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by the Reformation in the Christian Church, which by em- 

 ploying the living languages in the public ministration of 

 Religion, conferred upon them a dignity unknown before, and 

 thus recommended them to the notice of scholars. If how- 

 ever the Golden age of modern Latinity had passed away, 

 there arose in the seventeenth century many powerful geniuses, 

 who, whilst rivalling their predecessors in the use of the dead 

 languages, were by degrees moulding into shape, and success- 

 fully employing in works of Literature, their native tongues. 

 In both these departments, France, England, and Holland pro- 

 duced splendid examples. But as the century advanced, the 

 former epigrammatic style was more and more departed from 

 in the compositions now under consideration, and was re- 

 placed by one, of which Ovid was probably taken as a model 

 rather than Yirgil or Lucretius. We shall also find that 

 these works now became more reducible into classes, not 

 merely in reference to style, but to their Graphic Illustrations 

 and subject matter. Towards the end of the sixteenth and 

 the begiiming of the seventeentli century the art of copper- 

 plate engraving arrived in the North of Europe at a higher 

 degree of excellence than it had ever yet attained, and the 

 efforts of its professors were directed with great success to 

 works of the description we are now considering. Copper- 

 plate Engraving became indeed a necessary adjunct to the 

 sister art of Painting, in which the Elemisli artists of this 

 period so greatly distinguished themselves. Amongst these 

 we have seen that Van Veen, who was likewise a good scholar, 

 held a place in the foremost rank. Besides his work already 

 mentioned (Horatii Emblemata) he edited at different periods 

 several Emblematic works, in which the engravings, though 

 elegant and graceful in design, are rather remarkable for 

 quaintness. In the year 1608 he published at Antwerp his 

 ^^ Mmhlems of Love" in Latin, English, Italian, and French 

 Verse, adorned with one hundred and twenty-four beautiful 

 copperplate engravings, which met with much approbation, 



