In an old English baronial mansion several handsome girls are playfully defending themselves from the entrance of a pair of gay cavaliers on a ladder that rests against their chamber-window.

The instruments of their attack are flowers, with which they persistently pelt the new arrivals, while one of them is trying to strike the nearest with her fan, and another holds her little spaniel in her arms and watches the proceedings.  The old gardener, with his pruning-shears under his arm, and his costume - like that of the ardent cavaliers - of the time of Charles II, intently watches the struggle as he steadies the ladder which the young gallants are mounting; and a flock of doves appears to be more disturbed than the occupants of the larger dove - cote upon which the cavaliers are making their attack.  Faint heart never won fair lady. Mr. Horsley is a Royal Academician of note, who has been recognized also us an etcher.  His subjects are semi - historical genre.  He has painted “The Captivity of Mary, Queen of Scots,” “The Meeting of Lady Jane and Roger Ascham,” “A Scene from Don Quixote,” “The Jailer’s Daughter,” “A Page in Waiting,” “Covered Love,” “Coming down to Dinner,” and many other works, and is most successful, perhaps, with cavaliers and fashionable young ladies.  The picture herewith engraved does him full justice, and tell us a story of merry interest.  The old woman with her staff, in one corner, is stealing upon the intruders like a thief in the night.  But let the young people have a chance.  Mr. Horsley was born in 1817, and became academician in 1866.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE

Antique prints, etchings, engravings, and lithographs are printing processes which use steel, copper, stone or wood blocks or plates to produce a picture on paper.

Most antique prints and engravings, which are seen on the internet today, are bookplates.  Because they are pages from a book, there are multiple copies in existence.  This does not, however, mean that they are "reproductions" that have been printed recently.  Because they were, at some point, part of books, some have been preserved in excellent condition, while others show signs of age, as yellow spots or darkness on the edge of the page from being handled.

Engravings, lithographs, ect. are high quality pieces of art, as it took a highly trained artist many hours of work to produce one.  Although there may be multiple copies still in existence, the date of the item should be stated in the auction, thus giving the buyer an idea of it's age.