ly enjoined
in his will that this great collection should never be alienated, but
should descend through the Imhoff family as an honored possession. His
widow, however, speedily offered to sell the entire series to the
Emperor Rudolph, and it was soon broken up and dispersed. The Earl of
Arundel secured a great number of Duerer's drawings here, and carried
them to England. In 1637 Arundel bought a large folio containing
nearly 200 of these sketches, which was bequeathed to the British
Museum in 1753 by Sir Hans Sloane. The museum has now one of the best
existing collections of these works, some of which are of rare
interest and value, especially the highly finished water-colors and
pen-drawings.

The interesting sketch-books used by Duerer on his journeys to Venice
and to the Netherlands remained forgotten in the archives of a noble
Nuremberg family until within less than a century, when the family
became extinct, and its property was dispersed. They were then
acquired by the venerable antiquary Baron von Derschau, who sold them
to Nagler and Heller. Nagler's share was afterwards acquired by the
Berlin Museum; and Heller's was bequeathed to the library of Bamberg.

In 1504 Pirkheimer's wife Crescentia died in childbirth, after only
two years of married life. Her husband bore witness that she had never
caused him any trouble, except by her death; and engaged Duerer to make
a picture of her death-bed. This work was beautifully executed in
water-colors, and depicts the expiring woman on a great bedstead,
surrounded by many persons, among whom are Pirkheimer and his sister
Charitas, the Abbess, with the Augustinian Prior.

The exquisite copper-plate engraving of "The Nativity" dates from this
year, and shows the Virgin adoring the new-born Jesus, in the shelter
of a humble German house among massive ancient ruins, while Joseph is
drawing water from the well, and an old shepherd approaches the Child
on his knees. The "Adam and Eve" was also done on copper this year,
with the parents of all mankind, surrounded by animals, and standing
near the tree of knowledge, from which the serpent is delivering the
fatal apple to Eve.

In the same year Duerer painted a carefully wrought "Adoration of
the Kings," for the Elector Frederick the Wise of Saxony. It was
afterwards presented by Christian II. to the Emperor Rudolph, and is
now in the Uffizi, at Florence, which contains more pictures by
Duerer than any other gallery outside o