jects, which did no less justice to his just and excellent taste, than to his piety and devotion. To place these passages of sacred history, so important in themselves, in the most advantageous points of view, and execute them with the liveliest expression, was the favourite employment of his fruitful imagination. Accuracy of design is one of the chief beauties of his works, nor is the execution of his paintings less beautiful. The masterly strokes and invincible industry in the finishing of the whole, even the most insensible minutiæ, gave his works an uncommon share of perfection. The softness and harmony of the colouring were extremely charming, and the permanency and beauty of his colours will vie with the best painters of the Flemish and Venetian schools. They will always be an object of universal admiration. It must be attributed to a concurrence of not very favourable circumstances, which attended the birth, education, and mode of life of Dürer, that, among so many perfections, much is still wanting, which he might have derived from the study of the ancients, a knowledge of history, and the conversation of the more elegant part of mankind, and hence it is, that the costume is often neglected. As an engraver also Dürer possessed great merit. To the Germans incontestably belongs the honour of this invention, and to Dürer the praise of the second restorer of this valuable art. Before his time it was in its infancy. Dürer brought it from its cradle, and carried it to a state of improvement which stamps him, as without exception the first cultivator of this art. He began to engrave in his seven and twentieth year, and his first piece, which represented the three Graces, was a proof that even the efforts of true genius are always grand and elevated. The fine and brilliant engraving of this piece gives it à claim to preference before any former production in this branch, and attained for Dürer the general approbation both of Germans and of foreigners beyond any of his predecessors. It ultimately procured him universal fame. To Dürer's happy taste for experiment and enquiry we are also indebted for the invention of etching, an art, which, as well on account of the power it affords of representing many objects in a highly spirited manner, as on account of its facilitating and shortening the work, is perhaps a still more important improvement than that of the graver. In support of the claim of Germany to the honour of this invention, and, in contradiction of those Italians who pretend that the etchings of Parmeggiano, of the date of 1530, were the first examples of this art, Sandrat appeals to three etchings of Dürer* as the oldest specimens of this species of engraving; these were done ten or fifteen years previous to those of the Italian artist, and are executed in a far superior style. His wood cuts are in like estimation; and, to him we are indebted for examples of the best taste in drawing, in the expression of the astonishing multiplicity of heads he introduces, in the composition, in the drapery, and for many improvements in the mechanical part of the art of making moulds. His wood cuts especially recommend themselves to our admiration by their wonderful expression and keeping. Dürer had also great merit as a writer, and his various works in mathematics are proofs, that he had no less merit for his great mental powers, than for his fine feelings as to picturesque beauty. He had not, however, received an academical education, and was ignorant of the learned languages, otherwise he would perhaps have conformed to the prejudice of his age, and preferred writing in any other language to his own. X. In our next Number we shall give a Catalogue of his principal Works. ** ON THE ORIGIN OF CHRISTMAS GIFTS. BY F. GEDIKE. MANY ANY really surprising and singular customs have lost with us their particularity and oddness; from having been accustomed to them since our earliest infancy, their familiarity prevents us from seeing them in the same light as a stranger naturally must. In the history of travels into distant countries, the description of the customs and manners of an unknown nation has ever been the most interesting and entertaining to every reader. But it seldom strikes us, that we have ourselves a number of customs, both in religious and civil life, which in the same degree, or even more, raise the curiosity and astonishment of other nations, and other times. To trace the origin of such customs, however insignificant they may at first view appear, is perhaps not always a gratuitous amusement, an idle speculation, or useless curiosity; I am on the contrary convinced, that researches of this kind are often productive to a reflecting mind of results wholly unexpected, Le petit Ecce Homo marqué de l'année 1515, le Christ au Mont des Olives avec l'année 1516, les Anges de la Passion, & le grand canon faits en 1518, comme des gravures faites par notre Albert Dürer. Idée générale d'une collection d'estampes, P. 235. and and lead to explanations that reflect light on a number of other ideas. The custom of Christmas-gifts is as old as it is universal. It is generally accounted for, from the custom of presenting small gifts in the name of a new born child, to those children of a more advanced age, that brotherly love may from their earliest infancy grow up with them, perhaps much earlier than it otherwise might, and thus entwine them closer to each other. It is also imagined, the custom of Christmas gifts among christians originated with the pious idea of accustoming children from an early period to the love of Christ. At present I will not say more of the propriety or impropriety of this pedantic or religious trifling, than that it appears to me an humiliation to human nature, to employ such pitiful tricks to draw forth the proper feelings and sentiments of the heart, and use children from so early an age to the selfish ideas of having their affections bought with gifts. Still more insufficient is the derivation of this custom from the gifts, which the wise men of the east are said to have presented to the new born Messiah. Without at present enquiring, whether the whole of this tradition, which has puzzled both geographers and astronomers, is an historical fact, or, as many criticising theologists themselves believe, a pious fable, it cannot be conceived that the gifts which those wise men brought to the new born king of the Jews, according to the manners of the east, as a mark of their submission and homage, could be the foundation of gifts which afterwards, at the anniversary of his birth, should be made to children and other persons, as it were, from and in the name of Jesus Christ. When I maintain that this custom is neither more nor less than the remains of a Heathen or Roman institution called Saturnalia, under another name, this can only appear unaccountable and wonderful to those,who, unacquainted with antiquity, are not aware how many customs in our civil, our judicial, and particularly our religious constitution, are derived as an inheritance from this source. Many ideas unknown to pure original Christianity, have been borrowed from the Roman and Greek religions, but more particularly from the religious philosophy of the Alexandrian school, and incorporated with the theological system of Christianity. How much easier then to inherit customs that have become habitual, and of which sensual beings gencrally find it much harder to be divested, than of mere ideas. In fact, there appear numberless extraordinary similitudes between the festivity of the Roman Saturnalia, and our Christmas holidays; similitudes which ap pear pear even in the smallest trifles. The Saturnalia of the Romans happened exactly at the same time, and their rejoic ings continued seven days, namely, from the 17th to the 24th of December. In the beginning, the Christmas holidays lasted the same number of days, but in process of time were reduced to four, and at length, probably in the eleventh century, to three. At the Saturnalia were distributed all kinds of small gifts, particularly to the slaves, and at no time were so much pains taken to behave in a mild and friendly manner to the household, and to procure them a couple of happy days at least during the year. During this feast they enjoyed a certain degree of liberty, and were excused from all labour. Just so did the primitive Christians conduct themselves towards their slaves during the Christmas holidays (Constitut. Apostol. 1. 8. c. 33.) and to this day the common people never rejoice so much on any day during the year as at Christmas. Among the presents that were made was generally a wax candle,f till now a customary appendage every where to the Christmas gifts for children and the lower classes. It was a custom at this feast to eat honey, as an emblem of the golden age, at which time we are told rivulets of milk and honey existed, and also because they considered Saturn as the discoverer of the honeycomb. In many provinces this custom is still strictly observed at Christmas; at which time an extraordinary quantity of the honey or pepper-cakes are made and sold. In like manner we are told by Lucian (Sat. c. 13.) that at the Saturnalia the bakers of cakes were fully employed. During the last days of this feast was a public fair (Sigillaria) where all kinds of toys and images, chiefly of wax (Sigilla) were sold for small presents, precisely as at our Christmas fair. At the time of the Saturnalia, not only holidays were *Originally only one day, to which two were added by Julius Cæsar, two more by Caligula, and to these five were joined the two days of the feast of Sigillaria. Yet Macrobius, who relates these circumstances very minutely, says (Saturn, l. i. c. 15.) Apud veteres jam opinio fuit, septem diebus peragi Saturnalia; si opinio vocanda est, quæ idoneis firmetur auctoribus; and in Lucian's Saturnalia Saturn himself says επτα μεν ημερών η πασα βασιλεια. vid. Lipsii Saturn. +S. Wildvogellii Chronoscopia legalis p. 286. Macrob. Sat. ii. 7. Inde mos per Saturnalia missitandis cereis cœpit. Alii cereos Bon ob aliud mitti putant, quam quod hoc principe a tenebrosa víta quasi ad lucem editi sumus. In Lucian (Saturn. c. 7.) Saturn himself says: Xiyas TaÚTas pas avadaμBavu τὸ ἐργήν, ως ὑπομνήσαιμι τὰς ἀνθρώπως, οῖος ἣν ὁ ἐπ ̓ ἐμὲ βίος, οπότε ὁ οίνο; ἔέρει ποταμηδὲν καὶ συγγέμεντος καὶ γάλακτος. id. c. 20. Macrob. (Saturn. c. 7) Placentas mutuo missitant, mellis & fructuum repertojum Saturnum affirmantes. Macrob. (Saturn. c. 10, 11.) Sueton. in Claud. c. 5. Spartian. Anton. Carac r. Id. in Adrian, c. 17. enjoyed enjoyed at every school, but at all the public offices,† as during our Christmas. The holidays at the public offices were ordained by the Emperor Theodosius (Cod. Theo. C. b. c. de feriis) and afterwards confirmed by Valentinian, as also by the Greek Emperor, Emanuel Comnenus, and still later, not only by the canon law, but likewise by the ordinances of the imperial chamber. Still more striking is the similitude between these two feasts, when we take notice of the manner in which the middle ages kept Christmas. The famous fool's feast, which, notwithstanding all the prohibitions of it by regents, councils, and popes, prevailed till towards the close of the 16th century, and of which some remains, even among the protestants, though principally in catholic countries, still exist, was commonly kept in the Christmas holidays, or at least it always fell between Christmas and Epiphany. The excesses and extravagancies which then took place much resembled those which prevailed at the Saturnalia. As at this the slaves acted the part of the master, and the master for this short time, even condescended to obey his slaves; so, at the fool's feast, bishops laid aside their dignity, and let themselves down to a level with their dependents. And as at the Saturnalia a king of the feast was chosen by lot, so, from among the inferior servants of the church, a fool-bishop, and even a fool-pope, were chosen, who mimicked all the religious functions of a bishop.** The mummery dances, pranks, tricks, and extravagancies, which went on at this feast, answer exactly to those of the Saturnalia, at which all sorts of folly and excess were equally privileged, as appears from Lucian. Even in the design and meaning of these feasts, there appear between them a similarity, which argues greatly for the retention of the customs of the Saturnalia by the Christians. The Saturnalia were an emblem of the golden age, when no distinction of rank divided man from man, while as yet per * Plin. Ep. 6. 7. Tu in schola revocas, ego adhuc Saturnalia extendo. Martial,5. epigr. 84. +Martial, c. 7. Ep. 28. 7. S. Wildvogelii Chronoscopia legalis, p. 279, 298. Du Fresne Glossar. v. Kalenda. For example, the usual disguises on Christmas nights, as angels, shepherds, &c. &c. and the visits which the Christmas-child, and the servant Ruprecht, make in houses where there are children; a custom which in our part of the world, particudaily in the country (and even in Berlin itself), is still very prevalent. Lucian. Satuin. c. 2. and 4. **In the midst of the festivity of the Saturnalia fell the feast of the Lares, see Macrob. Sat. c. 10. xi Kal. lan. viz. the 22 dez. At this feast the slaves represented the high priest (Dionys, Hal. 1. iv. p. m. 219). exactly as did the under servants of the church at the fool's feast. Also at the Saturnalia, the slaves put on their masters' clothes. Dio. Cass. 1. 60 p. 957. (de. Reim). fect |