on of prints prepared by
the best artists of the 17th century by order of Louis XIV. These were
intended to commemorate the chief events of his reign, and also to
reproduce the paintings and sculptures and other art treasures contained in
the royal palaces. It was begun in 1667 and was placed under the
superintendence of Nicholas Clement (1647 or 1651-1712), the royal
librarian. The collection was published in 1727. The plates are now in the
Louvre. A "cabinet" edition [v.04 p.0918] of a literary work is one of
somewhat small size, and bound in such a way as would suit a tasteful
collection. The term is applied also to a size of photograph of a larger
size than the _carte de visite_ but smaller than the "panel." The political
use of the term is derived from the private chamber of the sovereign or
head of a state in which his advisers met.

_Cabinet in Furniture._--The artificer who constructs furniture is still
called a "cabinet-maker," although the manufacture of cabinets, properly so
called, is now a very occasional part of his work. Cabinets can be divided
into a very large number of classes according to their shape, style, period
and country of origin; but their usual characteristic is that they are
supported upon a stand, and that they contain a series of drawers and
pigeon-holes. The name is, however, now given to many pieces of furniture
for the safe-keeping or exhibition of valuable objects, which really answer
very little to the old conception of a cabinet. The cabinet represented an
evolution brought about by the necessities of convenience, and it appealed
to so many tastes and needs that it rapidly became universal in the houses
of the gentle classes, and in great measure took the impress of the peoples
who adopted it. It would appear to have originated in Italy, probably at
the very beginning of the 16th century. In its rudimentary form it was
little more than an oblong box, with or without feet, small enough to stand
upon a table or chair, filled with drawers and closed with doors. In this
early form its restricted dimensions permitted of its use only for the
safeguard of jewels, precious stones and sometimes money. One of the
earliest cabinets of which we have mention belonged to Francis I. of
France, and is described as covered with gilt leather, tooled with
mauresque work. As the Renaissance became general these early forms gave
place to larger, more elaborate and more architectural efforts, until the
cab