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minerals, or works of modern art; for whatever CHAP. he had collected, was, in its kind, well chosen. The caprice, indeed, might be lamented which induced him to change, so frequently as he did, what he had once selected; instead of allowing the acquisition to remain, as a monument of his genius, for the use and instruction of his posterity.

Among the pictures, we noticed a very cele- Pictures. brated work of Van der Werf: this had been formerly purchased by the author from Monsieur de Calonne's Collection in London, for an English nobleman. It was that highly-finished piece which represents "the Daughters of Lot giving wine to their Father." Other travellers may perhaps at this time find the same picture in Madrid. That unrivalled painting of Gerhard Douw, in which he has represented himself as an artist drawing by candle-light, was also in this collection: it cost the Count two thousand four hundred roubles. The rest were the productions of Leonardo da Vinci, Sasso Ferrato, Lanfranc, Teniers, Vandyke, and other eminent

masters.

ties.

In the cabinet of antiquities was an antient lyre Antiquiof bronze, complete in all its parts, and perhaps the only one ever found. It was modelled by

VIII.

CHAP. Camporesi, in wood. A vase of lazulite was shewn, as having been found in Herculaneum, which is very doubtful. It is common, in collections of this nature, to attribute the antiquities of other cities of Magna Græcia, and even modern alabaster vases, to Herculaneum; although every thing found in the excavations there be rigidly reserved for the Museum of his Sicilian Majesty. Greek vases, from sepulchres in Italy, are very often called Herculanean; but no such works in terra-cotta have yet been found there. The rarest antiquities in Count Golovkin's Collection were vessels of antient glass, at least twelve inches in diameter. There was one of these, standing near a window, filled with earth, in which had been planted a Dutch tulip; of course, it was liable to be broken every instant. Vases, on which were represented subjects illustrating the earliest ages of Grecian History, were seen lying on the floor, like the neglected toys of children. No person had exceeded the liberality of Count Golovkin, in making any addition to his Collection; but no one became sooner wearied by possession. These zuunλia were therefore rather objects of his caprice than of his study, and have probably by this time found their way to other cities of Europe. Enormous sums had been lavished to procure the black porcelain of

Japan; but when we arrived, many beautiful vessels, made of this porcelain, were also filled with earth and flowers. Several fine busts, from the celebrated cabinet of Count Caylus, adorned the apartments: also a marble vase which belonged to the famous Mengs, and had been brought from Rome to Moscow, by the Grandchamberlain Suvalof. We do not pretend to the smallest knowledge of conchology: it might therefore astonish us more than others, to see a single shell, called the Great Hammer, of no external beauty, but shaped like the instrument of that name, for which the late Mr. Forster of London received of the Count one thousand roubles'.

CHAP,

VIII.

After a particular description of Count Golovkin's Museum, it is unnecessary to mention those of less note in Moscow. We shall therefore pass hastily over a few of the principal Collections. The gallery of pictures of the Grand-chamberlain Gallery of Galitzin was the most extensive: the palace itself being highly magnificent; and a set of stately apartments, terminated by a vast gallery, was entirely filled with paintings. In so vast

(1) He furnishes his closet first, and fills

The crouded shelves with rarities of shells:

Adds Orient pearls, which from the conchs he drew,
And all the sparkling stones of various hue."

Galitzin.

DRYDEN.

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CHAP. an assemblage, there were doubtless many indifferent productions; but, among them, some paintings of unequalled merit, and especially one of the finest works of Salvator Rosa. The subject represented the martyrdom of St. Sebastian; and it had been executed with all his sublimity and energy. The gallery was chiefly filled with pictures by the Flemish Masters.

Library of
Botter line.

The library, botanic garden, and museum of Count Botterline, ranked among the finest sights in Europe. That nobleman had not only collected the rarest copies of all the Classic Authors; but of some of them, particularly of Virgil, he had so many editions, that they were sufficient alone to constitute a library. His books were not kept in one particular apartment, but they occupied a number of different rooms. They were all bound beneath his own roof; affording sufficient employment for several workmen, retained constantly in the house for this purpose. He had almost all the Editiones Principes; and his collection of books printed during the fifteenth century amounted to near six thousand volumes. According to Orlandi', the number of works

(1) Origine e Progressi della Stampa, da Peregrin. Anton. Orlandi. Bononia, 1722. The author found Orlandi's hand-writing, and the signature of his name, in a curious edition of Suetonius, in the Mostyn Library, North Wales. See the account of it in Pennant's History of Whiteford and Holywell, p. 83.

CHAP.

printed during that period amounted to one VIII.

thousand three hundred and three. It is therefore probable, that nearly all of them were contained in Count Botterline's Collection. The catalogue of this part of his library filled two folio volumes. He procured from Paris the celebrated work of Theodore de Bry, a collection of voyages, with beautiful wood-cuts: and had been at infinite pains to obtain from all countries a complete series of Ecclesiastical annals; these already amounted to forty volumes in folio. This immense library was divided into six distinct classes. His pictures were not so numerous; but they were well chosen.

The botanic garden, (botany being his favourite pursuit,) contained a green-house, perhaps unequalled in the world. At one end of it was a small library of botanical works: here he had the advantage of studying with the living specimens before him. But the most extraordinary circumstance was, that we found the plants of the frigid zone, and of the warmest climates, flourishing in greater beauty than we had seen them possess in a state of nature. They were They were more perfect, because they were preserved from all external injury, and were at the same time healthy. We asked him how such a variety of plants,

Botanic

Garden.