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 ESSAY 
 
 O N T H E 
 
 Invention of Engraving and Printing 
 
 I N 
 
 CHIARO OSGURO, 
 
 AS PRACTISED 
 
 By Albert Durer, Hugo di Carpi, &c. 
 
 AND 
 
 The Application of it to the Making Paper Hangings of Tafte, 
 
 Duration, and Elegance, 
 
 By Mr. J A C K S O N, of Batterfea. 
 
 Illuftrated with Prints in proper Colours. 
 
 Ceux qui font capable a" invent er font tares : ceux qui n' invent ent point font en 
 plus grand nombre, et par confequent les plus forts. 
 
 Pascal, 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 Printed for A. Millar, in the Strand; S. Baker, in York-Street, Covent- 
 Garden; J. Whiston and B. White? and L. Davis, in Fleet- 
 Street. MDCCLIV. 
 
 (Price Two Shillings and Six-pence.) 
 
U ] 
 
 An ESSAY on the Invention of Printing 
 in Chiaro Ofcuro, &c. 
 
 f||^OfP| T is perhaps as true and as common an Obfervation as any that is 
 fo^Sol^ made, that the Inventors of particular Arts are thofe who d 
 
 $ ^£&%$> maae> tnat tne -inventors of particular Arts are tnoie wno draw 
 
 >§\^^^ tne l ea ^ Advantage from the Difcovery ; and that a whole Na- 
 
 b^SaW? tion is often indebted to the Ruin of one Man for the Subfiitence 
 
 of many Thoufands of the Inhabitants, and a great Part of its 
 
 Manufactories, Commerce, and Riches. 
 It has been too generally the Fate of thofe whofet themfelves 
 to the Inventing any Thing that requires Taients in the Difcovery, to apply all 
 their Faculties, exhauft their Fortune, and wafte their whole Time in bringing 
 that to Perfection, which when obtained, Age, Death, or Want of fufficient Sup- 
 plies, obliges them to relinquifh, and to yield all the Advantages which their 
 Hopes had flattered them with, and which had fupported their Spirits during 
 their Fatigues and Difficulties, to others ; and thus leave behind them an impo- 
 verifh'd Family incapable to carry on their Parent's Defign, and too often com- 
 plaining of the projecting Genius of that Father who has ruin'd them, tho' he 
 has enriched the Nation to which he belonged, and to which of Confequence 
 he was a laudable Benefactor. One would be led to imagine from the above 
 Misfortune fo frequently happening, that ufeful Arts, like the moil perfect and 
 raoft durable Vegetables, require in their Nature more Time than the Life of 
 one Man to bring them to Value and Efteem. The Oak and Cedar demand 
 a Century to attain their Perfection ; and tho' the prefent Pofleflbrs may plant 
 the Tree, yet it muft be the Grandfon who can turn it to any great Advan- 
 tage. In that View, however, every Thing goes right, and proceeds as it ought: 
 The fame Family fucceeds to the Advantage which its Predeceflbrs began ; and 
 no Complaint can lie againftthe Order of Nature, which requires this Time 
 for the Perfection of her Productions in this Kind. 
 
 But with refpect to Artifts, nothing lefs feldom happens than their fucceed- 
 ing to the Advantages which follow the Inventions of their Anceltors. It is too 
 common to fee the Children of fuch Parents pining in Penury, whilft others 
 grow immenfely rich by the Arts of their Fathers, and to which they have not 
 the leaft Tide. It is hard that the Defcendant of an Inventor fhould ftarve from 
 the Invention of that very Art which enriches others who have no Claim to it ! 
 
 A 2 One 
 
[ 4- 1 
 
 One Reafon, perhipi, why this fo often happens, is, that it feldom falls out that 
 much Invention anJ great Riches unite in one Perfon ; or if they do, that Man 
 is not urged fo intenfely to purfue his Imaginations, as one who has little Fortune ; 
 for being already at Eafe, he is lefs anxious to increafe his Poffemcns, or fears 
 the leffening them ; thus many a ufeful Art falls to the Ground not fufhciently 
 attempted, or dies in the Imagination where it began > whereas the Man of fmall 
 Fortune, tho" irritated by that very Circumftance, through the very Want of ne- 
 ceffary Supplies, is check'd in his Progrefs, and crawls flowly towards that Goal, 
 which the Wings of Riches would fpeedily have brought him to. 
 
 Another Reafon perhaps is, that the Artift being totally engaged in the Purfuit 
 of his Difcovery, has but little Time to apply to the Lovers and Encouragers 
 of Art for their Patronage, Protection, and Supplies neceflary for the carrying 
 on fuch a Defign, or he has not Powers to fet the Advantage which would re- 
 mit from it in a true Light ; nor communicate in Words what he clearly con- 
 ceives in Idea : for certainly there are Men enough, who from the mere Delire 
 of increafing their Wealth, would give him that Amftance, which, like the artifi- 
 cial Heat of a Green-houfe, would bring that Art to a Ripenefs, which would 
 otherwife languifh and die under the Coldnefs of the firft Defigner, and which 
 in this Union of Riches and Invention would yield mutual Advantage to both. 
 
 There are befides this amongft the Great, without Doubt, many who would 
 gladly lend their Patronage to riling Arts, if they knew their Authors ; but 
 who are excluded from that Goodnefs, by being unacquainted with the Defign. 
 As an Inftance of this Truth, his Royal Highnefs the Duke of Cumberland has 
 lately eftablifhed a Manufactory at Fulham of two Kinds of Tapeftry, one the 
 fame with that which is made at the Gobelins ; the other with that which is made 
 at the Savonerie at Paris ; an Encouragement the moft laudable in itfelf, and 
 which may perhaps perpetuate the Name of the illuftrious Patron who protects 
 and fuftains it, when the faving his Country by Arms may be forgotten. It fel- 
 dom happens, that the milder Arts of Peace are blended in the fame Mind with 
 the mere Knowledge of War, or that the fame Prince has cherifh'd one and the 
 other as Occafion demanded. It is one Talent to increafe the Commerce of the 
 Subject, and another to fubdue its Enemies by Arms, yet in him they are both 
 found united. 
 
 To offer himfelf forth then to the Knowledge of his Country, is the Reafon 
 why the Author of that Paper-Manufactory now carrying on at Batterfea, has 
 printed thefe Sheets, in hopes that the illuftrious Example above-mentioned, and 
 the Merit of the Undertaking, may induce Gentlemen of Tafte to look into, and 
 give Vigour to his Invention and Infant Art. Certainly Mr. "Jackfon, the 
 Perfon of whom we fpeak, has not fpent lefs Time and Pains, applied lefs Afli- 
 duity, or travelled to fewer diftant Countries in Search of perfecting his Art than 
 other Men $ having paft twenty Years in France and Italy, to compleat himfelf 
 in Drawing after the beft Mafters in the beft Schools, and to fee what Antiquity 
 
 had 
 
r 5 i 
 
 had moft worthy the Attention of a Student in his particular Purfuits. Af- 
 ter all this Time fpent in perfecting himfelf in his Difcoveries, like a true 
 Lover of his Native Country, he is returned with a Defign to communicate all the 
 Means which his Endeavours can contribute to enrich the Land where he drew 
 his firft Breath, by adding to its Commerce, and employing its Inhabitants ; and 
 yet like a Citizen of it, he would willingly enjoy fome little Share of thofe Ad- 
 vantages before he leaves this World, which he muft leave behind him to his 
 Countrymen when he (hall be no more. 
 
 At the fame Time I am faying this in Favour of an Invention and Inventor, it 
 may perhaps be objected, that what this Perfon hath done, is not properly in Con- 
 fequence of an Invention, fince the fame Art was known and put in Execution 
 by Albert Durer in thofe famous Prints of the Hiftory of the Apocalypfe, the 
 Hiftory of the Four Go/pels, and his Book of Proportions, which are fo defervedly 
 efteemed by every one who truly knows what excellent Drawing and true Pro- 
 portion is in itfelf. 
 
 It may be faid alfo, that it is the fame with that which was purfued in Venice, 
 in cutting on Wood the Works of Titian, Salviati,Campagniola, and other Venetian 
 Painters, who drew their own Works on Blocks of Wood to be cut by the En- 
 gravers then living, and even Andrea Vincentino did not think it in the lean; a Dif- 
 honour, though a Painter, to grave on Wood the Landfcapes of Titian. 
 
 It is the fame, it may be ailedged, with that Art which met with fuch great 
 Encouragement at Rome ; even Raphael, the moft fuperior Genius of all Painters, 
 and Parmegiano, drew the Blocks which were cut by Hugo di Carpi, and who 
 was the original Projector of printing in Chiaro Ofcuro. 
 
 At Bologna alfo this Art received great Encouragement, where the Works of 
 Micharino di Siena, Andrea Andriano di Mantua, the Architecture of Serlio, 
 and the Heads in Vajfari's Lives of the Painters, were done in this Manner ; and 
 every great School in Italy adopted and cherifhed this Manner of Engraving and 
 Printing. 
 
 After having faid all this, it may feem highly improper to give to Mr. 'Jack- 
 Jon the Merit of inventing this Art ; but let me be permitted to fay, that an Art 
 recovered is little lefs than an Art invented. The Works of the former Artifts re- 
 main indeed ; but the Manner in which they were done, is entirely loft : the 
 inventing then the Manner is really due to this latter Undertaker, fince no Wri- 
 tings, or other Remains, are to be found by which the Method of former Artifts 
 can be difcover'd, or in what Manner they executed their Works ; nor, in Truth, 
 has the Italian Method fince the Beginning of the 1 6th Century been attempted 
 by any one except Mr. Jack/on. 
 
 During his Refidence at Venice, where he made himfelf perfect in the Art 
 which he profefies, he finifhed meny Works well known to the Nobility and 
 Gentry who travelled to that City whilft he lived in it. 
 
 Every 
 
[ 6 ] 
 
 Every Collector of Prints knows perfectly well how much thofe done in the 
 Tafte of the above-named Mafters, Albert Durer, Hugo di Carpi, and others, 
 have been efteemed ; and though thofe delicate Finifhings, and minute Strokes, 
 which make up great Part of the Merit of engraving on Copper, are not to be 
 found in thofe cut on Wood in Chiaro Ofcuro ; yet there is a mafterly and free 
 Drawing, a Boldnefs of Engraving and Relief, which pleafes a true Tafte more 
 than all the little Exa&nefs found in the Engravings on Copper Plates. And the 
 late Regent of France, [whofe Judgment in Painting, and all that belongs to the 
 Knowledge of it, that curious Collection which he has left behind him will 
 prove to Futurity] prefer'd the Prints done in this Manner fo much to all others, 
 that at his Encouragement, the Comte de Caylus attempted the reftoring of this 
 Loft Art at Paris in fome Prints, done from the Original Drawings of the greateft 
 Italian Mafters in the Regent's Cabinet, and which have been fince published by 
 Monfieur Croizat, and fome of them after the Drawings of Julio Romano, and 
 Raphael, were finifhed by Mr. Jack/on, and approved of by the Lovers and Pro- 
 moters of that Art in Paris. 
 
 In this manner of doing Prints in Chiaro Ofcuro, when the Out-line is juft 
 (and which Mr. Jack/on prefumes thofe Gentlemen will be inclined to allow him 
 who fhall be pleafed to honour his Performances with the leaft Attention) the Im- 
 preffion refemblcs a Drawing more than any other Way in which Prints are done, 
 and indeed has an Effect which the beft Judges very often prefer to any Prints 
 from Engravings, done with all that Exadtnefs, minute Strokes of the Graver, 
 and Neatnefs of Work, which is fure to captivate the Minds of thofe whofe Tafte 
 isform'd upon the little Confiderations of delicately handling the Tools, and not 
 upon the Freedom, Life and Spirit of the feparate Figures, and indeed the whole 
 Compofition. 
 
 It is in this Manner of doing Prints, as it is in the Works of the beft Pain- 
 ters ; the firft Sketch of the Defign has very often an Elevation and Spirit of 
 Exprefllon, which is loft in the finifh'd Picture. Too much Correctnefs fpoils 
 the Delicacy of true Grace, and communicates a Stiffhefs to the Figures ; in like 
 Manner on Copper Engravings, the being too precife in the Strokes of the Gra- 
 ver, takes off the original Eafe in the Picture, tho' it may look finely wrought 
 with hair Strokes ; whereas Prints in Chiaro Ofcuro done in this Way have a 
 more mafterly and pleafing Effect on that Eye which knows what it fhould ex- 
 amine and look after. 
 
 Mmiliutn circa Indian faber imus et ungues 
 Exprimet, et molles imitabitur cere capillos, 
 Jifelix operis fummd quia ponere totum 
 Nefciet 
 
 From 
 
[ 7 1 
 
 From a Conviction of the Truth of what has been faid, Mr. Frederick, Mr. 
 Letheuilier, and Mr. Smith, the E)iglijh Conful at Venice, encouraged Mr. Jack- 
 fon to undertake to engrave in Chiaro Ofcuro, Blocks after the moft Ca- 
 pital Pictures of 'Titian, Tintoret, Giacomo Baffano, and Paul Veronefe, which 
 are to be found in Venice, and to this End procured him a Subfcription . 
 
 In this Work may be feen what engraving on Wood will effectuate, and 
 how truly the Spirit and Genius of every one of thofe celebrated Mailers are 
 preferved in the Prints. 
 
 During his executing this Work he was honoured with the Encouragement 
 of the Right Honourable the Marquis of Hartington, Sir Roger Newdigate, Sir 
 Bouchier Wrey^ and other Engli/h Gentlemen on their Travels at Venice, who 
 faw Mr. Jack/on drawing on the Blocks for the Print after the famous Picture of 
 the Crucifixion painted by Tintoret in the Albergo of St. Roche. Thofe Prints 
 may now be feen at his Houfe at Batter fea 
 
 Not content with having brought his Works in Chiaro Ofcuro to fuch Per- 
 fection, he attempted to print Landfcapes in all their original Colours ; not 
 only to give to the World all the Out-line Light and Shade, which is to be 
 found in the Paintings of the beft Matters, but in a great Degree their very 
 Manner and Tafte of Colouring. 
 
 With this Intent he publifhed fix Landfcapes, which are his firft Attempt in 
 this Nature, in Imitation of painting in Aquarillo, or Water Colours j which 
 Work was taken Notice of by the Right Honourable the Earl of Holdemefs, then 
 Embaffador Extraordinary to the Republic of Venice ; and his Excellency was 
 pleafed to permit the Dedication of thofe Prints to him, and to encourage this 
 new Attempt of printing Pictures with a very particular and very favourable Re- 
 gard, and to exprefs his Approbation of the Merit of the Inventor. 
 
 It is not improbable, that Gentlemen acquainted with Mr. Le Blonds Manner 
 of Printing Engravings on Copper in Colours, may imagine it to be the fame 
 with this of Mr. Jack/on, and that from the former he has borrowed the De- 
 fign ; but whoever will take the leaft Pains to enquire into the Difference, will 
 find it impoflible, that the cutting on Wood Blocks, and printing the Imprefllons 
 in various Colours from them, can be done in the fame Way that is done with 
 Copper Plates in the Metzotinto or Fumo Manner. Every Man who knows 
 any Thing of the Nature of Engraving muft be convinced, that thofe Metzo- 
 tinto Plates, of all others, are the moft liable to wear out ; that it is impoflible 
 for any two Prints to be alike in their Colours when taken off in that Manner, 
 and for this Reafon, becaufe the delicate and exquifite Finifhings of the 
 Flefh, and the tender Shadowings of all the Colours muft be deftroy'd ; the very 
 cleaning the Plates from one Colour to lay on another is fufficient to ruin all the 
 fine Effect of the Workmanfhip, and render it impoflible to take off ten Im- 
 prefllons without lofing all the Elegance of the Graving. 
 
 On 
 
[8 ] 
 
 On the contrary, this Method difcovered by Mr. Jack/on is in no Degree fuh- 
 fect to the like Inconveniency ; almoft an infinite Number of Impreflions may be 
 taken off" fo exactly alike, that the fevered Eye can fcarcely perceive the leaft 
 Difference amongft them. 
 
 Added to this, Mr. Jack/on has invented ten pofitive Tints in Chiaro Ofcuro ; 
 whereas Hugo di Carpi knew but four ; all which Tints can be taken off by four 
 Impreftions only. This Attempt when he propofed it firft at Paris was treated 
 as romantic and vifionary by Meff. Caylus, Coypel, Mariette, and L.e Seur, efpe- 
 cially when he propofed a Method by which Blocks of Wood might (land the 
 Powers and Preffure of the Rolling Prefs, and which Metals would fcarcely 
 fuftain ; and yet thefe Gentlemen were afterwards convinced of the Truth of this 
 Propofition, and actually put it in Execution to finifh the Works in Chiaro Ofcuro t 
 defigned for the Collection of Mr. Croizat. 
 
 Having thus brought this Manner of Engraving on Wood to the Perfection a- 
 bove-mentioned, Mr. Jackfon has imagined a more extenfive Way of applying 
 this Invention than has hitherto been thought of by any of his Predeceffors ; 
 which is the printing Paper for the Hanging of Rooms. By this Thought he has 
 certainly obtained the moft agreeable and moft ufeful Ends for the Generality of 
 Mankind, in fitting up Houfes and Apartments, which are Elegance, Tafte, and 
 Cheapness. By this way of printing Paper, the Inventor has contrived, that the 
 Lights and Shades (hall be broad and bold, and give great Relief to the Figures ; 
 the fineft Prints of all the antique Statues which imitate Drawings are introdu- 
 ted into Niches of Chiaro Ofcuro in the Pannels of their Paper ; thefe are fur- 
 rounded with a Mofaic Work, in Imitation of Frames, or with Feftoons and 
 Garlands of Flowers, with great Elegance and Tafte. 
 
 Thus the Perfon who cannot purchafe the Statues themfelves, may have thefe 
 Prints in their Place ; and may as effectaally fhew his Tafte and Admiration of 
 the ancient Artifts in this manner of fitting up and finiihing his Apartments, 
 as in the moft expenfive. 'Tis the Choice, and not the Price, which difcovers 
 the true Tafte of the Poffeffor j and thus the Apollo of the Belvidere Palace at 
 Rome, the Medicean Venus, the dying Mermillo, the fighting Gladiator, or the 
 famous Group of the Laocoon, may be difpofed of in fo many Pannels, and alt 
 the other Parts of the Paper correspond to this original Intent. 
 
 Or if Landfcapes are more agreeable, for |Variety Sake Prints done in this 
 Manner, taken from the Works of Sahator Rofa, Claude Lorrain, Gajpar t 
 Poufjin, Burghen, Woverman, or any other great Mafter in this Way of Painting, 
 may be introduced into Pannels of the Paper, and fhew the Tafte of the 
 Owner. 
 
 The different Views of Venice by Canaletti, the Compofitions of Paulo Panini 
 •after the Ruins of Rome, the Copies of the Pictures of all the beft Painters of 
 the Italian, French, and Flemifh Schools, the, fine fculptur'd Vafes of the An- 
 tients which are now remaining } in ihort, every Bird that flies, every Figure 
 
 that 
 
C 9 ] 
 
 that moves upon the Surface of the Earth from the Infect to the human ; and 
 every Vegetable that fprings from the Ground, whatever is of Art or Nature, 
 may be introduced into this Defign of fitting up and furniihing Rooms, with all 
 the Truth of Drawing, Light, and Shadow, and great Perfection of Colour- 
 
 Saloons in Imitation of Stucco may be done in this Manner, and Stair-Cafes in 
 every Tafte as fhall be moft agreeable, fitted up with the utmofl Elegance. No 
 Figure is too large for this Invention, Statues and other Objects may be taken 
 off in full Length, or any Size whatever. 
 
 It need not to be mentioned to any Perfon of the leaft Tafte, how much this 
 Way of finifhing Paper exceeds every other hitherto known ; 'tis true, however, 
 that the gay glaring Colours in broad Patches of red, green, yellow, blue, &c. 
 which are to pafs for Flowers and other Objecls which delight the Eye that has' 
 no true Judgment belonging to it, are not to be found in this as in the common 
 Paper ; but Colours foftening into one another, with Harmony and Repofe, and 
 true Imitations of Nature in Drawing and Defign. Nor are there Lions leaping 
 from Bough to Bough like Cats, Houfes in the Air, Clouds and Sky upon the 
 Ground, a thorough Confufion of all the Elements, nor Men and Women, with 
 every other Animal, turn'd Monfters, like the Figures in the Chmefe Paper, ever 
 to be feen in this Work. 
 
 Perfons who mould prefer the gaudy and unmeaning Papers, (fo generally 
 met with) to thofe done by the Inventor of this, would prefer a Fan to a 
 Picture of Raphael, Carracche, Guido, or Do?ninichino, and thofe who chufe the 
 Chinefe manner, ought to admire, in purfuit of that fame Tafte, the crooked, dif- 
 proportioned and ugly, in Preference to the ftrait, regular, and beautiful. 
 'Tis by this very means of ill Judgment in furnifhing Apartments, that the true 
 Tafte of the Perfon is unthinkingly betray 'd ; thofe little and feemingly diftant 
 Things offer the Clue which leads to the Difcovering the whole Mind, and un- 
 does, perhaps, all that Character of being a true Judge of the polite Arts which 
 they are fo fond of eftablifhing. 
 
 It feems impoflible that any Mind, truly form'd, can without Diftafte be 
 capable of letting fuch Objects in upon it through the Eye ; where the internal 
 Senfes are well proportion'd and juft, thefe monftrous Objects of the external 
 muft be difpleafing and offenfive ; in that Breaft where the fofter Senfations of 
 Humanity are in any particular Degree, a Love of Beauty generally accompanies 
 them, and the Approbation of natural Objects is the Proof of thefe Senfations 
 exifting in an Individual j as the contrary Tafte is of the ill Formation or Per- 
 verfion of that Mind which approves of preternatural Appearances. There is a 
 clofe Analogy between the Love of Beauty in external Objects, and a Mind truly 
 difpofed to the feeling all the fofter and moft amiable Senfations. 
 
 It feems alfo, as if there was great Reafon to fufpect wherever one fees fuch pre- 
 pofterous Furniture, that the Tafte in Literature of that Perfon who directed 
 
 B it 
 
[ IO ] 
 
 it was very deficient, and that it would prefer Tom D'Urfy to Shake/pear, Sir Ri- 
 chard Blackmore to Milton, Tate to Homer, an Anagrammatift to Virgil, Horace^ 
 or any other Writer of true Wit, either Ancient or Modern. Difproportioned 
 Animals with Limbs mifplaced are fo many Anagrams $ and whoever approves of 
 the former in Furniture, cannot have a Tafte above the latter in Literature. The 
 Elements, Animals, and Objects which are natural to them, difpofed contrary to 
 Nature, are an Acroftic in Painting ; and the Perfon would be a Wit of that 
 Stamp in Writing, if he was a Writer at all, who loves to view fuch topfy- 
 turvy Objects. 
 
 Befides this Superiority of- Tafte, which Paper done in this Way has to all 
 others, there is yet a very efiential Advantage belonging to it, which is, that be- 
 ing done in Oil, the Colours will never fly off; no Water or Damp can have 
 the leaft Effect upon it, the whole Body of the Paper being impregnated with 
 the Oil which is ufed in the fixing the Colours. By this means the fame Beauty 
 continues as long as the Paper can hold together : Whereas in that done with 
 Water-Colours, in the common Way, fix Months makes a very vifible Alteration, 
 in all that prepofterous Glare, which makes its whole Merit j and one Year or 
 two, totally carries off all that which at firft was fo greatly admired, and it be- 
 comes a Difgrace to the very Wall it covers, and to which it was defign'd as an 
 Ornament. 
 
 Notwithftanding the Preference which fo manifeftly ought to be given to this 
 Invention of Mr. Jackfon, nothing is more difficult than to give a Defcription 
 of any Art by Words, orperfuade People to believe without feeing it; for this 
 Reafon the Author of it has thought of giving to the Public fame Specimens 
 of his Manner of engraving and printing in Colours, to excite the Attention and, 
 Curiofity of People of Tafte, in fmal I Figures, only fit for a fmall Publication of 
 this Nature ; at the fame time taking the Liberty to fay, that Figures or Objects-, 
 of any Size or Kind before-mentioned, may be equally well done in this Me- 
 thod : He would willingly hope the Encouragement of Men of diftinguiih'd 
 Judgment in polite Arts, that he may be led to. tafte the Fruit which his La- 
 bours will produce when encouraged by their Sunfhine, before he leaves, that 
 Art, which has coft him fo much Study and Application, to his Country, and 
 which muft bring Advantage to the Public, though he fhould never enjoy one 
 Moment's greater Eafe, Happinefs, or Riches from the Invention, and when, he 
 muft be at Reft with refpect to its Succefs or Failure, . 
 
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 Ride fi fapis. 
 
 The Bufl of Democritus, commonly called the Laughing Philofopher, 
 a celebrated Performance of an ancient Greek Sculptor at 
 Rome. 
 
 E was the Son of a very rich Father, who is fald to have entertained Xerxes 
 and all his Hoft in their March to Greece, widiout fuffering his Servants to 
 take any Thing from his Guefts, according to the Englijh way of buying Dinners 
 from their Friends. By means of his Riches, being furnifhed with every Thing 
 necefTary for travelling, and incited by a great Defire of knowing what the dif- 
 ferent Kingdoms of the Earth produced and poflefled, he vifited the moft re- 
 markable for Arts and Sciences in thofe Days. By this he diverted himfelf of 
 thofe innumerable Prejudices which attend a contracted Education confined to 
 the Manners of one Set of People only, and look'd more freely into Things as 
 they were in their general Nature. Thus he perceived at the Bottom, the Lit- 
 tlenefs of all that boafted Superiority of one Man over another in Underftand- 
 ing and Talents, and the ridiculous Preference Nations give themfelves to their 
 Neighbours. 
 
 He examined whether Chance had any Thing to arrogate to itfelf in the 
 Tranfaclions of human Affairs, if that Idea can be allow'd ; or otherwife, how 
 much the fteady Courfe of Providence directed, or the Inflexibility of Necefilty 
 produced thofe very Events which we aflume the Merit of, which latter Man- 
 ner of thinking he is fuppofed to have efpoufed. And thus he faw how trifling a 
 Share in the performing the greateft Actions could be attributed to Human Na- 
 ture, and her Faculties. 
 
 That delirious Love of Riches by thofe whofe penurious Souls would not 
 fuffer them to enjoy the leaft Eafe from the Pofleflion ; the Pretence of amafling 
 them for Children, who often died before their Parents, or furviving, whofe dif- 
 fipating Spirit would not permit the rational Enjoyment or long PorTefiion of 
 what was fo dear to their Fathers, were Inftances of great Folly, and Subject of 
 much Laughter in his Imagination. 
 
 The Thirft of procuring Honours without the Merit of deferving them, or 
 even obtaining them with that Attribute, and then bequeathing them to Heirs 
 whofe ignominious Behaviour reflected a Difgrace on the Race from which they 
 fprung; the ineftimable Value which Beauty lays on itfelf, fo fubject to the 
 blighting Blaft of every Difeafe, and always the Victim of a few Years ; the 
 vaunted Strength of athletic Limbs, fo open to innumerable Accidents, were all 
 Subjects of Laughter in his Eyes. 
 
 In Fact, the General who boafted of his great Courage and Skill in obtain- 
 ing Victories ; the Philofoper, who valued himfelf on his Superior Knowledge ; 
 and the Legiflator, on his perfect Plan of Laws and juft Adminiftration of 
 
 B 2 them, 
 
[ " J 
 
 them, he laugh'd at alike, confcious how little each of them truly knew, and 
 yet how much lefs in all their Actions could be attributed to their original Inten- 
 tion and Direction. 
 
 From thus continually finding Subject for Laughter in the Arrogance, falfe 
 Knowledge, fruitlefs Cares and Attempts of his Species, and continually 
 laughing at it, he became fufpected of having loft his Senfes. 
 
 This induced the People amongft whom he lived, to defire Hippocrates, the 
 moft celebrated Phyfician of all Antiquity, to vifit him, and afcertain or contra- 
 dict the Truth of what they imagined ; which being accordingly done, he re- 
 turned full of Wifdom and Admiration of that Man whom they thought mad, 
 and confider'd thofe in that Condition who had entertained the former Opini- 
 on. 
 
 He held in his Philofophy, that all Things were originally form'd of Atoms, 
 and a Plurality of Worlds, all of which were fubject to Decay and Corrup- 
 tion. 
 
 After being fated with travelling, he returned to Abdera in 'Thrace, his na- 
 tive Land, where he lived much fequeftered from Mankind ; he is faid to have 
 put out his Eyes exprefly, that external Objects might not draw off his Attention 
 from obferving more accurately what pafTed in his Mind, and to difcover with 
 more Certainty upon what Principles the Minds of Men proceeded, in what 
 Manner they were actuated in their Intercourfe with each other, and the Force* 
 Extent, and Nature of all the human Faculties* 
 
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[ 13 3 
 The LION. 
 
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 THIS Animal has been considered by Natural ids, as the ftrongeft and mod 
 courageous of all Quadrupeds ; from this, and from a certain Majefty in his 
 Air, his venerable Mane, Strength, and auguft Look, he has probably been con<- 
 fider'd as the King of Beafts. His hinder Parts by no Means anfvver the Appear- 
 ance of the others, either in Strength or Proportion, and indeed have lefs Beauty 
 in them than is in- general found amongft Quadrupeds. 
 
 He is fuppofed to be of the Cat Kind, having Fangs of great Length, which 
 he can ftretch out to feize his Prey, or conceal as he pleafes. This Animal is ima- 
 gined alfo to be extremely deficient in the Senfe of Smelling; from this Imper- 
 fection in his firft Formation he is incapacitated to purfue his Prey by the Nofe : 
 In Amends for this Defect, Nature is faid to have endowed him with a moft 
 exquifite Hearing, fo that he is thought to hunt by the Ear. 
 
 The Make of this Animal in its hinder Parts, and the Want of the Senfe of 
 Smelling, afford a very remarkable Inftance of the Proof of a Providence in the 
 original Formation of all Things, where, in every Species, the Perfections of any 
 particular Race of Beings is allayed with the Imperfections, for without this the 
 Order of Animals could not have long exifted. 
 
 To inftance in the Cafe of this noble Animal the Lion ; fuppofe him form'd 
 with the hinder Parts, endowed with the Swiftnefs of a Race-horfe, then 
 no Animal on which he had once fet his Sight could have efcaped him, fince 
 all Refiftance would prove ineffectual, as he is the ftrongeft and braveftof all Qua- 
 drupeds. Thus then the Want of Swiftnefs in this Beaft is a Security to others 
 who poffefs that Qualification, and preferves them from his unrelenting Jaws. 
 
 Had he the exquifite Senfe of Smelling which Nature has given to the Blood- 
 Hound, made as he is, no Animal could efcape him ; becaufe being fo exceflive- 
 ly ftrong, though he was flow, he would purfue them by the Scent untired, and 
 certainly catch them at laft. 
 
 Thus the Prefervation of other Animals depends on the particular Weaknefs of 
 this ; Flight will eafily carry an Animal from the Hearing of this Beaft though 
 his Senfe be ever fo exquifite ; and lying ftill prevents all Difcovery by the Ear ; 
 but neither Swiftnefs nor Stillnefs can fecure you from the Senfe of Smelling, 
 
 becaufe 
 
[•4] 
 
 becaufe the Effluvia continually flying from all Animal Bodies, betray the Place 
 where they are, or where they have palled, to the Nofe of Animals greatly en- 
 dowed with that Senfe. From thefe two Defects in the Lion it has been faid, 
 that the Jack-call hunteth down the Prey for this lordly Quadruped, and was de- 
 ftined to that Office by Nature. The Caufe of this AfTertion, though it may 
 not be ftridtly true, is not without fome Foundation in its Nature, the "Jack-call 
 being of the Dog-kind, which hunts its Prey by the Nofe, and like the Beagle opens 
 on the Scent in the Purfuit, may probably awake the Lion to the following 
 him by the Senfe of Hearing. And thus though he purfues the little Animal 
 that continually makes a Noife with a Defign to devour him, yet in Fact, at the 
 End he poiTeffes that Prey which the other ran down, and the Beaft of lefs Force 
 and Powers yields what mould have been his by the Right of Foreft Laws to 
 the other of more Strength and Courage, and has nothing left , but free Liberty 
 to begin another Chace, where he may poffibly meet the lame Fate, and be de- 
 ceived in the fame Manner. Did thefe Animals learn of Men, or Man from 
 
 them ! 
 
 There is one particular Quality which the Lion is faid to polfefs above all other 
 BeaHs ; which is, that Inftindt of knowing and diftinguilhing the Royal Blood 
 from all others, and never offering the lealt Violence to any of that Race; and 
 yet perhaps no King in Europe, however convinced he may be of the Royalty 
 of his Defcent, would upon that Prefumption venture into the Cage of the old 
 Lion in the Tower, notwithftanding he appears fo tame and tradable. However 
 tho' this Obfervation be totally fabulous, yet a moft pleafing Ufe is often made 
 of Errors received in this Manner by the beft Poets, as Shake/pear has done in 
 this Particular, where Falflajfs Cowardice is detected, in anfwer to the Prince of 
 Wales. The fat Knight fays, By the Lord, I know ye, as well as he that made 
 ye. Why hear ye, my- Majlers, Was it for me to kill the Heir apparent ? Should 
 I turn upon the true Prince ? Why, thou knowejl, I am as valiant as Hercules : 
 But beware Injlincl, the Lion will not touch the true Prince ; Injlin6l' is a great 
 Matter, I was a Coward on InftinSi : I pall think the better of myfelf and thee du- 
 ring Life ; I for a valiant Lion, and thou for a true Prince. 
 
 Henry IV; ift p ART . 
 
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[ i.5] 
 
 The Building and Vegetable. 
 
 THIS Print gives a faint Idea of what is to be done in Colours, with Re- 
 fpect to Buildings and Vegetables in this Manner : The Ruins of Rome, 
 Athens, Palmyra, or Egypt may be printed, and Landfcapes of any Kind after 
 the befl: Matters in any Size, and the Ground of the Paper done of one Colour. 
 This, as has been faid in the EfTay, will make a lafting and genteel Furniture, 
 as all the Colouring is done in Oil, and not fubjeft to fly off, as in Papers finifh'd 
 in Water Colours. 
 
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 The Statue of Apollo, God of Phyfic, Mufic, Poetry, &c. and 
 according to the Mythology of the Antients^ the Son of Jupiter 
 
 and Latona. 
 
 Dive, quern proles Niobaa magna 
 Vindicem lingua, Tityofque rapto 
 
 Sen/it, et Troja prope viclor alt a 
 Pbthius Achilles. 
 
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 Horace. 
 
 THIS Deity is always confider'd as being conftantly young by Poets, Pain- 
 ters, and Statuaries ; and this Statue, which is in the Palace of Behidera 
 at Rome, is known by the Name of the Beautiful Apollo. 
 
 It is with great Juftice that this Figure is imagined to be one of the moll: per- 
 fect in Male Beauty of all thofe which remain of the old Greek Sculptors ; and 
 in Truth, it has in its Expreffion, Grace, and Proportions, fomething which the 
 Enthufiafts in Admiration of the polite Arts have imagined above human. 
 
 The Sculptor probably being warm'd with the Idea of that God which he par- 
 ticularly ador'd, as the patronizing Deity of his Studies (for Poetry and Paint- 
 ing are the fame in the Mind of the Poet and Painter, tho' different in the Man- 
 ner of exprefling them) had conceived an Idea of Beauty, much above that 
 which generally accompanies Human Nature j yet as no Figure, of which we 
 know any Thing, and which is the Object of the Senfe of feeing, can be fo ac- 
 ceptable as the human, more perfect, or more fair to our Manner of conceiving 
 Things, accompanied always with the partial Paffionof Self-Love, and Preference 
 of Beauty to our own Species, the Artift from an Impoflibility of conceiving any 
 Beauty above that which can be given to the human Form, was obliged to deter- 
 mine on this to exprefs his whole Idea of Beauty as well as from the Fable of 
 the ancient I'heogony alfo. 
 
 In order then to form and to exprefs all that Grace, Youth, and Beauty, which 
 have always been laid down as characteriftic of this Divinity, and to give it a Supe- 
 riority not to be found in Human Nature, or but very rarely, he muft have ftudied 
 the moft perfect amongft Mankind, and difcover'd in what particular Parts of the 
 human Figure any additional Height could be given by which Grace and Dignity 
 might be added to the Whole, and carry it above the Idea which generally at- 
 tends the human. Height given difproportionably to every Part and Member, com- 
 municates an Aukwardnefs to a whole Figure, as may be feen in the Works of ma- 
 ny Painters, and yet without a Degree of Tallnefs very few human Figures will 
 either have Majefly or Grace in their Perfons. 
 
 C The 
 
[ i8 ] 
 
 The Sculptor of this Statue having confider'd perfectly all that which gives 
 Beauty by Addition of Height, has found that whereas human Figures in general 
 confuted of the Length of ten Faces, that by adding half a Face to thofe Parts 
 which lie between the bottom of the Breaft and the Union of the Fork, a certain 
 Beauty was added to the human Proportions, which would have been loft, if the 
 fame Length had been indifcriminately diffufed over the whole Body ; and the 
 Truth of this Obfervation is verified in the Proportions of his Apollo, where the 
 Parts are defigned in this Manner. What feems to be the Reafon of this beauti- 
 ful Effect arifing from fuch a Diftribution of Length is this : The Height thus 
 added, falls equally diftributed between the upper and lower Parts 1 of the Body, 
 and where perhaps a difproportioned Conformation more frequently happens than 
 in any other. By this Means the Thighs are lengthened on the Out-fide by the 
 Hips being made longer, and the Body alfo as it is longer in the lower Belly, by 
 being let down between the Hips, gives a very particular Beauty to the whole Hu- 
 nan Figure. 
 
 This it is which gives a fuperior Beauty in the Properties of this Statue above 
 all others, where the Drawing, Expreflion, and Attitude are equally perfect., and 
 this Addition omitted. Befides this particular Excellence, the Face has in itfelf a 
 Beauty and Expreflion beyond what is ever found perhaps amongft Mankind j 
 he feems pleafed with having hit whatever was the Object tu which he has di- 
 rected his Shaft ; for he is in the Attitude of having juft difcharged his Bow; 
 natural and eaiy, void of all Fantaftic or Gothic Air, amazingly correct and 
 beautiful. 
 
 From this Statue, Painters may know in what Parts to add Height to their Fi- 
 gures, when they intend giving Grace, Dignity, and Eafe to the fuperior Perfons 
 in their Compofitions ; and yet an univerfal Application of this Obfervation 
 would lead to Error. A Hercules, or Figure of Strength, would be render'd lefs 
 Characteriftic by that very Thing which renders this Statue of Apollo fo extremely 
 beautiful. 
 
 It is in Feminine Beauty as in the Male, amongft human Kind, an additional 
 Height difpofed in the fame manner, gives a Grace inexpreflible to the whole 
 Form; and Cleomenes, the Greek Statuary, who carved the Venus of Medicis, was 
 perfectly acquainted with this Truth, and has made ufe of it accordingly in this 
 Figure, though not to fo great a Degree as in the Apollo. The Figure in itfelf is 
 rather of the middle Size, fitting that Idea of Venus, which confifts in delicate 
 Expreffions of Beauty and Softnefs of Difpofition ; whereas it is probable, that 
 if the Minerva, which Phidias carved for the Citadel of Athens, and which was 
 called, 'The beautiful Form, and acknowledged the moft perfect of all the Works 
 of Sculpture was ftill remaining, we fhould have yet another Proportion in 
 Height, r.he Idea of Beauty in that Figure being accompanied with Wifdom 
 and War, rauft to fo great a Sculptor as Phidias have offer 'd the Thought of 
 
 greater 
 
{ l 9] 
 
 greater Height, and another lefs delicate Expreffion ; that is, a Beauty of another 
 Kind j for Beauty is relative to the Objects and Ideas which accompany them. 
 
 To know Human Nature in its utmoft Perfection of Proportions, where the 
 greatefl Matters and beft Critics have exalted the Form to fomething almofr. di- 
 vine in its Attitude, Air, Expreffion, and Size, where every Thing is to be found 
 in Man confider'd under the Idea of Youth and Beauty, this Statue is to be 
 fludied, and not the Bodies of living Men alone, amongft no one of which fuch 
 admirable Proportions are to be found ; and not one Artift in ten Thoufand has 
 Genius fufficient to combine a whole Figure with all this Harmony and Beauty 
 fpread through the whole Form from his own particular Obfervations upou 
 Human Nature, 
 
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