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THE
ENGLISH GARDEN.
BOOK THE FIRST.
[Price Two Shillings.]
THE
ENGLISH GARDEN:
OEM.
BOOK THE FIRST,
B Y
W. MASON, M. A.
THE THIRD EDITION.
A GARDEN IS THE PUREST OF HUMAN PLEASURES, IT IS THE GREATEST REFRESHMENT TO THE SPIRITS OF MAN ; WITHOUT WHICH BUILDINGS AND PALACES ARE BUT GROSS HANDY-WORKS. AND A MAN SHALL EVER SEE, THAT WHEN AGES GROW TO CIVILITY AND ELEGANCY, MEN COME TO BUILD STATELY, SOONER THAN TO GARDEN FINELY : AS IF GARDEN- ING WERE THE GREATER PERFECTION.
V E R U L A M .
LONDON PRINTED:
And Sold by J. DODSLEY, in Pall-Mail; T. CAD ELL, in the Strand; G. RILEY, in Curzon-Street ; and H. DENOYER, in Lifle-Streec: alfo by J. TODD, in York.
M.DCC.LXXVIII.
t
r/ -;-
T. H K
ENGLISH GARDEN.
BOOK THE FIRST.
TO thee, divine SIMPLICITY ! to thee, Beft arbitrefs of what is good and fair, This verfe belongs. O, as it freely flows, Give it thy powers of pleating : elfe in vain. It ftrives to teach the rules, from Nature drawn, 5
Which all mould follow, if they wi£h to add To Nature's carelefs graces ; lovelieft then-,;. When, o'er her form, thy eafy fkill has taught The robe of Spring in ampler folds to flow. Hafte Goddefs ! to the woods, the lawns, the vales -, 10
That lie in rude luxuriance, and but wait Thy call to bloom with beauty. I meanwhile, Attendant on thy flate ferene, will mark
B Its
2 THE ENGLISH GARDEN,
Its faery progrefs -, wake th' accordant firing ;
And tell how far, beyond the traniient glare 1 5
Of fickle fafhion, or of formal art,
Thy flowery works with charm perennial pleafe.
Ye too, ye fitter Powers ! that, at my birth, Aufpicious fmil'd -, and o'er my cradle drop'd Thofe magic feeds of Fancy, which produce 20
A Poet's feeling, and a Painter's eye, Gome to your votary's aid. For well ye know How foon my infant accents lifp'd the rhyme, How foon my hands the mimic colours fpread, And vainly hop'd to fnatch a double wreath 2 C
From Fame's unfading laurel : arduous aim ; Yet not inglorious -, nor perchance devoid Of fruitful ufe to this fair argument; If fo, with lenient fmiles, ye deign to chear, At * this fad hour, my defolated foul. 30
For
1 This poem was begun In the year 1767, not long after the death of the amiable perfon here mentioned.
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 3
For deem not ye that I refume the lyre
To court the world's applaufe : my years mature
Have learn'd to flight the toy. No, 'tis to footh
That agony of heart, which they alone,
Who befthave lov'd, who befl have been belov'd* 35
Can feel, or pity; fympathy fevere !
Which me too felt, when on her pallid lip
The laft farewell hung trembling, and befpoke
A wifh to linger here, and blefs the arms
She left for heaven. She died, and heav'n is hers ! 40
Be mine, the penfive folitary balm
That recollection yields. Yes, Angel pure !
While Memory holds her feat, thy image ftill
Shall reign, mail triumph there ; and when, as now,
Imagination forms a Nymph divine 45
To lead the fluent flrain ; thy modefl blu/h,
Thy mild demeanor, thy unpradtis'd fmile
Shall grace that Nymph, and fweet Simplicity
Be drefs'd (Ah meek MARIA !) in thy charms.
B 2 Begin
% THE ENGLISH G A R D'E N.
Begin the Song ! and ye of Albion's fons 50
.Attend; Ye freeborn, ye ingenuous few, Who heirs of competence, if not of wealth, Preferve that veftal purity of foul
• Whence genuine tafte proceeds. To you, bleft youths, I fing ; whether in academic groves 55
Studious ye rove, or, fraught with .learning's ftores, Vifit the Latian plain, fond to tranfplant Thofe arts which Greece did, with her Liberty, Refign to Rome. Yet know, the art I fing Ev.'n there ye fhall not learn. Rome knew it not 60
While Rome was free : Ah ! hope not then to find , In flavifh fuperftitious Rome the fair Remains. Meanwhile, of old and claflic aid Tho' fruitlefs be the fearch, your eyes entranc'd Shall catch thofe glowing fcenes, that taught a CLAUDE 65 To grace his canvafs with Hefperian hues, And fcenes like thefe, on Memory's tablet drawn, Bring back to Britain ; .there give local form To each Idea 5 and, if Nature lend
Materials
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 5
Materials fit of torrent, rock, and made, 70
Produce new TIVOLIS. But learn to rein,
O Youth ! whofe fkill efTays the arduous tafk,
That fkill within the limit fhe allows.
Great Nature fcorns controul : me will not bear
One beauty foreign to the fpot or foil 7$
She gives thee to adorn : 'tis thine alone
To mend, not change her features. Does her hand
Stretch forth a level lawn ? ah, hope not thou
To lift the mountain there. Do mountains frown
Around ? ah, wifh not there the level lawn. 80
Yet fhe permits thy art, difcreetly us'd,
To fmooth or fcoop the rugged and the plain.
But dare with caution ; elfe expect, bold man"!
The injur'd Genius of the place to rife
In felf-defence, and, like fome giant fiend 85
That frowns in Gothic flory, fwift deftroy,
By night, the puny labours of thy day.
What then muft he attempt, whom niggard fate Has iixt in fuch an inaufpicious fpot
As
6 THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
As bears no trace of beauty ? muft he fit 90
Dull and inactive in the defert wafte,
Since Nature there no happy feature wears
To wake and meet his ikill ? Believe the Mufe,
She does not know that inaufpicious fpot
Where Beauty is thus niggard of her ftore : 0,5
Believe the Mufe, thro' this terreftrial vail
The feeds of grace are fown, profufely fown,
Ev'n where we leaft may hope : the defert hills
Will hear the call of art ; the vallies dank
Obey her juft behefts, and fmile with charms 100
Congenial to the foil, and all its own.
For tell me, where's the defert ? there alone Where man refides not ; or, if chance refides, He is not there the man his maker form'd, Induftrious man, by heav'n's firft law ordain'd 10^
To earn his food by labour. In the wafte Place thou that man with his primaeval arms, His plough-ftiare, and his fpade j nor malt thou long
Im-
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 7
Impatient wait a change : the wafte mall fmile
With yellow harvefb -, what was barren heath ua.
Shall foon be verdant mead. Now then arife ;
Now let thy art, in union with his toil,
Exert its powers, and give, with varying fkill,
The foil, already tam'd, its finifli'd grace.
Nor lefs obfequious to the hand of toil, il$
If fancy guide that hand, will the dank vale Receive improvement meet : but Fancy here Muft lead, not follow Labour ; me muft tell In what peculiar place the foil mall rife,
Where fink ; prefcribe what form each fluice (hall wear, 123 And how direct its courfe j whether to fpread Broad as a lake, or, as a river pent By fringed banks, weave its irriguous way Thro' lawn and made alternate : for if She Prefide not o'er the tafk, the narrow drains 125
Will run in tedious parallel, or cut Each other in fharp angles j call her then
Swift
8 THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
Swift to thy aid, ere the remorfelefs fpade Too deeply wound the bofom of the foil.
Yet, in this lowly fite, where all that charms 130
Within itfelf muft charm, hard is the tafk Impos'd on Fancy. Hence with idle fear ! Is fhe not Fancy ? and can Fancy fail In fweet delufions, in concealments apt,
And wild creative power ? She cannot fail. 135
And yet, full oft, when her creative power, Her apt concealments, her delufions fweet Have been profufely lavifh'd ; when her groves Have fhot, with vegetative vigour ftrong, Ev'n to their wifh'd maturity ; when Jove 140
Has roll'd the changeful feafons o'er her lawns, And each has left a blefiing as it roll'd : Ev'n then, perchance, fome vain faftidious eye Shall rove unmindful of furrounding charms And afk for profpedt. Stranger ! 'tis not here. \A e
Go feek it on fome garifli turret's height ;
Seek
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 9
Seek it on Richmond's or on Windfor's brow ;
There gazing, on the gorgeous vale below,
Applaud befure, with famion'd pomp of phrafe,
The good and bad, which, in profufion, there 150
That gorgeous vale exhibits. Here meanwhile,
Ev'n in the dull, unfeen, unfeeing dell,
Thy tafte contemns, mall Contemplation imp
Her eagle plumes ; the Poet here mall hold
Sweet converfe with his Mufe; the curious Sage, 155
Who comments on great Nature's ample tome,
Shall find that volume here. For here are caves,
Where rife thofe gurgling rills, that fing the fong
Which Contemplation loves ; here fhadowy glades,
Where thro' the tremulous foliage darts the ray, 160
That gilds the Poet's day-dream ; here the turf
Teems with the vegetating race, the air
Is peopled with the infect tribes, that float
Upon the noontide beam, and call the fage
To number and to name them. Nor if here 165
The painter comes, fhall his enchanting art
C Go
io THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
Go back without a boon: for Nature here
Has with her living colours, form'd a fcene
Which RUISDALE befl might rival : Chryflal lakes,
O'er which the giant oak, himfelf a grove, 170
Flings his romantick branches, and beholds
His reverend image in th' expanfe below.
If diftant hills be wanting, yet our eye
Forgets the want, and with delighted gaze
Refts on the lovely foreground ; there applauds 17-5-
The art, which, varying forms and blending hues,
Gives that harmonious force of made and light,
Which makes the landfcape perfect. Art like this
Is only art, all elfe abortive toil.
Thou then, the docile pupil of my fong, 180
Attend; and learn how much on Painting's aid Thy fitter art depends : learn now its laws ; Their practice may demand a future ftrain.
Of Nature's various fcenes the painter culls That for his fav'rite theme, where the fair whole 185
> , Is
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. n
Is broken into ample parts, and bold j Where to the eye three well-mark'd diftances Spread their peculiar colouring. Vivid green, Warm brown and black opake the foreground bears Confpicuous ; fober olive coldly marks 19°
The fecond diftance ; thence the third declines In fofter blue, or lefs'ning ftill is loft In fainteft purple. When thy tafle is call'd To adorn a fcene where Nature's felf prefents All thefe diftinct gradations, then rejoice 195
As does the painter, and like him apply Thy colours ; plant thou on each feparate part Its proper foliage. Chief, for there thy {kill Has its chief fcope, enrich with all the hues That flowers, that (hrubs, that trees can yield, the fides 200 Of that fair path, from whence our fight is led Gradual to view the whole. Where'er thou wind'ft That path, take heed between the fcene, and eye, To vaiy and to mix thy chofen greens.
Here for a while with cedar or with larch, 205
C 2 That
12 THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
That from the ground fpread their clofe texture, hide
The view entire. Then o'er fome lowly tuft,
Where rofe and woodbine bloom, permit its charms
To burft upon the fight j now thro' a copfe
Of beech, that rear their fmooth and {lately trunks,,
Admit it partially, and half exclude,
And half reveal its graces : in this path,
How long foe'er the wanderer roves, each ftep
Shall wake frefh beauties •, each fhort point prefent
A different picture, new, and yet the fame. 21-5.
Yet fome there are who deem this precept vain, And fell each tree that intercepts the fcen«. O great POUSSIN ! O Nature's darling, CLAUDE ! What if fome ram and facrilegious hand
Tore from your canvafs thofe umbrageous pines 220
That frown in front, and give each azure hill The charm of contraft ! Nature fuffers here Like outrage, and bewails a beauty loft Which Time with tardy hand fhall late reflore.
Yet
THE ENGLISH GARDEN, rj
Yet here the fpoiler refls not; fee him rife 225
Warm from his devaflation, to improve,
For fo he calls it, yonder champian wide.
There on each bolder brow in fhapes acute
His fence he fcatters ; there the Scottifh fir
In murky file lifts his inglorious head, 230
And blots the fair horizon. So mould art
Improve thy pencil's favage dignity,
SALVATOR ! if where, far as eye can pierce,.
Rock pil'd on rock,, thy Alpine heights retire,
She flung her random foliage, and difturb'd 23.5
The deep repofe of the majeftic fcene..
This deed were impious. Ah, forgive the though t^.
Thou more than painter, more than poet ! HE,
Aloae thy equal, who was " Fancy's child J*
Does then the Song forbid the planter's hand 240
To clothe the difiant hills, and veil with woods Their barren fummits ? No, but it forbids AH poverty of clothing. Rich the robe,
And
*i4 THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
And amply let it flow, that Nature wears
On her thron'd eminence : where'er me takes 245
Her horizontal march, purfue her ftep
With fweeping train of foreft ; hill to hill
Unite with prodigality of made.
There plant thy elm, thy chefnut; nourim there
Thofe fapling oaks, which, at Britannia's call, 250
May heave their trunks mature into the main,
And float the bulwarks of her liberty :
But if the fir, give it its ftation meet ;
Place it an outgard to th' afiailing north,
To fhield the infant fcions, till polTeft 255
Of native ftrength, they learn alike to fcorn
The blaft and their protestors. Fofter'd thus,
The cradled hero gains from female care
His future vigor; but, that vigor felt,
He fprings indignant from his nurfe's arms, 260
He nods the plumy creft, he (hakes the fpear,
And is that av/ful thing which heav'n ordain'd
The fcourge of tyrants, and his country's pride.
Jf
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 15
If then thou ftill art dubious how to treat
Nature's negleded features, turn thy eye 265
To thofe, the maflers of correct defign,. Who, from her vail variety, have cull'd The lovelieft, boldeft parts, and new arrang'd > Yet, as herfelf approv'd, herfelf infpir'd.
In their immortal works thou ne'er malt find 270
Dull uniformity, contrivance quaint, Or labour'd littlenefs; but contrails broad, And carelefs lines, whofe undulating form Plays thro' the varied canvafs : thefe tranfplant Again on Nature ; take thy plaftic fpade, 275
It is thy pencil ; take thy feeds, thy plants,. They are thy colours ; and by thefe repay With intereit every charm me lent thy art.
But, while I thus to Imitation's realm
Direct thy flep, deem not I lead thee wrong; 280
Nor afk, why I forget great Nature's fount, And bring thee not the bright infpiring cup
From
16 THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
From her original fpring ? Yet, if thou afk'ft,
Thyfelf malt give the anfwer. Tell me why
Did RAPHAEL fteal, when his creative hand 285
Imag'd the Seraphim, ideal grace
And dignity fupernal from that ftore
Of Attic fculpture, which the ruthlefs Goth
Spar'd in his headlong fury ? Tell me this :
And then confefs that beauty beft is taught 290
By thofe, the favor'd few, whom Heav'n has lent
The power to feize, felecl:, and reunite
Her lovelier! features ; and of thefe to form
One Archetype compkat of fovereign Grace.
Here Nature fees her faireft forms more fair; 295-
Owns them her own, yet owns herfelf excell'd
By what herfelf produc'd. Here Art and me
Embrace ; connubial Juno fmiles benign,
And from the warm embrace perfection fprings.
Roufe then each latent energy of foul 300
To claip ideal beauty. Proteus-like,
Think
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 17
Think not the changeful Nymph will long elude
Thy chafe, or with reluctant coynefs frown.
Infpir'd by her thy happy art mall learn
To melt in fluent curves whate'er is ftraight, 305
Acute, or parallel. For, thefc unchang'd,
Nature and me difdain the formal fcene.
'Tis their demand, that ev'ry flep of Rule
Be quite eraz'd. For know, their ev'ry charm
Springs from Variety ; but all the boaft
Of Rule is irkfome Uniformity.
That end to effect we own the cube, or cone,
Are well employ'd ; but fair Variety
Lives only where me undulates and fports
In many a winding train. As Nature then
Avoids, difdains, abhors all equal lines;
So Mechanifm purfues, admires, adores.
Hence is their enmity ; and fooner hope
With hawks and doves to draw the Cyprian car,
Than reconcile thefe jarring principles. 320
Where then, alas, where fhall the Dryads fly That haunt yon antient Villa ? Pity, fure,
D Will
18 THE ENGLISH GARDE N..
Will fpare the long cathedral ifle of lhade
In which they fojourn ; Tafte were facrilege,,
If, lifting there the axe, it dar'd invade 325:
Thofe fpreading oaks that in fraternal files
Have pair'd for centuries, and heard the ftrains
Of SIDNEY'S, nay, perchance, of SURRY'S reed.
Heav'ns ! muft they fall ? They muft, their doom is paft..
None fhall efcape : unlefs mechanic Skill, 330
To fave her offspring, roufe at our command ;
And, where we bid her move, with engine huge,
Each ponderous trunk, the ponderous trunk there move.
A work of difficulty and danger try'd,.
Nor oft fuccefsful found. But if it fails,, 335.
Thy axe muft do its office. Cruel tafk,
Yet needful. Truft me, tho' I bid thee ftrike,,
Reluctantly I bid thee : for my foul
Holds dear an antient oak, nothing more dear y
It is an antient Friend. Stay then thine hand ; 340
And try by faplings tall, difcreetly plac'd
Before, between, behind, in fcatter'd groups,
To
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. ig
To break th' obdurate line. So may'ft thou fave
A chofen few ; and yet, alas, but few
Of thefe, the old protestors of the plain. 345
Yet fliall thefe few give to thy opening lawn
That fhadowy pomp, which only they can give :
For parted now, in patriarchal pride,
Each tree becomes the father of a tribe ;
And, o'er the flripling foliage, riling round, 3 50
Towers with parental dignity fupreme.
And yet, My Albion ! in that fair domain Which Ocean made thy dowry, when his Love Tempeftuous tore thee from reluctant Gaul, And bad thee be his Queen, there fUll remains 355
Full many a lovely unfrequented wild, Where change like this is needlefs ; where no lines Of hedge-row, avenue, or of platform fquare Demand deflrudlion. . In thy fair domain, Yes, my lov'd Albion ! many a glade is found, 360
The haunt of Wood-gods only : where if Art
D 2 E'er
20 THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
E'er dar'd to tread -, 'twas with unfandal'd foot,.
Printlefs, as if the place were holy ground.
And there are fcenes, where, tho' fhe whilom trod,,
Led by the worft of guides, fell Tyranny,
And ruthlefs Superflition, we now trace
Her footfteps with delight^ and pleas'd revere
What once we mould have hated. But to Time^
Not her, the praife is due : his gradual touch
Has moulder'd into beauty many a tower,. 370
Which, when it frown'd with all its battlements*
Was only terrible j and many a fane
Monaftic, which, when deck'd with all its fpires,.
Serv'd but to feed £bme pamper'd Abbot's pride,
And awe th' unletter'd vulgar. Generous Youth, 375
Whoe'er thou art, that liften'fl to my lay,
And feel'ft thy foul aflent to what I fing^
Happy art thou if thou can'fl call thine own
Such fcenes as thefe : where Nature and where Time
Have work'd congenial ; where a fcatter'd hoft 3.80
Of antique oaks darken thy fidelong hills y
While,
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 21
While, rufhing thro* their branches, rifted cliffs
Dart their white heads, and glitter thro' the gloom*
More happy ftill, if one fuperior rock
Bear on its brow the miver'd fragment huge 385
Of fome old Norman fortrefs- ; happier far,
Ah, then mofl happy, if thy vale below
Warn, with the chryftal coolnefs of its rills,,
Some mouldring abbey's ivy- veiled walk
O how unlike the fcene my fancy forms, 390
Did Folly, heretofore, with Wealth confpire To plan that formal, dull, disjointed fcene, Which once was call'd a Garden. Britain ftill Bears on her breaft full many a hideous wound Given by the cruel pair, when, borrowing aid 395
From geometric fkill, they vainly flrove By line, by plummet, and unfeeling fheers, To form * with verdure what the builder form'd
With
* Altho' this feems to be the principle upon which this falfe tafte was founded, yet the error was detected by one of our firft writers upon architecture. I fhall
tranfcribe
22 THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
With ftone. Egregious madnefs ; yet purfu'd
With pains unwearied, with expence unfumm'd, 400
And fcience doating. Hence the fidelong walls
Of ihaven yew ; the holly's prickly arms
Trimm'd into high arcades ; the tonfile box
Wove, in mofaic mode of many a curl,
Around the figur'd carpet of the lawn. 405
Hence too deformities of harder cure :
The
tranfcribe the pafiage, which is the more remarkable as it came from the quaint pen of Sir Henry Wotton : " I muft note (fays he) a certain contrariety be- " tween building and gardening : for as fabricks fhould be regular, fo gar- " dens (hould be irregular, or at leaft caft into a very wild regularity. To *' exemplify my conceit, I have feen a garden, for the manner perchance incom- " parable ; into which the firft accefs was a high walk like a terras, from whence " might be taken a general view of the whole plot below, but rather in a delight- *c ful confufion, than with any plain diftinclion of the pieces. From this the " beholder defcending many fteps, was afterwards conveyed again by feveral " mountings and valings, to various entertainments of his fcent and fight : " which I (hall not need to defcribe, for that were poetical ; let me only note " this, that every one of thefe diverfities, was as if he had been magically tranf- « ported into a new garden." Were the Terras and the {reps omitted, this defcription would feem to be almoft entirely conformable to our prefent ideas of ornamental panting. The pafTage which follows is not Icfs worthy of our notice. *• But though other countries have more benefit of the Sun than we, and thereby
** more
THE ENGLISH GARDEN, 23
The terras mound uplifted ; the long line
Deep delv'd of flat canal; and all that toil,
Mifled by taftelefs famion, could atchieve
To mar fair Nature's lineaments divine. 410
Long was the night of error, nor difpell'd By Him that rofe at learning's earlier! dawn, Prophet of unborn Science. On thy realm, Philofophy ! his fovereign luflre fpread*
Yet
" more properly tied' to contemplate this delight; yet have I feen in our own, c' a delicate and diligent curiofity, furely without parallel among foreign nations, " namely in the garden of Sir Henry Fanfhaw, at his feat in Ware-Park ; where M I well remember, he did fo precifely examine the tinctures and feafons of his " flowers, that in their fettings, the inwardeft of which that were to come up at " the fame time, fhould be always a little darker than the utmoft, and fo ferve *' them for a kind of gentle fhadow." This feems to be the very fame fpecies of improvement which Mr. Kent valued himfelf for inventing, in later times, and of executing, not indeed with flowers, but with flowering flirubs and evergreens, in his more finifhed pieces of fcenery. The method of producing which effe£t has been defcribed with great precifion and judgment by a late ingenious writer. (See Obfervatiom on modern Gardening, fe6l. I4th, 151)1, and i6th). It may however be doubted whether Sir Henry Fanfhaw's garden were not too delicate and diligent a curiofity, fmce its panegyrift concludes the whole with telling us, that it was " like a piece not of Nature, but of Art." See Religttia: page 64, edit. 4th..
24 THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
Yet did he deign to light with cafual glance 415
The wilds of tafte. Yes, * fageft VERULAM,
'Twas thine to banifh from the royal groves
Each childifh vanity of crifped knot
And fculptor'd foliage ; to the lawn reftore
Its ample fpace, and bid it feaft the fight 420
With verdure pure, unbroken, unabridg'd :
For green is to the eye, what to the ear
Is harmony, or to the fmell the rofe.
So
* Lord Bacon in the 46th of his eflays defcribes what he calls the platform of a princely garden. If the Reader compare this defcription with that which Sir William Temple has given in his eflay, entituled, Tlje Gardens of Epicurus ^ writ- ten in a fubfequent age, he will find the fuperiority of the former very apparent ; for tho' both of them are much obfcur'd by the falfe tafte of the times in which they were written, yet the vigor of Lord Bacon's genius breaks frequently thro' the cloud, and gives us a very clear difplay of what the real merit of gardening would be when its true principles were afcertained. For inftance, out of thirty acres which he allots for the whole of his Pleafure-ground, he fele&s the firft four for a lawn, without any intervention of plot or parterre, " becaufe" fays he, " nothing is more pleafant to the eye than green grafs kept finely ihorn." And " as for the making of knots of figures, with diverfe coloured " earths, that they may lie under the windows of the houfe, on that fide which " the garden {rands, they be but toys, you may fee as good fights many times «« in tarts." Sir William Temple on the contrary tell us, that in the garden at Moor-park, which was his model of perfection, the firft inlet to the whole
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 25
So taught the Sage, taught a degenerate reign What in Eliza's golden day was tafte. 425
Not but the mode of that romantic age, The age of tourneys, triumphs, and quaint mafques, Glar'd with fantaftic pageantry, which dimm'd The fober eye of truth, and dazzled ev'n
The Sage himfelf ; witnefs his arched hedge, 430
E In
was a very broad gravel walk garnifh'd with a row of Laurels which looked like Orange-trees, and was terminated at each end by a fummer-Houfe. The par- terre or principal garden which makes the fecond part in each of their defcrip- tions, it muft be owned is equally devoid of fimplicity in them both. " The " garden (fays his Lordfhip) is beft to be fquare, encompafTed with a ftately " arched hedge, the arches to be upon carpenters work, over every arch a little " belly enough to receive a cage of birds, and, over every fpace between the " arches, fome other little figure with broad plates of round coloured glafs " gilt for the fun to play upon." It would have been difficult for Sir William to make his more fantaflic ; he has however not made it more natural. The third part, which Lord Bacon calls the Heath,, and the other the Wildernefs is that in which the Genius of Lord Bacon is moft vifible; " for this," fays he, " I wifh to be framed as much as may be to a natural wildnefs." And accord- ingly he gives us a defcription of it in the moft agreeable and pidturefque terms infomuch that it feems lefs the work of his own fancy than a delineation of that ornamental fcenery which had no exiftence till above a century after it was writ- ten. Such, when he defcended to matters of mere Elegance (for when we fpeak of Lord Bacon, to treat of thefe was to defcend) were the amazing powers of his univerfal Genius.
26 THE ENGLISH GARDEN,
In pillar'd ftate by carpentry upborn.
With colour'd mirrors deck'd, and caged birds :
But, when our ftep has pac'd his proud parterres, .
And reach'd the heath, then Nature glads our eye
Sporting in all her lovely carelefTnefs. 43 £;
There fmiles in varied tufts the velvet rofe,
There flaunts the gadding woodbine, fwells the ground
In gentle hillocks, and around its fides
Thro' bloffom'd fhades die fecret pathway fteals.
Thus, with a poet's power, the Sage's pen, 440
Pourtray'd that nicer negligence of fcene, Which Tafte approves. While He, delicious Swain,. Who tun'd his oaten pipe by Mulla's ftream, Accordant touch'd the flops in Dorian mood ; What time he 'gan to paint the fairy vale, 445.
Where ftands the Fane of Venus. Well I ween That then, if ever, COLIN, thy fond hand Did fteep its pencil in the well-fount clear.
Of
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 27
Of true fimplicity -, and * " call'd in Art
" Only to fecond Nature, and fupply 450
" All that the Nymph forgot, or left forlorn."
Yet what avail'd the fong ? or what avail'd
Ev'n thine, Thou chief of Bards, whofe mighty mind.
With inward light irradiate, mirror-like
Receiv'd, and to mankind with ray reflex 455
The fov'reign Planter's primal work difplay'd ?
•f* That work, " where not nice Art in curious knots,
" But Nature boon pour'd forth on hill and dale
" Flowers worthy of Paradife; while all around
" Umbrageous grotts, and caves of cool recefs, 460
-•" And murmuring waters down the flope difpers'd,
E 2 " Or
* See Spencer's Fairy Queen, Book 4th, Canto the loth: the paflage imme- diately alluded to is in the 2ift Stanza.
.For all that Nature, by her mother wit,
Could frame in earth and form of fubftance bafe Was there ; and all that Nature did omit,
Art (playing Nature's fecond part) fupplied it.
f See Milton's inimitable defcription of the garden of Eden. Paradife Loft, Book 4th, part of which is here .inferted.
28 THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
" Or held, by fringed banks, in chryftal lakes,
" Compofe a rural feat of various view."
'Twas thus great Nature's Herald blazon'd high
That fair original imprefs, which me bore 465
In ftate fublime; e'er mifcreated Art,
Offspring of fin and fhame, the banner feiz'd,.
And with adulterate pageantry defil'd.
Yet vainly, MILTON., did thy voice proclaim
Thefe her primaeval honours. Still fhe lay 470
Defac'd, deflower'd, full many a ruthlefs year :
Alike, when Charles, the abject tool of France,
Came back to fmile his fubjects into flaves -,
Or Belgic William, with his warriour frown,
Coldly declar'd them free ; in fetters frill 475:
The Goddefs pin'd, by both alike oppreft.
Go to the Proof! behold what TEMPLE call'd A perfect Garden. There thou malt not find One blade of verdure, but with aching feet From terras down to terras malt defcend,, 480
Step
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 29
Step following flep, by tedious flight of flairs : On leaden platforms now the noon- day fun Shall fcorch thee; now the dank arcades of ftone Shall chill thy fervour; happy, if at length Thou reach the Orchard, where * the fparing turf 485
Thro' equal lines all centring in a point Yields thee a fofter tread. And yet full oft O'er TEMPLE'S ftudious hour did Truth prefide> Sprinkling her luftre o'er his clarDc page :
There hear his candor own in fafhion's fpite* 490
In
* The French at prefent feem to be equally fparing of this natural clothing of the Earth, altho' they have done us the honour to adopt our Bowling-Greens, and to improve upon them. This appears from the following article of the Encyclopedic tranilated verbatim.
*' Boulingrin. N. S. In gardening is a fpecics of Parterre compoied of pieces *' of divided turf with borders doping (en glacis) and evergreens at the corners " and other parts of it. It is mowed four times a year to make the turf finer. " The invention of this kind of parterre comes from England, as alfo. its name, " which is derived from Boule round, and Grin fine grafs or turf. Boulingrins " are either fimple, or compound; the firrple are all turf without ornament; " the compound are cut into compartments of turf, embroidered with knots, " mixt with little paths, borders of flowers, yew-trees, and flowering fhrubs. " Sand alfo of different colours contributes greatly to their valued'
3o THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
In fpite of courtly dulnefs, hear it own
" There is a grace in wild variety
*' Surpafling rule and order." * TEMPLE, yes,
There is a grace ; and let eternal wreaths
Adorn their brows who fixt its empire here. 40/5
The Mufe (hall hail -f- the champions that herfelf
Led to the fair atchiev.ement. ADD ISDN,
Thou
* The Paflage here alluded to is as follows : " What I have faid of the beft " forms of Gardens is meant only of fuch as are in fome fort regular, for there 11 may be other forms wholly irregular, that inay^ for ought I know, have more beauty " than any of the others : But they muft owe it to fome extraordinary difpofitions -" of Nature in the feat, or fome great race of fancy and judgment in the contri- " vance, which may reduce many difagreeing parts into fome figure which (hall " yet upon the whole be very agreeable. Something of this T have feen in fome " places, and heard more of it from others who have lived much among the " Chinefes." Sir William then gives us a kind of general account of the Chi- nefe tafte, and of their Sharawadgi, and concludes thus : " But I (hould " hardly advife any of thefe attempts in the figure of gardens- among us, they " are adventures of loo hardy achievement for any common hands ; and tho* " there may be more honour if they fucceed well, yet there is more difhonour «* if they fail, and 'tis twenty to one they will, whereas in regular figures it is " hard to make any great and remarkable faults." See Temple's Mifcellanies, Vol. I..Pagei86. Fol. Ed.
f I had before called Bacon the prophet, and Milton the herald of true tafte .in Gardening. The former, becaufe in developing the constituent properties of a
princely
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 31
Thou polim'd Sage, or (hall I call thee Bard, I fee thee come : around thy temples play The lambent flames of humour, bright'ning mild 500
Thy judgment into fmilesj gracious thou com'ft With Satire at thy fide, who checks her frown, But not her fecret fling. With bolder rage POPE next advances : his indignant arm
Waves the poetic brand o'er Timon's fhadesiy 505
And
princely garden he had largely expatiated upon that adorned natural wildnefs which we now deem the efience of the art. The latter, on account of his hav- ing made this natural wildnefs the leading idea in his exquifke defcription of pa- radife. I here call Addifon, Pope, Kent, &c. the Champions of this true tafte, bccaufe they abfolutely brought it into execution. The beginning therefore of an aclaal reformation may be fixed at the time when the Spectator firft appeared. The reader will rind an excellent chapter upon this fubjecl in the Pleafures of the Imagination, publifhed in N°. 414 of the Spectator; and alfo another paper written by the fame hand, N°. 447 ; but perhaps nothing went further to- wards deftroying the abfurd tafte of clipp'd evergreens than the fine ridicule upon them in. the 17 3d Guardian, written by Mr. Pope.
It may not be amifs to inform the reader in this place, that the ht/iory of modern Gardening, of which the nature of didactic poetry would admit here only an epifodical (ketch, will fhortly appear in a more extenfive and methodical form, written with that peculiar tafte and fpjrit which characterizes the pen of Mr. Walpole.
32
THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
And lights them to deflrudion ; the fierce blaze
Sweeps thro' each kindred Vifta ; * Groves to Groves
Nod their fraternal farewell, and expire.
And now, elate with fair-earn'd victory,
The Bard retires, and on the Bank of Thames 510
Erects his flag of triumph ; wild it waves
In verdant fplendor, and beholds, and hails
The King of Rivers, as he rolls along.
KENT is his bold aflbciate, KENT who felt
The pencil's power: -j- but, fir'd by higher forms 515
Of Beauty, than that pencil knew to paint,
Work'd with the living hues that Nature lent,
And realiz'd his Landfcapes. Generous He,
Who
* See Mr. Pope's Epiftle on falfe fade, infcrib^d to the Earl of Burlington. Few readers, I fuppofe, need be informed that this line alludes to the following Couplet :
Grove nods to Grove, each alley has a brother, And half the platform juft reflects the other.
f It is faid that Mr. Kent frequently declared he caught his tafte in garden- ing from reading the picturefque defcripnons of Spenfcr. However this may be the defigns which he made for the worki> of that poet, are an inconteftiblc proof that they had no effedl upon his executive powers as a painter.
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 3,3
Who gave to Painting, what the wayward Nymph
Refus'd her Votary, thofe Elyfian fcenes, 520
Which would me emulate, her daring hand
Mufl lavifh all its energy fublime.
On thee too, SOUTH COTE, mall the Mufe beftow
No vulgar praife : for thou to humblefl things
Could'ft give ennobling beauties ; deck'd by thee, 525.
* The fimple Farm eclips'd the Garden's pride^
Ev'n as the virgin blufh of innocence,
The harlotry of Art, Nor, SHENSTONE, thou
Shalt pafs without thy meed, thou fon of peace !
Who knew'ft, perchance, to harmonize thy mades 530
Still fofter than thy fong ; yet was that fong
Nor rude, nor inharmonious, when attun'd
To paftoral plaint, or tale of flighted love..
HIM too, the living leader of thy powers,
Great Nature ! him the Mufe mall hail in notes 535
Which antedate the praife true Genius claims
F From
* Mr. Southcote was the introducer, or rather the inventor of the Ferme orn\ for it may be prefumed that nothing more than the term is of French extraction.
34 THE ENGLISH GARDEN,
From jufl Pofterity ; Bards yet unborn Shall pay to BROWN that tribute, fitlieft paid In ftrains, the beauty of his fcenes infpire.
Meanwhile, ye youths ! whofe fympathetic fouls 540
Would tafte thofe genuine charms, which faintly fmile In my defcriptive fong, O vifit oft The finifh'd fcenes, that boaft the forming hand Of thefe creative Genii ! feel ye there
What REYNOLDS felt, when firft the Vatican 545
Unbarr'd her gates, and to his raptur'd eye Gave Raphael's glories; feel what GARRICK felt, When firft he breath'd the foul of Shakefpear's page. So mall your Art, if call'd to grace a fcene Yet unadorn'd, with tafte inftinclive give 550
Each grace appropriate ; fo your active eye Shall dart that glance prophetic, which awakes The flumbring Wood-nymphs ; gladly mall they rife Oread, and Dryad, from their verdurous beds, And fling their foliage, and arrange their Hems., 555
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 35
As you, and beauty bid : the Naiad train,
Alike obfequious, from a thoufand urns
Shall pour their chryftaline tide ; while, hand in hand,
Vertumnus, and Pomona bring their ftores,
Fruitage, and flowers of ev'ry blum, and fcent, 560
Each varied feafon yields ; to you they bring
The fragrant tribute \ ye, with generous hand,
DifFufe the blefling wide, till Albion fmile
One ample theatre of fylvan Grace,
END OF THE FIRST BOOK.
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ENGLISH GARDEN, BOOK THE SECOND,
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THE
ENGLISH GARDEN:
O E M.
BOOKTHE SECOND,
B Y
W. MASON, M. A.
Y O R K:
Printed by A. WARD ; and fold by J. DODSLEV, Pall-Mall ; T. CADELL,
in the Strand 5 and H. DENOYER, in Lifle-ftreet, London ; aMb
by J. TODD, in Stonegate, York,
MJDCC.LXXVII,
THE
ENGLISH GARDEN.
BOOK THE SECOND.
HA I L to the Art, that teaches Wealth and Pride How to pofTefs their wifh, the world's applaufe, Unmix t with blame ! that bids Magnificence Abate its meteor glare, and learn to mine Benevolently mild ; like her, the Queen 5
Of Night, who failing thro' autumnal fides, Gives to the bearded product of the plain Her ripening luftre, lingering as me rolls, And glancing cool the falutary ray
Which fills the fields with plenty*. Hail that Art 10
A Ye
* This fimile, founded on the vulgar error concerning the Harveft Moon, however falfe in philofophy, may, it is hoped, be ad.mitted in poet y.
2 THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
Yc fwains ! for, hark ! with lowings glad, your herds, proclaim its influence, wandering o'er the lawns Reitor'd to them and Nature ; now no more Shall Fortune's Minion rob them of their right, Or round his dull domain with lofty wall 15
Oppofe their jocund prefence. Gothic Pomp Frowns and retires, his proud behefts are fcorn'd^ Now Tafte infpir'd by Truth exalts her voice, And fhe is heard. " Oh let not man mifdeem, " Waile is not Grandeur, Fafhion ill fupplies 210
" My facred place, and Beauty fcorns to dwell " Where Ufe is exil'd." At the awful found The terrace finks fpontaneous; on the green, Broider'd with crifped knots, the toniile yews Wither and fall ; the fountain dares no more. 25
To fling its wafted cryftal thro' the fky, But pours falubrious o'er the parched lawn* Rills of fertility. Oh beft of Arts That works this happy change ! true Alchymy,, Beyond the Roficrufian boaft, that turns 30
Deformity
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 3
Deformity to grace, expence to gain,
And pleas'd returns to Earth's maternal lap
The long-loft {tores of AMALTHEA'S horn.
When fuch the theme, the Poet fmiles fecure Of candid audience, and with touch afTur'd ^5
Refumes his reed ASCR^EAN; eager he To ply its warbling flops of various note In Nature's caufe, that Albion's liftening youths, Inform'd erewhile to fcorn the long-drawn lines Of ftraight formality, alike may fcorn 40
Thofe quick, acute, perplex'd, and tangled paths, That, like the fnake crufh'd by the fharpen'd fpade, Writhe in convulfive torture, and full oft, Thro' many a dank and unfunn'd labyrinth, Miflead our flep ; till giddy, fpent, and foil'd, 45
We reach the point where firft our race began. Thefe Fancy priz'd erroneous, what time Tafte, An infant yet, firft join'd her to deftroy The meafur'd pilatform ; into falfe extremes
A 3 What
4 THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
What marvel if they flray'd, as yet unfkill'd 5°
To mark the form of that peculiar curve,.
Alike averfe to crooked and to ftraight,
Where fweet Simplicity refides -, which Grace
And Beauty call their own ; whofe lambent flow
Charms us at once with fymmetry and eafe. 55
'Tis Nature's curve, inflindively (he bids
Her tribes of Being trace it. Down the flope
Of yon wide field, fee, with its gradual fweep,
The ploughing fleers conduct their fallow ridge ;
The peafant, driving thro' each fhadowy lane 60
His team, that bends beneath th' incumbent weight
Of laughing CERES,, marks it with his wheel ;.
At night, and morn, the milkmaid's carelefs ftep
Has, thro' yon pafture green, from flile to ftile,
Impreft a kindred curve ; the fcudding hare 65
Draws to her dew-fprent feat, o'er thymy heaths,
A path as gently waving ; mark them well j
Compare, pronounce, that, varying but in iize,.
Their forms are kindred all ; go then, convinc'd
That
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 5
That Art's unerring rule is only drawn 70
From Nature's facred fource ; a rule that guides
Her ev'ry toil ; or, if me fhape the path,
Or fcoop the lawn, or, gradual, lift the hill.
For not alone to that embellim'd walk,
Which leads to ev.'ry beauty of the fcene,. 75
It yields a grace, but fp reads its influence wide,
Prefcribes each form of thicket, copfe, or wood,
Confines the rivulet, and fpreads the lake..
Yet mall this graceful line forget to pleafe,, If border'd clofe by fidelong parallels,. 80
Nor duly mixt with thofe oppoling curves That give the charm of contrail. Vainly Tafte Draws thro' the grove her path in eafieft bend,, If, on the margin of its woody fides,.
The meafur'd greenfward waves in kindred flow;. 85
Oft let the turf recede, and oft approach, With varied breadth, now fmk into the ihade, Now to the fun its verdant bofom bare.
As
6 THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
As vainly wilt thou lift the gradual hill
To meet thy right-hand view, if, to the left, 9©
An equal hill afcends ; in this, and all
Be free, be various, as is Nature's felf.
For in her wildnefs is there oft an art, Or feeming art, which, by pofition apt,
Arranges fhapes unequal, fo to fave 95
That correfpondent poize, which unpreferv'd Would mock our gaze with airy vacancy. Yet fair Variety, with all her powers, Affiils the Balance -, 'gainft the barren crag She lifts the paftur'd flope; to diftant hills joe
Oppofes neighb'ring (hades ; and, central oft, Relieves the flatnefs of the lawn, or lake, With ftudded tuft, or iiland. So to poize Her objects, mimic Art may oft attain ; She rules the foreground -, me can fwell or fink 105
Its furface j here her leafy fcreen oppofe, And there withdraw ; here part the varying greens,
And
THEENGLISH GARDEN. 7
And croud them there in one promifcuous gloom, As bell befits the Genius of the fcene,
Him then, that fov'reign Genius, Monarch fble, 1 1,0
Who, from creation's primal day, derives His right divine to this his rural throne, Approach with meet obeifance j at his feet Let our aw'd art fall proftrate. They of Ind,.
The Tartar tyrants, Tamerlane's proud race, 115
' Or they in Perfia thron'd, who make the rod
Of power o'er myriads of enervate Haves,
Expecl: not humbler homage to their pride
Than does this fylvan Defpot *. Yet to thofe
Who do him loyal fervice, who revere I2Q
His dignity, nor aim, with rebel arms,,
At lawlefs ufurpation, is he found.
Patient
* See Book the Firft, line 84. See alfo Mr. Pope's Epiftle to Lord Burling- ton, line 57,
Confult the Genius of the place in all, &c.
A fundamental rule, which is here further enlarged upon from line 126.
& THE ENGLISH GARDEN.*
Patient and placable, receives well pleas'd
Their tributary treafures, nor difdains
To blend them with his own internal flore. 125
Stands he in blank and defolated flate, Where yawning crags disjointed, fharp, uncouth, Involve him with pale horror ? in the clefts Thy welcome fpade mall heap that foft'ring mould Whence fapling Oaks may Tpring ; whence clurVring crouds Of early underwood mail veil their fides, 131
And teach their rugged heads above the made To tow'r in fhapes romantic : Nor, around Their flinty roots, mall ivy fpare to hang Its gadding tendrils, nor the mofs-grown turf, 135
With wild thyme fprinkled, there refufe to fpread Its verdure. Awful frill, yet not auflere, The Genius flands ; bold is his port, and wild, But not forlorn, nor favage. On fome plain Of tedious length, fay, are his flat limbs laid? 140
Thy hand mail lift him from the dreary couch,
Pillowing
THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
Pillowing his head with fwelling hillocks green,
While, all around, a foreft-curtain fpreads
Its waving folds, and blefTes his repofe.
What, if perchance in fome prolific foil, 145
Where Vegetation ftrenuous, uncontroll'd,
Has pufh'd her pow'rs luxuriant, he now pines
For air and freedom ? foon thy fturdy axe,
Amid its intertwifled foliage driv'n,
Shall open all, his glades, and ingrefs give
To the bright darts -of day ; his prifon'd rills,
That darkling crept amid the ruftling brakes,
Shall glitter as they glide, and his dank caves,
Free to falubrious Zephyrs, ceafe to weep.
Meanwhile his fhadowy pomp he ftill retains,
His Dryads ftill attend him ; they alone
Of race plebeian banifh'd, who to croud
Not grace his flate, their boughs obtrufive flung.
But chief confult him ere thou dar'ft decide Th' appropriate bounds of Pleafure, and of Ufe j 160
B For
io THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
For Pleafure, lawlefs robber, oft invades
Her neighbour's right, and turns to idle wafte
Her treafures j curb her then in fcanty bounds,
Whene'er the fcene permits that juft reflraint :
The curb reftrains not Beauty j fo v' reign me 165
Still triumphs, ftill unites each fubjecl realm,
And bleiTes both impartial. Why then fear
Left, if thy fence contract the fhaven lawn,
It does her wrong ? She points a thoufand ways,
And each her own, to cure the needful ill. 170
Where'er it winds, and freely muft it wind,
She bids, at ev'ry bend, thick-blofTom'd tufts
Croud their inwoven'd tendrils ; is there ftill
A void ? Lo Lebanon her cedar lends !
Lo all the ftately progeny of Pines 17^
Come, with their floating foliage richly robed,
To fill that void ! meanwhile acrofs the mead
The wand'ring flocks that browfe between the mades.
Seem oft to pafs their bounds ; the dubious eye
Decides not if^they crop the mead or lawn. 180
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. n
Browfe then your fill, fond Forefters ! to you Shall fturdy Labour quit his daily taik Well pleas'd ; nor longer o'er "his -ufeiefs plots Dip in the dew the fplendor of his fcythe. He, leaning on that fcythe, with carols gay 185
Salutes his fleecy fubftitutes, that rufh In bleating chace to their delicious tafk, And, fpreading o'er the plain, with eager teeth Devour it into verdure. Browfe your fill Fond Forefters! the foil that you enrich i9«
Shall ftill fupply your morn and evening meal With choiceft delicates ; whether you choofe The vernal blades, that rife with feeded flem Of hue purpureal ; or the clover white, That in a fpiked ball colle&s its fweets ; 195
Or trembling fefcue : ev'ry fav'rite herb Shall court your taile, ye harmlefs epicures! Meanwhile permit that with unheeded flep I pafs befide you, nor let idle fear
Spoil your repaft, for know the lively fcene, 200
B 2 That
12 THE ENGLISH GARDEN;'
That you ftill more enliven, to my foul Darts infpiration, and impells the fong To roll in bolder defcant y while, within*. A gleam of happinefs primaeval feems To fnatch me back to joys my nature claim'd, 205
Ere vice defil'd, ere ilavery funk the world; And all was faith and freedom : Then was man Creation's king, yet friend; and all that browfe The plain, or ikim the air, or dive the flood, Paid him their liberal homage ; paid unaw'd 210
In love accepted, fympathetic love That felt for all, and bleft them with its fmiles. Then, nor the curling horn had learn 'd to found. The favage fong of chace ; the barbed maft Had then no poifon'd point ; nor thou, fell tube ! zi$
Whofe iron entrails hide the fulphurous blaft, . Satanic engine, knew'ft the ruthlefs power Of thundering death around thee. Then alike Were ye innocuous thro' your ev'ry tribe, . Or brute, or reptile > nor by rage or guile +. 220
Had
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 13
Had giv'n to injur'd man his only plea
(And that the tyrant's plea*) to work your harm.
InflincT:, alas, like wayward Reafon, now
Veers from its pole. There was a golden time
When each created being kept its fphere 22*5
Appointed, nor infring'd its neighbour's right.
The flocks, to whom the graffy lawn was giv'n,
Fed on its blades contented ; now they crufh
Each fcion's tender moots, and, at its birth,
Deftroy, what, fav'd from their remorfelefs tooth, 23©
Had been the tree of Jove. Ev'n while I (ing,
Yon wanton lamb has cropt the woodbine's pride,
That bent beneath a full-blown load of fweets,
And fill'd the air with perfume; fee it falls-;-
The bufy bees, with many a murmur fad, 235
Hang o'er their honied lofs. Why is it thus ?
Ah, why muft Art defend the friendly fhades
Sh&rear'd to fhield you from the noontide beam£
Traitors,
* Alluding to Milton.
So fpake the Fiend,.. and' with' necejjtty^
The tyrant's plea, excus'd his devilifli deeds.
Paradife Loft, book iv. line 393.
i4 THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
Traitors, forbear to wound them ! fay, ye fools !
Does your rich herbage fail ? do acrid leaves 240
Afford you daintier food ? I plead in vain ;
For now the father of the fleecy troop
Begins his devaftation, and his ewes
Croud to the fpoil, with imitative zeal.
'
Since then, conftrain'd, we muft expel the flock 245
From where .our faplings rife, our flow'rets bloom, The fong mail teach, in clear preceptive notes, How beft to frame the Fence, and beft to hide All its forefeen defects ; defective ftill,
Tho' hid with happieft art. Ingrateful fure 250
When fuch the theme, befeems the Poet's taik : Yet muft he try, by modulation meet Of varied cadence, and felected phrafe, ExacT: yet free, without inflation bold,
To dignify the fubj,ecl:; try to form 255
That magic fympathy of fenfe with found Which pi&ures all it fings ; while Grace awakes
At
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 15
At each blefl touch, and, on the lowlieft things,
Scatters her rainbow hues. — The firft and beft
Is that, which, finking from our eye, divides, 260
Yet feems not to divide the {haven lawn, .
And parts it from the pafture; for if there
Sheep feed, or dappled deer, their wandering teeth
Will, fmoothly as the fcythe, the herbage fhave,
And leave a kindred verdure. This to keep 265
Heed that thy labourer fcoop the trench with care 5.
For fome there are who give their fpade repofe,
When broad enough the perpendicular fides
Divide, and deep defcend : To form perchance
Some vulgar drain, fuch labour may fuffice, . 27©
Yet not for beauty : here thy range of wall
Mufl lift its height erect, and, o'er its head.
A verdant veil of fwelling turf expand,
While fmoothly from its bafe with gradual eafe
The pafture meets its level, at that point 27.5
Which befl deludes our eye, and beft conceals
Thy lawn's brief limit. Down fo fmooth a ilope
The
16 T/HE ENGLISH GARDEN.
The fleecy foragers will gladly browfe;
The velvet herbage free from weeds .obfcene
Shall fpread its equal car.pet, .and .the trench 280
Be pafture to its bafe. Thus form thy fence
Of {lone, for {lone alone, and pil'd on high,
Beft curbs the nimble deer, that love to range
Unlimited ; but where tame heifers feed,
Qr innocent meep, an humbler mound will ferve 285
Unlin'd with {lone, and but a green-fwerd trench.
Here midway down, .upon the nearer bank
Plant thy thick row of thorns, and, to defend
Their infant moots, beneath, on oaken flakes,
Extend a rail of elm, fecurely arm'd 290
With fpiculated pailing, in fuch fort
As, round fome citadel, the engineer
Directs his {harp floccade. But when the {hoots
Condenfe, and interweave their prickly boughs
Impenetrable, then withdraw their guard, 295
They've done their office ; fcorn thou to retain,.
What frowns like military art, in fcenes,
Where
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 17
Where Peace mould fmile perpetual. Thefe deftroy'd,
Make it thy vernal care, when April calls
New fhoots to .birth, to trim the hedge aflaunt, 300
And mould it to the roundnefs of the mound,
Itfelf a fhelving hill ; nor need we here
The rule or line precife, a cafual glance
Suffices to direct the carelefs Iheers.
Yet learn, that each variety of. ground 305
Claims its peculiar barrier. When the fofs • Can fleal tranfverfe before the central eye, 'Tis duly drawn ; but, up yon neighb'ring hill That fronts the lawn direct, if labour delve The yawning chafm, 'twill meet, not crofs our view; 310 No foliage can conceal, no curve correct The deep deformity. And yet thou mean'ft Up yonder hill to wind thy fragrant way, And wifely dofl thou mean ; for its broad eye Catches the fudden charms of laughing vales, * i r
Rude rocks and headlong ftreams, and antique oaks
- !
C Loft
iS THE ENGLISH GARDEN,
Loft in a wild horizon ; yet the path
That leads to all thefe charms experts defence :
Here then fufpend the fportfman's hempen toils,
And ftretch their memes on the light fupport 320
Of hazel plants, or draw thy lines of wire
In fivefold parallel 3 no danger then
That fheep invade thy foliage. To thy herds,,
And paftur'd fteeds an opener fence oppofe,.
Form'd by a triple row of cordage ftrong,. 325
Tight drawn the flakes between. . The fimple deer
Is curb'd by mimic fhares ; the flendereft twine *
(if
* Linnaeus makes this a chara&eriftical property of the fallow deer; his words are, arcetur filo horizontall. (See Syft. Nat. Art. Dama.) I have fometimes feen. feathers tied to this line for greater fecurity, though perhaps unnecefTarily. They feem however to have been in ufe in Virgil's time from the following paflage in the Georgicks :
Stant circumfufa pruinis
Corpora magna bourn : confertoque agmine cervi Torpent mole nova, et fummis vix cornibus extant* Hos non emifiis canibus, non caflibus ullis, . Punicecsve agitant pavtdos formidine pennee : Sed fruftra oppofitum trudentes pe&ore montem Cominus obtruncant ferro. GEORG. lib. 3. v. 368.
Ruaeus's comment on the fifth line is as follows : linea^ out funiculus erat, cut Plumx impKcabantur variis t'mfttE colortbus, ad feras terrcndas, at in retia agerentur. And a fimile, which Virgil ufes in the twelfth book of the jEneid, v. 749, and another in Lucan, Pharf. lib. 4. v. 437, clearly prove that the teamed Jefuit has rightly explained the paffage*
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 19
(If fages err not) that the Beldame fpins,
When by her wintry lamp {he plies her wheel,
Arrefts his courage ; his impetuous hoof, 330
Broad chefl, and branching antlers nought avail ;
In fearful gaze he ftands ; the nerves that bore
His bounding pride o'er lofty mounds of flone,
A fingle thread defies. Such force has Fear,
When vifionary Fancy wakes the fiend, 335
In brute, or man, moft powerful when moil vain.
Still inuft the fwain, who fpreads thefe corded guards, Expect their fwift decay. The noontide beams Relax, the nightly dews contract the twift. Oft too the coward hare, then only bold 340
When mifchief prompts, or wintry famine pines, Will quit her rufh-grown form, and fleal, with ear Up-prick'd, to gnaw the toils -, and oft the ram And jutting fteer drive their entangling horns Thro' the frail memes, and, by many a chafm, 345
Proclaim their hate of thraldom. Nothing brooks
C 2 Confinement,
*o THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
Confinement, fave degenerate Man alone,
Who deems a monarch's fmile can gild his chains.
Tir'd then, perchance; of nets that daily claim
Thy renovating labour, thou wilt form, 350
With elm and oak, a rufKc baluftrade
Of firmeft juncture ; happy could thy toil
Make it as fair as firm ; but vain the wim,
Aim not to grace, but hide its formal line.
.
Let thofe, who weekly, from the city's fmoke, 355
Croud to each neighb'ring hamlet, there to hold Their dufty fabbath, tip with gold and red The milk-white palifades, that Gothic now, And now Chinefe, now neither, and yet both, Checquer their trim domain. Thy fy Ivan fcene 360
Would fade, indignant at the tawdry glare. 1
Come then, thou handmaid of that fifter Mufe !'. Who, when (he calls to life and- local form Her mind's creation, on thy aid depends
For
THE ENGLISH GARDEN, 21
For half her mimic power; fweet Colouring! come, 365 Lend thy dsluiive help, and pleas'd defcend Ev'n to thy meaneft office ; grind, compound* Decide, what kindred hues may fureft veil The barrier rude, and lofe it in the lawn.
She comes, and firft, with fnowy cerufe, joins 370
The ochr'ous atoms that chalybeate rills Warn from their mineral channels, as they glide, In flakes of earthly gold ; with thefe unites A tinge of blue, or that deep azure gray, Form'd from the calcin'd fibres of the vine; 375
And, if flie blends, with fparing hand me blends That bafe metallic drug then only priz'd, When, aided by. the ,humid touch of Time, It gives a Nero's or fome tyrant's cheek,
Its precious canker. Thefe with fluent oil 380
Attemper'd, on thy length'ning rail mall fpread That fober olive-green which nature wears Ev'n on her vernal bofom y nor mlfdeenv
For
12 THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
For that, illumin'd with the noontideoay,
She boafts a brighter garment, therefore Art 385
A livelier verdure to thy aid mould bring.
Know when that Art, with ev'ry varied hue,
Portrays the living landfcape -, when her hand
Commands the canvafs plane to glide with flreams,
To wave the foliage, or with flowers to breathe, 390
Cool olive tints, in foft gradation laid,
Create the general herbage : there alone,
Where darts, with vivid force, the ray fupreme,
Unfullied verdure reigns ; and tells our eye
Jt ftole its bright reflection from the fun. 39$
« The paint is fpread ; the barrier pales retire,
Snatch'd, as by magic, from the gazer's view.
So, when the fable enfign of the night,
Unfurl'd by mitt-impelling Eurus, veils
The laft red radiance of declining day, 400
Each fcatter'd village, and each holy fpire
That deck'd the diflance of the fylvan fcene,
Are
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 23
Are funk in fudden gloom: The plodding hind,
That homeward hies, kens not the chearing fite
Of his calm cabbin, which, a moment pall, 40$
Stream'd from its roof an azure curl of fmoke.
Beneath the flickering coppice, and gave fign
Of warm domefUc welcome from his toil.
Nor is that Cot, of which fond Fancy draws This cafual picture, alien from our theme. 41 OR
Revifit it at morn ; its opening latch,, Tho' Penury and Toil within refide, Shall pour thee forth a youthful progeny Glowing with health and beauty: (fuch the dowec Of equal heav'n) fee, how the ruddy tribe 415
Throng round the threfhold, and, with vacant gaze,. Salute thee; call the loiterers into ufe,, And form of thefe thy fence, the living fence That graces what it guards. Thou think'ft, perchance;, That, fkill'd in nature's heraldry, thy art 420
Has, in the Jimits of yon fragrant tuft,
Marfhaird
24 THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
Marfhaird each rofe, that to the eye of June
Spreads its peculiar crimfon ; do not err,
The lovelieft ftill is wanting; the frefh rofe
Of Innocence, it blofibms on their cheek, 425
And, lo, to thee they bear it ! driving each,
In panting race, who firft mall reach the lawn,
Proud to be call'd thy fhepherds. Want, alas !
Has o'er their little limbs her livery hung,
In many a tatter'd fold, yet ftill thofe limbs 430
Are fhapely ; their rude locks ftart from their brow,
Yet, on that open brow, its deareft throne,
Sits fweet Simplicity. Ah, clothe the troop
In fuch a rulfet garb as heft befits
Their, paftoral office; let the leathern fcrip 435
Swing at their fide, tip thou their crook with fteel,
And braid their hat with rumes, then to each
Aflign his ftation ; at the clofe of eve,
Be it their care to pen in hurdled cote
The flock, and when the matin prime returns, 440
Their care to fet them free ; yet watching ftill
The
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 25
The liberty they lend, oft {halt thou hear
Their whittle flirill, and oft their faithful dog
Shall with obedient barkings fright the flock
From wrong or robbery. The livelong day '445
Meantime rolls lightly o'er their happy heads ;
They bafk on funny hillocks, or defport
In ruftic paftime, while that lovelieft grace,
Which only lives in action unreftrain'd,
To ev'ry fimple gefture lends a charm. 450
Pride of the year, purpureal Spring! attend, And, in the cheeks of thefe fweet innocents Behold your beauties pictur'd. As the cloud That weeps its moment from thy fapphire heav'n, They frown with caufelefs forrow -, as the beam, 455
Gilding that cloud, with caufelefs mirth they fmile. Stay, pitying Time ! prolong their vernal blifg. Alas ! ere we can note it in our fong, Comes manhood's feverim fummer, chill'd full foon
D B7
26 THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
By cold autumnal care, till wintry age 46°
Sinks in the frore feverity of death.
Ah! who, when fuch life's momentary dream,. Would mix in hireling ienates,. flrenuous there To crufh the venal Hydra, whofe fell crefts Rife with recruited venom from the wound!- 465;
Who, for fo vain a conflict, would forego Thy fylvan haunts, celeftial Solitude ! Where felf-improvement, crown'd with felf- con tent, Await to blefs thy votary. Nurtur'd thus In tranquil groves, lift'ning to nature's voice, 470
That preach'd from whifpering trees, and babbling brooks,., A leffon feldom learnt in reafon's fchool, The wife Sidonian liv'd * : and, tho' the pefl Of lawlefs tyranny around him rag'd;
Tho' Strato, great alone in Periia's gold,, 475
Uncall'd,
* Abdalominus. The fa&, on which this epifode is founded, is recorded by Diodorus Siculus, Plutarch, Juftin, and (^ Curtius j the laft is here chiefly followed. M. de Fontenellc and the Abbe Metaftafio have both of them treated the fubje& dramatically.
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 27
Uncall'd, unhallow'd by the people's choice, Ufurp'd the throne of his brave anceftors ; Yet was his foul all peace -, a garden's care His only thought, its charms his only pride.
But now the conquering arms of Macedon 480
Had humbled Perfia. Now Phoenicia's realm Receives the Son of Ammon ; at whofe fr,own Her tributary kings or quit their thrones, Or at his fmile retain -, and Sidon, now Freed from her tyrant, points the Victor's Hep 483
To where her rightful Sov'reign, doubly dear By birth and virtue, prun'd his garden grove.
'Twas at that early hour, when now the Sun Behind majeftic Lebanon's dark veil
Hid his afcending fplendour -, yet thro' each 490
Her cedar-vefted fides, his flaunting beams Shot to the ftrand, and purpled all the main ; Where Commerce faw her Sidon's freighted wealth,
D a With
28 THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
With languid ftreamers, and with folded fails,
Float in a lake of gold. The wind was hufh'd;. 495
And, to the beech, each flowly-lifted wave,.
Creeping with filver curl, juft kift the more,.
And flept in filence. At this tranquil hour
Did Sidon's fenate; and the Grecian hoft,
Led by the conqueror of the world, approach- 500
The fecret glade that veil'd the man of toil.
Now near the mountain's foot the chief arriv'd, Where, round that glade, a pointed aloe fcreen, Entwin'd with myrtle, met in tangled brakes, That bar'd all entrance, fave at one low gate, . 505 .
Whofe time- disjointed arch with ivy chain'd, Bad ftoop the warrior train. A pathway browa Led thro' the pafs, meeting a fretful brook, And wandering near its channel, while it leapt O'er many a rocky fragment, . where rude Art . 510
Perchance had help'd, but not prefcrib'd its. way;.'.
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 29
Clofe was the vale and mady -, yet, erelong Its foreft fides retiring, left a lawn Of ample circuit, where the widening ftream Now, o'er its pebbled channel, nimbly tript 515}
In many a lucid maze. From the flower'd verge Of this clear rill now flray'd the devious path, Amid ambrofial tufts where fpicy plants, - Weeping their perfum'd tears of myrrh, and nard,> Stood crown'd with Sharon's rofe;. or where, apart,, 520^ The patriarch Palm his load of fugar'd dates Shower'd plenteous •, where the Fig, of flandard flrength, And rich Pomegranate wrapt, in dulcet pulp,,. Their racy feeds j or where, with golden fruit Mature, the Citron wav'd its fplendid bough; 525,
Meanwhile the lawn beneath the fcatter'd made Spread its ferene extent; a ftately file Of circling Cyprefs mark'd the diftant bound.
Now, to the left, the path afcending pierc'd* A fmaller fylvan theatre, yet deck'd 530
With
3o THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
With more majeftic foliage. Cedars here,
Coeval with the fky-crown'd mountain's felf,
Spread wide their giant arms ; whence, from a rock
Craggy and black, that feem'd its fountain head,
The ftream fell headlong ; yet ftill higher rofe,
Ev'n in th' eternal fnow of Lebanon,
That hallow'd fpring $ thence, in the porous earth
Long while ingulph'd, its cryftal weight here forc'd
Its way to light and freedom. Down it dafh'd ;
A bed of native marble pure, receiv'd 540
The new-born Naiad, and repos'd her wave,
Till with o'er-flowing pride it fkim'd the lawn.
Fronting this lake there rofe a folemn grot, •O'er which an ancient vine luxuriant flung Its purple clutters, and beneath its roof 54.5
An unhewn altar. Rich Sabaean gums That altar pil'd, and there with torch of pine The venerable Sage, now firfl defcry'd, The fragrant incenfe kindled. Age had fhed
That
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 3i
That duft of filver o'er his fable locks, 550
Which fpoke his flrength mature beyond its prime, Yet vigorous flill, for from his healthy cheek
Time had not cropt a rofe, or on his brow
* One wrinkling furrow plow'd 5 his eagle eye
Had all its youthful lightning, and each limb 55$
The finewy flrength that toil demands and gives.
The warrior faw and paus'd : his nod withheld The crowd at awful diftance, where their ears, In mute attention, drank the fage's prayer. " Parent of good (he cried) behold the gifts 560
" Thy humble votary brings, and may thy fmile " Hallow his cuilom'd offering. Let the hand " That deals in blood, with blood thy fhrines diftain, " Be mine this harmlefs tribute. If it fpeaks " A grateful heart, can hecatombs do more ? 565
" Parent of Good ! they cannot. Purple Pomp " May call thy prefence to a prouder fane " Than this poor cave $ but will thy prefence there
"-Be
S2 THE ENGLISH OA.RDEN.
«' Be more devoutly felt ? Parent of Good !
" It will not. Here then, fhall the proftrate heart, 57*
" That deeply feels thy prefence, lift its pray'r . —
" But what has he to afk who nothing needs,
" Save, what unafk'd, is, from thy heav'n of heav'ns
" Giv'n in diurnal good ? Yet, holy Power !
" Do all that call thee Father thus exult 575
" In thy propitious prefence ? Sidon finks
" Beneath a tyrant's fcourge. Parent of Good!
" Oh free my captive country." — Sudden here
He paus'd and figh'd. And now, the raptur'd crowd
Murmur' d applaufe : he heard, he turn'd, and faw 580
The King of Macedon with eager ftep
Burft from his warrior phalanx. From the youth,
Who bore its ftate, the conqueror's own right hand
Snatch'd the rich wreath, and bound it on his brow.
His fwift attendants o'er his flioulders caft 585
The robe of empire, while the trumpet's voice
Proclaim'd him king of Sidon. Stern he flood,
Or, if he fmil'd, 'twas a contemptuous fmile,
That
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 3j
That held the pageant honours in difdain. Then burft the people's voice, in loud acclaim, 590
And bad him be their Father. At the word, The honour'd blood, that warm'd him., flufh'd his cheek ; His brow expanded ; his exalted ftep March'd firmer; gracioufly he bow'd the head, And was the Sire they call'd him. " Tell me, King," 595 Young Ammon cried, while o'er his bright'ning form He caft the gaze of wonder, " how a foul " Like thine could bear the toils of Penury ?" " Oh grant me, Gods!" he anfwer'd, " fo to bear *' This load of Royalty. My toil was crown'd 600
<f With bleflings loft to Kings ; yet, righteous Powers !
•" If to my country ye transfer the boon,
P " I triumph in the lofs. Be mine the chains
" That fetter Sov'reignty ; let Sidon fmile
•*« With, your beft bleffings, Liberty and Peace." 605
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MDCCLXXIX.
THE
ENGLISH GARDEN.
BOOK THE THIRD.
CL O S 'D is that curious ear, by Death's cold hand, That mark'd each* error of my carelefs flrain With kind feverity ; to whom my Mufe Still lov'd to whifper, what me meant to fmg In louder accent ; to whofe tafle fupreme 5
She firfl and laft appeal'd, nor wifh'd for praife, Save when his fmile was herald to her fame. Yes, thou art gone j yet Friendfhip's fault'ring tongue Invokes thee Hill ; and Itill, by Fancy footh'd, Fain would me hope her GRAY attends the call. 10
A Why
2 THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
Why then, alas ! place I the funeral urn,
The fculptur'd lyre, within this fylvan dome, *
And fix this votive tablet, fair infcrib'd
With numbers worthy thee, for they are thine ?
Why, if thou hearft me ftill, thefe fymbols fad 15
Of fond memorial ? ah ! my penfive foul !
He hears not now, nor ever more {hall hear
The theme his candour, not his talte approv'd.
Oft, fmiling as in fcorn, oft would he cry, " Why wafte thy numbers on a trivial art, 2K>
" That ill can mimic even the humbleft charms " Of all majeflic Nature.?" at the word
His
* Mr. Gray died July 31^, 1771. This book was begun a few months after. The three following lines allude to a ruftic alcove the author was then building in his garden, in which he placed a medallion of his friend, and an urn. A lyre over the entrance with the motto from Pindar, which Mr. Gray had prefixt to his Odes 4>flNANTA SYNETOIEI, and under it on a tablet this ftan- za, taken from the firft edition of his Elegy written in a country church-yard* Here fcatter'd oft, the lovlieft of the year, By hands unfeen, are (bowers of violets found j The Redbreaft loves to build and warble here, And little footfteps lightly print the ground.
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 3
His eye would gliften, and his accents glow
With all the poets frenzy, " Sov'reign Queen !
<e Behold, and tremble ! while thou view'ft her flate 25
" Thron'd on the heights of Skiddaw j call thy art
<£ To build her fuch a throne -, that art will fink
" To its primeval nothing. Trace her march
" Amid the purple craggs of Borrowdale;
<f And try like thofe to pile thy range of rock 30
" In rude tumultuous chaos. See ! fhe mounts
" Her naiad car, and, down Lodore's dread cliff,
" Falls many a fathom with the headlong flream -,
" Falls, like the Bard my fabling fancy hurl'd
" From the rough brow that frown'd o'er Conway's flood 5 3 5
" Yet not like him to plunge in endlefs night j
" For, on its boiling bofom, ftill fhe guides
" Her buoyant fhell, and leads the wave along,
" Or fpreads it broad, a river, or a lake,
" As fuits her fov'reign pleafure ; will thy fong 40
" E'er brace the fmews of enervate art
*' To fuch dread daring ? will it ev'n direct
A a " Her
4 THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
" Her hand to emulate thofe fofter charms
" That deck the banks of Dove, or call to birth
" The bare romantic craggs, and copfes green, 45
" That fidelong grace her circuit ? whence the rills,
" Bright in their chryftal purity, defcend
" To meet their fparkling Queen, around each fount
" The haw-thorns croud, and knit their bloflbm'd fprays
" To keep their fources facred. Here, even here, 50
cl Thy art, each active finew ftrain'd in vain,
" Would perifh in it's pride. Far rather thou
'\Confefs her fcanty power, correct, controul,
" Tell her how far, nor farther, fhe may go,
" And rein with Reafon's curb fantaflic Tafte." 55
Yes I will hear thee, dear lamented Shade, Each accent fhall retentive memory ftamp On her true tablet ; what remains unfung, As if flill guided by thy judgment fage,
As if ftill model'd to thy curious ear, 60
Shall flo\\ with varied cadence : . fo fhall praife,
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 5
If ought of praife the verfe I weave may claim, From juil Pofterity reward my fong.
Erewhile to trace the path, to form the fence, To mark the deftin'd limits of the lawn, 65
The Mufe, with meafur'd ftep preceptive, pac'd. Now from the furface with impatient flight She mounts, Sylvanus ! o'er thy world of fhade To fpread her pinions. Open all thy glades, Greet her from all thy ecchoes. Orpheus like, 76
Arm'd with the fpell of harmony fhe comes, To lead thy forefts forth to lovlier fcenes, Where Fancy waits to fix them 3 from the dells Where now they lurk (lie calls them to poffefs Confpicuous ftations ; to their varied forms 75
Allots congenial place ; felects, divides, And blends anew in one Elyzian whole.
Yet, while I thus exult, my weak tongue feels The lack of antient phrafe which, fpeaking, paints,
And
6 THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
And is the thing it fmgs. Ah Virgil ! why 80
Leftft thou this theme to grate on modern reed ?
Why not array it in the radiant robe
Of thy rich diclion, give it to the guard
Of Fame thy hand-maid, whofe immortal plume
Had born its praife beyond the bounds of Time? 85
Countlefs is Vegetation's verdant brood As are the ftars that ftud yon cope of heaven ; To marfhal all her tribes, in order'd file Generic, or fpecific, might demand
His fcience, wond'rous Swede, whofe ample mind, 90
Like antient Tadmor's philofophic king, Stretch'd from the Hyflbp creeping on the wall To Lebanon's proudeft cedars. Skill like this, Which fpans a copious third of Nature's realm, Our art requires not, fedulous alone 95
To note thofe general properties of fhape, Dimenfion, growth, duration, ftrength, and hue, Then firft impreft, when, at the dawn of time,
The
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 7
The form-deciding life-infpiring word
Pronounc'd them into being. Thefe prime marks, 100
Diftinclive, docile Memory makes her own,
That each their fhadowy fuccour may fupply
To her wifli'd purpofe ; firft, as firft befeems,
To veil whate'er of wall, or fence uncouth
Offends the eye, which tyrant Ufe has rear'dy TO$
And ftern Neceflity forbids to change*
Lur'd with their hafty fprouts, and branching ftems, Planters there are who chufe the race of Pine For this great end, erroneous ; witlefs they That, as their arrowy heads afiault the fky, no
They leave their fhafts unfeather'd ; rather thou Selecl the fhrubs that, patient of the knife, Will thank thee for the wound, the hardy Thorn,, Holly, or Box, Privet, or Pyracanth.
They, thickening from their bafe, with tenfold fhade 115 Will foon replenifh all thy judgment prun'd.
But
8 THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
But chief, with willing aid, her glittering green Shall England's Laurel bring ; fwift fhall fhe fpread Her broad-leav'd {hade, and float it fair, and wide, Proud to be call'd an inmate of the foil. 1 20
Let England prize this daughter of the Eaft * Beyond that Latian plant, of kindred name, That wreath'd the head of Julius ; bafely twin'd Its flattering foliage on the traitor's brow Who crufh'd his country's freedom. Sacred tree 125
Ne'er be your brighter verdure thus debas'd ! Far happier thou, in this fequefter'd bower, To fhroud thy Poet, who, with fofl'ring hand, Here bad thee flourifh, and with grateful ftrain Now chaunts the praife of thy maturer bloom. 130
And happier far that Poet, if, fecure His Hearth and Altars from the pilfering flaves
* Our common laurel was firft brought into the low countrys A. D. 1576, (together with the horfe chefnut) from Conftantinople, as a prefent from David Ungnad, the imperial Ambaflador in Turkey, to Clufius the famous Botanift. It was fent him by -the name of Trabifon-Curmafi, or the Date of Trebifond, but he named it Lauro-Cerafus.
Of
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 9
Of Power, his little eve of lonely life
May here fleal on, blefl with the heartfelt calm
That competence and liberty infpire. 135
Nor are the plants which England calls her own Few, or unlovely, that, with laurel join'd, And kindred foliage of perennial green, Will form a clofe-knit curtain. Shrubs there are Of bolder growth, that, at the Spring's firft call, 140
Burft forth in bloflbm'd fragrance. Lilacs rob'd In fnow- white innocence, or purple pride, The fweet Syringa yielding but in fcent To the rich Orange, or the woodbine wild That loves to hang, on barren boughs remote 145
Her wreaths of flowery perfume. Thefe befide Myriads, that here the Mufe neglects to name, Will add a vernal luflre to thy veil.
And what if chance collects the varied tribes, ' Yet fear not thou but unexpected charms 150
B Will
io THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
Will from their union ftart. But if our fong
Supply one precept here, it bids retire
Each leaf of deeper dye, and lift in front
Foliage of paler verdure, fo to fpread
A canvas, which when touch'd by Autumn's hand 151
Shall gleam with dufky-gold, or ruflet rays.
But why prepare for her funereal hand
That canvas ? fhe but comes to drefs thy (hades,
As lovelier victims for their wintry tomb;
Rather to flowery fpring, to fummer bright, 160
Thy labours confecrate ; their laughing reign,
The youth, the manhood of the growing year>
Deferves thy labour, and rewards it's pain.
Yet, heedful ever of that ruthlefs time
When Winter {hakes their items, preferve a file 165
With everduring leaf to brave his arm
And deepening fpread their undiminifh'd gloom.
But, if the tall defect demands a fcreen Of foreil made high-tow'ring, fome broad roof
Per-
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. n
Perchance of glaring tile that guards the ftores 170
Of Ceres, or the patch'd disjointed choir
Of fome old Fane, whoffe fleeple's Gothic pride
Or pinnacled, or fpir'd, would bolder rife
" In tufted trees high bofom'd." Here allot
Convenient fpace to plant that lofty tribe 175
Behind thy underwood, left, o'er it's head
The foreft tyrants fhake their lordly arms,
And flied their baleful dew. Each plant that fprings
Holds, like the people of fome freeborn ftate,
Its rights fair franchis'd ; rooted to a fpot I 80
It yet has claim to air ; from liberal heav'n
It yet has claim to funfhine, and to fhowers :
Air, fhowers, and funfliine are it's liberty.
That liberty fecur'd, a general fhade
Denfe, and impervious to thy wifri fhall rife 185
To hide each form uncouth ; and, this obtain'd, All elfe we from the Dryad race implore Is Grace, is Ornament. For fee our lawn
B 2 Though
12 THE ENGLISH GARDEN,
Though cloath'd with fofteft verdure, though reliev'd
By many a gentle fall and eafy fwell, 190
Expects that harmony of light, and (hade,
Which foliage only gives. Come then, ye plants !
That, like the village troop when Maia dawns,
Delight to mingle focial ; to the creft
Of yonder brow we fafely may conduct 195
Your numerous train, no eye obflrucled there
Will blame your interpos'd fociety •>
But, on the plain below, in lingle Hems
Difparted, or in fparing groups diftinft,
Wide muft ye Hand,, in wild, diforder'd mood, 200
A
As if the feeds from which your fcyons fprang
Had there been fcatter'd from the affrighted beak
Of fome maternal bird whom the fierce Hawk
Purfued with felon claw. Her young meanwhile
Callow, and cold, from their mofs-woven nefi 205
Peep forth j they ftretch their little eager throats
Broad to the wind, and plead to the lone fpray
Their famifh'd plaint importunately fhrill.
Yet
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 13
Yet in this wild diforder Art prefides,
Defigns, correcls,. and regulates the whole, 210
Herfelf the while unfeea. No cedar broad Drops his dark curtain where a diflant fcene Demands diftin&ion. Here the thin abele Of lofty bole, and bare ;. the fmooth-ftem'd beech, Or (lender alder give our eye free fpace 21^5
Beneath their boughs to catch each leflening charm Ev'n to the far horizon's azure bound..
Nor will that fov'reign Arbitrefs admit, Where'er her nod decrees a. mafs of fhade, Plants of difcordant fort, unequal fize, 220
Or rul'd by Foliation's different law y Studious, with juft feleclion, thofe to join That earlieft flourifh, and that lateft fade..
Nor will that fov'reign Arbitrefs devote
To ftrange, and alien foils, her feedling ftems ; 223
Fix the dank fallow on the mountain's brow,
Or,
i4 THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
Or, to the mofs-grown margin of the lake, Bid the dry pine defcend. From Nature's laws She draws her own : Nature and fhe are one.
Nor will that fovereign Arbitrefs felect, 230
For objects interpos'd, the pigmy race Of fhrubs, or fcatter with unmeaning hand Their offspring o'er the lawn, fcorning to patch With many a meagre and disjointed tuft
Its fober furface: fidelong to her path 235
And polifh'd foreground fhe confines their growth Where o'er their heads the liberal eye may range.
Nor will that fov'reign arbitrefs, intent To form one perfect whole, forego that aim To give exotic wonders to our gaze. 240
She knows and trufts not in die faithlefs train : Sagely fhe calls on thofe of hardy clafs Indigenous, who, patient of the change From heat to cold which Albion hourly feels,
Are
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 15
Are brac'd with ftrength to brave it. Thefe alone 245
She plants, and prunes, nor grieves if nicer eyes Pronounce them vulgar. Thefe fhe calls her friends, That veteran troop who will not for a blaft Of nipping air like cowards quit the field.
Far to the north of thy imperial tower* 250
Augufta ; in that wild and Alpine vale Through which the Swale by mountain-torrents fwelFd Flings his redundant ftream, there liv'd a youth , Of poliuYd manners 5 ample his domain, And fair the fcite of his paternal dome. 255
He lov'd the art I fing, a deep adept In Nature's fiery, well he knew the names Of all her verdant lineage, yet that fkill Mifled his tafle j fcornful of every bloom
*
That fpread fpontaneous, from remoteft Ind 260
He brought his foliage j carelefs of its cofr,
Ev'n of its beauty carelefs ; it was rare,
And therefore beauteous. Now his laurel fcreen,
With
i6 THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
With rofe and woodbine negligently wove,
Sows to the ax j the rich Magnolias claim 265
The (ration -, now Herculean Beeches fell'd
Refign their rights, and warm Virginia fends
Her cedars to ufurp them -, the proud Oak
Himfelf, ev'n He the fov'reign of the fhade,
Yields to the Fir that drips with Gilead's balm. 270
Now Albion gaze at glorys not thy own !
Paufe rapid Swale ! and fee thy margin crown'd
With all the pride of Ganges : vernal fhowers
Have fix'd their roots, nutricious fummer funs
Favor'd their growth, and mildeft autumn fmil'd 275
Benignant o'er them ; vigorous, fair, and tall,
They waft a gale of fpices o'er the plain.
But Winter comes, and with him watry Jove,
And with him Boreas in his frozen fhroud :
The favage fpirit of old Swale is rous'd ; 280
He howls amid his foam. At the dread fight
The Aliens ftand aghaft j they bow their heads 3
In vain the glafly penthoufe is fupply'd,
The
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 17
The pelting ftorm with icy bullets breaks
Its fragile barrier, fee, they fade, they die. 285
Warn'd by his error, let the Planter flight Thefe fhiv'ring rarities, or if, to pleafe Faftidious Fafhion, he muft needs allot- Some fpace for foreign foliage, let him chufe A fidelong glade, fhelter'd from eaft and north, 29©
And free to fouthern and to weftern gales ; There let him fix their ftation, thither wind Some devious path, that, from the general whole Detach'd, may lead to where they fafely bloom. So in the web of epic fong fublime 295
The Bard Maeonian interweaves the charm Of gentle epifode, yet leaves unbroke The golden thread of his majeftic theme.
What elfe to (him of formal, falfe, or vain, Of long-lin'd Viftas, or plantations quaint 300
Our former ftrains have taught : Inftru&ion now
C
1-8 THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
Withdraws ; fhe knows her limits ; knows that Grace
Is caught by ftrong perception, not from rules ;
That undreft Nature claims for all her limbs
Some fimple garb peculiar, which, howe'er 305
Diftant their fize and fhape, is fimple ftill :
This garb to chufe, with clothing denfe, or thin,
A part to hide, another to adorn,
Is Tafte's important tafk ; preceptive fong
From error in the choice can only warn. 310
But vain that warning voice ; vain ev'ry aid Of Genius, Judgment, Fancy to fecure The Planter's lafting fame. There is a power, A hidden power, at once his friend, and foe, Tis Vegetation. Gradual to his groves 315
She gives their wifh'd effect. O ! for an arm Supernal there to check her — impious wifh ! She is high heaven's Vicegerent ; fhe muft fhape, Muft fhoot, muft fwell each fibre as fhe lifts, Muft reign in wild luxuriance. Happier far 320
Are
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 19
Are you, ye fons of CLAUDE ! who from the mine, The earth, or juice of herb or flower concrete, Mingle the mafs whence your Arcadia's fpring ; The graceful outline of your piclur'd trees Still keeps the bound you gave it ; Time that pales 325
Your vivid hues, refpefts your pleafing forms. Not fo our Landfcapes ; though we paint like you, We paint with growing colours ; ev'ry year, O'erpafTmg that which gives the breadth of fhade We fought, by rude addition, mars our fcene. 330
Roufe then, ye Hinds I e'er yet yon clofmg boughs Blot out the purple diflance, roufe ye foon, Prevent the fpreading evil. Thin the glades, While yet of flender fize each item will thrive Tranfplanted. Twice repeat the annual toil i 335
Nor let the ax its beak, the faw its tooth Refrain, whene'er fome random branch has ftray'd Beyond the bounds of beauty ; elfe full foon,
Ev'n
20 THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
>
Ev'n e'er the Planter's life has paft its prime,
Will Albion's garden frown an Indian wild. 340
Forboding Fears avaunt ! be ours to urge Each prefent purpofe by what favoring means May work its end defign'd. Why deprecate The change that waits on fublunary things, Sad lot of their exiftence ? fhall we paufe 345
To give the charm of Water to our fcene, Becaufe the congregated rains may fwell Its tide into a flood ? becaufe yon Sun Now mounts the Lion -y to his burning noon Impells him j fhaking from his fiery mane 3 50
A heat may parch its channel; O, ye caves, Deepen your dripping roofs ! this feverifh hour * Claims all your coolnefs. In your humid cells Permit me to forget the Planter's toil 3
* Thefe lines were, written in June, 1778, when it wa§ remarkably hot weather.
And,
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 21
And, while I woo your Naiads to my aid, 355
Involve me in impenetrable gloom.
Bleft be the Man (if blifs be human boaft) Whofe fertile foil is wafli'd with frequent ftreams, And fp rings falubrious. He difdains to tofs In rainbow dews their chryftal to the fun ; 360
Or fink, in fubterranean cifterns deep -y That fo, through leaden fyphons upward drawn, Thofe ftreams may leap fantaftic. He his ear Shuts to the tuneful trifling of the Bard, * Who trick'd a gothic theme with claflic flowers, 365
And fung of Fountains burfting from the fhells Of brazen Tritons, fpouting through the jaws " Of Gorgons, Hydras, and Chimaeras dire."
* Rene Rapin, a learned Jefuit of the laft century, who writ a^ didactic Latin Poem on Gardens, in four books, by way of fupplement to Virgil's Georgics. The third book treats the fubjec'l of water, or mere properly of waterworks, for it is entirely made up of defcriptions of Jet d'eaux, and fuch fort of artificial baubles.
Peace
22 THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
Peace to his Manes ! let the Nymphs of Seine Cherifh his fame. Thy Poet, Albion, fcorns, 370
Ev'n for a cold unconfcious element, To forge the fetters he would fcorn to wear. His fong fhall reprobate each effort vile, That aims to force the Genius of the ftream Beyond his native levels this firft law, 375
That Nature to her world of waters gave, Let Art revere, as does impartial Heaven ; The poize of Juftice -, let her fcorn to prefs, Above that deftin'd line, the balanc'd wave.
Is there within the circle of thy view 380
Some fedgy flat, where the late-ripen'd (heaves Stand brown with unbleft mildew ? tis the bed On which an ample lake in chryftal peace Might fleep majeftic. Paufe we yet ; perchance Some midway channel, where the foil declines, 385
Might there be delv'd, by levels duly led In bold and broken curves : (for water loves
A wilder
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 23
A wilder outline than the woodland path,
Ev'n to acute extreams.) * To drain the reft
The fhelving fpade may toil, till wintry fliowers 390
Find their free courfe down each declining bank.
Quit then the thought; a. River's winding form,
With many a fmuous bay, and Ifland green,
At lefs expence of labour and of land,
Will give thee equal beauty ; feldom art 395
Can emulate that magnitude fublime
Which fpreads the native Lake, and, failing there,
Her works betray their character, and name,
And dwindle into pools. Not that our {train
Faftidious, fhall difdain a fmall expanfe 400
Of flagnant fluid, in fome fcene confin'd,
Circled with varied fhade, where, through the leaves,
The half-admitted funbeam trembling plays
* See Book the fecond, ver. 50 to ver. 78, where the curve of beauty, or a line waving very gently, is faid not only to prevail in natural pathways, but in the courfe of rivulets and the outline of lakes. It generally does fo ; yet in the latter it is fometimes found more abrupt : in artificial pieces of water, therefore, bolder curves may be employed, than in the formation of the fand or gravel walk.
On
24 THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
On its clear bofom j where aquatic fowl
Of varied tribe, and varied feather fail > 405
And where the finny race their glittering fcales
Unwillingly reveal. There, there alone,
Where burfts the general profpecl: on our eye,
We fcorn thefe wat'ry patches ; Thames himfelf,
Seen in disjointed fpots, where Sallows hide 410
His firft bold prefence, feems a firing of pools,
A chart and compafs muil explain his courfe.
He, who would feize the River's fov'reign charm, Muft wind the moving mirror through his lawn Ev'n to remoter!: diftance ; deep muft delve 415
The gravelly channel that prefcribes its courfe j Clofely conceal each terminating bound By hill or fhade oppos'd j and to its bank Lift the true level of the equal ftream,
In fparkling plenitude. But, if thy fprings 420
Refufe this large fupply, Jfteel thy firm foul
With
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 25
With ftoic pride, imperfect charms defpife, Beauty, like Virtue, knows no groveling mean.
Who, but muft pity that penurious tafte, Which down the quick-defcending vale prolongs, 425
Slope below flope, a ftiff and unlink'd chain Of flat canals ; then leads the Granger's eye To fome predeftin'd flation, there to catch Their feeming union/ and the fraud approve ? Who but muft change that pity into fcorn, 430
If down each verdant flope a narrow flight Of central fteps decline, where the fpare ftream Steals trickling j or, withheld by cunning {kill, Hoards its fcant treafures, till the mafter's nod Decree its fall. Then down the formal flairs 435
It leaps with fhort-liv'd fury j wafting there, Poor prodigal I what many a fummer's rain, And many a Winter's mow mail late reftore.
Learn, that whene'er in fome fublimer fcene Imperial Nature of her headlong floods 440
D Permits
26 THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
Permits our imitation, ihe herfelf
Prepares their refervoir ; conceal'd perchance
In neighbring hills, where fail it well behoves
Our toil to fearch, and fludioufly augment
With fidelong fprings and fluices frequent drawn 445
From pools, that on the heath drink up the rain.
Be thefe collected, like the Mifer's gold,
In one increafing fund, nor dare to pour
Down thy impending mound the bright cafcade
Till richly fure of its redundant fall. 450
That mound to raife alike demands thy toil, Ere Art adorn it's furface. Here adopt That facile mode which His inventive powers * Firft plann'd, who led to rich Mancunium's mart His long-drawn line of navigated ftream. 455
Stupendous talk ! in vain flood towering hills Oppos'd, in vain did ample Irwell pour
* Mr. Brindley, who executed the Duke of Bridgewater's canal, and in- vented a method of making dams to hold water, without clay, ufing for this purpofe any fort of earth duly temper'd with water.
Her
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 27
Her Tide tranfverfe $ he pierc'd the towering hill,
He bridg'd the ample tide, and high in air,
And deep through earth, his freighted barge he bore. 460
This mode fhall temper ev'n the lighteft foil
To thy firm purpofe ; then let tafte feleft
The unhewn fragments, that may give its front
A rocky rudenefs ; pointed fome, that there
The frothy fpouts may break ; fome flaunting fmooth, 465
That there in filver fheet the wave may flide.
Here too infix fome mofT-grown trunks of oak
Romantic, turn'd by gelid lakes to flone,
Yet fo difpos'd as if they owed their change
To what they now controul. Then open wide 470
Thy flood-gates : then let down thy torrent : then
Rejoice ; as if the thund'ring Tees * himfelf
Reign'd there amid his cataracts fublime.
And thou haft caufe for triumph ! Kings themfelves,. With all a nation's wealth, an army's toil, 475
* The fall of the Tees, near Middleton, is efteemed one of the greateft in England.
D 2 If
28 THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
If Nature frown averfe, fhall ne'er atchieve
Such wonders. Nature's was the glorious gift j
Thy art her menial handmaid. Liflening youths !
To whofe ingenuous hearts I ftill addrefs
The friendly ftrain, from fuch fevere attempt 480
Let Prudence warn you. Turn to this clear rill,
Which, while I bid your bold ambition ceafe,
Runs murmuring at my fide. O'er many a rood
Your fkill may lead the wanderer : many a mound
Of pebbles raife, to fret her in her courfe 485
Impatient : louder then will be her fong :
For (he will 'plain, and gurgle, as (he goes,
As does the widow'd ring-dove. Take, vain Pomp !
Thy lakes, thy long canals, thy trim cafcades,
Beyond them all true tafte will dearly prize 490
This little dimpling treafure. Mark the cleft,
Through which {he burfts to day. Behind that rock
A Naiad dwells : Ligea is her name j
And (lie has fitters in contiguous cells,
Who never faw the fun. Fond Fancy's eye, 495
That loves to give locality and form
To
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 29
To what fhe prizes beft, full oft pervades
Thofe hidden caverns, where pale chryfolites,
And glittering fpars dart a myfterious gleam
Of inborn luflre, from the garifh day 500
Unborrow'd. There, by the wild Goddefs led,
Oft have I feen them bending o'er their urn s,
Chaunting alternate airs of Dorian mood,
While fmooth they comb'd their rrioift cerulean locks
With (hells of living pearl. Yes, let me own, 505
To thefe, or claffic deities, like thefe,
From very childhood was I prone to pay
Harmlefs idolatry. My infant eyes
Firft open'd on that bleak and boift'rous more,
Where Humber weds the nymphs of Trent and Oufe, 510
To His, and Ocean's Tritons : thence full foon
My youth retir'd, and left the bufy ftrand
To Commerce and to Care. In Margaret's grove, *
Beneath whofe time-worn made old Camus ileeps,
Was next my tranquil ftation : Science there 515
* St. John's College in Cambridge founded by Margaret Countefs of Rich- mond, mother of Henry the Seventh.
Sat
30 THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
Sate mufmg j and to thofe that lov'd the lare
Pointed, with myftic wand, to truths involv'd
In geometric fymbols, fcorning thofe,
Perchance too much, who woo'd the thriftlefs mufe.
Here though in warbling whifper oft I breath'd 520
The lay, were wanting, what young Fancy deems
The life-fprings of her being, rocks, and caves,
And huddling brooks, and torrent- falls divine.
In queft of thefe, at fummer's vacant hour,
Pleas'd would I ftray, when in a northern vale 525
(So chance ordain'd) a Naiad fad I found
Robb'd of her filver vafe; I footh'd the nymph
With fong of fympathy, and curft the fiend,
Who ftole the gift of Thetis. * Hence the caufe, .
Why, favoured by the blue-ey'd fifterhood, 530
They footh with fongs my folitary ear.
Nor is Ligea filent — " Long," fhe cries, " Too long has Man wag'd facrilegious war
* Alluding to the Ode to a Water Nymph, which the author writ a year or two after his admiffion into the univerfity. See his poems, Ode II.
With
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 3r
" With the vext elements, and chief with that, <c Whom elder Thales, and the Bard of Thebes 535
" Held firft of things terreflrial ; nor mifdeem'd : " For, when the Spirit creative deign'd to move, tc He mov'd upon the waters. O revere <L Our power : for was its vital force withheld, <l Where then were Vegetation's vernal bloom, 540
" Where its autumnal Wealth ? but we are kind, " As powerful ; O let reverence lead to love, " And both to emulation ! Not a rill, " That winds its fparkling current o'er the plain, " Reflecting to the Sun bright recompenfe 545
" For ev'ry beam he lends, but reads thy foul " A generous lecture. Not a panfy pale, " That drinks its daily nurture from that rill, " But breaths in fragrant accents to thy foul; " So fhould'fl thou feed the poor." Whoe'er beheld 550 ct Our humble train forfake their native mead " To climb the haughty hill ? Ambition, fpeak. " — He blufhes, and is mute. When did our flreams,
By
32 THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
" By force unpent, in dull ilagnation fleep ?
" Let Sloth unfold his arms and tell the time. 555
" Or, if the tyranny of Art infring'd
" Our rights, when did our patient floods fubmit
<{ Without recoil ? Servility retires,
" And clinks his gilded chain. O, learn from us,
<l And tell it to thy nation, Britifh Bard ! 560
ct Ambition, Sloth, and flav'ry are the fiends,
tf That pull down mighty empires » If they fcorn
" The awful truth, be thine to hold it dear.
i
'£ So, through the vale of life, thy flowing hours
" Shall glide ferene ; and, like Ligea's rill, 565
" Their free, yet not licentious courfe fulfill'd,
" Sink in the ocean of Eternity."
END OF THE THIRD BOOK.
THE
ENGLISH GARDEN:
A
P O EM.
IN FOUR BOOKS.
B Y
W. MASON, M. A.
A GARDEN 13 THE PUREST OF HUMAN PLEASURES, JT IS THE GREATEST REFRESHMENT TO THE SPIRITS OF MAN; WITHOUT WHICH BUILDINGS AND PALACES ARE BUT GROSS HANDY-WORKS. AND A MAN SHALL EVER SEE, THAT WHEN AGES GROW TO CIVILITY AND ELEGANCY, MEN COME TO BUILD STATELY, SOONER THAN TO GARDEN FINELY: AS IF GAR- DENING WERE THE GREATER PERFECTION.
V E R U L A M.
YORK PRINTED BY A. WARD:
And fold by J. DODSLEY, Pal 1- Mall ; T. CAD ELL, in the Strand; and R. FAULDER, in New Bond- Street, London: And J. TODD, in York.
M.DCC.LXXXL
THE
ENGLISH GARDENS
P O E ML
BOOK THE FOURTH.
B Y
W> MASON, Ml A.
YORK PRINTED BY A. WARD:
And fold by J. DODSLEY, Pall - Mall ; T. CAD ELL, in the Strand; and R. FAULDER, in New Bond- Street, London} and J. TOD D, in York.
M.DCCXXXXI,
THE
ENGLISH GARDEN,
BOOK THE FOURTH.
NO R yet withdraw thy aid, thou NYMPH divine ! * That aid aufpicious, which, in Art's domain, Already has reform'd whate'er prevail'd Of foreign, or of falfe ; has led the curve That Nature loves thro' all her fylvan haunts j 5
Has ftol'n the fence unnotic'd that arrefts Her vagrant herds ; giv'n luftre to her lawns, Gloom to her groves, and, in expanfe ferene, Devolv'd that wat'ry mirror at her foot, O'er which flie loves to bend and view her charms. 10
B And
* SIMPLICITY. See the beginning of the Poem. The following lines recapitulate the fubjeft of the three preceding Bocks. The id to the paufe in ver. 4th; the zd from thence to that in ver. 7th ; and the third finilhes with the paragraph.
2 THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
And tell me Thou, whoe'er haft new-arrang'd By her chafte rules thy garden, if thy heart Feels not the warm, the felf- dilating glow Of true Benevolence. Thy flocks, thy herds^ That browze luxurious o'er thofe very plots 15
Which once were barren, blefs thee for the change $ The birds of Air (which thy funereal Yews Of fhapc uncouth, and leaden Sons of Earth, Antaeus and Enceladus, with clubs
Uplifted, long had frighted from the fccne) 20
Now pleas'd return, they perch on ev'ry fpray, And fwell their little throats, and warble wild Their vernal minftrelfy j to Heav'n and Thee It is a hymn of thanks : do thou, like Heav'n, With tutelary care reward their fong. 25
Ere- while the Mufe, induftrious to combine Nature's own charms, with thefe alone adorn 'd The Genius of the Scene; but other gifts She has in ilore, which gladly now (lie brings, And he mall proudly wear. Know, when me broke iO
The
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 3
The fpells of Fafhion, from the crumbling wreck
Of her enchantments fagely did fhe cull
Thofe reliques rich of old Vitruvian {kill,
With what the Sculptor's hand in claflic days
Made breathe in Brafs or Marble ; thefe theHag 35
Had purloin'd, and difpos'd in Folly's fane ;
To him thefe trophies of her victory
She bears ; and where his awful nod ordains
Confpicuous means to place. He {hall direct
Her dubious judgment, from the various hoard 4©
Of ornamental treafures, how to chufe
The fmipleft and the beft ; on thefe his feal
Shall ftamp great Nature's image and his own,
To charm for unborn ages. — Fling the reft
Back to the Beldame, bid her whirl them all 4^
In her vain vortex, lift them now to day,
Now plunge in night, as, thro* the humid rack
Of April cloud, fwift flits the trembling beam.
But precepts tire, and this faftidious Age Rejects the flrain didactic : Try we then 50
B 2 In
4 THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
In livelier Narrative the truths to veil
We dare not didlate. Sons of Albion, hear *
The tale I tell is full of ftrange event,
And piteous circumftance ; yet deem not ye,
If names I feign, that therefore fa&s are feign'd : 55
Nor hence refufe (what moft augments the charm
Of ftoried woe) that fond credulity
Which binds th' attentive foul in clofer chains..
At manhood's prime ALCANDER'S duteous tear Fell on his Father's grave. The fair Domain, 60
Which then became his ample heritage, That Father had reform'd ; each line deftroy'd Which Belgic dulnefs ptann'd j and Nature's felf Reflor'd to all the rights me wim'd to claim.
Crowning a gradual hill his Manfion rofe 6-5
In antient Englim grandeur : Turrets, Spires, And Windows, climbing high from bafe to roof In wide and radiant rows, befpoke its birth Coeval with thofe rich cathedral fanes,
(Gothic
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 5
(Gothic ill-nam'd) where harmony refults 70
From difunited parts; and fhapes minute,.
At once diftincl: and blended, boldly form
One vaft majeftic whole. No modern art
Had marr'd with mifplac'd fymmetry the. Pile.
ALCANDER held it facred : On, a height,. 75
Which weftering to its fite. the front furvey'd,,
He firfl his tafte employ'd : for there a line
Of thinly fcatter'd Beech too tamely broke
The blank Horizon. " Draw we round yon knowl,"
ALCANDER cry'd,. " ia flately Norman mode,. 80
" A wall embattled ; and within its guard,
*' Let every flruclure needful for a Farm
" Arife in Caftle-femblance ; the huge Barn
*' Shall with a mock Portcullis arm the gate*
'* Where Ceres entering, o'er the flail-proof floor 85
" In golden triumph rides ;.. fome Tower rotund
" Shall to the Pigeons and their, callow young
" Safe rooft afford ; and ev'ry buttrefs broad,
«• Whofe proud projection feems a mafs of ftone,,,
B 3 Give
6 THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
" Give fpace to ftall the heifer, and the fteed. 90
" So fhall each part, tho' turn'd to rural ufe, *' Deceive the eye with thofe bold feudal forms •" That Fancy loves to gaze on." This achiev'd, Now nearer home he calls returning Art To hide the ftrudlure rude where Winter pounds 95
In conic pit his congelations hoar, That Summer may his tepid beverage cool With the chill luxury; his Dairy too There {lands of form unfightly : both to veil, He builds of old disjointed mofs- grown ftone 10©
A time- {truck Abbey *. An impending grove Screens it behind with reverential (hade ; While bright in front the ftream reflecting fpreads, Which winds a mimic River o'er his Lawn. The Faae conventual there is dimly feen, 105
The
* It was fald in the firft Book, ver. 384, that of thofe -architectural Objefts which improved a fine natural Englijb profpeft, the two principal ones were a Caftle and an Abbey, In conformity with this Idea, ALCANDE*. &rft begins to exercife his tafte, by form* ing a refemblance of thofe two capital artificial features, uniting them, however, *witb utility. The precept is here meant *o be conveyed by defcription, which had before been £iven more diredly in Book If. yer. zi.
Beauty Icorns to dwell Where U/e is ejdl'd.
THE- ENGLISH GARDEN. 7
The mitred Window, and the Cloifter pale, With many a mouldering Column ; Ivy foon Round the rude chinks her net of foliage fpreads ^ Its verdant mefhes feem to prop the wall.
One native Glory, more than all fublime,. no
AL GANDER'S fcene pofleft : 'Twas Ocean's felf He, boift'rous King, agalnil the eaitern cliffs Dafh'd his white foam ; a verdant vale between. Gave fplendid ingrefs to his world of waves. Slaunting this vale the mound of that clear ftream 115
Lay hid in (hadey, which flowly lav'd his Lawn i But there fet free, the rill refum'd its pace, And hurried to the Main. The dell it paft Was rocky and retir'd : Here Art with eafe Might lead it o'er a Grot, and filter'd there> 120
Teach it to fparkle down its craggy fides3. And fall and tinkle on its- pebbled floort Here then that Grot he builds, and conclis with fpars,, Mofs petrified with branching corallines In mingled mode arranges : All found here 125
Propriety
3 THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
Propriety of place ; what view'd the Main
Might well the ftielly gifts of Thetis bear.
Not fo the inland cave : with richer ftore
Than thofe the neighboring mines and mountains yield
To hang its roof, would feem incongruous Pride, 130
And fright the local G.enius from the fcene *.
One vernal morn, as urging here the work Surrounded by his hinds, from mild to cold The Seafon chang'd, from cold to fudden ftorm, From florm to whirlwind. To the angry main 135
Swiftly he turns and fees a laden Ship Difmafted by its rage. *' Hie, hie we all," ALCANDER cry'd, " quick to the neighb'ring beach." They flew ; they came, but only to behold* Tremendous fight! the VefTel dafh its poop 140
Amid the boiling breakers. Need I tell What ftrenuous Arts were us'd, when all were us'd, *To fave the finking Crew ? One tender Maid
Alone
•* A precept is here rather more than hinted at ; but It appeared to be fo we'll founded and yet fo feldom;.attended to by the fabricators of Grottos, that it feemed neceflary to Jlide back a litUc'from the narrative into the didadlic to inculcate it the more ftrongly.
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 9
Alone efcap'd, fav'd by ALCANDER'S arm, Who boldly fwam to fnatch her from the plank 145
To which flie feebly clung; fwiftly to more, And fwifter to his home the youth convey 'd His clay-cold prize, who at his portal firft By one deep figh a fign of Life betray'd.
A Maid fo fav'd, if but by nature bled 150
With common charms, had foon awak'd a flame More ftrong than Pity, in that melting heart Which Pity vvarm'd before. But (he was fair As Poets picture Hebe, or the Spring ;
Graceful withal, as if each limb were caft 155
In that ideal mould whence RAPHAEL drew His Galatea*: Yes, th' impaflion'd Youth Felt more than pity when he view'd her charms. Yet {he, (ah, Grange to tell) tho' much he lov'd, Suppreft as much that fympathetic flame 160
C Which
* Alluding to a Letter of that famous Painter, written to his Friend Count Baltafer Caftiglione, when he was painting his celebrated piclure of Galatea, in which he tells him, " eflendo careftia di belle donne, io mi fervo di certa idea che viene alia mente." See Bellori Difcriz, delle imagini dipintt da Raffaello d* Urbino, or the Life of B. CaiH. glione, prefixt to the London Edition of his Book entitled, 77 Cortegiaito,
io THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
Which Love like his mould kindle : Did he kneel
In rapture at her feet? me bow'd the head,
And coldly bad him rife ; or did he plead,
In terms of pureft paffion, for a fmile ?
She gave him but a tear : his manly form, 165
His virtues, ev ji the courage that preferv'd
Her life, befeem'd no fentiment to wake
Warmer than gratitude ; and yet the love
Withheld from him me freely gave his fcenes ;
On all their charms a juft applaufe beftow'df j^o
And, if me e'er was happy, only then
When wand'ring where thofe charms were mofl difplay*d.
As thro' a neighb'ring Grove, where antient beech Their awful foliage flung, ALCANDER led The penfive maid along, " Tell me," me cry'd, 175
" Why, on thefe foreft features all-intent, " Forbears my friend fome fcene diftindl to give " To Flora and her fragrance ? Well I know " That in the general Landfcape's broad expanfe
" Their
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. n
" Their little blooms are loft ; but here are glades, 180
" "Circled with made, yet pervious to the fun,
" Where, if enamell'd with their rainbow-hues,
" The eye would catch their fplendor : turn thy Tafte,
" Ev'n in this grafTy circle where we ftand,
" To form their plots; there weave a woodbine Bower, 185
" And call that Bower NERINA'S." At the word
ALCANDER fmil'd ; his fancy inftant form'd
The fragrant fcene me wiQi'd -, and Love, with Art
Uniting, foon produc'd the finim'd whole.
Down to the South the glade by Nature lean'd ; 190
Art form'd the flope ftill fofter, opening there Its foliage, and to each Eteiian gale Admittance free difpenfing ; thickeft fhade Guarded the reft. — His tafte will beft conceive The new arrangement, whofe free footfteps, us'd 195
To foreft haunts, have pierc'd their opening dells, Where frequent tufts of fweetbriar, box, or thorn, Steal on the green fward, but admit fair fpace For many a mofTy maze to wind between.
C 2 So
12 THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
So here did Art arrange her flow'ry groups 200
Irregular, yet not in patches quaint *,
But interpos'd between the wand'ring lines
Of fhaven turf which twitted to the path,
Gravel or fand, that in as wild a wave
Stole round the verdant limits of the fcene; 205
Leading the Eye to many a fculptur'd bufl
On fhapely pedeftal, of Sage, or Bard,
Bright heirs of fame, who living lov'd the haunts
So fragrant, fo fequefter'd. Many an Urn
There too had place, with votive lay infcrib'd 210
To Freedom, Friendmip, Solitude, or Love.
And now each flow'r that bears tranfplanting change,.. Or blooms indigenous, adorn'd the fcene:
Only
* There is nothing in pidurefque Gardening which fhould not have its archetype in unadorned Nature. Now, as we never fee any of her plains dotted with diiTevered patches of any fort of vegetables, except, perhaps, fome of her more barren heaths, where even. Furze can grow but fparingly, and which form the moft difagreeable of her fcenes, there- fore the prefent common mode of dotting clumps of flowers, or ihrubs on a grafs-plat, without union, and without other meaning than that of appearing irregular, ought to be avoided. It is the form and eafy flow of the grafly interilices (if I may fo call them) that the defigner ought firfl to have a regard to ; and if thefe be well formed, the fpacea for flowers or fhrubbery will be at the fame time afcertamed.
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 13
Only NERINA'S wifh, her woodbine bower,
Remain'd to crown the whole. Here, far beyond 215
That humble wifh, her Lover's Genius form'd
A glittering Fane, where rare and alien plants
Might fafely flourifti*; where the Citron fvveet,
And fragrant Orange, rich in fruit and flowers,
Might hang their filver ftars-, their golden globes,. 220
On the fame odorous flem : Yet feorning there
The glaify penthoufe of ignoble form,
High on Ionic fhafts he bad it tower
A proud Rotunda ; to its fides conjoin'd-
Two broad Piazzas in theatric curve* 225
Ending in equal Porticos fublime.
Glafs rooft the whole, and fidelong to the South
'Twixt ev'ry fluted Column, lightly rear'd
Its wall pellucid-. All within was day,,
C 3. Was
* M, Le Glradtn, in an elegant French EfTay, written on the fame fubje£tr and formed on the fame principles, with this Poem, is the only writer that I have feen (or at lead recollecl) who has attempted to give a ftove or hot-houfe a piftijrefque effect, It is his. hint, purfued and confiderably dilated, which forms the defcription of ALCANDER.** Confervatory. See his Eflay, De la composition des Payfages. Geneva, 1777.
i4 THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
Was genial Summer's day, for fecret floves 230
Thro' all the pile folflitial warmth convey'd.
Thefe led thro* ifles of Fragrance to the Dome, Each way in circling quadrant. That bright fpace Guarded the fpicy tribes from Afric's Ihore, Or Ind, or Araby, Sabaean Plants 235
Weeping with nard, and balfam. In the midft A Statue flood, the work of Attic Art ; Its thin light drapery, caft in fluid folds, Proclaim'd its antientry 5 all fave the head, Which flole (for Love is prone to gentle thefts) 240
The features of N ERIN A ; yet that head, So perfect in refemblance; all its air So tenderly impaffion'd j to the trunk, Which Grecian fkill had form'd, fo aptly join'd, PHIDIAS himfelf might feem to have infpir'd 24"
The chiflel, brib'd to do the am'rous fraud. One graceful hand held forth a flow'ry wreath, The other preft her zone ; while round the bafe Dolphins, and Triton (hells* and plants marine
Proclaim'd,
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 15
Proclaim'd, that Venus, rifing from the fea, 250
Had veil'd in Flora's modeft veil her charms.
Such was the Fane, and fuch the Deity Who feem'd, with fmile aufpicious, to inhale That incenfe which a tributary world
From all its regions round her altar breath'd ;. 255
And yet, when to the fhrine ALCANDER, led His living Goddefs, only with a figh, And ftarting tear, the ftatue and the dome Reluctantly me view'd.- And " why," me cry'd, " Why would, my beft Prefer ver here erect,, 260
" With all the fond idolatry of Love,, " A Wretch's image whom his Pride mould fcorn,. ** (For fo his Country bids him). Drive me hence,, " Tranfport me quick to Gallia's hoftile fhore, ** Hoftile to thee, yet not, alas ! to her 265
" Who there was meant to fojourn : there, perchance, " My Father, wafted by more profp'rous gales, " Now mourns his Daughter loft ; my Brother there " Perhaps now fooths that venerable age
"He
56 THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
*' He mould not footh alone. Vain thought ! perchance 270
" Both perifh'd at Efopus — do not blufh,
*' It was not thou that lit the ruthlefs flame;
" It was not thou, that, like remorfelefs Cain,
" Thirfted for Brother's blood : thy heart difdains
" The favage imputation. Reft thee there, 275
** And, tho' thoii pitieft, yet forbear to grace,
" A wretched Alien, and a Rebel deem'd,,
" With honors ill-befeeming her to claim.
" My wim, thou know'ft, was humble as my flate ;
" I only begg'd a little woodbine bower, 280
" Where I might fit and weep, w'hfle all around
" The lilies and the blue bells hung their heads
" In feeming fympathy." " Does then the fcene
" Difpleafe ?" the difappointed lover cry'd ;
" Alas ! too much it pleafes," figh'd the fair ; 285
ic Too ftrongly paints the paflion which flern Fate
" Forbids me to return ;" '* Doft thou then love
" Some happier youth ?" ." No, tell thy generous foul
-*•' Indeed I do not.*' More ihe would have faid,
But
THE ENGLISH GARDEN, 17
But gufhing grief prevented. From the Fane 2.90
Silent he led her j as from Eden's bower The Sire of Men his weeping Partner led* Lefs lovely, and lefs innocent than (he.
Yet ftill ALCANDER hop'd what laft me figh'd Spoke more than gratitude ; the War might end ; 295
Her Father might confent ; for that alone Now feem'd the duteous barrier to his blifs* Already had he fent a faithful friend To learn if France the reverend Exile held : That friend return'd not. Mean-while ev'ry fun 300
Which now (a year elaps'd) diurnal rofe Beheld her flill more penfive $ inward Pangs, From grief's concealment, hourly feem'd to force Health from her cheek, and Quiet from her foul. ALCANDER mourn'd the change, yet ftill he hop'd -, 305
For Love to Hope his flickering taper lends, When Reafon with his fteady torch retires : Hence did he try by ever-varying arts, And fcenes of novel charm her grief to calm.
D Nor
i8 THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
Nor did he not employ the Syren Powers 310
Of Mufic and of Song ; or Painting, thine, -Sweet fource of pure delight ! But I record Thofe arts alone, which form my fylvan theme.
At ftated hours, full oft had he obferv'd, She fed with welcome grain the houfehold fowl 315
That trefpaft on his lawn -> this wak'd a wifh To give her feather'd fav'rites fpace of land, And lake appropriate : in a neighb'ring copfe He plann'd the fcene ; for there the cryftal fpring, Thatform'd his river, from a rocky cleft 320
Firft bubbling broke to day -y and fpreading there Slept on its rumes. " Here my delving hinds," He cry'd, *' fhall foon the marfhy foil remove, " And fpread, in brief extent, a glittering Lake 4t Chequer'd with ifles of verdure; on yon Rock 325
" A fculptur'd River-God (hall reft his urn ; " And thro' that urn the native fountain flow. •*' Thy wifh'd-for bower, NERINA, fhall adorn jr< The fouthern bank j the downy race, that iwim
"The
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 19
" The lake, or pace the more, with livelier charms, 330
*' Yet no lefs rural, here will meet thy glance,
*' Than flowers inanimate." Full loon was fcoopt
The wat'ry bed, and foon, by margin green,
And riling banks, inclos'd ; the higheft gave
Site to a ruftic fabric, fhelving deep 335
Within the thicket, and in front compos'd
Of three unequal arches, lowly all
The furer to expel the noontide glare,
Yet yielding liberal inlet to the fcene ;
Woodbine with jafmine carelefsly entwin'd 340
Conceal'd the needful mafonry, and hung
In free feftoons, and veiled all the cell.
Hence did the lake, the iflands, and the rock,
A living landfcape fpread ; the feather'd fleet,
Led by two mantling fwans, at ev'ry creek 34.5
Now touch'd, and now unmoor'd ; now on full fail,.
With pennons fpread and oary feet they ply'd
Their vagrant voyage -, and now, as if becalm'd,
'Tween more and (hore at anchor feem'd to fleep.
D a Around
20 THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
Around thofe mores the Fowl that fear the ftream 35©
At random rove : hither hot Guinea fends
Her gadding troop ; here midft his fpeckled Dames
The pigmy Chanticleer of Bantam winds
His clarion ; while, fuprerne .in glittering ftate,
The Peacock fpreads his rainbow train, with eyes 355
Of fapphire bright, irradiate each with gold.
Mean-while from ev'ry fpray the Ringdoves coo,
The Linnets warble, captive none *, but lur'd
By food to haunt the umbrage : all the Glade
Js .Life, is Mufic, Liberty, and Love. ^60
And is there now to Pleafure or to Ufe One fcene devoted in the wide domain Its Mafter has not polim'd ? Rumour fpreads Its praifes far, and many a ftranger flops With curious eye to cenfure or admire, 365
To
* See RoufTeau's Charming defcription of the Garden of Julie, Nouvelle Eloife, 4 par- tie. Lett. \\th. In confequence of purfuing his idea, no birds are introduced into AL- , GANDER'S Menagerie, butfuch as are either domeflicated, or chufe to vifit it for the fecurity and food they find there. If any of my more delicate readers wifli to have theirs ibcked with rarer kind of fowls, they muft invent a pi&urefque Bird-cage for themfelves.
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 21
To all his Lawns are pervious ; oft himfelf
With courteous greeting will the critic hail,
And join him in the circuit. Give we here
(If Candour will with patient ear attend)
The focial dialogue AL GANDER held 37©
With one, a Youth of mild yet manly mein,
Who feem'd to tafte the beauties he furvey'd.
" Little, I fear me, will a ftranger's eye ee Find here to praife, where rich Vitruvian Art M Has rear'd no temples, no triumphal arcs ; 375
" Where no Palladian bridges fpan the ftream, " But all is homebred Fancy." " For that caufe, " And chiefly that," the polifh'd Youth reply'd, " I view each part with rapture. Ornament, " When foreign or fantaftic, never charm'd 380
" My judgment; here I tread on Britifh ground; " With Britim annals all I view accords. «' Some Yorkift, or Lancaftrian Baron bold, " To awe his vafTals, or to ftem his foes, " Yon mafly bulwark built ; on yonder pile, 385
03 " In
22 THE ENGLISH GARDEN,
" In ruin beauteous, I diftinctly mark
" The ruthlefs traces of flern HENRY'S hand.
" Yet," cry'd ALCANDER, (interrupting mild The Granger's fpeech) " if fo yon antient feat, " Pride of my anceflors, had mock'd repair, 390
" And by Proportion's Greek or Roman laws " That pile had been rebuilt, thou wouldft not then, " I truft, have blam'd, if, there on Doric fhafts " A temple rofej if fome tall obelifk
" O'ertopt yon grove, or bold triumphal arch 395
" Ufurpt my Cattle's flation." — " Spare me yet " Yon folemn Ruin," the quick youth return'd, " No mould'ring aqueduct, no yawning crypt " Sepulchral, will confole me for its fate."
" I mean not that," the Mafter of the fcene 400
Reply'd j " tho' claflic rules to modern piles " Should give the jufl arrangement, fhun we here *« By thofc to form our Ruins -, much we own
" They
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 23
" They pleafe, when, by PANINI'S pencil drawn,
" Or darkly grav'd by PIRANESI'S hand, 405
" And fitly might fome Tufcan garden grace ;
" But Time's rude mace has here all Roman piles
" Levell'd fo low, that who, on Britim ground
." Attempts the tafk, builds but a fplendid lye
" Which mocks hiftoric credence. Hence the caufe 410
" Why Saxon piles or Norman here prevail :
" Form they a rude, 'tis yet an Englifh whole."
<f And much I praife thy choice," the ftranger cry'd ; *' Such chafle felection mames the common mode, *' Which, mingling ftrudures of far diftant times, 41 £
*' Far diftant regions, here, perchance, eredls " A fane to Freedom, where her BRUTUS ilands * ( In aft to ftrike the tyrant ; there a Tent, " With crefcent crown'd, with fcymitars adorn'd, " Meet for fome BAJAZET; northward we turn, 420
*' And lo ! a pigmy Pyramid pretends " We tread the realms of PHARAOH; quickly thence " Our fcuthern ftep prefents us heaps of flone
" Rang'd ia a DRUID circle. Thus from aga
" To
24 THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
" To age, from clime to clime incelTant borne, 425
" Imagination flounders headlong on,
*' Till, like fatigu'd VILLARIO *, foon we find
" We better like a fiekl." " Nicely thy hand
" The childim landfcape touches," cries his hoft,
" For Fafhion ever is a wayward child j 43®
" Yet fure we might forgive Her faults like thefe,
" If but in feparate or in fingle fcenes
" She thus with Fancy wanton'd : Should I lead
" Thy ftep, my Friend, (for our accordant taftes
" Prompt me to give thee that familiar name) 435
" Behind this fcreen of Elm, thou there might'fl: find
'" I too had idly play'd the truant's part,
" And broke the bounds of judgment." " Lead me there,"
Briikly the Youth return'd, " for having prov'd
" Thy Epic Genius here, why not perufe 440
" Thy lighter Ode or Eclogue ?" Smiling thence
ALCANDER led him to the Woodbine bower
Which laft our Song defcrib'd, who feated there,
In filent tranfport view'd the lively fcene,
JC
'* See Dope's EpiHle to Lord -Burlington, ver. 8S,
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 25
" I fee," his hofl refum'd, " my fportive art 445
*( Finds pardon here; not ev'n yon claffic form, " Pouring his liquid treafures from his vafe, " Tho' foreign from the foil, provokes thy frown. * " Try we thy candor further : higher art, " And more luxurious, haply too more vain, 450
" Adorns yon fouthern coppice." On they paft Thro' a wild thicket, till the perfum'd air Gave to another fenfe its prelude rich On what the eye fhould feaft. But now the grove Expands ; and now the Rofe, the garden's Queen, 455
Amidft her blooming fubjeclis' humbler charms, On ev'ry plot her crimfon pomp difplays. " Oh Paradife !" the ent'ring youth exclaim'd, *' Groves whofe rich trees weep odorous gums and balm, *' Others whofe fruit, burnifh'd with golden rind, 460
E " Hang
* It is hoped that, from the petition of this River-God in the menagerie ; from the fituation of the bufls and vafes in the flower-garden ; and that of the ftatue in the con- fervatory, the reader will deduce the following general precept, " that all adventitious ornaments of fculpture ought either to be accompanied with a proper back-ground, (as the Painters term it) or introduced as a part of architectural fcenery ; and that when, on the contrary, they are placed in open lawns or parterres, according to the old mode, they become, like Antaeus and Enceladus, mentioned in the beginning of this book, mere /care-crows."
26 THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
" Hang amiable, Hefperian fables true,
" If true, here only *." Thus, in Milton's phrafe
Sublime, the youth his admiration pour'd,
While paffing to the dome ; his next fhort flep
Unveil'd the central ftatue : " Heav'ns ! juft Heav'ns," 465
He cry'd, " tis my NERINA." " Thine, mad Youth ?
" Forego the word," ALCANDER faid, and paus'd;
His utterance fail'd ; a thoufand cluft'ring thoughts,
And all of blackeft omen to his peace,
Recoil'd upon his brain, deaden'd all fenfe, 470
And at the ftatue's baft him headlong caft,
A lifelefs load of being. — Ye, whofe hearts
Are ready at Humanity's foft call
To drop the tear, I charge you weep not yet,
But fearfully fufpend the bunding woe : 475
NERINA'S felf appears; the further ifle
She, fate-dire&ed, treads. Does me too faint ?
Would Heav'n me could ! it were a happy fwoon
Might foften her fixt form, more rigid now
Thaa
• See Milton's Paradife Loft, book iv. ver. 248* &c.
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 27
Than is her marble femblance. One ftiff hand 480
Lies leaden on her breaft ; the other rais'd
To heav'n, and half-way clench'd ; ftedfafl her eyes,
Yet viewlefs ; and her lips, which op'd to fhriek,
Can neither fhriek nor clofe : So might me Hand
For ever : He, whofe fight caus'd the dread change, 485
Tho' now he clafps her in his anxious arms,
Fails to unbend one fmew of her frame;
'Tis ice; 'tis fleel. But fee, ALCANDER wakes;
And waking, as by magic fympathy,
NERINA whifpers, " All is well, my friend; 490
" 'Twas but a viiion ; I may yet revive — —
" But ftill his arm fupports me; aid him, friend,
" And bear me fwiftly to my woodbine bower;
*' For there indeed I wifh to breathe my laft."
So faying, her cold cheek, and parched brow, 495
Turn'd to a livid palenefs ; her dim eyes Sunk in their fockets ; fharp contraction preft Her temples, ears, and noflrils : figns well known
E 2 Ta
28 THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
To thofe that tend the dying. * Both the youths
Perceiv'd the change ; and had ftern Death himfelf 500
Wav'd his black banner vifual o'er their heads,
It could not more appall. With trembling flep,
And filent, both convey'd her to the bower^
Her languid limbs there decently compos'd, She thus her fpeech refum'd : " Attend my words 505
" Brave CLEON I dear ALCANDER ! generous Pair: " For both have tender intereft in this heart " Which foon {hall beat no more. That I am thine *' By a dear Father's juft commands I own,, " Much honour'd CLEON ! take the hand he gave, 510
" And with it, Oh, if I could give my heart, " Thou wert its worthy owner. All I can, " (And that preferv'd with chafteft fealty) " Duteous I give thee, CLEON it is thine ^
" Not
* Thefe lines are taken from the famous paflage in Hippocrates in his book of Prog- noftics, which has been held fo accurately defcriptive, that dying perfons are, from hence, ufually faid to have the fades Hippocratica. The paflage is as follows : P<f •4>r<*, opSaty/oJ xotXo», xfoTa^ot ^/*>nrtOTlwxoTf?, uta. 4'^pa xj |t;»6ra^/*e>a, »ej o Ac'foi rut vrut dirirfatpiAitot, xj TO teppx rtt Tregl TO /*/]<y«70», crxA^poV Tt xj iti^.a.^ *tr, xj TO Xgw^a TB &(Ht*fo' v^ffutffV p^Xwgoy re y »£ ^<n» tin x} TTtAisv ^
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 29
<* Not ev'n this dear preferver, e'er could gain 515-
" More from my foul than Friendship — that be his;
*' Yet let me own, what, dying, fooths the pang,-
" That, had thyfelf and duty ne'er been known,
" He muft have had my love." She paus'd; and dropt
A filent tear ; then preft the Stranger's hand ; 520-
Then bow'd her head upon ALCANDER'S breaft,
And " blefs them both, kind Heav'n !" fhe pray'd and died,
" And bleft art thou," cry'd CLEON, (in a voice- Struggling with grief for utterance) bleft to die " Ere thou hadft queftion'd me, and I perforce 525"
" Had told a tale which muft have fent thy foul " In horror from thy bofom. Now it leaves " A fmile of peace upon thofe pallid lips, " That fpeaks its parting happy. Go fair faint \ " Go to thy palm-crown'd father 1 thron'd in blifs, 530
" And feated by his fide, thou wilt not now " Deplore the favage ftroke that feal'd his doom ^ " Go hymn the Fount of Mercy, who, from ill ** Educing good, makes ev'n a death like his,
E 3 "A
5o THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
•" A life furcharg'd with tender woes like thine, 535
" The road to Joys eternal. Maid, farewell !
" I leave the cafket that thy virtues held
" To Him whofe breaft fuflains it ; more belov'd, ,
*< Perhaps more worthy, yet not loving more
*' Than did thy wretched CLEON." At the word 540
He bath'd in tears the hand me dying gave,
Return'd it to her fide, and hafly rofe.
ALCANDER, flatting from his trance of grief,
Cry'd " flay, I charge thee flay/' " and mail he flay,"
CLEON reply'd, " whofe prefence flabb'd thy peace ? 545
" Hear this before we part : That breathlefs Maid
" Was daughter to a venerable Sage,
" Whom Boflon, when with peace and fafety blefl^
" In rapture heard pour from his hallow'd tongue
" Religion's pureft dictates. 'Twas my chance, $$Q
" In early period of our civil broils,
" To fave his precious life : And hence the Sire
" Did to my love his Daughter's charms confign j
** But, till the war fhould ceafe, if ever ceafe,
-" Deferr'd
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 3*
f{ Deferr'd our nuptials. Whither {he was fent 555
" In fearch of fafety, well, I truft, thou know'ft ;,
" He meant to follow ; but thofe ruthlefs flames,
" That fpar'd nor friend nor foe, nor fex nor age,.
" Involv'd the village, where on fickly couch
" He lay confm'd, and whither he had fled 560
" Awhile to fojourn. There (I fee thee flirink)
" Was he that gave NERINA being burnt !
" Burnt by thy Countrymen ! to Afhes burnt !
'* Fraternal hands and chriflian lit the flame. -*-
" Oh thou haft caufe to fhudder. I meanwhile. 565
" With his brave fon a diftant warfare wag'd ;
" And him, now I have found the prize I fought,
" And finding loft, I haften to rejoin ;.
w Vengeance and glory call me." At the word,.
Not fiercer does the Tigrefs quit her cave 570
To feize the hinds that robb'd her of her young,
Than he the Bower. " Stay, I conjure thee, ftay,"
ALCANDER cry'd, but ere the word was fpoke
CLEON was feen no more. " Then be it fo,"
The
32 THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
The youth continu'd, clafping to his heart 575
The heauteous corfe, and fmiling as he fpoke,
(Yet fuch a fmile as far out-forrows tears)
" Now thou art mine entirely — Now no more
" Shall Duty dare difturb us — Love alone —
«•' -But hark ! he comes again — Away vain fear ! 580
" 'Twas but the fluttering of thy feather'd flock.
" True to their cuftom'd hour, behold they troop
" From ifland, grove, and lake. Arife my Love,
" Extend thy hand — I lift it, but it falls.
" Hence then, fond fools, and pine ! NERINA'S hand 585
" Has loft the power to feed you. Hence and die."
Thus plaining, to his lips the icy palm He lifted, and with ardent paflion kift, Then cry'd in agony, " on this dear hand, " Once tremblingly alive to Love's foft touch, 590
*' I hop'd to feal my faith :" This thought awak'd Another fad foliloquy, which they, Whoe'er have lov'd, will from their hearts fupply, And they who have not will but hear and fmile.
And
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 33
And let them fmile, but let the fcorners learn 595
There is a folemn luxury in grief Which they mall never tafte ; well known -to thofe, And only thofe, in Solitude's deep gloom' Who heave the figh fmcerely : Fancy there Waits the fit moment; and, when Time has calm'd 6c<t> The firft o'erwhelming tempeft of their woe,. Piteous me fteals upon the mourner's breaft . Her precious balm to Hied : -Oh, it has power, . Has magic power to foften and to footh,
Thus duly minifter'd.' ALCANDER felt 605
The charm, yet not till many a ling'ring moon Had hung upon heK zenitli o'er his couch,^ And heard his midnight wailings. Does he ftray But near the fated temple, or the bower ? He feels a chilly monitor within,. 610
Who bids him panfe. Does he at diftance view His grot? 'tis darken'd with NERINA'S ftorm Ev'n at the blaze of noon. Yet there are walks The loft one never trodr and there are feats
F. Where
34 THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
Where he was never happy by her fide, 615
And thefe he ftill can figh in. Here at length,
As if by chance, kind Fancy brought her aid,
When wand'ring thro' a grove of fable yew,
Rais'd by his anceftors ; their Sabbath-path
Led thro' its gloom, what time too dark a ftole 620
Was o'er Religion's decent features drawn
By Puritanic zeal. • Long had their boughs
Forgot the fheers ; the fpire, the holy ground
They banifh'd by their umbrage. " What if here,"
Cry'd the fweet Soother, in a whifper foft, 625
" Some open fpace were form'd, where other fhades,
" Yet all of folemn fort, Cyprefs and Bay
" Funereal, penfive Birch its languid arms
" That droops, with waving Willows deem'd to weep,
" And miv'ring Afpens mixt their varied green ; 635
" What if yon trunk, (horn of its murky crefi:,
" Reveal'd the facred Fane ?" ALCANDER heard
The Charmer ; ev'ry accent feem'd his own,
.So much they touch'd his heart's fad unifon,
" Yes,
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 35
" Yes, yes," he cry'd, " Why not behold it all ? 635
" That bough remov'd (hews me the very vault
" Where my NERINA fleeps, and where, when Heav'n
" In pity to my plaint the mandate feals,
" My duft with her's (hall mingle." Now his hinds,
Call'd to the tafk, their willing axes wield ; 640
Joyful to fee, as witlefs of the caufe,
Their much-lov'd Lord his fyivan arts refumc.
And next, within the centre of the gloom,
A med of twifting roots and living mofs,
With rumes thatch'd, with wattled oziers lin'd, 645
He bids them raife * : it feem'd a Hermit's cell ;,
F 2 Yet
* If this building is found to be in its right pofition, ftru&ures of the fame kind will be thought improperly placed when fituated, as they frequently are, on an emi- nence commanding an extenfive profpeft. I have either feen or heard of one of this kind, where the builder feeined to be fo much convinced of its incongruity, that he endeavoured to atone for it by the following ingenious motto: Defpicere unde queas a!ios, paflimquc videre Errare, arque viam palanteis quaerere vitae. Luc. lib. it. v. 9.
But it may be faid, that ical Hermitages are frequent y found on high mountains. Yet there the difficulty of accefs gives that idea of retirement, not eafily to be conveyed by imitations of them in a garden fcene, without much accompanving ihade and that low- nefs of fituation, which occafions a feclufion from all gay obje&s.
36 THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
Yet void of hour-glafs, . fcull, and maple difli, .Its mimic garniture : ALCANDER'S tafte Difdains to. trick with emblematic toys
The place where He and Melancholy mean -6.50
To fix NERINA'S buft, her genuine buft, ^he model of the marble. There he hides, Clofe as a Mifer's gold, the fculptur'd clay ; And but at early morn and lateft eve
Unlocks the fimple fhrine, and heaves a figh ; .655
Then does he turn, and thro* the glimm'ring glade Caft a long glance, upon her houfe of death ; Then views the bufh again, and drops a tear.
Is this idolatry, ye fage ones fay ? —
Or, if ye doubt, go view the num'rous train #60
Of poor and fatherlefs his .care confoles ;
•The fight will tell thee, he that dries their tears
Has unfeen angels hov'ring o'er his head,
leave their heav'n to fee him ftied his .own.
Here
THE ENGLISH GARDEN. 37
Here dole we, fweet SIMPLICIY ! the tale, 665
And with it let us yield to youthful bards That Dorian reed we but awak'd to voice When Fancy prompted, and when Leifure fmil'd ; Hopelefs of general praife, and well repaid, If they of clailic ear, unpall'd by rhyme, 670
Whom changeful paufe can pleafe, and numbers free, Accept our fong with candour. They perchance, Led by the Mufe to folitude and (hade, May turn that Art we fiug to foothing ufe, At this ill-omen'd hour, when Rapine rides 675
In titled triumph ; when Corruption waves Her banners broadly in the face of day, And mews th' indignant world the hoft of flaves She turns from Honour's flandard. Patient there, Yet not defponding, (hall the fons of Peace 680
Await the day, when, fmarting with his wrongs, Old England's Genius wakes ; when with him wakes That plain Integrity, Contempt of gold, Difdain of ilav'ry, liberal Awe of rule,
F 3 Which
38 THE ENGLISH GARDEN.
Which fixt the rights of People, Peers, and Prince, 685
And on them founded the majeftic pile
Of BRITISH FREEDOM; bad fair ALBION rife
The fcourge of tyrants , fovereign of the feas ;
And arbitrefs of empires. Oh return,
Ye long-loft train of Virtues ! fwift return 690
To fave ('tis ALBION prompts your Poet's prayer)
Her Throne,, her Altars, and her laureat Bowers.
•
THE END,
GENERAL POSTSCRIPT.
FE W Poems, in the courfe of their compofition, have been laid afide and relumed more cafually, or, in con- fequence, publimed more leifurely, than the foregoing ; on which account, while it does not pretend to the Horatian merit of a nine-years fcrutiny under the correcting hand of its Au- thor, it will not thence, he may perhaps hope, be found to have that demerit which arifes from ill-connected parts and an indigefted plan. For, as a fcheme was formed for the whole four books before even the firft was written; and as that fcheme has fince been purfued with very little, if any devia- tion, it is prefumed that the three latter books will be found flrictly confonant with the general principles advanced in the former ; which, as it contained the principles, and ended epifodically with a kind of hifloric deduction of the rife and progrefs of the Art, might have been confidered in the light of an entire work, (as the advertifement before it hinted) had the fucceeding books been never written.
However, as the whole defign is at length completed, it may not be amifs to give in this place a fliort analyfis of the
fevcral
4o GENERAL POSTSCRIPT.
feveral books, in their order, to fhew their connection one with another; and to obviate a few objections which have been made to certain parts of each, by fome perfons whofe opinions I highly refpect ; objections which I flatter myfelf might arife from their having examined thofe parts feparately, as the feparate publication of the books neceffarily led them to* do -, and which, perhaps, had they feen the whole together,^ they would not have found of fo much importance.
I. The firfl book, as I have faid, contains the Principles of the Art, which are (hewn to be no other than: thofe which conftitute Beauty in the lifter art of Landfcape Painting; Beauty which refults from a well-chofen variety of curves, in contradiftinction to that of Architecture which arifes from a judicious fymmetiy of right lines, and which is there fhewn to have afforded the principle on which that- formal difpofition of Garden Ground, which our ancestors- borrowed from the French and Dutch, proceeded. A principle never adopted by Nature herfelf, and therefore conilantly to be avoided by thofe whofe bufinefs it is to embellifh Nature*
GENERAL POSTSCRIPT. 41
I know of no objection that has been made to any thing that I have afferted on this head, except to that part in which I have exploded Viftas and Avenues, which, it has been faid, have in themfelves a confiderable mare of intrinfic beauty. I am myfelf far from denying this ; 1 only affert that their beauty is not picturefque beauty ; and therefore, that it is to be rejected by thofe who follow picturefque principles. It is architectural beauty, and accords only with architectural works. Where the Artifl follows thofe principles, viftas ,are certainly admiflible ; and the French, who have fo long followed them, have therefore not improperly (though one cannot help fmiling at the title) given us in their Dictionary of Sciences, an article of Architecture du Jardinage. But did Gafpar PoufTm, or Claude Lorrain, ever copy thefe beauties on their canvas ? Or would they have produced a picturefque effect by their means if they had ? I think this iingle con- fideration will induce every perfon of common tafte to allow that thefe two principles oppofe one another, and that, when- ever they appear together, they offend the eye of the beholder by their heterogeneous beauty : If therefore viftas are ever to be admitted, or rather to be retained, it is only where they form an approach to fome fuperb manfion, fo fituated, that
G the
42 GENERAL POSTSCRIPT.
the principal profpect and ground allotted to piclurefque im- provement lie entirely on the other fide; fo much fo, that ths two different modes of planting can never appear together from any given point of view; and this is the utmoft that I. can concede on this fubject.
II. The piclurefque principle beirrg thus effoblimed in the iirft book, as well by proofs of its beauty when followed, as of the deformity which refults from its being deferted, the fecond book proceeds to a more practical difcufiion of the fubject, but confines itfelf to one point only, the difpofition of the ground-plan, and, that very material bufinefs immediately united with it, the proper difpofition and formation of the paths and fences. The neceffity of attending conflantly to the curvilinear principle is firft fhewn, not only in the formation of the ground-plan, with refpect to its external boundary, but in its internal fwellings and fmkings, where all abruptnefs or angular appearances are as much to be avoided as in the form of the outline that furrounds the whole.
The pathways or walks are next confidered, and that pecu- liar curve recommended for their imitation which is fo fre- quently
GENERAL POSTSCRIPT. 43
quently found in common roads, foot-paths, &c. and which being cafually produced appears to be the general curve of nature.
The reft of the book -is employed in minutely defcribing the method of making funk fences, and other neceiTary divi- fions of the pleafure-ground or lawn from the adjacent field or park ; a part of the art which is of moft eflential confe- quence, and which is frequently very difficult both to deiign and execute.
The drynefs of this part of the fubjecT: led me to enliven the book with a concluding Epifode, and alfo to throw into other places of it as much as I could of poetical embellim- ment ; in one inftance perhaps improperly, becaufe I have found it has generally been blamed. It is the apoftrophe which I have made to the Genius or Mufe of Painting, when I am about to teach the heft colour for concealing upright fences. It has been faid, " Why all this parade about daub- ing a rail ?" Now, though I believe I might defend myfelf by the practice of my Mailers in Didadlic Poetry, who frequently ;by fuch apoftrophes endeavour to beftow confequence on little
G 2 matters,
44 GENERAL POSTSCRIPT.
matters, to which they think it necefTary to call the attention^ yet I rather chufe to give the objection its full force, and pro- mi fe to foften the pafTage in the next edition ; taking leave, however, here to affert in profe that it is highly neceflary to obferve the rule in queftion j becaufe if fuch means be not taken for concealment, fences of that kind create much de- formity in the general fcene.
III. The THIRD BOOK proceeds to add natural ornament to that ground-plan which the fecond book had afcertained, in its two capital branches, Wood and Water.
The formation of the outline and portion of the latter might indeed have been treated in the former book : But as Water, though the greateft ornament of any rural fcene, is certainly but an ornament, inafmuch as the fcene may exift without it; and as there are many beautifully-adorned Places where this additional grace cannot be produced, I thought proper to confider it only as an adjunct. Somebody has faid (perhaps rather quaintly, yet certainly not without good meaning) that " water is the eye, and wood the eye- brow of nature;" and if fo, there is furely no impropriety in treating
the
GENERAL POSTSCRIPT. 45
the two features together. Certain it is, that, when united,, they contribute more than any thing elfe to what may be called Scenical Expreffion, without which the picturefque Beauty we treat of lofes much of its value*.
With refpecVto the judicious arrangement of Wood, con- fidered feparately, I treat it under two diftinft heads, that of planting it with a view of concealing defects, and introducing beauty in their place ; and for the purpofe of ornamenting the opener lawns. On the former of thefe I am more diffufe, becaufe it is a fubjecl: which admits of precife rules. On the latter, as it is the peculiar province of Tafte, and depends chiefly on the eye of the Planter, who mud neceffarily vary his mode of planting as peculiar fituations vary, more could not be faid with propriety : For, where the only thing need- ful is to avoid formality, and to treat Nature (as Mr. Pope excellently exprefTes it)
like a modeft fair,.
Not over drefs, nor leave her wholly bare, explicit rules rather tend to miflead than to direct. I haver however, from ver. 209 to ver. 250, ventured to prefcribe a few material precepts which are incapable of being milappiied ;
G 3 and
46 GENERAL POSTSCRIPT.
and if to thefe be added, what I have faid in the firfl book concerning the falfe tafte of planting diftances, I am in hopes I (hall not be thought to have treated this part of my fubje<5t fuperficially.
I would wim my reader to confider that the Plan of this Poem differs very materially in -one refpecl: from that of the Georgics of Virgil ; and when I fpeak merely of Plan, I may hope, without appearing arrogant, to bring them to a comparifon. His four books treat of four diftinct fubjedls; Tillage, Planting, Breeding of Cattle, and Bees. He has no introductory book which treats of the general Art of Agricul- ture : Whereas this Poem, as appears from the analylis here given, employs the firft book entirely on that general fubjec% of which the three following are to be confidered only as illu- -ilrations and amplifications : Where therefore that book had furficiently explained any topic, more could not be added in any fucceeding one without tautology. And this, I hope, will fufficiently obviate the objection which has been made to ..this part -of the third book*
GENERAL POSTSCRIPT. 47
As to the fecond general topic, Water, as 1 have heard no dbjedtions made to what I have there aiTerted, and believe every aiTertion confonant to the general principles of the art, I fhall here add nothing. Yet in the little Epifode at the end of it, I have been frequently queftioned whom I meant by LIGEAJ and it has been thought that I ought not to have run away with one of Virgil's Sea-Nymphs*, to tranfport her into an Englim inland fcene. There is fome weight in this objec- tion ; and to (hew that I think fo, I will here difcover what I. have hitherto kept as a fort of fecret. The lines, where this Nymph is mentioned, were written in- a. very retired grove belonging to Mr. Frederic Montagu, who. has long honoured me with his friendship, where a little clear trout- ftream (dignified perhaps too much by the name of a River) gurgles very delicioufly. The name of. this ftream is the LIN, and the fpring itfelf rifes but a little way from his plantations -fv I-feem to find myfelf afked here. pretty ab- ruptly,. Why then did you not call your Nymph LINE A ? I
will
* Drymoquc, Zanthoque, Ligeaaue, Phyllodoceq-ae. GEOR/ iv. ver. 336.
•f At Papplewick, in Nottinghamftiire, on the edge of the Foreft of Sherwood. The village itfelf has not been witnout poetical notice before, Ben Johnfon having taken fome of his perfon<e dramatis from it, in his uafiniihed Paftoral Comedy, called ?fo~
$ GENERAL POSTSCRIPT.
•will own the truth. I had refolved, when I firft planned my Poem, to bring no inftances from any individual fcene : For I
«
thought the nature of its compofition, as it excluded particu- lar fatire, would not, with more propriety admit of particular panegyric ; and therefore, by a flight alteration in the name, and by fome other as flight deviations from the fcenery, I .cautioufly mafked the Naiad in queftion.
I will here give the reader another inflance of fimilar cau- tion : Finding, in the fame book, occafion to explode the too great fondnefs for exotic plants, I thought that the moil poetical way of doing it was to exhibit an inflance fomewhat in the fame manner in which Virgil introduces his old Corycian Gardener: But to prevent all poflible application, as I thought, I laid my fcene on the banks of the remote Swale, where I imagined the tafte for exotics had not yet reached, or at leaft had not yet been carried to any excefs ; yet I have been fince told, that the neighbourhood immediately pointed out a cer- tain very worthy Gentleman as the undoubted obje<£l of my fatire, whofe improvements I had never feen, nor even heard, that, from the inclemency of the climate, his plantations had fuffered in the way that I have defcribed. I have, there- fore.
GENERAL POSTSCRIPT. 49
fore, only to defire that my readers, now poflefled of one of my fecrets, would fubftitute an N for a G where the name LIGEA occurs; and that the refpe&able Gentleman, now acquainted with the other, would acquit me of any premedi- tated ridicule on his fubje<ft.
IV. Factitious or artificial ornaments, in contradiftindlion to natural ones laft treated, form the general fubject of the FOURTH BOOK, and conclude the plan. By thefe is meant not only every aid which the art borrows from architecture $ but thofe fmaller pieces of feparate fcenery appropriated either to ornament or ufe, which do not make a neceflary part of the whole; and which, if admitted into it, would frequently occafion a littlenefs ill-fuiting with that unity and fimplicity which mould ever be principally attended to in an extenfive pleafure- ground.
Though this fubject was in itfelf as fufceptible of poetical embellishment as any that preceded it, and much more fo than thofe contained in the fecond book -, yet I was appre- henfive that defcriptive poetry, however varied, might pall
H when
5& GENERAL POSTSCRIPT.
when continued through fo long a poem ; and therefore, by interweaving a tale with the general theme, I have given the whole a narrative, and in fome places a dramatic cart. The idea was new, and I found the execution of it fomewhat difficult : However, if I have fo far fucceeded as to have con- veyed, thro' the medium of an interefling ftory, thofe more important principles of tafte which this part of my fubjecl: re- quired, and if thofe rules only are omitted which readily refult from fuch as I have defcriptively given; if the judicious place and arrangement of thofe artificial forms, which give the chief embellimment to a finimed garden-fcene, be diftindly noti- ced, I am not without hope that this conclufion will be thought (as Sir Henry Wotton faid of Milton's juvenile Poems at the end of a mifcellany) to leave the reader in fome fmall degree con la bocca dolce.
With refpecl: to the criticifms, which may be made on this laft book, there is one fo likely to come from certain readers, that I am inclined to anticipate it ; and taking for granted that it will be faid to breathe too much of the fpirit of party, to return the following ready anfwer : The word Party, when
applied
GENERAL POSTSCRIPT. 5r
applied to thofe men, who, from private and perfonal motives, compofe either a majority or minority in a houfe of parliament, or to thofe who out of it, on fimilar principles, approve or condemn the meafures of any adminiftration, is certainly in its place : But in a matter of fuch magnitude as the prefent American War, in which the deareft interefls of mankind are concerned, the puny term has little or no meaning. If, how- ever, it be applied to me on this occafion, I mall take it with much complacency, confcious that no fentiment appears in my Poem which does not prove its author to be of THE PARTY OF HUMANITY.
The whole of the Plan being now explained, I might here finim, did not a general objection remain which I have heard made to the fpecies of Verification in which I chofe to com- pofe it. I mud, therefore, beg the reader's patience while I inform him why I preferred blank verfe to rhyme on this oc*- cafion.
When I firfl had the fubjecl: in contemplation, I found it admitted of two very different modes of compofition : One
H 2 was
52 GENERAL POSTSCRIPT,
was that of the regular Didactic Poem, of which the Georgic* of Virgil afford fo perfect an example; the other that of ther preceptive epiftolary eflay, the model of which Horace has given in his Epiftles Ad Augujlum & ad Pifones. I balanced fometime which of thefe I Ihould adopt, for both had their peculiar merit. The former opened a more ample field for picturefque defcription and poetical embellishment ; the latter was more calculated to convey exact precept in concife phrafe*. The one furniflied better means of illuftrating my fubjecty and the other of defining it > the former admitted thofe orna- ments only which refulted from lively imagery and figurative diction, the latter feemed rather to require the feafoning of wit and fatire ; this, therefore, appeared bed calculated to expofe falfe tafte, and that to elucidate the true. But falfe tafte, on this fubject, had been fo inimitably ridiculed by Mr. Pope, in his Epiftle to Lord Burlington, that it feemed to preclude all other authors (at leaft it precluded me) from touching it after him ; and therefore, as he had left much
unfaid
* See Mr. Pope's account of his Jpfign in writing the EfTay on Man, in \vhich the peculiar merit of that way, in which he fo greatly excelled, is moft happily explained. He chofe, as he fays, " Verfe, and even Rhyme, for two reafons : Verfe, becaufe precepts, fo written, ftrike more ftrongly, and are retained more eafily : Rhyme, be- caufe it expreffcs arguments or inflruftions more concifely than even Profe it(el£"
* GENERAL POSTSCRIPT. 53
unfaid on that part of the art on which it was my purpofb principally to enlarge, I thought the Didactic method not only more open but more proper for my attempt. This mat- ter once determined, I did not hefitate as to my choice between blank verfe and rhyme > becaufe it clearly appeared,, that num* bers of the moft varied kind were moft proper to illuftrate a fubject ivbofe every charm fpr ings from variety, and which painting Nature, as fcorning control, (hould employ a verifi- cation for that end as unfettered as Nature itfelf. Art at the fame time, in rural improvements, pervading the province of Nature, unfeen ajwi unfelt, feemed to bear, a finking analogy to that fpecies of verfe, the harmony of which refults from meafured quantity and varied cadence, without the too ftudied arrangement of final fyllables, or regular return of confonant founds. I waSy notwithstanding, well aware, that by choofing to write in blank verfe, I mould not court popularity, becaufe I perceived it was growing much out of vogue; but this reafon, as may be fuppofed, did not weigH much with a writer, who meant to combat Famion in the very theme he intended to write upon ; and who was alfo convinced that a mode of Englifh verfification, in which fo many good poems, witb
H 3 Paradife
54 GENERAL POSTSCRIPT.
Paradife Loft at their head, have been written, could either not long continue unfafhionable ; or if it did, that Fafhion had fo completely deftroyed Tafte, it would not be worth any writer's while, who aimed at more than the reputation of the day, to endeavour to amufe the public.
N I S.
ERRATUM.
Ver. 665. For SIMPLICIY, read SIMPLICITY.
CHARLES ALPHONSE DU FRESNO Y's
ART of E A IN TIN G
Tranflated into ENGLISH V E R S E,
.
THE
ART of PAINTING
O F
CHARLES ALPHONSE DU FRESNOY,
Tranflated into ENGLISH VERSE B Y
W I L L I A M M A S ON, M. A.
With ANNOTATIONS B Y
Sir JOSHUA REYNOLDS, Kht.
Prefident of the ROYAL ACADEMY*
Y O R K:
Printed by A, WARD, and fold by J. DODSLEV, Pall-Mall ; T. CADELL, in the Strand; R, FAULDER, New Bond-ftreet, London 3 and J, TODD, York,
M.DCC.LXXXIII.
EPISTLE
X O
Sir JOSHUA REYNOLDS.
WHEN DRYDEN, worn with ficknefs, bow'd with years,
Was doom'd (my Friend let Pity warm thy tears) The galling pang of penury to feel, For ill-plac'd Loyalty, and courtly Zeal, To fee that Laurel, which his brows o'erfpread, Tranfplanted droop on SHADWELL'S barren head, The Bard opprefs'd, yet not fubdu'd by Fate, For very bread defcended to tranflate : And He, whofe Fancy, copious as his Phrafe, Could light at will Expreffion's brighter!: blaze, On FRESNOY'S Lay employ'd his fludious hour; But niggard there of that melodious power, His pen in hafte the hireling taflc to clofe, Transform'd the ftudied ftrain to carelefs profe, Which, fondly lending faith to French pretence, Miftook its meaning, or obfcur'd its fenfe,
a 3 Yet
vi EPISTLE, &c.
Yet ftill he pleased, for DRYDEN ftill muft pleafe, Whether with artlefs elegance and eafe He glides in Profe, or from its tinkling chime, By varied paufes, purifies his rhyme, And mounts on MARO'S plumes, and foars his heights fublime.
This artlefs Elegance, this native fire Provok'd his tuneful Heir * to ftrike the Lyre, Who, proud his numbers with that profe to join, Wove an illuftrious wreath for Friendfhip's fhrine,
How oft, on that fair flirine when Poets bind The flowers of Song, does partial Paffion blind Their judgment's eye ! How oft does Truth difclaim The deed, and fcorn to call it genuine Fame ! How did fhe here, when JERVAS was the theme, Waft thro' the Ivory Gate the Poet's dream ! How view, indignant, Error's bafe alloy The fterling luftre of his Praife deftroy, Which now, if Praife like his my Mufe could coin, Current thro' Ages, fhe would ftamp for Thine.
Let Friendfhip, as fhe caus'd, excufe the deed ; With Thee, and fuch as Thee, fhe muft fucceed.
But
* Mr. POPE, in his Epiftle to JERTAS, has thefe lines, Read thefe inftru&ive leaves in which confpire FRESNOY'S clofe art with DRYDEN'S native fire.
EPISTLE, &c. vii
But what, if Fafhion tempted POPE aftray ? The Witch has fpells, and JERVAS knew a day When mode-ftruck Belles and Beaux were proud to
come And buy of him a thoufand years of bloom, f
Ev'n then I deem it but a venial crime : Perifti alone that felfifh fordid rhyme, Which flatters lawlefs Sway, or tinfel Pride ;
Let black Oblivion plunge it in her tide.
*
From Fate like this my truth-fupported lays, Ev'n if afpiring to thy Pencil's praife, Would flow fecure ; but humbler Aims are mine ; Know, when to thee I confecrate the line, 'Tis but to thank thy Genius for the ray Which pours on FRESNOY'S rules a fuller day : Thofe candid ftri&ures, thofe reflexions new, Refin'd by Tafte, yet ftill as Nature true, Which, blended here with his inftrudtive ftrains, Shall bid thy Art inherit new domains ; Give her in Albion as in Greece to rule, And guide (what thou haft form'd) a Britifli School.
And,
f Alluding to another couplet in the fame Epiftle. Beauty, frail Flower, that every Seafon fears, Blooms in thy colours for a tkwfand ytart*
viii EPISTLE, &c.
• And, O, if ought thy Poet can pretend Beyond his fav'rite wifh to call thee Friend,. Be it that here his tuneful toil has dreft The Mufe of FRESNOY in a modern veft ; And, with what fldll his Fancy could beftow. Taught the clofe folds to take an eafier flow $ Be it, that here thy partial finite approv'd The Pains he lavifh'd on the Art he lov'd,
OCT. 10, 1782.
W, M A S O N.
PREFACE
P R E F A C E.
H E Poem of M. Du FRESNOY, when con- JL fidered as a Treatife on Painting, may un- queftionably claim the merit of giving the leading Principles of the Art with more precision, concife- nefs,. and accuracy,. than any work of the kind that has either preceded or followed it; yet as it was published about the middle of the laft century, many of the precepts it contains have been fo fre- quently repeated by later writers, that they liave loft the air of novelty,. and will, confequently, now be held common ; fome of them too may, perhaps, not be fo generally true as to claim the authority of
abfolute rules : Yet the reader of tafte will alwavs
j
be pleafed to fee a Frenchman holding out to his countrymen the Study of Nature, and the chaffe Models of Antiquity,, when (if we except LE SUEUR and NICOLO POUSSIN, who were FRESNO vY contem- poraries) fo few Painters of that nation have regarded either of thefe architypes. The modern Artift alfo will be proud to emulate that Simplicity of ftyle, which this work has for more than a century recom- mended, and which, having only very lately, got the better of fluttering drapery and theatrical attitude, is become one of the principal: tefts of Pi&urefque excellence.
b Bu?
x PREFACE.
But if the Text may have loft fomewhat of its original merit, the Notes of Mr. Du PILES, which have hitherto accompanied it, have loft much more. Indeed it may be doubted whether they ever had merit in any conriderable degree. Certain it is that they contain -fuch a parade of common-place quo- tation, with fo fmall a degree of illuftrative fcience, that I have thought proper to expel them from this edition^ in order to make room for their betters.
As to the poetical powers of my Author, I do not fuppofe that thefe alone would ever have given him a place in the numerous libraries which he now holds ; and I have, therefore, -often wondered that M. DE VOLTAIRE, when he gave an account of the authors who appeared in the age of Louis XIV. fhould dif- mifs FRESNOY, with faying, in his decifive manner, that cc his Poem has fucceeded with fuch perfons as could bear to read -Latin Verfe, not of the Auguftan Age *. This is the criticifm of a mere Poet. No body, I fhould fuppofe, ever read FRESNOY to admire, or even criticife his verification, but
either
* Du FRENOI (CHARLES) ne a Paris 1611, peintre & poete. Son poeme de la peinture a reuffi aupres de ceux qui peuvent lire d'autres vers latins que ccux du fiecle d'AuguHe. Siedc dc Louis X[V. Tom. I.
PREFACE. xi
either to be inftrudted by him as a Painter, or im- proved as a Virtuofo,
It was this latter motive only, I confeis, that led me to attempt the following translation ; which was begun in very early youth,, with a double view of implanting in my own, memory the principles of a favourite art, and of acquiring a habit of verifica- tion, for which purpofe the clofe and condenfed ftile of the original feemed peculiarly calculated, efpe- cially when confidered as a fort of fchool exercife. However the tafk proved, fo difficult,, that when I had gone through a part of it I remitted of my diligence, and proceeded at fuch feparate intervals, that I had pailed many pofterior productions thro* the prefs before this was brought to any conclusion in manufcript ; and, after it was fb, it lay long ne- glected, and would certainly have . never been made public, had not SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS requested a fight of it, and made an obliging offer of illuftra- ting it by a leries of his own notes*- This prompt- ed me to revife it: with all poffible accuracy ; and as I had prefer ved the ftrictures which my late excellent friend Mr.. GRAY had, made many years before on the verfion, as it then flood, I attended to each of them in their order with that deference
b 2 which
xii PREFACE.
which every criticifm of his muft demand. Be- fides this, as much more time was now elapfed fmce I had myfelf perufed the copy, my own eye was become more open to its defects. I found the rule which my Author had given to his Painter full as ufeful to a Writer,
(Aft ubi confilium deerit fapientis amici Id tempus dabit, atque mora intermifla labori.) And I may fay, with truth, that having become from this circumftance, as Impartial, if not as fafti- dious, to my own work, as any -other critic could poffibly have been, I hardly left a {ingle line in it without giving it, what .1 thought, an .emendation-. It is not, therefore, as a juvenile work .that I now prefent it Jx> the public, but as one which I have improved to the utmoft of my mature abilities, in order to ma^e it more worthy of its Annotator.
In the preceding Epiftle I have obviated, I hope, every fufpicion of arrogance in attempting this work after Mr. DRYDEN. The {ingle confideration that his Verfion was in Profe were in itfelf fufficient ; becaufe, as Mr. POPE has juftly obferved, Verfe and even Rhyme is the beft mode of conveying precep- tive truths, " as in this way they are more {hortly exprefled, and more eafily retained*." Still lefs need
I
* See his Advertifement before the EfTay on Man.
PREFACE. xiii
1 make an apology for undertaking it after Mr. WILLS, who, in the year 1754, publiflied a Tranf- lation of it in Metre without Rhyme *.
This Gentleman, a Painter by profeffion, aflum- ed for his motto,
Traftant Fabrilia Fabri ;
but however adroit he might be in handling the tools of his own art, candour muft own that the tools of a Poet and a Translator were beyond his manage- ment ; attempting alfo a tafk abfolutely impoffible, that of exprefling the fenfe of his Author in an equal number of lines, he produced a verfion which (if it was ever read through by any perfon except myfelf) is now totally forgotten. Neverthelefs I muft do him the juftice to own that he understood the original text ; that he detected fome errors in Mr. DRYDEN'S Tranilation, which had efcaped Mr.
b 3 JERVAS
* I call it fo rather than Blank Verfe, becaufe it was devoid of all harmony of numbers. The beginning, which I fhall here infert, is a fufficient proof of the truth of this affertion.
As Painting, Poefy, fo fimilar To Poefy be Painting ; emulous Alike, each to her fifter doth refer, Alternate change the office and the name ; Mute verfe is this, that fpeaking picture call'd.
From this little fpecimen the reader will eafily form a judgment of the
whole.
xiv PREFACE.
JERVAS (affifted, as it is faid, by his friend Mr. POPE) in that corrected Edition which Mr. GRAHAM infcribed to the Earl of BURLINGTON ; and that I have myfelf fome times profited by his labours. It is alfo from his Edition that I reprint the following Life of the Author, which was drawn up from Felibien and other Biographers by the late Dr. BIRCH, who, with his ufual induftry, has collected, all they have faid on FRESNOY'S fubjedt.
THE
THE
LIFE
0 F
Monf. D U F R E S N O Y.
CHARLES ALPHONSE DU FRESNOY was born at Paris in the year 1611. His father, who was an emi- nent apothecary in that city, intending him for the profefliou of phyfic, gave him as good an education as pomble. During the firft year, which he fpent at the college, he made a very conliderable progrefs in his ftudies : but as foon as he was raifed to the higher clafTes, and began to contract a tafte of poetry, his genius for it opened itfelf, and he carried all the prizes in it, which were propofed to excite the emulation of his fellow-ftudents. His inclination for it was heightened by exercife ; and his earlieft performances mewed,, that he was capable of becoming one of the greateft poets of his age, if his love of painting, which equally pofleffed him, had not divided his time and application. At laft he laid afide all thoughts of the ftudy of phyfic, and declared abfolutely for that of painting, notwithftanding the oppofition of his pa- rents, who, by all kinds of feverity, endeavoured to divert him from purfuing his paffion for that art, the profellion of which they unjuflly confidered in a very contemptible light. But the ftrength of his inclination defeating all the meafures taken to fupprefs it, he took the firft opportunity of cultiva- ting his favourite ftudy.
He was nineteen or twenty years of age when he began to learn to defign under Francis Perier -9 and having /pent two
years
xvi The L I F E of M. D U F R E S N O Y.
years in the fchool of that painter, and of Simon Voiiet, he thought proper to take a journey into Italy, where he arrived in the end of 1633, or the beginning of 1634.
.As he had, during his ftudiea, applied himfelf very much to that of geometry, he began, upon his coming to Rome, to paint landfkips, buildings, andantient ruins. But, for the firft two years of his refidence in that city, he had the utmoft difficulty to fupport himfelf, being abandoned by his parents, who relented his having rejected their advice in the choice of his profeffion -, and the little flock of money,, which he had provided before he left France, proving fcarce fufficient for the expences of his journey to Italy. Being destitute, there- fore, of friends and acquaintance at Rome,, he was reduced to fuch diilrefs, that his chief fubfiftence for the greateft part of that time was bread and a fmall quantity of cheefe. But he diverted the fenfe of his uneafy circumftances by an intenfe and indefatigable application to painting, till the arrival of the celebrated Peter Mignard, who had been the companion of his ftudies under Voiiet, fet him more at eafe. They, immediately engaged in. the ftriaeft friendship, living toge- ther in the fame houfe, and being commonly-known at Rome by the name of the Infeparabks. They were employed by the Cardinal of Lyons in- copying all the beft pieces in the Farnefe Palace. But their principal ftudy was the works of Raphael and other great matters,, and the antiques ; and they were contfant in their attendance every evening at the academy in defigning after models, Mignard had fuperior talents in practice; but Du Frefnoy was. a greater matter of the rules, hittory, and theory of his profefiion.. They communicated to each other their remarks and ientiments, Du rrefnoy furnifhing his friend with noble and excellent ideas, and the
latter
The L I F E of M. D U F R E S N O Y. xvii
latter inftructing the former to paint with greater expedition and eafe.
Poetry fhared with Painting the time and thoughts of Du FRESNOY, who, as he penetrated into the fecrets of the latter art, wrote down his obfervations ; and having at laft acquired a full knowledge of the fubject, formed a delign of writing a Poem upon it, which he did not finim till many years after, when he had confulted the beft writers, and examined with the utmofl care the mod admired pictures in Italy. **'w»i'
While he refided there he painted feveral pictures, particu- larly the Ruins of the Campo Vaccino, with the city of Rome in the figure of a woman ; a young woman of Athens going to fee the monument of a lover; ^Eneas carrying his father to his tomb ; Mars finding Lavinia fleeping on the banks of the Tyber, defcending from his chariot, and lifting up the veil which covered her, which is one of his beft pieces ; the birth of Venus, and that of Cupid. He had a peculiar efteem for the works of Titian, feveral of which he copied, imitating that excellent Painter in his colouring, as he did Carrache in his defign.
About the year 1653 he went with Mignard to Venice*, and travelled throughout Lombardy; and during his ftay in that city painted a Venus for Signer Mark Paruta, a noble Venetian, and a Madonna, a half length. Thefe pictures
c ihewed
* This is the account of Monf. Felibien, Entretlens fur hs vies et fur let ouvrages des plus excellent pehitres, torn. II. edit. Land. 1705, p. 333- But the late author of Mrege de la vie des plus fameux peintres, part n. p. 284, edit. Par. 1745, in 4to, fays, that Frefnoy went to Venice without Mignard ; and that the latter, being importuned by the letters of the former, made a vifit t« 4*im in that city.
xviii The L I F E of M. D.U F R E S N O Y.
fhewed that he had not fludied thole of Titian without fuccefs. Here the two friends feparated, Mignard returning to Rome, and Du Frefnoy to France. He had read his Poem to the beft Painters in all places through which he palled, and particularly to Albano and Guercino, then at Bo- logna ; and he confulted feveral men famous for their /kill in polite literature.
He arrived at Paris in 1656, where he lodged with Monf; Potel, Greffier of the council, in the ftreet Beautreillis, where he painted a fmall room -, afterwards a picture for the altar of the Church of St. Margaret in the fuburb St. Antoine. Monf. Bordier, Intendant of the finances, who was then finishing his houfe of Rinci, now Livry, having feen this picture, was fo highly pleafed with it, that he took Du Fref- noy to that houfe,. which is but two leagues from Paris, to paint the Salon. In the ceiling was reprefented the burning of Troy; Venus is {landing by Paris, who makes her remark how the fire confumes that great city; in the front is the God of the river^ which runs by it^ and other deities : This is one of his beft performances, both for dilpofition and colouring. He afterwards painted a coniiderable number of pictures for the cabinets of the curious, particularly an altar- piece for the Church of Lagni, reprefenting the affumption of the virgin and the twelve apoftles, all as large as life. At the Hotel d'Erval (now d'Armenonville) he painted feveral pictures, and among them a ceiling of a room with four beautiful landfkips, the figures of which were by Mignard. As he underftood Architecture very well, he drew for Monf. de Vilargele all the deiigns of a houfe, which that Gentleman built four leagues from Avignon ; as likewise thofe for the Hotel de Lyonne, and for that of the Grand Prior de bouvre. The
higli
The L I F E of M. D U F R E S N O Y. xix
high altar of the Filles-Dieu, in the flreet St. Denis, was alfo deligned by him.
Tho' he had finimed his Poem before he had left Italy, and communicated it, as has been already mentioned, to the bed judges of that country ; yet, after his return to France, he continued frill to revife it, with a view to treat more at length of fome things, which did not feem to him fufficiently ex- plained. This employment took up no fmall part of his time, and was the reafon of his not having finiihed Ib many pictures as he might otherwife have done. And tho' he was delirous to fee his work in print, he -thought it improper to publim it without a French tranflation, which he deferred undertaking from time to time, out of diffidence of his own fkill in his native language, which he had in fome meafure loft by his long refidence in Italy. Monf. de Piles was therefore at laft induced, at his defire, and by the merit of the Poem, to tranf- late it into French, his verfion being revifed by Du Frefnoy himfelf ; and the latter had begun a commentary upon it, when he was feized with a palfy, and after languishing four or five months under it, died at the houfe of one of his brothers at Villiers-le-bel, four leagues from Paris, in 1665, at the age of fifty- four, and was interred in the parifh Church there. He had quitted his lodgings at Monf. Potel's upon Mignard's return to Paris in 1658, and the two friends lived together from that time till the death of Du Frefnoy.
His Poem was not publifhed till three years after his death, when it was printed at Paris in I2tno. with the French ver- iion and remarks of Monf. de Piles, and has been juftly ad- mired for its elegance and perfpicuity.
THE
T H E
ART of PAINTING
WITH THE
Original Text fubjoinecL
THE ART OF PAINTING.
TRUE Poetry the Painter's power difplays ; True Painting emulates the Poet's lays ; The rival Sifters, fond of equal fame,, Alternate change their office and their name ;, Bid filent Poetry the canvafs warm, 5
The tuneful page with fpeaking Pidure charm.
What to the ear fublimer rapture brings, That ftrain alone the genuine Poet fings ;
D E A R T E G R A P H I C A.
UT Pi&ura Poefis erit ; fimilifque Poefi Sit Pidura; reiert par aemula qu^que fororem,, Alternantque vices & nomina^ muta Poefis Dicitur haec, Pidura- loquens folet ilia vocari.
Quod fuit auditu gratum cecinere Poetse;
A
C 2 ]
That form alone where glows peculiar grace,
- ^f_^
The genuine Painter condefcends to trace : i o
No fordid theme will Verfe or Paint admit, Unworthy colours if unworthy wit.
From you, bleft Pair ! Religion deigns tp claim Her facred honours \ at her awful name High o'er the ftars you take your foaring flight, 15 And rove the regions of fupernal light,
V
Attend to lays that flow from tongues divine, Undazzled gaze where charms feraphic fliinej Trace beauty's beam to its eternal Ipring, \> And pure to man the fire coeleftial bring. 20
Quod pulchrum afpeftu Ti&ores pingere curant:
Quseque Poetarum numeris indigna fuere,
Non eadem Pi&orum operam iludiumq; merentur :
Ambx quippe facros ad religionis honores
Sydereos fuperant ignes, aulamque tonantis 10
IngrefTa?, Divum afpedu, alloquioque fruuntur.; Oraque magna DeCm, & dida obfervata reportant, Coeleftemque fuorum operum mortalibtis ignem.
C 3 ] Then round this globe on joint purfuit ye ftray,
Time's ample annals ftudioufly furvey ; And from the eddies of Oblivion's flream, Propitious match each memorable theme.
Thus to each form, in heav'n, and earth, andfea, 2 % That wins with grace, or awes with dignity, To each exalted deed, which dares to claim The glorious meed of an immortal fame, That meed ye grant. Hence, to remoteft age, The Hero's foul darts from the Poets page ; 30 Hence, from the canvafs, ftill, with wonted ftate, He lives, he breaths, he braves the frown of Fate.
Inde per hunc Orbem ftudiis coeuntibus errant* Carpentes quas digna fui, revolutaque iuftrant i$
Tempora, quaerendis confortibus argumentis.
Denique quascunq; in coelo, terraque, marique Longius in tempus durare, ut pulchra, merentur, Nobilitate fua, claroque infignia cafu,
Dives & ampla manet Pidtores atque Poetas 23
Materies j inde alta fonant per fscula mundo Nomina, magnanimis Heroibus inde fuperftes Gloria, perpetuoque operum miracula reflant :
A 2
C 4 ] Such powers, fuch praifes, heav'n-born Pair, belong
To magic colouring, and creative fong.
But here I paufe, nor afk Pieria's train, 35.
Nor Phoebus felf to elevate the ftrain ; Vain is the flow'ry verfe, when reafoning fage,. And fober precept fill the ftudied page ; Enough if there the fluent numbers pleafe, With native clearnefs, and inftruftive eafe. 40
Nor fhall my rules the Artift's hand confine, Whom Pradlice gives to ftrike the free defign ^ Or banifh Fancy from her fairy plains,. Or fetter Genius in dida&ic chains L
Tantus ineft divis honor artibus atque poteflas.
Non mihi Pieridum chorus hie, nee Apollo vocandus, 2C Majus ut eloquium numeris, aut gratia fandi Dogmaticis illuftret opus rationibus horrens : Cum nitida tantum & facili digefta loquela, Ornari prscepta negent, contenta doceri.
Nee mihi mens animufve fuit conflringere nodes 30
Artificum manibus, quos tantum dirigit ufus; Indolis ut vigor inde potens obftrictus hebefcat, Normarum numero immani, Geniumq; moretur i
C 5 ] No, 'tis their liberal purpofe to convey 45
That fcientific {kill which wins its way On docile Nature, and tranfmits to youth, Talents to reach, and tafte to relim truth ; While inborn Genius from their aid receives Each fupplemental Art that Practice gives. 50
'Tis Painting's fir ft chief bufinefs to explore, 0/ ;he
Beautiful.
What lovelier forms in Nature's boundlefs ftore,
J Y (f\ i «v*T fcrv r
Are beft to Art and antient Tafte allied',
For antient Tafte thofe forms has beft applied.
'Till this be learn'd, how all things difagree; 5.5 How all one wretched, blind barbarity !
Sed rerutn ut pollens ars cognitione, gradatlm
Naturae fefe iniinuet, verique capacem -35
Tranfeat in Genium; Geniufq; ufu induat artem.
Praecipua imprimis artifque potiffima pars eft, . De pjjchro^
NoiTe quid in rebus natura crearit ad artem Pulchrius, idque modum juxta, mentemque vetuftam :
Qiaa fine barbai ies csca & temeraria pulchrum 40
Negligit, infultans ignota? audacior arti,
A 3
C 6 ]
The fool to native ignorance confin'd, No beauty beaming on his clouded mind ; Untaught to relim, yet too proud to learn, He fcorns the grace his dulnefs can't difcern. 60 Hence Reafon to Caprice refigns the ftage, And hence that maxim of the antient Sage, " Of all vain fools with coxcomb talents curft, cc Bad Painters and bad Poets are the worft." When firft the orient rays of beauty move Theconfcious foul, they light the lamp of love, 65 Love wakes t hofe war mdefires that prompt our chace, To follow and to fix each flying grace : But earth-born graces fparingly impart The fymmetry fupreme of perfect art ;
Ut curare nequit, quae non modo noverit efie ; Illud apud veteres fuit unde notabile didlum, " Nil Pidlore malo fecurius atque Poet^."
Cognita amas, & amata cupis, fequerifq; cupita; 45
PafTibus aflequeris tandem quac fervidus urges : Ilia tamen quae pulchra decent; non omnia cafus Quahacumque dabunt, etiamve fimillima veris :
r 7 j
For tho' our cafual glance may fometimes meet 70 With charms thatfcrike the foul, and feem compleat.
Yet if thofe charms too clofely we define,
i
Content to copy nature line for line, Our end is loft. Not fuch the Matter's care, Curious he culls the perfect from the fair ; 75 Judge of his art, thro' beauty's realm he flies,, Selects, combines, improves, diverfifies ; With nimble ftep purfues the fleeting throng, And clafps each Venus as fhe glides along.
Yet fome there are who indifcreetly ftray, 80 Of Theory
and Practice.
Where purblind Practice only points the way, Who ev'ry theoretic truth difdain, And blunder on mechanically vain*
Nam quamcumque modo fervili hand fufficit ipfarn Naturam exprimere ad vivum ; fed ut arbiter artis, 50
Seliget ex ilia tanturo pulcherrima Pidor. Quodque minus pulchrum, aut mendofum, corriget ipfe Marte luo, formae Veneres captando fugaces.
Utque manus grandi nil nomine pra&ica dignum D "• ,
. ff . , r . t
Ailequitur, primum arcanas quam dehcit artis 55
Lumen, & in praeceps abitUFa ut caeca vagaturj
v .c.8 3
Some too there are within whofe languid breafts, A lifelefs heap of embryo knowledge refts, 8 5
When nor the pencil feels their drowzy art, Nor the fkill'd hand explains the meaning heart. In chains of Sloth fuch talents droop confin'd : 'Twas not by words Apelles charm'd mankind.
Hear then theMufe; tho' perfedl beauty towers 90 Above the reach of her defcriptive powers, Yet will" fhe ftrive fome leading rules to draw From fovereign Nature's univerfal law ; Stretch her wide view o'er antient Art's domain, Again eftablim Reafon's legal reign, 95
Sic nihil ars opera manuum privata fupremum Exequitur, fed languet iners uti vinda lacertos •> Difpofitumque typum Don lingua pinxit Apelles. Ergo licet tota normam haud poffimus in artc Ponere (cum nequeant quae funt pulcherrima dici) Niiimur haec paucis, fcrutati fumma magiftras Dogmata Natura?, artifque exemplaria prima Altius intuiti ; Tic mens habilifque facultas
[ 9 ]
Genius again con-eft with Science fage, And curb luxuriant Fancy's headlong rage. " Right ever reigns its ftated bounds between, " And Tafte, like Morals, loves the golden mean.
Some lofty theme let judgment firft fupply, ico m
of the sub-
Supremely fraught with grace and majefty ; For fancy copious, free to ev'ry charm That lines can circumfcribe or colours warm, Still happier if that artful theme difpenfe A poignant moral and inftru&ive fenfe. 105 EWD
Then let the virgin canvas fmooth expand, invention the
firft Part of
To claim the {ketch and tempt the ArtiftVhand : Painting-
Indolis excolitur, Geniumque Scientia complet; 65
Luxurianfque in monftra furor compefcitur Arte. " Eft modus in rebus, funt certi deniquejines, *' £>uos ultra citraque nequit conjijlere reSlum"
His pofitis, erit optandum thema nobile, pulchrum, ur.
De
Qiiodque venuftatum, circa formam atque colorem, 70 to- S,ponte capax, amplam emerits mox praebeat Arti Materiam, retegens aliquid falis & documenti. Tandem opus aggredior: primoq: occurrit in albo
Piaorse Pars.
Pifponenda typi, concepta potente Minerva,
B
[ 10 }
Then bold INVENTION all thy powers diffuler Of all thy fitters thon the nobleft Mufe. Thee ev'ry Art, thee ev'ry Grace infpires, i IQ: Thee Phoebus fills with all his brighteft fires. Chufe fuch judicious force of fhade and light
n, or
Oeconomy cf
the whok. As fujts tjie tjiem€) an(j fatisfies tne fight ;
Weigh part with part, and with prophetic eye, The future power of all thy tints defcry; ' And thofe, thofe only on the canvas place, Whofe hues are focial, whofe effecl is grace.
The Jubjeft Vivid and faithful to the hiftoric page,
to be treated
faithfully. Exprefs the cuftorns, manners, forms, and age ;
Machina, qux nofrris INVENTIO dicitur oris.
Ilia quidem prius ingenuis inftrudla fororum Artibus Aonidum, & Phoebi fublimior
iv. Ouasrendafque inter pofituras, luminis, umbrae,
Difpofuio,five
icoQcmia"5 Atque futurorum jam praefentire coloram
Par erit har'moniam,. captando ab utrifque veftuftum. 80 v. Sit thematis genuina ac viva expreflio, juxta
Fidelitas Ar-
Textum antiquorum, propriis cum tempore formis,
C « 1
Nor paint confpicuous on the foremoft plain 120 Whate'er is falfe, impertinent, or vain ; vi.
Every foreign
But like the Tragic Mufe, thy luftre throw, Where the chief a&ion claims its warmcft glow.
This rare, this arduous tafk no rules can teach, No fkill'd preceptor point, no practice reach ; 125 'Tis Tafte, 'tis Genius, 'tis the heav'nly ray Prometheus ravifh'd from the car of day.
In Egypt firft the infant Art appear'd, Rude and unform'd; but when to Greece fhe fteer'd
Nee quod inane, nihil facit ad rem, five videtur inanen-j'icle*-
Improprium, minimeque urgens, potiora tenebit -Ornamenta operisj Tragicjc fed lege fororis, 85
Summa ubi res agitur, vis fumma requiritur Artis.
Ifla labore gravi, ftudio., monitifque magiftri Ardua pars nequit addifci : rariffima namque, Ni prius asthereo rapuit quod ab axe Prometheus Sit jubar infufum menti cum flamine vita?. <jo
Mortal! haud cuivis divina haec munera dantur ; uti Daedal earn licet omnibus 'ire Corintbum* fj 2,
•
Her profperous courfe, fair Fancy met the Maid ; 1 3,0 Wit, Reafon, Judgment, lent their powerful aid;. Till all compleat the gradual wonder fhone, And vanquifh'd Nature own'd herfelf outdone.
'Twas there the Goddefs fixt her bleft abodes, There reign'd in Corinth, Athens, Sicyon, Rhodes. Her various vot'ries various talents crown' d,.. Yet each alike her infpiration own'd : Witnsfs thofe marble miracles of grace, Thofe tefts of iymmetry where ftill we trace All Art's perfection : With reluctant gaze 140 To thefe the Genius of jfucceeding days Looks dazzled up, and, as their glories fpread, Hides in his mantle his diminifh'd head.
./Egypto informis quondam pidlura reperta, Graecorum fludiis, & mentis acumine crevit : Egregiis tandem illuftrata & adulta magiftris, 9 j
Naturam vifa eft miro fuperare labore.
Quos inter, Graphidos Gymnafia prima fuere Portus Athenarum, Sicyon, Rhodes, atque Corinthus, Difparia inter fe modicum ratione laboris ; Ut patet ex veterum Statuis, 'foraiae atque decoris 100
[ 13 1 Learn then from Greece, ye Youths, Proportion's
1 Defign or Po-
laW, fition the fe-
cond Patt of
Inform'd by her, each juft POSITION draw; ^
Skilful to range each large unequal part, With varied motion and con trailed art ; Full in the front the nobler limbs to place, And poife each figure on its central bafe.
But chief from her that flowing outline take, 1 50 Which floats, in wavy windings, like the fnake, Or lambent flame; which, ample, broad, and long,, Reliev'd not fwell'd, at once both light and ftrong^ Glides thro' the graceful whole. Her art divine Cuts not, in parts minute, the tame defign, 155
Archetypis ; queis pofterior nil protulit astas Condignum, & non inferius longe, arte modoque.
Horum igitur vera ad normam pofitura legetur : VII
Graphis feu
Grandia, inaequalis, formofaque partibus amplis Pofitura ft-
cunda Pifturae
Anteriora dabit membra, in contraria mota Diverfo variata,. fuo librataque centre ^
Membrorumque iinus ignis flammantis ad inflar> Serpenti undantes flexu -, fed Ia3via, plana, Magnaque figna, quafi fine tubere fubdita ta<5tur
B 3
But by a few bold ftrokes, diftinft and free,
Calls forth the charms of perfect fymmetry.
True to anatomy, more true to grace,
She bids each mufcle know its native place ;
Bids fmall from great in juft gradation rife, j6o
And, at one vifual point, approach the eyes.
Yet deem not, Youths, that perfpedtive can give Thofe charms compleat by which your works (hall
live ;
What tho' her rules may to your hand impart A quick mechanic fubftitute for art ; j 65
Yet formal, geometric fhapes (he draws ; Hence the true Genius fcorns her rigid laws,
Ex longo dedu&a fluant, non fedta minutim. no
Infertifque toris fint nota ligamina, juxta Compagem anatomes, & membrificatio Grasco Deformata modo, paucifque expreffa lacertis, ijualis apud veteres; totoque Eurythmia partes Componat; genitumque fuo generante fequenti pit
Sit minus, & pundio videantur cundla fub uno.
Regula certa licet nequeat profped:ica did, Aut complementum graphidos; fed in arte juvamen, Et modus accelerans operandi : at corpora falfo
Figures,
[ '5 ]
By Nature taught he ftrikes th' unerring lines, Confults his eye, and as he fees defigns.
Man's changeful race, the fport of chance and time, Varjtlir.- Varies no lefs in afpecl than in clime ; Mark well the difference, and let each be feen Of various age, complexion, hair, and mem.
Yet to each fep'rate form adapt with care ix.
Conformity of*
Such limbs, fuch robes, fuch attitude and air, 1 7 r lid i>apSery
to the Head.
As beft befit the head, and beft combine To make one whole, one uniform defign ; Learn a&iori from the dumb, the dumb mall teach x.
Atfion of
How happieft to fupply the want of fpeech.
Sub vifu in multis refcrens, mendofa labafcit; 120
Nam Geometralem nunquam funt corpora juxta Menfuram depida oculis, fed qualia vifa.
Non eadem forms fpecies, non omnibus setas ^qualis, fimilefque color, crinefque figuris : Nam, variis velut orta plagis, gens difpare vultu efl. 125
Singula membra, fuo capiti conformia, fiant Unum idemque fimul corpus cum veflibus iplis : Mutorumque filens pofitura imitabitur aclus.
VIII.
Varietas in Figiuis.
IX.
Figura (it una membris et veftibus. X.
Mutorum ac- tiones imi-
C 16 ]
xi. Fair in the front in all the blaze of light, 180
The principal
The Hero of thy piece fhould meet the fight, Supreme in beauty ; lavifli here thine Art, XII And bid him boldly from the canvas ftart ; gures. While round that fov'reign form th' inferior train In groups collected fill the pidtur'd plain : 185
Fill, but not croud ; for oft fome open fpace Muft part their ranks, and leave a vacant place, Left artlefsly difpers'd the fever'd Crew At random rufh on our bewilder'd view ; Or parts with parts in thick confufion bound, 199 Spread a tumultuous Chaos o'er the ground.
XI Prima figurarum, feu princeps dramatis, ultrb
ceps. Profiliat media in tabula, fub lumine primo
Pulchrior ante alias, reliquis nee operta figuris. x«. Agglomerata fimul fint membra, ipfasque figurae
Figurarum
giobi feu cu Stipentur, circumque globos locus ufque vacabit; Ne, male difperfis dum vifus ubique figuris Dividitur, cundlifque operis fervente tumultu Partibus implicitis, crepitans confufio furgat.
C '7 ]
In evVy figured group the judging eye . xm.
Demands the charms of contrariety, cw»p* l
In forms, in attitudes expefts to trace, 195
Diftincl: inflexions, and contrafted grace, Where Art diverfely leads each changeful line, Oppofes, breaks, divides the whole defign ; Thus when the reft in front their charms difplay, Let one with face averted turn away, 200
Shoulders oppofe to breafts, and left to right, With parts that meet and parts that fhun the fight. This rule in practice uniformly true Extends alike to many forms or few.
Yet keep thro' all the piece a perfecl poize : 2OJA B^ce ta
-r/~i r ir T be kept in the
If here in frequent troops the figures rife, pi^ure«
Inque figurarum cumulis non omnibus idem XIIT<
Ppfiturarurn
Corporis inflexus, motufque; vel artubus otnnes diverfiras in
r cumulis.
Converfis pariter non connitantur eodem^
Sed quasdam in diverfa trahant contraria membra, 140
Tranfverfeque aliis pu^nent, .& caetera frangant.
Pluribus adverfis averfam oppone figuram,
Pedoribufque humeros, & dextera membra iiniftris,
Seu multis conftabit opus, paucifve figuris.
Altera pars tabulae vacuo neu frigida camno, 145 xiv.
J Tabulae libra*
Aut deferta fiet, dum pluribus altera formis
c
[ r8 ]
There let fome objedl tower with equal pride £ And fo arrange each correfpondent fide That, thro' the well-conne&ed plan appear No cold vacuity, no defer t drear. 210
of t*eVNum- Say does the Poet glow with genuine rage,
ber of Figures
Who crouds with pomp and noife his buftling ftage r Devoid alike of tafte that Painter deem, Whofe flutt'ring works with num'rous figures teem ;• A tafk fo various how fhall Art fulfill, 215
When oft the fimpleft forms elude our {kill ? But, did the toil fucceed, we flill flaould lofe That folemn majefty, that foft repofe,
Fervida mole fua iupremam exfurgit ad oram. Sed tibi He pofitis refpondeat utraque rebus, Ut fi aliquid furfum fe parte attollat in una, Sic aliquid parte ex alia confurgat, & ambas I coi
^iquiparet, geminas cumulando aequaliter eras. xv- _ Pluribus implicitum perfonis drama fupremo
Numerus Fi-
In genere, ut rarum eft, multis ita denfa figuris
Rarior eft tabula excellens; vel adhuc fere nulla-
Praeftitit in- multis, quod vix bene prxftat in una: jj*
Quippe folct rerum nimio difperfa tumultu,
Majeftate carere gravi, requieque decora;
[ '9 ]
Dear to the curious eye, and only found, Where few fair objects fill an ample ground. 220 Yet if fome grand important theme demand Of many needful Forms a bufy band, Judgment will fo the feveral groups unite, That one compared whole fliall meet the fight.
The joints in each extreme diftinctly treat, 2 2 c xvr.
The Joints of
Nor e'er conceal the outline of the feet: The hands alike demand to be expreft In half-ftiewn figures rang'd behind the reft. Nor can fuch forms with force or beauty fhine, Save when the head and hands in adtion join.
xvn
The Motion
Nee fpeciofa nitet, vacuo nifi libera campo.
Sed fi opere in magno, plures thema grande requirat
Effe figurarum cumulos, fpe&abitur una 160
Machina tota rei ; non fingula quzeque feorfim.
Praecipua extremis raro internodia membris Abdita fint; fed fumma pedum vefligia nunquam.
Gratia nulia manet, .motufque, vigorque figuras Retro aliis fubter majori ex parte latentes, Ni capitis motum manibus comitentur agendo.
c 2
xvi.
Internodia &
xvn.
Motus Manu
i6cum motui ca-
" pitis jungen-
Each air conftrain'd and forc'd, each gefture rude?
"What Things t t • i
are tobe avoid- whate CT contracts or cramps the attitude,
ed in the Di-
the piece. ° With fcom difcard. When fqnares or angles join, When flows in tedious parallel the line. Acute, obtufe, whene'er the fhapes appear, 235 Or take a formal geometric air, 1 - Thefe all difpleafe, and the difgufted eye
Naufeates the tame and irkfome fymmetry. Mark then * our former rule ; with contraft ftrong^ And mode tranfverfe the leading lines prolong, For thefe in each defign, if well expreft, 241.
Give value, force, and luftre to the refL
xviii. Difficiles fugito afpedtus, contradaque vifa
Quae fugienda
in diitribu- Membra fub ingrato, motufque, adufque coa<5los •;:
tione & com-
3ne' Quodque refert fignis, rectos quodammodo tradtus,.
Sive parallelos plures firnul, & vel acutas,, 170
Vel geometrales (ut quadra, triangula) formas :
Ingratamque pari fignorum ex ordine quandam
Symmetriam : fed praecipua^in contraria Temper
Signa volunt duci.tranfverfa, ut * diximus ante.
Summa igitur. ratio fignorum habeatur in omni j.^j
Compofito ') dat enim reliquis pretium, atque vigorem.
* Rule XIII:
[ 21 ]
Nor yet to Nature fuch ftricl: homage pay
t x->, • i i 1 Nature to be
As not to quit when Genius leads the way; accommoda-
J ted to Genius.
Nor yet, tho' Genius all his fuccour fends, 245 Her mimic pow'rs tho' ready Mem'ry lends, Prefume from Nature wholly to depart,. For Nature is- the arbitrefs of art- In Error's grove ten thoufanci thickets fpread, Ten thoufand devious paths our fteps miflead ; 250 'Mid curves^ that vary in perpetual twine, Truth owns but one direct and perfedl line.
Spread then her genuine charms o'er all the piece, xx.
The Antiqce
Sublime and perfedl as they glow'd in Greece.
Non ita naturae aiVanti iis cuique revinftus, - xix.
Natura genio
Hanc praeter nihil ut genio iludioque relinquas; accommodan-
Nee fine tefte rei natura, artiique magiflra,
Quidlibet ingenio, memor ut tantummodo rerum, 180
Pingere pofle putes ; errorum eft plurima fylva,
Multiplicefque vise,- bene agendi terminus unus,
Linea re<fta velut fola eft, & mille recurva? ;-
Sedjuxta antiques naturam imitabere pulchram, signa an'tiqua
Natura; mo-
Qualem forma rei propria, objedlumque requirit. i85dum
e 3
Thofe genuine Charms to fei-ze, with zeal explore The vafes, medals, ftatueS) form'd of yore, 256 Relievos high that fwell the column's ftem, Speak from the marble, fparkle from the gem: Hence all-majeftic on th' expanding foul,
j|S
In copious tide the bright ideas roll ; 26®
. Fill it with radiant forms unknown before,
Forms fuch as demigods and heroes wore : Here paufe and pity our enervate days, Hopelefs to rival their tranfcendant praife. xxi. m Peculiar toil on (ingle forms beftow, 26*
now to paint o -»
There let Expreffion lend its finifh'd glow ;
There each variety of tint unite
With the full harmony of {hade and light.
Non te igitur latcant antiqua numifmata, gemmae, Vafa, typi, flat use, caslataque marmora fignis, Quodque refert fpecie veterum poft faecula mentem : * Splendidior quippc ex illis affurgit imago,
Magnaque fe rerum facies aperit meditanti; .19Q
Tune noftri tenuem faecli miferebere fortem, Cum fpes nulla fiet rediturse aequalis in asvum. Exquifita fiet forma, dum Tola figura
tanda,
Pingitur ; & multis variata coloribus eilo
Free o'er the limbs the flowing vefture caft, f XXIf The light broad folds with grace majeftic pkc'd; And as each figure turns a different way, 271
Give the large plaits their correfponding play ; Yet devious oft and fwelling from the part, The flowing robe with eafe fliould feem to ftart ; Not on the form in ftiff adhefion laid, 275
But well reliev'd by gentle light and fliade.
Where'er a flat vacuity is feen, There let fome fhadowy bending intervene, Above, below, to lead its varied line, As beft may teach the diftant folds to join ; 280
Lati, amplique linus pannorum, & nobilis ordo joe xxir.
y:>QuidinPanni3
Membra fequtns, fubter latkantia lumine 6c umbra
Exprimet^ ille licet tranfverfus faepe feratur,
Et circumfufos pannorum perrigat extra
Membra finus,. non contiguos, ipfifque figurae
Partibus impreffos, quafi pannu5 adhsereat illis ; 200
Sed modice expreflbs cum lumine fervet & umbris ;
Qussque intermiffis paflim funt difTita vanis, Copulet, indudis fubterve, fuperve lacernis,
t *4 1
And as the limbs by few bold ftrokes expreft Expel in beauty, fo the liberal veft In large, diftind, unwri-nkled folds iliould fly ; Beauty's beft handmaid is Simplicity.
To different Ranks adapt their proper robe 285 With ample pall let monarchs fweep the globe ; In garb fuccin6t and coarfe, array the Swain. In light and filken veils the Virgin train.
Where in black {hade the deeper hollow lies Affifting art fome midway fold fupplies 290
That gently meets the light, and gently fpreads break the hardnefs of oppofing ihades.
Et Membra, ut magnis, paucifque exprefTa lacertis, ' 'Majeftate aliis praeflant, forma, atque decore : 20^5
Haud fecus in pannis, quos fupra optavimus amplos, Perpaucos finuum flexus, .rugafque, ftriafque, Membra fuper, yerfu facile.s, inducere praeflat.
Naturaeque rei proprius lit pannus, abundans Patriciis;; Aiccindtus erit, craffufque bubulcis, 210
Mancipiifque ; kvis teneris, gracilifque puellis.
Inque cavis maculifque umbrarum aliquando tumefcet, Lumen ut excipiens, operis qua mafia requirit, jLatius extendat, fublatifque aggreget umbris.
XXIJI.
OfPidure! . •: Ornament.
Each nobler fymbol claffic Sages ufe To mark a Virtue, or adorn a Mufe, Enfigns of War, of Peace, or Rites divine, 295 Thefe in thy work with dignity may mine : But fparingly thy earth-born flores unfold, xxrv.
Ornarar.ent ci"
Nor load with gems, nor lace with tawdry gold ; Rare things alone are dear in Cuftom's eye, They lofe their value as they multiply.
Of abfent forms the features to define, Prepare a model to direcl thy line ; Each garb, each cuftom, with precision trace, Unite in ftricl: decorum time with place ; And emulous alone of genuine fame, Be Grace, be Majefty thy conftant aim,
300
XXV.
OftheModtl.
XXVI. Union of the Piece.
305 xxvi r.
Grace and
Majcily.
Nobilia arma juvant Virtutum ornantque figuras, Qualia Mufarum, Belli, cultufque Deorum. Nee fit opus nimium gemmis auroque refertum ; Kara etenim magno in pretio, fed plurima vili.
Qua? deinde ex vero nequeant prxfente videri, Prototypum prius illorum formare juvabit.
Conveniat locus, atque habitus ; ritufque decufque Servetur : Sit nobilitas, Charitumque venuftas,
D
2 1 c xxnr.
J Tabula Uma-
XXIV. Ornamentuni Auri & Gem- marum.
XXV. Prototypus.
220 XXyr.
Convenientia rerum cum Scena.
xxv! r.
Chr-rites & Nobilhas. -
[ 26 ]
That Majefty, that Grace fo rarely given To mortal man, not taught by art but Heav'n, XXVIIT. In all to fage propriety attend,
Every Thing
place. pn ;r Nor fink the clouds, nor bid the waves afcend;3io Lift not the mansions drear of Hell or Night Above the Thunderer's lofty arch of light ; Nor build the column on an ofler bafe, But let each object know its native place. xxix. Thy laft, thy nobl eft tafk remains untold, arc
The Paffioos. >. /' / ' O 3
Paffion to paint, and fentiment unfold ; Yet how thefe motions of the mind difplay ! Can colours catch them, or can lines portray ?
*
(Rarum homini munus, Ccelo, non arte petendum^) xxvin. Naturae fit ubique tenor, ratioque fequenda.
Res quasqae
locum fuunj Non vicina pedum ^^ tabulata excelfa tonantis 22 c
*
teneat.
Aftra domus depidta gerent, nubefque, notofque; Nee mare depreflum laquearia fumma, vel Orcum j Marmoreamque feret cannis vaga pergula molem : Congrua fed propria. Temper ilatione locentur.
xxix. HSEC prscter, motus animorum, & corde repoitos 2 ?o Atfedw.
Exprimere aftc^us, paucifque coloribus ipfam
C 27 ]
Who mall our pigmy Pencils arm with might To feize the Soul and force her into fight ? 320 Jove, Jove alone ; his highly- fa vor'd few Alone can call fuch miracles to view.
But this to Rhet'ric and the Schools I leave, Content from antient lore one rule to give, " By tedious toil no Paffions are expreft, 325
" His hand who feels them ftrongeft paints them beft."
Y v Y
Yet fhall the Mufe with all her force profcribe Gothic o
A ment to be
Of bafe and barbarous forms that Gothic tribe
Pingere pofTe animam, atque oculis praebere videndam,
" Hoc opusy bic labor eft. Pauci, quos aquus amavit
*' yupfittr> #ut ardens evexit ad eethera virtus,
4« Dis Jimiles potuere" manu miracula tanta. 235
Hos ego Rhetoribus tradtandos defero ; tantum Egregii antiquum memorabo fophifma magiflrij " Verius affeffius animi vigor exprimit ardensy " Bolliciti nimlum quam fedula cur a labor is.
Denique nil fapiat Gothorum barbara trito 240 xxx.
Gothorum
Ornamenta modo, faeclorum & monftra malorum : ornamema
iiigieada. D 2
[ 28 ]
Which fprang to birth, what time, thro' luft of fway, Imperial Latium bad the world obey: 330
Fierce from the north the headlong Demons flew, The wreaths of Science wither'd at their view, Plagues were their harbingers, an.d War accurft, And Luxury of every fiend the worft ; Then did each Mufe behold her triumphs fade, 335 Then penfive Painting droop'd the languifh'd head; And forrowing Sculpture, while the ruthlefs flame Involved each trophy of her filler's fame,. Fled to fepulchral cells her own to fave, And lurk'd a patient inmate of the grave. 340 Meanwhile beneath the frown of angry Heav'n, Unworthy ev'ry boon its fmile had given,
Queis ubi Bella, famem, & peftem, difcordia, luxus,, Et Romanorum res grandior intulit orbi, Ingenue periere artes, periere fuperbae Artificum moles; fua tune miracula vidit Ignibus abfumi Pidura, latere coada Fornicibus, fortem & reliouam confidere cryptis; Marmoribufque diu Sculptura jacere fepultis. Imperium interea, fcelerum gravitate fatifcens,
C 29 ]
Involved in Error's cloud, and fcorn'd of light
The guilty Empire funk. Then horrid Night,
And Dullnefs drear their murky vigils kept, 345
In favage gloom the impious Ages flept,
Till Genius, ftarting from his rugged bed,
Full late awoke the ceafelefs tear to fhed
For perifli'd Art ; for thofe celeftial Hues,
Which Zeuxis, aided by the Attic Mufe, 350
Gave to the wond'ring Eye : She bad his name, Se^'pa
cf Painting.
With thine, Apelles ! gild the lifts of Fame, With thine to Coloring's brighteft glories foar, The Gods applaud him, and the World adore.
Horrida nox totum invafit, donoque fuperni 250.
Luminis indignum, errorum caligine merfit,,
Impiaque ignaris damnavit £ecla tenebris.
Unde coloratura Graiis hue ufque magiftris
Nil fuperefl tantorum hominum, quod mente modoque
Noftrates }uvet artifices, doceatque laborem ; 255
I^ec qui Chromatices nobls, hoc tempore, partes CHROMA
Reftituat, quaies Zeuxis tradlaverat olim,
Hujus quando magi vclut arte aquavit Apellem
Pidorum archigraphum, meruitque coloribus altam
Nominis seterni famam, toto orbe fonantem. 260
D 3
TIC E s terta-
[ 3° ]
Alas ! how loft thofe magic mixtures all ! 355 No hues of his now animate the wall ; How then fliall modern Art thofe hues apply, How give Defign its finim'd dignity ? Return fair COLORING ! all thy lures prepare, Each fafe deception, every honeft fnare, 360
Which brings new lovers to thy lifter's train, Skilful at once to charm, and to retain ; Come faithful Siren ! chaft feducer ! fay, What laws control thee, and what powers obey.
Know firft that Light difplays and fhade deftroys Refulgent Nature's variegated dyes.
Thus bodies near the light diftinctly fhine With rays direct, and as it fades decline.
Haec quidem ut in tabulis fallax, fed grata venuftas,
Et complementum graphidos, inirabile vifu,
Pulchra vocabatur, fed fubdola, lena fororis :
Non tamen hoc lenocinium, fucufque, dolufque
Dedecori fuit unquam ; illi fed femper honor^ 265
Laudibus & mentis -, hanc ergo nofie juvabit.
Lux variqm, vivumque dabit, nullum umbra, colorem.
Quo magis adverfum eft corpus, lucique propinquum? Clarius eft lumen ; nam debilitatur eundo.
C 3* ]
Thus to the eye oppos'd with ftronger light They meet its orb, for diftance dims the fight. 370
Learn hence to paint the parts that meet the view xxxi.
The Condud
Shadow.
In fpheric forms, of bright, and equal hue ; of Light
While from the light receding or the Eye
The finking outlines take a fainter dye.
Loft and confus'd progreffively they fade, -375
Not fall precipitate from light to (hade.
This Nature dictates, and this Tafte purfues,
Studious in gradual gloom her lights to lofe,
The various whole with foft'ning tints to fill
As if one fingle head employ'd her {kill. 380
Thus if bold Fancy plan fome proud defign,
Where many various groups divide or join,
Quo magis eft corpus dire&um, oeulifque propinquum, Confpicitur melius^ nam vifus hebefcit eundo. 271
Ergo in corporibus, quse vifa adverfa, rotundis* xxxr.
ToBorum Lir
Integra funt, extrema abfcedant perdita fignis
Confufis, non praecipiti labentur in umbram
Clara gradu, nee adumbrata in clara alta repcnte 275
Prorumpant; fed erit fenfim hinc atque inde meatus
Lucis & umbrarum ; capitifque unius ad inftar,
Totum opus, ex multis quamquam fit partibus, unus-
[ 32 ]
(Tho' fure from more than three confufion fprings) One globe of light and fhade o'er all fhe flings ; Yet fkill'd the feparate maffes to difpofe, 385
Where'er, in front, the fuller radiance glows, Behind, a calm repofing gloom {he fpreads, Relieving {hades with light, and light with fhades. And as the centre of fome convex glafs Draws to a point the congregated mafs 390
Of dazzling rays, that, more than nature bright, Reflect each image in an orb of light, While from that point the fcatter'd beams retire. Sink to the verge and there in fhade expire ;
Luminis .umbrarumque globus tantummodo fiet,
Sive duas, vel tres ad fummum, ubi grandius efTet 280
Divifum pegma in partes ftatione remotas.
Sintque ita difcreti inter fe, ratione colorum,
Luminis, umbrarumque, an.trorfum ut corpora clara
Obfcura umbrarum requies fpeftanda relinquat;
Claroque exiliant umbrata atque afpera campo. 285
Ac veluti in fpeculis convexis, eminet ante
Afperior reipsa vigor, 6c vis atidla colorum
Partibus adverfis ; magis 6c fuga rupta retrorfuni
^llorum eft (ut yifa minus vergentibus oris)
C 33 ]
So ftrongly near, fo foftly diftant throw 395
On all thy rounded groups the circling glow.
As is the Sculptor's fiich the Painter's aim, ' *V*> *v> « •*
Their labor different, but their end the -fame; What from the marble the rude chiffel breaks The fofter pencil from the canvas takes, 400
And, fkill'd remoter diftances to keep, Surrounds the outline pale in fhadows deep : While on the front the fparkling luftre plays, And meets the eye in full meridian blaze. True Coloring thus in plaftic power excells, 405 Fair to the vifual point her forms flie fwells,
Corporibus dabimus formas hoc more rotundas. 293
Mente modoque igitur plafles, 6c pidtor, eodem Difpofitum tradtabit opus ; quas fculptor in orbem Atterit, haec rupto procul abfcedente colore AfTequitur pictor, fugientiaque ilia retrorfum Jam ilgnata minus confufa coloribus aufert: Anteriora quidem dired:e adverfa, colore Integra vivaci, fummo cum lumine & umbra Antrorfum diilindla refert, velut afpera vifu j Sicque fuper planum inducit leucoma colores,
E
[ 34 ]
And lifts them from their flat aeral ground Warm as the life, and as the ftatue round. I*1 filyer clouds in aether's blue domain,
opake Bodies m
with uannu- Qr the clear mirror of the watry plain 410
cfat ones. * *•
If chance fome folid fubftance claim a place, Firm and opaque amid the lucid fjpace, Rough let it fwell and boldly meet the fight, Mark'd with peculiar ftrength of fhade and light ; There blend each earthy tint of heavieft fort, 415 At once to give confiftence and fupport, While the bright wave, foft cloud, or azure fky, Light and pellucid from that fubftance fly.
Hos velut ex ipsa natura immotus eodem Intuitu circum ftatuas daret inde rotundas, ixxn. Denfa figurarum folidis qua? corpora formic
Corpora denfa
& opaca cumSubdita funt tadlu, non tranflucent, fed opaca
itanflucenti-
Jn tranflucendi fpatio ut fuper aera, nubes,
Limpida ftagna undarum, & inania ccetera debent
Afperiora illis prope circumftantibus efle ;
Ut diftincfla magis firmo cum lumine & umbra,
Et gravioribus ut fuftenta coloribus, inter
Aerias fpecies fubfiftant femper opaca ;
Sed contra, procul abfcedunt perlucida, denfis
Corporibus leviora ; utt nubes, aer, &
[ 35 ]
Permit not two confpicuous lights to fliine
O There mu(fc
With rival radiance in the fame defign ; But yield to one alone the power to blaze And fpread th' extenfive vigor of its rays, There where the nobleft figures are difplay'd $ Thence gild the diftant parts and lefiening fade : As fade the beams which Phoebus from the Eaft Flings vivid forth to light the diftant Weft, 426 Gradual thofe vivid beams forget to fhine, So gradual let thy pidhir'd lights decline.
Non poterunt diverfa locis duo lumina eadem xxxm.
Non duo ex
In tabula paria admitti, aut aequalia pingi : Majus at in mediam lumen cadet ufque tabellam Latius infufum, primis qua fumma nguris 315
Res agitur, circumque oras minuetur eundo: Utque in progreflu jubar attenuatur ab ortu Solis, ad occafum paulatim, & ceffat eundo j Sic tabulis lumen, tota in compage colorum, Primo a fonte, minus fenlim declinat eundo. 323
E 2
[ 36 ] The fculptur'd forms which fome proud Circus
grace,
In Parian Marble or Corinthian Brafe, 430;
Illumin'd. thus, give to the gazing eyey . TlV exprefiive head in radiant Majefty,. While to each lower limb the fainter ray Lends only light to mark, but not difplay : So let thy pencil fling its beams around, 435
Nor e'er with darker fhades their force confound, For fhades too dark diflever'd fhapes will give, And fink the parts their foftnefs would relieve ; Then only well reliev'd, when like a veil" Round the full lights the wandring fhadows fteal ; Then only juftly ipread, when to the fight 441 A breadth of fhade purfues a breadth of light.
Majus tit in ftatuis, per compita ftantibus urbis,
Lumen habent partes fuperas, minus inferiores;
Idem erit in tabulis; majofque nee umbra, vel ater
Membra figurarum intrabit color, atqu'e fecabit :
Corpora fed circum umbra cavis latitabit oberrans ; ^25
Atque ita qua:retur lux opportuna figuris,
Ut late infufum lumen lata umbra iequatur*
[ 37 ]
This charm to give, great Titian wifely made The clufter'd grapes his rule of light and fhade.
White, when it fhines with unftanVd luftre clear, - _,
1 Of White and
May bear an object back or bring it near,, 446 Aided by black it to the front afpires^ That aid withdrawn it diftantly retires ; But Black unmixt, of darkeft midnight hue. Still calls each object nearer to the view. 4.50
Whate'er we fpy thro' color'd light or air, xxxv.
rj TheRefleftioir
A ftain congenial on their furface bear,
While neighboring forms by joint reflexion give,
And mutual take the dyes that they receive.
Unde, nee immerito, fertur Titianus ubique Lucis &c umbrarum normani appellafle racemum.
Purum album e£e potefl propiufque magifque remotum : xxxiv.
Album &Ni-
Cum nigro antevenit propius ; fugit abfque, remotum; 23i8rum<> Purum autem nigruin antrorfum. venit ufque propinquum.
Lux fucata fuo tingit mifcetque colore Corpora, licque fuo, per quern lux funditur, aer.
Corpora jundta (imul, circumfuibfque colores 335: xxxv
,. r n Coloruni re-
Excipiunt, propnumque aliis radiofa renedunt.
E 3
'[ 38 ] xxxvi. But where on both alike one equal light 45-5
The Union of
colours. Diffufive fpreads, the blending tints unite. For breaking Colors thus (the antient phrafe By Artifts us'd) fair Venice claims our praife ; She, cautious to tranfgrefs fo fage a rule, Confin'd to fobereft tints her learned fchool, 460 For tho' {he lov'd by- varied mode to join Tumultuous crowds in one immenfe defign, Yet there we ne'er condemn fuch hoftile hues As cut the parts or glaringly confufe ; In tinfel trim no foppifh form is dreft, 465
Still flows in graceful unity the veft,
xxxvi. Pluribus in folidis liquida fub luce propinquis,
XJnioColorwm,
Participes, mixtofque fimul decet elTe colores, Hanc normam Veneti pidlores rite fequuti, (Quas fuit antiquis corruptio difta colorum) Cum plures opere in magno pofuere figuras, Ne conjundta fimul variorum inimica colorum Congeries formam implicitam, 5c concifa minutis .Membra daret pannis, totam unamquamque flguram A.ffirii, aut uno tantum veftire colore,
[ 39 ]
And o'er that veft a kindred mantle fpreads, Unvaried but by power of lights and fhades, Which mildly mixing, ev'ry focial dye Unites the whole in lovelieft harmony. 470
When fmall the fpace, or pure the ambient air, xxxvn
Of the Inter-
Each form is feen in bright precifion clear ;
But if thick clouds that purity deface,
If far extend that intervening fpace,
There all confus'd the objects faintly rife, 475
As if prepar'd to vanifli from our eyes.
Give then each foremoft part a touch fo bright, That, o er the reft, its domineering light
Te
of DiUances.
Suntfoliti; variando tonis tunicamque, togamque, Carbafeofque finus, vel amicum in lumine & umbra Contiguis circum rebus fociando colorem.
Qua minus eft fpacii aerei, aut qua purior aer, Cuncta magis diftinda patent, fpeciefque refervant : 350 Qu_aque magis denfus nebulis, aut plurimus aer Amplum inter fuerit fpatium porredlus, in auras Confundet rerum fpecies, 5c perdet inanes.
Anteriora magis Temper finita, remotis Incertis dominentur & abfcedentibus, idque 355
XXXVIT. Aer Interpo-
fitus.
xxxyiir.
Diftantiaiura Relatio.
C 40 ]
May much prevail ; yet relative in all Let greater parts advance before the fmall. 480 Minuter forms, when diftantly we trace,
which are di-
Are mingled all in one compared mafs ; Such the light leaves that cplothe remoter woods, And fuch the waves on wide extended floods. Let each contiguous part be firm allied, 485
and feparated
Bodies. Nor labour lefs the feparate to divide ; Yet fo divide that to th' approving eye They both at fmall and pleafing diftance lie.
XLI
colors very Forbid two hoftile Colours clofe to meet,
oppofne to
each other ne- . . . • i 1 1 • i . c
ver to be join- And win with middle tints their union iweet, 490
More relative, ut majora minoribus extent, xxxix. Cunfta minuta procul maffam denfantur in unam ;
Corpora pro-
ltantia> Ut folia arboribus fylvarum, & in squore fludus. XL. Contigua inter fe coe'ant, fed diffita diftent,
Contigua &
Diftabuntque tamen grato, & difcrimine parvo. XLI. Extrema extremis contraria jungere noli;
Contraria ex-
ueraa ^g«en-ged m^'lQ fint ufque gfacju fociata
[ 4* ]
Yet varying all thy tones, let fome afoire Fiercely in front, fome tenderly retire.
Vain is the hope by coloring to difplay The bright effulgence of the noontide ray, Or paint the full-orb'd Ruler of the fides 495 With pencils dipt in dull terreftrial dyes ; But when mild Evening fheds her golden light ; When Morn appears array'd in modeft white ; When foft fuffuiion of the vernal fhower 499 Dims the pale fun ; or, at the thundering hour, When, wrapt in crimfon clouds, he hides his head, Then catch the glow and on the canvas fpread,
XLII.
Diverfiiy of Tints and Co- lours.
XLIIf.
The Choice of Light.
Corporurn erit Tonus atque color variatus ubique; Quasrat amicitiam retro ; ferus emicet ante.
Supremum in tabulis lumen cap tare diei, Infanus labor artificum ; cum attingere tan turn Non pigmenta queant ; auream fed vefpere lucem, Seu modicum mane albentem j five aetheris aclam Poft hyemem nimbis transfufo fole caducam ; Seu nebulis fultam recipient, tonitruque rubentem.
F
xtrr.
Tonus&Color varii.
365 XL-Ill. Luminis dc-
57°
[ 4* J
XLIV. Bodies of polifh'd or tranfparent
Of certain
the"
Of metal, chryftal, iv'ry, wood, or ftone ;:
pradical Part.
And all whofe rough unequal parts are rear'd, 505 The fhaggy fleece, thick fur, or briftly beard ^ The liquid too ; the fadly melting eye, The well-comb'd locks that wave with gloffy dye; Plumage and filks; a floating form that take, Fair Nature's mirror the extended lake, ^xa
With what immers'd thro' its calm medium friines. By reflex light, or to its furface joins : Thefe fir ft with thin and even fhades portray, Then, on their flatnefs, ftrike th' enlivening ray, Bright and diftindt, and laft with ftrift review, Reftore to every form its outline true.
s *IJV\ Lffivia que lucent, veluti cryftalla, metalla,
Quedam circa
Ligna, ofla, & lapides ; villofa, ut vellera, pelles^ Barbz, aqueique oculi, crines, hotoferica, plumie; Et liquida, ut ftagnans aqua, reflexxque Tub undis Corporeal fpecies, & aquis contermina cuncfta, Subter ad extremum liquide fint pida, fuperque Luminibus percufia fuis, fignifque repoflis.
[ 43 ] By mellowing feill thy Ground at diftance
. . - .r • i i n
Free as the Air, and tranlient as its blait: ; There all thy liquid Colors iweetly blend. There all the treafures of thy Palette fpend, 52© And ev'ry form retiring to that ground Of hue congenial to itfelf compound.
The hand that colors well, muft color bright;
1 T • 1 r 1 i l - city of Colors
Hope not that praiie to gam by iickly white ;
But amply heap in front each fplendid dye, C2< XLVH.
J Of Shadows.
Then thin and light withdraw them from the eye, Mix'd with that fimple unity of {hade, XLVIH
11 r r i i r i The Piflure
As all were from one fingle palette ipread. to. be «f "ne
Area, vel campus tabulas vaeus eflo. levifque XLV.
Campus Ta-
Abfcedat latus, liquideque bene undus amicis
Tota ex mole coloribus, una five patella; 380
Quasque cadimt retro in campum, confinia campo.
Vividus efto color, nimio non pallidus albo ; ,XLvrt-. .
Color vivtdus
Adverfifque locis ingeftus plurimus, ardens : Sed leviter parceque datus vergentibus oris.
Cun(Sla labore fimul coeant, velut umbra in eadem. ^8cIT
J ^ Umbra.
Tota fiet tabula ex una depifta patella. XLVIH.
* Ex una Patella
p fit Tabula.
[ 44 ] in Much will the Mirror teach, or Evening gray,,
GtafsthePuin- , •> r i r i •!• i
ten's belt Ma- when Q er lome ample ipace her twilight ray 530 Obfcurely gleams ;. hence Art fliall beft perceive On diftant parts what fainter hues to give.
AhaifLFigure Whate'er the Form which our firft glance com-
or a whole one before others.
Whether in front or in profile he ftands, Whether he rule the group, or fingly reign, 535 Or fhine at diftance on fome ample plain j, On that high-finifh'd Form let Paint beftow Her midnigjit fliadow^, her meridian glow, u. The Portrait claims from imitative art
A PortraU-
Refemblance clofe in each minuter part, 54<>
And this to give, the ready hand and eye With playful (kill the kindred features ply ;
XLIX. Malta ex natura fpeculum prasclara docebit j
Speculum P-.c-
torum Magi- Q^XqUe procul fero fpatiis fpedantur in amplis.
i" Dimidia effigies, quae fola, vel Integra plures
DimidiaFi-
alias pofita ad lucem, ftat proxima vifu, Et latis fpedtanda locis, oculifque remota,. Luminis umbrarumque gradu fit pi<Sa fupremo. M- Partibus in minimis imitatio jufta iuvabit
Kfngics.
Effigiem, altcrnas referendo teinpore eodem
[ 45 I
f
From part to part alternately convey: The harmonizing gloom, the darting ray With tones fo j-uft, in ,fuch gradation thrown, 54,5 Adopting Nature owns the work her own.
Say, is the piece thy Hand prepares to trace Qrdain'd for nearer fightr or narrow fpace ? Paint it of foft and amicable hue:. But, if predeftin'd to remoter view, 550
Thy ftrong unequal varied colors blend ; And ample fpace to ample figures lend Where to broad lights the circumambient fhade In liquid play by labor juft is laid ^
Lir.
The Place of the Pitfure;
LIU:
Large Lights.!
Confimiles partes, cum luminis atque coloris- 393
Compofitis, juftifque tonis ; tune parta labore Si facili & vegeto micat ardens, viva videtutv
Vifa loco angpfto tenere pingantmy amico Junda colore, graduque j procul qua? pi&a, feroci S'mt & inaequali variata colore, tonoque. 400
Grandia figna volunt fpatia ampla, ferofque colores.. JLumina lata> unctas iimul undique copulet umbras-
F 3-
LIT.
Locus Tabu--
Lin.
Lumina lata.
i.iv. Alike with livelieft touch the Forms portray,
The Quantity
[ 46 ]
ouch the
Where the dim window half excludes the day ; But, when expos'd in fuller light or air, A brown and fober caft the group may bear. LV. . Fly ev'ry Foe to elegance and grace,
Things which / <
aSeiiS- Each yawning hollow, each divided fpace ; c6c
ing to be a- J
Whatever is trite, minute, abrupt, or dry, Where light meets fliade in flat equality ; Each theme fantaftic, filthy, vile, or vain, That gives the Soul difguft, or fenfes pain ; Monfters of barbarous birth, Chimasras drear, 5 65 That pall with uglinefs, ,or awe with fear,
LIV. Extremus labor. -In tabulas demifTa feneftris
Quantitas Lu-
S^ fucrit lux parva, color clariiTimus efto :
Vividus at contra, obfcuruique, in lumine aperto. 405 LV. Qua? vacuis divifa cavis, vitare memento;
Errores & Vi-
Trita, minuta, firnul qua; non flipata dehifcunt, Barbara, cruda oculis, rugis fucata colorum; Luminis umbrarumque tonis jcqualia cuncla; Foeda, crtienta, cruces, obfccena, ingrata, chimeras., 410 Sordidaque & mifera, & vel acuta, vel afpera tadtu j dabunt formae, temere congella, ruinam,
C 47 ]
And all that chaos of fharp broken parts, Where reigns Confufion, or whence Difcord flarts.
Yet hear me, Youths ! while zealous ye forfakeTheL^rr-den
T>k o i r i i • r • ti r'a' Part °f
Detected raults, this friendly caution take, 570 Painter. Shun all excefs ; and with true Wifdom deem,. That Vice alike refides in each extreme.
Know, if fupreme Perfection be your aim, If claffic Praife your pencils hope to claim, Your nobk outlines muft be chafte, yet free, 575 Connected all with ftudied Harmony ; Few in their parts, yet thofe diftincl and great ; Your Coloring boldly ftrong, yet foftly fweet.
Lvn.
The idea of a? beautiful Pic- ture.
Jmplicitas aliis confundent mixtaque partes.
Dumque fugis vitiofa, cave in contraria labi' Damnamali; vitium extremis nam Temper inhacret. 415
Pulchra grada fummo, graphidos flabilita vctuftse Nobilibus fignis, funt grandia, diffita, pura,> Terfa, velut minime confufa, labore ligata, Partibus ex magnls paucifque effi&a, colorum Corporibus diftinda feris, fed fcmper amici^. 420
Lvr. p
Prudentia 19 Pidore.
LVII.
Elegantium Idaea Tabuv
laruni,
[ 4« ] LVIII. Know he that well begins has half achieved
Advice to a
terHis deftin'd work. Yet late ihall be retrieved 580 That time mifpent, that labour worfe than loft, The young difciple, to his deareft coft, Gives to a dull preceptor's tame defigns : His tawdry -colors, his erroneous lines Will Jto the foul that poifon rank .convey, 585 Which life's beft length fhall fail to purge away.
Yet let not your untutor'd childhood ftrive Of Nature's living charms the {ketch to give, Till {kill'd her feparate features to defign You know each mufcle's fite, and how they join.
LVIH. OH* bene Ca2pit> uti fa<fli jani fertur habere
Pi*5lor Tyro.
Dimidium; Pi<fturam ita nil fub limine primo Ingrediens, puer offendit damnofius arti, Quam varia .error um genera, ignorante magiftro, Ex pravis libare Typisy mentemque veneno Inficere, in toto quod non abftergitur aevo.
Nee graphidos rudis artis adhuc cito qualiacu-nque Corpora viva fuper fludium meditabitur, ante Jllorum quam fymmetriarrij intornodia, formam
[ 49 ]
Thefe while beneath fome Matter's eye you trace, Vers'd in the lore of fymmetry and grace, Boldly proceed, his precepts fhall impart Each fweet deception of the pleafing art ; Still more than precept fhall his pradlice teach, 595 And add what felf-refle&ion ne'er can reach.
Oft when alone the ftudious hour employ LIX.
On what may aid your art, and what deftroy :
mutt be
Diveriity of parts is fure to pleafe, Lx.
Diverfity and
If all the various parts unite with eafe; 6oo|3ng.are
As fiirely charms that voluntary ftyle,
Which carelefs plays and feems to mock at toil :
For labor 'd lines with cold exadlnefs tire,
'Tis Freedom only gives the for"ce and fire
Noverit, infpe&is, dodlo evolvente magiftro, 430
Archetypis, dulcefque dolos prasfenferit artis.
Plufque manu ante oculos quam voce docebitur ufus. LJX
.. Ars debet fer-
Quaere artern qujecunque juvant ; fuge quseque repugnant, vire Piaori.
non Pi<5tor
Corpora diverfae naturse junda placebunt; Arti-
LX.
Sic ea qux facili contempta labore videntur: 4^ocuios recre-
^•^-'ant d!ve»fitas
JEthereus quippe ignis inert 6c fpiritus illis;
ciatini Ars di- diur.
C 50 ]
Ethereal, fhe, with Alchymy divine,. 605
Brightens each touch, ennobles ev'ry line ; Yet Pains and Practice only can beftow This facile power of hand, whofe liberal flow With grateful fraud its own exertions veils : He beft employs his Art who beft conceals. 6icr
The oinai to °^^n^ fet Tafte with Judgment join'ct
mutt be in the t r t . . * t _
Head, and the The future whole infix upon thy mind,
Copy on the
Be there each line in truth ideal drawn,
Or e'er a ^colour on the canvafs dawn ;
Then as the work proceeds, that work fubmit
To fight mftinctive, not to doubting wit ; 6 1 6
eye each obvious error fwift defcries,
to be in the
Eyes. Hold then the compafs only in the eyes.
Mente diu verfata, rrranu celeranda repenti. Arfque laborque operis grata fie fraude latebit : Maxima deinde erit ars, nihil artis ineiTe videri.
LXI. ^ec Prius inducas tabulae pigmenta colorum, 440
Archetypusin
mente, Apo- Expenfi quam figna typi ftabilita nitcfcant,
graphus in
Et menti praefens operis fit pegma futuri. LXII. Praevaleat fenfus rationi, quac officit arti
Circinus in
Confpicuss^ inque oculis tantummodo circinus
[ 5' 3
Give to the di&ates of the Learn'd refpedl, Nor proudly untaught fentiments reject, Severe to felf alone ; for felf is blind, And deems each merit in its offspring join'd : Such fond delufion time can beft remove, Concealing for a while the child we love ; By abfence then the Eye impartial grown Will, tho' no friend affift, each error own ; But thefe fubdued, let thy determin'd mind Veer not with ev'ry critic's veering wind, Or e'er fubmit thy Genius to the rules Of prating fops, or felf-important fools; 630
LX1II.
Pride an Ene-
625
Utere dodlorum monitis, nee fperne fuperbus Difcere, quse de te fuerit fententia vulgi ; Eft CSECUS nam quifque fuis in rebus, 6c expers Judicii, prolemque fuam miratur amatque. Aft ubi confilium deerit fapientis amici, Id tempus dabit, atque mora intermiffa labori. Non facilis tamen ad nutus, -& inania vulgi Di&a, levis mutabis opus, geniumque relinques :
G 2
LXTII.
Superbia Pic- tori nocet plu- rinwm.
45*
[ 52 J
Enough if from the learn'd applaufe be won : Who doat on random praifes, merit none.
^7 Nature's fympathetic Power, we fee, As is the Parent, fuch the Progeny : Ev'n Artifts, bound by. her inftin&ive law, 63 5-
In all their works their own refemblance draw :
,
Learn then " to know thyfelf," that precept fage
Shall beft allay luxuriant Fancy's rage,
Shall point how far indulgent Genius deigns
To aid her flight, and to what point reftrains. 640
But as the blufhing Fruits, the breathing Flowers,
Adorning Flora's and Pomona's bowers.,
When forcing fires command their buds to fwell,
Refufe their dulcet tafte, their balmy fmell ;
Nam qui parte fua fperat bene pofl'e mereri Multivaga de plebe, nocet fibi, nee placet ulli.. LXIV. C unique opere in proprio foleat fe pingere pid:or, 45 ^
Nofce teipAim
(Prolem adeo fibi ferre parem natura fuevit)
Proderit imprimis pidori ^vu Ut data quae genio colat, abflineatque negatis. Fruftibus utque fuus nunquam efl fapor, atque venuflas Floribus, infueto in fundo, prajcoce fub anni 460,
Tempore, quos cultus violentus •& ignis adegiti
[ 53 ]
So Labor's vain extortion ne'er achieves 645
That grace fupreme which willing Genius gives.
Tims tho1 to pains and practice much we owe,
Tho' thence each line .obtains its eafy flow* do e?fily whatr
J you have coa-
Yet let thofe pains, that practice ne'er be jofn'd, To blunt the native vigor of the mind. 650
When fhines the Morn, when in recruited courie~, L*VL.
The Morning i r • ' n i i* n • r rao^ P'°Per:
The ipints now, devote their active force for work.
To every nicer part of thy defiign,.
But pafs no idle day without a line-: . Eve^plydo
ibmething.
And wandering oft the crouded ftreets along, 6 c c LXVUI.
-^ The Method
The native geftures of the pafling throng
fions.
Attentive mark, for many a cafual- gracer Th'expreffive lines of each impaiiion'd face
Sic nunquam,. nimio quae funt extorta labore,, Et pid;a invito genio, nunquara ilia placebunt-
Vera fuper meditando, manus labor improbus adfit y Quod
^ _ . j. . r f concers
Nec taaien obtunaat genium, mentilque vigorem. 405 Manu com-
proba.
Optima nofirorum pars matutina dier-um. „ LXVI.
Matutinum __.„.,.» ... . . 111- Tempus La-
Dimcili hanc leitur notiorem impsnde labon. bori aptum.
LXVII. Nulla dies abeat, quin linea duda fuperfit : bS^uSfa
Perque vias, vultus hominum, motufque notaBis LXVIII.
inob-
Libertate fua proprios, pofitafque figuras 47°^sati&Datu*
G 3
Book.
[ 54 ]
That bears its joys or forrows undifguis'd, May by obfervant Tafte be there furpriz'd. 660 Thus, true to Art, and zealous to excel Ponder on Nature's powers, and weigh them well; Explore thro' earth and heaven, thro' fea and ftdes, The accidental graces as they rife;
of J;*!*ye And while each prefent form the Fancy warms, 665 Swift an thy tablets fix its fleeting charms.
To Temperance all our livelieft Powers we owe, She bids the Judgment wake, the Fancy flow ; For her the Artift fhuns the fuming feaft, The Midnight roar, the Bacchanalian gueft, 670 And feeks thofe fofter opiates of the foul, The focial circle, the diluted bowl ;
Ex fefe faciles, ut inohfervatus, habebis. Nondefin'tpu-^ox quodcumque mari, terris, & in ae're pulchrum,
gillares.
ContigtTit, chartis propera mandare paratis, Dum praefens animo Ipecies tibi fervet hianti.
Non epulis nimis indulget Pi&ura, meroque 475
Parcit : Amicorum nifi cum fermone benigno Exhauflam reparet mentem recreata; fed injde
[ 55 ]
Crown'd with the Freedom of a fmgle life,, He flies domeftic din, litigious ftrife ; Abhors the noify haunts of buftling trade, 675 And fteals ferene to folitude and fhade ; There calmly feated in his village bower, He gives to nobleft themes the ftudious hour, While Genius, Practice, Contemplation join To warm his foul with energy divine : 680
For paltry gold let pining Mifers figh, His foul invokes a nobler Deity ; Smit with the glorious Avarice of Fame, He claims no lefs than an immortal name :
& curis, in coelibe libera vita, Seceflus procul a turba, ftrepituque remotosr Villarum, rurifque beata filentia quasrit : 480
Namque recolledor tota incumbente Minerva, Ingenio, rerum fpecies praefentior extat; Commodiufque operis compagem ampledlitur omnem.
Infami tibi non potior fit avara peculi
Cura, aurique fames, modica quam forte beato, 485
Nominis aeterni, & laudis pruritus habends, Condignse pulchrorum operum mercedis in asvum,
[ 56 ]
Hence on his Fancy juft Conception (nines, 685 True Judgment guides his hand, true Tafte refines; Hence ceafelefs toil, xievotion to his art, A docile temper, and a generous heart ; Docile, his fage Preceptor to obey, Generous, his aid with gratitude to pay, 690
Bleft with the bloom of youth, the nerves of health. And competence a better boon than wealth.
Great Bleffings thefe ! yet will not thefe empower His Tints to charm at every labouring hour : All have their brilliant moments, when alone 695 They paint as if fome ftar propitious fhone. Yet then, ev'n then, the hand but ill conveys The bolder grace that in the Fancy plays :
Judicium, docile ingenium, cor nobile, fenfus
Sublimes, firmum corpus, florenfque juventa,
Comnroda res, labor, artis arnor, do&ufque magifterj 490
Et quamcumque voles occafio porrigat aniam,
Ni genius quidam adfuerit, fydufque benignum,
Dotibus his tantis, nee adhuc ars tanta paratur.
Diftat ab Lngenio longe manus. Optima do<ftis
t 57 ]
Hence, candid Critics, this fad Truth confeft, Accept what leaft is bad, and deem it beft ; 700 Lament the foul in Error's thraldom held, Compare Life's fpan with Art's extenfive field, Know that, ere perfect Tafte matures the mind, Or perfect practice to that Tafte be join'd, Comes age, comes ficknefs, comes contracting pain, And chills the warmth of youth in every vein. Rife then, ye youths ! while yet that warmth
infpires,
While yet nor years impair, nor labour tires, While health, while ftrength are yours, while that
mild ray, Which fhone aufpicious on your natal day, 710
Cenfentur, quae prava minus ; latet omnibus error ; 495 Vitaque tarn longae brevior non fufficit arti. Delinimus nam pofle fenes, cum fcire periti Incipimus, doftamque manum gravat aegra fene&us ; Nee gelidis fervet juvenilis in artubus ardor.
Quare agite, O juvenes, placido quos fydere natos 500 Paciferae fludia alle&ant tranquilla Minervae;
H
[ 58 ]
Conducts you to Minerva's peaceful Quire, Sons of her choice, and fharers of her fire, Rife at the call of Art : expand your breaft, Capacious to receive the mighty gueft,. While, free from prejudice, your active eye Preferves its firft unfullied purity ; 716
While new to Beauty's charms, your eager foul Drinks copious draughts of the delicious whole, And Memory on her foft, yet lafting page, Stamps the frefli image which fhall charm thro'
age. 720
LXX. When duly taught each Geometric rule,
The Method J S
young Pain- Approach with awful ftep the Grecian fchool,
ter.
Quofque fuo fovet igne, fibique optavit alumnos ! Eja agite, atque animis ingentem ingentibus artem Exercete alacres, dum ftrenua corda juventus Viribus exftimulat vegetis, patienfque laborum eft ; 505 Dum vacua errorum, nulloque imbuta fapore Pura nitet mens, & rerum fitibunda novarum, Prasfentes haurit fpecies, atque humida fervat ! OrdoStodio- ^n Geometrali prius arte parumper adulti
Signa antiqua fuper Graiorum addifcite formam ; 510
rum.
[ 59 ]
The fculptur'd reliques of her fkill furvey, Mufe on by night, and imitate by day ; No reft, no paufe till, all her graces known, 725 A happy habit makes each grace your own.
As years advance, to modem mafters come, Gaze on their glories in majeftic ROME ; Admire the proud productions of their fkill Which VENICE, PARMA, and BOLOGNA fill ; 730 And, rightly led by our preceptive lore, Their ftyle, their coloring, part by part, explore. See RAPHAEL there his forms celeftial trace, Unrivall'd Sovereign of the realms of Grace.
Nee mora, nee requies, noctuque diuque labor!, Jlloruin menti atque modo, vos donee agendi Praxis ab affiduo faciles aflueverit ufu.
Mox, ubi judicium emends adoleverit annis, Singula, quae celebrant primae exemplaria clam's 515
Romani, Veneti, Parmenfes, atque Bononi, Partibus in cundtis pedetentim, atque ordine redto, Ut monitum fupra eft, vos expendifle juvabit.
Hos apud invenit Raphael miracula fummo Du&a modo, Venerefque habuit quas nemo deinceps. 520
H 2
. See ANGELO, with energy divine, 735
Seize on the fummit of correct defign. Learn how, at JULIO'S birth, the Mufes fmil'd, And in their myftic caverns nurs'd the child, How, by th' Aonian powers their fmile beftow'd, His pencil with poetic fervor glow'd ; 740
When faintly verfe Apollo's charms convey'd, He oped the fhrine, and all the God difplay'd : His triumphs more than mortal pomp adorns, With more than mortal rage his Battle burns, His Heroes, happy Heirs of fav'ring fame, 74.5 More from his art than from their aclions claim.
Quidquid erat formae fcivit Eonarota potenter.
'Julius a puero mufarum edu&us in antris, Aonias referavit opes, graphicaque poefi, Quae non vifa prius, fed tantum audita poetis, Ante oculos fpecftanda dedit facraria Phosbi; Quacque coronatis complevit bella triumphis Heroum fortuna potens, cafufque decoros, Nobilius re ipsa antiqua pinxifTe videtur.
C 61 j
Bright, beyond all the reft, CORREGGIO flings His ample Lights, and round them gently brings The mingling fliade. In all his works we view Grandeur of ftyle, and chaftity of hue. 750
Yet higher ftill great TITIAN dar'd to foar, He reach'd the loftieft heights of coloring's power ;, His friendly tints in happieft mixture flow, His fliades and lights their juft gradations know,. He knew thofe dear deluflons of the art, 75,5 That round, relieve, infpirit ev'ry part ^ Hence deem'd divine, the world his merit own'd, With riches loaded, and with honors crown'd*
Clarior ante alios Corregius extitit, ampfa Luce fuperfufa, circum coeuntibus umbris, 530
Pingendique modo grandi, & tra&ando colore Corpora. Amicitiamque, gradufque, dolofque colorum, Compagemque ita difpofuit <Tttiamisy ut inde DJVUS fit didus, magnis et honoribus au&us,.
H 3
C 62 ]
from all their charms combin'd, with happy- toil,
Did ANNIBAL compofe his wond'rous ftyle : 760 O'er the fair fraud fo clofe a veil is thrown, That every borrowed Grace becomes his own. EXXI. if then to praife like theirs your fouls afpire,
Nature and *
PeXrfeeaArt. Catch from their works a portion of their fire ;
Revolve their labors all, for all will teach, 765 Their finifti'd Picture, and their flighteft fketch. Yet more than thefe to Meditation's eyes Great Nature's felf redundantly fupplies : Her prefence, beft of Models ! is the fource Whence Genius draws augmented power and force; Her precepts, beft of Teachers ! give the powers, Whence Art, by pra&ice, to perfection foars.
Fortimaeque bonis : Qups fedulus Hannibal omnes 535
In propriam mentem, atque modum mira arte coegit. LXXI. Plurimus inde labor tabulas imitandojuvabit
Natura & Ex-
perieotia Ar- Egrcgias, operumque typos ; fed plura docebit
Natura ante oculos prasiens ; nam firmat & auget
Vim genii, ex illaque artem experientia complet. 540
Malta fuperfiko qnce commentaria dicent.
[ 63 J
THefe ufeful rules from time and chance to fave, In Latian Strains, the ftudious FRESNOY gave; On Tiber's peaceful banks the Poet lay, 775
What time the Pride of Bourbon urg'd his way, Thro' hoftile camps, and crimfon fields of (lain, To vindicate his Race and vanquiili Spain ; High on the Alps he took his warrior ftand, And thence, in ardent volley from his hand 780 His thunder darted ; (fo the Flatterer fings In Jlrams beft fiated to the Ear of Kings)
Hasc ego, dum memoror fubitura volubilis £evi Cundla vices, variifque olim peritura minis, Pauca -fophifmata fum graphica immortalibus aufus Credere pieriis, Roma3 meditatus : ad Alpes, - 545
Dum fuper infanas moles, inimicaque caftra Borbonidum decus 6c vindex Lodoicus avorum, Fulminat ardenti dextra, patrireque refurgens
f 64 ]
And like ALCIDES, with vindidive tread, Crufh'd the Hifpanian Lion's gafping head.
But mark the Proteus-policy of fiat e : 785
Now, 'while his courtly numbers I tranflate, The foes are friends, in focial league they dare On Britain to " let flip the Dogs of War" Vain efforts all, which in dif grace Jhall end, If Britain, truly to herfelf a friend, 790
Thro all her realms bids civil difcord ceafe, And heals her Empire s wounds by Arts of Peace. Roufe, then, fair Freedom ! fa/i that holy flame from whence thy Sons their dearefl blejjings claim \ Still bid them feel that fcorn of lawlefs fway, 795 Which Inter efl cannot blind, nor Power difmay : So Jhall the Throne, thou gavfl the BRUNSWICK line, Long by that race adorn d, thy dread Palladium Jhine.
THE END.
.'Gallicus Alcides premit Hifpa^i ora Leonis.
FINIS.
NOTE S
O N. T H £
ART of PAINTING.
The few Notes which the Translator has in- ferted, and which are marked M. are merely critical, and relate only to the Author's Text or his own Verfion.
NOTES
O N T H E
ART OF PAINTING.
N O T E I. VERSE r. Two Sifter Mufes, 'with alternate Jire, &c.
MDU PILES opens his annotations here, with much • learned quotation from Tertullian, Cicero,, Ovid, and Suidas, in order to fhew the affinity between the two Arts. But it may perhaps be more pertinent to fubftitute in the place of it all a iingle paffage, by Plutarch afcribed to Si- monides, and which our Author, after having quoted Horace, has literally tranflated, 'Zuygotylav «m/ $©EITOMENHN T>?X rioiwiv, TToltjaiv tPe XITOXAN TYIV ^uygafiav. There is a Latin line fomewhere to the fame purpofe, but I know not whether antient or modern.
Pbema Eft Pictura loquens, mutum Pidlura Pbema. M.
NOTE II. VERSE 33.
Such powers, fuel praifes, heavn-born pair, belong To magic colouring, and perfuajive fong. That is to fay, they belong intrinfically and of right. Mr. Wills, in the preface to his verfion of our Poet, firft detected the falfe tranflations of Du Piles and Dryden, which fay, " fo
I 2 much
(68 NOTE S,
much have thefe Divine Arts been honored;" in confequence >of which the Frenchman gives us a note of four pages, enu- merating the inftances in which Painting and its profeflbrs have been honored by kings and great men, antient and mo- dern. Frefnoy had not this in ;his idea : He fays, " tantus Ineft divis honor artibus atque poteftas," which Wills juftly and literally tranflates,
Such powers, fuch honors are in arts divine. M.
NOTE III. VERSE 51. '*27j Paintings Jirft chief bufinefs to explore, What lovelier forms in nature s boundlefs jlore, Are befl to art and antient tafte allied t For antient tajie thofe forms has befl applied.
The Poet, with great propriety, begins, by declaring what is the Jirft chief bufinefs of Theory, and pronounces it to be a knowledge of what is beautiful in nature :
That form alone, where glows peculiar grace, The genuine Painter condefcends to trace, ver. 9. There is an abfolute neceffity for the Painter to generalize his notions -y to paint particulars is not to paint nature, it is only to paint circumflances. When the Artift has conceived in his imagination the image of perfect beauty, or the abftraft idea of forms, he may be ,faid to be admitted into the great Council of .Nature, and to
" Trace Beauty's beam to its eternal fpring, " And pure to man the fire celeftial bring." ver. 19. To facilitate the acquifition of this ideal beauty, the Artift is recommended to a ftudious examination of antient Sculpture.
R.
NOTE
NOTES. 69
NOTE IV. VERSE 55.
27/7 this be learned, how all things dijagree,
How all one wretched, blind barbarity !
The mind is diftradted with the variety of accidents, for fo they ought to be called rather than forms; and the difagree- ment of thofe among themfelves will be a perpetual fource of confufion and meannefs, until, by generalizing his ideas, he has acquired the only true criterion of judgment; then with a Mafters care
Judge of his art, thro' beauty's realms he flies,
Selects, combines, improves, diverfifies. ver. 76. It is better that he mould come to diverfify on particulars from the large and broad idea of things, than vainly attempt to afcend from particulars to this great general idea ; for to generalize from the endlefs and vicious variety of aftual forms, requires a mind of wonderful capacity; it is perhaps more than any one mind can accomplish : But when the other, and, I think, better courfe is purfued, the Artifl may avail himfelf of the united powers of all his predeceiTors, He fets out with an ample inheritance, and avails himfelf of the felection of ages. R,
NOTE V. VERSE 63,
Of all 'vain Fools with Coxcomb talents curft. The fententious and Horatian line, (fays a later French Editor) which, in the original, is placed to the fcore of the Antients, to give it greater weight, is the Author's own. I fufpedt, however, that he borrowed the thought from fome antient profe writer, as we fee he borrowed from Plutarch before at the opening of his Poem. M.
I 7 NOTE
70 NOTES.
N OTE VI. VERSE 64. When Jirfl the orient beams of Beauty move. The original here is very obfcure ; when I had tranflated the paffage in the cleared manner I was able, but neceffarily with fome periphrafis, I confulted a learned friend upon it, who was pleafed to approve the verfion, and to elucidate the text in the following manner: " Cognita," (the things known) in line 45, refers to " Noife quid in natura pulchrius," (the thing to be learned) in line 38 j the main thing is to know what forms are moft beautiful, and to know what forms have been chiefly reputed fuch by the Antients. In thefe when once known, i. e. attended to and confidered, the mind of courfe takes a pleafure, and thus the conjciom foul becomes enamoured with the object, 6cc. as in the Paraphafe. M.
NOTE VII. VERSE 78. With nimble Jlep purfues the fleeting throng. And clafps each Venus as fie glides along. The power of expreffing thefe tranfitory beauties is perhaps the greatefl: effort of our art, and which cannot be attained to till the Student has acquired a facility of drawing nature cor- redly in its inanimate ftate. R.
NOTE VIII. VERSE 80. Tet fome there are ivho indifcreetly Jlrayy Where purblind praffiice only points the way. Practice is juftly called purblind, for practice, that is to- lerable in its way, is not totally blind : an imperceptible theory, which grows out of, accompanies, and directs it, is never wholly wanting to a fedulous practice; but this goes but a little way with the Painter himfelf, and is utterly inexplicable to others.
To
NOTES. 71
To become a great proficient, an Artift ought to fee clearly enough to enable him to point out to others the principle on which he works, otherwife he will be confined, and what is worfe, he will be uncertain. A degree of mechanical practice, odd as it may feem, mutt precede theory : The reafon is, that if we wait till we are partly able to comprehend the theory of art, too much of life will be pafled to permit us to acquire facility and power : fomething therefore mull be done on truft, by mere imitation of given patterns before the theory of art can be felt. Thus we fhall become acquainted with the ne- ceflities of the art, and the very great want of Theory, the fenfe of which want can alone lead us to take pains to acquire it : for what better means can we have of knowing to a certainty, and of imprinting ftrongly on our mind our own deficiencies, than unfuccefsful attempts ? This Theory will be beft under- flood by, and in, Practice. If Practice advances too far before Theory, her guide, (he is likely to lofe her way, and if {he keeps too far behind, to be difcouraged. R.
NOTE IX. VERSE 89. "Tivas not by 'words Apelles charm d mankind. As Frefnoy has condefcended to give advice of a prudential kind, let me be permitted here to recommend to Artifts to talk as little as pofllble of their own works, much lefs to praife them ; and this not fo much for the fake of avoiding the character of vanity, as for keeping clear of a real detriment; of a real productive caufe which prevents his progrefs in his art, and dulls the edge of enterprize.
He who has the habit of infinuating his own excellence to
^the little circle of his friends, with whom he comes into
contact, will grow languid in his exertions to fill a larger
fphere of reputation : He will fall into the habit of acquiefcing
in
72 NOTE S.
in the partial opinions of a few ^ he will grow reftive in his- own ; by admiring himfelf, he will come to repeat himfelf, and then there is an end of improvement. In a Painter it is particularly dangerous to be too good a fpeaker, it leflens the neceflary endeavours to make himfelf mafter of the language which properly belongs to his art,, that of his pencil. This circle of felf-applaufe and reflected admiration, is to him the world, which he vainly imagines he has engaged in his party, and that further enterprize becomes lefs neceflary.
Neither is it prudent for the fame reafon to talk much of a work before he undertakes it, which will probably thus be prevented from being ever begun. Even mewing a pidure in an unfinifhed ftate, makes the finifliing afterwards irkfomej, the artift has already had the gratification which he ought to have kept back, and made to ferve as a fpur to haften its com- pletion. R..
NOTE X. VERSE ioo< Some lofty theme Jet judgment jirjl fupply,, Supremely fraught 'witb grace and majefty. It is a matter of great judgment to know what fubjecls are or are not fit for painting. It is true that they ought to be fuch as the verfes here direct, full of grace and majeftyj but; it is not every, fuch fubj eel. that will anfwer to the Painter. The Painter's theme is generally fupplied by the Poet or Hi- ftorian : But as the Painter fpeaks to the eye, a flory in which fine feeling and curious fentiment is predominant, rather than palpable fituation, grofs interefr, and diftind: paffion, is not fo proper.
It mould be likewife a ftory generally known ; for the Pain- ter, reprefenting one point of time only, cannot inform the Spectator what preceded that event, however neceflary in order to judge of the propriety and truth of the cxpreflion and cha-
rafteir
NOTES. 73
raster of the Actor. It may be remarked that action is the prin- cipal requifite to a fubject for Hiflory- pain ting, and that there are many fubjedts which, tho' very interefting to the reader, would make no figure in reprefentation ; thefe are fuch as confift in any long feries of action, the parts of which have very much dependency each on the other ; they are fuch where any remarkable point or turn of verbal expreffion makes a part of the excellence of the ftory; or where it has its effect from allufion to circumftances not actually prefent : an inftance occurs to me of a fubject which was recommended to a Painter by a very diftinguimed perfon, but who, as it appears, was but little converfant .with the art; it was what palled between James II. and the Duke of Bedford in the Council which was held juft before the Revolution. This is a very ftriking piece of hiftory; but it is fo far from being a proper fubject, that it unluckily pofTefTes no one requifite necefTary for a pic- ture; it has a retrofpedt to other circumftances of hiftory of a very complicated nature ; it marks no general or intelligible action or paflion ; and it is necefTarily deficient in that variety of heads, forms, ages, fexes, and draperies which fometimes, by good management, fupply by picturefque effect the want of a real interefl in a hiilory. R.
NOTE XL VERSE 106. 'Then let the virgin canvas fmooth expand, To claim the Jketch and tempt the Artift's hand. I wim to underftand the laft line as recommending to the artift to paint the fketch previoufly on canvas, as was the practice of Rubens.
This method of painting the fketch, inftead of merely draw- ing it on paper, will give a facility in the management of colours, and in the handling, which the Italian Painters, not
K having
74 NOTES.
having this cuftom, wanted; by habit he will acquire equal readinefs in doing two things at a time as in-doing only one; a Painter, as I have faid on another occafion, if poflible, fhould paint all his ftudies, and coniider drawing as a fuccedaneum \vhen colours are not at hand. This was the praclice of the Venetian Painters, and of all thofe who have excelled, in colouring; Corregio ufed to fay, C'bavea i fuoi diffegni nella Ji remit a de Pennelli. The, method of Rubens was to fketch his compoii tion in colours> with all the parts more determined than {ketches generally are ; from this fketch his Scholars ad- vanced the picture as far as they were capable, after which he retouched the whole himfelf..
The Painter's operation may be divided into three parts ; the planning, which implies the fketch of the general com- pofition; the transferring that defign. on the canvas ; and the finifliing, or retouching the whole. If, for difpatch, the Artift looks out for affifbnce, it is in the middle only he can receive it; the firft and laft muft be the work of his own hand:
R,
NOTE XIL VERSE io& Then bold Invention all thy powers, diffuf?, Of all thy Sifters thou the nobleft Mufi.
The Invention of a Painter confifts not in inventing the fubjecl, but in a capacity of forming in his imagination the iubjecl in a manner befl accommodated to his art, tbo' wholly borrowed from Poets, Hiftorians, or popular tradition : For this purpofe he has full as much to do, and perhaps more, than if the very dory was invented; for he is bound to follow the ideas which he has received, and to tranflate them (if I may life the expreffion) into another art. In this tranflation the Painter's Invention lies ; he muft in a manner new-caft the whole, and model it in his own imagination : To make it a
Painter's
NOTES. 75
Painter's nourishment it mutt pafs through a Painter's mind. Having received an idea of the pathetic and grand in Intellect, he has next to coniider how to make it correfpond with what is touching and awful to the Eye, which is a bufinefs by itfelf. But here begins what in the language of Painters is called /«- mention, which includes not only the compoiition, or the put- ting the whole together, and the difpofition of every individual part, but likewife the management of the back-ground, the effecT: of light and (hadow, and the attitude of every figure or animal that is introduced or makes a part of the work.
Compoiition, which is the principal part of the Invention of a Painter, is by far the greateil difficulty he has to encounter, every man that can paint at all, can execute individual parts ; but to keep thofe parts in due fubordination as relative to a whole, requires a comprehenfive view of his art that more itrongly implies genius than, perhaps, any other quality what- ever* R.
NOTE XIII. VERSE 118. Vivid and faithful to the hiftoric page, Exprefs the cujioms, manners, forms, and age. Though the Painter borrows his fubjedt, he confiders his art as not fubfervient to any other, his bufinefs is fomething more than aflifting the Hiftorian with explanatory figures;- as foon as he takes it into his hands, he adds, retrenches, tran- fpofes, and moulds it anew, till it is made fit for his own art; he avails himfelf of the privileges allowed 'to Poets and Pain- ters, and dares every thing to accomplim his end by means correfpondent to that end, to imprefs the Spectator with the fame intereft at the fight of his reprefentation, as the Poet has contrived to do the Reader by hts defcription ; the end is the fame, though the means are and muft be different. Ideas intended to be conveyed to the mind by one fenfe, cannot
K 2 always.
76 NOTES.
always, with equal fuccefs, be conveyed by another, our author has recommended it to us elfewhere to be attentive
" On what may aid our art, and what deftroy. ver. 598. Even the Hiftorian takes great liberties with fadts, in order to intereft his readers, and make his narration more delightful ; much greater right has the Painter to do this, who (tho' his work is called Hiftory-Painting) gives in reality a poetical reprefentation of events. R.
NOTE XIV. VERSE 120.
Nor faint confpicuous on the foremoft plain
Whateer is falfe, impertinent, or vain. This precept, fo obvious to common fenfe, appears fuper- fluous, till we recoiled: that fome of the greateft Painters have been guilty of a breach of it j for, not to mention Paul Veronefe or Rubens, whofe principles, as ornamental Painters, would allow great latitude in introducing animals, or whatever they might think neceflary, to contraft or make the compofition more pidturefque, we can no longer wonder why the Poet has thought it worth fetting a guard againft it, when fuch men as Raffaelle and the Caraches, in their greateft and moft ferious works, have introduced on the foreground mean and frivolous circumftances.
Such improprieties, to do juftice to the more modern Painters, are feldom found in their works. The only excufe that can be made for thofe great Artifts, is their living in an age when it was the cuftom to mix the ludicrous with the ferious, and when Poetry as well as Painting gave into this, fafhion. R.
NOTE
NOTES. 77
NOTE XV. VERSE 124. nis rare, this ardiiQUs tajk no rules can teach. This muft be meant to refer to Invention, and not to the precepts immediately preceding, which relating only to the mechanical difpofition of the 'work, cannot be fuppofed to be out of the reach of the rules of art, or not to be acquired but by the afiiftance of fupernatural power.. R.
NOTE XVI. VERSE 127. Prometheus ravijtid from the Car of Day.
After the lines in the original of this paflage,. there comes in one of a proverbial caft, taken from Horace * : " Non uti Daedaliam licet omnibus ire Corinthum." I could not intro- duce a verfion of this with any grace into the conclufion of the fentence ; and indeed I do not think it connects well in the original. It certainly conveys no truth of importance, nor adds much to what went before it. I fuppofe, therefore, I fhall be pardoned for having taken no notice of it in my tranflation.
Mr. Ray, in his Colle&ion of Englim Proverbs, brings this of Horace as a parallel to a ridiculous Englim one, viz. Every mans nofe will not make a Jhoeing-horn. It is certain, •> were a Proverb here introduced, it ought to be of Englim growth to fuit an Englim tranflation j but this, alas ! * would not fit my purpofe, and Mr. Ray gives us no other. I hold myfelf, therefore, excufeable for leaving the line untranslated, M.
K 3; NOTE
'Horace's line runs thus, (Epiftle 17, Book I. line 36:) Non cuivis Homini contingit adire Corimhum.
73 NOTES.
NOTE XVII. VERSE 130. ''Till all compleat the gradual wonder foont, And vanqui/h'd Nature owrid herfelf outdone. In drift propriety, the Grecian Statues only excel Nature by bringing together fuch an afiemblage of beautiful parts as Nature was never known to beilow on one object : For earth-born graces fparingly impart The fymmetry fupreme of perfect art. 'ver. 68. It mufl be remembered, that the component parts of the moft perfect Statue never can excel Nature.; that we can form no idea of Beauty beyond her .works : we can only onake this rare affemblage ; and it is fo rare, that if we are to give the name of Monfler to what is uncommon, we might, in the words of the Duke of Buckingham, call it
A faultlefs Monfler which the world ne'^er faw. R.
NOTE XVIII. TERSE 144. Learn then from Greece, -ye youths, Proportions law, Inform d by her, each juft pofition draw. Du Piles has, in his note -on this pafTage, given the mea- fures of a human body, as taken by Frefnoy from the flatues of the antienta, >which are here tranfcribed.
" The Antients have commonly allowed eight heads to their Figures, though feme of them have but feven; but we ordiT nacily divide the figures into ten faces * -, that is to fay, from the crown of the head to the fole of the foot, in the following manner:
*' From the crown of the head to the forehead is the third part of a face.
" The face begins at the root of the lowed hairs which are upon the forehead, and ends at the bottom of the chin.
" The
« This depends on the age and quality of the.perfons. The Apollo and Venus of Medicis have more than ten faces.
NOTES. 79
'*• The face is divided into three proportionable parts ; the firft contains the forehead, the fecond the nofe, and the third the mouth and the chin; from the chin to the pit betwixt the collar-bones are two lengths of a nofe.
" From the pit betwixt the collar-bones to the bottom of the breaft, one face.
*' * From the bottom of the breads to the navel, one face. " "j- From the navel to the genitories, one face. "From the. genitories to. the upper part of. the knee, two faces.
"'The knee contains half a face.
"From the lower part of the knee to the ankle, two faces. " From the ankle to the fole of the foot, half a face. "A many when his arms are ftretched out, is, from the longeft finger of his right, hand to the longeil . of - his left, as broad as he is long.
" From one fide of the breafts to the other, two faces. " The bone- of the arm, called Humerus, is- the length of two faces from the {boulder to the elbow.
•' From the- end of the elbow to the root of the little finger, the bone called .Cubitus, with part of the hand, contains two faces.,
" From the box of the moulder- blade to the pit betwixt the collar-bones, one face.
«' If you would be fatisfied in the meafures of breadth, from the extremity of one finger to the other, fo that this breadth mould be equal to the length of the body, you muffc obferve, that the boxes of the elbows with the humerus^ and
of
* The Apollo has a nofe more.
f, The Apollo has half a nofe more; and the upper half of ihe Venus de Media's - is to the lower part of the belly, and not to the privy:parta.
80 NOTES.
of the humerus with the moulder-blade, bear the proportion ©f half a face when the arms are ftretched out.
" The fole of the foot is the fixth part of the figure. t{ The hand is the length of a face. " The thumb contains a nofe.
" The infide of the arm, from the place where the mufcle difappears, which makes the breaft, (called the Pectoral Mufcle) to the middle of the arm,, four nofes.
" From the middle of the arm to the beginning of the head, five nofes.
" The longe/l toe is a nofe long.
" The two utmoft parts of the teats, and the pit betwixt the collar-bones of a woman, make an equilateral triangle.
" For the breadth of the limbs, no precife meafures can be given, becaufe the meafures themfelves are changeable, ac- cording to the quality of the perfons, and according to the movement of the mufcles." Du Piles.
The meafures of the antient flatues, by Audran, appear to be the mofl ufeful, as they are accompanied with the outline of thofe figures, which are mofl diftinguifhed for correftnefs.
R.
NOTE XIX. VERSE 150. But chief from her that flowing outline take. The French Editor *, who republimed this Poem in the year I753» (eighty-five years later than the firft edition of Du Piles) remarks here, that Noel Coypel, .(called.. Coypel le Pouffin) in a difcourfe which he publimed and addrefled to the French Academy fays, " That all which our Author Jias delivered concerning outlines (Contours} in this pailage, does not ap- pear to him to convey any precife or certain rules. He adds
that
• He calls himfdf, in the Paris Edition, intitled, " L'Ecole d'Uranie," LeSieur M. D. Q^ The Abbe De Marfy's Poem, intitled, Pulura> is annexed to Du Frefnoy's, in -that edition.
NOTES. 81
that it is indeed almoft a thing impoffible to give them, parti- cularly in what regards grace and elegance of outline. Ana- tomy and Proportion, according to him, may enable a perfon to defign with correctnefs, but cannot give that noble part of the art, which ought to be attributed to the mind or un- derftanding, according to which it is more or lefs delicate." I think Frefnoy has hinted the very fame thing more than once; and, perhaps, like Coypel, lays too great a ftrefs.on the mental faculty, which we call Strength of Genius ; but the confideration of this does not come within the province which I have allotted myfelf in thefe critical notes. M.
NOTE XX. VERSE 162. Xet deem noty Tenths, that Perfpeffiive can give nofe charms complete, 6y which your works flail live. The tranflator has foftened, if not changed, the text, which boldly pronounces that Perfpedive cannot be depended on as a certain rule. Frefnoy was not aware that he was arguing from the abufe of the Art of Perfpective, the bufmefs of which is to reprefent objefts as they appear to the eye, or as they are delineated on a tranfparent plane placed between the fpectator and the object. The rules of Perfpective, as well as all other rules, may be injudiciouily applied; and it muffc be acknowledged that a mifapplication of them is but too frequently found even in the works of the moft coniiderable artifts : It is not uncommon to fee a figure on the fore- ground reprefented near twice the fize of another which is fuppofed to be removed but a few feet behind it ; this, tho' true according to rule, will appear monftrous. This error proceeds from, placing the point of diftance too near the point of ii^ht, by which means the diminution of objects is fo iudden, as to appear unnatural, unlefs you ftand fo near the
L picture
82 NOTES,
picture as the point of diftance requires, which would be too near for the eye to comprehend the whole picture ; whereas, if the point of diflance is removed fo far as the fpectator may be fuppofed to ftand in order to fee commodioufly, and take within his view the whole, the figures behind would then fuffer under no fuch violent diminution. Du Piles, in his note on this paf&ge, endeavours to confirm Frefnoy in his prejudice, by giving an inftance which proves, as he imagines, the uncertainty of the art. He fuppofes it employed to de- lineate the Trajan Pillar, the figures on which, being, as he fays, larger at the top than the bottom, would counteract the effects of perfpective. The folly of this needs no comment. I fhall only obferve, by the by, that the fact is not true, the figures on that pillar being all of the fame di mentions. R.,
NOTE XXI. VERSE 162. Yet deem nott Youths, that Perfpeffiive can give Tbofe charms complete, by which your works jhall live. I plead guilty to the charge in the preceding note. I have tranilated the paffage, as if the text had been ad Comple- mentum Graphidos, inftead of auf, and confequently might have been thus conftrued : " Perfpective cannot be faid to be " a fure rule or guide to the complete knowledge of Paint- " ing, but only an afnftance, 6tc." This J did to make the pofition more confonant to truth, and I am pleafed to find that it agrees much better with Sir Joihua's Annotations than the original would have done. Du Piles, in the former part of his note, (which I know not for what reafon Mr. Dryden omitted) fays thus : " It is not in order to reject Perfpective, " that the Author fpeaks thus ; for he advifes it elfewhere in "his Poem*, as a ftudy abfolutely neceflary. Neverthelefs,
" I
• I fuppofe he alludes "to the jo9th line.
In Georaetrali prius arte parumper adulti.
NOTES. 83
'* I own this paffage is not quite clear, yet it was not my
"fault that the Author did not make it more intelligible;
" but he was fo much offended with ;fome perfons who knew
" nothing of Painting in general, fave only the part of Per-
" fpedtive, in which they made the whole art of it to confifr,
" that he would never be perfuaded to recal the expreflion,
" though I fully convinced him, that every thing thefe people
•" faid was not of the leaft confequence." Du Piles feems to
tell this tale (fo little to the credit of his friend's judgment)
merely to make hirnfelf of confequence; for my own part, I
can hardly be perfuaded that a perfon who has tranflated a
work fo inaccurately as Du Piles has done this, " did it under
" the Author's own eye, and corrected it till the verfion was
*' intirely to his own mind," which, in his preface, he atferts
ivas the cafe. M.
NOTE XXII. VERSE 174. Yet to each fep'rate form adapt with care. Such limbs, fuch robes, fuch attitude and air,
As beft befit the head
As it is neceflary, for the fake of variety, that figures not only of different ages, but of different forms and characters be introduced in a work where many figures are required, care mufr. be taken that thofe different characters have a certain confonance of parts amongft themfelves, fuch as is generally found in nature; a fat face, for inftance, is ufually accompa- nied with a proportional degree of corpulency of body ; an aquiline nofe for the moil part belongs to a thin countenance, with a body and limbs correfponding to it; but thofe are obfervations which muft occuf to every body.
Yet there are others that are not fo obvious, and thofe who have turned their thoughts this way, may form a probable
L 2 conjecture
84 .NOTES.
conjecture concerning the form of the reft of the figure from a part, from the ringers, or from a fingle feature of the face ; for inftance, thofe who are born crook-backed have commonly a peculiar form of lips and expremon in their mouth that ilrongly denotes that deformity. EL
NOTE XXIII. VERSE 178. Learn aftion from the dumb, the dumb flail teach How happieft to fupply the want of fpeecb.
Gefture is a language we are born with, and is the mofc natural way of exprefling ourfelves : Painting may be faid therefore in this refpeft to have the fuperiority over Poetry.
Yet Frefnoy certainly means here perfons either born dumb, or who are become fo from accident or violence. And the tranflator has, therefore, rendered his meaning juftly; but perfons who are born dumb are commonly deaf alfo, and their geftures are ufually extravagant and forced; and of the latter kind examples are too rare to furnifli the Painter with fuffi- cient obfervation. I would wilh to underftand the rule, as dictating to him, to obferve how perfons, with naturally good expreflive features, are affected in their looks and actions by any fight or fentiment which they fee or hear, and to copy the geftures which they then filently make ufe of; but he £hould ever take thefe leiTons from nature only, and not imitate her at fecond-hand-, as many French Painters do, who appear to take their ideas, not only of grace and dignity, but of emotion and pamon, from their theatrical heroes, which is imitating an imitation, and often, a faljfe or exaggerated imitation.. R,
NOTE
NOTES, 85
NOTE XXIV. VERSE 180. Fair in the front, in all the blaze of tight % The Hero of thy piece Jhould meet the fight.
There can be no doubt that this figure fhould be laboured^ in proportion as it claims the attention of the fpectator, but there is no neceflity that it fhould be placed in the middle of the picture, or receive the principal light; this conduct, if always obferved, would reduce the art of .Competition to too great a uniformity.
It is fufficient, if the place he holds, or the attention "of the other figures to him, denote him the hero of the piece.
The principal figure may be too principal. The harmony of compofition requires that the inferiour characters bear fome proportion, according to their feveral ftations, to the hero of the work-.
This rule, as enforced by Frefnoy, may be faid more pro- perly to belong to the art in its infant ftate, or the firft pre- cept given to young ftudents ; but the more advanced know that fuch an apparent artificial difpofition would be in reality for that reafon inartificial. R..
NOTE XXV. VERSE 193. In evry Jigurd group the judging eye Demands the charms of contrariety.
The rule of contrafting figures, or groups, is not only imi- verfally known and adopted, but it is frequently carried to fuch excefs* that our Author might, perhaps, with more propriety have fixed his caution on the other fide, and recom- mended to the artifr,. nqt to deftroy the grandeur and fimpli- oity of his defign by violent and affected contrafts.
The artlefs uniformity of the compofitions of the old Gothic Painters is far preferable to this falfe refinement, this often-
L 3 tatious
£6 NOTES.
tatious difplay of academic art. A greater degree of contraft and .variety may be allowed in the picturefque or ornamental flile; but we-mufl not -forget they are the natural enemies of Simplicity, and confequently of the grand ftile, and deftroy -that .folemn majefty, that f oft .repofe, -which Js -produced in a great meafure by regularity and uniformity.
An inftance occurs to me where thofe two qualities are Ie- parately exhibited by two great Painters, Rubens and Titian; the picture jof Rubens is in the Church of St. Auguftine at Antwerp; the fubject (if that may be called a fubject where no ftory is reprefented) is the .Virgin and infant. Chri ft, placed -high in the picture on a pedeftal, with many faints about them, and as many below them, with others on the fteps, to ferve as a Jink to unite the upper and lower part of the picture.
The compofition of this picture is perfect in its kind; the Artift has fhewn the greateft fkill in difpofmg and contrafting more than .twenty figures without confufion and without .crouding; the whole appearing as much animated and in .motion as it is pofllbles where nothing is to be done.
The picture of Titian, which we would oj)pofe to this, is in the Church of : the St. 'Frare at Venice. The peculiar character of this piece .is Grandeur and Simplicity, which proceed in a great meafure from the regularity of the com- pofition, two of the principal figures being reprefented kneel- ing, directly oppofite to each other, and nearly in the fame attitude, this is what few Painters would have had ;the cou- rage to venture; Rubens would certainly have .rejected fo unpidturefque a mode ..of compofition, had it. occurred to him.
Both thofe pictures are equally excellent in their kind, and may be faid to characterife their refpective authors. There is a buflle and animation in the work of Rubens; a quiet, folemn majefty in that of Titian. The excellence of .Rubens is the
pidturefque
NOTES. 87
pidturefque effects which he produces. The fuperior merit of Titian is in the appearance of being above feeking after any fuch artificial excellence. R,
NO TE-XXVI. VERSE 218, ive fiill fhould loft
That- folcmn majejly, that foft repofe, .
Dear ts the curious eye, and only found.
Where few fair objects Jill an ample ground. It has been faid to be . Hannibal CaracciY opinion, that a perfect compofition ought not to confift of more than twelve figures, which he thought enough to people three groups, and that more would deflroy that majefty and repofe fo necef- fury to the grand, ftile of . Painting. R..
NOTE XXVII. VERSE 22 j.
judgment will fo the f eve rat groups unite, That one compared whole Jhall meet the fight.
Nothing, fo much breaks in upon, and deftroys this com- padtnefs, as that mode of compofition which cuts in the middle the figures on the -foreground, tho* it was frequently the practice of the greateft Painters, even of the beft age : Michael An gelo has it in the Crucifixion of St. Peter; Raf- faelle in the Cartoon of the Preaching of St. Paul ; and Par- megiano often mewed only the head and moulders above the bafe of the picture : However, the more modern Painters, notwithftanding fuch authorities, cannot.be accufed of having, fallen into this error*
But, fuppofe we carry the reformation ftill farther, and. not fufFer the fides of the picture to cut off any part of the. figures, the compofition would certainly be more round and. compact within itfelf : All fubjeds, it is true, will not admit
o£
88 NOTES.
of this ; however we may fafjely recommend it, unlefs the circumftances are very particular, and fuch as are certain to .procure fome ilriking effect by the breach of fo juft a rule.
R.
NOTE XXVIII. VERSE 243. Nor yet to Nature fuch Jlritf homage pay, As not to quit 'when Genius leads the way; tNor yet, though Genius all his fuccour fends, Her mimic powrs though ready Memory lends, Prefume from Nature wholly to depart ; For Nature is the Arbitrefs of Art.
Nothing in the art requires more attention and judgment, or more of that power of discrimination, which may not im- properly be called Genius, than the 'fleering between general ideas and individuality ; for tho' the body of the work muft certainly be compofed by the iirft, in order to communicate a character of grandeur to the whole ; yet a dam of the latter is fometimes neceffary to give an intereft. An individual model, copied with fcrupulous exactnefs, makes a mean ftile like the Dutch; and the neglect of an actual model, and the method of proceeding folely from idea, has a tendency to make the Painter degenerate into a mannerift.
It is neceffary to keep the mind in repair to replace and fefrefhen thofe impremons of nature which are continually wearing away.
A circumftance mentioned in the life of Guido, is well worth the attention of Artifts : He was afked from whence he borrowed his idea of beauty, which is acknowledged fuperior to that of any other Painter; he faid he would Ihew all the models he ufed, and ordered a common Porter to fit before him, from whom he drew a beautiful countenance ; this was intended by Guido as an exaggeration of his condud:; but his
intention
NOTES. 89
intention was to mew that he thought it necefTary to have fome model of nature before you, however you deviate from it, and correct it from the idea which you have formed in your mind of perfect beauty.
In Painting it is far better to have a model even to depart from, than to have nothing fixed and certain to determine the idea : There is fomething then to proceed on, fomething to be corrected -, fo that even fuppofmg no part is taken, the model has ftill been not without ufe.
Such habits of intercourfe with nature, will at leafl create that variety which will prevent any one's prognofticating what manner of work is to be produced, on knowing the fubject, which is the moft difagreeable character an Artiit can have.
R.
NOTE XXIX. VERSE 265. Peculiar toil on fingle forms bejlowy There let expreffion lend its jini/h'd glow.
When the picture confifts of a fingle figure only, that figure mutt be contrafled in its limbs and drapery with great variety of lines : It is to be as much as poflible a compofition of itfelf. It may be remarked, that fuch a complete figure will never unite or make a part of a group ; as on the other hand, no figure of a well-conducted group will ftand by itfelf. A compofition, where every figure is fuch as I fuppofe a fingle figure ought to be, and thofe likewife contrafted to each other, which is not uncommon in the works of young artifts, produces fuch an aflemblage of artifice and affectation as is in the higheft degree unnatural and difguftful.
There is another circumftance which, tho' not improper in fingle figures, ought never to be practifed in hiflprical pictures, that of making any figure looking out of the picture, that is, looking at the perfon who looks at the picture. This
M conduct
9o NOTES.
conduct in hiftory gives an appearance to that figure, of having no connection with the reft, and ought, therefore, never to be practifed except in ludicrous fubjects.
It is not certain that the variety recommended in a fingle. figure, can with equal fuccefs be extended to colouring ; the difficulty will be in diffufmg the colours of the drapery of this fingle figure to other diftant parts of the picture, for this is what harmony requires ; this difficulty, however, feems ta> be evaded in the works of Titian, Vandyck, and many others, by dreffing their fingle figures in black or white.
Vandyck, in the famous portrait of Cardinal Bentivoglio, was confined in his drefs to crimfon velvet and white linen ; he has, therefore, made the curtain in the back-ground of the fame crimfon colour, and the white is diffufed by a letter which lies on the table, and a bunch of flowers is likewife introduced for the fame purpofe..
R.
NOTE XXX. VERSE 275. Not on the form in ft iff adhefion laid, But well relievd by gentle light and foade. The difpofing the drapery fo, as to appear to cling clofe round the limbs, is a kind of pedantry which young Painters are very apt to fall into, as it carries with it a relifh of the learning acquired from th« antient flatties ; but they fhould recollect that there is not the fame neceffity for this practice in painting as in fculpture. R
NOTE XXXI. VERSE 297. But fparingly thy earth-born jlores unfold, Nor load with gems, nor lace •with tawdry gold. Finery of all kinds deftroys grandeur, which in a great meafure proceeds from fimplicity ; it may, however, without
impropriety
NOTES. 9I
impropriety he introduced into the ornamental fHle, fuch as that .of Rubens and Paul Veronefe. R.
NOTE XXXII. VERSE 308. That majefty* that grace Jo rarely given To mortal mant not taught by art but heaven. It is undoubtedly true, and perfectly obvious, that every part of the art has a grace belonging to it, which, to fatisfy and captivate the mind, muft be fuperadded to corrednefs. This excellence, however exprefled, whether by Genius, Tafle, or the gift of Heaven, I am confident may be acquired ; or the Artift may certainly be put into that train by which it {hall be acquired, though he mufl, in a great meafure, teach liimfelf by a continual contemplation of the works of thofe Painters, who are acknowleged to excel in grace and majefty, which will teach him to look for it in nature, and induftry will give him the power of exprefling it on canvas* R.
NOTE XXXIII. VERSE 315. The laft, the mbleft tafk remains untold* Paffion to paint and Sentiment unfold.
This is truly the nobleft tafk, and is the finifhing of the fabric of art -, to attempt this fummit of excellence, without having firfl laid that foundation of habitual corrednefs, may truly be faid to build caftles in the air.
Every part which goes to the compofition of a pidure, even inanimate objeds, are capable to a certain degree of conveying fentiment, and contribute their {hare to the general purpofe of ftriking the imagination of the fpedator. The difpofition of light, or the folding of drapery, will give fometimes a general air of grandeur to the whole work. R.
M 2 NOTE
92 NOTES.
NOTE XXXIV. VERSE 325. By tedious toil no paffions are expreft, His band 'who feels them Jlrongefl paints them beft. A Painter, whatever he may feel, will not be able to ex- prefs it on canvas, without having recourfe to a recollection of thofe principles by which that pafHon is expreffed; the mind thus occupied, is not likely at the fame time to be poiTeffed with the paffion which he is reprefenting, an image may be ludicrous, and in its firft conception make the Painter laugh as well as the Spectator •> but the difficulty of his art makes the Painter, in the courfe of his work, equally grave and ferious, whether he is employed on the moft ludicrous,, or the moft folemn fubjecls.
However, we may, without great violence, fuppofe this rule to mean no more, than that a fenfibility is required in the Artift, fo that he mould be capable of conceiving the pafTion properly before he fets about reprefenting it on canvas. R.
NOTE XXXV. VERSE 325. By tedious toil no Paffions are expreji, His hand who feels them Jlrongeft paints them beft. " The two verfes of the text, notwithftanding the air of antiquity which they appear to have, feem moft probably to be the Author's own," (fays the late French Editor) ; but I fup- pofe, as I did on a fimihr adage before, that the thought is taken from antiquity. With refpedt to my tranflation, I beg leave to intimate, that by feeling the paffions ftrongeft, I do not mean that a paflionate man will make the beft painter of the paffions, but he who has the cleareft conception of them, that is, who feels their effecl on the countenance of other men, as in great aftors on the ftage, and in perfons in real life ftrongly agitated by them : perhaps my tranflation would have
been
NOTES. 93
been clearer and more confonant with the above judicious ex- plication of Sir Joftiua Reynolds, if it had run thus, He who conceives them flrongeft paints them bed.
M.
NOTE XXXVI. VERSE 348. Full late awoke the ceafelefs tear to Jhed For perffid art.
The later French Editor, who has modernized the ftyle of Du Piles tranflation, fays here, that " he has taken the liberty tofoftenthis pafiage, and has \xvnS&\&&Nil fupereft, by prefqut rieny inftead of Du Piles verfion-, // ne nous a rien refte de leur Peinture, being authorized to make this change by the late difcoveries of antient painting at Herculaneum $'* but I fcarce think that, by thefe difcoveries, we have retrieved any thing of antient colouring* which is the matter here in cpeftion, therefore I have given my tranflation that turn. M.
NOTE XXXVII. VERSE 350. For thofe celejlial hues
Which Zeuxis, aided by the Attic Mufe, Gave to the wondering eyt
From the various antient Paintings, which have come down to us, we may form a judgment with tolerable accuracy of the excellencies and the defects of the art amongft the antients.
There can be no doubt, but that the fame correctnefs of defign was required from the Painter as from the Sculptor ^ and if the fame good fortune had happened to us in regard to their Paintings, to poffefs what the Antients themfelves efteemed their mailer-pieces, which is the cafe in Sculpture, I have no doubt but we fliould find their figures as correctly drawn astheLaocoon, andprobably coloured likeTitian. What difpofes me to think higher of their colouring than any re-
M 3 mains
94 NOTE S.
'mains of antient Painting will warrant, is the account which Pliny gives of the mode of operation ufed by Apelles, that -over his rimmed picture he fpread a tranfparent liquid like ink, of which the effect was to give brilliancy, and at the fame time to lower the too great glare of the colour: Quod abfoluta operaa tramento illinebat it a tenui, ut id ipfum repercuffu claritates
colorum excitaret. Ef turn ration* magna ne colorum daritas
oculorum aciem off indent. This pafTage, tho' it may poffibly perplex the critics, is a true and an artift-like defcription of the effect of Glazing or Scumbling, fuch as was practifed by Titian and the reft of the Venetian Painters ; this cuftom, or mode of operation, implies at leaft a true tafte of what the excellence of colouring confifts, which does not proceed from fine colours, but true.colours; from breaking down thefe fine colours which would Appear .too. raw, to a deep-toned bright- nefs. ^Perhaps .the manner in which Corregio practifed the art of Glazing was flill more like that of Apelles, which was -only perceptible to thofe who looked clofe to the picture, ad manum intuenti .demum appareret^ whereas in Titian, and ftill -more in Baflan and others his -imitators, it was apparent on the flighteft infpedion : Artifls who may not approve of Gla- zing, muft ftill acknowledge, that this practice is not that of ignorance.
Another. circumftance, that tends to prejudice me in favour .of their colouring, is the account we have of fome of their principal painters ufmg but four colours only. I am convinced the fewer the colours the cleaner will be the efFect of thofe colours, and that four is fufficient to make every combination required. Two colours mixed together will not preferve the brightnefs of either of them fmgle, nor will three be as. bright as two : of this obfervation, fimple as it is, an Artift, who jvifhes to colour bright, will know the value.
la
NOTES. 95
In regard to their power of giving peculiar expreffion, no correct judgment can be formed; but we cannot well fuppofe that men, who were capable of giving that general grandeur of character which fo eminently diflinguifhes their works in Sculpture, were incapable of expreffing peculiar pafficns.!
As to the enthufiaftic commendations beftowed on them by their contemporaries, I confider them as of no weight. The beft words are always 'employed to praife the belt works : Ad- miration often proceeds from ignorance of higher excellence. What they appear to have moft failed in is compofition, both in regard to the grouping of their figures, and the art of dif- pofing the light and fliadow in mafles. It is apparent that this, which makes fo confiderable. a part of modern art, was to them totally unknown.
If the great Painters had pofTefled this excellence, fome portion of it would have infallibly been diffufed, and have been difcovetable in the works of the inferior rank of Artifts, fuch as thofe whofe works have come dow-n to us, and' which may be confidered as on the fame rank with the Paintings that ornament our public gardens : fuppofrng our modern pictures of this rank only were preferved for the inspection of Connoifleurs two thoufand years hence, the general principles of com- pofition would be ftill discoverable in thoie pictures; however feebly executed, there would be feen an attempt to an union of the figure with its ground, fome idea of difpofing both the figures and the lights in groups. Now as nothing of this appears in what we have of antient Painting, we may conclude, that this part of the art was totally neglected, or more pro^ bably Unknown.
They might, however, , have produced tingle figures which- approached perfection both in drawing and colouring; they might excel in a Solo, (in the language of Muficians) though
they
96 NOTES.
they were probably incapable of compofing a full piece for a concert of different inftruments. R«
NOTE XXXVIII. VERSE 419. Permit not two confpicuGus lights to fiine With rival radiance in the fame defign.
The fame right judgment which profcribes two equal lights, forbids any two objects to be introduced of equal magnitude or force, fo as to appear to be competitors for the attention of the fpectator. This is common; but I do not think it quite fo common, to extend the rule fo far as it ought to be extended : even in colours, whether of the warm or cold kind, there mould be one of each which mould be apparently principal and pre- dominate over the reft. It muft be obferved, even in drapery, that two folds of the fame drapery be not of equal magnitude.
R,
NOTE XXXIX. VERSE 421. But yield to one alone the power to blaze > And fpread tti extenfive vigor of its rays. Rem brant frequently practifed this rule to a degree of af- fectation, by allowing but one mafs of light; but the Vene- tian Painters, and Rubens, who extracted his principles from their works, admitted many fubordinate lights.
The fame rules, which have been given in regard to the regulation of groups of figures, muft be obferved in regard to the grouping of lights, that there (hall be a fuperiority of one over the reft, that they mall be feparated, and varied in their fhapes, and that there mould be at leaft three lights; the fecondary lights ought, for the fake of harmony and union, to be of nearly equal brightnefs, though not of equal magni- tude with the principal.
The
NOTES. 97
The Dutch Painters particularly excelled in the management of light and made, and have (hewn, in this department, that confummate (kill which entirely conceals the appearance of art.
Jan Steen, Teniers, Oftade, Du Sart, and many others of that fchool, may be produced as inftances, and recommended to the young artift's careful ftudy and attention.
The means by which the Painter works, and on which the effect of his picture depends, are light .and (hade, warm and cold colours : That there is an art in the management and difpofition of thofe means will be eafily granted, and it is equally certain, that this art is to be acquired by a careful examination of the works of thofe who have excelled in it.
I mall here fet down the refult of the obfervations which I have made on the works of thofe Artifts who appear to have beft underftood the management of light and (hade, and who may be confidered as examples for imitation in this branch of the art.
Titian, Paul Veronefe, and Tintoret, were among the firft Painters who reduced to a fyftem what was before practifed without any fixed principle, and confequently neglected occa- fionally. From the Venetian Painters Rubens extracted his fcheme of compofition, which was foon underflood and adopt- ed by his countrymen, and extended even to the minor Painters of familiar life in the Dutch School.
When I was at Venice the method I took to avail myfelf of their principles was this : When I obferved an extraordinary effect of light and made in any picture, I took a leaf of my pocket-book, and darkened every part of it in the fame grada- tion of light and (hade as the picture, leaving the white paper untouched to reprefent the light, and this without any atten- tion to the fubject or to the drawing of the figures. A few
N trials
98 NOTES.
trials of this kind will be fufficient to give the method of their conduct in the management of their lights. After a few trials I found the paper blotted nearly alike; their general practice appeared to be, to allow not above a quarter of the picture for the light, including in this portion both the principal and fecondary lights; another quarter to be as dark as poffiblej and- the remaining half kept in mezzotint or half fhadow.
Rubens appears to have admitted rather more light than a quarter, and Rembrant much lefs, fcarce an eighth ; by this- conduct Rembrant's light is extremely brilliant, but it cofts too much ; the reft of the picture is facrificed to this one object. That light will certainly appear the brighteft which is fur- rounded with the greateft quantity of made, fuppofing equal- fkill in the artift.
By this means you may likewife remark the various forms and fliapes of thofe lights, as well as the objects on which they are flung, whether an a figure, or the flcy, on a white napkin, on animals, or utenfils, often introduced for this pur- pofe only: It may be obferved likewife what portion is ftrongly relieved, and how much is united with its ground, for it is neceflary that fome part (tho' a fmall one is fufficient) mould be marp and cutting againft its ground, whether it be light on a dark, or dark on a light ground, in order to give firm- nefs and diftinctnefs to the work ; if on the other hand it is relieved on every fide, it will appear as if inlaid on its ground. Such a blotted paper, held at a diftance from the eye, will ftrike the Spectator as fomething excellent for the difpofition of light and fhadow, though he does not diftinguifti whether it is a Hiftory, a Portrait, a Landfcape, dead Game, or any thing elfe, for the fame principles extend to every branch of the art.
Whether
NOTES. 99
Whether I have given an exac"}: account, or made a juft divifion of the quantity of light admitted into the works of thofe Painters, is of no very great confequence; let every perfon examine and judge for himfelf; it will be fufficient if I have fuggefted the method of examining pictures this way, and one means at leaft of acquiring the principles on which they wrought. R.
NOTE XL. VERSE 441. 'Then only juftly fpread, when to the Jight A breadth of fhade purfues a breadth of light. The higheft fmifhing is labour in vain, unlefs at the fame time there be preferved a breadth of light and madow ; it is a quality, therefore, that is more frequently recommended to fludents, and infilled upon than any other whatever; and, per- haps, for this reafon, becaufe it is moft apt to be neglected, the attention of the Artift being fo often entirely abforbed in the detail.
To illuftrate this, we may have recourfe to Titian's bunch of grapes, which we will fuppofe placed fo as to receive a broad light and madow. Here though each individual grape on the light fide has its light and fhadow and reflexion, yet altogether they make but one broad mafs of light; the flighteft Iketch, therefore, where this breadth is preferved, will have a better effect, will have more the appearance of coming from a mafter-hand ; that is, in other words, will have more the characteristic and generale of nature than the mofl laborious finishing, where this breadth is loil or neglefted. R.
NOTE XLL VERSE 469. Which mildly mixing, evry facial dye "Unites the whole in hvelieft harmony.
The fame method may be ufed to acquire that harmonious
N 2 effecT:
ioo NOTES.
effect of colours as was recommended for the acquifition of light and fhade, by adding colours to the darkened paper; but as thofe are not always at hand, it may be fufficient, if the picture, which you think worthy of imitating, be con- fidered in this light, to afcertain the quantity of warm and the quantity of cold colours.
The predominant colours of the pidure ought to be of a warm mellow kind, red or yellow, and no more cold colour fhould be introduced but what will be jufl enough to ferve as a ground or foil to fet off and give value to the mellow Colours, and never itfelf be principal; for this purpofe a quarter of the picture will be fufficient ; thofe cold colours, whether blue, grey, or green, are to be difperfed about the ground or furrounding parts of the picture, wherever it has the appearance of wanting fuch a foil, but fparingly employed in the mafles of light.
I am confident an habitual examination of the works of thofe Painters, who have excelled in harmony, will, by de- grees, give a correctnefs of eye that will revolt at difcordant colours as a mufician's ear revolts at difcordant founds.
R.
NOTE XLII. VERSE 517. By mellowing Jkill thy ground at difiance caft Free as the air, and tranjient as its blaft. By a ftory told of Rubens, we have his authority for afTert- ing that to the effect of the picture, the back-ground is of the greateft confequence.
Rubens, on his being defired to take under his instruction a young painter, the perfon who recommended him, in order to induce Rubens the more readily to take him, faid, that he was already fomewhat advanced in the art, and that he would be of immediate affiftance in his back-grounds. Rubens
fmiled
NOTES. ioi
fmiled at his Simplicity, and told him, that if the youth was capable of painting his back-grounds he flood in no need of his inftruclions ; that the regulation and management of them required the moft comprehenfive knowledge of the art. This Painters know to be no exaggerated account of a back-ground, when we confider how much the efFecl of the picture depends upon it.
It muft be in union with the figure, fo that it mall not have the appearance, as if it was inlaid like Holbein's portraits, which are often on a bright green or blue ground : To pre- vent this efFecl, the ground muft partake of the colour of the figure ; or, as exprefled in a fubfequent line, receive all the treafures of the palette; the back-ground regulates likewife where and in what part the figure is to be relieved. When the form is beautiful, it is to be feen diftinclly, when, on the contrary, it is uncouth or too angular, it may be loft in the ground : Sometimes a light is introduced in order to join and extend the light on the figure, and the dark fide of the figure is loft in a ftill darker back-ground ; for the fewer the outlines are which cut-againft the ground the richer will be the efFecl, as the contrary produces what is called the dry manner.
One of the arts of fupplying the defect of a fcantinefs of drefs by means of the back-ground, may be obferved in a whole-length portrait by Vandyke, which is in the cabinet of the Duke of Montagu ; the drefs of this figure would have an ungraceful efFecl; he has, therefore, by means of a light back- ground, oppofed to the light of the figure, and by the help of a curtain that catches the light near the figure, made the efFed of the whole together full and rich to the eye. R.
N 3 NOTE
a-02 NOTES.
NOTE XLIII. VERSE 523. ^he hand that colours well mujl colour bright, Hope not that praife to gain by Jickly whits.
All the modes of harmony, or of producing that effect of ^colours which is required in a picture, may be reduced to three, two of which belong to the grand fttle and the other to. the ornamental.
The firft may be called the Roman manner where the colours are of a full and ftrong body, fuch as are found in the Transfiguration; the next is that harmony which is produced by what the Antients called the corruption of the colours, by mixing and breaking them till there is a general union in the whole, without any thing that (hall bring to your remem- brance the Painter's pallette, or the original colours ; this may be called the Bolognian ftile, and it is this hue and effect of colours which Ludovico Carracci feems to have endeavoured to produce, though he did not carry it to that perfection which we have feen fince his time in the fmall works of the Dutch fchool, particularly Jan ^teen, where art is completely con- cealed, and the Painter, 'like a great Orator, -never draws the attention from the fubject on himfelf.
The laft manner belongs properly to the ornamental ilile, which we call the Venetian, where it was firft practifed, but is perhaps better learned from Rubens; here the brightest colours poflibie are admitted, with the two extremes of warm and cold, apd-thqfe reconciled by being difperfed over the picture, till the whole appears like a bunch of flowers.
As I have given inftances from the Dutch fchool, where the art of breaking colour may be learned, we may recom- mend here an attention to the works of Watteau for excel- lence in this florid flile of painting.
To
NOTES. 103
To all thefe different manners, there are fome general rules that muft never be neglected; firft, that, the fame colour, which makes the largeft mafs, be diffufed and appear to re- vive in different parts of the picture, for a (ingle colour will make a fpot or blot : Even the difperfed flefh colour, which the faces and hands make, require their principal mafs, which is beft produced by a naked figure ; but where the fubject will not allow of this, a drapery approaching to flem-colour will snfwer the purpofe; as in the Transfiguration, where a wo- man is clothed in drapery of this colour, which makes a prin- cipal to all the heads and hands of the picture; and, for the. fake of harmony, the colours, however diftinguiflied in their light, mould be nearly the fame in their madows, . of a
" fimple unity of made,
" As all were from one fingle pallette fpread." And to give the utmoft force, flrength, and folidity to your work, fome part of the picture mould be as light and fome; as dark as poffibie ; thefe two extremes are then to be harmo- nifed and reconciled to each othen
Inftances, where both of them are ufed, may be obferved- in two pictures of Rubens, which are equally eminent for the force and brilliancy of their effect ; one is in the cabinet of. the Duke of Rutland, and the other in the chapel of Rubens at Antwerp, which ferves as his monument. In both thefe pictures he has introduced a female figure drefled in black fatin, . the madows of which are as dark as pure black, oppofed to the; contrary extreme of brightnefs, can make them.
If to thefe different manners we add one more, -that in. which a filver-grey or pearly tint is predominant, I believe every kind of harmony that can be produced by colours will be comprehended. One of the greateft examples in this mode is the famous marriage at Cana, in St. George's Church at
Venice.,
104 NOTE
Venice, where the fky, which makes a very confiderahle part of the picture, is of the lighted blue colour, and the clouds perfeftly white, the reft of the pidure is in the fame key, wrought from this high pitch. We fee likewife many pic- tures of Guido in this tint; and indeed thofe that are fo, are in his bed manner. Female figures, angels and children, were thefubjects in which Guido more particularly fucceeded; and to fuch, the .cleannefs and neatnefs of this tint perfectly correfponds, and contributes not a little to that exquifite beauty and delicacy which fo much diftinguimes his works. To fee this ftile in perfection, we mtift again have recourfe to the Dutch fchool, particularly to the works of the younger Vandevelde, and the younger Teniers, whofe pictures are valued by the connoiiTeurs in proportion as they polTefs this excellence of a filver tint. Which of thefe different fliles ought to be preferred, fo as to meet every man's idea, would be difficult to determine, from the predilection which every man has to that mode, which is practifed by the fchool in which he has been educated; but if any pre-eminence is to be given, it muft be to that manner which ftands in the higheft eftimation with mankind in general, and that is the Venetian, or rather the manner of Titian, which, fimply confidered as producing an effect of colours, will certainly eclipfe, with its fplendor, whatever is brought into competition with it: But, as I hinted before, if female delicacy and beauty be the prin- .ci pal object of the Painter's aim, the purity and clearnefs of the tint of Guido will correfpond better, and more contribute to produce it than even the glowing tint of Titian.
The rarity of excellence in any of thefe ftiles of colouring fufficiently (hews the difficulty of fucceeding in them : It may be worth the Artift's attention, while he is in this purfuit, particularly to guard againft thofe errors which feem to be
annexed
NOTES. 105
annexed to or thinly divided from their neighbouring excel- lence ; thus, when he is endeavouring to acquire the Roman ftile, without great care, he falls into a hard and dry manner. The flowery colouring is nearly allied to the gaudy effect of fan-painting. The fimplicity of the Bolognian ftile requires the niceft hand to preferve it from infipidity. That of Titian, which may be called the Golden Manner, when unfkilfully managed, becomes what the Painters call Foxy ; and the filver degenerates into the leaden and heavy manner. All of them, to be perfect in their way, will not bear any union with each other; if they are not diftinctly feparated, the effect of the picture will be feeble and infipid, without any mark or diftin- guimed character. R.
NOTE XLIV. VERSE 538. On that higb-finift>d form let paint beftow Her midnight- ft ado™, her meridian glow. It is indeed a rule adopted by many Painters to admit in no part of the back-ground, or on any object in the picture, ma- dows of equal ftrength with thofe which are employed on the principal figure; but this produces afalfe reprefentation. With deference to our Author, to have the ftrong light and madow there alone, is not to produce the beft natural effect ; nor is it authorifed by the practice of thofe Painters who are moft diftinguifhed for harmony of colouring : A conduct, there- fore, totally contrary to this is abfolutely neceffary, that the fame ftrength, the fame tone of colour, mould be diffufed over the whole picture.
I am no enemy to dark madows ; the general deficiency to be obferved in the works of the Painters of the laft age, as well as indeed of many of the prefent, is a feeblenefs of effect; they feem to be too much afraid of thofe midnight Shadows,
O which
io6 N O T E S.
\vhich alone give the power of nature, and without which a picture will indeed appear like one wholly wanting folidity and ftrength. The lighteft and gayeft ftile requires this foil to give it force and brilliancy. ,
There is another fault prevalent in the more modern Pain- ters, which is the predominance of a grey leaden colour over the whole picture i this is more particularly to be remarked when their works hang in the fame room with pictures well and powerfully coloured. The/e two deficiencies, the want offlrength, and the want of mellownefs or warmth, is often imputed to the want of materials, as if we had not fuch good colours as thofe Painters whofe works we fo much admire.
R.
NOTE XLV. VERSE 579. Know he that well begins has half atckievd
His deft in d work
Thofe Matters are the beft models to begin with who have the feweft faults, and who are the moft regular in the con duel: of their work. The firft ftudies ought rather to be made on their performances than on the productions of the excentric Genius : Where ftriking beauties are mixed with great defects, the ftudent will be in danger of miftaking blemifhes for beauties, and perhaps the beauties may be fuch as he is not advanced enough to attempt. R
NOTE XL VI. VERSE 584..
. his erroneous lines
Will to the foul that poifon rank convey, Which life's beft length Jhall fail to purge away. Tafte will be unavoidably regulated by what is continually before the eyes. It were therefore well if young ftudents could be debarred the fight of any works that were not free
from
NOTES. I07
from grofs faults till they had well formed, and, as I may fay, hardened their judgment : they might then be permitted to look about them, not only without fear of vitiating their tafte, but even with advantage, and would often find great ingenuity and extraordinary invention in works which are under the influence of a bad tafte. R.
NOTE XLVII. VERSE 601. A s furely charms that voluntary jlile, Which carelefs plays and feems to mock at toil. This appearance of eafe and facility may be called the Grace or Genius of the mechanical or ^executive part of the art. There is undoubtedly fomething fafcinating in feeing that done with carelefs eafe, which others do with laborious diffi- culty : the fpedator unavoidably, by a kind of natural inftind:, feels that general animation with which the hand of the Artift feems to be infpired.
Of all Painters Rubens appears to claim the firft rank for facility both in the invention and in the execution of his work ; it makes fo great a part of his excellence, that take it away, and half at lead of his reputation will go with it. R,.
NOTE XLVIII. VERSE 617. tfhe eye each obvious error fwift defcrics, Hold then the compafs only in the eyes.
A Painter who relies on his compafs, leans on a prop which will not fupport him : there are few parts of his figures but what are fore-fhortened more or lefs, and cannot, therefore, be drawn or corrected by meafures. Though he begins his fludies with the compafs in his hand as we learn a dead lan- guage by Grammar, yet, after a certain time, they are both Hung afide, and in their place a kind of mechanical corre&nefs
O 2 of
io8 NOTES.
of the eye and ear is fubftituted, which operates without any confcious effort of the mind. R.
NOTE XLIX. VERSE 620. Give to the dilates of the learn d refpecl.
There are few fpeftators of a Painter's work, learned or unlearned, who, if they can be induced to fpeak their real fenfations, would not be profitable to the Artift. The only opinions of which no ufe can be made, are thofe of half- learned connoiffeurs, who have quitted Nature and have not acquired Art. That fame fagacity which makes a man excel in his profefllon muft affiil him in the proper ufe to be made of the judgment of the learned, and the opinions of the vulgar. Of many things the vulgar are as competent judges as the moft learned connoiffeur ; of the portrait, for in fiance, of an animal ; or, perhaps, of the truth of the reprefentations of fome vulgar paflions.
It muft be expected that the untaught vulgar will carry with them the fame want of right tafte in the judgment they make of the effect or charader in a picture as they do in life, and prefer a ftrutting figure and gaudy colours to the grandeur of fimplicity; but if this fame vulgar, or even an, infant, miftook for dirt what was intended to be a made, it may be apprehended the fhadow was not the true colour of nature, with almoft as much certainty as if the obfervatioa had been made by the moft able connoiffeur. R%
NOTE L. VERSE 703. Know that ere perfett tafte matures the mind, Or perfeft pratfice to that tafte be joind. However admirable his tafte may be, he is but half a Painter who can only conceive his fubjecl, and is without knowledge
of
NOTES. 109
of the mechanical part of his art ; as on the other fide his fkill may be faid to be thrown away, who has employed his colours on fubjecls that create no intereft from their beauty, their character, or expreffion. One part. often abforbs the whole mind to the neglect of the refti the young fludents, whilft at Rome, ftudying the works of Michael. Angelo and Raffaelle, are apt to lofe all relifh for any kind of excellence, except what is found in their works : Perhaps going afterwards to Venice they may be induced to think there are other things required, and. that nothing but the moft fuperlative excellence in defign,, character, and dignity of ftile, can atone for a de- ficiency in the ornamental graces of the art. Excellence mufl. of courfe be rare; and one of the caufes of its rarity, is the neceffity of uniting qualities which in their nature are contrary to each other; and yet no approaches can be made towards perfection without it. Every art or profeffion requires this union of contrary qualities, like the harmony of colouring, which is produced by an oppofition of hot and cold hues* The Poet and the Painter mud unite to the warmth that ac- companies a poetical imagination, patience and perfeverance ; the one in counting fyllables and toiling for a rhyme, and the other in labouring the minute parts and finishing the detail of his works, in order to produce the great effect he defires : They muft both poflefs a comprehenfive mind that takes in the whole at one view, and at the fame time an accuracy of eye or mind that diftinguimes between two things that, to an ordinary fpectator, appear the fame, whether this confifts in tints or words, or the nice difcrimination gn which expreflion. 'and elegance depends.. R.
O 3 NOTE
no NOTES.
1N O T E LI. VERSE 715. 'While free from -prejudice your atfive eye Preferves its fir ft unfullied purity.
'Prejudice is generally ufed in a bad fenfe, to imply a pre- dilection, not founded on reafon or nature, in favour of a particular matter, or a particular manner, and therefore to be oppofed with all our force; but totally to eradicate in advanced age what has fo much aflifted. us in our youth, is a point to .which we cannot hope to arrive ; the difficulty of conquering this prejudice is to be confiderediry the. number of thofe caufes - which makes excellence fo very rare.
Whoever would make a rapid progrefs in any art or fcience, muft begin by having great confidence in, and even prejudice in favour of, his inttru∨ but to continue to think him infallible, would be continuing for ever in a ftate of infancy. It is impoflible to draw a line when the Artift mall begin to dare to examine and criticife the works of his Mafter, or of the greateft mafler-pieces of art; we can only fay, • that it will be gradual. In proportion as the Scholar learns' to analyfe the excellence of the Matters he efteems ; in proportion as he . comes exaftly to dittinguifh in what that excellence con fitts, and refer it to fome precife rule and fixed ttandard, in that proportion he becomes free. -When he has once laid hold of their principle, he will fee when they deviate from it, or fail , to come up to it ; fo that it is in reality through his extreme , admiration of, and blind deference to, thefe Matters, (without which he never would have employed an intenfe application to, discover the rule and fcheme of their work) that he is enabled, if I may ufe the expreffion, to emancipate himfelf, even to get above them, and to become the judge of thofe of whom he was at firft the humble difciple. R.
NOTE
NOTES. in
NOTE LIT. VERSE 721. When duly taught each geometric rule, Approach with awful Jlep the Grecian fchool. The firfl bufinefs of the itudent is to be able to give a true reprefentation of whatever object prefents itfelf, juft as it ap- pears to the eye, fo as to amount to a deception, and the geo- metric rules of perfpeclive are included in this ftudy; this is the language of the art, which appears the. more necefTary to be taught early, from the natural repugnance which the mind has to fuch mechanical labour after it has acquired a relifh for its higher departments'.
The next ftep is to acquire a knowledge of the- beauty of Form; for this purpofehe is recommended to theftudy of the GreciaaSculpture; and for compofition, colouring, and expref- fion to the great works at Rome, Venice, Parma, and Bo- logna; he begins now to look- for thofe excellencies which addrefs themfelves to the imagination, and confiders deception as a fcaffolding.to be now thrown afide, as of no importance to this finifhed idea of the art, R.
N O T E LIII. VERSE 725. No reft, no paufe, till all her graces known, A happy habit makes each grace your own. To acquire this excellence, fomething more is required than meafuring ftatues or copying pictures.
I am confident the works of the antient fculptors were pro- duced, not by meafuring, but in confequence of that correct- nefs of eye which they- had acquired by long habit, which ferved them at, all. times^ and on all occasions, when the com- pafs would fail : There is no reafon why the eye fhould not be capable of acquiring equal precifion and exadtnefs with the organs of hearing or fpeaking. We know that an infanr;
who
ii2 NOTES.
who has learned its language by habit, will fometimes correct the moft learned grammarian who has been taught by rule only: The .idiom, which is the peculiarity of language, and that in which its native grace is feated, can be learned by habit alone.
To poffefs this perfect habit, the fame conduct is neceffary in art as in language, that it fliould be begun early, whilfl the organs are pliable and imprefiions ar-e eafily taken, and that we fhould accuftom ourfelves, whilft this habit is forming, to fee beauty only, and avoid as much as poffible deformity or what is incorrect : Whatever is got this way may be faid to be pro- perly made your own., it becomes a part of yourfelf, and operates unperceived. The mind acquires by fuch exercife a kind of inftinctive rectitude which fuperfedes all rules. R.
NOTE LIV. VERSE 733. See Raphael there his forms celejlial trace, Unrivall'd Jovereign of the realms of grace. The pre-eminence which Frefnoy has given to thofe three great Painters, Raffaelle, Michael Angela, and Julio Romano, fufficiently points out to us what aught to be the chief object of our purfuit. Tho' two of them were either totally ignorant or never practifed any of thofe graces of the art which proceed from the management of colours or the difpoiltion of light and madow; and the other (Raffaelle) was far from being eminently ikilful in thefe particulars, yet they all jufHy delerve that high rank in which Frefnoy has placed them ; Michael Angelq, for the grandeur and fublimity of his characters, as well as for his profound knowledge of defign ; Raffaelle, for the judicious arrangement of his materials, for the grace, the dignity, and expreflion of his characters; and Julio Romano, for poffeffmg the true poetical genius of painting, perhaps, to a higher degree than any other Painter whatever.
In
NOTES. 113
In heroic fubjects it will not, I hope, appear too great re- finement of criticifm to fay, that the want of naturalnefs or deception of the art, which give to an inferior ftile its whole value, is no material difadvantage : The Hours, for inftance, as reprefented by Julio Romano, giving provender to thehorfes of the Sun, would not ftrike the imagination more forcibly from their being coloured with the pencil of Rubens, tho' he would have reprefented them more naturally ; but might he not poflibly, by that very act, have brought them down from their celeftial ftate to the rank of mere terreftrial animals ? In thefe things, however, I admit there will always be a degree of uncertainty : Who knows that Julio Romano, if he had pof- fefled the art and practice of colouring like Rubens, would not have given to it fome tafteof poetical grandeur not yet attained to?
The fame familiar naturalnefs would be equally an imper- fection in characters which are to be reprefented as demi-gods, or fomething above humanity.
Tho' it would be far from an addition to the merit of thofe two great Painters to have made their works deceptions, yet there can be no reafon why they might not, in fome degree, and with a judicious caution and feledtion, have availed them- felves of many excellencies which are found in the Venetian, Flemifh, and even Dutch fchools, and which have been in- culcated in this Poem. There are fome of them which are not in abfolute contradiction to any ftile: The happy difpoiition, for inftance, of light and made; the prefervation of breadth in the mafies of colours; the union of thefe with their ground; and the harmony arifing from a due mixture of hot and cold hues, with many other excellencies, not infeparably connect- ed with that individuality which produces deception, would •furely not counteract the effect of the grand ftile; they would
P only
-114 NOTE
only contribute to the eafe of the fpectator, by making the vehicle pleating by which ideas are conveyed to the mind, which otherwife might be perplexed and bewildered with a confufed affemblage of objects; it would add a certain degree of grace and fvveetnefs to ftrength and grandeur. Tho' the excellencies of thofe two great Painters are of fuch tranfcen- dency as to make us overlook their deficiency, yet a fubdued attention to thefe inferior excellencies muft be added to com- plete the idea of a perfect Painter.
Deception, which is fo often recommended by writers on the theory of painting, inftead of advancing the art, is in reality carrying it back to its infant ftate : the firft effays of Painting were certainly nothing but mere imitation of indi- vidual objects, and when this amounted to a deception, the 'artift had accomplimed his purpofe.
And here I mud obferve, that the arts of Painting and Poetry feem to have no kind of refemblance in their early ftages : The firft, or, at leaft, the fecond flage of Poetry in every nation is the fartheft removed poflible from common life : Every thing is of the marvellous kind; it treats only of heroes, wars, ghofts, inchantments, and transformations. The Poet could not expect to feize and captivate the attention, if he related only common occurrences, fuch as every day produced; whereas the Painter exhibited what then appeared a great effort of art, by merely giving the appearance of relief to a flat fuper- ficies, however uninterefting in itfelf that object might be; but this foon fatiating, the fame entertainment was required from Painting which had been experienced in Poetry. The mind and imagination were to be fatisfied, and required to be amufed and delighted as well as the eye; and when the art proceeded to a ftill higher degree of excellence, it was then found that this deception not only did not affift, but even in
NOTES.
a certain degree counteracted the flight of imagination ; hence proceeded the Roman fchool, and it is from hence that Raf- faelle, Michael Angelo, and Julio Romano ftand in that pre- heminence of rank in which Frefnoy has juftly placed them.
R.
NOTE LV. VERSE 747. Bright, beyond all the reft, Correggio jlings His ample lights, and round them gently brings
'The mingling JJjade.
The excellency of Correggio's manner has juftly been ad- mired by all fucceeding Painters. This manner is in direct oppolition to what is called the dry and hard manner which preceded him.
His colour, and his mode of finishing, approach nearer to perfection than thofe of any other Painter; the gliding motion of his outline, and the fweetnefs with which it melts into the ground; the cleannefs and tranfparency of his colouring, which ftop at that exact medium in which the purity and perfection of tafte lies, leave nothing to be wifhed for. Ba- rochio, tho', upon the whole, one of his moft fuccefsful imi- tators, yet fometimes, in endeavouring at cleannefs or bril- liancy of tint, overmot the mark, and falls under the criticifm that was made on an antient Painter, that his figures looked as if they fed upon rofes. R.
NOTE LVI. VERSE 767. Yet more than thefe to meditations eyes, Great Nature s felf redundantly fupplies. Frefnov, with great propriety, begins and finimes his Poem with recommending the ftudy of Nature.
This is in reality the beginning and the end of Theory: It is in Nature only we can find that Beauty which is the
P 2 great
ii6 N O T E S.
great object of our feareh, it can be found no where elfe ; we can no more form any idea of Beauty fuperior to Nature than we can form an idea of a fixth fenfe, or any other excellence out of the limits of the human mind y we are forced to con- fine aur conception even of heaven itfelf and its inhabitants to what we fee in. this world; even the Supreme Being, if he is reprefented at all, the Painter has no other way of reprefent- ing than by reverfmg the decree of the infpired Lawgiver, and making God after his own image..
Nothing can be fo unphilofophical as a fuppofition that we can form any idea of beauty or excellence out of or beyond Nature, which is and. muft be the fountain-head from whence all our ideas muft be derived.
This being acknowleged, it muft follow, of courfe, that all the rules which this theory, or any other, teaches, can be no more than teaching the art of feeing nature. The rules of Art are formed on the various works of thofe who have ftudied Nature the moft fuccefsfully : by this advantage of obferving the various manners in which various minds have contem- plated her works, the artift enlarges his own views, and is taught to look for and fee what would otherwife have efcaped his obfervation.
It is to be remarked, that there are two modes of imitating nature j one of which refers to the fenfations of the mind for its truth, and the other to the eye.
Some fchools, fuch as the Roman and Florentine, appear to have addreffed themfelves principally to the mind ; others folely to the eye, fuch as the Venetian in the inftances of Paul Veronefe and Tintoret : others again have endeavoured to unite both, by joining the elegance and grace of ornament with the ftrength and vigour, of defign; fuch are the fchools of Bologna and Parma.
All
NOTES. 217
All thofe fchools are equally to be confidered as followers of Nature : He who produces a work, analogous to the mind or imagination of man, is as natural a Painter as he whofe works are calculated to delight the eye; the works of Mi- chael Angelo or Julio Romano, in this fenfe,. may be faid to be as natural as thofe of the Dutch Painters. The ftudy, therefore, of the nature or affections of the mind is as necef- fary to the theory of the higher department of art, as the knowledge of what will be pieafing orofFenfive to. the eye, . is to the lower ftile.
What relates to the mind or imagination, fuch as Invention, Character, ExprefTion, Grace, or Grandeur, certainly cannot be taught by rules ; little more can be done than pointing out where they are to be found : it is a part which belongs to ge- neral education, and will operate in proportion to the culti- vation of the mind -of the Artifr:
The greater part of the rules in this Poem are, therefore, neceflarily confined to what relates to the eye; and it may be remarked, that none of trrofe rules make any pretenlions to- wards improving Nature, or going contrary to her work ; their tendency is merely to mew what is truly Nature.
Thus, for inftance, a flowing outline is recommended, be- caufe Beauty (which alone is Nature) cannot be produced without it; old age or leannefs produces ft rait lines; corpu- lency round lines; but in a ftate of health, accompanying youth, the outlines are waving, flowing, and ferpentine : Thus again, if we are told to avoid the chalk, the brick, or the leaden colour, it js becaufe real flefh never partakes of thofe hues, tho' ill-coloured pictures are always inclinable to one or. other of thofe defeds.
Rules are to be confidered likewife as fences placed only w*here trefpafs is expefted; and are particularly enforced in.
P 3 proportion
n8 NOTES.
proportion as peculiar faults or defects are prevalent at the time, or age, in which they are delivered ; for what may be proper ftrongly to recommend or enforce in one age, may not with equal propriety be fo much laboured in another, when it may be the fafhion for Artifts to run into the contrary ex- treme, proceeding from prejudice to a manner adopted by fome favourite Painter then in vogue.
When it is recommended to preferve a breadth of colour or of light, it is not intended that the Artift is to work. broader than Nature ; but this leflbn is infilled on becaufe we know, from experience, that the contrary is a fault which Artifts are apt to be guilty of; who, when they are examining and finifti- ing the detail, neglect or forget that breadth which is obfer- .vable only when the eye takes in the -effect of the whole.
Thus again, we recommend to paint foft and tender, to make a harmony and union of colouring; and, for this end, that all the fhadows lhall be nearly of the fame colour. The reafon of thefe precepts being at all enforced, proceeds from the difpofition which Artifts have to paint harder than Nature, to make the outline more cutting againft the ground, and to have lefs harmony and union than is found in Nature, prefer- ving the fame brightnefs of colour in the (hadows as are feen in the lights : both thefe falfe manners of reprefenting Nature were the practice of the Painters when the art was in its in- fancy, and would be the practice now of every ftudent who was left to himfelf, and had never been taught the art of feeing Nature.
There are other rules which may be faid not fo much to relate to the objects reprefented as to the eye; but the truth of thefe are as much fixed in Nature as the others, and pro- ceed from the neceffity there is that the work fhould be feen with eafe and fatisfaction ; to this end are all the rules that relate to grouping and the difpofition of light and fhade.
With
NOTES. 119
With regard to precepts about moderation, and avoiding ex- tremes, little is to be drawn from them : The rule would be too minute that had any exadnefs at all : a multiplicity of ex- ceptions would arife, fo that the teacher would be for ever faying too much, and yet never enough : When a ftudent is inftructed to mark with precifion every part of his figure, whether it be naked, or in drapery, he probably becomes hard ; if, on the contrary, he is told to paint the moft tenderly, poffibly he becomes infipid. But among extremes fome are more tolerable than others -, of the two extremes I have jufl mentioned, the hard manner is the moft pardonable, as it carries with it an air of learning, as if the Artifl knew with precifion the true form of Nature, though he had rendered it with too heavy a hand.
. In every part of the human figure, when not fpoiled by too great corpulency, will be found this diftinclnefs, the parts never appearing uncertain or confufed, or, as a Muiician would fay, flurred ; and all thefe fmaller parts which are com- prehended in the larger compartment are flill to be there, however tenderly marked.
To conclude. In all minute, detailed, and practical excel- lence, general precepts mufr. be either deficient or unnecefTary: For the rule is not known, nor is it indeed to any purpofe a rule, if it be necefTary to inculcate it on every occafion. R.
NOTE LVII. VERSE 772.. Whence Art, by Prafiice, to Perfection foars. After this the Poet fays, that he pafTes over in filence many things which will be more amply treated in his Commentary.
" Multa fuperfileo qus Commentaria dicent." But as he never lived to write that Commentary, his tranflator has taken the liberty to pafs over this line in filence alfo.
'M. NOTE
120 NOTES.
NOTE LVIII. VERSE 775. What time the Pride of Bourbon urgd his way, 6cc. Du Piles, and after him Dryden, call this Hero Louis XIII. but the later French Editor, whom I have before quoted, will needs have him to be the XlVth. His note is as follows : " At the accefllon of Louis XIV. Du Frefnoy had been ten years at Rome, therefore the epoch, marked by the Poet, falls probably upon the firft years of that Prince ; that is to fay, upon the years 1643 or 1644. The thunders which he darts on the Alps, allude to the fuccefTes of our arms in the Milanefe, and in Piedmont; and the Alcides, who is born again in France for the defence of his country, is the conqueror of Rocroy, the young Duke of Anguien, afterwards called Le Grand Conde." I am apt to fufped: that all this fine criticifm is falfe, though I do not think it worth while to controvert it. Whether the Poet meant to compliment Louis XIII. or the little boy that fucceeded him, (for he was only fix years old in. the year 1644) he was guilty of grofs flattery. It is impoffible, however, from the conftruclion of the fentence, that Lodovicus Borbonidum Decus, & Gallicus Alcides, could mean any more than one identical perfon; and confequently the Editor's notion .concerning the Grand Conde is indifputably falfe. I have, therefore, taken the whole paiTage in the fame fenfe that Du Piles did ; and have alfo, like him, ufed the Poet's phrafe of the Spanijh Lion in the concluding line, rather than that of the Spanifh Geryon, to which Mr. Dryden has trans- formed him : His reafon, I fuppofe, for doing this was, that .the monfter Geryon was of Spanifh extraction, and the Ne- mean Lion, which Hercules killed, was of Peloponnefus j but we are told by Martial*, that there was a fountain in Spain called Nemea, which, perhaps, led Frefnoy aftray in this
paflage.
* Avidam rigens Dircenna placabit firim
Et Nemea quz vincit nives. Mart. lib. 5. Epig. 50. tie Hifp. lac,
NOTES. i2i
paflage. However this be, Hercules killed fo many lions, befides that which conflicted the firft of his twelve labours, that either he, or at leaft fome one of his numerous namefakes, may well be fuppofed to have killed one in Spain. Geryon is defcribed by all the poets as a man with three heads, and therefore could not well have been called a Lion by Frefnoy • neither does the plural Ora mean any more than the Jaws of a fingle beafl. So Lucan, lib. iv. ver. 739.
Quippe ubi non Sonipes motus clangore tubarum
Saxa quatit pulfu, rigidos vexantia fraenos
ORA terens M.
NOTE LIX. VERSE 785. But mark the Proteus Policy of Sfate*
If this tranflation Should live as many years as the original has done already, which, by its being printed with that ori- ginal, and illuftrated by fuch a Commentator, is a thing not impoffible, it may not be amifs, in order to prevent an hal- lucination of fome future critic, fimilar to that of the French Editor mentioned in the laft note, to conclude with a memo- randum that the tranflation was finifhed, and thefe occafional verfes added, in the year 1781 ; leaving, however, the poli- tical fentiments, which they exprefs, to be approved or con- demned by him, as the annals of the time (written at a period diflant enough for hiftory to become impartial) may determine his judgment. M.
END OF THE NOTES.
The
The Precepts which Sir JOSHUA REYNOLDS has illuftrated are marked in the following Table with one or more Afterifks, according to the Number of his Notes.
A
TABLE
OF T H
RULES
CONTAINED IN THE FOREGOING
•; I' ::::&: J'^:,. E M.
I. S~\ F the Beautiful *** Page 5
II- V>/ Of Theory and Practice * * 7
III. Of the Subjedl * 9
INVENTION, the firft part of Painting * * g
IV. Difpofition, or oeconomy of the whole — 10
V. The Subject to be treated faithfully * — Io
VI. Every foreign Ornament to be rejected * * * , I r
VII. DESIGN, or POSITION, thefecondpartof Painting ** 13
VIII. Variety in the Figures — — — j^
IX. Conformity of the Limbs and Drapery to the Head * 1 5
X. Action of Mutes to be imitated * • . . 15
XI. The Principal Figure * 16
XII. Groups of Figures — - — — 16
XIII. Diverfity of Attitude in Groups * — — 17
XIV. A Balance to be kept in the Picture !^
XV. Of the Number of Figures * * jg
XVI. The Joints and Feet Io
XVII. The Motion of the Hands with the Head 19
XVIII. What Things are to be avoided in the Diftribu- tion of the Piece _— 20
Qjs XIX. Nature
124 TABLE oFTHERULES.
XIX. Nature to be accommodated to Genius * — Page 21
XX. The Antique the Model to be copied — 21
XXI. How to paint a fingle Figure * - 22
XXII. Of Drapery * 23
XXIII. Of pidurefque Ornament 25
XXIV. Ornament of Gold and Jewels * 25
XXV. Of the Model 25
XXVI. Union of the Piece 25
XXVII. Grace and Majefty * — 25
XXVIII. Every Thing in its proper Place 26
XXIX. The Paffions * * 26
XXX. Gothic Ornament to be avoided • 27
COLOURING, the third part of Painting * . 29
XXXI. The Conduct of the Tints of Light and Shadow 31
XXXII. Denfe and opake Bodies with tranflucent ones 34
XXXIII. There muft not be tv/o equal Lights in the
Pidure * * * 35
XXXIV. Of White and Black 37
XXXV. The Reflexion of Colours 37
XXXVI. The Union of Colours * 38
XXXVII. Of the Interpolation of Air 39
XXXVIII. The Relation of Diftances — 39
XXXIX. Of Bodies which are diftanced — — 40
XL. Of contiguous and feparated Bodies — 40
XLI. Colours very oppofite to each other never to be
XLII. Diverfity of Tints and Colours —
XLIII. The Choice of Light
XLIV. Of certain Things relating to the practical Part
XLV. The Field of the Pidure *
XLVI. Of the Vivacity of Colours * — XLVII. Of Shadows '
TABLE OF THERULES. 125
XLVIII. The Pifture to be of one Piece Page 43
XLIX. The Looking-glafs the Painter's beft Mafter — 44
L. An half Figure, or a whole one before others *• — 44
LI. A Portrait — 44
LII. The Place of the Picture . 45
LIU. Large Lights — « 45
LIV. The Quantity of Light and Shade to be. adapted to
the Place of the Picture — - — 46
LV. Things which are difagreeable in Painting to be
LVI. The prudential Part of a Painter — __ ^j
LV1I. The Idea of a beautiful Picture — 47
LVIII. Advice to a young Painter * * — . 48
LIX. Art muft be fubfervient to the Painter 49
LX. Diverfity and" Facility are pleating * 49
LXI. The Original muft be in the Head, and the Copy
on the Clotb • 50
LXII. The Compafs to be in the Eyes * — — 50
LXIII. Pride, an Enemy to good Painting *' 51
LXIV. Know thyfelf 52
LXV. Perpetually practife, and do eafily what you have
LXVI. The Morning' mod proper for Work 53
LXVII. Every Day do fomething • 53
LXVIII. The Method of catching natural Paflions — 53
LXIX. Of the Table-BooL* * 54
LXX. The Method of Studies for a young Painter * * * * 58
LXXI. Nature and Experience perfect Art * 62
APPENDIX.
A P, P E N D I X.
The
The following little piece has been conftantly annexed to M. DU FRESNOY'S Poem. It is here given from the former Editions ; • but the liberty has been taken of making fome alterations in the Verlion, fwhich, when compared with the Original in French, appeared either to be done very carelefly by Mr. DRYDEN, or (what is more probable) to be the work of fome inferior hand which he employed on the occafion.
THE
THE
SENTIMENTS
CHARLES ALPHONSE DU FRESNOY,
On the WORKS of the
Principal and beft PAINTERS of the two laft Ages.
THE
THE
O F
CHARLES ALPHONSE DU FRESNOY,
On the WORKS of the Principal and beft PAINTERS of the two laft Ages.
PAINTING was in its perfection amongft the Greeks. The principal fchools were at Sycion, afterwards at Rhodes, at Athens, and at Corinth, and at laft in Rome. Wars and Luxury having overthrown the Roman Empire, it was totally extinguifhed, together with all the noble Arts, the ftudies of Humanity, and the other Sciences.
It began to appear again in the year 1450, amongft fome Painters of Florence, of which DOMENICO GHIRLANDAIO was one, who was Matter to Michael Angelo, and had fome kind of reputation, though his manner was Gothic, and very dry.
MICHAEL ANGELO, his Difciple, flourifhed in the times of Julius II. Leo X. and of feven fucceflive Popes. He was a Painter, a Sculptor, and an Architect, both civil and mili- tary. The choice which he made of his attitudes was not always beautiful or pleafing -, his gufto of defign was not the fineft, nor his outlines the mofl elegant; -the folds of his draperies, and the ornaments of his habits, were neither noble nor graceful. He was not a little fantaftical and extravagant in his compofitions ; he was bold, even to rafhnefs, in taking
R 2 liberties
i32 APPENDIX.
liberties againft the rules of Perfpe&ive ; his colouring is not over true, or very pleafant : He knew not the artifice of light and lhadow; but he defigned more learnedly, and better underftood all the knittings of the bones, and the office and lituation of the mufcles, than any of the modern Painters, There appears a certain air of greatnefs and feverity in his figures ; in both which he has oftentimes fucceeded. But above the reft of his excellencies, was his wonderful fkill in Architecture, wherein he has not only furpaffed all the mo- derns, but even the antients alfo; the St. Peter's of Rome, the St. John's of Florence, the Capitol, the Palazzo Farnefe, and his own Houfe, are fufficient teftimonies of it. His dif- ciples were, Marcello Venufli, II RofTo, Georgio Vafari, Fra. Baftiano, (who commonly painted for him) and many other Florentines.
PIETRO PERUGINO defigned with fufficient knowledge of Nature ; but he is dry, and his manner little. His Difciple was
RAPHAEL SANTIO, who was born on Good-Friday, in the year 1483, and died on Good-Friday, in the year 1520; fo that he lived only thirty-feven years compleat. He furpafled all modern Painters, becaufe he pofTefled more of the excel- lent parts of Painting than any other > and it is believed that he equalled the antients, excepting only that he defigned not naked bodies with fo much learning as Michael Angelo ; but his gufto of delign is purer, and much better. He painted not with fo good, fo full, and fo graceful a manner as Cor- j-eggio; nor has he any thing of the contrail: of light and fhadow, or fo ftrong and free a colouring as Titian -, but he had a better difpofition in his pieces, without comparifon, than either Titian, Correggio, Michael Angelo, or all the reft of the fucceeding Painters to our days. His choice of atti- tudes,
APPENDIX. 133
tudes, of heads, of ornaments, the arrangement of his drapery, his manner of defigning, his variety, his contraft, his ex- preffion, were beautiful in perfection; but above all, he pof- fe/Ted the Graces in fo advantageous a manner, that he has never fince been equalled by any other. There are portraits (or fingle figures) of his, which are well executed. He was an admirable Architect. He was handfome, well-made, civil and good-natured, never refufing to teach another what he knew himfelf. He had many fcholars ; amongft others, Julio Romano, Polydore, Gaudenzio, Giovanni d'Udine, and Mi- chael Coxis. His Graver was Mark Antonio., whofe prints are admirable for the correctnefs of their outlines*
JULIO ROMANO was the moil excellent of all Raphael's Difciples: He had conceptions which were more extraordinary, more profound, and more elevated .than^even his Mailer him- felf; he was alfo. a great Architect ; his gufto was pure and . exquifite. He was a great imitator of the antients, giving a clear teftimony in all his productions, that he was defirous to reftore to practice the fame forms and fabrics which were antient. He had the good fortune to- find great perfons, who committed to him, the care of edifices, veftibules, and por- ticoes, all tetraftyles, xiftes, theatres, and fuch other places as are not now. in-ufe.-. He was wonderful in his choice of attitudes. His. manner* was drier and harder than any of Raphael's fchool. He did not exactly underfland either light and 'madow, or colouring. He is frequently har£h and un- oraceful ; the folds of his draperies are, neither beautiful nor great, eafy nor natural, but all of them -imaginary, and too like the habits of fantaftical comedians. He v/as well verfed in polite learning. His Difciples were Pirro Ligorio, (who was admirable for antique buildings, as towns, temples,
R 3 tombs*
i34 A P P E N D I X.
tombs, and trophies, and the fituation of antient edifices) ^neas Vico, Bonafone, Georgio Mantuano, and others.
POXYDORE, a Difciple of Raphael, defigned admirably well as to the practical part, having a particular genius for freezes, as we may fee by thqfe of white and black, which he has painted at Rome. He imitated the Antients, but his manner was greater than that of Julio Romano ; neverthelefs Julio feems to be the truer. Some admirable groups are feen in his works, and fuch as are not elfewhere to be found. He coloured very feldom, and made landfcapes in a tolerably good tafte.
Gio. BELLING, one of the firft who was of any confidera- tion at Venice, painted very drily, according to the manner of his time. He was very knowing both in Architecture and Perfpective. He was Titian's firft Matter.; which may eafily be obferved in the earlier works of that noble Difciple; in which we may remark that propriety of colours which his Matter has obferved.
About this time GEORGIONE, the cotemporary of Titian, came to excel in portraits and alfo in greater works. He firft began to make choice of glowing and agreeable colours ; the perfection and entire harmony of which were afterwards to be found in Titian's pictures. He drefled his figures wonderfully well": And it may be truly faid, that but for him, Titian had never arrived to that height of perfection, which proceeded from the rival (hip and jealoufy which prevailed between them.
TITIAN was one of the geateft colourifts ever known : He defigned with much more eafe and pradice than Georgione. There are to be feen women and children of his hand, which are admirable both for defign and colouring ; the gufto of them is delicate, charming, and noble, with a certain pleafing negligence in the head-drefles, draperies, and ornaments, which are wholly peculiar to himfelf. As for the figures of men, he
has
APPENDIX. 135
has defigned them but moderately well : There are even fome of his draperies which are mean, and in a little tafte. His Painting is wonderfully glowing, fweet and delicate. He drew portraits, which were extremely noble ; the attitudes of them being very graceful, grave, diverfified, and adorned after a very becoming fafhion. No man ever painted landfcape in fo great a manner, fo well coloured, and with fuch Truth of Nature. For eight or ten years fpace, he copied, with great labour and exactnefs, whatfoever he undertook; thereby to make himfelf an eafy way, and to eftablifti fome general maxims for his future conduct. Befides the excellent gufto which he had in colouring, in which he excelled all mortal men, he perfectly underftood how to give every thing thofe touches which were moft fuitable and proper to them; fuch as diftinguifhed them from each other, and which gave the greateft fpirit, and the moft of truth. The pictures which he made in his beginning, and in the declenfion of his age, are of a dry and mean manner. He lived ninety-nine years. His Difciples were Paulo Veronefe, Giacomo Tintoret, Giacomo da Ponte Baffano, and his fons.
PAULO VERONESE was wonderfully graceful in his airs of women, with great variety of brilliant draperies, and incredible vivacity and eafe; neverthelefs his corhpofition is fometimes improper, and his defign incorrect : but his colouring, and whatfoever depends on it, is fo very charming in his pictures, that it furprizes at the firft fight, and makes us totally forget thofe other qualities in which he fails.
TINTORET was the Difciple of Titian ; great in defign and practice, but fometimes alfo greatly extravagant. He had an admirable genius for Painting, but not fo great an affection for his art, or patience in the executive part of it, as he had fire and vivacity of Nature. He yet has made pitf ures not
inferior
APPENDIX.
inferior in beauty to thofe of Titian. His competition and decorations are for the moft part rude, and his outlines are incorrect; but his colouring, and all, that depends upon it, is admirable. />
The BASS ANS had a more mean and poor gufto in Painting than Tintoret, and their defigns were alfo lefs correct than his. They had indeed an excellent manner of colouring, and have touched all kinds of anim&ls • with an admirable hand ; but were notorioufly imperfect in compoiition and defign.
CORREGGIO painted at Parma two large cupola's in frefco, and fome altar-pieces. This artlft ftruck out certain natural and unaffected graces for his Madonna's, his Saints, and little Children, .which were peculiar to himfelf. His manner, de- fign, and execution are all very great, but yet without correct- nefs. HeJiad a moft free and delightful pencil; and it is to be acknowledged, that he painted with a ftrength, relief, fweetnefs, and vivacity of colouring, which nothing ever ex- ceeded. He. underftood how to diftribute his lights in fuch a manner, as was wholly peculiar to himfelf, which gave a great force and great roundnefs to his figures. This manner con- fifts in extending a large light, and then making it lofe itfelf infenfibly in the dark fhadowings, which he placed out of the mafles; and thofe give them this great relief, without our being able to perceive from whence proceeds fo much effect, and fo vaft a pleafure to the fight. It appears, that in this part the reft of the Lombard School copied him. He had no great choice of graceful attitudes, or diftribution of beautiful groups. His defign oftentimes appears lame, and his pofitions not well chofen : The look of his figures is often unpleafing ; but his manner of defigning heads, hands, feet, and other parts, is very great, and well deferves our imitation. In the conduct ami of a.pidure, he has done wonders; for he painted
with
APPENDIX. 137
with fo much union, that his greateft works feem to have been finished in the compafs of one day -, and appear as if we faw them in a looking-glafs. His landfcape is equally beau- tiful with his figures.
At the fame time with Correggio, lived and flourifhed PARMEGIANO; who, befides his great manner of colouring, excelled alfo both in invention and defign; with a genius full of delicacy and fpirit, having nothing that was ungraceful in his choice of attitudes, or in the drefles of his figures, which we cannot fay of Correggio ; there are pieces of Parmegiano's, very beautiful and correct.
Thefe two Painters laft mentioned had very good Difciples, but they are known only to thofe of their own province -, and befides, there is little to be credited of what his countrymen fay, for Painting is wholly extinguimed amongft them.
I fiy nothing of LEONARDO DA VINCI, becaufe I have feen but little of his ; though he reftored the arts at Milan, and had there many Scholars.
LUDOVICO CARRACHE, the Coufm German of Hannibal and Auguftino, fludied at Parma after Correggio ; and excelled in deiign and colouring, with a grace and clearnefs, which Guido, the Scholar of Hannibal, afterwards imitated with great fuccefs. There are fome of his pictures to be feen, which are very beautiful, and well underflood. He made his ordi- nary refidence at Bologna j and it was he who put the pencil into the hands of Hannibal his Coufm.
HANNIBAL, in a little time, excelled his Matter in all parts of Painting. He imitated Correggio, Titian, and Raphael, in their different manners as he pleafed ; excepting only, that you fee not in his pictures the noblenefs, the graces, and the charms of Raphael -y and his outlines are neither fo pure, nor fo elegant as his. In all other things he is wonderfully ac- complilhed, and of an univerfal genius.
S AUGUSTIN®,
138 A P P E N D I X.
AUGUSTINO, brother to Hannibal, was alfo a very good Painter, and an admirable graver. He had a natural fon, call- ed ANTONIO, who died at the age of thirty-five -, and who (according to the general opinion) would have furpafled his uncle Hannibal : For, by what he left behind him, it appears that he was of a more lofty genius.
GUIDO chiefly imitated Ludovico Carrache, yet retained always fomewhat of the manner which his Mafter Denis Cal- yert, the Fleming, taught him. This Calvert lived at Bolog- na, and was competitor and rival to Ludovico Carrache. Guido made the fame uie of Albert Durer as Virgil did of old Ennius, borrowed what pleafed him, and made it afterwards his own j that is, he accommodated what was good in Albert to his own manner; which he executed with fo much gracefulnefs and beauty, that he got more money and reputation in his time than any of his Matters, and than all the Scholars of the Car- raches, tho' they were of greater capacity than himfelf. His heads yield no manner of precedence to thofe of Raphael.
SISTO BADOLOCCHI deiigned the beft of all his Difciples, but he died young.
DOMENICHINO was a very knowing Painter, and very labo- rious, but of no great natural endowments. It is true, he was profoundly fkilled in all the parts of Painting, but wanting genius (as I faid) he had lefs of noblenefs in his works than all the reft who ftudied in the School of the Carraches.
ALBANI was excellent in all the parts of Painting, and a polite fcholar.
LANFRANC, a man of a great and fprightly wit, fupported his reputation for a long time with an extraordinary gufto of defign and colouring : But his foundation being only on the practical part, he at length loft ground in point of correitneis, fo that many of his pieces appear extravagant and fantaftical ;
and
APPENDIX. 139
and after his deceafe, the fchool of the Carraches went daily to decay, in all the parts of Painting.
Gio. VIOLA was very old before he iearned landfcape; the knowledge of which was imparted to him hy Hannibal Carrache, who took pleafure to inftrucl: him ; fo that he painted many of that kind, which are wonderfully fine, and well coloured.
If we caft our eyes towards Germany and the Low Coun- tries, we may there behold ALBERT DURER, LUCAS VAN LEYDEN, HOLBEIN, ALDEGRAVE, &c. who were all co- temporaries. Amongft thefe, Albert Durer and Holbein were both of them wonderfully knowing, and had certainly been of the firft form of Painters, had they travelled into Italy; for nothing can be laid to their charge, but only that they had a Gothic guflo. As for Holbein, his execution furpalTed even that of Raphael ; and I have feen a portrait of his painting, with which one of Titian's could not come in competition.
Amongft the Flemings, appeared RUBENS, who had, from his birth, a lively, free, noble, and univerfal genius : A genius capable not only of railing him to the rank of the antient Painters, but alib to the higheil employments in the fervice of his country; fo that he was chofen for one of the moil important embarHes in our time. His gufto of defign favours fomewhat more of the Flemim than of the beauty of the an- tique, becaufe he (layed not long at Rome. And though we cannot but obferve in all his Paintings ideas which are great and noble, yet it muft be confefTed, that, generally fpeaking, he defigned not correctly; but, for all the other parts of Painting, he was as abfolute a matter of them, and pofleffed them all as thoroughly as any of his predeceilbrs in that noble art. His principal fludies were made in Lombardy, after the works of Titian, Paulo Veronefe, and Tintoret, whofe cream
S 2 he
1 40 APPENDIX.
he has fkimmed, (if you will allow the phrafe) and extra&ed from their feveral beauties many general maxims and infallible rules which he always followed, and by which he has acqui- red in his works a greater facility than that of Titian ; more of purity, truth, and fcience than Paulo Veroncfe ; and more of majefty, repofe, and moderation than Tintoret. To con- clude; his manner is fo folid, fo knowing, and fo ready, that it may feem this rare accomplished genius was fent from hea- ven to inflrud: mankind in the Art of Painting.
His School was full of admirable Difciples ; amongft whom' VANDYKE was he who belt comprehended all the rules and general maxims of his Matter; and who has even excelled him in the delicacy of his carnations, and in his cabinet-pieces; but his tafte, in the defigning part, was nothing better than that of Rubens.
T II £
THE
P R E F A C E
O F
Mr. D R Y D E. N
TO HIS
TRANSLATION,
Containing a PARALLEL between
POETRY and P A I N T I N G.
It was thought proper to infer t in this place the pleaimg Preface which Mr. DRYDEN printed before his Translation of M. Du FRESNQY'S Poem. There is a charm in that great writer's Profe peculiar to itfelf ; and tho', perhaps, the Parallel between the two Arts, which he has here drawn, be too fuper- ficial to ftand the teft of ftricl: Criticifm, yet it will ^always give pleafure to Readers of Tafte, even when it fails to fatisfy their Judgment.
Mr.
Mr. D R Y D E N's
PREFACE,
WITH A PARALLEL OF POETRY and PAINTING.
IT may be reafonably expected, that I mould fay fomething on my behalf, in refpect to my prefent undertaking. Firft then, the Reader may be pleafed to know, that it was not of my own choice that I undertook this work. Many of our moft fkilful Painters, and other Artifts, were pleafed to re- commend this Author to me, as one who perfectly underftood the rules of Painting ; who gave the bed and moft concife in- ftructions for performance, and the furefl to inform the judg- ment of all who loved this noble Art; that they who before were rather fond of it, than knowingly admired it, might de- fend their inclination by their reafon > that they might under- hand thofe excellencies which, they blindly valued,, fo as not to be farther impofed on by bad pieces, and. to- know when Nature was well imitated by the mofb able Mailers. It is true indeed, and they acknowledge it, that, befides the rules which are given in this Tr-eatife,, or which can be given in any other, to make a perfect judgment of good pictures, and to value them more or lefs,. when compared with one another, there is farther required a long converfation with thebeft pieces, \vhich are not very frequent either in r ranee or England : yet fome we have, not only from the hands of Holbein,, Rubens, and Vandyke, (one of them admirable for HiAory- pain ting, and the other two for Portraits) but of many Fiemim Matters,, and thcfe not iuconiiderable, though for deilgn not equal, to
the
i44 APPENDIX.
the Italians. And of thefe latter alib, we are not unfurnimed with fome pieces of Raphael, Titian, Correggio, Michael Angelo, and others. But to return to my own undertaking of this tranilation ; I freely own that I thought myfelf un- capable of performing it, either to their fatisfa&ion, or my own credit. Not but that I underftood the original Latin, and the French Author perhaps as well as moft Englimmen ; but I was not fufficiently verfed in the terms of art : And therefore thought that many of thofe perfons, who put this honourable tafk on me, were more able to perform it them- .felves, as undoubtedly they were. But they afTuring me of their affiftance in correcting my faults, where I fpoke impro- perly, I was encouraged to attempt it, that I might not be wanting in what I could, to fatisfy the defires of fo many Gentlemen who were willing to give the world this ufeful work. They have effectually performed their promife to me, and I have been as careful on my fide to take their advice in all things; fo that the reader may afiure himfelf of a tolerable tranf- lation ; not elegant, for I propofed not that to myfelf, but fa- miliar, clear, and inftru.ctive : in any of which parts, if I have failed, the fault lies wholly at my door. In this one particular only, I muft beg the reader's pardon : The Profe Tranilation of the Poem is not free from poetical expreflions, and I dare not promife that fome of them are not fuftian, or at leafl highly metaphorical; but this being a fault in the firft digeftion, (that is, the original Latin) was not to be remedied in the fe- cond, viz. the Translation ; and I may confidently fay, that whoever had attempted it, muft have fallen into the fame in- convenience, or a much greater, that of a falfe veriion. When I undertook this work, I was already engaged in the tranflation of Virgil, from whom I have borrowed only two months, and am now returning to that which I ought to underfland better.
In
APPENDIX. 145
In the mean-time, I beg the reader's pardon for entertaining him fo long with myfelf: It is an ufual part of ill manners in all Authors, and almoft in all mankind, to trouble others with their bulinefs; and I was fo feniible of it beforehand, that I had not now committed it, unlefs fome concernments of the readers had been interwoven with my own. But I know not, while I am atoning for one error, if I am not fall- ing into another : For I have been importuned to fay fome- thing farther of this art; and to make fome obfervations on it, in relation to the Hkenefs and agreement which it has with Poetry its Sifter. But before I proceed, it will not be amifs, if I copy from Bellori (a mod ingenious author) fome part of his idea of a Painter, which cannot be unpleafing, at leaft to fuch who are converfant in the philofophy of Plato ; and to avoid tedioufnefs, I will not tranflate the whole difcourfe, but take and leave, as I find occafion.
" God Almighty, in the fabric of the univerfe, firft con- templated himfelf, and reflected on his own excellencies; from which he drew and conftituted thofe firft forms, which are called Ideas : So that every fpccies which was afterwards ex- purled, was produced from that firft Idea, forming that won- derful contexture of all created Beings. But the celeflial Bodies above the moon being incorruptible, and not fubject to change, remained for ever fair, and in perpetual order. On the contrary, all things which arefublunary, arefubject to change, to deformity, and to decay; and though Nature always in- tends a confummate beauty in her productions, yet, through the inequality of the matter, the forms are altered; and in particular, human beauty fufFers alteration for the worfe, as we fee to our mortification, in the deformities and difpropor- tions which are in us. For which reafon, the artful Painter, and the Sculptor, imitating the Divine Maker, form to them-
T felves,
i46 APPENDIX.
felves, as well as they are able, a model of the fuperior beau- ties ; and, reflecting on them, endeavour to correct and amend the common Nature, and to reprefent it as it was firft created, without fault, either in colour or in lineament.
" This idea, v/hich we may call the Goddefs of Painting and of Scuplture, defcends upon the marble and the cloth, and becomes the original of thofe Arts j and, being meafured by the compafs of the intellect, is itfelf the meafure of the per- forming hand ; and, being animated by the imagination, in- fufes life into the image. The idea of the Painter and the Sculptor is undoubtedly that perfect and excellent example of the mind, by imitation of which imagined form, all things are reprefented which fall under human fight : Such is the definition which is made by Cicero, in his book of the Orator to Brutus. " As therefore in forms and figures, there is " fomewhat which is excellent and perfect, to which imagined " fpecies all things are referred by imitation, which are the " objects of fight; in like manner we behold the fpecies of " Eloquence in our minds, the effigies, or actual image of " which we feek in the organs of our hearing. This is like- " wife confirmed by Proclus, in the Dialogue of Plato, called " Timaeus : If, fays he, you take a man, as he is made by " Nature, and compare him with another who is the effect of " art, the work of Nature will always appear the lefs beauti-
" ful, becaufe Art is more accurate than Nature." But
Zeuxis, who, from the choice which he made of five virgins, drew that wonderful picture of Helena, which Cicero, in his Orator befbre-mentionecJ, fets before us, as the mod perfect example of beauty, at the fame time admonishes a Painter to contemplate the ideas of the moft natural forms; and to make a judicious choice of feveral bodies, all of them the moft ele- gant which he can find: By which we may plainly underfland,
that
APPENDIX.
that he thought it impomble to find in any one body all thofe perfections which he fought for the accomplishment of a Helena, becaufe Nature in any individual perfon makes nothing that is perfed in all its parts. For this reafon Maximus Ty- rius alfo fays, that the image which is taken by a Painter from feveral bodies, produces a beauty, which it is impoffible to find in any fingle natural body, approaching to the perfection of the faireft ftitues. Thus Nature, on this account, is fo much inferior to Art, that thofe Artifts who propofe to them- felves only the imitation or likenefs of fuch or fuch a particu- lar perfon, without election of thofe ideas before-mentioned, have often been reproached for that omiffion. Demetrius was taxed for being too natural ; Dionyiius was alfo blamed for drawing men like us, and was commonly called 'Ar'6pw7ro>pa^@u, that is, a Painter of Men. In our times, Michael Angelo da Caravaggio was efieemed too natural : He drew perfons as they were; and Bamboccio, and mod of the Dutch Painters., have drawn the word likenefs. Lyfippus, of old, upbraided the common fort of Sculptors for making men fuch as they were found in Nature; and boafted of himfelf, that he made them as they ought to be; which is a precept of Ariftotlc, given as well to Poets as to Painters. Phidias raifed an admi- ration even to aftonimment, in thofe who beheld his ftatues, with the forms which he gave to his Gods and Heroes, by imitating the Idea, rather than Nature ; and Cicero, fpeaking of him, affirms, that figuring Jupiter and Pallas, he did not contemplate any object from whence he took any likenefs, but coniidered in his own mind a great and admirable form of beauty, and according to that image in his foul, he directed the operation of his hand. Seneca alfo feems to wonder that Phidias, having never beheld either Jove or Pallas, yet could conceive their divine images in his mind. Apollonius Tyanxus
T 2 fays
148 . . A P P E N D I X.
fays the fame in other words, that the Fancy more inflruds the Painter trian the Imitation ; for the laft makes only the things which it fees, but the firil makes alfo the things which it never fees.
" Leon Battifla Alberti tells us, that we ought not fo much to love the Likenefs as the Beauty, and to choofe from the faired bodies feverally the faired parts. Leonardo da Vinci inflrudts the Painter to form this Idea to himfelf ; and Raphael, the greateft of all modern Mailers, writes thus to Caftiglione, concerning his Galatea: " To paint a fair one, it is necefTary " for me to fee many fair ones ; but becaufe there is fo great a " fcarcity of lovely women, I am constrained to make ufe of " one certain Idea, which I have formed to niyfelf in my own " fancy." Guido Reni fending to Rome his St. Michael, which he had painted for the Church of the Capuchins, at the fame time wrote to Monfignor MafTano, who was the maeftro di cafa (or fleward of the houfe) to Pope Urban VIII. in this manner : '* I wim I had the wings of an angel, to have *< afcended into Paradife, and there to have beheld the forms of «' thofe beatified fpirits, from which I might have copied my " Archangel : But not being able to mount fo high, it was in " vain for me to fearch his refemblance here below ; fo that I " was forced to make an introfpeclion into my own mind, and •« into that Idea of Beauty, which I have formed in my own *' imagination. I have likewife created there the contrary Idea " of Deformity and Uglinefs ; but I leave the confideration of it " till I paint the Devil, and, in the mean-time, fhun the very «' thought of it as much as poflibly I can, and am even Cndea- " vouring to blot it wholly out of my remembrance." There was not any Lady in all antiquity who was Miftrefs of fo much Beauty, as was to be found in the Venus of Gnidus, made by Praxiteles, or the Minerva of Athens, by Phidias, which was
therefore
APPENDIX. 149
therefore called the Beautiful Form. Neither is there any man of the prefent age equal in the ftrength, proportion, and knitting of his limbs, to the Hercules of Farnefe, made by Glycon ; or any woman who can juftly be compared with the Medicean Venus of Ckomenes. And upon this account the nobleft Poets and the beft Orators, when they deflred to cele- brate any extraordinary beauty, are forced to have recourfe to ftatues and pi&ures, and to draw their perfons and faces into comparifon : Ovid, endeavouring to exprefs the beauty of Cyllarus, the faireft of the Centaurs, celebrates him as next in perfection to the moil admirable ftatues:
Gratus in ore vigor, cervix, hurnerique, .manufque,
Pectoraque, artificum laudatis proxima lignis. A pleafing vigour his fair face exprefs'd ; His neck, his hands* his {hculders, and his breaft, Did next in gracefulnefs and beauty (land, To breathing figures, of the Sculptor's hand. In another place he fets Apelles above Venus ; Si Venerem Cois nunquam pinxiiTet Apelles^ Merfa fub asquoreis ilia lateret aquis.
Thus varied.
One birth to feas the Cyprian Goddefs ow'd, A fecond birth the Painter's art beftow'd : Lefs by the feas than by his pow'r was giv'n ; They made her live, but he advanc'd to heav'n. •« The Idea of this Beauty is indeed various, according to the feveral forms which the Painter or Sculptor would defcribe: As one in ftrength, another in magnanimity -, and fometimes it confifts in chearfulnefs, and fometimes in delicacy, and is al- ways diverfified by the fex and age.
«' The beauty of Jove is one, and that of Juno another: Hercules and Cupid are perfect beauties, though of different
T 3 kinds j
1 50 APPENDIX.
kinds ; for beauty is only that which makes all things as they are in their proper and perfect nature, which the beft Painters always choofe, by contemplating the forms of each. We ought farther to confider, that a pi&u.re being the reprefentation of a human action, the Painter ought to retain in his mind the examples of all affections and paffions^ as a Poet preferves the idea of an angry man, of one who is fearful, fad, or merry; and fo of all the reft : For it is impofiible to exprefs that with the hand, which jiever entered into the imagination. In this manner, as I have rudely and briefly (hewn you, Painters and Sculptors choofing the moft elegant, natural beauties, perfec- tionate the Idea, and advance their art, even above Nature itfelf, in her individual productions, which is the utmoft maftery of human performance.
•" From hence arifes that aftomfhment, and almoft adoration, which is paid by the knowing to thofe divine remains of an- tiquity. From hence Phidias, Lylippus, and other noble Sculptors, are flill held in veneration ; and Apelles, Zeuxis, Protogenes, and other admirable Painters, though their works are perilhed, are and will be eternally admired ; who all of them drew after the ideas of perfection; which are the miracles of Nature, the providence of the Underftanding, the exemp- lars of the Mind, the light of the Fancy ; the fun, which, from its rifing, infpired the ftatue of Memnon, and the fire which warmed into life the image of Prometheus : It is thrs which caufes the Graces and the Loves to take up their habi- tations in the hardefl marble, and to fubfift in the emptinefs of light and fhadows. But fince the Idea of Eloquence is as inferior to that of Painting, as the force of words is to the fight, I mull here break off abruptly -, and having conducted the reader, as it were, to a fecret walk, there leave him in the
mkki
APPENDIX. 151
midft of filerice to contemplate thofe ideas which I have only fketched, and which every man muft finifli for himfelf."
In thefe pompous expreffions, or fuch as thefe, the Italian has given you his idea of a Painter; and tho' I cannot mucli commend the ftile, I muft needs fay, there is fomewhat in the matter : Plato himfelf is accuftomed to write loftily, imi- tating, as the critics tell us, the manner of Homer; but, furely, that inimitable Poet had not fo much of fmoke in his writings, though not lefs of fire. But in fhcrt, this is the prefent genius of Italy. What Philoftratus tells us, in the proem of his Figures, is- fomewhat plainer, and therefore I will tranflate it almoft word for word : " He who will rightly govern the Art of Painting, ought, of necefiity, firft to under- hand human Nature. He ought likewife to be endued with a genius, to exprefs the figns of their paflions whom he rep re- fents, and to make the dumb as it were to fpeak : He mud yet farther understand what is contained in the conftitution of the cheeks, in the temperament of the eyes, in the naturalnefs (if I may fo call it) of the eye- brows ; and in (hort, whatfo- cver belongs to the mind and thought. He who thoroughly poflefles all thefe things, will obtain, the whole, and the hand will exquiiitely reprefent the action of every particular perfon; if it happens that he be either mad or angry, melancholic or chearful, a fprightly youth, or a languishing lover : in one word, he will be able to paint whatfoever is proportionable to any one. And even in all this there is a fweet error without caufmg any (ha me : For the eyes and mind of the beholders being fattened on objects which have no real being, as if they were truly exiftent, and being induced by them to believe them fo, what pleafure is it not capable of giving ? The an- tients, and other wife men, have written many things concern- ing the fymmetry, which is in the Art of Painting; conflic- ting
I52 APPENDIX.
ting as it were fome certain laws for the proportion of every member; not thinking it poflible for a Painter to undertake the expreffion of thofe motions which are in the mind, with- out a concurrent harmony in the natural meafure : For that which is out of its own kind and meafure, is not received from Nature, whofe motion is always right. On a ferious confide- ration of this matter, it will be found, that the Art of Painting has a wonderful affinity with that of Poetry, and that there is betwixt them a certain common imagination. For, as the Poets introduce the Gods- and Heroes, and all thofe things which are either majedical, honeft, or delightful ; in like manner, the Painters, by the virtus of their outlines, colours, lights, and fhadows, reprefent the fame things and perfons in their pictures."
Thus, as convoy mips either accompany, or (hould accom- pany-their merchants, till they may profecute the reft of their voyage without danger ; fo Philoftratus has brought me thus far on my way, and lean now fail on without him. He has be- gun to fpeak of the great relation betwixt Painting and Poetry, and thither the greateft pa*t of this difcourfe, by my promife, was directed. I have not engaged myfelf to any perfect me- thod, neither am I loaded with a full cargo : It is furHcient if I bring a fample of fome goods in this voyage. It will be eafy for others to add more, when the commerce is fettled : For a treatife, twice as large as this, of Painting, could not contain all that might be faid on the parallel of thefe two Sifter- Arts. I will take my rife from Bellori before I proceed to the Author of this Book.
The bufmefs of his Preface is to prove, that a learned Painter mould form to himfelf an Idea of perfect Nature. This image he is to fet before his mind in all his undertakings, and to draw from thence, as from a ftorehoufe, the beauties
which
APPENDIX. 153
which are to enter into his work ; thereby correcting Nature from what actually fhe is in individuals, to what (he ought to be, and what die was created. Now as this Idea of Perfection is of little ufe in Portraits, or the refemblances of particular perfons, fo neither is it in the characters of Comedy and Tragedy, which are never to be made perfect, but always to be drawn with fome fpecks of frailty and deficiencej fuch as they have been defcribed to us in hiftory, if they were real characters ; or fuch as the Poet began to {hew them, at their firft appearance, if they were only fictitious, or imaginary. The perfection of fuch ftage characters confifts chiefly in their likenefs to the deficient faulty Nature, which is their original ; only (as it is obferved more at large hereafter) in fuch cafes there will always be found a better likenefs and a worfe, and the better is comtantly to be chofen ; I mean in Tragedy, which reprefents the figures of the higheft form among mankind: Thus, in Portraits, the Painter will not take that fide of the face which has fome notorious blemim in it, but either draw it in profile, as Apelles did Antigonus, who had loft one of his eyes, or elfe fhadow the more imperfect fide ; for an ingenious flattery is to be allowed to the profelTors of both arts, fo long as the likenefs is not deftroyed. It is true, that all manner of imperfections muft not be taken away from the characters ; and the reafon is, that there may be left fome grounds of pity for their misfortunes : We can never be grieved for their miferies who are thoroughly wicked, and have thereby juftly called their calamities on themfelves : Such men are the natural objects of our hatred, not of our commi- feration. If, on the other fide, their characters were wholly perfect, fuch as, for example, the character of a Saint or Martyr in a Play, his or her misfortunes would produce impious thoughts in the beholders ; they would accufe the Heavens of
U injuftice,
i54 APPENDIX.
injuflice, and think of leaving a religion where piety was fo ill requited. I fay the greater part would be tempted fo to do; I fay not that they ought ; and the confequence is too dan- gerous for the practice. In this I have aceufed myfelf for my own St. Catharine; but let truth prevail. Sophocles has taken the juft medium in his Oedipus : He is fomewhat arrogant at his firft enterance, and is too inquifitive through the whole Tragedy; yet thefe imperfections being balanced by great virtues, they hinder not our compaffion for his miferies, nei- ther yet can they deftroy that horror which the nature of his crimes have excited in us. Such in Painting are the warts and moles which, adding alikenefs to- the face, are not, there- fore, to be omitted ; but thefe produce no loathing in us : but how far to proceed, and where to flop, is left to the judgment of the Poet and the tainter. In Comedy there is fomewhafc more of the worfe likenefs to be taken, becaufe that is often to produce laughter, which is occalioned by the fight of fome deformity; but for this I refer the reader to Ariftotle. It is a (harp manner of inftruction for the vulgar, who are never well amended till they are more than fu-fficiently expoied. That I may return to the beginning of this remark, concerning per- fect Ideas, I have only this to fay, that the parallel is often true- in Epic Poetry.
The Heroes of the Poets are to be drawn according to this rule : There is fcarce a frailty to be left in the be ft of them, any more than is to be found in a Divine Nature. And if ./Ericas fometimes weeps, it is not in bemoaning his own miferies, but thofe which his people undergo. If this be an imperfection, the Son of God, when he was incarnate, fhed tears of companion over Jerufalem ; and Lentulus defcribes him often weeping, but never laughing ; fo that Virgil is juftified even from the Holy Scriptures. I have but one word
more,
APPENDIX. 155
more, which for once I will anticipate from the author of this book. Though it muit be an Idea of perfection from which both the Epic Poet and the Hittory Painter draws, yet all perfections are not fuitable to all fubjects, but every one muft be defigned according to that perfect .beauty which is proper to him : An Apollo mult be diftinguifhed from a Jupiter, a Pallas from a Venus ; and fo in Poetry, an ^Eneas from any other Hero, for Piety is his chief perfection. Homer's Achilles is a kind of exception to this rule ; but then he is not a per- fect Hero, nor fo intended by the Poet. All .his Gods had fomewhat of human imperfection, for which he has been taxed by Plato, as an imitator of what was bad. But Virgil obferved his fault and mended it. Yet Achilles was perfect in the ftrength of his body, and the vigor of his mind. Had he been lefs pafTionate or lefs revengeful, the Poet well fore- faw that Hector had been killed, and Troy taken at the firft aflault ; which had deftroyed the beautiful contrivance of his Iliad, and the moral of preventing difcord amongft confederate Princes, which was his principal intention : For the moral (as BofTu obferves) is the fint bufinefs of the Poet, as being the ground- work of his initruction. This being formed, he contrives fuch a defign or fable, as may be moit fuitable to the moral : After this he begins to think of the perfons whom he is to employ in carrying on his defign, and gives them the manners which are moit proper to their feveral characters. The thoughts and words are the laft parts which give beauty and colouring to the piece. When I lay, that the manners of the Hero ought to be good in perfection, I contradict not the Marquis of Normanby's opinion, in that admirable verfe, where, fpeaking of a perfect character, he calls it
" A faultlefs monfter, which the world ne'er knew :" For that excellent Critic intended only to fpeak of Dramatic
U 2 characters,
156 APPENDIX.
characters, and not of Epic. Thus at leaft I have fhewn, that in the moft perfect Poem, which is that of Virgil, a per- fect idea was required and followed j and, confequently, that all fucceeding Poets ought rather to imitate him, than even Homer. 1 will now proceed, as I promifed, to the author of this book : He tells you, almoft in the firft lines of it, that «' the chief end of Painting is to pleafe the eyes j and it is one great end of Poetry to pleafe the mind." Thus far the parallel of the Arts holds true; with this difference, that the principal end of Painting is to pleafe, and the chief defign of Poetry is to inftrucl:. In this, the latter feems to have the advantage of the former. But if we confider the Artifts themfelves on both fides, certainly their aims are the very fame ; they would both make fure of pleafing, and that in preference to inftruc- tion. Next, the means of this pleafure is by deceit : One impofes on the fight, and the other on the underflandrng. Fi&ion is of the eflence of Poetry as well as of Painting ; there is a refemblance in one, of human bodies, things and actions, •which are not real j and in the other, of a true ftory by a fic- tion. And as all ftories are not proper fubjects for an Epic Poem or a Tragedy, fo neither are they for a noble Picture. The fubjeds both of the one and of the other ought to have nothing of immoral, low, or filthy in them; but this being treated at large in the bock itfelf, I wave it, to avoid repe- tition. Only I muft add, that, though Catullus, Ovid, and others, were of another opinion, that the fubjecl: of Poets, and even their thoughts and exprefiions might be loofe, provided their lives were chafte and holy, yet there are no fuch licences permitted in that Art, any more than in Painting to defign and colour obfcene nudities. Vita proba eft, is no excuie ; for it will fcarcely be admitted, that either a Poet or a Painter can be chafte, who give us the contrary examples in their
Writings
APPENDIX. 157
Writings and their Pictures. We fee nothing of this kind in Virgil : That which comes the nearefl to it is the Adven- ture of the Cave, where Dido and ^Eneas were driven by the florin ; yet even there, the Poet pretends a marriage before the confummation, and Juno herfelf was prefent at it. Neither is there any expreffion in that ftory which a Roman Matron might not read without a blufh. Befides, the Poet pafles it over as haflily as he can, as if he were afraid of flaying in the cave with the two lovers, and of being a witnefs to their ac- tions. Now I fuppofe that a Painter would not be much commended, who mould pick out this cavern from the whole JEneis, when there is not another in the work. He had better leave them in their obfcurity, than let in a flam of lightning to clear the natural darknefs of the place, by which he mud difcover himfelf as much as them. The altar-pieces, and holy decorations of Painting, mew that Art may be applied to better ufes as well as Poetry; and,, amongft many other inftances, the Farnefe Gallery, painted by Hannibal Carracci, is a fufficient witnefs yet remaining : The whole work being morally in- flrudive, and particularly the Hercules Bivium, which is a perfect Triumph of Virtue over Vice, as it is wonderfully well defcribed by the ingenious Bellori.
Hitherto I have only told the reader what ought not to be the fubject of a Picture, or of a Poem. What it ought to be on either fide, our Author tells us. It mufl, in general, be great and noble -y and in this the parallel is exactly true. The fubjecl of a Poet, either in Tragedy, or in an Epic Poem, is a great action of fome illuflrious Hero. It is the fame in Paint- ing : not every action, nor every perfon, is conliderable enough to enter into the cloth. It muft be the Anger of an Achilles,, the Piety of an ^Eneas, the Sacrifice .of an Iphigenia, for He*
U 3 roines
i58 APPENDIX,
roines as well as Heroes are comprehended in the rule. But the parallel is more complete in Tragedy than in an Epic Poem : For as a Tragedy may he made out of many particular Epifodes of Homer, or of Virgil ; Co may a noble piciure be defigned out of this or that particular ftory in either author. Hiftory is alfo fruitful of defigns, both for the Painter and the Tragic Poet: Curtius throwing hirnfelf into a gulph, and the two Decii facrificing themfelves for the fafety of their country, are fubjects for Tragedy and Picture. Such is Scipio, refto- ring the Spanim Bride, whom he either loved, or may be fuppofed to love ; by which he gained the hearts of a great nation, to intereft themfelves for Rome againft Carthage : Thefe are all but particular pieces in Livy's Hiftory, and yet are full, complete fubjects for the pen and pencil. Now the reafon of this is evident : Tragedy and Picture are more nar- rowly circumfcribed by the mechanic rules of Time and Place than the Epic Poem : The Time of this laft is kft indefinite. It is true, Homer took up only the fpace of eight and forty days for his Iliad; but whether Virgil's action was .compre- hended in a year, or fomewhat more, is .not determined by BofTu. Homer made the Place of his action Troy, and the Grecian camp befieging it. Virgil introduces his ./Eneas fome- times in Sicily, fometimes in Carthage, an-d other times at Cumae, before he brings him to Laurentum ; and even after that, he wanders again to the kingdom of Evandrr, and fome parts of Tufcany, before he returns to finim the war by the death of Turnus. But Tragedy, according to the practice of the Antients, was .always .confined within the compais of twenty-four hours, and feldom takes -up io much time. As for the place of it, it was always one, and that not in a larger fenfe, as, for example, a whole -city, or two or three feveral houfes in it, but the market, or fome other public place,
common
APPENDIX. 1-59
common to the Chorus and all the Actors : Which eftablimed law of theirs, I have not an opportunity to examine in this place, becaufe I cannot do it without digreffion from my fub- ject, though it feems too ftridt at the firfl appearance, becaufe it excludes all fecret intrigues, which are the beauties of the modern ftage; for nothing can be carried on with privacy, when the Chorus is fuppofed to be always prefent. But to proceed : I muft fay. this to the advantage of Painting, even above Tragedy, that what this laft reprefents in the fpace of many hours, the former {hews us in one moment. The action, the p3;lion,. and the manners of fo many perfons as are con- tained.in a picture, are to be difcerned at. once- in the twinkling of an = tyej at lead they would be fo, if the fight could travel over fo many different objects all at once, or the mind could digefl them all at the fame inftant, or- point of time. Thus, in the famous picture of. Pouffin, which reprefents the InfK- tution of the blefTed Sacrament, you fee our Saviour and his twelve Difciples, all concurring in the fame action, after dif- ferent manners, and in different poflures -,. only the manners of Judas are diftinguilhed from the reft. Here is but one in- divifibie point of time obfer.ved ; but one action performed by fo many perfons, in one room, and at the fame table ; yet the eye cannot comprehend at once the whole object, not the mind follow it fo fafl | it is confidered at leifure, and" feen by inter- vals. Such are the fubjects of noble pictures, and fuch are only to be undertaken by noble hands. There are other parts of Nature which are meaner, and yet are the fubjecls both of Painters and of Poets.
For to proceed in the parallel; as Comedy is a reprefenta- tion of human life in inferior perfons and low fubjects, and by that means creeps into the Nature of Poetry, and is a kind of Juniper, a flirub belonging to the fpecies of Cedar; fo is the
painting
s6o APPENDIX.
painting of Clowns, the reprefentation of a Dutch Kermis, the brutal fport of Snick-or-Snee, and a thoufand other things of this mean invention, a kind of picture which belongs to Nature, but of the loweft form. Such is a Lazar in compa- rifon to a Venus ; both are drawn in human figures ; they have faces alike, though not like faces. There is yet a lower fort of Poetry and Painting, which is out of Nature ; for a Farce is that in Poetry which Grotefque is in a Picture : The per- fons and action of a Farce are all unnatural, and the manners falfe; that is, inconfifting with the characters of mankind. Grotefque Painting is the juft refemblance of this; and Horace begins his Art of Poetry, by defcribing fuch a figure with a man's head, a horfe's neck, the wings of a bird, and a fifh's tail,, parts of different fpecies jumbled together, according to the mad imagination of the Dauber ; and the end of all this, as he tells you afterward, is to caufe laughter : A very mon- fter in Bartholomew Fair, for the mob to gape at for their twopence. Laughter is indeed the propriety of a man, but juft enough to diftinguifli him from his elder brother with four legs. It is a kind of baftard-pleafure too, taken in at the eyes of the vulgar gazers, and at the ears of the beaftly audience. Church-painters ufe it to divert the honeft country man at public prayers, and keep his eyes open at a heavy fer- mon ; and farce-fcribblers make ufe of the fame noble inven- tion to entertain Citizens, Country Gentlemen, and Covent- Garden Fops : If they are merry, all goes well on the Poet's fide. The better fort go thither too, but in defpair of fenfe and the juft images of Nature, which are the adequate pleafures of the mind. But the Author can give the ftage no better . than what was given him by Nature ; and the Actors muft reprefent fuch things as they are capable to perform, and by which both they and the Scribbler may get their living. Af- ter
A P P E N D I X. ... 161 ter all, it is a good Thing to laugh at any rate; and if a ftraw can tickle a man, it is an inftrument of happinefs. Beads can weep when they fuffer, but they cannot laugh : And, as Sir William Davenant obferves, in his Preface to Gondibert, :( It is the wifdom of a government to permit Plays," (he might have added Farces) " as it is the prudence of a carter to put bells upon his horfes to make them carry their burdens chearfully."
I have already (hewn, that one main end of Poetry and Painting is to pleafe, and have faid fomething of the kinds of both, and of their fubjeds, in which they bear a great refem- blance to each other. I mufb now confider them as they are great and noble Arts ; and as they are arts, they muft have rules which may diredt them to their common end.
To all Arts and Sciences, but more particularly to thefe, may be applied what Hippocrates fays of Phyfic, as I find him cited by an eminent French critic. " Medicine has long fubfifled in the world ; the principles of it are certain, and it has a certain way ; by both which there has been found, in the courfe of many ages, an infinite number of things, the experience of which has confirmed its ufefulnefs and goodnefs. All that is wanting to the perfection of this art, will undoubt- edly be found, if able men, and fuch as are inftrudted in the antient rules, will make a farther inquiry into it, and endea- vour to arrive at that which is hitherto unknown by that which is already known. But all, who having rejected the antient rules, and taken the oppofite ways, yet boafl themfelves to be Matters of this Art, do but deceive others, and arc themfelves deceived ; for that is abfolutely impoflible."
This is notorioufly true in thefe two Arts ; for the way to pleafe being to imitate Nature, both the Poets and the Painters in antient times, and in the beft ages, have ftudied
X her;
162 APPENDIX.
her -y and from the practice of both thefe Arts the rules have been drawn, by which we are inftructed how to pleafe, and to compafs that end which they obtained, by following their ex- ample ; for Nature is ftill the fame in all ages, and can never be contrary to herfelf. Thus, from the practice of ^Efchylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, Ariftotle drew his rules for Tragedy, and Philoftratus for Painting. Thus, amongfb the moderns, the Italian and French critics, by fludying the precepts of Ariftotle and Horace, and having the example of the Grecian Poets before their eyes, have given us the rules of modern Tragedy ; and thus the critics of the fame countries, in the Art of Painting, have given the precepts of perfecting that art. It is true, that Poetry has one advantage over Painting in thefe laft ages, that we have ftill the remaining examples both of the Greek and Latin Poets ; whereas the Painters have nothing left them from Apelles, Protogenes, Parrhafius, Zeuxis, and the reft, but only the teftimonies which are given of their incomparable works. But inftead of this, they have fome of their beft ftatues, bailb- relievos, columns, obelifks, &c. which are faved out of the common ruin, and are ftill prefer- ved in Italy; and by well diftinguifhing what is proper to Sculpture, and what to Painting, and what is common to them both, they have judicioufly repaired that lofs ; and the great genius of Raphael and others, having fucceeded to the times of barbarifm and ignornance, the knowledge of Painting is now arrived to a fupreme perfection*, tho? the performance of it is much declined in the prefent age. The greateft age for Poetry amongft the Romans, was certainly that of Au- guftus Casfar ; and yet we are told, that Painting was then at its loweft ebb, and perhaps Sculpture was alfo declining at the fame time. In the reign of Domitian, and feme who fucceed- ed him, Poetry was but meanly cultivated, but Painting emi- nently
APPENDIX. 163
nently flourimed. I am not here to give the Hiftory of the two Arts, how they were both in a manner extinguifhed by the irruption of the barbarous nations, and both reftored about the times of Leo X. Charles V. and Francis I. tho' I might obferve, that neither Ariofto, nor any of his cotemporary Poets, ever arrived at the excellency of Raphael, Titian, and the reft in Painting. But in revenge, at this time, or lately in many countries, Poetry is better practifed than her Sifter- Art. To what height the magnificence and encouragement of the prefent King of France may carry Painting and Sculpture is uncertain ; but by what he has done before the war in which he is engaged, we may expect what he will do after the happy conclufion of a peace ; which is the prayer and wi(h of all thofe who have not an intereft to prolong the miferies of Europe. For it is moft certain, as our Author, amongft others, has ob- ferved, that Reward is the fpur of virtue, as well in all good arts, as in all laudable attempts; and Emulation, which is the other fpur, will never be wanting either amongft Poets or Painters, when particular rewards and prizes are propofed to the beft defervers. But to return from this digreffion, though it was almoft neceflary, all the rules of Painting are methodi- cally, concifely, and yet clearly delivered in this prefent treatife which I have tranflated : Boffu has not given more exact rules for the Epic Poem, nor Dacier for Tragedy, in his late ex- cellent Tranflation of Ariftotle, and his Notes upon him, than our Frefnoy has made for Painting; with the parallel of which I muft refume my difcourfe, following my Author's Text, though with more brevity than I intended, becaufe Virgil calls me.
" The principal and moft important part of Painting is to know what is moft beautiful in Nature, and moft proper for that art." That which is the moft beautiful is the moft noble
X 2 fubject;
1 64 APPENDIX.
fubject ; fo in Poetry, Tragedy is more beautiful than Comedy, becaufe, as I faid, the perfons are greater whom the Poet in- ftru&s; and, consequently, the inflruc"lions of more benefit to mankind : the action is Jikewife greater and more noble, and thence is derived the greater and more noble pleafure.
To imitate Nature well in whatfoever fubjed:, is the perfec- tion of both Arts ; and that Picture, and that Poem, which comes neareft the refemblance of Nature, is the beft: But it follows not, that what pleafes mod in either kind is therefore good, but what ought to pleafe. Our depraved appetites and ignorance of the arts miflead our judgments, and caufe us often to take that for true Imitation of Nature, which has no refemblance of Nature in it. To inform our Judgments, and to reform our Taftes, rules were invented, that by them we might difcern when Nature was imitated, and how nearly. I have been forced to recapitulate thefe things, becaufe mankind is not more liable to deceit than it is willing to continue in a pleafing error, ftrengthened by a long habitude. The imita- tion of Nature is therefore juftly conftituted as the general, and indeed the only rule of pleaiing, both in Poetry and Painting. Ariftotle tells us, that Imitation pleafes, becaufe it affords matter for a reafoner to inquire into the truth or falfe- hood of Imitation, by comparing its likenefs or unlikenefs with the original : But by this rule, every fpeculation in Na- ture, whofe truth falls under the inquiry of a Philofopher, mud produce the fame delight, which is not true. I fhould rather affign another reafon : Truth is the object of our Un- derftanding, as Good is of our Will; and the undemanding can no more be delighted with a lie, than the will can choofe an apparent evil. As truth is the End of all our fpeculations, fo the difcovery of it is the Pleafure of them; and fince a true knowledge of Nature gives us pleafure, a lively imitation of
it,
APPENDIX. 165
it, either in Poetry or Painting, muft of necerTity produce a much greater: For both thefe arts, as I faid-before, are not only true imitations of Nature, but of the. heft Nature, of that which is wrought up to a nobler pitch.-- They prefent us with images more perfect than the life in any individual ; and we have the pleafure to fee all the feattered beauties of Nature united by a happy Chemiftry without its deformities or faults. They are imitations of the paflions which always move, and therefore confequently pleafe; for without motion there can be no delightj, which cannot be confidered but as an active paffion. When -we view thefe elevated ideas of Nature, the refult of that view- is 'Admiration, which, is always the caufe of pleafure.
This foregoing remark, which gives the reafon why Imita- tion pleafes, was lent me by Mr. Walter Moyle, a moll in- genious young Gentleman, converfant in all the ftudies of Humanity, much above his years. He had alfo furnifhed me, according to my --requefr, with all the particular paffages in Ariftotle and Horace, . which are ufed by them to explain the Art of Poetry by that of Painting; which, if ever I have time to retouch this Ell ay, (hall be infer ted in their places. Having thus fhewn- that Imitation pkafes, and why it pleafes in both thefe arts, it follows, that fome rul-es of imitation are neceffary to obtain the end;- for without ruks there can be no art, any more than- there can be a houfe without a door to cond.ua you into it* The principal, parts of Painting and Poetry next follow.
INVENTION is thenrft part, and abfolutely neceffary to them both; yet no rule ever was or ever can be given how to coin- pafs it. A happy Genius is the gift of Nature; it depends on the influence of the ftarsy fay the Aftrologers ; on the or- gans of the body, fay the NaturaH(h; it is the particular gift
X 3 of
166 APPENDIX.
of heaven, fay the Divines, both Chriftians and Heathens. How to improve it, many books can teach us ; how to obtain it, none; that nothing can be done without it, all agree :
Tu nihil invita dices facieive Minerva.
Without Invention a Painter is but a Copier, and a Poet but a Plagiary of others. Both are allowed fometimes to copy and tranflate ; but, as our Author tells you, that is not the beft part of their reputation. " Imitators are but a fervile kind of cattle," fays the Poet; or at beft, the keepers of cattle for other men : They have nothing which is properly their own ; that is a fufficient mortification for me, while I am tranflating Virgil. But to copy the beft author is a kind of praife, if I perform it as I ought; as a copy after Raphael is more to be commended than an original of any indifferent Painter.
Under this head of Invention is placed the Difpofition of the work, to put all things in a beautiful order and harmony, that the whole may be of a piece. " The competitions of the Painter fhould be conformable to the text of antient authors, to the cuftoms, and the times;" and this is exactly the fame in Poetry : Homer and Virgil are to be our guides in the Epic; Sophocles and Euripides in Tragedy : In all things we are to imitate the cuftoms and the times of thofe perfons and things which we reprefent : Not to make new rules of the Drama, as Lopez de Vega has attempted unfuccefsfully to do, but to be content to follow our Mafters, who underftood Nature better than we. But if the ftory which we treat be modern, we are to vary the cuftoms, according to the time and the country where the fcene of action lies; for this is ftill to imi- tate Nature which is always the fame, though in a different drefs.
As " in the composition of a picture, the Painter is to take care that nothing enter into it, which is not proper or con- venient
APPENDIX. 167
venient to the fubject;" fo likewife is the Poet to reject all inci- dents which are foreign to his Poem, and are naturally no parts of it : They are wens, and other excrefcences, which belong not to the body, but deform it. No perfon, no incident in the piece, or in the play, but muft be of ufe to carry on the main defign. All things elfe ar? like fix fingers to the hand, when Nature, which is fuperfluous in nothing, can do her work with five. " A Painter mud reject all trifling ornaments;" fo muft a Poet refufe all tedious and unneceffary defcriptions. A robe, which is too heavy, is lefs an ornament than a burden. In Poetry, Horace calls thefe thingsr
Verfus inopes rerumr nugaeque canorsc.
Thefe are alfo the lucus & ara Dianae, which he mentions in the fame Art of Poetry : But fmce there muft be ornaments, both in Painting and Poetry, if they are not necefTary, they muft at leaft be decent; that is, in their due place, and but moderately ufed. The Painter is not to take fo much pains about the drapery, as about the face, where the principal re- femblance lies ; neither is the Poet, who is working up a paf- iion to make fimiles, which will certainly make it languim. My Montezuma dies with a fine one in his mouth, but it is out of feafon. Where there are more figures in a picture than are necefTary, or at leaft ornamental, our author calls them " Figures to be lett," becaufe the picture has no ufe of them : So I have feen in fome modern plays above twenty actors, when the ac- tion has not required half the number. In the principal figures of a picture, the Painter is to employ the finews of his art, for in them confifts the principal beauty of his work. Our Author faves me the comparifon with Tragedy: for he fays, that " herein he is to imitate the Tragic Poet, who em- ploys his utmoft force in thofe places, wherein confifts the
height and beauty of the action,"
Du
i£8 APPENDIX.
Du Frefnoy, whom I follow, makes DESIGN, or Drawing, the fecond part of Painting; but the rules which he gives concerning the pofture of the figures are almoft wholly proper to that art, and admit not any comparifon, that 1 know, with Poetry. The pofture of a poetic figure is, as I con- ceive, the defcription of his heroes in the performance of fuch or fuch an action ;; as of Achilles, juft in the act of killing Hector; or of -/Eneas, - who has Turnus under him. Both the Poet and the Painter vary the poftures, according to the action or .-pafTion, which they reprefcnt of the fame perfon. ;But all mud be great and graceful in them. The fame ^neas rnuft be drawn a fuppliant to Dido, with re- ,fpe6t 'in his geftures, and humility in his eyes; but when he .is forced, in his own defence, to kill ;Laufus, the Poet mews him compaflionate, and tempering the feverity of his looks with a reluctance to the action, which he is going to perform. He has pity on his beauty and his youth, and js loth to-deftroy fuch a mafter-piece of Nature. He confiders Laufus refcuing his father, at the hazard of his own life, as an image of him- felf, when he took Anchifes on his moulders, and bore him fafe through the rage of the fire, and the oppofition of his enemies ; and therefore, in the pofture of a retiring man, who avoids the combat, he ftretches out his arm in fign of peace, with his right foot drawn a little back, and his breaft bending inward, more like an orator than a foldier; and feems to dif- fuade the young man from pulling on his deftiny, by attempt- ing more than he was able to perform. Take the paiTage as I have thus tranflated it :
Shouts of applaufe ran ringing through the field,
To fee the fon the vanquilh'd father mield :
All, fir'd with noble emulation, ftrive,
And with a ftorm of darts to diftance drive
The
APPENDIX. 169
The Trojan chief; who held at bay, from far
On his Vulcanian orb, fuftain'd the war.
JEneas thus o'erwhelm'd on ev'ry fide,
Their firft afTault undaunted did abide;
And thus to Laufus, loud, with friendly threatning cry'd,(
Why wilt thou rufti to certain death, and rage
In ram attempts beyond thy tender age,
Betray'd by pious Love ?
And afterwards,
He gnev'd, he wept, the fight an image brought
Of his own filial love; a fadly pleafing thought." But, befide the outlines of the pofture, the Defign of the pic- ture comprehends in the next place the " forms effaces, which are to be different ;" and fo in a Poem, or Play, muft the feve- ral characters of the perfons be diftinguimed from each other. I knew a Poet, whom out of refpect I will not name, who, being too witty himfelf, could draw nothing but Wits in a Comedy of his ; even his Fools were infected with the difeafe of their Author : They overflowed with fmart repartees, and were only diftinguifhed from the intended Wits, by being called Coxcombs, though they deferved not fo fcandalous a name. Another, who had a great genius for Tragedy, follow- ing the fury of his natural temper, made every man and wo- man too, in his Plays, ftark raging mad; there was not a fober perfon to be had for love or money; all was tempeftuous and bluftering; heaven and earth were coming together at every word ; a mere hurricane from the beginning to the end; and every actor feemed to be haftening on the day of judg- ment !
" Let every member be made for its own head," fays our Author, not a withered hand to a young face. So in the per-
Y fons
i7o APPENDIX.
fons of a Play, whatever is &id or done by any of them, muft be confiitent with the manners which the Poet has given them diftin&ly; and even the habits muft be proper to the degrees and humours of the perlbns as well as in a picture. He who entered in the firft act a young man, like Pericles Prince of Tyre, muft not be in danger, in the fifth act, of committing inceft with his daughter; nor an ufurer, without great pro- bability and caufes of repentance, be turned into a cutting Moorcraft.
I am not fatisfied that the comparifon betwixt the two Arts,.. in the laft paragraph, is altogether fo juft as it might haver been ; but I am fure of this which follows.
" The principal figure of the fubject muft appear in the midft of the picture, under the principal light, to diftinguifh it from the reft, which are only its attendants." Thus in a Tragedy, or an Epic Poem, the hero of the piece muft be advanced foremoft to the view of the reader or fpectator : He muft outmine the reft of all the characters ; he muft appear the prince of them, like the fun in the Copernican Syftem, encompafled with the lefs noble planets. Becaufe the Hero is the centre of the main action, all the lines from the circum- ference tend to him alone ; he is the chief object of pity in the Drama, and of admiration in the Epic Poem.
As in a picture, befides the principal figures which compofe it, and are placed in the midft of it, there are lefs " groupes, or knots of figures difpofed at proper diftances," which are parts of the piece, and feem to carry on the fame defign in a more inferior manner: So in Epic Poetry there are Epifodes, and a Chorus in Tragedy, which are members of the action,, as growing out of it, not inferred into it. Such, in the ninth, book of the fiLneis, is the Epifode of Nifus and Euryalus:
the
APPENDIX. i7i
the adventure belongs to them alone j they alone are the ob- jects of companion and admiration ; but their bufmeis which they carry on, is the general concernment of the Trojan camp, then beleaguered by Turnus and the Latines, as the Chriftians I were lately by the Turks : They were to advertife the chief Hero of the diuretics of his fubjects, occafioned by his abfence, to crave his fuccour, and folicit him to hairen his return.
The Grecian Tragedy was at firft nothing but a Chorus of Singers j afterwards one actor was introduced, which was the Poet himfelf, who entertained the people with a difcourfe in verfe, betwixt the paufes of the fmging. This fucceeding with the people, more actors were added to make the variety the greater ; and in procefs of time the Chorus only fung betwixt the acts, and the Coryphaeus, or chief of them, fpoke for the reft, as an actor concerned in the bufmefs of the Play.
Thus Tragedy was perfected by degrees, and being arrived at that perfection, the Painters might probably take the hint from thence, of adding groupes to their pictures ; but as a good Picture may be without a groupe, fo a good Tragedy may fubfift without a Chorus, notw-ithftanding any reafons which have been given by Dacier to the contrary,
Moniieur Racine has indeed ufed it in his Eftber, but not that he found any neceffity of it, as the French Critic would infinuate. The Chorus at St. Cyr was only to give the young Ladies an occafion of entertaining the King with vocal mufic, and of commending their own voices. The play itfelf was never intended for the public ftage-j nor, without any difpa- ragement to the learned Author, could pombly have fucceeded there, and much kfs in the tranflation of it here. Mr. Wycherley, when we read it together, was of my opinion in this, or rather I of his 5 for it becomes me fo to fpeak of fo
Y 2 excellent,
j72 APPENDIX.
excellent a Poet, and fo great a Judge. But fince I am in this place, as Virgil fays, " Spatiis exclufus iniquis," that is, fhort- ened in my time, I will give no other reafon than that it is impracticable on our ftage. A new theatre, much more ample, and much deeper, muft be made for that purpofe, beiides the coft- of fometimes forty or fifty habits, which is an expence too large to be fupplied by a company of actors. It is true, I (hould not be forry to fee a Chorus on a theatre, more than as large and as deep again as ours, built and adorned at a King's charges ; and on that condition and another, which is, that my hands were not bound behind me, as now they are, I fhould not defpair of making fuch a 5 ragedy, as might be both inftructive and delightful, according to the manner of the Grecians.
'* To make a fketch, or a more perfect model of a picture," is, in the language of Poets, to draw up the Scenery of a Play i and the reafon is the fame for both •, to guide the undertaking, and to preferve the remembrance of fuch things whofe natures are difficult to retain.
To avoid abfurdities and incongruities is the fame law efta- blifhed for both Arts. " The Painter is not to paint a cloud at the bottom of a picture, but in the uppermoft parts ;" nor the Poet to place what is proper to the End or Middle in the Be- ginning of a Poem. I might enlarge on this; but there are few Poets or Painters who can be fuppofed to fin fo grofsly againft the Laws of Nature and of Art. I remember only one Play, and for once I will call it by its name, T/je Slighted Maid, where there is nothing in the firft act but what might have been faid or done in the fifth; nor any thing in the Midft which might not have been placed as well in the Beginning or the End.
"To
APPENDIX. 173
st To exprefs the paffions, which are feated on the heart by outward figns," is one great precept of the Painters, and very difficult to perform. In Poetry the fame paffions and motions of the mind are to be exprefTed ; and in this confifts the principal difficulty, as well as the excellency of that Art. "This," fays my Author, "is the gift of Jupiter;" and, to fpeak in the fame Heathen language, We call it the gift of our Apollo, not to be obtained by pains or ftudy, if we are not born to it : For the motions which are ftudied are never fo natural as thofe which break out in the height of a real paffion. Mr. Otway pofTelled this part as thoroughly as any of the antients or moderns. I will not defend every thing in his Venue Preferred; but I.muft bear this teftimony to his memory, that the paffions are truly touched in it, though, perhaps, there is fomewhat to be defired both in the grounds of them, and in the height and elegance of expreffion; but Nature is there, which is the greateft beauty.
" In the paffions," fays our Author, " we muft have a very great regard to the quality of the perfons who are actually pofleffed with them." The joy of a Monarch for the news of a victory mufl not be expreffed like the extafy of a Harlequin on the receipt of a letter from his Miftrefs : This is fo much the fame in both the Arts, that it is no longer a comparifon. What he fays of face-painting, or the portrait of any one par- ticular perfon, concerning the likenefs, is alfo applicable to Poetry: In the character of an hero, as w-ell as in an inferior figure, there is a better or worfe likenefs to be taken 5 the better is a panegyric, if it be not falfe, and the worfe is a libel. Sophocles, fays Ariftotle, always drew men as they ought to be; that is, better than they were. Another, whole name I have forgotten, drew them worfe than naturally they
Y 3 were.
•174 APPENDIX,
were. Euripides altered nothing in the character, but made them fuch as they were reprefented by Hiftory, Epic Poetry, or Tradition. Of the three, the draught of Sophocles is moft commended by Ariftotle. I have followed it in that part of Oedipus which I writ ; though, perhaps, I have made him too good a man. But my characters of Anthony and Cleopatra, though they are favourable to them, have nothing of outrageous panegyric ; their pafiions were their own, and fuch as were given them by Hiitory, only the deformities of them were can: into madows, that they might be objects of compaffion : .whereas, if I had, choieri a noon-day light for them, xfomewhat mud have been difcovered, which would ra- ther have moved our hatred than our pity.
" The Gothic manner, and the barbarous ornaments which are to be avoided in a pidure," are juft the fame with thofe in *m ill-ordered Play. For example; our Englifh Tragi-comedy muft be confefled to be wholly Gothic, notwithstanding the foccefs. which it has found upon our theatre; and in the P aft or Ftdo of Guarini, .even though Corifca and the Satyr contribute fotnewhat to the main adion : Neither can I defend my Spanijh Friar, as fond as otherwife I am of it, from this imputation ; for though the comical parts are diverting, and the ferious moving, yet they are of an unnatural mingle : for mirth and gravity deftroy each other, and are no more to be allowed for decent, than a gay widow laughing in a mourning habit.
I had almoft forgot one confiderable refemblance. Du Frefnoy tells us, " That the figures of the groupes muft not be all on a fide, that js, with their faces and bodies all turned the fame way, but .muft contraft each other by their feveral petitions." Thus in a Play, fome characters muft be raifed to oppofe others, and to fet them off the better, according to "
the
APPENDIX. 175
the old maxim, " Contraria juxta fe pofita, magis elucefcunt." Thus in the Scornful Lady, the Ufurer is fent to confront tht Prodigal : Thus in my Tyrannic Love, the Atheift Maximin is oppofed to the character of St. Catharine.
I am now come, though with the omifiion of many like-- nefles, to the third part of Painting, which is called' the CHRO- MATIC or COLOURING. Expreffion, and all that belongs to words, is that in a Poem which Colouring is in a- Picture. The colours well chofen, in their proper places, together witH the lights and (hadows which belong to them, lighten the de- fign, and make it pleafing to the eye. The Words, the Ex- preffions, the Tropes and Figures, the Verification, and all the other elegancies of found, as cadences, turns of words upon the thought, and: many other things, which are all parts of expreffion, perform exactly the fame office both in Dramatic and Epic Poetry. Our Author calls colouring, " lena fororis ;" in plain English, the Bawd of her- Sifter,, the defign or draw- ing ; (he clothes, me drefTes her up, me paints her, me makes her appear more lovely than naturally ihe is, me procures for the defign, and makes lovers for her; for the defign of itfelf is only fo>many naked lines. Thus in Poetry, the Ex- preffion is that which charms the reader, and beautifies the Defign, which is only the outlines of the fables. It is true, the defign muft of itfelf be good; if it be vicious, or, in one word, unpleafing, the coft of colouring is thrown away upon it. It is an ugly woman in a rich habit, fet out with jewels ; nothing can become her. But granting the defign to be mode- rately good, it is like an excellent complexion with indifferent features 5 the white and red well mingled on the face, make what was before but pafiable,. appear beautiful. " Operum Colores" is the very word which Horace ufes to fignify Words
and,
176 A P P E N D I X.
and elegant Expreffion, of which he himfelf was fo great Mafter in his Odes. Amongft the Antients, Zeuxis was moft famous for his colouring; amongft the Moderns, Titian and Correggio. Of the two antient Epic Poets, who have fo far excelled all the moderns,, the Invention and Defign were the particular talents of Homer. Virgil muft yield to him in both ; for the defign of the Latin was borrowed from the Grecian : But the " Diclio Virgiliana," the Expreflion of Virgil, his Colouring, was incomparably the better ; and in that I have always endeavoured to copy him. Moft of the pedants, I know, maintain the contrary, and will have Homer excel even in this part. But of all people, as they are the moft ill-mannered, fo they are the worft judges, even of words which are their province; they feldom know more than the grammatical conftruclion, unlefs they are born with a poetical genius, which is a rare portion amongft them : Yet fome, I know, may ftand excepted, and fuch I honour. Virgil is fo exact in every word, that none can be changed but for a worfe ; nor any one removed from its place, but the harmony will be altered. He pretends fometimes to trip; but it is only to make you think him in danger of a fall, when he is moft fecure. Like a fkilful dancer on the ropes (if you will pardon the meannefs of the fimilitude) who flips willingly and makes a feeming ftumble, that you may think him in great hazard of breaking his neck, while at the fame time he is only giving you a proof of liis .dexterity. My late Lord Rofcommon was often pleafed with this reflection, and with the examples of it in this admirable Author.
I have not leifure -to run through the whole comparifon of lights and fhadows with tropes and figures; yet I cannot but take notice of metaphors, which, like them, have power to
leflen
APPENDIX, 177
leflen or greaten any thing. Strong and glowing colours are the juft refemblances of bold metaphors, but both mutt be judicioully applied; for there is a difference betwixt Daring and Fool-hardinefs. Lucan and Statius often ventured them too far ; our Virgil never. But the great defeat of the Phar- falia and the 'Thebals was. in the defign -y if that had been more perfect, we might have forgiven many of their bold ftrokes in the colouring, or at leaft excufed them; yet fome of them are fuch as Demofthenes or Cicero could not have de- fended* Virgil, if he could have feen the firft verfes of the Sylvte, would have thought Statius mad in his fuftian defcrip- iion of the Statue on the Brazen Horfe : But that Poet was always in a foam at his fetting out, even before the motion of the race had warmed him. The fobernefs of Virgil whom he read, it feems to little purpofe, might hsve fhewn him the difference betwixt '. " Arm a virumque cano, and Magnanimum seacidem, formidatamque tonanti progeniem." But Virgil knew how to rife by degrees in his expreffions : Statius was in his towering heights at the firft ftretch of his pinions. The de- fcription of his running horfe, juft ftarting in the funeral games for Archemorus, though the verfes are wonderfully fine, are the true image of their author : Stare adeo nefcit, pereunt veftigia mille Ante fugam $ abfentemque ferit gravis ungula campum. Which would coft me an hour, if I had the leifure to tranflate them, there is fo much of beauty in the original. Virgil, as he better knew his colours, fo he knew better how and where to place them. In as much hafte as I am, I cannot forbear giving one example.: It is faid of him, that he read the fecond, fourth, and fixth books of his ^Eneis to Auguftus Casfar. In the fixth (which we are fare he read, becaufe we know Oc-
Z tavia
i78 APPENDIX.
tavia was prefent, who rewarded him fo bountifully for the twenty verfes which were made in honour of her deceafed Ion Marcellus) ; in this lixth book, I fay, the Poet, fpeaking of Mifenus, the trumpeter, fays,
:< Quo non prasftantior alter,
JEre ciere viros, = —
and broke off in the hemiftich, or midft of the verfe ; but in the very reading, feized as it were -with a divine fury, he made up the latter part of the hemiftich with thefe following
words.,
• Martemque accendere cantu.
How warm, nay, how glowing a colouring is this ! In the beginning of the verfe, the word as, or brafs, was taken for a trumpet, becaufe the inftrument was made of that metal, which of itfelf was fine; but in the latter end, which was made extempore, you fee three metaphors, Martemque,
accendere,-, cantu. Good Heavens ! how the plain fenfe is
raifed by the beauty of the words. But this was Happinefs, the former might be only Judgment. This was the " curiofa felicitas" which Petronius attributes to Horace. It is the pencil thrown luckily full upon the horfe's mouth, to exprefs the foam, which the Painter, with all his ikill, could not perform without it. Thefe hits of words a true Poet often finds, as I may fay, without feeking; but he knows their value when he finds them, and is infinitely pleafed. A bad Poet may fometimes light on them, but he difcerns not a diamond from a Briftol ftone ; and would have been of .the cock's mind in jEfop, a grain of Barley would have pleafed him better than the jewel. The lights and madows which belong to colouring, put me in mind of that verfe of Horace, Hoc amat obfcurum, vult hoc fub luce videri.
Some
A P P E N D I X. 179
Some parts of a Poem require to be amply written, and with all the force and elegance of words : others mud be caft into fhadows; that is, patted over in filence, or but faintly touched. This belongs wholly to the judgment of the Poet and the Painter. The moft beautiful parts of the Picture and the Poem muft be the mod: finished j the colours and words moft chofen j many things in both, which are not deferving of this care, muft be miffed off, content with vulgar expreffions ; and thofe very fhort, and left, as in a fhadow, to the imagi- nation of the reader.
We have the proverb, " Manum de tabula," from the Painters, which fignifies to know when to give over, and to lay by the pencil. Both Homer and Virgil pradifed this precept wonderfully well ; but Virgil the better of the two. Homer knew that when Hedor was flain, Troy was as good as already taken; therefore he concludes his adion there: For what follows in the funerals of Patroclus, and the re- demption of Hedor's body, is not, properly fpeaking, a part of the main adion. But Virgil concludes with the death of Turnus ; for, after that difficulty was removed, ^neas might marry, and eftabliih the Trojans when he pleafed. This rule I had before my eyes in the conclufion of the Spanifli Friar, when the difcovery was made that the King was living; which was the knot of the Play untied : the reft is mut up in the compafs of fome few lines, becaufe nothing then hindered the happinefs of Torifmond and Leonora. The faults of that Drama are in the kind of it, which is Tragi- comedy. But it was given to the people, and I never writ any thing for rnyfelf but Anthony and Cleopatra.
This remark, I muft acknowledge, is not fo proper for the colouring as the defign; but it will hold for both. As the
Z 2 words,
i8o APPENDIX.
,words, &c. are evidently fhewn to be the cloathing of the .thought, in the fame fenfe as colours are the cloathing of the .defign ; fo the Painter and the Poet ought to judge exa&ly ,when the colouring and expreffions are .perfect, and then to think their work is truly finished. Apelles faid of Protogenes, that " he knew not when to give over." ' A work may be over- wrought as well as under-wrought : Too much* labour ofteA takes away the fpirit, by adding to the poliming; fo that there remains nothing but a dull corre&nefs, a piece without any confiderable faults, but with few beauties ; for when the fpirits are drawn off, .there is nothing but a " caput mortuum." Statius never thought an expreffion could be bold enough ; and if a bolder could be found, he rejected the firft. Virgil had judgment enough to know Daring was ne- cefTary ; but he knew, the difference betwixt a glowing colour and a glaring; as when he compared the fliocking of the fleets at A&ium to the juftling of iflands rent from their foundations and meeting in ,-the ocean. He knew the com- parifon was forced beyond Nature, and raifcd too high ; he therefore foftens the metaphor with a credas. You would almoft believe that mountains or iilaads ruilied againfl each Qtherj
. -T-T- Credas innare revulfas
Cycladas ; aut montes concurrere montibus sequos.
-But here I muft break off without rmifhing the difcourfe.
" Cynthius aurem vellit, & admonuit, &c." the things which are behind are of too nice a confideration for an EfTay begun and ended in twelve mornings ; and perhaps the Judges .of Painting and Poetry, -when I tell them how fhort a time it ccft me. may make me. the fame anfwer which my late Lord Rochefter made to. one, who, to commend a Tragedy, faid,
APPENDIX. 181
it was written in three weeks : " How the Devil could he be fo long about it ? for that Poem was infamoufly bad," and I doubt this Parallel is little better; and then the mortnefs of the time is fo far from being a commendation, that it is fcarcely an excufe. But if 1 have really drawn a portrait to the knees, or an half-length, with a tolerable likenefs, then I may plead with fome juftice for myfelf, that the reft is left to the Imagination. Let fome better Artift provide himfelf of a deeper canvas; and taking thefe hints which I have given, fet the figure on its legs, and finiih it in the Invention, De- fign, and Colouring.
EPISTLE
PI S T L E
O F
MR P O p
T O
MR J E R V A S.
The following elegant Epiftle has conilantly been prefixed to all the Editions of Du FRESNOY, which have been publifhed fince JERVAS corre&ed the tranflation of DRYDEN. It is, therefore, here re- printed, in order that a Poem which does fo much honour to the original Author may ftill accompany his work, although the Tranflator is but too con- fcious how much fo mafterly a piece of Veriification on the fubject of Painting, will, by being brought thus near it, prejudice his own lines.
T O
T O
MR- J E R V A S,
WITH FRESNOY's ART OF PAINTING,
Tranflated by Mr. D R Y D E N. *
THIS verfe be thine, my friend, nor thou refufe This, from no venal or ungrateful Mufe. Whether thy hand flrike out fome free defign, Where life awakes, and dawns at every line -y Or blend in beauteous tints the colour'd mafs, And from the canvas call the mimic face : Read thefe inftructive leaves, in which confpire FRESNOY'S clofe Art, and DRYDEN'S native fire j And reading wifh, like theirs, our fate and fame, So mix'd our fludies, and fo join'd our name ; Like them to mine through long-fucceeding age, So juft thy fkill, fo regular my rage.
Smit with the love of Sifter- Arts we came, .And met congenial, mingling flame with flame; .Like friendly colours found them both unite, .And each from each contract new ftrength and light. How oft in pleafing talks we wear the day, While Summer funs roll unperceiv'd away? How oft our flowly-growing works impart, While images reflect from art to art ?
A a How
* Firft printed in 1717*
,86 APPENDIX.
How oft review ; each finding, like a friend, Something to blame, and fomething to commend ?
What flatt'ring fcenes our wand'ring fancy wrought* Rome's pompous glories rifing to our thought ! Together o'er the Alps methinks we fly,. Fir'd with ideas of fair Italy. With thee, on Raphael's monument I mourn,. Or wait infpiring dreams at Maro's urn : With thee repofe, where Tully once was laid^ Or leek fome ruin's formidable made ; While Fancy brings the vaniih'd pile to view, And builds imaginary Rome anew. Here thy well-ftudy'd marbles fix our eye ; A fading frefco here demands a iigh : Each heavenly piece unwearied we compare, Match Raphael's Grace with thy lov'd Guido's Air, Caracci's Strength, Coreggioas fofter Line, Paulo's free Stroke, and Titian's Warmth divine.
How finim'd with illuftrious toil appears This final], well-polifh'd gem, the work of years ! * Yet {till how faint by precept is expreft The living image in the Painter's breaft ? Thence endlefs flreams of fair ideas flow, Strike in the fketch, or in the picture glow; Thence Beauty, waking all her forms, fupplies An Angel's fweetnefs, or Bridgwater's eyes.
Mufe! at that name thy facred forrows (lied, I Thofe tears eternal that embalm the dead :
Call * Frefnoy employed above twenty years in fini/hing this Poem.
APPENDIX. 187
Call round her tomb each objeft of defire, Each purer frame inforrn'd with purer fire : Bid her be all that chears or foftens life, The tender fitter, daughter, friend, and wife ! Bid her be all that makes mankind adore j Then view this marble, and be vain no more !
Yet fKll her charms in breathing paint engage ; Her modeft cheek mall warm a future age. Beauty, frail flower, that ev'ry feafon fears, Blooms in thy colours for a thoufand years. Thus Churchill's race fhall other hearts furprizc, And other beauties envy Wortley's * eyes, Each plealing Blount (hall endlefs fmiles beflow, And foft Belinda's blufh for ever glow.
Oh ! lafting as thofe colours may they mine, Free as thy ftroke, yet faultlefs as thy line ! New graces yearly, like thy works, difplay ; Soft without weaknefs, without glaring gay -, Led by fome rule, that guides, but not conflrains ; And finifh'd more through happinefs than pains ! The kindred Arts fhall in their praife confpire, One dip the Pencil, and one firing the JLvyre. Yet mould the Graces all thy figures place, And breathe an air divine on ev'ry face j
A a 2 Yet
# In one of Dr. Warburton's Editions of Pope, by which copy this has been corn&ed, the name is changed to IVorJley. If that reading be not an error of the prefs, I fuppofe the Poet altered the name after he had quarrelled with Lady M. W. Montague, and, being offended at her Wit, thus revenged himfelf on her Beauty.
i88 APPENDIX.
Yet mould the Mufes bid my numbers roll, Strong as their charms, and gentle as their foul $ With Zeuxis' Helen thy Bridgwater vie, And thefe be fung till Granville's Myra die ; Alas ! how little from the grave we claim ? Thou, but preferv'ft a Face, and I a Name,
A
CHRONOLOGICAL LIST
O F
P A I N T E R 3
From the Revival of the Art to the Beginning of the prefent Century.
A a 3 Inftead
Inftead of the fhort account of the lives of the
Painters by Mr. GRAHAM, which has been annexed
to the later Editions of Mr. BRYDEN'S Translation,
I have thought proper to infert, at the conclufion
of this work, the following Chronological Lift drawn
up by the late Mr, GRAY, when in Italy, for his
own ufe, and which I found fairly tranfcribed amongft
thofe papers which his friendfhip bequeathed to me.
Mr. GRAY was as diligent in his refearches as correct
in his judgment ; and has here employed both tliefe
talents to point out hr one column the places where
the principal works of each Mafter are to be found,
and in another the different parts of the art in which
his own tafte led him to think that they feverally
excelled *. It is prefumed, therefore, that thefe
two additions to the names and dates will render
this little work more ufeful than any thing of the
Catalogue kind hitherto printed on the fubject. For
more copious Biographical information, the reader
is referred to Mr. PILKINGTON'S Dictionary.
See Memoirs of Mr. Gray, Note on Letter XIV. Sift, II,
i92 A P P E .N D I X.
A CHRONOLOGICAL LIST
Names. |
Studied under |
Excelled in |
Giovanni Cimabue Andrea TafH |
certain Greeks - Apollonius, a 'Greek |
firft revived Painting revived Mofaic - |
r* ' |
C^imaSiif* |
• . . i i o fi'ff |
Buonamico Bufralmacco - - |
Andrea TafH |
ner of the Greeks |
5 Ambrogio Lorenzetti - |
Giotto |
|
Pietro Cavallini |
Giotto - |
|
Simon Memmi |
Giotto - |
|
Andrea Orgagna - |
imitated Giotto - - |
|
Tomafo Giottino |
imitated Giotto - |
|
10 Paolo Uccello |
Antonio Venetiano |
firft who ftudied per- |
fpe£ive |
||
Maflblino - |
Lorenzo Ghiberti and |
gave more grace to his |
Mafaccio - |
Gher. Stamina Maflblino |
figures and drapery |
Fra. Giov. Angelico da Fiefole |
Giotci.no - - |
|
Antonello da Mefiina |
John Van Eyck |
introduced oil Painting |
into Italy |
||
*5 Fra. Filippo Lippi |
Mafaccio |
began to paint figures |
larger than life |
||
Andrea del CaftagnodettoDegl' |
Domenico Venetiano |
painted in oil firft. at |
Impiccati |
Florence |
|
Gentile del Fabriano - - - |
Giovanni da Fiefole |
|
Giacomo Bellini |
Gentile del Fabriano |
|
Gentile 7 n n- • 20 Giovanni ( Bellmi |
Giacomo their father |
|
CofmoRoffilli - |
lively colouring |
|
Domenico Ghirlandaio - |
Alefland. Baldovinetti |
genteel defigning and |
good airs |
||
Andrea Verocchio |
Giacomo Squarcione |
observation of perfpcc- |
Andrea Mantegna |
tive |
|
25 Filippo 'Lippi |
Fra. Filippo his father, |
|
and Sandro Boticelli |
1 |
|
Pietro Perugino |
Andrea Verocchio |
|
Bernardino Pintaricchio |
Pietro Perugino |
|
Francefco Francia |
Marco Zoppo - - |
firft confiderable Mn- |
fter of the BologneU? |
||
School |
||
29 Bartolomeo Ramenghi, detto 11 |
Francefco Francia |
foft and fiefhy colour- |
Bagnacavallo |
ing |
•Hiftory
APPENDIX. Of MODERN PAINTERS.
193
Painted |
Country, Place, and Year of their Death. |
Aged |
Principal Works are at |
Hiftory |
Florence, Florence, 1300 |
60 |
Imoft all peri/bed. |
Hiftory |
Florence - - 1294 |
81 |
nknown. |
Hiftory |
Florence - - 1336 |
60 |
lome^ St. Peter's, Arezzo — Mofaics* |
Hiftory |
Florence - - 1340 |
78 |
Jifa, Campo-Santo. |
5 Hiftory |
Sienna - - *35° |
83 |
|
Hiftory |
Rome - 1364 |
85 |
lome, St. Paolo fuor della Gitta*. |
Portraits |
Sienna, Florence, 1345 |
60 |
|
Hiftory |
Florence - - 1389 |
60 |
"lorence, the Dome. |
Hiftory |
Florence - - I35(3 |
32 |
|
10 Birds, fome Hiftory |
Florence - - 1432 |
«3 |
|
Hiftory |
"lorence - - 1418 |
37 |
|
Hiftory |
rlorence - - 1443 |
24 |
|
Hiftory, Miniatures |
rlorence, Rome 1455 |
68 |
"lorence, the Palace, in the Apart- |
ments of the old Pictures. |
|||
Hiftory |
VIeffina - - 1475 |
49 |
|
15 Hiftory |
rlorences Rome 1438 |
Florence, the Palace. |
|
Hiftory |
|||
Hiftory • - |
rlorence - - 1480 |
71 |
|
Hiftory |
Verona |
80 |
Rome, S. Giov. Laterano, S. Mar; |
Hiftory |
Venice - - 1470 |
|
Maggiore. |
20 Hiftory |
Venice - - 1501 |
80 |
Venice, and in fome Cabinets. |
Hiftory |
Venice - - 1512 |
90 |
|
Hiftory |
Florence, Rome 148^ Florence - - J49' |
68 44 |
Rome, Capella Siftiha. Florence, Palace, Clofet of Madama. |
Hiftory Hiftory 25 Hiftory |
Florence - - 1488 Padua, Mantua 1517 Florence - - 1505 |
ll |
Florence, Rome, Apartments of In- nocent 8, at the Belvedere Chapel. |
Hiftory - Hiftory - |
Rnefia, Rome - 1524 Florence, Sienna 151; |
78 59 |
Rome, Pal. Borghefe, &c. Sienna, Library of the Dome, Rome, Santa Croce in Gierufalemme j Ma- |
donna dell Popolo, &c. |
|||
Hiftory - |
Bologna — - 1518 |
68 |
Bologna, in feveral Churches. |
29 Hiftory - |
Bologna - - 154 |
48 |
Bologna, |
B b
Innocena*
194
APPENDIX.
Names.
Innocenzo Francuzzi, Jetto
da Imola Francefco Turbido, detto II
Mauro
Luca Signorelli * Lionardo da Vinci -
* Giorgio Giorgione
* Antonio da Correggio
Mariotto Albertinelli Baccio, detto Fra. Bartoloraeo
di S. Marco Pietro di Cofimo
10 Raphaelino del.Garbp - * Michael AngeloBuonarotta
-•* Raffaelle Sanzio d'Urbino
* TitianoVecelH
Domenico Puligo 15 Timoteo Urbino
Vincenzo da San Geminiano Lorenzo di Credi
Balthazar Peruzzi
Studied under
Francefco Francia
* Giorgione
Pietro della Francefca
imitated Lionardo's manner
CofmoRofelu - - Cofmo Rofelli - -
Cofimo Rofelli - -. Filippo Lippi Dominico Ghirlandaio
Pietro Perugino ; cor- rected his manner up- on feeing the works of Lionardo da Vinci and Michael Angelo
Giovanni Bellini
DomenicoGhirlandaio
Rafaelle
Rafaelle
Andrea Verocchio imi- tated Lionardo da Vinci
Excelled in
corre& drawing - -
exquifite defigning ~
management of the clair-obfcure, and colouring
divine colouring and morbidezza of his flefh; angelical grace and joyous airs of his figures and clair-ob- fcure
great corre&nefs of de- fign, grand and terri- ble fubje&s, profound knowledge of the ano- tomical part in every part of paint- ing, but chiefly in the thought, com- pofition, expreflion, and drawing
the clair-obfcure and all the beauties of colouring
the fame as his Matter
Hiftory
P P E N D
I X.
Painted |
Country, Place, and Year of their Death. |
Aged |
Principal Works are at |
Hiflory - |
Bologna - |
|
Bologna, |
Portraits - - |
Verona -• •* 1521 |
81 |
' |
Hiftory - Hiftory and Por- traits 5 Hiftory and Por- traits |
Cortona - - 1521 Milan, Paris- - 1517 Caftle Franco nel Tre- vigiano, Venice, 1511 |
82 75 33 |
Milan, the Dominicans, the Acade- my; Florence, Pal. Pitti ; Rome,, Pal. Borghefe, Barberini. Venice; Florence, Pal. Pitti j Rome, Pal. Pamphili. |
Hiftory and Por- traits Hiftory - Hiftory - |
Corregio nel Reggiano J534 Florence -• - 1520 Florence - - 1517 |
40 45 4* |
Modena, the Duke's Colle&ions j Parma, the Dome, Saint Antonio Abbate, S. Giovanni del monte, fan Sepulcro ; Florence, the Palace ; Paris, the Palais Royal, &c. Naples,, the King's Collections. |
Grotefques and monfters I Q Hiftory - |
Florence - - 1521 Florence - - 1529 |
80 58 |
|
Hiftory - |
Chiufi, preflb d'Arezzo ; Rome - - 1564 |
90 |
Rome, Capella Seftina, Capella Pau- lina, S. Giovanni Latuanoj Flo- rence, the Palace. |
Hiftory and Por- traits Hiftory and Por- traits |
Urbino, Rome - 1520 Cadore nelFriulefe; - Venice - - 5576 |
37 99 |
Rome, the Vatican, S, Pietro, inMon- torio; S. Aguftino, the Lungara, &c. Florence, the Palace ; France, Ver- failles, the Palais Royal ; England, Hampton- Court; Naples, the King's Colleaion. Venice; Rome; in many Collec- tions, &c. |
Hiftory - ic Hiftory - Hiftory - Hiftory - |
Florence - - 1525 Urbino - - 1524 S. Gcminiano - 1527 Florence - - J53° |
5^ 54 52 |
Rome Madonna della Pace* Rome, the Vatican. |
Hiftory, buildings |
Sienna, Rome - 1536 |
55 |
Rome, Madonna dclla Pace. |
B b 2
Giovanni
APPENDIX.
Names.
Giovanni Francefco Penni detto il Fattore
* Giulio Romano
Peligrino di Modena Pierino Buonacorvi detto Pe-
rin del Vago 5 Giovanni da Udina
* Andrea del Sartp
Francia Bigio
Sebaftiano detto Fradel Piom- bo
Orazio Sammachini
10 Lorenzetto Sabattini Profpero Fontana Lavinia Fontana Pelegrino Tibaldi
Primaticcio, detto il Bologna
15 Nicolo Bolognefe, detto Mef-
fer Nicolo II Doflb
Bernazzano da Milano
Giov. Martino da Udina Pelegrinoda fan Danielo 20 Giovanni Antonio Regillo, detto Licinio da Pordenone Girolamo da Trevigi Polidoro da Caravaggio
II Maturino
Studied under
Rafaelle
Rafaelle
Rafaelle Rafaelle
Rafaelle
Pietro di Cofimo
Mariotto Albertinelli
Giov. Bellini; II Gior- gione, M. Angelo
II Bagnacavallo, Inno- cenzo d'Imola
the fame
the fame
Profpeco, her father -
II Bagnacavallo, Inno- nocenzo d'Imola
the fame; Julio Ro- mano
Primaticcio
Lorenzo Cofta, Titian
Giov. Bellini the fame Giorgione
Rafael
Rafael
Excelled in
good imitation of his Mafter, and great difpatch
his Mailer's excellen- cies
animals, flowers, and fruits
natural and graceful airs,and correct draw- ing; a bright manner of colouring
painted in company with and like Andrea
painted in the ftrong and correct manner of this laft, and co- loured better
a ftrong Michael An-
gelico manner gentilenefs - .
fine colouring
the corre£tnefs of de- fign and imitation of the antique, chiefly in chiaro-fcuro
the fame ; they always painted together
Hiftory
A Painted |
P P E N Country, Place, and Year of their Death. |
E Aged |
> I X. 197 Principal Works are at |
Hiftory - |
Rome, Naples 1528 |
40 |
Rome, the Vatican; Lungara. |
Hiftory - Hiftory - Hiftory - |
Rome, Mantua 1546 Modena - - 1538 Florence, Rome 1547 |
54 47 |
Rome, Vatican, &c. Mantua, the Palace Te'. Rome, Vatican j Genoa, Pal. Doria. |
5 Grotefques |
Udina, Rome - 1564 |
70 |
Rome, Vatican, &c. |
Hiftory, Portraits |
Florence - - 1530 |
42 |
Florence, the Palace, Monafterio de Scalzi, &c. Rome, Pal. Borghefe, &c> Naples, King's Collection. |
Hiftory - |
Florence - - |
4i |
|
Hiftory, Portraits |
Venice, Rome 1547 |
62 |
Rome, S. Pietro in montorio, Cap. Chigi j France, Palais Royal, |
Hiftory - - |
Bologna - - 1577 |
45 |
i |
10 Hiftory Hiftory, Portraits Hiftory, Portraits Hiftory - Hiftory - 15 Hiftory Hiftory, land- fcapes Animals, land- fcapes, and fruits Hiftory - Hiftory - 20 Hiftory, Portraits Hiftory, buildings Hiftory - - |
Bologna - - — |
|
Bologna, the Academy j Spain, the Efcurial. Fontainbleau ; Chateau de Beaure- gard pres de Blois. Fontainbleau. Venice. Rome, Pal. Barberini, Mafchera d'Oro, Cafa di Belloni. |
Bologna - - 1602 Bologna, Milan 1592 Bologna, France 1570 Modena - - 1572 |
50 70 80 60 |
||
Milan - - 1550 LJdina, Venice - 1564 Venice - - • Pordenone nel Friuli, Venice - - 1540 [ITruigiano, Engl. 1544 Caravaggio, Meifinai543 |
70 ~56~ 36 5i |
||
Hiftory - |
Florence - - 1527 |
37 |
|
B b 3 * Francefc* |
198
APPENDIX;
Names. |
Studied under |
Excelled in |
* Francefco Mazzuolo, detto |
imitated Rafael |
great delicacy and gen- |
11 Parmeggiano Girolamo Mezzuoli |
Francefco, his coufm |
tilenefs of drawing whom he always imi- |
tated |
||
Giacomo Palma, detto |
Titian and others |
warm and mellow tints |
11 Vecchio |
||
Lorenzo Lotto |
imitated Bellini and |
|
5 Francefco Monfignori Domenico Beccafumi o Mec- |
Giorgione Bellini ' - imitated Pietro Peru- |
|
carino |
gino |
|
Giacomo Pontormo |
Lionardo da Vinci, |
|
Albertinellii Andrea |
||
del Sarto |
||
Girolamo Genga |
Pietro Perugtno |
|
Giov. Antonio da Verzelli, |
||
detto 11 Sodoma |
||
10 Baftiano Ariftotile |
||
Benvenuto Garofalo |
Baldini, Lorenzo Cofta |
like Rafael - |
Girolamo da Carpi |
Garofalo, he imitated |
|
Giev. Francefco Bezzi, detto |
Correggio Pelegrino Tibaldi |
|
11 Nofadella |
||
Ercole Procaccini - * |
the fame |
|
*5 Bartolomeo } |
||
& V Paflerotti |
the fame |
|
tre figli 3 |
||
Francefco Salviati |
Andrea del Sarto |
|
Giorgio Vafari |
the fame |
|
Daniel Ricciarelli, detto da |
11 Sodoma; Baldafar |
|
Volterra |
Peruzzi |
|
Taddeo Zucchero .„ - |
ftudied Rafael - - |
|
20 Frederico Zucchero |
painted with his brother |
|
Bartolomeo Cefi - |
11 Nofadella - |
|
Dionigi Calvaft - John of Bruges - |
Profpero Fontana Hubert Van Eyck - |
faid to have invented |
Oil-Painting |
||
Albert Durer - |
Hupfe Martin |
|
25 Quintin Matfys, called the Smith of Antwerp |
Nature, high finifhing |
|
Lucas Jacob, called Luca |
Cornelius Engelbert - |
|
d'Ollanda |
||
Peter Brugle,called Old Brugle |
Peter Koek -. |
Hiftory
END
IX. 199
Painted |
Country, Place, and Year of their Death |
Agec |
Principal Works are at |
Hiftory , |
Parma - - 1540 |
36 |
Parma, the Dome, Madonna della |
Steccata ; in many Collections |
|||
Hiftory |
l^ , |
Parma, San Sepolcro. |
|
Hiftory, Portraits |
Venice - - 1596 |
48 |
Venice, and in feveral Collections. |
Hiftory, Portraits |
Venice - - 1544 |
36 |
|
5 Portraits |
Venice - - 1519 |
64 |
|
Hiftory |
Sienna - - J549 |
Sienna, Pavement of the Dome, |
|
Hiftory |
Florence - - 1558 |
65 |
Florence. |
Hiftory |
Urbino - - 1551 |
75 |
|
Hiftory - |
• ' ' - Sienna - 1554 |
||
10 Hiftory - |
Florence - - 1551 |
7° |
|
Hiftory - |
Ferrara - - 1559 |
78 |
In a few Collections. |
Hiftory - |
Ferrara - - 1556 |
55 |
|
Hiftory - |
Bologna - - 1571 |
Bologna. |
|
Hiftory |
Boloo-na |
||
15 Hiftory |
Bologna - - — — |
||
Hiftory |
Florence - - 1563 |
54 |
?lorence. |
Hiftory, Portraits |
Florence - - 1584 |
68 |
lome, Santa Croce; Florence, the |
Palace. |
|||
Hiftory - |
Volterra - - 1566 |
57 |
^ome, S. Trinitadel Monte, S. Ago- ftino. |
Hiftory, Portraits |
St. Angelo in Vado, nell' |
37 |
lome, the Caprarola, Pal. Farnefe. |
Urbino, Rome 1566 |
|||
20 Hiftory, Portraits |
- Rome 1609 |
66 |
Rome, feveral Collections. |
Hiftory - |
Bologna - - |
79 |
|
Hiftory - Hiftory, Portraits |
Antwerp, Bologna 1619 Venlo in Guelders, Bru- |
54 |
Ghent, the Cathedral. |
ges - - 1470 |
|||
Hiftory, Portiats 25 Hiftory, Portraits |
Nuremberg - - 1528 Antwerp - - 1529 |
57 69 |
n many Collections. Antwerp, the Cathedral j England, |
in Collections. |
|||
Hiftory, Portraits |
Leyden - - J533 |
^eyden, Hotel de Ville, many Col- |
|
lections, |
|||
Brugle near Breda 1570 |
60 |
John
2OO
APPENDIX.
Names.
* John Holben, called Hans
Holben
Roger Vandenfyde John Schorel - Matthias Cock - 5 Martin Heemfkirke
Francois Floris, called Franc- Flore
Francefco Vecelli -
Orazio Vecelli -
Nadalino di Murano 10 Damiano Mazza -
Girolamo di Titiano
Paris Bordone
Andrea Schiavone
Aleflandro Bonvincino, detto,
II Moretto *5 Girolamo Romanino
II Mutiano -
Pirro' Ligorio
Dom. Giulio Clovio
II 6ronzhio, Angelo-AHon 20 AlefTandro Allori
Giacomo Semcnti
Marcello Venufto
Marco da Faenza
Girolamo da Sermonctta - 25 Battifta Naldino
Nicolo del Pomerancio -
Jean Coufin r
Michael Coxis John Bol
30 Peter Porbus Antony More George Hoefnaghel
Camillo Procaccini
Studied under
John Van Eyck - - Jacob Cornill
John Schorel Lambart de Liege
Titian, his brother -
Titian, his father
Titian -
Titian - -
Titian - -
Titian -
Titian - Titian, imitated Rafael
Titian -
Titian, Tad.Zucchero
Giulio Romano - -
Giulio Romano - -
Giacomo Pontormo Bronzino, his uncle Dionigi Calvart - Perin del Vaga -
Perin del Vaga - II Bronzino
Van Orlay, Rafael
John Schorel
Ercole, his father ; P rofpero Fontana
Excelled in
great Nature, extreme finifliing
chafte and gentile co- louring, fomewhat of Michael Angelo in, the drawing
commonly upon glafs
a dark, ftrong, expref- five manner
Hiftory,
N D
r x. 201
Painted |
Country, Place, and Year of their Death. |
Aged |
Principal Works are at |
Hiftory, Portraits |
Bafil, London - 1544 |
46 |
Bafil, Hotel de Ville; England in |
many Collections. |
|||
Hiftory - |
n |
Brufiels, Hotel de Ville. |
|
Hiftory - |
Alemaer, Utrecht 1562 |
67 |
|
Landfcapes - - |
Antwerp - - 1565 |
65 |
|
5 Droll figures |
rleemfkirke, Haer- |
||
lem - I574 |
76 |
||
Hiftory - |
Antwerp - - 1570 |
50 |
|
p x^ortrsits — ~ |
\r • |
||
Portraits, Hiftory |
Venice - - *579 |
66 |
|
Portraits — — |
|||
1O Hiftory Portraits |
Padua - - - i |
||
Hiftorv Portraits |
1 |
||
Hiftory, Portraits |
Venice - - 1588 |
75 |
|
Hiftory - |
Sebenico, Venice 1582 |
60 |
|
Hiftory |
Brefcia - - 15&4- |
50 |
|
1 5 Hiftory |
Brefcia - - 1567 |
63 |
|
Landfcapes, Por- |
Brefcia., Rome - 1590 |
62 |
|
traits |
|||
Antique monu- |
Naples - - 1573 |
-80 |
|
ments and build- |
|||
ings Miniature, Hif- |
Sclavonia, Rome 1578 |
80 |
Rome, Vatican Library; Florence, |
tory |
the Palace ; Naples, 'King's Col - |
||
k'<5tion. |
|||
Hiftory, Portraits |
Florence - - 1580 |
69 |
|
10 Hiftory |
Florence - - 1607 |
72 |
|
Hiftory - |
Florence - - 1625 |
45 |
|
Hiftory - |
Mantua - - J57^ |
61 |
|
Hiftory - |
Faenza - - |
|
|
Hiftory |
Sermonetta - - 1550 |
46 |
|
7.5 Hiftory |
Florence - - |
||
Hiftory - |
Pomerancio - - 1626 |
74 |
|
Hiftory - |
Soucy proche de Sens • Paris - 1 580 |
Vincennes, the Minims j Paris. |
|
Hiftory - '- |
Mechlin, Antwerp 1592 |
95 |
|
Miniature, Land- |
Mechlin, Bruflels 1593 |
59 |
|
fcapes |
t |
||
3° |
Bruges - - 1583 |
73 |
|
Portraits, Hiftory |
Utrecht - - 1575 |
56 |
|
Views of Cities, |
Antwerp - - 1600 |
||
Landfcapes Hiftory - |
Bologna, Milan 1626 |
80 |
Milan ; Genoa, the Annonciate St. Maria Carignano. |
C c
Giulio
202
APPENDIX
Names. |
Studied under |
Excelled in |
Giulio Cefare Procaecini |
Ercole, his father, Pro- |
a dark, ftrong, ex- |
fpero Fontana |
prcflive manner |
|
Jude Indocus Van-Winghen |
ftudied in Italy - |
|
John Strada — |
ftudied in Italy - |
|
Bartholomew Sprar.gher |
||
5 Michael John Miervelt |
Ant. Blockland - - |
|
* Paolo Cagliari, detto Paul |
Antonio Badiglio |
rich and noble compo- |
Veronefe |
fition ; fine warm co-- |
|
Muring |
||
Carlo Cagliari |
Paolo, his father |
imitated his manner |
Benedetto Cagliari - - |
the fame - |
the fame |
Gabrielle Cagliari |
the fame |
the fame. |
10 Battifta Zelotti |
Ant. Badiglio worked |
|
with Paul Veronefe |
||
Giacomo da Ponte, detto D |
Francefco, his father, |
much Nature, and fine |
Bafiano |
Bonifacio Venetiano, |
: colouring |
imitated Titian |
||
Francefco BafTano - |
Giacomo, his father |
imitated his manner. |
and copied his pictures |
||
Leandro Baflano - |
the fame |
the fame |
Giambattifta Baflano - |
the fame - |
the fame |
15 Girolamo Baflano |
the fame |
the fame |
* Giacomo Robufti, detto IJL |
Titian, in his drawing |
the ftrepito and mofla |
Tintoretto |
imitated Michael An- |
of his pencil; variety |
gelo |
and corre<Stnefs of de- |
|
fign j feldom finiflied |
||
Marietta Tintoretto |
Tintoret, her father - |
. |
Paul Francefchi -.. |
Tintoret |
|
Martin de Vos- |
Tintoret - |
|
20 John Rothenamer |
Tintoret, - - |
defigned after his man,-* |
ner |
||
Paolo Farinato |
Antonio Badiglio |
i |
Marco Vecelli |
Titian, his uncle |
|
Livio Agrefti |
Perin del Vago - - |
|
Marco da Sienna |
Dan. Vol terra - |
|
25 Giacomo Rocca - |
Dan. Volterra - - |
|
Frederico Baroccio |
ftudied Rafael - |
fine gentile drawing - |
11 Cavaliero Francefco Vanni |
Fred. Baroccio - |
corre£l defign and a-. |
* Michael Angelo Amarigi, detto, 11 Caravaggio |
Cav. Arpino |
greeable colouring a ftrong and clofe imi- tation of Nature, but: |
without choice ; ex-: |
||
quifite colouring |
P E N D
X.
.20
Painted |
Country, Place, and Year of his Death. |
gcd |
Principal Works are at |
Hiftory - - |
Bologna, Milan - 1626 |
78 |
Vlilan ; Genoa, the Annonciate St. |
Maria Carignano |
|||
Hiftory - |
Bruflels, Germany 1603 |
62 |
|
Battles, Hunting Hiftory - |
Bruges, Florence 1604 Antwerp, Vienna 1623 |
68 77 |
|
5 Portraits - |
Delft - - - 1641 |
73 |
|
Hiftory, Portraits |
Verona, Venice 1588 |
5* |
Venice, and almoft every where. |
the fame |
Venice - - 1596 |
26 |
|
the fame |
le fame - - 1598 |
60 |
|
the fame |
tie fame - - 1631 |
63 |
|
10 Hiftory, chiefly in |
Venice - - 1592 |
60 |
|
Frefco |
|||
Ruftic Figures, |
Vicenza - - 1592 |
82 |
Venice, &c. |
Animals, Por- |
|||
traits, Hiftory |
|||
the fame |
Venice - - 1594 |
84 |
|
the fame |
Venice - - 1623 |
65 |
|
the fame » «* |
Venice - - 161^ |
60 |
|
15 the fame |
Venice - - 1622 |
62 |
|
Hiftory, Portraits |
Venice - - 1594 |
82 |
Venice, and every where. |
Portraits - |
Venice - - 159° |
30 |
* |
Landfcapes - - |
- 1596 |
56 |
|
Landfcapes - - |
Germany - - 160^ |
84 |
• |
20 Hiftory |
Munich - .1606 |
42 |
|
Hiftory |
Verona - - 1606 |
84 |
Verona. |
Venice - - 161 |
66 |
||
Hiftory |
Forli - - - 1580 |
||
Hiftory - r T ,1 |
Sienna - - 156 D _._. „ |
57 |
|
.25 Htftory - >- Hiftory, Portrait Hiftory - |
Urbino, Rome - 161 Sienna, Rome - 161 |
84 51 |
Sienna-; Rome, St. Peter's ; Genoa, Santa Maria in Carignano. |
•Hiftory, humo rous figures |
Caravaggio i n Lom- bardy, Rome 160 |
40 |
Rorm, Pal. Barberini; feveral Col- lections, |
* Ludovica
C C 2
204
A P P E N D I X.
Names.
* Ludovico Caracci
* Agoftino Caracei -
* Anntbale Caracci
Domenico Zampieri, dettp, IJ Domenichino
5 * Guide Reni
* Cav. Giov. Lanfranco
* Francefco Albani
Lucio Maflari -
Sifto Badalocchio 10 Antonio Caracci -
Giufeppe Pini, detto, Cavalier' Arpino
II Paduano
II Cigoli - -
Domenico Feti - 15 Cherubino Alberti
Cavaliere Paffignano
Orazio Gentilefchi
Filippod'Angeli, detto, II Na- politano
Paul Brill -
20 Matthew Brill
Pietro Paolo Gobbo -
Studied under
Profpero Fontana
Ludovico, his coufin Ludovico, his coufin the Caracci
Dionigi Calvart, the Caracci
the Caracci
Dionigi Calvart, the . Caracci
the Caracci Annibal Caracci - Annibal, his uncle - Rafael da Rheggio
Andrea del Sarto Cigoli - - " - -
Frederic Zucchero - Aurelio Lomi -
after Titian and Anni- bale
Excelled in
exquifite defign ; noble and proper compofi- tion j ftrong and har- monious colouring
fimilarly accomplifhed
fimilarly accomplifhed
correct defign, ftrong and moving expreflion
divine and graceful airs arid attitudes, gay and lightfome colouring
great force,
chiefly in frefco
gentile poetical fancy, beautiful airy colour- ing, his Nymphs and Boys are moft admired
the furia and force of his compolitions
worked with Paul, his brother
Hiflory
N D
IX. 205
Painted |
Country, Place, and Year of their Death. |
Aged |
Principal Works arc at • - |
Hiftory - - |
Bologna - - i6'ig |
64 |
Mbdena, Pal". Ducale ; Bologna, S. |
Michel in Bofco, S. Giorgio, La |
|||
Certofa,. &c. |
|||
Hiftory, Portraits, |
Bologna, Parma 1602 |
44 |
Parma, Villa Ducale; Bologna, Pa!. |
Landfcapes |
Magnani," La Certofa. |
||
Hiftory, Portraits, Landfcapes |
Bologna, Rome 1609 |
49 |
Rome, Pal. Farnefe, &c. Bologna, S. Giorgio, &c. feveral Collections. |
Hiftory, Portraits |
Bologna, Naples 1641 |
60 |
Rome, S. Girolamo della Carita, Santa Maria Traftavere, S. Andrea |
della Valle, S. Andrea in Monte |
|||
Celio, Grotta Ferrata, Pal. Ludo- |
|||
vifio; S". Peter's, S. Carlo a Cati- |
|||
nari, S. Silveftro, &c. |
|||
5 Hiftory, Portraits |
Bologna - - 1642 |
68 |
Rome, Pal. Rofpigliofi, Pal. Spada, Capucini, S. Andrea della Va|le, |
&c. Bologna, Mendicant!, S. Do- |
|||
menico, S. 'Michel in Bofco; and |
|||
in many Collections. |
|||
Hiftory - - |
Parma, Naples - 1647 |
66 |
Rome, S. Andrea della Valle; Naples, S. Carlo de Catinari; La Capella |
del Teforo. |
|||
Hiftory |
Bologna -'-_ - 1660 |
82 |
The Duke of Modena's, and many other Cabinets. |
Hiftory - Hiftory » JO Hiftory - Hiftory |
Bologna - - J^33 Parma - - • Bologna, Rome 1618 Arpino, Rome - 1640 |
64 |
Bologna, S. Michel in Bofco. Rome, Pal. Verofpi. Rome, S. Bartolomeo nell' Ifola. Rome, the Capitol, &c. |
35 80 |
|||
Past |f • |
|||
f ortraits - - Hiftory |
Florence - - 1613 |
54 |
|
Hiftory - -IRome - - 1624 |
35 |
||
15 Hiftory - - Hiftory Hiftory - |
Rome - - 1615! 63 Florence - - 1638! 80 Pifa - - - 1647! 8-4 |
Florence, the Dome. |
|
Landfcapes |
Rome, Naples — 1640 |
40 |
|
Landfcapes |
Antwerp, Rome - 1626 |
72 |
Rome, Vatican, Pal. Borghefe} many Collections* |
20 Landfcapes |
Antwerp^ Rome - 1584 |
34 |
|
Fruit, Landfcapes |
Cortona - - 1640 |
60 |
II Viola
APPENDIX.
Names.
II Viola - - -
Roland Saveri _- ~
Bartolomeo Manfredt -
Carlo Saracino II Valentino
Giufeppe Ribera, detto, Lo Spagnuoletto
John Mompre
Henry Cornelius Wroon, or
Vroom Agoftino Tafli
10 Fra. Matteo Zaccolino Antonio Tempefta
O&avius Van Veen, called
Otho Vaenius Jean Le Clerc Simon Vouet -
15 Peter Noefs
Henry Steinwick - *-
Theodere Rombouts <- Gerard Segres
Sir Peter Paul Rubens
20 Sir Anthony Vandyke
Rembrandt
Studied under
Annibal Caracci -
imitated Paul Brill - M. Ang. Caravaggio imitated Caravaggio - M. Ang. Caravaggio M. Ang. Caravaggio
ftudied Nature - Corn. Henrickfon
Paul Brill -
John Strada
Carlo Saracino - Laurent, his father Henry Steinwick John De Vries -
Abraham Jan fens Abraham Janfens
Otho Vaenius .- «-
Rubens *- -
Excelled in
muchfinHhing, but dry
a dark ftrong manner ; d ifmal and cruel fub- jefts
imitated M. A. Cara- vaggio
admirable colouring; great magnificence and harmony of compofition ; a gay and lightfome man- ner
his matter's excellen- cies with more grace and corre&nefs
great knowledge and execution of the Clair-obfcure; high finifliing; fometimes a very bold pencil and diftin& colour- ing j vaft Nature
Landfcapes
PEN
I X. 207
Painted |
Country, Place, and Year of their Death. |
Aged |
Principal Works are at |
|
Landfcapes |
Rome |
1622 |
50 |
Rome, Vigna Montalta, Vigna Al~ |
dobrandina, Vigna pia. |
||||
Landfcapes |
1639 |
63 |
||
Hiftory |
IVTsntui •* |
|||
Hiftory - - |
Venice |
1625 |
40 |
|
5 Hiftory |
France |
1632 |
||
Hiftory - - |
Valencia - |
1656 |
67 |
Naples, &c. many Collection?, |
Landfca es |
Antwcro ' •• *»- |
3 |
||
Sea- ports, Ships |
Haerlem, Rome - |
|
. |
|
Ships Tempefts |
Bologna •- •»- |
CJenoa ; Leghorn « on' the outfides G£ ' |
||
Landfcapes, |
houfes. |
|||
Fruit, Perfpec- |
||||
tives |
||||
10 Perfpeftives |
Rome - - — |
1630 |
40 |
Rome, St. Silveftrcv |
Animals, Battles, |
Florence |
1630 |
75 |
Florence, 6cc. |
Huntings |
||||
Hiftory - |
Leyden - - - |
l634 |
78 |
|
Hiftory - Hiftory, Portraits |
Nancy Paris j Paris - - |
l633 1641 |
^ancy, Les Jefuits. ?aris, in many Churches* *i |
|
59 |
||||
15 Perfpeftives - - |
Antwerp - |
1651' 85 |
||
Buildings, places |
Steinwick. - |
1603 |
53 |
|
illuminated by- |
||||
fire and candles |
||||
Low Life - - |
Antwerp - - |
1640 |
43 |
|
Antwerp |
1651 |
62 |
•' |
|
Hiftory, Portraits, Landfcapes |
Antwerp - -- |
1640 |
63 |
landers, Holland, &c. Dufleldorp; the Elector Palatine's Collection ; |
France, Palais Luxemburgh, &c. |
||||
England, Whitehall, &c. Genoa, |
||||
St. Ambroflo, &c. |
||||
20 Portraits,. Hiftory |
Antwerp,; London- |
1641 |
42 |
Genoa, Pal. Durazzo, &c. Flanders, Holland, &c France, Verfailles, |
&c. England, the Pembroke and |
||||
Walpole Collections, &c. |
||||
Hiftory, Portraits, Low Life |
— |
1674 |
68 |
rrance, King's and Moniieur's Col- lections, &c. &c. Florence, tha |
Palace, Amfterdam, &c. |
Cornelius
208
APPEND I X.
Names.
Cornelius Polembau'rg -
John Brugle, called Velvet Brugle
Mofes, called the Little-
F. Dan. Legres 5 Gafpar Craes
Bartholomew Briemberg - - John Affelyn,called Littlejohn Francis Snyders
ErtVeeft -
10 Lewis Coufin Philip Vauvremans Gerard Daw Pietro Francefco Mola
Giov. Battifta Mola -
15 Giacomo Cavedone Agoftino Metelli
Angelo Michale Colonna Giov. Benedetto Caftiglione,
detto, II Genoefe Pietro Tefta
20 Matthew Flatten, called II
Montagna
Francefco Barbieri, detto, II Guercino da Cento
Pietro Berrettinij detto, Pietro da Cortona
Studied under
Abraham Bloemart -
Old Brugle, his father
Corn. Polembourg -
Young Brugle - Coxis - ftudied at Rome Efaias Vander Velde. painted with Rubens
John Wynants -
Rembrandt
Albani, Cav. Arpino
Albani - Lud. Caracci
Ferrantino Paggi, 'Vandyke
Domenichino - Aflelyn - the>Carracci
Excelled in
Baccio Ciarpi '-
extreme neatnefs .and finiftiing
ftrong paintim the fame
capricious and ftrange defigns
a medium between the Caracci and Cara- vaggio ; he has two manners, one a dark and ftrong one; the other more gay and gracious
noble compofitions ; bright and beautiful colouring
Minature
N D 'I X.
209
Painted |
Country, Place, and Year of their Death. |
Aged |
Principal Works are at |
|
Miniature, Land- fcapes with fi- |
Utrecht - - - j66o |
74 |
Many Cabinets, |
|
gures |
||||
Little Landscapes |
Bruflels - - 1625 |
65 |
||
with figures, |
J |
|||
animals, and |
||||
flowers |
||||
Small Landscapes |
- - 1-650 |
|
||
with figures |
||||
Flowers |
Antwerp - - 1666 |
7° |
||
5 |
Bruflels - - 1669 |
84 |
||
Land [capes - - |
- 1660 |
40 |
||
Landfcapes - - |
- 1660 |
50 |
||
Animals dead and |
Antwerp - - 1657 |
-/s |
||
alive |
||||
Sea-fights, Tem- |
Bruflels - - 1670 |
|
||
pefts |
||||
10 |
- - - - 1670 |
|||
Haerlem - - 1668 |
48 |
|||
Little figures |
Leyden - - 1674 |
61 |
||
Hiftory |
Comoj Rome - i6b6 |
S^ |
Rome, Monte Cavalloj Pal. |
Cof- |
taguti, &c. |
||||
Hiftory Land- |
||||
fcapes |
||||
*5 Hiftory - Buildings, Per- |
Bologna - - 1660 Bologna >. Spain - 1660 |
80 5i |
3oJogna, St Michaeli in Bofco, Bologna, &c. |
&c. |
fpective |
||||
BuildingSjHiftory |
Bologna - - 1687 |
87 |
Bologna, &c. |
|
Genoa - |
••" • |
|||
Hiftory, Whims |
Lucca- I -> - 1650 |
39 |
||
20 Sea- pieces:'^, ki |
AnMnrirn - \7f*r\tCF* _ |
|||
Hiftory |
Gento nel Bolognefe; Bologna - - 1667 |
76 |
Rome, Vigna, Ludovifia, St. Peter's j Grotto Ferrata. |
|
Hiftory - |
Cortona; Rome - 1669 |
73 |
lome, Pal. Barberini, Pal. Pamfili, Chiefa nuova, St. Peter's, St. Ag- |
|
nes ; Florence, Pal. Pitti, &c |
D d
Antonio
210
APPENDIX.
Names.
Antonino Barbalonga Andrea Camaceo Andrea Saccht
Simone Cantarini 5 Cav. Carlo Cignani
Pietro Facini
Giov. Andrea Donducci,detto,
II Mafteletta Aleffandro Tiarini Leonello Spada - 10 Giov. Andrea Sirani Elifabetta Sirani •
Giacomo Sementi Francefco Geffi
Lorenzo Garbieri l$ G. Francefco Romanelli Diego Velafquez Aleffandro Veronefe
Mario de Fieri
Michelangelo del Campidoglio 20 Salvator Rofa
II Cav. Calabrefe .- - Ferramola Fioraventi
II Maltefe
Claude Gelee, called Claude Lorraine
Studied under
Domenichino Domenichino Albani
Guido -
Albani
Annibal Caracci - the Caracci
Profpero Fontana
the Caracci
Guido
Andrea, her father
Guido
Guido -
Lud. Caracci Pietro Cortona - Francefco Pacheco Felice Riccio
Fioravante - Spagnuoletto and Da- niel Falcone
Guercino
Godfrey Wals j Ago- ftino Taffi
Excelled in
a colouring more lan- guid than Pietro Cor- tona, but extreme de- 'hcate and pleafing
noble, bold manner j and bright colouring
good imitation of his m after
great fire and force a weak but agreeable manner
favage & uncouth places ; very great and noble ftyle ; fto- ries that have fome- thing of horror or cruelty
rural and pleafing fcenes, with various accidents of Nature, as gleams of fun- fhine, the rifing moon, &c.
Hiftory
N D
IX. 2i*
Painted |
Country, Place, and Year of their Death. |
Aged |
Principal Works are at |
Hiftory |
JVIcflina " |
Rome St Andrea'della Valle Chiefa |
|
Hiflory - Hiflory - Hiflory 5 Hiftory Hiftory - Hiflory Hiflory Hiftory <• JO Hiflory Hiflory, Portraits Hiftory Hiftnrv |
Bevagna j Rome - 1-657 Romej Rome - 1661 Pefaro; Bologna 1648 Bologna; Bologna 1719 Bologna - - 1602 Bologna - * 1655 Bologna - - 1668 Bologna - - 1622 Bologna - - 1670 Bologna - -- 1664 Bologna - ' - 1625 |
55 72 36 9i 42 80 91 46 60 26 45 |
dei Theatini, &c. Rome, St. Peter's, St. Giov. in La- terano, Pal. Paleftrina, &c. Rome, Pal. Berberini, &c. Chiefa di St. Romualdo, St. Carlo di Cati- nari, &c. Bologna, Pal. Davia, Certofa, &c. Bologna, &c. Bologna, &c. Bologna, &c. Bologna, &c. Bologna, &c. Bologna*, &c. Bologna, &c. |
Hiftory .-i'_ ... 15 Hiftory ».* :•- Portraits - Hiftory |
Bologna - - 1654 Viterbo; Rome - 1662 Spain - - - 1660 Verona - - 1670 |
64 45 66 7° |
Bologna, &c. France, &c. Rome, &c. Rome, Pal. Pamfili ; France, Louvre. France, Verfailles» &c. |
Flowers & Fruits 2C Landfcapes, Hi- flory Hiftory Vafes, Inftru- ments, Carpets, and Still-life |
Rome - - - 1670 Naples ; Rome - 1673 Calabria - - 1688 Brefcia - - 1512 |
60 59 86 |
Rome, Pal. Palavicirri ; Paris, the King's Colleaion, &c. Rom?, St. Andrea della Valle, &c. |
Landfcapes |
Toulj Rome - 1682 |
82 |
Rome, Pal. Chigi, Altieri, Colonna ] many Collections, |
D d *
Nicola?
Z12
APPENDIX.
Names.
Nicolas Pouffin
Gafpar Du Ghet, called Gaf- per Pouffin
Euftache Le Sueur - *
Michelangelo delle Battaglie 5 Jaques Stella
Carlo Maratti ,-
Luca Giordano - r* Charles Le Brun
Cav. Giacinto Brand! ro Giro Ferri -
Studied under
^uintin Varin *•
Nicolas, his brother- in-law
Simon Vouet
VTozzo of Antwerp -
his father
Andrea Sacchi -
Lo Spagnuoletto Simon Vouet; Nicolas
Pouffin Lanfranco Pietro Cortona - -
Excelled in
rxquifite knowledge of the antique ; fine ex- preffion j fkilful and well-chofen compo- fition and defign. Scenes of the country with antient buildings and hiftorical figures intermixed
a mixture of Nicolas and Claude Lorraine's ftyle
fimplicity, dignity, and corre<Snefs of ftyle, he is called the French Rafael
painted upon majblc frequently
The E N D of the
N D
X.
21.3
Painted |
Country, Place, and Year of their Death, |
Aged |
Principal Works are at |
|
Hiftory, Land- fcapes |
Andilly; Rome - |
1665 |
7i |
France, Verfailles, Palais Royal, &c» Rome, Cav. Pozzo's Collection, and in many more elfewhere. |
Landfcapes |
Rome - |
1675 |
— |
Rome; Paris, &c. |
Hiftory - ! " *- |
Paris |
1655 |
38 |
Paris, the Chartreufe and Hotel in the Ifle Notre Dame, &c. |
Battles 5 Hiftory, Minia- tures Hiftory - Hiftory - Hiftory - . - |
Lyons; Paris Ancona; Rome - Naples - - - Paris •• - |
1647 1713 1705 1690 |
88 76 71 |
Lyons; Paris, &c. Rome ; many Churches and Palaces, &c. Verfailles. |
Hiftory - 10 Hiftory |
Poll; Rome Rome - |
^689 |
90 55 |
Rome, &c. Rome, St. Agnes, Pal. Monte Ca- vallo, St. Ambrogio, &c. Florence, Pal. Pitti. |
APPENDIX.
ERRATA.
Page ijy line 193, for figured, read figured*
P. 6 1, 1. 755, for He knew, r. His were.
P. 70., 1. 14, for Paraphafe^ r. Parapbrafe.
P. 94, 1. 6, fot opera a tfamsmto,. r. ^r^ atrament**
/;/ the Prefs, and fpeedily will be publijhed^
A new and corrected Edition, in fmall Octavo, of the ENGLISH GARDEN, in four Books, by W. MASON, M. A. with a Commentary and Notes, by \V. BURGH, Efq; LL. P
York printed for J. DODSLEY, Pall-Mall •, T. CADELL, in the Strand j R. FAULDER, New Bond-ftreet., London ; and J. TODD, York.
Of whom may be had^ POEMS, by W. MASON, fmaU Odavo, 5th Edition, Price bound 5 s.
CARACTACUS, altered for the Stage, as performed at Covent- Garden Theatre, Price is. 6d.— The Lyrical Part of Caractacus, as fet to Mufic by D. ARNE.
ELFRIDA, altered for the Stage, as performed at Covent-Garden Theatre, Price is. 6d. — The Lyrical Part of Eifrida as fet toMufic by Mr. GIARDINJU
ODE to the Naval Officers of Great Britain, Price 6d. ODE to the Honourable W. PITT, Price j s.
MEMOIRS of Mr. GRAY, prefixed to his Poems, 4 Vols. fmaU O&avo, gd Edition, Price bound 125.
An Hiftorical and Critical ESSAY on CATHEDRAL MUSIC, prefixed to an Anthem Book for the Ufe of the Church of York •, in which the Anthems are arranged in chronological Order according to the Dates of the feveral Compofers, Price bound 33. 6d. large Paper, 2S. 6d. fmall Paper.
2 X
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