occurrence of the more usual representations, and of the varieties of stones which each class particularly affect:First, beyond all dispute, are the figures of Victory, executed in every style, from that of the best epoch to the rude scratches of expiring art. Almost as frequent are the figures of Nemesis, that deity so justly revered by the ancient world, only to be distinguished from Victory by her being always helmeted and holding a bridle or a measuring-rod in her hand. Virgo or Erigone, a similar figure, is known by her cornucopia and rudder. These subjects, belonging to every date, are found in every material; those of the Lower Empire, however, occur very abundantly in Plasma. Next come eagles in all attitudes, and combined with various emblems, on the same kinds of stones as were employed for the preceding figures. Venus comes next after eagles in point of frequency, the sea-born goddess appropriately affecting the sea-green colour of the Plasma-a gem on which we rarely meet with other subjects than Venus, eagles, and Victories. Cupids, as a necessary consequence, also abound on gems, and give scope for the most elegant fancy on the part of the artist, in his representation of their various groups and attitudes, as engaged in various sports and occupations. Minerva takes the next place, and, as may be deduced from the style of the intagli, was the goddess who chiefly occupied the engravers under the Flavian family; for most of the neatly-executed gems with this type will be found identical in style with those on the reverses of the denarii of Domitian. Roma, distinguished from the preceding by being

The Medusa's Head, both as a profile, the type of Beauty dead, in reproducing which the most skilful artists of every age have emulated each other; and the living frontface Gorgon, with snakes erect, and replete with energy and rage,

are amongst the most numerous of all, the latter form being the most frequent when of late work. It even occurs upon the Gnostic gems, and, apparently from its universal use, was worn as an amulet to avert the Evil Eye. This seems proved

seated on a throne and holding an orb, is very frequent, especially on the gems of a later period. Now follows the turn of Bacchus, old, young, bearded, beardless; the Dionysus, the Indian, the Liber Pater of the Romans, with all his train of Silenus, Fauns, and Bacchantes, who disport themselves as full figures, busts, and heads on all kinds of gems, yet appropriately affecting the Amethyst as a sort of antidote to their own influence. Mercury has been hitherto omitted, although

he ought to be placed on the same footing in the list as Victory herself, the god of gain being properly the favourite deity of all times, and, as may be shrewdly suspected from the late style of many of his figures, retaining his hold upon the finger of many a Christian convert who had made no difficulty of casting away his other gods of a more subtle and unworldly character. He will be found, the reason of it quite unknown, to occur very frequently upon Amethyst. Hercules, as the deity whose protection assured good luck, was a special favourite, particularly of the Romans under the Middle Empire; and his heads will be found engraved as it were in

by a red Jasper of mine, bearing the Gorgon's Head and the legend

ΑΡΗΓΩ-ΡΩΡΟΜΑΝΔΑΡΗ.

"I protect Roromandares."

The letters, not being reversed, show that the stone was not intended for

a signet, but for a talisman. The profile heads of Medusa, on the other hand, will be found to be productions of the better times of the arts, and usually among the finest specimens of it remaining to us.

10

preference on the Nicolo. The bust of Jove, usually given as a front face, also is tolerably frequent; but much less so is the full figure of this deity seated on a throne—a singular circumstance, remembering how common a type this was of the Grecian coinage. Serapis, however, whose worship was so universal under the later emperors, claims by far the largest share of the intagli representing Jupiter. This divinity usually appears on the finest red Sards that could be procured at the time. Ammon is met with but seldom, and then only on gems of an early date. Apollo is next to Serapis in point of popularity, together with his attributes, especially lyres, represented in a great variety of shapes. Diana 1o is more unfrequent, still more so Juno, their characters doubtless being too prudish and severe to suit the temper of the times which produced the greatest quantity of the intagli existing. An infinite variety of masks, chimerae, and caprices, apparently all belonging to the same epoch (the second century), now appear, and usually on the red Jasper, a fine material, but almost unknown to earlier times. Ceres herself is not seen very frequently, although pictures of rural occupations are plentiful enough. Neptune is still more rare; still more so Saturn and Vulcan. As for Pluto, I have never yet seen a representation of so ill-omened a deity upon any gem. The head of Mars, or the god himself (an armed warrior holding a spear and shield), is by no means uncommon upon Roman gems. The same is the case with arms, especially helmets, on which the artists have often expended their utmost skill. As might have been expected in a people so passionately addicted to the games of the circus, chariots and

10 Though Sol occurs very fre- with only in solitary examples even quently, both as a full figure, and in the largest collections. as a bust, yet Luna is to be met

horses of all kinds, often mounted by fantastic riders, and furnished with grotesque steeds and charioteers, appear in vast numbers and in all varieties of material. Animals make up the majority of Etruscan intagli, especially in that rude class the origin of which can be distinctly assigned to the engravers of that nation. They also furnish, and in the same

Hercules triraming his club. Etruscan Scarab.

Type of the Satyric Drama.

Red Jasper.

style of art, coarse representations of fauns and of the games of the gymnasium, but seem never to have attempted portraits. Of Roman date, the lion and the bull are the most common subjects, from their astrological import; then the various kinds of dogs and the wild boar, and every matter connected with the chase of this beast. The herdsman and the shepherd are amongst the most numerous class, and testify to the longings of the pent-up citizen for the quiet occupations of the country-aspirations so often expressed by the poets, "O rus! quando ego te aspiciam?" Of fishes the dolphin is the favourite, usually depicted as entwined around an anchor, a trident, or a rudder: the last type was the signet of Sextus Pompeius. The crawfish, a common device, is often cut upon the appropriately-coloured Plasma: this creature being taken by the Greeks as the emblem of prudence, was on that account so frequently selected as a signet by the ancients. Among insects the locust is common on gems: its form is that of our grasshopper, but it is in life often two or three inches long, and is now called by the Tuscans la cavalla.

This must not be confounded with the cicada or cigala of the Italians, which more resembles a huge fly in shape than anything else; and from its continuous song (a sound like the cry of the starling) was considered as an attribute of the god of music, and therefore was often engraved in company with a lyre, when it is sometimes mistaken for a bee by persons not acquainted with the real insect. Of birds, after the eagle comes the parrot, next the peacock and the raven: the last a prophetic fowl, and an attribute of Apollo. We have seen how Clemens Alexandrinus recommends the Christians of his own times to adopt for signets the dove, fish, the ship under sail, the lyre, the anchor, and the fisherman: of all which we find numerous intagli, and usually of the coarse execution betokening a late period. Gnostic gems have been already sufficiently considered: their number in Italy and France is incredible, and probably a tenth of all intagli discovered in those countries belong to this class. The Greek period gives us some magnificent portraits, but they are rare, and were most probably engraved only for the use of the person himself as his private signet, an usage we see alluded to in the 'Pseudolus' of Plautus. In the Roman period it seems to have been held a mark of loyalty to wear the portrait of the reigning emperor, which accounts for the vast number of such down to the time of Caracalla, and many of which, even of the early Cæsars, are of the most inferior execution, clearly manufactured at a cheap rate for the wear of the military and the poorer classes. After this period, gold medals set in rings, and huge medallions suspended round the neck, took the place of engraved gems. It may here be remarked that the greater number of imperial portraits, particularly those of

These imperial portraits are often found set in rings of silver

and bronze, thus proving the poverty of their original wearers.