128

The Dance of Death.

logically arranged, and many of the poems known to havebeen written long before their publication. The lines inquestion might have been written anywhere, and at anytime, and this may be very safely stated until the real timein which the Whitehall painting was made shall be as-certained.

In one of Vanderdort's manuscript catalogues of the pic-tures and rarities transported from St. James's to Whitehall,and placed there in the newly-erected cabinet room ofCharles I., and in which several works by Holbein arementioned, there is the following article :— " A little piecewhere Death, with a green garland about his head, stretchingboth his arms to apprehend a Pilate in the habit of one ofthe spiritual Prince Electors of Germany. Copied by IsaacOliver from Holbein." 7 There cannot be a doubt that thisrefers to the subject of the Elector, as painted by Holbeinin the Dance of Death at Whitehall, proving at the sametime the identity of the painting with the wood-cuts, what-ever may be the inference.

Sandrart, after noticing a remarkable portrait of HenryVIII. at Whitehall, states, that " there yet remains in thatpalace another work by Holbein that constitutes him theApelles of the time." 8 This is certainly very like anallusion to a Dance of Death.

It is by no means improbable that Mathew Prior mayhave alluded to Holbein's painting at Whitehall, as it is notlikely that he would be acquainted with any other.

Our term of life depends not on our deed,

Before our birth, our funeral was decreed,

Nor awed by foresight, nor misled by chance;

Imperious death directs the ebon lance,

Peoples great Henry's tombs, and leads up Holbein's Dance.

Ode to the Memory of George Villierx

7 Harl. MS. 47i8,

Acad. Pictur. 339.

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