universally held to be the most successful of his many vignettes.
It has been truly said--in a recent excellent life of this artist
{10}--that it would be difficult to find in the whole of his works
two really greater than the "Alps at Daybreak," and the "Datur Hora
Quieti," in the former of these volumes. Almost equally beautiful
are the "Valombre Falls" and "Tornaro's misty brow." Of the "Italy"
set Mr. Ruskin writes:- "They are entirely exquisite; poetical in
the highest and purest sense, exemplary and delightful beyond all
praise." To such words it is not possible to add much. But it is
pretty clear that the poetical vitality of Rogers was secured by
these well-timed illustrations, over which he is admitted by his
nephew Mr. Sharpe to have spent about 7000 pounds, and far larger
sums have been named by good authorities. The artist received from
fifteen to twenty guineas for each of the drawings; the engravers
(Goodall, Miller, Wallis, Smith, and others), sixty guineas a plate.
The "Poems" and the "Italy," in the original issues of 1830 and
1834, are still precious to collectors, and are likely to remain so.
Turner also illustrated Scott, Milton, Campbell, and Byron; but this
series of designs has not received equal commendation from his
greatest eulogist, who declares them to be "much more laboured, and
more or less artificial and unequal." Among the numerous imitations
directly induced by the Rogers books was the "Lyrics of the Heart,"
by Alaric Attila Watts, a forgotten versifier and sometime editor of
"Annuals," but it did not meet with similar success.

Many illustrated works, originating in the perfection and
opportunities of engraving on metal, are necessarily unnoticed in
this rapid summary. As far, however, as book-illustration is
concerned, copper and steel plate engraving may be held to have gone
out of fashion with the "Annuals." It is still, indeed, to be found