Notes and Queries, Number 54, November 9, 1850 | Page 7

being the 9th instant June, 1714."
This is the oldest English catalogue of the kind that I happen to have met with, and my first question upon it is, is there any older? Next, if the fact be known, who was the "gentleman very curious" who owned the collection?
We are farther informed by the auctioneer (whose name is not given), that "The antiques are all in precious stones, most of them engraved by the greatest masters of the old Greeks and Romans; the drawings are of the oldest and the best Italian masters;" and it is advertised, besides, that "the aforesaid rarities may be seen on Monday the 7th, Tuesday the 8th, and Wednesday till the time of sale, which will begin at 11 o'clock in the morning for the antiques, and at 6 o'clock in the evening for the drawings." After a statement that the "conditions of sale are as usual," we come to the list of the gems, under the heads of "Names of the Jewels," and "What they represent." There are fifty-one lots of those that are "set in silver for seals," and they are upon cornelian, beril, sardonix, jasper, &c. For the purpose of identification (if possible) I will quote two or three:--
"3. Sardonix--The head of Anacreon. 17. Cornelian--Pallas crowning Hercules. 30. Beryl--The Trojan Horse, as in Fortuna Lyceto. 51. A cornelian ring, with the head of Lais of Corinth, engraved by Mr. Christian."
To these succeed twelve lots of "stones not set," including a "Head of Christ," a "Gadetian Droll," the "Entry of Severus, the Emperor, into Britain," &c. Then we come to 22. "Camejus, for the most part modern;" and to 10. "Other extraordinary Rarities," including
4. "The Picture of Mathew of Leyden, King of the Anabaptists, done in miniature by Holbein. 7. A box with 8 Calcedonies set in gold, in which are engraved the Passion of our Saviour," &c.
{391}
The "antiques set in gold, being rings or seals," are thirty-seven in number; among them
"8. Ennius the poet, with this motto, Sine lucto memento, a seal. "19. Homer deified, a seal. "34. A double seal of Charles I., King of England, and Henrietta, daughter of Henry IV. of France, &c., with a motto of Castus Amor vinxit. Engraved by Simon Monuntum Preclarissimum."
The Drawings come last, and are divided into seven Porta Folios, containing respectively 21, 23, 30, 23, 24, 26 and 42 specimens. In the first two no names of the masters are given: in the third, they are all assigned to various artists, including Emskirk (I spell names as I find them), Paulo Veronesa, Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, Tintorett, Giulio Romano, &c. The fourth portfolio has only one name to the 23 lots, viz. Tintorett; and Filippo Bellin is the only master named in the fifth portfolio. In the sixth, we meet with Tintorett, Perugino, Mich. Ang. Bonaroti, Annibal Caracci, Paulo Brill, and Raphael. Of the 42 drawings in Portfolio 7. all have names annexed to them, excepting eight; and here we read those of Guido Reni, Gio Bellini, Andrea Mantegna, Corregio, Andrea del Sarto, Tadeo Zuccaro, &c.
I may have gone into more detail than was necessary; but, besides the Queries I have already put, I want to know if any of these gems, cameos, antiques, or drawings are now known to be in existence; and, if possible, where they are to be found.
A CURIOSITY HUNTER.
* * * * *
MINOR QUERIES.
Quotations wanted.--I shall be greatly obliged to any of the correspondents of your most interesting and useful publication who will kindly inform me in what authors the following passages are to be found, and will, if it can be done without too much trouble, give me the references necessary for tracing them:--
"Par un peu de sang bien r��pandu, L'on en ��pargne beaucoup."
And
"Quadrijugis invectus equis Sol aureus extat, Cui septem veriis circumdant vestibus Hor?: Lucifer antesolat: rapidi fuge lampada Solis, Aurora, umbrarum victrix, neo victa recedas."
The latter I have only seen subjoined to a print of Guido's celebrated Aurora, at Rome; and I should have supposed it might have been written for the occasion, had I not been told, upon authority in which I put confidence, that it is to be found in some classic author. If so, the lines may possibly have given rise to the painting, and not the painting to the lines.
DAWSON TURNER.
Yarmouth, October 28. 1850.
Avidius Varus.--Can you, or any of your readers, tell me who Avidius Varus was, referred to in the following passage:
"Sed Avidii Vari illud hic valeat: 'Aut hoc quod produxi testium satis est, aut nihil satis.'"
I find reference made to him as above, in one of the Smith manuscripts; but I cannot discover his name in any catalogue or biographical dictionary. Is he known by any other name?
J. SANSOM.
Death of Richard II.--By what authority has the belief that Richard II.