The Dance of Death, 197
A small painting in oil, by Old Franks, of a gouty oldmiser startled at the unexpected appearance of Death, whoapproaches him playing on a violin, one of his feet restingon an hour-glass. In the distance, and in another room,Death is seen in conversation with a sitting gentleman.Upright, l\ inches by 5^.
The same subject, painted in oil by Otho Vsenius, inwhich a guitar is substituted for the violin. This picturewas in the collection ol Richard Cosway, Esquire. Up-right, 12 by 6, and is now belonging to the present writer.
A Mr. Knowles, a modern artist, is said to have painteda miser counting his hoard, and Death putting an extin-guisher over him.
At p. 460 of the Memoirs of that most ingenious artist,Charles Alfred Stothard, by his widow, mention is made ofan old picture at Nettlecombe Hall, Somersetshire, belong-ing to its owner, a clergyman, of a Dance of Death.
Mr. Tyssen, a bookseller at Bristol, is said to possess awill of the 15th century, in which the testator bequeathsa painting of the Dance of Death.
DRAWINGS.
In a beautifully illuminated Psalter, supposed to havebeen made for Richard II. and preserved among theCotton MSS. Domit. xvii. is a very singular painting,representing part of the choir of a cathedral, with tenmonks sitting in their stalls, and chanting the service. Atthe top of these stalls, and behind, are five grotesqueDeaths looking down on the monks. One of the Deathshas a cardinal's hat, two have baronial crowns on theirheads, and those of the remaining two are decorated witha sort of imperial crown, shaped like the papal tiara. Apriest celebrates mass at the altar, before which anotherpriest or monk prostrates himself. What the object of thepainter was in the introduction of these singular figures ofDeath is difficult to comprehend.
In the manuscript and illuminated copies of the " Ro-mance of the Rose," the " Pe'lerin de la vie humame," andthe " Chevalier Delibere," representations of Death asAtropos are introduced.
A very ancient and masterly drawing of Death and the