The Dance of Death.

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muck injured by the weather, and many of the figureseffaced, the Government caused it to be retouched by apainter whom they imagined to be capable of repairingthe ravages it had sustained, but that his execution was somiserable that they had much better have let it alone thanto have had it so wretchedly bungled. He wholly rejectsany retouching by Holbein. He particularizes two of themost remarkable subjects ; namely, the fat jolly cook, whomDeath seizes by the hand, carrying on his shoulder a spitwith a capon ready larded, which he looks upon with awishful eye, as if he regretted being obliged to set outbefore it was quite roasted. The other figure is that of theblind beggar led by his dog, whom Death snaps up withone hand, and with the other cuts the string by which thedog was tied to his master's arm. 18

The very absurd ascription of the Basle painting to thepencil of Hans Holbein, who was born near a centuryafterwards, has been adopted by several tourists, who havecopied the errors of their predecessors, without taking thepains to make the necessary inquiries, or possessing themeans of obtaining correct information. The name ofHolbein, therefore, as combined with this painting, must bewholly laid aside, for there is no evidence that he was evenemployed to retouch it, as some have inadvertently stated ;it was altogether a work unworthy of his talents, nor doesit, even in its latest state, exhibit the smallest indication ofhis style of painting. This matter will be resumed hereafter;but, in the mean time, it may be necessary to correct themistake of that truly learned and meritorious writer, JohnGeorge Keysler, who, in his instructive and entertainingtravels, has inadvertently stated that the Basle paintingwas executed by Hans Bock or Bok, a celebrated artist ofthat city ■ 19 but it is well known that this person was notborn till the year 1584.

The Basle painting is no longer in existence; for onthe 2d of August, 1806, and for reasons that have notbeen precisely ascertained, an infuriated mob, in whichwere several women, who carried lanterns to light theexpedition, tumultuously burst the inclosure which con-tained the painting, tore it piecemeal from the walls, and

18 Travels, i, 376. 19 Travels, 138, edit. 4*0.

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