and of 26 of such as were executed in
    the school of M. Antonio.  Of the original impressions, the whole,
    with the exception of four only, belonged to Zanetti.  “If, says the
    compiler of the Catalogue, (1826, 8vo. p. ij.) some of the impressions
    have a dingy tint, from the casualties of time, none have been washed,
    cleaned, or passed through chemical experiments to give them a
    treacherous look of cleanliness.”  This is sound orthodoxy.  The whole
    was put up in one lot, and ...  BOUGHT IN.

Secondly, for the REMBRANDTS.  The like had never been before submitted to public auction.  The Collections of Silvestre and Morel de Vinde out and out eclipsed! Zanetti again—­the incomparable—­the felicitous—­the unrivalled Zanetti had been the possessor of THIS Collection also.  But yet more ...  John Peter Zoomer, a contemporary (and peradventure a boon companion) of Rembrandt, was the original former of the Collection.  It is therefore announced as being COMPLETE in all respects—­“exhibiting all the changes, retouches, beautiful proofs, on India and other paper:  ample margins, unstained, uninjured; and the impressions themselves, in every stage, bright, rich, and perfect.  The result of all the trouble and expence of 50 years toil of collection is concentrated in this Collection.”  So says John Peter Zoomer, the original collector and contemporary of Rembrandt.  It consisted of 394 original pieces:  3, attributed to Rembrandt, without his name:  11, of John Lievens, Ferdinand Bol, and J.G.  Villet:  11 copies:  and 9 engraved in the manner of Rembrandt.  The whole contained in 3 large folio volumes, bound in red morocco.

No reasonable man will expect even a precis of the treasures of this marvellous Collection:  A glance of the text will justify every thing to follow:  but the “Advertisement” to the Catalogue prepares the purchaser for the portrait of Rembrandt with the bordered cloak—­ Ditto, with the Sabre—­Ephraim Bonus with the black ring—­the Coppinol, as above described—­the Advocate Tolling—­the Annunciation of Christ’s Nativity to the Shepherds—­the Resurrection of Lazarus—­Christ healing the Sick_; called the Hundred Guilders[H]—­the Astrologer asleep—­and several Landscapes not elsewhere to be found—­of which one, called the Fishermen (No. 456) had escaped Bartsch, &c. &c.  The descriptions of the several articles of which this Collection was composed, occupy 47 pages of the Catalogue.  The three volumes were put up to sale—­as a SINGLE LOT—­at the price of 50,000 francs:—­and there was no purchaser.  Of its present destiny, I am ignorant:  but there are those in this country, who, to my knowledge, would have given 35,000 francs.

I ought to add, that M. Denon’s collection of CALLOT’S WORKS, in three large folio volumes,—­bound in calf—­also