It is time that we returned to the Paris etchings themselves, of which only one, _Le Petit Pont_ (plate 7), has hitherto been mentioned in our survey of the progress of Meryon’s work. The complete series as he published them himself, in three parts, between 1852 and 1854, consists of twenty-two etchings,[2] preceded by a portrait of Meryon etched by Bracquemond; not the half-length portrait, seated, with the hand resting on the back of a chair (plate 1),[3] which was etched in 1853 (Beraldi 77), but the head in profile to the left (Beraldi 78), in imitation of an antique sculpture in relief, with the legend, composed and etched by Meryon himself, in 1854: Messire Bracquemond A peint en cette image Le sombre Meryon Au grotesque visage. Of the “cahiers” which were issued of the Paris set, containing this portrait, probably not one remains to-day intact. The twenty-two etchings by Meryon himself consisted of an etched title (plate 2) printed on grey, brown, blue or green paper (in which, it should be noticed, as well as in the address etched at the foot of each plate, the etcher calls himself Meryon, not Méryon), four small preliminary etchings, twelve important subjects, which bear numbers in the final state, which was not printed till 1861 and then in an edition of thirty only, and five more plates which were never numbered, and which, as regards size at least, must be counted as “minor” works, though they include _La Rue des Mauvais Garçons_ (plate 10), a plate to which posterity attaches a high value, if Meryon did not do so himself. Some of the minor etchings are so extremely rare that they must have been printed in small numbers and not generally included in the “cahier.” Several rather important etchings of Paris were done at a later date, and did not form part of the “Eaux-Fortes sur Paris” set. The dedication to Zeeman, “peintre des matelots” (plate 3), is in verses which express in simple language Meryon’s love and admiration for the master who had inspired his early efforts, concluding with the words:-- Mon maître et matelot, Renier toi que j’aime Comme un autre moi-même A revoir, à bientôt.