ALEXANDER GORDON, THE ANTIQUARY. 137 



his pen, and in 1729, published in folio form, his "lives of Pope 

 Alexander VI. and his son Cfesar Borgia : comprehending the Wars 

 in the Keigns of Charles YIII. and Lewis XII., Kings of France; 

 and the chief Transactions and Revolutions in Italy, from the year 

 1492 to the year 1506." The volume is illustrated with portraits of 

 Alexander VI. and Csesar Borgia, the former of which Dr. Laing 

 assigns as probably etched by Gordon himself. If so, it exhibits 

 great skill, and the facility of a practised handler of the etching 

 needle. It is a folio plate representing his Holiness seated, in full 

 pontificials, wearing the triple crown, and holding in his right hand 

 the symbolic keys. The drawing is by Tho'^ Sadler, Arm. Londini : 

 the contribution probably of an amateur di-aftsman, whose name 

 figures as one of the patix)ns of the volume, among a list of sub- 

 scribers, including Dukes, Marquesses, Barons, and Judges, Bishops,, 

 and Archdeacons, Baronets, Knights, Honourables, and Esquires, 

 headed by Her Most Gracious Majesty, Queen Caroline. The 

 engraver's name is thus obscurely indicated: Ai. Sculpt., possibly 

 an abbreviation designed to indicate tlie christian name of Alex- 

 ander Gordon. The portrait of Caesar Borgia, with its motto : Ant 

 Ccesar, aut Nihil, contrasts with that of the Pope, as a highly finished 

 engraving by T. Vandergucht, from the beautiful half-length painted 

 by Titian. Gordon followed up this result of his Italian studies by 

 publishing his translation of the Marquis, Scipio MafTei's " History 

 of the Ancient Amphitheatres," and in particular that of Verona, 

 The subject might not seem a very popular one for a goodly 8vo. 

 volume of upwards of four hundred pages, with twenty-five engravings ; ; 

 biit it met with acceptance, and reached a second edition. 



Next followed the only known dramatic production of this strange,' 

 versatile genius, his " Lupone, or the Inquisitor. A Comedy. 

 London, printed for J. Wilford, behind the Chapter-house in St. 

 Paul's Church-yard, 1731." It is dedicated to his Grace Cosmus, 

 Duke of Gordon ; and Dr. Laing states that a copy of this Comedy 

 now in his own possession, which was obtained from the Boxburghe ■ 

 collection, has this pencil note, after the Duke's name : " Then 

 (1731) eleven years old. After his father's death in 1728 he was 

 educated in the Protestant religion." This explains the first part of 

 the dedication, which begins " My Lord, the sincere regard for truth, 

 of which your Grace has given the world such early examples, renders 

 you the proper patron of every attempt that tends to the expos- 



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