At the risk of showing my ignorance, I wish to have it removed by answers
to my present Queries.
I have before me a printed catalogue of a collection of antiques, drawings,
and curiosities, which were to be sold by auction not far from a century
and a half ago. It is upon a sheet of four pages, rather larger than
foolscap, which it entirely fills. It seems to me a remarkable assemblage
of valuable relics, and it is thus headed:--
"A catalogue, being an extraordinary and great collection of antiques,
original drawings, and other curiosities, collected by a gentleman very
curious ... will be sold by auction at Covent Garden Coffee House, in
the Little Piazza, on Wednesday next, 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.
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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.