CURRENT LITERATURE.
ART-BOOKS.
trade" upon the art of the goldsmith. Cellini had a wonderful power of graphic writing which makes his technical works most interesting to read, and which must make them highly valuable to those engaged in the arts he describes. ' Callas vast energy is set before us vividly, together with his extraordinary keenness for the work in hand, whether it be the setting of a jewel or the casting of a bronze colossus. In the translator's preface we are given a short but quite admirable criticism of Cellini's work. Mr. Ashbee draws a clear distinction between the design and the execution ; pointing out the defects of the former and the excellence of the latter. The work of translation has been admirably done, reproducing Cellini's racy style and picturesque imagery. In some of the descriptions of processes the measure- ments of time seem vague. For instance, he tells us to con- tinue an operation "for such time as you can say an Ave Maria." Mr. Ashbee has not attempted to estimate the length of Cellini's prayers. The volume, which has several illustrations, is most beautifully printed by Mr. Ashbee at Essex House, with the assistance of craftsmen who worked with William Morris at the Kelmscott Press.
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