W. Beckford, Esq. possesses the Abbé Le Blond's own Copy, containing several curious variations of the plates, printed expressly for the Abbé, on Colombier paper, and brilliant impressions. Small paper copies sell usually from five to eight guineas. Marlburiensis, (G. Spencer, Dux) Gemma Antiquæ,Choix de Pierres Antiques Gravées, de son Cabinet. 2 tom. Large Folio. Lond. 1781-1790. Only one hundred copies were struck off for presents. The Latin Exposition to the First Volume was written by Mr. Jacob Bryant, and the French Translation by the late Mr. Maty. The Exposition to the Second Volume was by Dr. Wm. Cole, Chaplain to the Duke, and the Translation into French by Mr. Dutens. At the Gainsborough Sale, 1813, a complete copy was sold to the Marquis of Bath for 204l. 15s.—At M. Paris's Sale, 1791, Vol. i. sold for 73l. 10s.-and at S. Rose's Sale, May 25th, 1820, a copy of the two vols. in boards, only sold for 73l. 10s. Knight's (R. P.) Account of the Remains of the Worship of Priapus. 4to. With Plates. Lond. 1786. This, although only a thin quarto volume, is extremely rare; and, whenever it has chanced to be exposed for public sale, has brought from nine to sixteen guineas. The engravings in illustration of the subject are copied from the antique; and in the eyes of some of the purchasers of the book, I have no doubt, form its principal attraction: this they may be the less inclined to acknowledge, after reading the following extract from Matthews's Journal of a Tour in Portugal, Italy, &c. 8vo. 1820. Speaking of a collection of these remains in the Museo Borbonico, he says, "that interesting as these curiosities are in throwing light upon the manners of ancient times, they are justly offensive to modern delicacy. The most extraordinary of these remains are the ornaments and decorations of the Temple of Isis, and nothing can more clearly demonstrate the coarseness and corruption of ancient taste, unless it be the monstrous conjunctions consecrated by their abominable superstition, which are still more shocking evidences of the depravity of their imaginations." Brydone, a traveller of somewhat earlier date, in his Tour through Sicily, Malta, &c. 2 vols. 8vo. 1774, speaking of a temple dedicated to a like purpose, thus amusingly continues:-" It has now been purged and purified from all the infection contracted from the heathen rites, and is become a Christian church, dedicated to the blessed Virgin, who has long been constituted universal legatee and executrix to all the antient goddesses, celestial, terrestial, and infernal; and, indeed, little more than the names are changed, the things continuing pretty much the same as ever.-The Catholics themselves do not attend to this:—but it is not a little curious to consider, how small is the deviation in almost every article of their present rites from those of the antients. I have somewhere seen an observation, which seems to be a just one: that during the long reign of Heathenism, superstition had exhausted her talent for invention; so that when a superstitious spirit seized Christians, they were under the necessity of borrowing from their predecessors, and imitating some part of their idolatry. This appears to be strictly the case. In some places the very same images still remain: they have only christened them; and what was Venus or Proserpine, is now Mary Magdalene, or the Virgin. The same ceremonies are daily performed before these images, in the same language, and nearly in the same manner. In short, so nearly do the rites coincide, that were the Pagan highpriest to come back and re-assume his functions, he would only have to learn a few new names, to get the mass, the paters, and the aves by heart; which would be much easier to him, as they are in a language he understands, but which his modern successors are often ignorant of. Some things to be sure would puzzle him; and he would swear that all the Mysteries of Eleusis were nothing to the amazing Mystery of Transubstantiation, the only one that ever attempted to set both our understanding and our senses at defiance, and baffles equally all the faculties both of the soul and body. He would likewise be a good deal at a loss to account for the strange metamorphosis of some of his old friends. That (he would say) I can well remember, was the Statue of Venus Meretrix, and was only worshipped by the loose and voluptuous. She seems to be wonderfully improved since you made her a Christian, for I find she is now become the great protectress of chastity and of virtue. Juno too, who was so implacable and so revengeful, you have softened down into a very moderate sort of deity; for, I observe you address her with as little fear or ceremony as any of the rest of them; I wish you would make the furies Christians too, for surely they would be much the better for it.-But, observing the figure of St. Anthony, he would exclaim with astonishmentBut what do I behold!-Jupiter, the sovereign of gods and men, with a ragged cloak over his shoulders! What a humiliating spectacle! Well do I remember with what awe we bent before that once respectable image. But what has become of the thunderbolt which he held in his hand to chastise the world; and what is that he has got in its place? His conductor would tell him, that it was only a piece of rope with knots upon it to chastise himself; adding, that he was now doing penance for his long usurpation, and that the thunder had long ago been put into better hands. However, he would soon find that even these saints sometimes change their names, according to the enthusiastic caprice of the people; and from this versatility he would still be in hopes, in process of time, to see his friend Jupiter re-assume his bolt and dignity. Do you remember old Huet-the greatest of all originals? One day, as he passed the Statue of Jupiter in the Capitol, he pulled off his hat and made him a bow:-a jacobite gentleman, who observed it, asked him why he paid so much respect to that old gentleman;-for the same reason, replied Huet, that you pay so much to the pretender. Besides, added he, I think there is greater probability that his turn will come round again, than that of your hero; I shall therefore endeavour to keep well with him, and hope he will never forget that I took notice of him in the time of his adversity." After some further pertinent remarks on the connexion between the Heathen and Catholic deities and ceremonies, Brydone, who was no enthusiast, thus sensibly apologizes for the inferior Catholics adoration of the Virgin Mary. "Were you to attempt to give a country-fellow an idea of the deity; were you to tell him of a being that is immaterial, and yet whose essence penetrates all matter; who has existed from all eternity, and whose extension is equally boundless with his duration; who fills and pervades millions of worlds, and animates every object they contain; and who, in the sublime language of our poet,— "Tho' chang'd thro' all, is yet in all the same, Now what do you imagine he would think of such a being? I am afraid his understanding would be so bewildered, that he could not think at all. But set up before him the figure of a fine woman, with a beautiful child in her arms, the most interesting object in nature; and tell him she can procure him every thing he wants; he knows perfectly well what he is about; feels himself animated by the object, and prays to her with all his might." |