of man's life.

In the "Chevalier de la Tour," printed by Guillaume Eustace, Paris, 1514, folio, there is an allegorical cut, very finely engraved on wood, at fo.

xxii. nearly filling the page. The subject is the expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise, the gate of which exhibits a regular entrance, with round towers and portcullis. Behind this gate is seen the forbidden tree, at the bottom of which is the Devil, seemingly rejoicing at the expulsion, with an apple in his hand. Near the gate stands the angel with his sword, and a cross on his head. Between him and the parties expelled is a picturesque figure of Death with a scythe ready for action.

"Horae ad usum Romanum," printed for Geoffrey Tory of Tours, 1525. Before the Vigiliae Mortuorum is a wood-cut of a winged Death holding a clock in one hand; with the other he strikes to the ground and tramples on several men and women. Near him is a tree with a crow uttering CRAS CRAS. In another edition, dated 1527, is a different cut of a crowned figure of Death mounted on a black mule and holding a scythe and hour-glass. He is trampling on several dead bodies, and is preceded by another Death, armed also with a scythe, whilst a third behind strikes the mule, who stops to devour one of the prostrate figures. Above is a crow.

In a beautiful Officium Virg. printed at Venice, 1525, 12mo. is a vignette of Death aiming an arrow at a group consisting of a pope, cardinal, &c.

Another Death is behind, on the spectator's left.

In "Heures de Notre Dame mises en reyne, &c." par Pierre Gringoire, 1527, 8vo. there is a cut at fo. lx. before the vigilles de la mort, of a king lying on a bier in a chapel with tapers burning, several mourners attending, and on the ground a pot of holy water. A hideous figure of Death holding a scythe in one hand and a horn in the other, tramples on the body of the deceased monarch.