15*

The Dance of Death.

In the celebrated Nuremberg Chronicle, printed in thatcity, 1493, large folio, there is at fo. cclxiiii. a fine wood-cutof three Deaths dancing hand in hand, another playing tothem on a hautboy. Below is a skeleton rising from agrave. It is inscribed imago mortis.

In the " Stultifera navis" of Sebastian Brant, originallyprinted in German at Basle and Nuremberg, 1494, areseveral prints, finely cut on wood, in which Death is intro-duced. In an edition printed at Basle, 1572, i2mo. withelegant wood engravings, after the designs of ChristopherMaurer, and which differ very materially from those in theearly editions, there is a cut of great merit to the versesthat have for their title, " Qui alios judicat." It representsa man on his death-bed; and as the poet's intention is tocondemn the folly of those who, judging falsely or un-charitably of others, forget that they must die themselves,Death is introduced as pulling a stool from under a fool,who sits by the bedside of the dying man. In the originalcut 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, atsign. g. 6, is a terrific figure of Death on the pale horse;and at sign. g. 5, Death in a cemetery, with crosses andmonuments; in his left hand the lid of a coffin in whichhis left foot is placed. These cuts are not in the Englishtranslation.

" Ortulus Rosarum," circa 1500, i2mo. A wood-cut ofDeath, bearing a coffin on his shoulder, leading a groupconsisting of a pope, a cardinal, &c.

In the dialogue " Of lyfe and death," at the end of " theDialoges of creatures moralysed," probably printed abroadwithout date or printer's name soon after 1500, are twoengravings in wood, one representing Death appearing toa man with a falcon on his fist, the other Death with hisspade leading an emperor, a king, and a duke. The latteris not found in the Latin editions of this work, and hasprobably 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 throwinghis dart at a group of warriors.

In the " Freidanck," Strasburg, 1508, 4to. near the end