Dibdiii's Bibiiogiaphica/ Tour in Fiance and Germany. 



peiformance. Next comes St. Peter 

 the Martyr., his head or skull is half 

 cleft throii;;;h with a swoid, while 

 auother, up to t!ic very hilt, is plunged 

 through his lieiirt ; no hand directs 

 eitiier instrunieut : the blood flows 

 copiously from each wound, yet the 

 saint is kuceliug, and writiug tran- 

 quilly uiKjn tiie, ground " Cixdo in 

 D — ." b'ome admirably painted apples, 

 on the opposite page, quickly divert 

 the attention from this distressing sub- 

 ject, ]?otli the Latin and French uaine 

 of these apples is evidently ei'ased. 



Next come the Confessors, sufR- 

 cieutly gorgeous, but stiff and tame. 

 Tlie opposite ajijjles are more to my 

 taste. ^7. Nicholas, with the three 

 boys in a basket, is in every respect a 

 more desirable performance. These 

 saints are, generally, from seven to 

 niiu- inclies in height ; and the present 

 is of the latter dimensions. He makes, 

 iudee.d, a very charming illumination ; 

 Lis head, both for colour and drawing, 

 is almost perfect, and in an exceedingly 

 fresh state of preservation. His white 

 gloves, vestment, and deep blue robes, 

 are all excellent of their kind ; the 

 tlirec children are also good, upon the 

 whole; they seem to be walking about 

 in Vater, within the tub. There is an 

 illuminatiou of hops on the opposite 

 pa^^e, which are called " Ln])pilus- 

 Hobclon." St. Llppart and the Dra- 

 gon next command our attention ; gor- 

 geously coloured, with rather a fine 

 whole length attitude of tbe saint, but 

 inferior to the preceding illumination 

 of St. Nicholas. St. ^dnthontj of Padua 

 is the following subject of graphic art. 

 It is strikingly executed ; the saint is 

 in a brown vestment, holding a wafn- 

 and a cup, a wliite horse is by his side. 

 We have next f^t. Martin giving his 

 cloak to a beggar ; the saint is upon a 

 white horse, in a most beautifid suit 

 of golden armour, with a blue and gold 

 ibreast plate : his countenance is mild 

 siTid expressive. St. Hubert and the 

 Stag succeed; the saint is a good 

 brown, stout, lusty fellow, his statf 

 and dogs are near him. The figure of 

 St. ^iithouyncy.t claims ouraftention ; 

 but it is rather heavy and of inferior 

 .eix<!CUtion. A group of f'iri^ins, splen- 

 did, )«ut stiff and (luinleresting, is the 

 succeeding subject of art. This is a 

 sort of prelude to the feiuale saints, 

 individually detaileil, which ensue. 



Of those I'emale saints, first comes 

 jHuflainr Ste.yJnne ; a very formal and 

 igravelady. ^ivKt AlailatiieSte. Vrsule, 

 vir, 



615 



very singular. She is kneeling, pierced 

 with an arioA\- ; a crown is oji her head, 

 her hands are ele^ ated, about her are 

 females with their heads cut ofT, and 

 the blood streaming on all sides. A 

 group of soldiers is to tbe left, a vessel 

 is in the distance, with Ihe virgins 

 suffering martyrdom — the whole evi- 

 dently a representation of the well- 

 know nfale of St. Ursula,nm\ the eleven 

 thousand Virgins. Mary Magdalene 

 is the next female subject, upon wliicli 

 the eye generally delights to dwell. 

 She has a melancholy expression of 

 countenance, with a. pix inlierhand; 

 the back ground is solemn and impres- 

 sive. Asacoiitrast, comes St. Catherine. 

 superb and beautiful. Slie is in a fine 

 state of ju'eservation, and is really 

 worth copying: her countenance and 

 attitude unite timidity with elegance. 

 Madame Ste. Margaret follows ; she 

 is kneeling in the midst of a large 

 coiled serpent ; her countenance is 

 tenderly coloured. Madame Ste. Helene 

 is gay, but rather stiff. All Saioils ; 

 very sjtperl), but stiff and gaudy: the 

 upper i^art of this illumination shews 

 what a cruel marginal auipulaticn this 

 lovely volume has undergone. Op- 

 posite, is a most brilliant representa- 

 tion of flowers, entitled " Nusturci 

 Aquatici.'''' 



We have next Two Angels sruppori- 

 ing a Font ; the usual graphic orna- 

 ment at the commencement of printed 

 vohimes of devotion. In the work of 

 art before me, there is a gorgeous but 

 stifl' effect. Then follows the Awrmg- 

 of the hfant Jesus ; a verj^ indifferent 

 production ; Joseph is asleep. We hare 

 next Joseph, Mary, Clirist, and thr* 

 female attendants, rather stiff and 

 feeble. Jesus rcturiiiug to Nazareth, 

 after disputing with the Doctors, finely 

 marked in gold, but tame and stiff. 

 The reverse of the opposite leaf dis- 

 plays a most exquisite flower, called 

 '• Fagi're bastarde.''' The following, 

 and last, large illumination, is Judas 

 betraying Christ. It is full of figunSs, 

 the gold is too spotty, and the effect Is 

 missed. 



Such is the volume of Hours which 

 once belonged to the celebrated Anne 

 OP BniTTANY, the wife of Lewis XII. 

 of France, who has justly been calttd 

 tlie father of his people. ■ ' 



The recto of tlie last leaf has the ini- 

 tials L. A. &c. as at the beginning; 

 but they are here shaded in lilac, \tntli 

 a back ground ; and in the centre, sur- 

 roiindt><l by a viiy tatefiil fillet cxe- 

 ' ' '^ - euted 



':■■>■,',? 



