Imagens das páginas
PDF
ePub

EUPHRANOR

Was one of the most celebrated Athenian painters. He bestowed great pains upon his performances, and was the first, according to Pliny, who gave an air of dignity to his heroes. His reputation must have been very great, for many of his works are spoken of by Plutarch, Pausanias, Eustathius, Pliny, Valerius Maximus, and others.

His principal works seem to have

been these:

THE TWELVE GREAT GODS.

ULYSSES, in a pretended fit of madness, yoking a horse with an ox.

THESEUS. Parrhasius also painted a picture of Theseus, of which Euphranor remarked that Parrhasius had made his hero feed on roses, he on flesh.

A BATTLE of CAVALRY.

His masterpiece seems to have been a figure of PARIS; in which he, at the same time, represented him as the judge in the trial of beauty, the lover of Helen, and the warrior who killed Achilles. He also painted a JUNO, the hair of which was particularly admired.

A LATONA, having in her arms Apollo and Diana. This picture adorned the temple of Concord, at Rome.

A MINERVA, which was afterwards placed in the Capitol.

A Figure of GOOD FORTUNE, having in its right hand a patera, in the left a poppy and a ear of corn.

EUPHRANOR was also an author, and wrote a treatise on colours and proportion.

No antient artist has been more highly extolled.

(To be continued.)

BIBLIOGRAPHIANA *.

WHOEVER Will be at the pains of taking even a cursory survey of the number

[ocr errors]

;

* It may be proper to notice in the present place, in order to keep up the Series of Catalogues, proposed to be analised under the article of Bibliographiana', that, in the year 1727 there was printed by Bettenham, 'A Catalogue of the Library which DANIEL WILLIAMS, S. T. P. bequeathed to the public body of Dissenters. Lond. 8vo. M,DCC,XXVII.' The title is in Latin, as is also the preface to the reader from the beginning of which latter I select the following translated passage. The learned William Bates, S. T. P. who was passionately addicted to polite literature, collected together a great number of rare and curious books; which, on his decease, Dr. Williams purchased for a considerable sum. This collection, to which were added a great number of books subsequently procured by the purchaser, Dr. W. bequeathed to the public-not to the Dissenters exclusively, but (as he was influenced by the purest benevolence) to all who were devoted to literary or theological pursuits.'

This catalogue is elegantly printed on a large 8vo. paper; and is arranged alphabetically, according to the size of the volumes (folio, quarto, or octavo). Every letter in each size is again divided into Greek, Latin, Italian, French, and English books. There are

of book sales in this country, during the first half of the 18th century, must be

673 articles in folio; 1822 in quarto; and 3861 in octavo and duodecimo: upwards, probably, of 13,000 volumes in the whole. At the end of the catalogue is an alphabetical index of catalogues of libraries, lexicons, and lives, contained in the collection. It is called the DISSENTERS' LIBRARY, and is deposited in Red Cross Street, near Cripplegate, where, I understand, the studious may have easy access to any rare or curious article they are in search of. This volume was reprinted (but not so elegantly), with some additional articles, in 1801. There is an account of the state, and rules, of the library prefixed.

In the year 1730-1 there was sold by auction, at St. Paul's Coffee House, in St. Paul's Church Yard (beginning every evening at five o'clock), the library of the celebrated Free Thinker,

ANTONY COLLINS, Esq.

'Containing a collection of several thousand volumes in Greek, Latin, English, French, and Spanish; in divinity, history, antiquity, philosophy, husbandry, and all polite literature: and especially many curious travels and voyages; and many rare and valuable pamphlets.' This collection, which is divided into two parts, (the first containing 3451 articles, the second 3442) is well worth the consultation of the theologian, who is studying or writing upon any controverted point of divinity: there are articles in it of the rarest occurrence. The singular character of its

convinced of the truth of the remark, that knowledge and civilization are mutually progressive; and that social happiness is the result of their progress. It may be the fashion to ridicule illustrated and large paper copies; but these things are necessarily the effect of intellectual refinement; and are no more to be derided than the double curtains of muslin and moreen, or chintz, in our dining and drawing rooms. The praise of elegance and beauty is all that can be expected or desired; and, absurd or paradoxical as it may be considered, I venture to predict, that, when we cease to have beautiful books and splendid furniture, we shall be rapidly sinking into that inverted state of society, where 'Huge uproar lords it wide.'

owner and of his works is well known: he was at once the friend and the opponent of Locke and Clarke, who were both anxious for the conversion of a character of such strong, but misguided talents. The former, on his death-bed, wrote Collins a letter to be delivered to him, after his decease, which was full of affection and good advice.

« AnteriorContinuar »