120

The Dance of Death.

There are likewise variations in the other three. He wasextremely solicitous that these should be cancelled. Thesefour prints are in the author's possession.

XII. David Deuchar, sometimes called the ScottishWorlidge, who has etched many prints after Ostade andthe Dutch masters, published a set of etchings by himself,with the following printed title : " The Dances of Deaththrough the various stages of human life, wherein thecapriciousness of that tyrant is exhibited in forty-six copper-plates, done from the original designs, which were cut inwood and afterwards painted by John Holbein in the townhouse at Basle, to which is prefixed a description of eachplate in French and English, with the Scripture text fromwhich the designs were taken. Edinburgh, mdcclxxxviii."Before this most inaccurate title are two engraved leaves,on one of which is Deuchar's portrait, in a medallion, sup-ported by Adam and Eve holding the forbidden fruitOver the medallion, the three Fates, the whole withinan arch before a pediment. On each side, a plain column,supporting a pyramid, &c. On the other leaf a copy of theengraved title to M. de Mechel's work with the substitutionof Deuchar's name. After the printed title is a portrait, asmay be supposed, of Holbein, within a border containingsix ovals of various subjects, and a short preface or accountof that artist, but accompanied with some very inaccuratestatements. The subjects are enclosed, like Hollar's, withinfour different borders, separately engraved, three of themborrowed, with a slight variation in one, from Diepenbecke,the fourth being probably Deuchar's invention. The etchingsof the Dance of Death are forty-six in number, accompaniedwith De Mechel's description and English translation. Atthe end is the emblematical print of mortality, but notdescribed, with the dagger sheath, copied from De Mechel.Thirty of these etchings are immediately copied fromHollar, No. X. having the distance altered. The rest aretaken from the spurious wood copies of the originals b>

%m /f* with variation in No. XVIII.; and in No. XXXIX.

and XLIII. Deuchar has introduced winged hour-glasses.These etchings are very inferior to those by Hollar. Thehead of Eve in No. III. resembles that of a periwigged