At the side of a stone table, placed vertically, Holbein appears behind a curtain, which Death opens to him, to place before his eyes the great Spectacle of the Scenes of human Life that he is going to sketch. This is also expressed by an heap of the attributes of grandeur, dignities, riches, arts, and sciences, mixed with death-heads, which Death is trampling under his feet. Below is an epitaph from Lucan—_Mors sceptra ligonibus æquat. Death confounds the sceptre with the spade._ This table is topped with a medallion, with the portrait of Holbein. Two Genii support this medallion; the one surrounded with a garland of flowers, the other lets fly a butterfly, whilst a third is amusing himself with making soap bubbles. What these allegories mean is easily understood. PLANCHE I.—LE FRONTISPIECE. À côté d’une table de pierre posée verticalement, Holbein paroît derrière un rideau que la Mort lui ouvre, pour mettre sous ses yeux le grand Spectacle des Scènes de la Vie humaine qu’il va dessiner. Ce qui est encore désigné par un amas d’attributs de la grandeur, des dignités, des richesses, d’arts, de sciences, entremêlés de têtes de morts, et que la Mort elle-même foule à ses pieds. On lit au has cette épigraphe tirée de Lucain:—_Mors sceptra ligonibus æquat, La Mort confond la sceptre & la bêche._ Cette table est surmountée d’un médaillon avec le portrait de Holbein. Deux Génies soutiennent ce médaillon; l’un l’entoure d’une guirlan de defleurs, & l’autrelaisse échapper un papillon, tandis qu’un troisième s’amuse à faire des bulles de savon. On sent assez ce que signifient ces deux allégories. PLATE II.—SIN. Holbein has begun the scenes of life by that which had such influence on all the rest. The Mother of the human race holds in her right hand, the fatal apple, which she has just received from the serpent with a young man’s head; and Adam, at the same time, is plucking another, enticed by the solicitations of the too credulous Eve, who shews him the one she has received. [Illustration: _Quia audisti vocem uxoris tuæ, et comedisti de ligno, ex quo præceperam tibi ne comederes, &c. Gen. iii. 17._] PLANCHE II.—LE PECHE. Holbein a commencé ces scènes de la vie par celle qui eut tant d’influence sur toutes les autres. La Mère du genre humain, tient dans sa main droite, la pomme fatale qu’elle vient de recevoir du serpent à tête de jeune homme, & Adam en cueille en même tems une autre, excité par les sollicitations de la trop crédule Eve, qui lui montre celle qu’elle a reçue. PLATE III.—PUNISHMENT. Our first parents, driven out by the Angel, are flying from the terrestrial Paradise, preceded by Death, who is playing on the fiddle, and shews by dancing the joy he feels for his triumph. [Illustration: _Emisit eum Dominus Deus de Paradiso voluptatis, ut operaretur terram, de qua sumptus est. Gen. iii. 23._] PLANCHE III.—LA PUNITION.