remainder of the defeated army of Hannibal, glimpses of which can be seen in the wooded distance on the left-hand side of the composition. In the far distance flows a river, on the farther bank of which is a group of hills, on the top left-hand corner being a distant view of a citadel; at this point the river is spanned by a bridge. At the base of the panel flows a river crossed in the centre by a small stone bridge. The border of the subject is composed of a continuous garland of fruit and flowers bound by a ribbon. This is intercepted at intervals by oval cartouches containing sprays of formal flowers and vases. At the sides, partly concealed by the fruit, are figures of amorini. In the bottom cartouche is a Medusa head; while at the top in an elaborate strapwork frame are introduced the interlaced crescent moons of Diane de Poitiers. To connect these emblems of French royalty with the undoubted North Italian provenance of this pageant shield would be a labour of great interest. But with our present knowledge we can only surmise that this shield was once the property of Henri II of France, acquired for him by purchase, or more probably sent as a gift from one of the ducal families in Milan. The whole of the border ornament is on a gold-plated ground, minutely stamped with an annular design. This work, which is 21-3/4 inches wide by 26-1/2 inches deep, may be accepted as dating from the opening years of the second half of the XVIth century.
So far we have given illustrations of two Picinino shields, the work of the master in his finest manner. We will now give an illustration of a third shield of his that markedly illustrates the decadence in the armourer's art that became so universal as the end of the XVIth century approached. This shield, which is in the Royal Armoury of Madrid and forms part of a parade harness made for King Philip III of Spain, is unsigned; but by reason of the great similarity that exists between it and the armour known to have been made by Lucio Picinino for Alexander Farnese, and now preserved at Vienna, we have no hesitation in declaring it to be the work of that armourer. The discovery of the Inventario de la Real Armeria for the years 1594 and 1652 enabled the late Count de Valencia to fix with exactitude the origin and subsequent destiny of the suit of armour with its accompanying shield, the ownership of which had been wrongly attributed, first, to the celebrated Duke of Alba, and afterwards to the no less celebrated Don John of Austria, natural son of Charles V. In the Inventario it is stated that the armour and shield formed part of a splendid present of different weapons, both European and Turkish, made by the Duke of Savoy to his brother-in-law, King Philip III, on the occasion of the visit to Spain in
