Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-11-19


work and think, and rule one OF the best, and,
apparently, one of the least governed cities in
the world.-Harper's Monthly.
From the Christian Union.l
a Wonderful Bible.
A few weeks ago we read in London news
paper, The Graphic, that "well known book
seller of New York had purchased for large
sum the celebrated Bible illustrated by Mr..
James Gibbs. of Great Newport street, Soho"
Mr.. Gibbs, we were further told, had been more
than thirty years employed in collecting the il
lustrationS. Regret was expressed in the notice
that $50 interesting a collection should leave
England; but it was added, we must regard the
purchase as another proof of American enter
prise" This book, or collection of bOoks,-tor
il embraces more than one copy OF the entire
text, and numerous portions of Others, in
series extending to no less than sixty folio vol
umes,-may now be seen on shelves arranged
for the purpose, with every convenience for eX-
animation, at the store of Mr. J. W. BOuton,
the American purchaser, zoe Broadway
On first taking down any one of its costly
decorated volumes, the observer who has not
been especially instructed in art matters-and
few in this country have had this opportunity
must be struck by the strange pictorial world Of
wonders TO which he is suddenly introduced.
He must be amazed and somewhat bewildered at
the appeal which it makes to his curiosity, and
at the immense variety of the treasures before
him. ANY one who should attempt fairly TO de-
scribe them would be dismayed at the task. We
have heard experienced connoiSseurs say that it
would occupy six months 10 write ont cdtd-
lOgUe rdiSOnne properly indicating and descrlb-
inc the contents of these remarkable volumes.
In the first place, there are about thirty thou
sand prints to look over and as these are for the
most part designed by the great masters Of
painting, and executed with consummate nicely
by the best old engrayers, the minuteness and
fidelity of whose work is, compared with mod
ern carelessness in such respects, of the most
extraordinary character, the survey Of
the whole is very much like passing
through a picture gallery of thirty thou
sand paintings, where each one is worthy
of some particular notice, if, indeed,
we could suppose any such extended
gallery TO exist. Frequently you will have
within the compass OF two or three inches
square an etching by one of the masters of that
art which, in fertility of images and suggestive
ness of treatment, rivals the largest canvas
With this class of works, headed by numerous
brilliant examples of the skill and genius OF
Rembrandt, the entire series of the volumes is
profuseiy illustrated. There is not painters or
an engraver's name to be mentioned in connec-
ton with the sacred art and this includes every
great artist, who is not represented by some
worthy specimen Of his work. In all nations
and schools, from the days Of Albert Durer to
those of REYNOLDS, they are every one here
phaels, Correggois, Murilos, Biberas, in fine,
the whole dictionary of artists, and engraverS,
as well, from Marc Antonio TO Ioschl and Ra-
phae Moreghen. The Bible is thus essentially
an art book. Mr.. Glbts, whom we have heard
spoken of with the greatest respect, is no mere
bookmaker in this department OF work. He
has, evidently, in accumulatng this great
sOrehouse of art, looked first of all 10 what was
of essential value. He has gone TO the fountain
heads, avoiding generally the familiar and easy
to be procured modern and ancient pictorial
Bible illustrations, and seeking such as would be
considered of especial interest by the most cult
yated student. And as it is the popularity of
all great original works-such, for instance, as
those of Durer, Holbein, Michael Angelo, and
the like-that they are practically ineXhaustible
in their reach and intelligence, such collection
must offer TO every thoughtful mind an unfail-
ing subject OF pursuit. The original drawings
form, too, most important feature of the
work. They are exceedingly numerous, often
from choice private collections and always Of
striking merit.
There are several ways in which such a collec-
lection may be regarded AS an illustration of
the Bible text it has many claims TO notice
The commentary of Kitto, 10 begin with, which
is presented entire, with much other matter Of
a modern date; while of the old versions there
are specimens in pages, and often considerable
port ons of the early German, French and En-
gIsh texts, beginning with the Oldest AS these
Ntlc bliGu largely llluslIulCu W llC oCSt
ers aud wood engrayers, to supply that appeal
to the eye which had been furnished to the few
in the illuminated miSSals and sacred manu-
script books of an earlier date, their INTRODUCTION
in the present series is peculiarly appropriate.
But Mr. Gibbs has evidently chosen them as
well to exhibit the peculiar language and litera-
ture of the Bible before it had taken its present
form Hundreds of such pages of the great
Bibles of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries
are thus presented. Among the more modern
illustrations of the text some choice specimens
of the landscapes by Roberts, from his great
work on the Holy Land will be valued,
1t is as an art work, however that this collec-
lion has its most constant claims to attention.
No range Of subjects has ever furnished artists
so constant theme, not even the ancient my
thology or general history, as the Bible. Take
it at the very start-the book of Genesis. When
this mania for illustration first developed itself,
early in the century, an English lady, as we
have read the anecdote in Dbdin, or some other
learned authority, undertook TO collect prints
for Bible. She issued her order, and presently
had sent in TO her no less than 5000 illustrations
of Adam and Eve; when, despairng of carrying
on the work, without bankruptcy, she gave it
up entirely. Mr.. Gibbs had been more perse.
yeriug; though he had been put to his resources
to provide for the father and mother of the race.
We think it is some half dozen of his early
volumes before he gets through with this appar-
emily ineXhaustible subject of the temptation.
a very GOOu luGd VI luc HtltIdl DOpuldLlOn OF
Germany in their naked physical aspect, as they
appeared about the fifteenth century, may be
gathered from the hundreds Of illustrations of
this subject by Durer and his great contempora.
res. Then, passing to the other extreme of the
work, what a wealth of illustration in the Ma
donnas Of Raphael and his successorsl
To examine such work properly a single
topic should be selected. In numerous in
stances a whole volume is given to one subject.
We take down, because it happens to be before
US in the GENRE of the row, the one labelled
"1he Book Of Tobit," for the Apochrypha is in
cluded with the rest. What variety is here in
the story and It's treatment Artists never had
Il better field for the exercise of their powers.
Here age and youth are contrasted in their most
affecting forms, with the constant presence of
the angel, accompanying the wayfarer On his
pilgrimage through scenes of varying terror
and joy. The artists in this book have drawn
from every sentence their Astounding inspira-
lion, in the landscape of the journey, the weird
magical incantatiOnS, the cure of the old mans
blindness, the beauty of the betrothed maiden,
the funerals Of her lovers, the final triumph OF
Tobias over the 6end, the marriage scene and
family rejoicin9S. Let any one who would get
a comprehensive idea of the work take down
that book of Tobit, with its wealth OF pictorial
illustrations, in almost every school of art, and
by manyof its greatest masters"