to the veins on the hand, from the texture of the fur cap to the glint of the metal chain, there is indisputable evidence of his complete command over the graver in its wide range of subject.
But Masson must not be dismissed so summarily. There is another Peter Dupuis, an antiquary, three-quarter length in an oval, which, if a brilliant impression before the insertion of the name of Dupuis and inscription, sells under the hammer for fifteen guineas. His Henri de Lorraine, a half-length portrait in its first state, is worth £20, of Marie de Lorraine, Dûchesse de Guise, there are five states, varying in price, the fourth being procurable for a guinea. Guillaume de Brisaçier, which is often described as the "Grey-headed Man," if in first state before any lettering, is worth over £25, but a lettered print may be had for 15s.
It is not to be gainsaid that there is something in this striving after states by zealous collectors, obviously the earlier the state the less worn the plate, but there is overmuch talk about "states" by persons who know little of what they are talking. The rich buying public is divided into two classes. Those who are led by the nose by dealers who are interested in procuring rarities at ridiculous prices, and those who are really experts and thoroughly know their subject and are able to detect to the minutest detail the difference between one state and another as far as technical variations. The broad principle of "states" is a safe foundation. But it can be carried too far. A man who has given up his life to differentiating between one condition of a
