more classical, and had gradually freed itself from the infection of Gothicism (la maniera Tedesca) as the several republics shook off their German tyrants-a transition that manifested itself in all the works of the Quattro-Cento, in monuments, furniture, pottery, and jewels. The new passion for antique works was necessarily compelled from the first to look for its gratification to the gems so long treasured up by their medieval predecessors on account of either their intrinsic value or mystic virtues, but at length admired by the newlyopened eyes of a more cultivated generation for their true merits. To imitate them was the next step, and that not a difficult one; the mechanical methods, themselves of the simplest nature, were already known to the Florentines through their constant intercourse with the Levant; and the goldsmith who had worked from his youth on the Nielli of the same century was, as far as drawing went, quite on a level with the ancient Dioscorides or Aulus. This is the reason why the art reached its second full development in so short a time, and almost without passing through any stage of infancy, for the few gems that betray any influence of mediæval taste are extremely rare. By the end of the same century we find Camillo Leonardo praising Anichini, Gio. Maria da Mantova, and Tagliacarne, as equal to any of the ancients, and stating that their works were diffused over all Italy, which implies that their labours had already extended over several previous years.

The next century, the Cinque-Cento, furnishes the celebrated names of Il Vicentino, Alessandro Cesati, Maria da Pescia, and a hundred others of nearly equal merit, whose works, especially in cameo, constitute at present (passing for antiques) the choicest portion of many a celebrated collection. The wheel and the magnifying-glass had now enabled the artist to pour forth a swarm of camei with a facility unknown

to the ancient engraver; whilst the demand for them as ornaments (quite the converse of that prevailing in classic times) had far exceeded that for intagli, and thus stimulated the production of the former to an incredible degree. Large intagli, however, in Rock Crystal, were especial favourites in this century, and constitute the most noted works of Il Vicentino; these, together with the contemporary camei, adorned both the ecclesiastical and domestic plate, the dresses and the arms of the nobles and the wealthy merchants.

The next century, an age of civil wars throughout Europe, which arrested and even threw back the civilization hitherto advancing with such rapid steps, witnessed also a great decline in this art, both in the quantity and still more in the excellence of its productions, which are usually intagli of large dimensions, coarsely and deeply cut, for the most part heads of Roman deities and repetitions of the works of a better period.

The 18th century, however, brought with it a great and unexpected improvement in both the branches of gemengraving, and more particularly in the works in intaglio. The great point of difference to be remarked between the style of the artists of this time and that of the best works of the Cinque-Cento is this: the latter did not servilely copy the antique, but borrowed its subjects and treated them in its own peculiar manner, and that with a spirit and liveliness that brought forth really original works bearing the stamp of their era upon themselves, and hence valuable historically as monuments of a particular period of art. But the engravers of the last century totally disclaimed all originality, contenting themselves for the most part with making repeated copies of certain famous gems, and placing their highest ambition. in the ability to pass off their own work upon unsuspicious amateurs as some recent discovery of undoubted antiquity. Almost the only one to be exempted from this charge is the

chief of the list, John Pichler, to whom may be added, in some instances, Natter and Rega; though the two latter did engrave and pass off many gems as antique, and which still rank as such in many a noble cabinet. This may truly be styled the age of forgeries of all kinds and degrees; the adding false names to genuine antiques, the re-touching the ruder gems of ancient engravers, the making pastes to such perfection, that when prepared as doublets they often deceive the most experienced eye. It is this period that has thrown so much uncertainty into this study, and has rendered the coming to a decision as to the genuineness of a fine intaglio, if judged of by the work alone, irrespective of mineralogical considerations, one of the most difficult tasks for the archæologist, however much attention he may have given to this particular subject. Sirletti, Costanzi, Ant. Pichler, and a host of others little inferior to them as copyists of the antique manner, all pursued this then most lucrative trade, and have left behind them an infinite number of such fabrications to

perplex all future connoisseurs. It may be asserted with truth that, for every gem of any note full a dozen copies are in circulation; and often so close is the imitation, as to cast a doubt upon the certainty of the original itself. The larger intagli, especially the imperial portraits, have been the most exposed to these fraudulent reproductions. This abundance of counterfeits, and the discredit brought upon the critical knowledge of collectors by their admission into some of the choicest cabinets formed during this period, may be assigned as one of the chief causes of the sudden decline of the taste for gems since the commencement of the present century.

The few English gem-engravers who have ever attained to any celebrity all flourished during the latter half of the 18th century it will suffice to name Brown, Wray, Marchant, and Burch. Their works, all in intaglio, though fine and

correctly drawn, are nevertheless much inferior to those of the contemporary Italian school, the last of whom, Pistrucci, survived till within a few years. With him and Girometti at Rome the art may be said to have expired, as far as regards the execution of works displaying equal genius and commanding similar prices with the chefs-d'oeuvre of painting and sculpture. Even at Rome all that survives of this once so numerous profession are a few mechanics rather than artists, who manufacture the cameo Onyx studs so largely purchased by the visitors,-mere trade articles, finished off by the dozen at the lowest possible expenditure of time and labour; some who still forge to order the mediocre antique intagli; and, the only class making any pretension to taste and skill, the cutters of camei in shell. Thus the art of engraving designs upon hard and precious materials may be said now to have closed its career of thirty centuries in the same phase in which it started at the first dawn of civilization, when the Egyptian first fashioned his scarab out of the soft steaschist, his first essay being a work in relief, intended for stringing on the necklace. or bracelet; so in our times the Roman shell-camei, of an equally valueless substance, and designed for similar ornaments, alone preserve a faint shadow of the departed glories of the glyptic art.'

1 The different subjects touched upon in this sketch, with the authorities for the various statements,

will be found given at length under their respective heads in the following chapters.

Mecenas: intaglio by Solon