D—s—t, Lord C, Col. W, Mrs. P—t, The Polar Nauticus, together with accompanying letterpress which, in discussing the amours of these individuals, left little doubt as to their identity. Whatever may have been the frailties of the sitters, these portraits, two on a page, are fine specimens of line engraving, and worthy of the attention of the collector.
We reproduce a line engraving which illustrated the forgotten romance of the "Invisible Spy." Smirke's spirited drawing is translated into line on copper by Neagle. This class of engraving is typical of them all, and, dated 1788, is the forerunner of the steel engravings, of a period subsequent to 1820, being the connecting link between the eighteenth century and modern days, when engraving on steel became so popular, and when the volume with plates became a necessity in the world of books.
The following is a list of the typical eighteenth-century books which may be had for a few shillings containing engravings, to which the collector may turn his attention with profit. A full and complete list will be found in Lewine's "Bibliography of Eighteenth Century Art Books." The books enumerated below are apart from sumptuous volumes of great value in which the period is particularly rich.
Sterne.
Works and Life by himself, 1780-83, 10 vols.,
plates after Hogarth. Worth 25s. to 30s.
Gay's Fables.
2 vols., 1793, 70 plates by Blake and others, 1st
edition, 25s.; 2nd edition, 12s.
Wit's Magazine.
1784-85, 2 vols., folding plates by Blake and others.
20s. to 30s.
