the Great and Blanche Maria, composed by M. Jaso, who was a ducal senator, and attached to the embassy which returned with the destined bride for Maximilian.  What is its chief ornament, in my estimation, are two sweetly executed small portraits of the royal husband and his consort.  I was earnest to have fac-similes of them; and Mr. Young gave me the strongest assurances that my wishes should be attended to.[148] Thus much; or perhaps thus little, for the MSS.  Still more brief must be my account of the PRINTED BOOKS:  and first for a fifteener or two.  It is an edition of Dio Chrysostom de Regno, without date, or name of printer, in 4to.; but most decidedly executed (as I told Mr. Young) by Valdarfer.  What renders this copy exceedingly precious is, that it is printed UPON VELLUM; and is, I think, the only known copy so executed.  It is in beautiful condition.  Here is a pretty volume of Hours, in Latin, with a French metrical version, printed in the fifteenth century, without date, and struck off UPON VELLUM.  It has wood-cuts, which are coloured of the time.  From a copy of ms. verses, at the beginning of the volume, we learn that “the author of this metrical version was Peter Gringore, commonly called Vaudemont, herald at arms to the Duke of Lorraine; who dedicated and brought this very copy to Renatus of Bourbon.”  I was much struck with a magnificent folio Missal, printed at Venice by that skilful typographical artist I.H. de Landoia, in 1488—­UPON VELLUM:  with the cuts coloured.[149] A few small vellum Hours by Vostre and Vivian are sufficiently pretty.

In the class of books printed upon vellum, and continuing with the sixteenth century, I must not fail to commence with the notice of two copies of the Tewrdannckh, each of the date of 1517, and each UPON VELLUM.  One is coloured, and the other not coloured.  Mr. Young describes the former in the following animated language:  “Exemplar omnibus numeris absolutum, optimeque servatum.  Praestantissimum, rarissimumque tum typographicae, tum xylographicae artis, monumentum.” Lucani Pharsalia, 1811.  Folio.  Printed by Degen.  A beautiful copy, of a magnificent book, UPON VELLUM; illustrated by ten copper plates. M.C.  Frontonis Opera:  edidit Maius Mediol. 1815. 4to.  An unique copy; upon vellum. Flore Medicale decrite par Chaumeton & peinte par Mme. E. Panckoucke & I.F.  Turpin.  Paris, 1814.  Supposed to be unique, as a vellum copy; with the original drawings, and the cuts printed in bistre.  Here is also a magnificent work, called “Omaggio delle Provincie Venetae” upon the nuptials of the present Emperor and Empress of Austria.  It consists of seventeen copper-plates, printed upon vellum, and preserved in two cases, covered with beautiful ornaments and figures, in worked gold and silver, &c.  Of this magnificent production of art, there were two copies only printed upon vellum, and this is one of them.