are executed in body colour, in a slight but bold manner, and appear to me to be much inferior to the general style of art in the smaller and historical compositions, illustrative of the text of the book.  But Gaspar Ritter well merits a distinct notice; for these volumes display the most perfect style of binding, which I have yet seen, of the sixteenth century.  They are in red morocco, variegated with colours, and secured by clasps.  Every thing about them is firm, square, knowing and complete.  The artist, or painter, to whom these volumes are indebted for their chief attraction, was John MIELICH; a name, of which I suspect very little is known in England.  His portrait bears the date of 1570.

Looking fairly through these volumes—­not for the sake of finding fault, or of detecting little lapses from accuracy of drawing, or harmony of composition—­I do not hesitate one moment to pronounce the series of embellishments, which they contain, perfectly unrivalled—­as the production of the same pencil.  Their great merit consists in a prodigious freedom of touch and boldness of composition.  The colouring seems to be purposely made subordinate.  Figures the most minute, and actions the most difficult to express, are executed in a ready, off-hand manner, strongly indicative, of the masterly powers of the artist.  The subjects are almost interminable in number, and endless in variety.

I shall now proceed at once to an account of the xylographical productions, or of BLOCK BOOKS in the public library of this place; and shall begin with a work, of which (according to my present recollection) no writer hath yet taken notice.  It is a Life of Christ, in small quarto, measuring scarcely five inches by four.  The character of the type is between that of Pfister and the Mazarine Bible, although rather more resembling the latter.  Each side of the leaf has text, or wood cut embellishments.  The first eight pages contain fifteen lines in a page:  the succeeding two pages only thirteen lines; but the greater number of the pages have fourteen lines.

It is precisely the dotted ground, in the draperies, that impresses me with a notion of the antiquity of these cuts.  Such a style of art is seen in all the earlier efforts of wood engraving, such as the St. Bernardinus belonging to M. Van-Praet, and the prints pasted within the covers of Mr. George Nicol’s matchless copy of the Mazarine Bible, upon vellum, in its original binding.[51] M. Bernhard also shewed me, from his extraordinary collection of early prints, taken from the old MS. volumes in this library, several of this precise character; and to which we may, perhaps with safety, assign the date of 1460 at the latest.  I have been particular in the account of this curious little volume, not so much because it is kept in a case, and considered to be unique, as because, to the best of my recollection, no account of it is to be found in any bibliographical publication.