April 12. 1851.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



277 



mous Author of the Pursuits of Literature,'' accom- 

 panied in some cases with his own answers. 



Dawson Turner. 

 Yarmouth, April I. 18.51. 



ACCOUNT OF A LARGE ANCIENT WOOD-ENGRAVING. 



Perhaps some of your readers may be able to 

 give me information reirarding a large and very 

 elaborate woodcut, which lias been many years in 

 my possession, and obviously has been used as the 

 fly-leaf of some folio volume, though, of course, 

 not originally intended for such a purpose. It is 

 so complicated, that I fear I shall have some diffi- 

 culty in ex[)laining it, and my explanation may 

 require more space than you may be willing to 

 afibrd me. You can, however, insert my Query 

 at any time when you have room to spare. 



The size of the engraving is 16 inches by 1-3, 

 and it is divided into two large oblong circles, and 

 a centre ; a story being carried on, clearly alle- 

 gorically, from the outer circle to the second, and 

 i'rom the second to the centre. I will speak of 

 each, beginning with the outer, which is entered 

 by a portico, consisting of two columns and a 

 round arch ; on the base of one of the columns is 

 a monogram of the artist or of the engraver, 

 formed of the letters R. D. Under the arch is 

 seated a lady richly attired, who holds a large cup 

 and cover in her left hand, and around her are 

 fourteen naked children, to one of which she seems 

 tendering the chalice ; while a bearded old man, 

 with a scroll, is directing attention to what is going 

 on in the outer circle. Passing under this portico 

 we see, immediately behind it, six ladies, three 

 religious and three secuhir ; while to the right of 

 the three secular ladies is a naked, winged female 

 figure, with her foot on a sphere, a large goblet in 

 her right hand, and some objects that look like 

 fetters in her left hand. To the right of this 

 figure are many others of both sexes, but nearer the 

 spectator, some tranquil and some in despair ; 

 while, within a sort of pavilion, we see a young 

 lady and an old gentleman banqnetting, and in 

 another compartment in bed. Still farther to the 

 right of the winged figure are persons who appear 

 to be escaping from torments, while a young man 

 in rags is making his way towards a person in a 

 religious habit, who has a scourge in his hand; 

 behind these are two persons under a miserable 

 thatched shed, wiiile a lady is jiointing out to a 

 young man what is to be observed in the second 

 circle. 



This division is entered by another gate consisting 

 of two square ornamenteil coUunns 3up])orting a 

 low gal)le, beneath which a lady, with a cross on 

 the cape of her dress, is receiving a young man. 

 The [jcrsons in this circle are very variously em- 

 ployed : on the right of the spectator are rocks 



with one man climbing up them, and another 

 fallen headlong : on the left are five persons, male 

 and female, engaged in singing and playing, and 

 near them two men performing military music on 

 a drum and fife ; to their right are groups of phi- 

 losophers and men of science with spheres, astro- 

 labes, books, compasses, &c., and one wearing a 

 laurel ci'own with a scroll in his hand, probably a 

 poet. 



We then come to the centre, or inner circle, 

 which is entered by a wooden gate of the simplest 

 construction, and under it is a religious laily with 

 a young erect female on her right hand, and a 

 supplicating male, in tattered garments, on her 

 left. Beyond these are six females, variously clad, 

 some with flowing hair, some in close caps, and 

 others with nehulm round their heads. A little to 

 the right of these is a throned lady, with a crown 

 of peculiar construction on her head, and a sceptre 

 in her hand, bef )re whom kneels a female figure, 

 upon whose brows the throned lady is about to 

 place a coronet. Behind the throne is what ap- 

 pears to be a conventual building of rather sin- 

 gular appearance, with round, square, and octagon 

 towers, and surrounded by a battlemented wall. 

 Considerably to the right of the throned lady is a 

 fii^ure clearly intended for some booted king wear- 

 in'T a crown and a collar of esses ; on one side of 

 him is a severe looking dame, fully clad and with 

 flowing hair; and on the other a younger lady, 

 also with flowing haii% and with her bosom bare. 



Such is the woodcut regarding which I request 

 some intelligence from your readers, as I have 

 shown it to several persons, who I thought could 

 enlighten me, but who could aSord me no satis- 

 faction. I suspect, from the costumes and the 

 edifices, that it is German ; ajid I ought to have 

 mentioned that each circle is separated from the 

 others by a low stone wall rnnnii:g all round, and 

 that trees, hills, and fountains are not sparingly 

 introduced. In the whole, it includes nearly a 

 hundred figures of men, women, and children. 



TuE Hermit or Holyport. 



;^tltDr ^Wtxiti. 



Viaggi di Enrico Wanton. — A fiction, upon tlie 

 same plan as Gullivers Travels, describing the 

 visit of two Europeans to communities of monkeys 

 and cynocephali, and written by a Venetian named 

 Zacciiria Seriman, was jtrinted at Venice in 1749, 

 and a^ain in 1704. A third edition, with the title- 

 pa','e '^Delli Vifigsj^i de Enrico Wanton alle Terre 

 Australia rmom Edizione, was printed in London in 

 1772, " presso Tommaso Brewman Stampatore in 

 Wycli Street, Temple Bar," in 4 vols. 8vo. Tnis 

 edition is dedicated to George III. by " L'umdis- 

 simo e fedelissimo suddito, Enrico Wanton." Can 

 any of your correspondents ex^jlain how this work 



li 



