20 THE DANCE OF DEATH. usually denominated by most of the writers upon the arts of painting and engraving, as well as by many travellers,, Holbein's Dance of Death, It is extremely clear, however, that Holbein did not invent these subjects, for it appears in a dedication, which is only to be found in the first edition of this work, that the painter was then dead, and that he had not lived to finish some of the designs, which, however, afterwards appeared in a subsequent edition. The painter must therefore have died before 1538, and it is well known that Holbein was at this time living, and continued so until 1555. Unluckily no evidence whatever, nor even tradition, has been preserved relating to this great artist, and it is feared that he will eveF remain undiscovered. had caused many more cuts to be added to this edition than had appeared in any other; a declaration not a little extraordinary, for both the editions of 154/, which were also published by this person, have the same number of cuts, and contain tv/elve more than the three first editions. These additional cuts were probably executed from the unfinished designs spoken of in the dedication to the first edition. Four of them, being groups of children playing, are rather foreign to the subject, but are evidently done by the same artist who executed the others. " Icones Mortis." Basil, 1554, 12mo. " Les Images de la Mort, auxquelles sont adjoustees dix sept. figures.'' Lyon, 156*2, 12mo. There are but five additional figures to this edition, the other twelve being what had already appeared, making in the whole seventeen more than in the first edition. Of these five cuts, which have all the delicacy of the others, three are groups of boys. " De Doodt vermaskert," &c. Antwerp, 1654, 12rao.