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f MSS。； and on his return； by way of completing his education； he turned journalist； and commenced a periodical called the /Cassel Spectator/； with Mauvillon as his co…editor。 In 1775 he was travelling in Italy on a commission to collect articles of vertu for the landgrave； and it was apparently soon after his return that he began appropriating to his own use valuable coins abstracted from the cabinets entrusted to his care。 He had no difficulty in finding a market for the antiques which he wished to dispose of； and which； it has been charitably suggested； he had every intention of replacing whenever opportunity should serve。 His consequent procedure was； it is true； scarcely that of a hardened criminal。 Having obtained the permission of the landgrave to visit Berlin； he sent the keys of his cabinet back to the authorities at Casseland disappeared。 His thefts； to the amount of two thousand rixdollars； were promptly discovered； and advertisements were issued for the arrest of the Councillor Raspe； described without suspicion of flattery as a long…faced man； with small eyes； crooked nose； red hair under a stumpy periwig； and a jerky gait。 The necessities that prompted him to commit a felony are possibly indicated by the addition that he usually appeared in a scarlet dress embroidered with gold； but sometimes in black； blue； or grey clothes。 He was seized when he had got no farther than Klausthal； in the Hartz mountains； but he lost no time in escaping from the clutches of the police； and made his way to England。 He never again set foot on the continent。
He was already an excellent English scholar； so that when he reached London it was not unnatural that he should look to authorship for support。 Without loss of time； he published in London in 1776 a volume on some German Volcanoes and their productions； in 1777 he translated the then highly esteemed mineralogical travels of Ferber in Italy and Hungary。 In 1780 we have an interesting account of him from Horace Walpole； who wrote to his friend； the Rev。 William Mason： 〃There is a Dutch s？avant come over who is author of several pieces so learned that I do not even know their titles： but he has made a discovery in my way which you may be sure I believe； for it proves what I expected and hinted in my 'Anecdotes of Painting；' that the use of oil colours was known long before Van Eyck。〃 Raspe； he went on to say； had discovered a MS。 of Theophilus； a German monk in the fourth century； who gave receipts for preparing the colours； and had thereby convicted Vasari of error。 〃Raspe is poor； and I shall try and get subscriptions to enable him to print his work； which is sensible； clear； and unpretending。〃 Three months later it was； 〃Poor Raspe is arrested by his /tailor/。 I have sent him a little money； and he hopes to recover his liberty； but I question whether he will be able to struggle on here。〃 His 〃Essay on the Origin of Oil Painting〃 was actually published through Walpole's good service in April 1781。 He seems to have had plans of going to America and of excavating antiquities in Egypt； where he might have done good service； but the bad name that he had earned dogged him to London。 The Royal Society struck him off its rolls； and in revenge he is said to have threatened to publish a travesty of their transactions。 He was doubtless often hard put to it for a living； but the variety of his attainments served him in good stead。 He possessed or gained some reputation as a mining expert； and making his way down into Cornwall； he seems for some years subsequent to 1782 to have been assay…master and storekeeper of some mines at Dolcoath。 While still at Dolcoath； it is very probable that he put together the little pamphlet which appeared in London at the close of 1785； with the title 〃Baron Munchausen's Narrative of his Marvellous Travels and Campaigns in Russia；〃 and having given his /jeu d'esprit/ to the world； and possibly earned a few guineas by it； it is not likely that he gave much further thought to the matter。 In the course of 1785 or 1786； he entered upon a task of much greater magnitude and immediate importance； namely； a descriptive catalogue of the Collection of Pastes and Impressions from Ancient and Modern Gems； formed by James Tassie； the eminent connoisseur。 Tassie engaged Raspe in 1785 to take charge of his cabinets； and to commence describing their contents： he can hardly have been ignorant of his employé's delinquencies in the past； but he probably estimated that mere casts of gems would not offer sufficient temptation to a man of Raspe's eclectic tastes to make the experiment a dangerous one。 Early in 1786； Raspe produced a brief but well…executed conspectus of the arrangement and classification of the collection； and this was followed in 1791 by 〃A Descriptive Catalogue；〃 in which over fifteen thousand casts of ancient and modern engraved gems； cameos； and intaglios from the most renowned cabinets in Europe were enumerated and described in French and English。 The two quarto volumes are a monument of patient and highly skilled industry； and they still fetch high prices。 The elaborate introduction prefixed to the work was dated from Edinburgh； April 16； 1790。
This laborious task completed； Raspe lost no time in applying himself with renewed energy to mineralogical work。 It was announced in the /Scots Magazine/ for October 1791 that he had discovered in the extreme north of Scotland； where he had been invited to search for minerals； copper； lead； iron； manganese； and other valuable products of a similar character。 From Sutherland he brought specimens of the finest clay； and reported a fine vein of heavy spar and 〃every symptom of coal。〃 But in Caithness lay the loadstone which had brought Raspe to Scotland。 This was no other than Sir John Sinclair of Ulbster； a benevolent gentleman of an ingenious and inquiring disposition； who was anxious to exploit the supposed mineral wealth of his barren Scottish possessions。 With him Raspe took up his abode for a considerable time at his spray…beaten castle on the Pentland Firth； and there is a tradition； among members of the family； of Sir John's unfailing appreciation of the wide intelligence and facetious humour of Raspe's conversation。 Sinclair had some years previously discovered a small vein of yellow mundick on the moor of Skinnet； four miles from Thurso。 The Cornish miners he consulted told him that the mundick was itself of no value； but a good sign of the proximity of other valuable minerals。 Mundick； said they； was a good horseman； and always rode on a good load。 He now employed Raspe to examine the ground； not designing to mine it himself； but to let it out to other capitalists in return for a royalty； should the investigation justify his hopes。 The necessary funds were put at Raspe's disposal； and masses of bright； heavy material were brought to Thurso Castle as a foretaste of what was coming。 But when the time came for the fruition of this golden promise； Raspe disappeared； and subsequent inquiries revealed the deplorable fact that these opulent ores had been carefully imported by the mining expert from Cornwall； and planted in the places where they were found。 Sir Walter Scott must have had the incident （though not Rasp