20 THE DANCE OF DEATH.

usually denominated by most of the writers uponthe arts of painting and engraving, as well as bymany travellers, Holbein's Dance of Death. Itis extremely clear, however, that Holbein did notinvent these subjects, for it appears in a dedication,which is only to be found in the first edition ofthis work, that the painter was then dead, andthat he had not lived to finish some of the de-signs., which, however, afterwards appeared in asubsequent edition. The painter must thereforehave died before 1538, and it is well known thatHolbein was at this time living, and continued sountil 1555. Unluckily no evidence whatever,nor even tradition, has been preserved relating tothis great artist, and it is feared that he will everremain undiscovered.

had caused many more cuts to be added to this edition thanhad appeared in any other; a declaration not a little extraor-dinary, for both the editions of 1547, which were also pub-lished by this person, have the same number of cuts, and con-tain twelve more than the three first editions. These additionalcuts were probably executed from the unfinished designs spokenof in the dedication to the first edition. Four of them, beinggroups of children playing, are rather foreign to the subject, butare evidently done by the same artist who executed the others.

" Icoues Mortis." Basil, 1554, 12mo.

" Les Images de la Mort, auxquelles sont adjoustees dix sept.figures." Lyon, 1562, 12mo. There are but five additionalfigures to this edition, the other twelve being what had alreadyappeared, making in the whole seventeen more than in the firstedition. Of these five cuts, which have all the delicacy of theothers, three are groups of boys.

" De Doodt veruraskert," &l\ Antwerp, 16*54, 12mo.