"The gems called Abraxas were generally acknowledged to be the works of the Gnostics and Basilidians in the first Centuries of Christianity; such works in regard to the arts merit not our consideration." List of the Gems, Sculptures, and Views contained in the Engraved Title and Vignette, as in Volume I. The Mantuan Gem. Forge of Vulcan Jupiter and Io. Hercules and Omphale. The Graces. Cupid. Genius of the Palæstra. Venus and Cupids. Diomedes and the Palladium. Enopion Staphylus. Cupid. Nemesis. Theseus. M. Antony. M. Brutus. Cicero. Mæcenas. Augustus. Ulysses Bacchanal Subject. Six Antique Egyptian Gems. Six Antique Gems. Intaglio supposed to represent the Chariot of a victor in the Circensian games. Twelve Antique Gems. Fifteen Antique Gems with Inscriptions. Nine Antique Greek Gems. Nine Ditto Death of General Wolfe. Forty-three plates of the Sculpture of the Temple of Minerva, in alto and basso-relievo. Restoration of the Propylea, Parthenon, and the Panathe nean Procession. The Temple of the Parthenon restored. View of the Parthenon, &c. View of the state of the Acropolis at Athens in 1785. View of the plain of Marathon. Remains of the Temple of Jupiter in Ægina. Remains of the Doric Temple at Corinth. View of the principal Ruin at Sparta. Mosque and Sepulchre. The Pyramids and Sphinx. Remains of an Ionic Temple. View of the Sigean Promontory. Campos ubi Troja fuit. Portico of Homer, near Smyrna. Antique Pedestal. Plan of the Portico. Plan of a Turkish Bagnio. View of the Column of Constantine. View of the inside of Santa Sophia. View of the outside of Santa Sophia. Harbour and Port of Balaclava. Ancient Capital of Crim Tartary. View of Caffa, or Theodosia. CLASS IV. ANTIQUE GEMS. This division of the Museum Worsleyanum contains 32* plates of engraved gems; of which the following is a short description. Plate 1. The MANTUAN GEM.-In this beautiful Cameo, an androgynous figure is represented sleeping. On one side is Bacchus bearing a torch, and extending it towards the sleeping figure; he leans on one of those figures called Sileni, and is accompanied by a Faun and a Satyr. In Tassie's Gems, who appears to have mistaken the subject, it is described as Bacchus finding Ariadne at Naxos, where she had been deserted by Theseus. 2. FORGE OF VULCAN.-Vulcan forging the Armour for Eneas, at the request of Venus, while Cupid is blowing the fire. The other deities represented in this cameo are Jupiter, Apollo, Mercury, Minerva, and Mars. The beautiful figure in the back ground is Ganymede. An intaglio similar to this gem is described in the Abbate Winckelman's Catalogue of the late Baron de Stosch's Gems, now (or late) in the possession of the King of Prussia. 3. JUPITER AND Io.-This beautiful intaglio representing Jupiter, Mercury, and Io changed into an Heifer, is engraved on a very fine cornelian. The subject is singular, and believed to be unique. 4. HERCULES AND OMPHALE. This cameo though not entire, represents Hercules, inebriated, returning from The Introduction to this work only mentions 29 plates in this Class, and in the list of plates to this volume, the 26th, 27th, and 28th are called "Antique Gems." a Bacchanalian festival, accompanied by a young faun, and embracing Omphale. 5. The GRACES.-In this elegant gem, Euphrosyne is represented holding in her right hand ears of corn; Thalia composes the middle figure, and Aglaia, the youngest sister and wife of Vulcan, as we are informed by Hesiod, is known by the pileum on her head. - 6. CUPID. This intaglio represents Cupid destroying the faculties of the soul, expressed by the Aurelia, or butterfly, as usual. 7. GENIUS OF THE PALESTRA.--This curious gem is well engraved on an oriental garnet, of an oval form, and represents the Genius of the Palæstra before an Herma of Mercury, the inventor of the Gymnastic Games. The Cock is sacred to Mercury, and from being fond of fighting, is a proper symbol of the Athletes. A plane tree appears in the back ground. 8. VENUS AND CUPIDS.-9. DIOMEDES and the PAL LADIUM. 10. ENOPION-The image represented in this antique paste is ambiguous, but the author is inclined to call it Enopion, the son of Bacchus and Ariadne, so named from being a hard drinker. He holds in his right hand the Thyrsus, which is the symbol of frenzy occasioned by drunkenness, precisely as in the Bacchantes of Euripides, where the god himself instructs Pentheus how to carry the Thyrsus; he has in his left hand the Phiala or Ampolla of wine, according to the custom described by Aristotle in the Poetica, calling the phiala the shield of Bacchus. In short his head and neck are gently inclined backward, as if abandoned to the air, according to a phrase in Euripides's Baccha: for the same reason, Catullus has said, Evöe Bacchantes evöe capita inflectentes! 11. STAPHYLUS.-12. CUPID loaded with game, an emblem of the Genius of rural sports. 19. NEMESIS.-A beautiful Greek intaglio, on a very fine hyacinth, on which is represented Nemesis, the Goddess of Rewards and Punishments. 14. THESEUS.-The hero in this plate leaning against a stone, and with a sword in his hand, is Theseus; he has just raised up the large stone under which his father Egeus hid his sword. 15.-Cameo, representing a portrait of M. Antony. 16. M. BRUTUS.-17. CICERO.-18. MECENAS.19. AUGUSTUS.-20. ULYSSES.-21. A MASK.-22. A BACCHANAL SUBJECT.-23. AJAX AND CASSANDRA.24 and 25. Two Plates containing TWELVE ANTIQUE EGYPTIAN GEMS.-26. EIGHT ANTIQUE GEMS. 27. This is a curious intaglio, and appears to have served a victor in the Circensian games; the empty Quadriga in the centre of this gem has a victory holding a crown over it in the same manner as the Olympic victors are represented on the coins of Sicily. The Zodiac forms a circle round the car and victory. 28. TWELVE ANTIQUE GEMS.-29. FIFTEEN ANTIQUE GEMS WITH INSCRIPTIONS.-30. NINE ANTIQUE GREEK GEMS. 31. NINE ANTIQUE GREEK GEMS. 32. The DEATH OF GENERAL WOLFE.-The subject of this intaglio, engraved on a very fine sardonyx, is too well known to the public by the Conquest of the French Colonies in the New World, to require a more minute description of this elegant modern gem, which does the highest honour to the talents of that ingenious artist Mr. Marchant. It is to be lamented that the fine arts have suffered so considerably by that gentleman ceasing to follow a profession in which he seems to be nearly unrivalled, |