Insured must have an interest in the things Insured. INSUR- thought that ships would frequently be deserted in ANCE. times of danger, when they might be saved, and sometimes, perhaps, destroyed when there was no danger, if mariners, by insuring their wages, could divest themselves of all interest in the safe arrival of their ships at the ports of their destination. This, and another general rule, namely, that no wages can be claimed unless the voyage is completed, secure, as far as possible, the good conduct and fidelity of mariners. Since Statute 19 George II. c. 37. it is absolutely necessary, if the Policy be made upon any ship belonging to his Majesty, or any of his subjects, or upon goods laden in such ship, that the person Insured should have some valuable interest in the subject-matter of the Insurance. Where the Insured has no interest, the Policies are called wager or gaming Policies, and in the cases specified above are void. The Underwriters are not permitted to Insure themselves against loss, by way of hedging. Such a Reassurance practice is called Reassurance, and is forbidden by Statute. Double Assurance is where the Insured Insures himself twice over with two sets of Underwriters; in which case he can only recover to the extent of his real interest; and if he recovers the whole from one set of Underwriters, they may call upon the other set for contribution. If a particular value is set upon the Valued thing Insured, the Policy is called a Valued Policy, and Policy. in case of a total loss, the whole sum must be paid by the Underwriters; but if no value is agreed upon, the OpenPolicy. Policy is called an Open Policy, and the Insured can only recover to the extent of the loss which he can prove that he has sustained. In cases of Valued Policies, if the Underwriter can prove that the value agreed on is fraudulently greater than the real value, the Policies are considered mere cloaks for wager or gaming Policies, and are void accordingly, the Insured not being allowed to recover even the amount of the real value. Double Assurance. Ports. ii. As to the port of the ship's departure and of her destination. It is the duty of the Insured to proceed on the specific voyage by the regular and most usual course. Any voluntary departure from this course, which Deviation. departure is technically called DEVIATION, though it be but for a single hour, releases the Underwriter from his liability. Therefore if the ship returns to her proper course and is lost, although the loss cannot be attributed to the deviation, yet the Insured cannot recover; inasmuch as from the moment when the deviation commenced, all claim under the Policy was gone for ever. If a deviation is designed, and the loss happens before the design is begun to be carried into execution, the Underwriter is liable. But if an entirely different voyage is substituted for the voyage Insured, and there is no intention of proceeding to the original port of destination, (and this can usually be detected by the ship's papers,) the Underwriter is discharged; although the loss happens while the ship is on the precise spot, where she would regularly have been if she had been proceeding to her original port. This may frequently be the case, when the original and substituted voyage lie for a certain distance upon the same track. Deviations may be excused under the plea of necessity, as, for instance, if the ship be driven from her course by stress of weather, or be obliged to put into a port out of her proper course, for the sake of undergoing repair. iii. As to the time when the risk is to commence and to end little need be said. It must always be decided by the particular circumstances of each case, whether or no the loss occurs during the period for Time. ANCE. which the Underwriter has agreed to become responsi- INSURble. In practice it is usual to Insure goods from the time of their lading to the time of their delivery, and to Insure ships either simply from the port where they are lying, or at and from that port, until they have been anchored a certain number of hours in safety at the port of their destination. iv. As to the hazards which the Underwriter takes Hazards. upon himself. The usual clause in Policies, enumerating these hazards, is as follows: "Touching the adventures and perils which we the Assurers are contented to bear, and do take upon us in this voyage, they are of the seas, men of war, fire, enemies, pirates, rovers, thieves, jettisons, letters of mart and countermart, surprizals, takings at sea, arrests, restraints, and detainments of all kings, princes, and people of what nation, condition, or quality soever, barratry of the master and mariners, and of all other perils, losses, and misfortunes that have or shall come to the hurt, detriment, or damage of the said goods and merchandizes and ship, &c. or any part thereof. And in case of any loss or misfortune, it shall be lawful to the assured, their factors, servants, and assigns, to sue, labour, and travel for in and about the defence, safeguard, and recovery of the said goods and merchandize, and ship, &c. or any part thereof, without prejudice to this Insurance, to the charges whereof we the Assurers will contribute each one according to the rate and quantity of his sum assured." The only terms which do not sufficiently explain themselves, are Jettison, People, and Barratry. Jettison Jettison. is the throwing overboard of the cargo or stores of the ship, in order to preserve her in times of difficulty and danger. It is a general principle of maritime law, the earliest knowledge of which is traced back to the Laws of Rhodes, that when the goods of one man are sacrificed under such circumstances to secure. the property of the rest, the loss shall be equally divided among all the persons whose property was endangered, including the person whose goods were sacrificed, in proportion to their several interests in the ship, the freight, and the cargo. This contribution is called General average. If General A Insures his goods, and the goods of B are thrown average. overboard, A may come upon the Underwriter for the proportion which he was obliged to contribute. People People. does not mean an unauthorized mob, but the established Government of the State. BARRATRY of the master Barratry and mariners (of which we have given a short separate notice) includes every act done by them of a fraudulent or criminal nature, tending to their own benefit and to the prejudice of the owners of the ship, without their consent or privity. We may here remark, that the expenses incurred in "sueing, labouring, and travelling for, in and about the defence, safeguard, and recovery of the goods, merchandize, and ship, &c." includes the payment which is called Salvage. Salvage is Salvage. an allowance made for saving a ship or goods from the dangers of the seas, fire, pirates, or enemies. This is an allowance to which the preservers of such property are entitled by the general Law of all maritime States. Its amount must generally depend on the labour and danger which the salvors have undergone. Sometimes the amount is determined by the Court of Admiralty; in cases of wreck by three Justices of the Peace; and in cases of recapture from an enemy by Act of Parliament; if the recapture is made by a King's ship oneeighth of the value being allowed, and one-sixth if by a privateer or other ship. Partial losses. Particular average. Total losses. ment. Partial losses are technically called Averages, and are of two kinds, General average and Particular average. General average is explained above under the word Jettison. Particular average takes place when part of the thing Insured is lost, or when the whole or part of the thing is damaged. The mode of calculating the quantum to be paid by the Underwriter in cases of particular average is as follows. The price which the goods would have fetched at the port of delivery, if they had arrived safe, is compared with the price which they do fetch in their damaged state. Suppose the difference is one-fourth. Then the Underwriter has to pay one-fourth of the prime cost which was given for the goods at the port of lading; or if a value has been set upon them in the Policy, one-fourth of that value. The liability of the Underwriter is wholly independent of the goodness or badness of the market at the port of delivery. Recourse is merely had to the prices of that market for the purpose of ascertaining the proportion of the damage. Total losses are settled in the same way. The Insured cannot call upon the Underwriter to make good a total Abandon loss, without abandoning to him all his (the Insured's) interest in the subject-matter of the Insurance. The Underwriter thus stands in the place of the Insured, and if the whole or any part of the thing Insured be afterwards saved, he is entitled to it. For Insurance is a mere contract of indemnity, and the Insured is never allowed to retain both the Underwriter's money and the goods. Thus if a ship be captured, the owner may abandon (which is a technical term) his claim, and the Underwriter must pay for a Total loss. But if afterwards it be retaken, the Underwriters and not the owners may claim it on paying to the recaptors the salvage settled by law. Total loss is in many instances an inaccurate expression; for the right of abandonment may frequently be exercised, although the thing Insured be still in existence. Thus, if the object of the voyage be so far defeated as not to be worth further pursuit; if the salvage and other expenses be very high; if the Underwriter refuse to be answerable for those expenses; in these and similar cases the owner may abandon a claim for a Total loss. The following clause, limiting the liability of the Underwriter in certain cases, is inserted into all Policies. “Nota Bene. Corn, fish, salt, fruit, flour, and seed, are warranted free from Average unless General, or the ship be stranded; sugar, tobacco, hemp, flax, hides, and skins, are warranted free from Average, under five pounds per cent. And all other goods, also the ship and freight, are warranted free of Average, under three pounds per cent., unless General or the ship be stranded." Premium. Return. v. As to the Premium. The amount of the Premium of course depends upon the nature of the risk. It is frequently agreed between the parties that a certain portion of the Premium shall be returned in case a particular event happens. Thus, in time of war, as the danger is much diminished by sailing under convoy, a Premium large enough to cover the risk without a convoy is paid to the Underwriter, under a stipulation, that if the ship sails with convoy, he shall return a specified proportion. A return of Premium must also be sometimes made, although there is no previous stipulation to that effect. If a certain sum is Insured on goods, which are expected from such a port, and no goods, or goods of a less value, are sent, the whole or a proportionate part of the Premium must be returned. If at the time of the effecting of the Insurance, the Underwriter knows that the ship has arrived safe at her destination, and conceals that circumstance, he may be compelled to return the Premium. Again, if the risk Insured against is never hazarded, for instance, if the voyage is not commenced, the Premium must be returned. INSURANCE. which Poli cies are Fraud. The Policy is sometimes void ab initio, as in the Causes by cases of Fraud and Illegality. Fraud consists, 1st, in Misrepresentation, which may avoided. be wilful, and in this case the Policy is void, whether it be material or immaterial that the Underwriter should Misrepreknow the fact misrepresented, in order to enable him to sentation. estimate the nature of the risk; or it may be made under a mistake, in which case the Policy is void, only if the fact misrepresented be material; 2dly, in the ConcealConcealment of some material fact. The mere omission ment. to mention something which does not in any way affect the nature of the risk does not vitiate the Policy. It is always the province of the Jury to decide whether the misrepresentation was wilful or proceeded from mistake, and whether under the circumstances of the case the fact misrepresented or omitted to be mentioned, was material or immaterial. Nations. Illegality consists, 1st, in a breach of the Law of Illegality. nations; 2dly, in a breach of the Laws peculiar to England. 1st. By the Law of Nations, neutrals are Breach of forbidden to import ammunition, warlike stores, provi- Law of sions, or any other goods into besieged cities, camps, and fortresses. Therefore Insurances upon ships or goods destined for such a voyage are absolutely void. 2dly. Wager or Gaming Policies, or by way of Reassur- Of Law of ance, and Policies upon the wages of mariners are, as England. has been elsewhere shown, against the Law of England, and consequently are void. Voyages undertaken contrary to the provisions of our Navigation Laws, and smuggling voyages, with intent to defraud the Revenue, cannot be made the subjects of Insurance: but we may remark, that a voyage undertaken by a British subject in defiance of the Revenue Laws of a foreign Country is not considered illegal, and that the money Insured on such voyages may be recovered in our Courts of Justice. For by the Law of Nations one State is not bound to take notice of the regulations which another State may adopt for the protection of its own revenue. Lastly, by the Law of England, no British subject may, in time of war, trade with an enemy without the King's License, or carry on any trade contrary to the King's Proclamation. For in time of war the Royal Proclamation has on these subjects the effect of a Law, by means of which the Sovereign may lay an embargo on such ports, and may prohibit the exportation or importation of such goods as shall be required by the urgency of the times. Policies effected on voyages undertaken in opposition to these Laws and Proclamations are void ab initio, on the ground of illegality. The Policy is sometimes valid in its first creation, but the Underwriter is afterwards discharged from his liability upon it by extraneous circumstances; of which deviation and the non-compliance with Warranties on the part of the Insured are of the most usual occurrence. Deviation has been already explained. War- Warranties ranties are either express or implied. That the ship was safe or in a certain latitude on a particular day; that she is the property of neutrals; that she shall sail with con ANCE. INSUR- voy; that she shall sail before a given day; are instances of Warranties which are frequently expressed in Policies. It is a universal rule, that Warranties, both express and implied, must be strictly observed, in default of which the Underwriter is discharged. In all Policies of Insurance there is an implied Warranty of the greatest moment, namely, that the vessel is sea-worthy, that she shall be supplied with the necessary stores and rigging for the voyage, and that she shall be provided with a captain and crew of sufficient numbers, experience, and skill. If the ship be lost or damaged, and it can be proved that at the time when she commenced her voyage she was not in a condition to outlive it, the loss must fall upon the Insured, even although the defects were hard to be discovered, and, in point of fact, were unknown at the time. The Insured has always the means within his power of ascertaining whether the ship be sea-worthy or not, and he ought not to send her to sea without having her accurately surveyed and substantially repaired. Humanity requires this at his hands; and justice ordains, that if he send out his vessel to certain destruction, he shall have no claim upon the Underwriter, who merely contracted to indemnify him against a contingency. Life Insurance. Origin, A. D. 1706. II. Life Insurance.-An Insurance upon Life is a contract by which the Underwriter, for a certain sum proportioned to the age, health, profession, and other circumstances of that person whose life is the subject of Insurance, engages to pay a certain sum of money if the person die within the time limited in the Policy. Of the principles upon which these Insurances are calculated, we have already spoken under ANNUITIES, SO that we shall confine ourselves at present to their legal regulations. The advantages to be derived from this kind of Insurance had become so notorious in the reign of Queen Anne, that the then Bishop of Oxford, Sir Thomas Allen, and some other gentlemen, applied to her Majesty to obtain a Charter for incorporating themselves and their successors. In the year 1706, in consequence of this application, the Amicable Society was duly incorporated. Since that time numerous other Companies and Societies have been established. Private Underwriters may also enter into Policies of this nature. Life Insurances have been forbidden by the Laws of France and of many other foreign States, as being of a gambling nature, and opening the door to a variety of frauds and abuses. Regulated. The practice of gambling upon the lives of others had once become prevalent in England, but now, by Statute 14 George III. c. 48., "all Insurances wherein the person, for whose use and benefit, or on whose account such Policies should be made, shall have no interest, or by way of gaming or wagering," are declared absolutely void; and by the same Statute it is enacted that if persons shall Insure to a greater amount than their real interest, they shall not be able to recover the excess. If A owes B a sum of money or an annuity, B may Insure the amount of the debt, or the value of the annuity; but if the debt be in itself illegal, as for instance a debt incurred at an illegal game, it is not an Insurable interest. If the debt is satisfied after the death of the debtor, either by his executor, or by any other person, the creditor cannot recover the amount of his Insurance from the Underwriters: for Insurance is merely a contract of indemnity, and it must not be turned into a handle to enable creditors to obtain payment of their debts twice over. This was settled in the case of one of the creditors of Mr. Pitt, who after having been paid INSURout of the fund granted by Parliament for the liquida- ANCE tion of the debts of that gentleman, brought an action against the Pelican Insurance Company to recover the amount of the debt which he had insured, but judg ment was given against him. sured. When a proposal is made for an Insurance, the Com- Information panies generally require information on the following to be given points; viz. the name and residence of the party by by the In whom the proposal is made; the name, residence, and profession of the person, and, in case of survivorship, of each person whose life is intended to be Insured; the place and date of birth, and age on the next birthday; the sum to be Insured, and for what length of time; whether the person be afflicted with gout, asthma, spitting of blood, or any other disorder which tends to shorten life; whether the person has had the small or cow pox; and the names of one or more persons to be referred to respecting the present and general state of health of the life to be Insured, one of which persons is generally required to be the usual medical attendant of the party. In the contract of Insurance the most perfect good faith is always required; therefore if there is any concealment or misrepresentation on the above, or any other points, the Policy is absolutely void; provided that the circumstance concealed or misrepresented be material to be disclosed. A bona fide mistake on an immaterial point will not vitiate the policy. The question of mala fides and materiality is always to be decided by the Jury. It is frequently provided in the Policy that it shall be- Conditions. come void if the person go beyond the limits of Europe, or die upon the high seas, (except in his Majesty's packets passing between Great Britain and Ireland,) unless permission shall have been granted by the Underwriters on payment of an adequate premium; and that assurances made by parties on their own lives will be void, if they die by the hands of justice, by duelling, or by suicide. The established Companies will, however, sometimes, if the families of such persons are left in pecuniary distress, make some allowance in respect of the Policies. But this is entirely voluntary, and the amount to be allowed is quite optional. In cases of doubt, as where the person whose life was Insured went to sea, and was not again heard of, it is for the Jury to say whether the death happened during the time for which the life was Insured. Of course if the death happens after that time, the Underwriters are discharged; even although it is occasioned by a mortal wound, inflicted during the period. Last of all, we may remark upon this head that Warranties must be strictly complied with. III. Fire Insurance.-Insurance against fire is a Fire Insurcontract by which the Insurer undertakes, in considera- ance. tion of the premium, to indemnify the person Insured against all loss and damage which may happen to the thing Insured by means of fire, within the time limited in the Policy, and to the amount of the sum of money therein expressed. The usual premium on dwelling- Premium. houses, and other ordinary risks, is one shilling and sixpence for every £100 Insured. Fraud and misrepresentation vitiate these Policies in the same way that they vitiate Policies on ships or lives; therefore, it is essentially necessary that every circumstance tending to increase or vary the hazard should be fairly stated. The Companies usually stipulate that they will not be Conditions. Civil commotion. INSUR answerable for any loss or damage by fire, occasioned ANCE. by invasion, foreign enemy, Civil commotion, riot, or INSURGE any military or usurped power whatsoever. The meaning of the term Civil commotion came before the Court of King's Bench while Lord Mansfield was Chief Justice. The question was, whether the riots, which took place in the year 1780, could be called a Civil commotion, and it was decided that they were well expressed under that denomination. The term usurped power has been held not to include a mob which was raised on account of the high price of provisions: and, therefore, the Underwriters were held liable for the fires occasioned by that mob. We may remark, however, that the term "Civil commotion" was not made use of in that Policy. Usurped power. There must be actual ignition to enable the Insured to recover; for where there had been damage merely by heat in the chimney of a sugar-house running to the top, by negligently lighting the fire without opening the register at the top, the Court held that the Insured could not recover. Companies usually reserve to themselves the right of either paying the sum of money mentioned in the Policy, or replacing the property which may be destroyed by fire. It is unnecessary here to go through all the usual conditions contained in Policies; as every person who is Insured ought to make himself well acquainted with the conditions of his own Policy. Policies are not assignable without the consent of the Underwriters. fire. ANCE - We may here, however, notice a fact which is not gene- INSURrally known, namely, that it has been frequently decided in our Courts of Law, that tenants who undertake gene- INTAGLIA rally to repair are liable to make good all losses which are occasioned by fire. Tenants should therefore either Liability of protect themselves against this liability by a special tenants to agreement in their leases, or Insure the property which make good losses by they hold with some of the Fire Insurance Companies. Marshall, Treatise on Law of Insurance, 1727, 7th Ed. 1809; Corbyn Morris, Essay towards illustrating the Science of Insurance, 1747; Magens, Essay on Insurance, translated from the German, 1755; Cunningham, Law of Insurance, 1766, 6th Ed. 1778; Parker, Law of Shipping and Insurances, 1774; Walters, Tables of Insurance, 1779; Weskett, Digest of the Theory, Law, and Practice of Insurance, 1781; Millar, (John,) Elements of the Law relating to Insurances, 1787; Park, (James Allen,) System of the Law of Marine Insurance, 1787, 6th Ed. 1809, the best Work on the subject; Evans, W.D., Essays on the Action for Money had and received on the Law of Insurances, 1802; Montefiori, Commercial and Notarial Precedents, 1801; Annesley, Compendium of the Law of Marine Insurances, 1808; Marryatt, Joseph, Speech in the House of Commons on Mr. Manning's Motion respecting Marine Insurance, 1810; Id. Observations on the Report of the Committee on Marine Insurance, 1810; Gregson, Fires of London, 1812; Stevens, Essay on Average, 1813. INSU'RGE, INSURGENT, Fr. insurger; It. insurgere; Lat. insurgere; in, and surINSURRECTION,gere, to rise, sursum regere, or INSURRECTIONARY. erigere; to raise up. To rise or raise; insurgent and insurrection are generally applied when the rising is against established authority. It is the deuilishe sort of men that insourgeth and reiseth garboile against the veritie, whiche thei deadly hate and cannot abyde. Udall. Luke, ch. xxiii. What mischief hath insurged in realmes by intestine deuision. Hall. Henry IV. Introduction. After that the Kinges highnes was credebly certefied of this new insurged insurrection, he makyng no delay in so weightie a matter, caused with al spede the Dukes of Norfolke & Suffolke, &c. Id. Henry VIII. The twenty-eighth Yere. In the beginning of his raigne he subdued many countries that rebelled, and suppressed manye insurrections euen in the very rising. Arthur Goldyng. Justine, fol. 51. Our people here at home grown discontent, Daniel. History of Civil Wars, book i. It was not possible then, to form a judgment of that insurrection, (in the Cevennes) the reports about it were so various and uncertain, it being as much magnified by some, as it was undervalued by others. Burnet. Own Times. Queen Anne, Anno 1703. His voice like thunder will support her cause, Falconer. The Demagogue. The author writes, that, on their murderous msurrectionary system their own lives are not sure for an hour, nor has their power a greater stability. Burke. Works, vol. ix. p. 44. On a Regicide Peace. INSURMOUNTABLE, also written Unsurmount able; Fr. insurmountable; in, privative, and surmountable, from surmount; Fr. surmonter, from sur, (i. e. supra,) upwards, over, and monter, to rise or ascend; Lat. mons. That cannot be ascended, climbed, or passed, cannot be overcome. Doubtless they saw in the attempt [to convert the people beyond the Rhine] insurmountable difficulties, either from the diversity of language, or the ferocity of these nations so remote from Christian mildness. Jortin. Remarks on Ecclesiastical History, vol. iii. p. 290. The face of the mountain towards the sea is already by nature, or soon will be by art, an insurmountable precipice. INSUSCEPTIBLE, Swinburne. Spain, let. 8. In, privative, and suscepINSUSCEPTIVE. Stible, q. v. Also written Unsusceptible, q. v. Lat. in, and suscipere, sursum cupere, to take up. Used actively, as insusceptive. That cannot, or may not, take, that cannot, or may not, admit or allow. It is not altogether insusceptible of mutation, but a friend to it. Holland. Plutarch, fol. 854. Creation of the Soul. All this had no effect; the sailor was wholly insusceptive of the softer passions, and, without regard to tears or arguments, persisted in his resolution to make me a man. INTA'GLIA, or INTA'GLIO, INTAGLIATED. Johnson. The Rambler, No. 198. It. intagliare, (to cut or carve -into) in, and tagliare, to cut; Lat. Talea, id quod ab arbore deciditur, ut in solo depangatur ac plantetur; that Definition. Antiquity of engraved Gems. Hebrew. Egyptian. Ethiopian. Indian. In the arable grounds towards Barton, lying on a bed of stone, has been found a species of astroite, or starry-stone, very beautiful, deeply intagliated, or engraven like a seal, and striated from the prominent pentagonal edges above, to a centre in the bottom. Warton. History of Kiddington, p. 25. INTAGLIO is used to distinguish those Gems which are engraved, or in which the figures are sunken, (called by the French " en creux,") from those in which the images are in relief, now generally denominated Camei, Cameos, or CAMAIEUX. Under this last head we have already mentioned a few particulars of the History of Gem-engraving, which it will be necessary in part to allude to here also. The use of engraved stones for seals is of very high antiquity, and it is probable that the Kings and Rulers amongst the most ancient nations employed sealrings, or signets, for the purpose of giving solidity to their decrees or public ordinances; indeed the Old Testament abounds in notices of the general use of such rings, and it will be sufficient to refer the reader to the sacred writings as the highest authority for this practice amongst the most important personages of the East. We shall confine ourselves to two instances, which are the most ancient: first, where Tamar desired a pledge from Judah by which she might know him at any future period, he gave her at her own request his signet, n, his bracelets, &c. ; the next is in the description of the breastplate forming a part of the sacerdotal costume; we are told, "the stonest were according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet, every one with his name, &c." There are but few specimens of Camei amongst the works of Egyptian Art, and the greater part of those in existence are in the form of a scarabæus, or beetle, the symbol of immortality, and the image of the Sun: a great variety of stones were used by the Egyptians for this purpose, as Jasper, Emerald, Basalt, Porphyry, &c. A careful observer will distinguish between works really Egyptian, and those of a later period, either Græco-Egyptian, or Roman-Egyptian, by which latter term may be understood the imitations made in the time of Hadrian. The Ethiopians, according to Herodotus, were acquainted with the Art of engraving stones for seals, but it is probable that their knowledge was derived from the Egyptians. Perhaps no Country can lay stronger claim to the antiquity of engraving on stones than India, and specimens of this Art, of an extremely remote date, have been found in many parts. It will be remembered, also, that India produces all the materials most esteemed by the Ancients and Moderns for the Art of Gem-engraving; the Diamond, Onyx, Sardonyx, indeed all the most precious IN stones were found in the earliest times in that Country; and it is highly probable that they were used for en- TAGLIO. graving there long before the inhabitants of other Countries adopted them: in what manner, or at what time, any knowledge possessed by the Indians spread to other nations, is a question of some difficulty, and its consideration would naturally occupy more space than could be conveniently devoted to it in our pages. The use of seals and particular devices in Greece Grecian. seems to be of early date, but it is not very easy to deter mine at what period they began to practise engraving on fine stones: it has been supposed, that, as Homer does not refer to seals, the Art cannot date earlier than his time. At a later period of the History of this enlightened people, we find they carried their Gemengraving to the same point of excellence which they reached in other branches of the fine Arts; at first, indeed, it is said that a piece of corroded or worm eaten wood was used for a seal; and Winckelman mention of wood perforated and eaten by the worm. But tions a Gem in the Stosch collection, engraved in imitathe genius of this great people was not confined to elegance of feeling and refinement of taste which disengraving mere family or official seals. Led by that beautiful subjects and compositions, and executed tinguished all their pursuits, they invented the most them with a felicity and skill which makes them, in their class, equally valuable with the more extensive productions of their artists in marble and bronze. We purposely omit the insertion here of a list of the artists of Greece and Asia Minor who were distinguished for their skill in Gem-engraving; it must be observed, also, that the most learned antiquaries have disagreed respecting the dates, and even the names of those to whom some of the finest of such works have been attributed. Though there is authority for believing that rings Roman. History, it does not appear that the custom of wearing were used by the Romans at an early period of their them was general till a comparatively late date: at any in them, bearing any devices, which would render them rate we have no account of engraved stones being set important as works of Art.* Under Augustus appear the names of some artists of high celebrity in Gemengraving; it will be sufficient to cite that of Dios corides, who held the same distinguished rank in his profession under that Emperor, which Pyrgoteles did under Alexander the Great. Several of the works of Dios corides remain, and have been engraved in the Stosch and other collections. The Ancients, curious and in terested in all fine productions of Art, collected with particular care the best specimens of Gems; and it is well known that some of the most illustrious men of antiquity left their collections to the Public. Pompey placed in the Capitol those which had been found among the spoils of Mithridates; Julius Cæsar, in like manner, dedicated his collection to Venus Genitrix, and placed them for security in the Temple of that Goddess. Pliny, who has given some highly interesting notices of the materials used for Gem engraving, as well as of the artists who were most celebrated in it, enumerates also those amongst the Romans who were distinguished for their taste and magnificence in forming collections; and it is remarkable, but not the less *Pliny (xxxiii. 1.) may be consulted on the passion for rings amongst the Romans at a later period. C |