r 
 
/ 
 
AN 
 
 IDEA 
 
 Oi the PerfeSiion 
 
 pain'ting: 
 
 DEMONSTRATED 
 
 From the PrincifleS of Ar/, and by Examples 
 conformable to the Oifervations^ which Pliny and 
 ^intilian have made upon the mofi; celebrated 
 Pieces of the Jntient PAiN FERS, ParalleI'd 
 with fome jvorks of the mofl: famous Modern 
 Painters, LEONARDO VINCI, RA- 
 PHAEL, JULIO ROMANO, and N. 
 POUSSIR 
 
 Written in French 
 
 By Koland Freart^ Simr de Cambray. 
 And rendred EngUJh' 
 
 By f. E, Efquire, 
 
 Je//ojj»ofthe ROYAL SOCIETY, 
 
 In the SAroT: 
 Printed for Henry Herringman at the Sign of the 
 Awhor in the Lower-walk of the 
 Nerv'Exchange. 1668. 
 
I 
 
I 
 
 .THE 
 
 PREFACE" 
 
 ^Hcre is hardly that Man 
 hvine, but has fome in- 
 clination for P^/NTlNG, 
 and that does not even 
 pretend fufficient Abili- 
 ties to controll the Worlds which it pro- 
 duces: for not only Learned men^ 
 and perfons of Condition^ who arc 
 ever probably the moft rational, are 
 emulous of this Knowledge i but the 
 very Comfmn-People will adventure 
 to Ipend their Judgements too j fo as 
 it feems, this Art is in fome fort, the 
 'Vni'verfal Myjiery. 
 
 Neither is this prefumption a Vice 
 peculiar to the French alone, or of this 
 
 A 2 Age 
 
The Treface. | 
 
 Age of ours only i 'tis as old as Pamt- ^ 
 i?ig\t felfe, and fprung from berbe- 
 ry Cradle in Greece. This is evident- I 
 by that which Fliny has recorded of : 
 Jpelles who before hegavethelaft | 
 touches to his Pieces , was wont to ^ 
 expofe them in Puhlique to the Cen- 
 fare of all the Paffengers^ whilft he i 
 conceal'd himfelfe behind them, that 
 he might hear what every one faid, 
 and make ufeofit accordingly^ whence I 
 the Proverb, Apelles fofi Tabtdam. 
 Moft of our Painters do to this day 
 obferve fomething of this very Cu- 
 fiome^ or at leaft, fomething like it , 
 but which they have turn'd into a kind 
 of Complement : For they ufually re- 
 queft fuch as have the Curiofity to 
 vifit their Works^ freely to tell them 
 what they thin^ of them 5 and whe- 
 ther they obferve any thing which 
 needs reforming. But as Complements 
 are but vain and infignificant words^ 
 they feldom produce any real EffeBs 
 
 upon 
 
The Treface. 
 
 upon thefe encounters v and to fpeak 
 fincerely, thefe F^/V^ferj" would be but 
 )nAly punifli'd, (hould one really take 
 the liberty ofefFe£^:ualIy rend ring them 
 this friendly Office, which they ask 
 but in Ceremony, and that inftead of 
 thofe ordinary compliances with which 
 they ufualiy flatter them , they did 
 ingenioufly difcover to them their mi- 
 ferable failings. But inftead of recei- 
 ving this InUmEiion in good part, and 
 gratifying the Cenfure as becomes 
 them, they would certainly be of- 
 fended at the freedom, aixl we fliould 
 fee them rather Confotwded than Ke- 
 form'dby it ^ becaufe they do not fo 
 much feekto be Able men ^ as they de- 
 fire to appear (b. The days of Apelles 
 are now paft, and our Modern Paint- 
 ers are quite of another ftrain from 
 thefe Old Majiers , who never came 
 to be C on fider able in their Profefsions^ 
 but by the ftudy of Geometrie and 
 PerfpeBive^ the Anatomy of Bodies^ 
 
 A 3 the 
 
The Treface. 
 
 the afliduous Obfeivation of thofe 
 CharaBers which expres'd the Fafsions 
 and Emotions o{ the Soul ^ by the 
 Le£l:ure of the Poets and good 
 Hiflorians j and in fine, by a conti- 
 nual re-fearch of whatever might beft 
 contribute to their Inftru6lion. 
 
 They were in thofe days fo Docile 
 and Humble^ that they not only would 
 fubmit their Works to the Criticifmes 
 and Animad'uerjion of Scholars and 
 Fhtlojophers^ but even to the Common 
 People alfo, and to Artificers of all 
 TradeSy who did frequently and foine-* 
 times judicioufly reprehend them. 
 This was ( I confefs ) fomething a 
 tedious way, and is indeed inacceflible 
 to a great part of our Painters in this 
 y^lge,' who have neither the Genius of 
 thcfe illuftrious Antients^ nor the fame 
 Objeci in their working. 
 
 In efFed, thofe Painters propos'd to 
 fhcm'felves, above all other things,the 
 Glory and Immortality of their Names^ 
 
 for 
 
' The Trefaci. 
 
 for the fole, and principal Kecom- 
 penfe of their Labours i whereas, moft 
 of our Moderns J regard only the e- 
 mergent Proft^znd therefore they hold 
 a quite different Method^ and ftrlve as 
 much as they can to compafs only 
 their propofed aime. 
 
 To this purpofe, they have intro- 
 duc'd into their Cabals I know not 
 what kind of liccncious Paintings to- 
 tally differing from thofe pretended 
 fubjedions, which heretofore rendred 
 this Art fo incomparable and fo diffi- 
 cult, whilft this incapacity of theirs 
 makes them imagine , that this rare 
 Painting of the Antients^ was but an 
 old Dotarefsy who had only flaves in 
 her fervice. 
 
 Under this pretext , they have 
 drefs'd themfelvcs up anew Mijirifs^ 
 trifling , and full of tattle^ who re- 
 quires nothing of them but F^r^/ and 
 Colour to take at firft fight, without 
 being at all concern'd whether flie 
 pleas'd long or not. See 
 
The Treface. 
 
 See then, this Idol of the prefent 
 Age^ to which mofl: of our Painters^ 
 facrifice all their Pains, whilft thofe 
 of more fublime and noble Spirits, 
 and that find th^mfelves capable of 
 this excellent Profefsion^ run generouC- 
 ly in the fame path, by which thofe 
 renowned Antients arriv'd to the per- 
 fection of thdir Sh^ll-^ and leaving 
 thofe lazy Ignorants behind, pro- 
 nounce it with^ as much compaffion 
 as difdain, AuUdns fit^ qui Cithar^dus 
 ejfe non pofpt^ compaffionating thofe 
 whom Nature having deny'd thofe 
 neceffary Endowments of being capa- 
 ble to attain the Principles of the Art^ 
 are compell'd by that v^eaknefs and 
 want of Talent, to acquiefce in the 
 fingle Pra£iife of doing Things as Me- 
 chanically as they firft learn'd them 
 from their ignorant Majiers. 
 
 But how defpicable are thofe poor- 
 fpirited men, who are fo affrighted 
 at the ftudy, that to avoid the trou- 
 ble 
 
^ The H^reface, 
 
 fele of it, they chofe rather to op- 
 pofewith the revolted Cabalifis^ and 
 to pull on the fame hypocritical Ti^or, 
 than give themfelves the trouble of 
 acquiring, and efFeaually poffeiling 
 the Thing it felf, vi'hich they fo un- 
 ;uftly afFe6^: the reputation of ? 
 
 What's now become of the Glory 
 tvith which thofe antient Greeks^ thofe 
 Gallant fouls had Crowned Vawting^ 
 when they pronounc'd her ^een ol 
 all the Arts^ and permitted only the 
 moft noble and renowned of men to be 
 of her Retinues > what regard, think 
 you, would they have to this Jge of 
 ours, which has fo unworthily aban- 
 don'd her? and to thefe abje£t fpi^ 
 rits who daily difhonour her by the* 
 contempt and difrefped which they 
 put upon her Laws ^ and who by a 
 yet more infufFerable attempt, have 
 refign'd her facred Name to this fan- 
 taftick Idol which they have efta- 
 blifli'd in her place? with what in- 
 dignation 
 
l^he T^reface. 
 
 dignation may we fuppofe do true and 
 able Painters look on the temerity of 
 thefe infolent Ki'vahy whom they be- 
 hold fo gay and pvial in this prefent 
 Age, by the Capricioufnefs of For- 
 tune^ and the favour of an ignorant 
 con)un£iure? I muft confefs, I am 
 ftrangely furpriz'd at it \ and though I 
 know there is nothing Icfs permanent, 
 or more Caduque than this falfe e- 
 fteem, I cannot but be fenfibjy toucht, 
 and even altogether impatient of fee- 
 ing once a period to this odious Ahufe^ 
 fo reproachful to an Age^ that is o- 
 therwife extraordinarily flourifhing in 
 the knowledge of Letters^ and ot all 
 other Sciences^ which we find every 
 day entertained, and more perfe£i^ion'd 
 than ever, maugre the importunate 
 Jarrs atkl hoftilities which have uncef- 
 fantly molcftcd them for fo many 
 years pa ft i nay, even Painting it felf, 
 whofe demimuion and decadency we fo 
 much deplore, and which feems not 
 
 to 
 
The Treface. 
 
 to have been born for times of Veace 
 and Tranquility^ was happily never in 
 higher efteem amongft us, nor more 
 fought after , than it is at prefent 
 which may partly be the occafion of 
 its Corruption and decay : For as 
 Arts flourifli, and are cherlflied by the 
 Honors which are conferr'd upon ex- 
 cellent Artifis j fo, on the contrary, a 
 blind AffeBion^ and indifcreet flattery 
 ruines and deftroys them. 
 
 To recover then its priftine Luftrc, 
 and reftore her to original Furity, we 
 muft of neceflity recall that Frimiti'ue 
 feverity, by which they were wont to 
 examine the Productions of thofe re- 
 nowned Painters , who were of old 
 fo efteemed ; and whofe Worlds have 
 furviv'd their Authors fo many Ages^ 
 and rendred their own Nanoes Immor^ 
 tal 
 
 To accomplifh this, there is nothing 
 more expedient, than the exad: obier- 
 vation of thofe Fundamental Princi- 
 ples, 
 
The T^re face, . 
 
 plef^ which conrummate its Verfection^- \ 
 and without which 'tis impofible Hie 
 fliould flibfift. . \ 
 • j&at forafmiich as the long neglc^i: 
 Lcr o has ahnoft banifli'd the Set- 
 tothe infinite lofs and prejudice 
 of rhofe who are curious of P^i/zf/Vzgl, 
 and fimce^without this fuccour,they can 
 never , enjoy the fatisfad^ion which a . I 
 cleeE ^.nd perte^i: underftanding will | 
 preient rhem.,. L have made it here ! 
 iBy =;jparticular enquiry o that laying 
 before them in this Differtation the 
 fame Compafs by which the Antients 
 fteer'd their Conrfe , they may fail , 
 by the fame Hi? themfelves, and dif- 
 cover thofe things to the very bottom, 
 whteh they had never attained to with- 
 out it, but iuperficially, and with much 
 imperfe61^ion. 
 
 And fince I confider how extreamly 
 difficult it is to difabufe thofe who are 
 already infe£ied with fo common, 
 and pernicious an abufc, under the pre 
 
 tence 
 
The Treface, 
 
 \ terice of a fpecious Liberty : I could 
 riot think it fufficient to talh^ of things 
 only, and to prove them from pure 
 and undeniable Keafons j had I not 
 alfo made it appear, of what import- 
 ance it is by authentique Dm(7»/?r^- ■ 
 tions and examples. 
 
 For this efFe6^-, I have made choice 
 of fome amongft the Worh^ of our 
 moft celebrated Fainters-^ to which, 
 having apply 'd all thofe principles 
 which I have produced, there remains 
 no more caufe for us to fufpe^i: their 
 Fidelity. And that I may the better 
 and more generally comprehend the 
 good and bad efte(^s which refult from 
 them, by either obfermng or neglect- 
 ing thefe Kiiles^ I (hall here prefent 
 them in Order. 
 
 Raphael Z)rbino^ the moft excellent 
 of the Modern Painters, and univerfal- 
 ly fo reputed by thofe of the Vrofef- 
 fion^ is the Verfon whofe Worh^ I {hall 
 propofe as fo many Vemonjirations of 
 
 the 
 
The Treface, \ 
 
 the abfolute neceflity of exadlly oh- \ 
 ferving the Principles which we have | 
 eftablifh'd in this Treatife. And on J 
 the contrary, Michael Angeloy fuperi- ' 
 or in Fame^ but far inferior to him \ 
 in Merits^ (hall by his extravagant ' 
 Compofttions^ amply furnifli us to dif- \ 
 cover the Ignorance and Temerity of < 
 thofe Libertines^ who trampling all | 
 the KulesdSid. Maximes of Art under ! 
 their feet, perfue only their own 
 Caprices. j 
 It is in this part chiefly, that the ' 
 difinteref »d Reader may pofiibly find | 
 my Animad'verftons moft agreeable : ; 
 But to enjoy the divcrfion more intire- 
 ly, it were requifite he laid before \ 
 him thofe Prints of Raphael which I j 
 pretend to examine and propofe , as ■ 
 )uft, and regular Works^ conformable 
 to my Vrincipks : Thefe are the defigns 
 of the Judgement of Paris That of ; 
 the flaughter of the Innocents^ and our ; 
 B. Sa'viom's taking down from the Crofs. ' 
 
 Thefe I 
 
TChe Treface. 
 
 Thefe three firft Stamp were En- 
 grwven by Marc, Antenio^ and are in- 
 deed very rare and curious pkces. 
 The Fourth is a moft noble Compoft- 
 tion^ ufually call'd The School of 
 Athens. The Gra'ving is one of the 
 beft hands , nor in truth fo good as 
 the other j but the Ordonance of the 
 
 Figw^i" is much more magnificent and 
 ftately. 
 
 . As for Michael Angelo, wee'I con- 
 tent our felves with that reprefentation 
 of the Univerfal Judgement , which 
 has rendered him fo famous amongft 
 the Vulgar jznd this Workjs pofllbly the 
 moft Numerous Figures 
 that was ever painted , as it is hkewife 
 in my opinion, the moft copious fub- 
 ject that can be propos'd to diiabufe 
 thofe who have the Name of this ?aint- 
 er in fo great veneration, that they 
 commonly admire whatfoevcr is his, 
 with fo ftrange a preoccupation of 
 their Judgements, as to preferr even 
 
 the 
 
The T^reface. 
 
 the very Abnfe which is in Vonge^ be- : 
 fore Keafon her felf, and dare not exa- ■ 
 mine, that with Candor and Juftice^ to 
 which they manifeftly incHne without 
 her. 
 
 For my own part, I am not altoge* 
 ther fo blind, nor fcrupulous ; as ha-' 
 ving no other deftgn then to invcfti- 
 gate and find out the Truth •, and I 
 hope that the Kefearch's which I have 
 endeavoured to make after her in the 
 following difcottrfe^ may be according-' 
 ly received of all who are real Lowrs', 
 of Fainting as for the approbation 
 of the Cabalilis^de(pik them perfedlyJ 
 
AN 
 
 ADVERTISEMENT 
 
 TO THE 
 
 R E A D E R. 
 
 A Friend of mim^ n>ho Fortund 
 to fee this Trcatife 0/ Painting, 
 whilji t was writing it, itnderftanding 
 that it was my intention to Publifli />, 
 and that my principal deftgn was to ex- 
 pofe it to the 'view of the Court j ad- 
 *vertis*d me of certain ehfcnre Italian 
 Terms, which I had made ufe of in my 
 Difcourfe i the underflanding of which 
 would douhtlejs he <very difficult to many^ 
 who were not acquainted with that 
 Tongue • and that one jlwnJd firive to 
 
 a render 
 
Advcrtifemcnt. 
 
 render things as clear and intelligible to 
 the Reader as n>as pojjlble. And truly , 
 though I concetT/d the Counfel was but 
 reafonable, it ga've me a great deal of 
 trouble j nor was I able to find out words 
 whicf? were ]^ure\y ours, capable to ex- 
 prefs thofe BsLthzuCmes^whicb Cuftome 
 has as it were naturali'x^d among^ our 
 Painters : And therefore I was refoh'd 
 to retrench as many of them as 1 could, 
 efpecially^ the leaji necejfary. But for the 
 reft which really are proper Tearm$ of 
 Art, ibeliei/dit would be fufficient to 
 make an explanation of them for the in- 
 trodu6i:ion of thofe who are Lovers of 
 Painting, and that would difcourfe of the 
 /Vrt like Knowing ferfons with thofe of 
 the ProfeflioQ. 
 
 STAMPI. 
 
AdvertifeitienC 
 
 S T A M p I3 or Prints: 
 
 THe moft xtmzxkshXQtnmyOpini' 
 Qti^ becanfe mofi of all mention d 
 in Difeourfe, and tvhich gi'ves T'u 
 , tie to many Se£lions of this Book^is that 
 of Stampo Or Print There is not one 
 Defigner or Curious man in this Art but 
 h^ows that it ftgn^es an Engraven or. 
 Printed defigne^ which the Vulgar anii 
 fuchas Vend them commonly call by 
 the names Taille-Douces, Cutts and 
 Piftures ; There is yet this difference be-^, 
 tvpeen them^ that Stampi, Prints ^ confiji 
 of tnore confiderablc things^ and De- 
 fignes of more reputation : And of thefe 
 there are great yariHy •■,fcr feme are gra- 
 ven {?wCopper with the BminCyfome with 
 Aqua fortis , and others are cutt in 
 Wood.Albt rt Dmer^a German Paint- 
 €tjandamoJi incomparable Worknian^has 
 publijh'd jome things in all thefe h^nds, 
 , The Original of the word is in Italian,' 
 
Adyeriifementi 
 
 Stum^^dirc^afid fignifics in our LanguagSy 
 t& Print or mdh^ Imprcfllon. 
 
 Tramontano. 
 
 IMah^ nfe of this Tc^vm ^when ever I 
 mention Albert Durcr, whom I 
 7naintain to ha<ve been the great eji Ma- 
 tter of the Tramontani ; For fo do the 
 Italians call almoft all Painters that are 
 Strangers to them efpecially^ the Ger- 
 mans, and thofe of Flanders, who in- 
 habit the Northern parts ^ becaufe that 
 Qiiarter, and the Wind which fpires 
 from thence^ is nam'd in the Italian 
 tongue La Tramontana. 
 
 Elevato. 
 
 THis Tearm is particularly attribw 
 ted to the Learners and Difci- 
 ples of the mofl renowned Painters. Thus 
 Raphael had fir his Scholar or Elevato 
 JVLIO KOMAhlO: HANNL 
 
 BAL 
 
BAL CAKACIO was GVIDO 
 and DOmUlQJPmO'S Maftcr, 
 and fo of others, Ihe Italians call them 
 Allievi, aad in France they familiarly 
 fay^ fuch a young man has been bien ef* 
 fleve, that is^ well Inftru^ed. 
 
 Sc H 122 o. 
 
 THis Tearm is intirely Italian, 
 though it be novi> nniyerfally un- 
 derjiood : *Tis as it were, the firft 
 draught , or light touch, and attempt 
 of a Work yet under meditation. The 
 Italian calls it Schizzo. 
 
 Attithido. 
 
 IUaye made ufe of this Tearm in fe^ 
 Iperal places of my difcourfe, though 
 tpe retain the Words, Ad:ion and Pofture, 
 which are in a mamter the fame thing j 
 
 hoTV* 
 
Adrertifcrticnt. 
 
 however^ vtethink^^ nponfome encoun- 
 ters, the Harm Aptitude is more ex- 
 pfreflive; for heftdes^ that *tis more gene- 
 ral, Vi/ alfo more fignificative on many 
 occafioHi ^ ihdfi either that Pdfture 
 or A£^ion : For Inftance , the Word 
 A6^ion is not applicable to a dead per- 
 fon who is depri'vd of ABion ; and it 
 were better to fay the Difpofition of 
 a Dead Corps, than the Pofture of 
 ity which feems a Tearm too grofs^ nor 
 were ittoofpeakjtk^ a ?a\nter ^to fay ^this 
 Figure is in an handfonte Pofture, but 
 in a graceful Difpofition and Apti- 
 tude. The Italians fays Attudine, 
 
 Pelli^grino. 
 
 TUis Tearm the Italians famili' 
 arly ufe when they would exprefs 
 fome Rare thing, excellent and fingular 
 in its kind y but they more particularly 
 
Advertifcment* 
 
 apply it to Witt, and fay Ingegno Pcl- 
 lerino. 
 
 I concehe, there is nothing more 
 which needs any great Explication^ and 
 it would be but a kj^nd of Pedantry 
 to make any farther Glofles. I (hall 
 therefore conclude this with a Re- 
 mark, which isyin my opinion, a great 
 deal more important ; and that is, an 
 Obje£i:ion which federal Perfons have 
 made to me concerning /^e Reputation 
 
 Michael Angelo, whom they con- 
 cei've 1 ought not to hazfe attaq^d f& 
 boldly : But upon my Requell , that 
 for their own fatisfa&ion , they would 
 themfehves ta\e the pains to examine 
 not only Tfjat Work of his which I 
 produce in t&iJ Differtation, but like* 
 wife feyeral other Pieces of the fame 
 hand, which I ha've addresd them to^ 
 they in fine affented, that I had rea- 
 foi^ for what I faid •■, and are now as 
 much aftoni{h-d as my felf^ that the 
 
 World 
 
Advcrtifcmcnt, 
 
 World has been fo long abnfed^ and his 
 Reputation ]o extra'vagantly afferted\ 
 which could certainly proceed from no 
 other caufe , but that pitiful Jundio, 
 the Witts of Michaelo's ftandard^ who 
 are ever in greater Numbers than the 
 ethers ; But 'tis as the Proverb has 
 it^ Afinus Afino Pulchcr, E-very one 
 loves his Like. 
 
 TO 
 
To the IllufirwHS 
 
 HENRY HOWARD 
 
 norVolk 
 
 Heir-apparent to chat 
 
 DUKEDOM 
 
 Sir, 
 
 ^^Sj^l^ Here is no matt who toai 
 
 ^5 ^^^"^^^ ^f^^^^ ^^^^^ of Nor- 
 ^'^^ ^fp^ci^^fy of that 
 ^^^Sft Arundel Surrey, 
 hut will jujiife the rejo- 
 hit ion I have taken to Infer i he Your 
 Name in the Front of this Piece i fince 
 the names c?/ Fainting, and Sculpture 
 (two of the moji celebrated and renown- 
 ed Arts that eyer appear din the world) 
 
 h had 
 
The Epiftle 
 
 had fcarce been h^own amon^ji us in 
 England,^//^ for your IlluftrioLis Grand- 
 father, who brought into^ and adorn d 
 this Nation Tvith more polite and use- 
 ful things,^ than it had received for fame 
 Ages before^ attd -who contintid a Me- 
 coenas and Prote£^:or of all the fubli- 
 mer Spirits, as long as this Ifland was 
 Worthy ofhim^ which was as long as 
 it remained Loyal. 
 
 1 ha've or eat reafon to Confecrate thus 
 his Memory, of whofe more particular 
 Favours I have fo frequently tajiedboth 
 at Home and Abroad j efpecially in 
 Italy, where I had the honor to be che- 
 rijh^d by him^ and from whence I after- 
 wards receii/'d one of the lajl Letters 
 that e<ver he Writ, which I refer've by 
 me amongfi the choiceft of my Trca- 
 fures. 
 
 From Him, through a mojl Illuftrious 
 Father , this AfFedion to great and 
 nobk things is deri-pedto You : Witnefs^ 
 the Afylum which the ROTAL- 
 
 SOCI' 
 
Dedicatory. 
 
 SOCIETY found in your own p3» 
 lace, when the jnoji fierce and ?ffercilejf 
 of the Elements jub'verted her firft A- 
 bodes and now { bcfides other Accu- 
 mulations) your free and glorious Do- 
 nation of a fonds upon your own 
 Ground, to efablifh her on for e-ver^ 
 and fix her at your 'very ThreOiold, by 
 which yon not only oblige the mofi 
 grateful and ufeful AlTcmbly, that a- 
 ny Age has producd , but do honor 
 likcwife to His Majefty our Founder^ 
 by fignifying your refped fo eminently 
 to his Royal Infiitution. 
 
 But^ Sir ^ J haye fomethmg yet ?a 
 add^ and the yery Srones would, even 
 exclaim againf^ me^Jhould I omit your 
 neyer-to-be-forgotten Munificence to the 
 Univerfity of Oxford , hecaufe it was 
 upon my Firfi: and Sole Suggeftion 
 ( for Inftigation , the Generofity of 
 your Nature needs not^ that Ton were, 
 pleased to inrich that ren&wned Seat of 
 the Mufcs, with a greater Gift, than 
 
 b 2 all 
 
The Epiftle 
 
 all the World ca^ prefent it becauje 
 the World cannot Jheyp fitch a Collecti- 
 on of Antiquities: And this Great 
 Thing Ton did^ when Ton placd the 
 MAKMORJ AKVN DELL 
 ANA There. Firji, the Greek, and 
 then J the Latine Inlcriptions ; by which 
 ToH not only nobly Confiilted the moji 
 Lafting tpay to perpetuate Your Name 
 in the LcarncdWorld^ and gaye Eter- 
 nity to thofe (almoft) obliterated Ti- 
 tles, by transferring them to a lefs Cor- 
 rofive Ayr j but did lih^wife a piece of 
 Juftice, and Piety too^ in Reftoring 
 that to the Daughter, which came from 
 the Mother, and Conftgning thofe An- 
 tiquities to Oxford, which were tah^n 
 away from Athens. 
 
 5ir, in my Letter to Ton into Surrey, 
 C now about a Year ftnce ) concerning 
 this Largeffe, I cannot forbear to repeat 
 a line or two^ which was to mo've your 
 Honor in one particular tnore j and that 
 /V, that yon would one day^ caufe the 
 
 choiceft 
 
Dedicatory, 
 
 choiccH of ypur Statues, Baffe relievos, 
 and other noble pieces Sculpture, 
 flanding in you Galleries at Arundel- 
 Houfe, t0 be exquifitely dejjgn'd by foms 
 fare hand, and engraven in Copper, 
 as the late Juftiniano fet forth thofe of 
 Rome, and fence him(and fever al others) 
 Monfieur de Lion-Courc by the 
 Draughts of Perier ^ as formerly that 
 incomparable Hiftorical-Golumne of the 
 Emperor Trajan, was cut by Villame- 
 na with the Notes of diuers Learned 
 men upon them : Becaufe by this meanSy 
 the World might be inform* d in whoje 
 Pofleffion thofe Rarities are and that 
 it would fo much contribute to the Glo- 
 ry of the Countrey, their Illuftrious 
 Owner, and his Family ; as it has for- 
 merly^ andyet does^ to thofe noble Ita- 
 lians, and great Perfons bey ond the Alps, 
 who ha'z/e not been able to produce fuch 
 a CoIie£i-ion as Tou are furnifh^d with^ 
 but who are honor d^ and celebrated for ity 
 all the World owr, by this virtuous, 
 
 b 3 and 
 
The Epiftle, (s^c, 
 
 and yet no <very expenfeful Stratagem. 
 
 I was the rather incited to mention 
 This here, becaufe I underjiand there are 
 fome Learned Pcrfons now at Oxford, 
 adorning a new Impreffion of the Mar- 
 mora, in which^ jnch a Work could not 
 pafs without due 'veneration^ and would 
 pro've a conftderahle ornament to the 
 defigne ; and indeed^ becaufe the Argu- 
 ment of the Difcourfe I am entertain- 
 ing your Honor with^ (^dedicated lately 
 to the French Kings onely Brother^ does 
 prompt me to it^ as my yery great Obli- 
 gations, to £\ih^cnhGmy felfe, 
 
 Ilkiflrious 
 Sir^ 
 
 S*js-CcHrt\ ^-^^'^ obedient 
 I668^ and moji humble Ser'vant, 
 
 X Evelyn 
 
 I 
 
did once think^ atitf abfolute- 
 
 m0\ that I had for ever 
 
 done with the drudgerj of 
 ^^^^ Tranflatwg of ^£>^^^i,(though 
 1 am ftill of the opimon^ th^t it were 
 a far better, and more frof table Work 
 to be ftill digging in that Mine^ than to 
 multiply the number of ill Ones, by 
 produdionsof myon;;^) But this fmall 
 fiece coming cafually to my hands and 
 from an Author whofe knowledge of 
 the moft polite and ufef ul Arts hns ce- 
 lebrated him Abroad*^ and upon a 5//^- 
 ]ecl I had foimerly beftowed fome Re- 
 flections on^ partly, in that fardel of 
 ArchiteElnre (which from the f:ime 
 hand^ I not long fince publillrd for the 
 A0iftance and Encouragement of Build- 
 
 ers) 
 
 b 4 
 
To the Reader, 
 
 <r/)and partly my ffifiory of Sculpture^ 
 I did believe I might do fome fervice 
 not only to Architects and Sculftors^ \ 
 but to our Painters alfo, by prelent- 
 ing them with this curious Treatifcy 
 which does J I think, perfedly con- 
 fummate that defigne of mine, of re- 
 commending to our Countrey^ and e- 
 fpecially to the \^dblefs , thofe Three 
 Illuftrious and magnificent Arts^ which 
 a e fo defendent upon each other ; that 
 they can no more be feparatedy than 
 the very Graces themielves, who are 
 always reprefented to us holding hand 
 in hand, and mutually regarding one 
 another. 
 
 The Reader will find in this difccurfe 
 (though fomewhat verhofe, according 
 to the fiileoi this overflowing 'Hation) 
 divers ufeful -Rm^ri^/jefpecially, where 
 he Treats of cofiume which we have in- 
 terpreted decorum, as the neereft ex- 
 preflion, our Language will bear to 
 it 5 and I was glad our Author had rc- 
 prov'd it in fo many inftancesj be- 
 caufe it not only grows daily more 
 licentious f but even ridiculous and in- 
 tollerable: But it is hop'd this may 
 wniverf^ly be leform'd, when our mo- 
 dern 
 
To the Reader. 
 
 dern Workmen fliall confidery that nei- 
 ther the exa^f^cfs of thQirdefig^e^ nor 
 skilfulnefs in Cdouring has been able 
 to defend their greateft Fredeceffcrs 
 from juft reproaches^ who have been 
 faulty in this particular: I could ex- 
 emplifie in many others whom our 
 ^ Atahor has omitted 5 and there is none 
 but takes notice what injury it has done 
 the fme of fome of our beft reputed 
 Painters ; and how indecorous it is to 
 introduce Circumjlances wholly impro- 
 per to the ufages and Genius of the 
 Flaees^ where our Hiflories are fuppos'd 
 to have been a<Sl:cd : This was not on- 
 ly the fault of Baffano ^ who would 
 be ever bringing in his Wife, Children^ 
 and Servants^ his Dog and his Cat and 
 very Kitchin-ftuff^ after the Paduan 
 mode ; but of the Great Titian him- 
 felfe; Georgiony Tintoret and the reft^ 
 as Paulo \eronefe is obfei v'd alfo to 
 have done in his ftory of Pharaohs 
 Daughter drawing Mofes out of the 
 River^ attended with a Guard of Smf- 
 fes\ this puts me in mind of ihztpece 
 of Malvogius in His Majeflies Gallery 
 at Whitehall^ who not only reprefents 
 our Hifk Parents with Navils on their 
 
 kHjs 
 
To ths Reader. 
 
 kllys^hnt has plac'd an Artificial ftone- 
 Fountain carv'd with imagerys in the 
 midft of his Paradise. Nor does that 
 excellent and learned Painter Rubens 
 cfcape without being perftring'd, not 
 onely for making moft of his Figures 
 of the ftiapes of brawny Flemings y but 
 for other ffhalmata, and circumftances 
 of the hke nature 5 though in [ome 
 he has acquitted himfelf to admirati- 
 on in the due obfeivation of Coftume^ 
 particularly in his Crftcifxes, drc. as I 
 might largely exemplifie : Raphael Ur- 
 hine was doubtlefsone of the frfl who 
 reform'd thefe inadvertency's 5 but it 
 was more confpicuousinhisZ/iWfrjthan 
 in his former piece. 
 
 As for Af/V^4f/y/;?^f/^jthough I hear- 
 tily confent with our Critic in repro- 
 ving that almoft idolatrous veneration 
 of his Works y who had certainly prodi- 
 gioufly abus'd the Art^ not only in the 
 TahleiMx^ Difcourfe Arraigns him fori 
 but feveral more which I have feen 5 
 Yet I conceive he might have omitted 
 fome of thofe/w^///fr</ reproaches he 
 has revil'd him with , who doubtlefs 
 was one of the greateft Maflers of his 
 time: and (however he might fucceed 
 
 as 
 
To the Reader. 
 
 as to the decorum) was hardly exceeded 
 for what he perform'd in Sculpture and 
 the Statuary Art by many even of the 
 Antients themfelves-, and happ'ly by 
 none of the Moderns.^ witnefs his Mo- 
 fes^ Chrijio ingremio^ and feveral other 
 Figures at Rome 5 to fay nothing of "his 
 Talent in Archite6iure^ and the obli- 
 gation the jwr/^ has to his memory, 
 tor recovering many of its moft useful 
 Ornaments and Members^ out of the neg- 
 lecfled Fragments lay fo long bu- 
 ried ; and for vindicating that Antique 
 and Magnificent manner of Buildings 
 from the trifling of c^/^j and Barba- 
 rians, 
 
 The next ufual reproach of Faint- 
 ing^ has been the want of judgement 
 in perfpecfivCy and bringing more in- 
 to Hifiory, then is juftifiable upon one 
 Afpect^ without turning the Eye to each 
 Figure in particular, and multiplying the 
 points of Sight 5 which is an error into 
 which our very Author {ior: £[ the 
 pains he has taken to magnifie that ce- 
 lebrated decifton of Paris ) has fail'd in : 
 For the knowing in that Art do eafily 
 perceive , that even Raphael himfelf 
 has not fo exaiflly obferv'd it^ fince 
 
 inftead 
 
To the Reader, | 
 
 inftead of one (as Monfteur de Cam- 
 bray takes it to be, and as indeed it 
 ought to have been} there .are no 
 lefs than four or pve^ as du Bojfe has 
 well confider'd in his late Treatife of 
 the Converted Painter^ where by the 
 way alfo, he judicioufly numbers a- 
 mongft the faults againft Coflume, thofe 
 LandskipSt Gretefq's^ Figures j 
 which we frequently find {Abroad e- 
 fpecially, for in our Countrey we have 
 few or none of thofe graceful fupplc- 
 ments of Steeples') painted Horizonta- 
 ly, or Verticaly on the Vaults and 
 Ceilings of Cupolas-, fince we have no 
 examples for it from ihtAntients^yNho 
 allow'd no more than a Frett to the 
 moft magnificent and coftly ones which 
 they ere^led. 
 
 But would you know from whence 
 this univerfal Caution in moft of their 
 works proceeded, j^dthat thebeftof 
 our Modern Painters and Architects 
 have fucceeded better than others of 
 thzt Prof efitn: Itmuft be confider'd 
 that they were Learned mcHy good Hi- 
 fioriansy and generally skill'd in the beft 
 Antiquities : Such were Raphael, and 
 doubtlefs his Scholar fnlio-, and if Po- 
 
 lydore 
 
To the Kedd^r, 
 
 l^dore arriv'd not to the glory of Let- 
 ters^ he yet attain'd to a rare habit of 
 the antient Guflo, as may be interpret- 
 ed from moft of his Deftgns and Paint- 
 ings : Leon SaftOt Alberti was skill'd 
 in all the politer parts of Learningiod, 
 prodigy, and has written divers curious 
 Jhings in the Latine-tongue : We know 
 that of later times, Rubens m% a Per- 
 fon univerfaliy fludied^ as may be feen 
 in feveral Latine EpfHesoi ms to the 
 moft famous Scholars of his Age: And 
 Nicholas toufin the French- man., who 
 is fo much celebrated , and fo de- 
 fervedly; did, it feeras, arrive to this 
 Culture J by his indefatigable induftry: 
 as the prefent famous Statuary Ber- 
 nini, now living, has done to fo univer- 
 fal a Mafiry; that not many years 
 fince, he is reported to have built a 
 Theater at Home, for the adornment 
 whereof he not only cut the Figures 
 and Painted the Scenes^ but mit the 
 Play , and Comps'd the Mu^k which 
 was all in Recitativo: And 1 am per- 
 fwaded that all this is not yGthyfarre 
 fo much, as that Miracle and Orna- 
 ment of our Jge and Countrey Dr, 
 Chriflofher Wren were able to ferfcrm 
 
to the Reader. 
 
 if he were fo diffos'di and fo encou- 
 raged 5 becaufe he is M.^[ler of fo ma- 
 ny admirable Advantages beyond 
 Them. 
 
 I alledge thefe Examples partly to 
 incite^ and partly to flievv the Digni- 
 tj and vaft Comprchenfion of this rare 
 Art 5 and that for a Man to arrive 
 to its utmo[l perfe6lion. He fliould be 
 almoft as univerfal as the Orator in 
 Cicero^ and the Ar chit e£tivi Fit ruviusi 
 But certainly fometinfiure in Hiftory^ 
 the Optics J and Anatomy are abfolute- 
 ly reqoifite, and more ( in the Opi- 
 nion of our Author) than to be a ftea- 
 dy Defigner^ and skill'd in the tem- 
 pering and applying of Colours^ which 
 amongft moft of our Modern Work- 
 men^ go now for the onely Accom- 
 flip)ments of a Painter. 
 
 I had once thoughts to have ad- 
 ded the Stamps and Prints them- 
 felves, which our Author does fo cri- 
 tically difcourfe upon 5 but then con- 
 fidering^ that as this "Piece is of moft 
 ufe to the Virtue ft ^ and that fuch as 
 are Cm^^/^j^muft needs already be fur- 
 nifli'd with them 5 and that it had 
 been doubtlefs impoflible to have 
 
 procured 
 
To the Reader, 
 
 procnr'd Originals fufficient to adorn 
 this Imprefioffy and would have im- 
 menfly exalted its price ( I my felf 
 having been ofFer'd Tmnty fbtllings 
 bat for em of them) I foon laid 
 thofe intentions afide; Befides that 
 our Attther has alfo publifli'd his Book 
 «;/>;&<j«^ them , and to have gotten 
 them well Copied j had been cfl[ually 
 difficult. 
 
 J. Evelyn. 
 
 A N 
 
 L 
 
ERRATA 
 
 Suh tit, Atthudo, 1. ult. r. the Italian fays Attitu 
 dine. 
 
 P. 5. 1. 9. n ingenuoujly. 7. g. p«r oa. i^.Re 
 tinue.S, penult, r. diminution. 9.1. i. add, but foi 
 times, i^. 6. noneof the beft. ibid. 16. ^drf, nume- 
 rous Affembly, 14. 1. ult. r. I defpifc lu 
 
 Page.4.Hiic. i J .r. Worthieft. p. 9 /. 1 iJele ^tAbii. 
 20. add, and regular. 36 14, de/e by. 45. i. r fituated 
 44. 17. fituation. 49. 14. for Piewr. Piecci 59. tx 
 r. Which wc. ifeirf. r. their onn Nature. 8 2.1 2. School 
 84- timdntes. 8^. ult. t. Memoir es. 86.14. Price. 
 90, 8. r. drole and fantaftic. ibid. I. antepenult, r 
 gentilenefsjandfo inp. II J. 1. i. pag. 116. 18. foi 
 where, r. were. iz6. J. dele the. 129. zi. r. Nobleft 
 1. 27. Oevure. 130.7. r. thefe Works, 6^^. tlje rr/i 
 re litteral) (ind pardn*d mth lefs vtQiation to tbt 
 Scnfc: 
 
 p 
 
 Tothe READER. 
 
 Age 1. line 15 r. parillel. p. 4> 17. r f«rm\ 
 pieces. 
 
 ADVERTISE MENT. 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 In the BOOK; 
 
I D E A 
 
 I of the 7erfeBion 
 o F 
 
 ' PAINTIHG- 
 
 Is a my fubtle and curictis 
 Bnqmrj ^ to know^ from 
 whence it fhould come to 
 pafs, that iht Art oi Paint- 
 ing is fo much degenerated from tha£ 
 perfedion, which it once obtained, and 
 how it happens, that canfidering the 
 weaknefsof its produdions, compared 
 with thofe admirable Mafler-fieccs of 
 the Anticnts^ it feems of late to pre-^ 
 fcnt the World with nothing but th^ 
 meer {hadorv and phamofmes of it i 
 
 For my own part ^ I conceiVCi 
 the principal caufeof its decadence to 
 have proceeded from that iitde efteem 
 B which 
 
^tjc petfection of Jpaintmg. 
 
 which it preferv'd, during the ignorancc^ 
 and barbarity of the Lower Empire^ 
 which did fo far ignoble and debafe it 
 of its priftine Honour > that infteadof 
 that prthemincnce which it then held 
 amongft the Sciences ^ it is now reduced 
 and reckoned amongft the raoft vul- 
 gar Trades:, fufficient to let us fee, how 
 much the fpirit and Genius of thefe lat- 
 ter ^^^j, have declined, in which the 
 rare Inventions and Lights of this Di* 
 vine Art are, for wane of encourage- 
 ment, almoft totally extinguifh'd. 
 
 However yet^that good Genius ^\nK\c\\ 
 by a certain providence of Nature does 
 ftill prefide over Noble things^ has al- 
 ways furnifh'd us with fome excellent 
 Men^ preferving, as it were^ fome Seecis 
 of them from time to time; But as we 
 find it in Trees ^ and even in the moft 
 perfed: Bodies, that they attain not to 
 their confummate forme upon the fud- 
 dain, and till after many years not- 
 withftanding which they are yet ob- 
 noxious to deftrudlion every inftant^ 
 without any means of reftauration, but 
 the fame from whence firft they fprung: 
 even fo it is in the produdions of Wit^ 
 which coming once , through negli- 
 gence^to be loft^or oppreft under the Ty- 
 ranny 
 
CDe pccfeaton of f^atntinff^ 
 
 rannyofevil Government ^n^v^x recover 
 themfelves but by along and laborious 
 re-fearch 5 fo^ as 'tis realy prodigious; 
 that in the Jgeoi Leonardo da Fwciymd 
 Rafhacl (who were the Pretogenes and 
 Jpelles's of the Modern Painters) we 
 ihould fee the Art revive again with fo 
 much vigour ;j and flourifli infoihorta 
 fpace. For Painting is none of thofe 
 fimple Arts^ which chance does now 
 and then prefent us with^ without 
 any difquifition ^ and which every one 
 may light on without an extraordinary 
 Talent-, or ftudy to attain them; 
 
 There is happ'Iy nothiiig of Ingeni- 
 ous among ft Menoi moi^fublime^zndi 
 whofe Perfedion is more difficult to 
 attain, than that of Paintings the No- 
 bleft Inftance which humane wit can 
 bonft of: Tis therefore plainly an in- 
 fupportable abufe^ to obfcureandcon^ 
 found her amongft the Mechanical Arts^ 
 fince (he is eftablifhed upon a demon-- 
 ftrative Science^ infinitely more inlight- 
 ned and reafonable, than that Pedant- 
 ick Philofoj^hy ywhkh produces us nothing 
 but frivolous ^eflions and uncertain- 
 ties whence fome have ftyl'd it. The 
 Art of Doubting^ a fteril and idle fpe- 
 ^culation; whereas Paynting, founded 
 B 2 ^ upon 
 
tinije perfect jon of pamting. 
 
 i]pon the real Principles of Ceo- 
 mctrie^ makes at once a double 
 demon flration of what flie reprefents : 
 But it will indeed require different Ejes 
 to contemplate and enjoy her Beauty in- 
 tirely: For the Ejeo(i\\tUnder(land- 
 ingj is the fii ftand principal ^udge of 
 what (he undertakes. 
 
 It will^ in my opinion; be neceflfary 
 therefore, in order to the reftauration of 
 her Honour ^ to evince by undeniable 
 reafonS; that fheis ftilhsworrhy of the 
 rank and dignity^ which flie formerly 
 pofTeft amongft the (Tr^^)^/ 5 the wor- 
 thies of Gemus's that ever Nature 
 form'd^ and that the fhamefuldeferti- 
 on, which hasfince arrived her^ could 
 proceed from no other caufe but an uni- 
 verfal depravation. 
 
 She has moreover had this parti* 
 cular misfortune, that all the Writings 
 and Works which fhould contribute to 
 her Inflru^ion-) and that divers excel- 
 lent Painters had long fince publifli'd 
 for the better intelligence of their ^r/^ 
 have been buried and loft by tradt ot 
 time. Nor is it ftrange, that this ac- 
 cident has more concern'd them, thaa 
 all that has happen d to the Books of 
 Orators, Philofophers, Hi[lorims^ and di- 
 vers 
 
CJje pjrfertton of Pamttng^ 
 
 vers others; fince ^twas fufficient for 
 them to find out People that could 
 tranfcribc them again , and by that 
 means continually leplenifh their Z/ir4- 
 ries 5 whereas, for the Writings of our 
 %xt^lMa(ler-Painters^ the CopiflsvvQiQ 
 of neceflity to be good Befgners^ and 
 knowing in the Matter^v^\\\c\\ they tran- 
 fcribedj to be able but to accomplilh 
 a very few Volumes in a great deal of 
 time 5 fo as one could hope for no bet- 
 ter event than what is come to pafs^ 
 by reafon of thofe tedious and very 
 difficult Figurations^ which go to the 
 compofure of its principal, and moft ef- 
 fential Parts, as may eafily be deduced 
 from that Tr eat if eoi Leonardo da Vmij 
 which it had been impolfible to have 
 explain d. without the advantages of the 
 Art of Graving^and of Printings which 
 this latter Jge of ours has produced. 
 
 The fame unhappinefs arrived to -^r- 
 chitecture: All ihQ Antient Books of it 
 being utterly loft ^ that fingle work of 
 VitrwviHs being only excepted^ which 
 is very defediv^ too, for want of its 
 Profiles and lineal Demon fir at ions yVj\\\Q\\ 
 this Author fet forth in a particular 
 Volume that is periftied i but which was 
 to have been the Crown of ^11 his la- 
 B 5 bours 
 
Vi:\)t perfection of patntms. 
 
 bours; though we may yet nffirm^ 
 that the Moderns ^ perfueing his fteps^ 
 have made that Glorious and Magnifi- 
 cent Art to flourifli and revive again. 
 
 In my opinion, one might render the 
 fame fei vice to that of fince 
 we have a Philoflratus to omx guide in- 
 fo worrhy a defigne: But as ArchitcB- 
 ure is more grolsand material in what 
 it undertakes ^ tht Solidity it, which 
 conftitutes one of its very Pri^fciples^ 
 has honoured it with fome prehe- 
 minerfce, even above P^/W/;^^ it felfe. 
 Itftands firm^ and has continu'd many 
 of its produdlions, which wonderfully 
 fupply the defea of thofe Books that 
 are loft- whereas Painting , which is, 
 as it were, altogether 75?/>/>//^/, has not 
 been able to furnillius with fuch per- 
 manent monuments. And yet for all 
 this, flie has within thefe two Ages re- 
 vived with fo much vigor, as if (he had 
 received the very fame aflfiftances. And 
 txu^Y^ ^'^^ feems to me to have been 
 the Reflauratrix of ArchiteBure- 
 fince we find , that almoft all the 
 fi; ft Mafiers of that Profefien were al- 
 fo great Painters-^ fuch as Bramante.Bd- 
 dafjar Pctrucci^ Raphaeloy ^ulio Romd". 
 n9y and fcveralmore, wlikii is no other 
 
 then 
 
COe perfcttion of Patnttns* 
 
 ■ then the refulc of being able to defigne 
 well, which is in truth the I'eritable 
 Prmcifleand only B 4 JIs^ not of Paint- 
 ing alone-, but, as one may well affirm, 
 the univerf^il Organ and Inftrument of 
 all the politer Arts. 
 
 'Tvvas a fingular felicity and advan- 
 tage to the re-efhblilhment of this rare 
 Profefien) that its Mechanical part did 
 preferve it felfe fo intire^ in which par- 
 ticular I conceive we have nothing 
 more to defire of the Jntients. On the 
 contrary, the very ufe of O'jl only, 
 which the Modehs have difcover'djdoes 
 infinitely advance it. Add to this,its re- 
 fining on Colours j and their improve- 
 ments to that multiplicity of difTerent 
 kinds, as even fuperabound , and are 
 more thin necefTary^ fo c snow a man 
 needs only to underfland, and be well 
 vers'd in what this excellent raknt of 
 the great Makers of Antiqaitj confifts, 
 and the prodigious Effecls, which Hifto- 
 rians report of them in their Works, 
 Nor is this a thing fo difficult to refolve; 
 fince by that only Treatife of Leonardo 
 da Find J one may eafily make it out, 
 that a Painter well inftruded from his 
 Youth in all the necefTary Precefts Co 
 methodically prefcrib'd in the firfl 
 B 4 Chapter 
 
%\)t perfection af i^amttng. 
 
 Chapter o( his Book, cannot fall of pro^ 
 ving to be an able Man in the Profefi^ 
 on: but if to this, ^iature likevvile fa- 
 vour him with the Gemf4s of the ylrt^ 
 which confifts in a certain vivacity and 
 flowing of In<i>ention2nd Grace (which 
 all the ftudy in the Worid will nev.r 
 attain) he mufl: then of neceflity be ex- 
 (ellent. And if his Works perfeifily 
 contoim to the Rules of the reft of that 
 t^iGtDtffertation-^ one may fafely pro- 
 jiounce as much of his Pieces as of thofe 
 of Jfclles himfelfe, Zcuxis^ox Pafrha- 
 fms. But forafmuch as our Author put 
 pot the laft hand to his Bo&k^ but left it 
 lis imperfecfl or the Projcdl rather of 
 a more finiflied Compofure^ which he 
 had under contemplation s I fliall here 
 adventure to fet down fome general A"^- 
 fio/^s and ohjcr^'atior.s for the fupply of 
 what feems moft defective, 
 
 Suppofingthen^ that all Arts what^ 
 foever have their Vundimental Princi- 
 fles^tht knowledge whereof is abfolute- 
 ly neceHary for thofe who intend 
 iht Profej^iorij and that This of Paim- 
 irjr is fuperior ro the red, ^nd confe- 
 qu ntly more difficult : It is not to be 
 expeified, there Hiould any confldera- 
 h\t progrefs be ipade without a cue and 
 
 perfeCi 
 
CJie perfeai'on of painttngt* 9 
 
 perfed cognifance of tho(c Princifles % 
 and they confift of no mean fpeculati- 
 1 ens, Petfpe^five and Geemetry ^ without 
 which, a Painter can never emerge good 
 Artt(l. 
 
 Seeing now, it is not enough, that 
 \%o the forming an able Painter^ he be 
 I learned in thefe two Points alone(which 
 ftudj will foon accomplifli) without 
 three or four other more curious 
 litfcsy which he ought to be Mafler of; 
 but which are not ufually attained to 
 jvirhout a fingular favour of Nature ^ 
 lit happens that there appear fo very 
 few good Workmen amongft the multi<r 
 tudes of this Prof ef tony that it may 
 well be verified of T/&fw, which was faid 
 of the Poets 5 That a Painter is fo horny 
 not made and really their Genius is fo 
 conform, as it became Preverbialslhzt ) 
 Figure rvas mute Poefie^ and Poefie vocal j 
 Painting. The reafon of which will appear / 
 *rery obvious in the enfueing periods, / 
 wherewefliall Treat of the different T/It I 
 tents, which neceffarily concurr to the 
 iP,rodu<fiion of an a complilht Painter, 
 \ Thofe renowned Antients who 
 exalted the Art to its utmoft per- 
 fection , and rendred it fo fa- 
 (iio|?s, gbfcrv'd in their Works ^ve 
 Y' particulars 
 
i!Lf)t pirfertton of IpJainting. 
 
 fATticnUrs exactly, as fo many Funda- 
 mental Prwciples ^mthout which, Pawt- 
 ing is nothing but a meer Chym^raand 
 confufion of Cdonrs. But before I pro- ; 
 ceed to the farts^ I muft firft deferr 
 the honour oi this Obfervation to that 
 Learned Hollander^ Francis Junius ^ 
 who about Five and twenty years fince^ ; 
 publifti'd a NoWe Treatife ot the Paint- 
 ing of the Antients ^ wherein the in- 
 tire Hiflorj of this Art^ from the ori* 
 ginal to its utmoft ferfcSlion, is rare- 
 ly dtdixCd 5 and were not the ^ook in 
 LatinCf and by that means much con- 
 cealed from moft of our Painters^ I 
 fhould fatisfie my felf to referr them to 
 iht Author. Sec what he writes at the 
 beginning of his Third Book. i 
 The AntientSy{ays He^ conftantly ob-! 
 ferv*d thefe Five Parts in all their Works, 
 
 1. Invent iony or the Hi fiory. 
 
 2. Proportion^ or Symmetrie. 
 
 3. Colour y (wherein is alfo contained 
 the juft difpenfation of the Lights andi 
 shades.') 
 
 4. Motion^ in which are expreflfed the 
 Anions and Pa f ions. 
 
 5. And Upiy^ the Collocation 01 
 regular Pofttion of the Figures of the 
 whole Work, 
 
 But 
 
' ^f)t perf ertton of Pamttng. 1 1 
 
 But thefe four being Treated of ia 
 Xo general Terms, that it were almoft 
 I impoflible^ our Workmen fhould derive 
 the Fruit and Inftrudion which is fo 
 neceflfary for them to pradife; I will 
 here explain them in Order^ and more 
 at large, and endeavour to render them 
 inteliigible, both by JReafon^ and Ex- 
 4mflei. '^'^^ ' ^'v 
 
 • O/INVENTIOK, 
 I. Part, 
 
 INvention^ or the Genius of ffifiori'- 
 zingznd framing a Noble /^(f4 up- 
 on the Subjevt one would Painty is a 
 particular Talent y not to be acquired by 
 • Study or Labour 5 but is properly a 
 , certain ardor exciting the Imagination^ 
 prompting and enabling it to AB. And 
 as this part of /^x'f/^/i?;!^ has Naturally 
 the freheminence in the Nature ef 
 things ( fince it would be ridiculous in 
 a Painter to prepare his Colours and his 
 Pencils J without refolving before hand, 
 what to Paint ) fo does it more than a- 
 ny other^^ difcover the quality and force 
 of the Spirit 5 as whether it hefregnanty 
 judicious ^znd exalted^ or^ on the contra- 
 ry^ 
 
pcrfemon of Painting* 
 
 xjy b/trren^ confus^d^ ahj^B^ and plainly 
 nfcnt. 
 
 0/PRQPORTlON. 
 
 AS touching Profortion^ ( i. e,} the 
 Symmetric and Congruity of the 
 whleto its partsy 'tis fufficiently eafie 
 to attain, there is no ^leat difficalty 
 in it, and therefore the ignorant are 
 without all excufe^ fince it may be 
 gained with very little pains, and by o- 
 peraiiops purely Mechanical: but th? 
 only way to arrive at its perfedion, 
 and be perfedHy acquainted with it^ is 
 to paft through that of Geemetrie^v^hjLch 
 \% indeed the fourfe and original of alt. 
 the Arts^ Now amongft the Painters 
 and Seuiftors of the Antients who have, 
 riioft exceird in this^ P/z^y and ^in- 
 filiany ancj: others, principally inftance 
 in ParrhStiSy Praxiteles and the fa- 
 mous Ajclefiodorus^ to the exaduefs 
 of whofe Proprtions ^ the moft cele- 
 b'rated\^/^//^/ would always fubfcribe. 
 
 of 
 
^S:J)t petfectton of idatntms 
 
 0/COLOURINa 
 
 3. P A R T. 
 
 BY this third Particular ^ which is 
 that of Cohurwg, you are not 
 Duly to underftand the Pdinting i fince 
 :his Talent (though truly very impor- 
 :ant) muft yield to the Science oC 
 lights and Shades y which is a certain 
 Branch of Perfpe^ive ^ in which the 
 Center of the Luminous body repre- 
 sented to the JEye^ and iht^ection^ 
 yvhich the beams make upon the Plan^ 
 or any oth^r fuperficies ^ precifely ex- 
 ^reflfes the Contours and exacfl form of 
 ;he hody fo illuminated; and therefore, 
 ivhoever is Mafter of this r^mark^ fur- 
 lifties himfelf with feveral commodi- 
 Dus waysj how to put any thing into 
 Perfpecfivey even the moft capricious 
 md conceited 3 fuch as we fometimes 
 encounter upon irregular Surfaces , and 
 that appear fo furprifing and difficuk 
 £0 thofe, who comprehend not the/?* 
 fret of it. 
 
 of 
 
H petfectfon of IPamtms. 
 
 Of MOTION and 
 EXPRESSION. 
 
 4* P A R T. i 
 
 BUt as the three fir (I Parts are high- 
 ly neceffary for all Painters in 
 general^ this J'^m^, which concerns' 
 the Exfrefion and Motion of the fpi-^ 
 rit, excells them all, and is indeed ad- 
 mirable; for it gives not only life to 
 Figures y by reprefenting their Gcftures 
 and Pafsionsi but feems likewife to 
 make them vocal and to reafon with 
 you. It is from hence^ a Man is en- 
 abl'd to judge of the worth and abili- 
 ties of a Painter y for fuch an j4rtifi^ 
 paints Himjelfe in his t ables^ andrepre- 
 ients^ as in fo many Mirrours and 
 Clajfes, the temper of his own ht$mofir 
 and Genius. 
 
 There is none but eafily perceives, 
 by paralleling the Comfo fit ions and/^i- 
 gures of Rafhaely with thofe of Micha- 
 el An^elo% that thejF/>y?vvas the very 
 fwcetnefs of Grace It felf; whereas^on 
 the contrary, Mic. Angela was fo rude 
 and unpleafing^ that he retain'd notfo 
 much as any regard to Good-manners. 
 
C^e perfection of pamtmg. is 
 
 This is evident in that great Werkoi 
 \ his in the Chafpcl of the FaticaneyV/htrc^ 
 ; being toreprefent tht Find judgement 
 over the very Altar it felfe, he intro- 
 duces certain Figures in Aifions ex- 
 tXQ^mXy undecent whereas Raphael oh- 
 - ferves a Modefly^tvmm themoft licenci- 
 J ous of Subjeiis. From hence it is^wcmay 
 s conjecture, how highly important this 
 . Talent of Exfrtfsion is in a Painter % 
 /tis really his greateft Excellency j^nd 
 oihould accordingly be accompanied 
 with a peculiar judgement and Cir- 
 ^ cumffeBion:, fince by that alone ^ one 
 !j may conjedure at the force of his un-^ 
 yder^anding^ which being far from ever 
 j. acquiring any renawn by his Werks^ 
 nvhilft he viohtes the forms of Civi- 
 [ litjy will (foubtlefsj be the fcorn and 
 |j reproach of every Man-, feeing the 
 greateft Libertines araongft Perfons of 
 Condition, generally abftain from lewd 
 5 and impure expreflionsj which, though 
 but in paflingj as we fay (which makes 
 ^. not fo lafting impreffions as what af- 
 kdiS the eye) are taken up only by 
 the dregs and vileft of the fevfle. And 
 therefore^ a P4;;;f^r who makes profeC- 
 ■fion of fo noble and excellent an Arty 
 is extreamly obliged to Modefty and 
 
i6 Ct)e petfectton of Ipamtthg^ 
 
 good Manners in all his produ(5lionSi 
 and fhould never pollute his Pt/fpl with 
 any SubjeB, but what may endure the 
 r)&4y?^/? eyes to behold it 5 for as he en- 
 deavours to render his Works famous, 
 and worthy to be fought of all the 
 World 5 it oftentimes fortunes ^ that 
 thofe pieces^ which are exprefs'd with 
 too much Liberty 5 happ'ning to fall into 
 the hands of fcrupulous perfons, never 
 appear in the light, by which means 
 thofe JVorkmemre defervedly deprived 
 of what they moft of all affe(5led. 
 
 I do not inferr from hence^ that one 
 fliould be fo pfecife, as not to endure 
 any kind of Nudities vvhatfocver^ and 
 be fo pecvifli and morofs y as altoge- 
 ther to negledboth the excellency of 
 a Worky and the tiiftory which they 
 often reprefent fo 5 or in cafe they do 
 retain fome of them, that they 
 fhould cloath and cover them3 by the 
 hand ot fome wretched 2)/r/^^(fr, which 
 not only more defiles the Pi^ure^ but 
 renders it more ridiculous : But I would 
 (hew our Painters^ what are the Rocks 
 and Shelves they ought to avoid irt 
 that which concerns Exfrefsion: For ^ 
 though this Animadverfion may at 
 firft fcem but impertinent jiince com-, 
 
 monly 
 
C^e petfeaion of idatntmg* 
 
 monlyour Wits and Anions are more 
 vigorous and inventive upon fuch oc- 
 cafiohs J yet when men fhall ferioufly 
 refled upon the indignity and vilenefs of 
 tlje Liberty which fome of them af- 
 fume 5 and confider, how much more 
 eafie it is tofucceed in thofe vemton re- 
 prefentations, than in more worthy and 
 Heroic Subjeds ^ { as 'tis eafier to make 
 one Lmgh^ than to make mt Admire) 
 Men will but defpife their extravagance 
 and brutality : And in efFed, they are 
 never feen but in ©bfcure Corners j as 
 afliam'd to behold the Light 5 or in the 
 houfes of lewd and abandon' d Perfons, 
 who feed themfelves with fuch impa- 
 rities. If therefore a Painter would con- 
 fult the honour of his Prof ef ion,, lec 
 him endeavour to purfue more Noble 
 Ideas ^ and hold it for an aflTured Max- 
 tme^ that there is nothing praife-rvorthy 
 Vfhich is dtfionefl. Be this then fpoken 
 for prevention, and, but by the way, 
 till I come to the more particular ap- 
 plications , and examine exadly what 
 Ciay farther concern this Advice. 
 
 C of 
 
8 Ct)e pecfecti'cn of Jp^amUns. 
 
 Of the Regular Pofition of Figures 
 5. Par t. 
 
 BUt in the firft place^ let us difpatch 
 what we have to offer, touching 
 the due Collocation and Po fit ion of Fi- 
 gures in a Piece ^ fince it is the Bafe and 
 Foundation of the whole Edifice of 
 Fainting -J or^ as I may term it better , 
 the Ligature 0^ all xhokfour Parts we 
 have hitherto difcours'd upon 5 which 
 without this^ have neither Form^ nor in- 
 dQQd,ful?fillence, For as it is not fuflici- 
 ent in an Architect ^ to have amafs d to- 
 gether ^ and made a vaft provifion of 
 Materials^ nor even to have aflign'd 
 each Member of Ins Building its parti- 
 cular form, unlefs he alfo skill how to 
 dt[pdfie of them all in their proper flaces^ 
 Nof that a Sculptor Ihould carve out 
 each Member of a Statue with juft and 
 due Proportion, without he know how 
 to unite them in their natural Poflures^ 
 and not place an Arm where a Leg 
 fiiould ftand, nor the Foot where fliould 
 be the Hand ^ but hemuft not fo much 
 as take one hand for another^ nor the 
 lefi legio: the which wouldbe to 
 
Cfje perfection of Pamtingf 
 
 form a Monfter inftcad of a Ma?i. In 
 like forr^ a Painter would be found to 
 work in vain ^ and loofe his time ^ if 
 I when he has laudably pafs'd through 
 the four Parts he fliould fall fliorc 
 of this U(ly in which the whole Eurith'- 
 and perfection of the Art conlifts. 
 : It were the fame folly to Indent and 
 iCompofe a SubjeBy to have ftudied 
 the Beauty^ and juft proportion of every 
 Figure-^ to emerge as an able C^'/(?my?> 
 and know how to give the Ligks and 
 the shadows to each Body-, thd: taims 
 and natural Lu(lre^ nay , and withal 
 pofTefs that Divine Talent of expref- 
 iing the very Motions and Pafiens in his 
 Hiftorjy (which is the foul of Painting) 
 if after all thefe noble accompliflimentSj^ 
 he be ignorant ^ how to give his Fi^ 
 gures their due regular Pofitions. 
 
 We do therefore conclude^ that if 
 thofe other ^ or all of them united^ or 
 afunder> are advwintagious to a Painter^ 
 this laft which we have fpoken of^ is ab- 
 folutcly neLeffary. For though a //Vrr 
 may poffibly not anfv/er in every parf^ 
 fome one ot the former requifites be 
 weak;, nay, in fome riieafure, defective 
 in all of them ^ yet^ if this Uft be well 
 vperform^d^ i\\tWork\v\\\ always deferve 
 C % efteem 
 
^i)t perfection sf l^amtmg- 
 
 eftecm, and credit the Painter. Order 
 is the fouife and Principle of Science y 
 and .IS it concerns the Arts^ has this of 
 peculiar^ and to be admired , that it is 
 the parent of all Z?^4«/)', imparting its 
 graces to the meaneft produdions 
 which it renders confiderable. 
 
 Let us then confidet awhile, in what 
 this fo important, and indeed accom- 
 plifht fart confifts, which not only com- 
 pleatsa Painter^ but comprehends in 
 it whatfoever the whole Art has of Set- 
 ent;ficy and emancipates from the indig- 
 nity of the Mechanicks.io give it place 
 even amongftthe Sciences themfelves. 
 
 Our Geometricians^ who are the ge- 
 nuine Mafiers of this J^eflion^ and can 
 beft explain it^ have nam*d it optica, by 
 which term they would fignifie, that 
 'tis an Art of femg by our Reafens and 
 Bjes intellc^ual for 'twere imperti- 
 nent toimagine^ thatour ctrporal E)es 
 alone fhould be capable of fo fublime 
 an operation as to pretend themfelves 
 judges of the Beauty and perfedions 
 of a good PiBurc^ whence a thoufand 
 abfurdities would enfue. And fliould 
 the Workman think to imitate things 
 according to their external appearance 5 
 •tis certain^ that if he place them ///, he. 
 
perferttcn of Pamtmg; 
 
 i refrefents them fo^ and will form but .in 
 hill refemblance of them^ (b as before 
 ; he takes the Crajon and the Penftls in 
 his hand^ he fhould firft adjufl: his Eye 
 \ 'with his Reafon by the Prineifles Art^ 
 'which teaches us to behold things, not 
 as they appear in themfdves only, but 
 ! as ih^yenghtio be 5 and it were a fault 
 i unpardonable to paint them precifelyas 
 they are feen^ how Paradoxical foever 
 Itheaflfertion feems. 
 
 Now this fo necefliiry Art^ which the 
 iearn'dcall Painters and Defign- 
 
 txs Perfpeffftve^ pr^[cnb^s us infallible 
 Rules exa(flly reprefenting upon any 
 furface ( be it Cloth or Table^ a Wall^ 
 Jheet of Paper ^ or the like) whatfoever 
 is viftblezi oneview or aperture of the 
 Bye^ without changing our place, 
 i I (hall not here infift upon the Princi- 
 fleSy and various Methods, which the 
 Makers of the Art have invented for 
 the execution of it^ which were to di- 
 grefs from my prefent Infiitution: But 
 prefuppofing my Reader competently 
 knowing in it^ fliall (hew him here by 
 divers In(lancesy andaCnV/V^/ examen 
 of fundry Pw^j engraven after Rapha- 
 el f the moft renowned certainly of our 
 iModern Painters ^ and moft accurate 
 C 5 in 
 
81 ^!^\)t perfection of ll?ainttn3i 
 
 inhi<> Works) of what importance this 
 Fcrfpe^ive^ or regular Collocation ot 
 Figures is^ fince by that^ a man may pre- 
 cifely determine^ and pronounce defi- \ 
 nitivelywhat is rvrllo: illdone in a P/- 
 (fure. Nor let any impute it a prefump- 
 tion^ if in this furvey^ which I pretend 
 to make of Prints^ I fpare not even 
 Jlaphael himfelf, where I find him de- 
 ie<5iive ^ fince^ it is neither my purpofe 
 to injure or flatter any man > befideSj, 
 many q^iUq errors ^ which I take notice 
 of^ may poiTibly proceed from theim- 
 jpertinence and ignorance of the Graver^ i 
 who perhaps have abus'd^ or altered \ 
 the Original Drarvingt, as I haVe fre-' 
 quently obferv'd^ that the Prints of An- 
 drcd Manteg^^a^and Albert Dij^r^r, which 
 were cut by their own hands, appear'dl 
 a great deal more regular and juft^ thati \ 
 thofe of Mapiad^ which had not the 
 fame advantage. And if the manner, 
 of thofe two great Painters defigns had 
 been as pleafant , and noble, as they, 
 were accurate ^ their jlamp had \>^ta\ 
 without comparifons thofs only exceptt 
 ed, which Marc. Jr'tonw executed by: 
 the diredlion of Eap^ael^ who tookex-^l 
 traordinary carC; not only to furniilihini ' 
 "W^ithDr^mngs^ extreamly finifli'd^bu? 
 
 iaftru^led 
 
. €:^e pttkmn of Painting^ 
 
 ! inftruded him likewife in the very (7^4- 
 'z;/;;^ of them ^ fo as one would efteem 
 thofe Papers of JMarc^ ^rjthony ^zmongO: 
 thegreateft curioficies that Pamtwgh^s 
 jprodHc'd of the kind. And it were to be 
 wifli'dj for the Virtuofis fakes^ that 
 I the fame hand had Gravd all that are 
 to be found after this great Mafieri^ at 
 leaft^ thofe larger Comf&fttions of his 
 which arc painted in the Vatic ane^ the 
 Cafitoly and divers other places at Rome^ 
 as the Battails of Con^antine againft 
 Maxentim 5 the School at Athens 5 the 
 Ajfewhly oi the Fathers and Dehors of 
 the church about the Sacrament^ with 
 feveral more, which ill- Gravers hwWe 
 wretchedly abufed, 
 
 I' To fix our Cr/V/V then on a favoura- 
 !ble Augure^ Ifuppofe^ it will redound 
 both to the Glory of Rafhael^ and oar 
 own fatisfadion^ to begin with good 
 Examples and topropofei^^?//ror Pii'^ 
 of the hefl of Marc. Ar,tomos-pkccSy as 
 Antifafts of the reft^ that from what 
 iRre fhall obferve from thofe which fol- 
 bw, we may the better judge, how 
 great a misfortune it is for a Painter to 
 fall into the hands of ill Gravers ^ and 
 I' how infinitely our lofs has been, that 
 fo many excellent Works of the fame 
 C 4 Genius 
 
iis:f)t pttltttim of Pamttng. 
 
 Genius, have bcenfo vilely lamed un- 
 der their tools. 
 
 The Firft Stamp. 
 
 The Judgement of Paris. 
 
 THe very Firjl (heets which carried 
 the name of Raphael out oiltaly^ 
 and that fliewed all the Painters of his 
 Age^ who was their Coripheus and Cap- 
 tainy was that noble and famous Pr/;^^ 
 of the 'judgement of Paris ^ in which^ 
 Raphael madt fo happy an Ejjay, both 
 for his own^ and his Scholar Marc An- 
 reputation^ that from thence forr 
 ward he continued him ia the fame Em- 
 ployment ^ and for that end, exprefly de- 
 fign'd him feveral other rare things, 
 wfuch probably we had never feen^ 
 but upon this ^^r^7?(?;^,.becaufe he ne- 
 ver did paint xh^m. 
 
 Let us noiv examine in the Figures 
 of t liS 5/4^^/^ .whether our Painter have 
 fufficiently acquitted himfelf in our fivi 
 JFun^^amental points and that we may 
 proceed orderly in the refearch>com-' 
 mence at the Fir(l^ which is the In^ 
 vent ion; JiJ^t tolmuch^ asitisabfot 
 
 lutely 
 
€;|)e perfection of ^afntmg. 
 
 lutely neceffary^ cYe we can rationally 
 difcufs ic^ tounderftand the circumftan- 
 ces of this Poetiquc-Hi^oryy we fliall 
 briefly repeat it. 
 
 Taris^ Son to King Priamus^ being 
 foon after his ^/Vr^ exposed on Mount 
 Ida^ and there abandoned to the wild 
 iBeafls (by reafon of the funeft dream y 
 fatal indeed to his Country-, which his 
 Mother Hecubah^d ofhim, during her 
 great belly) happened to be taken up 
 by one of the Country She f hear ds^ 
 who bred him up as his Sm. This 
 young Prince (unknown of his Fofter- 
 father J and indeed tohimfelfe) by a 
 ftrange and fecret virtue of the Royal" 
 hloud in him^ became fo accomplifli'd 
 in his Touth^ astofurpafs all his other 
 Contemporaries in Strength^ Beauty and 
 Addrefsj and in fumme, in what foe ver 
 was efteem'd moft i^iualifed zmongfi 
 them; Hitherto, it holds fome refem- 
 blanceof a true Hiflory*^ but the Poets y 
 who are fomewhat neer of kin to the 
 Painters, have refind upon all this^and 
 ' mingled it with feveral capricious fan- 
 . fies ^ and pretend, that once upon a 
 time, as all the Beities were invited to- 
 gether to the Nuptials of Peleus and 
 Thetis y the Goddefs Dif^rdiaonly ex- 
 
 ' cepted : 
 
9 6 COc pecfertiott of JPamtmg. 
 
 cepted5 this malicious latly , in re-' 
 venge of the affront, fecretly convey 'd. 
 amongft the Crowd that were at the 
 fvedding:, a CoUen-Ball^ upon which 
 there was engiaven. Be it given to the 
 Taireft. 
 
 Mercury, the buficft of all the reft, 
 perceiving the Ball, catches it op, and 
 reads the words aloud 5 which inflam'd 
 all the Geddejfes (emulous, whoftiould 
 be counted fairefl') with fo burning a 
 jenlouftej that 5^«/'/ff/' hirafelf refus'dtd 
 decide the controverfte, fearing to dif-^ 
 pleafe his Wife fliould he pro- 
 nounce in favour of any of the reft > 
 or at leaft, be fufpeiaed of Intereft. 
 The only Rivals of ^uno, were the 
 fierce MinervAj and the lovely r^w/f 
 fo as the difference being by mutual 
 confent of the Competitors^ referr'd to 
 thedecifionof the Eoyal-Shepherdy(y!ho 
 was in thofe days himfelf a handfome 
 Youth) Mercury was immediately dif- 
 patcht from Jupiter with the j^pple or 
 ^4//,with order to deliver it to Her ywho 
 of the Three, Paris (hould judge to be 
 the Fairefi. 
 
 You have here, what Raphael in- 
 tended to reprefent by this Defigne^ 
 wherein, for z general con|ideration,and 
 
 almoft 
 
COe pecfecttoii of pamttng^ 
 
 almoft ever a nece(fary one-, he has 
 plac'd the principal Figures of his Sto- 
 ry in the Center his Ordomme-^ and 
 that with admirable variety both of 
 Affe^ and Exfrefion. There^youmay 
 behold Mz/^if^-'z//!;, fiird mih difdamior 
 miffing the Frize fhe pretended to, turn 
 her i/ick upon her ^udge with a malici- 
 ous regard : Ferns ^ in whofe favour the 
 Sentence was pronunc d^ ftands in the 
 middle of her two Rivals^ and recei- 
 ving the Symbol of her ViSiory with a 
 Modefty^ accompanied with a marvelous 
 Grace: The Painter has made her be 
 feen by a Mq Profile^ as the moft ad- 
 vantagious to difcover the fliape and 
 regularity of each part of a beautiful 
 face. ^unOy the haughtieft of all the 
 reftj inraged with defpite^ that ihe had 
 not the preference, feems altogether 
 tranfported with rage at poor Paris, 
 who appears not for all this thejeaft 
 concern d^ but continuses fitting as be- 
 comes ^§udge^ pronouncing Sentence 
 with the Fatal-Jfplexhat foon after oc- 
 caCon'd thofe tragical diflfafters amongft 
 the Greeks^ and concluded in the total 
 fubyerfion of T roy^ Vv^hich was the place 
 of his B^rth. 
 This laft cMfs prefcnts her felf in 
 
28 Ctje perfection of Paintfngf. 
 
 front ^ i'^s the moft confident of the Three^j 
 2nd Raphael has expi efly defign^d them* 
 all' with different afpects^ to make as 
 great an emulation, even between his 
 own veiy F inures y as pollibly he was \ 
 able. I obfervelikewife inthatof the I 
 Shepheard Paris certain variety in the i 
 Pro^le from that of Venus ^ for where ! 
 this fairD^f/?^ difcovers a little of her ' 
 breafl: ^ Paris on the other hand^ fliews 
 a part of his flioulders fide- long • fo i 
 extraordinary a care our Painter took, . 
 that each part of his piece^ fhould have i 
 fomething diverfified. ! 
 
 Befides thefe Four, by which indeed i 
 the whole /^//^ry had been fufficiently \ 
 illuftratedj he has yet introduced -Wrr- 
 (having finilli'd his Coramiffion) 
 in apofture of returning to carry back 
 the news of the event to ^up/ter, who 
 that happy per/on was^ that obtained 
 the Victory, 
 
 After thiSj the reft oh\\eCompofiti- ; 
 m is nothing but a Voctique expreflicn 
 of the Genius of the Painter^ to en- 
 rich the Ordonance of his Table: For 
 the Njmphs with their Crufes^ and the , 
 two naked Men^ who fit neer them ' 
 with BuII-rudies in their hands - 
 (o unconcerned with what pafles, \ 
 
 relates 
 
 I 
 
 1 
 
C^je recfectton of Pawtmg4 ^9 
 
 relates only to Mount Ida^ which 
 abounds in Kivtrs and Sf rings of Wa- 
 . ter ^ and 'tis evident, that he whom you 
 • fee leaning upon the Bank^ is the Ri- 
 ! ver , which walhes the very 
 walls of Troy^ nexttohini;, is the Ri- 
 ver Simoisy both whofe Sourfes rifing 
 i in the (arae Hill, with their frequent 
 Meanders refrelli the large and irriguous 
 Campanids of the Troada^ and at laft 
 I unite them(elvesat the mouth of the 
 I HeUcjpontic fea^ neer the Sigean Pro- 
 |i montory. 
 
 Now, as there is not the leaft parti- 
 cular, in this whole Comfofure^ which 
 our Pdinter has not mannagM with ad- 
 Hiirable^ addrefs to (hew that Mount 
 I Ida was of an exceeding height;, and a- 
 bundantly fertile 5 hedifcovers a fartoi 
 ic only,which fucceflively afcending to- 
 wards one of the Angles of his pece^ 
 and being not only already parallel 
 with, but even piercing fomc of the ve- 
 ry Clouds, makes one thence eafily to 
 conjedure its prodigious altitude. The 
 plenty of Trees and Cattel which 
 ,adorn it, fpcaks alfo its great fertility : 
 But of all this Refrc[entation^ the moft 
 difficult to interpret, is that which paf- 
 fes amongft the Gods in the Clonds i For 
 
 at 
 
Ctie perfertton of Paiiitms* 
 
 at one hand you have Jupiter dtting on 
 his Eagle y arm' J \Vith Thmder^ born 
 up of one of the Winds^ and accom- 
 panied by Z)/4»<t,and two other Dee(^esi 
 and on the other part, Jpollo, (the bro- 
 ther of Z>/4«4) inviron'dwith his2rtf^//- 
 and attended by two young Cava- 
 liers (whom I fuppofe to be Cafiet 
 and Pollux^ the Brothers of Hellend) 
 haftning to meet Jupiter ^ and feeming 
 to be plac'd there as a kind of Vrogno- 
 fiickof the Catajlrepk which this jea- 
 lous contention produc'd, and which 
 foon after kindled Co dire a Flame a- 
 gainft the unfortunate Umpire^ that it 
 reduc'd both his Houfcj his whole 
 Race^ and his Citj into afhes 5 and made 
 fo ftrange adifcord, evenamongft the 
 Deities themfelves that every one of 
 them fiding with his own paflion, band- 
 ed fuch a League in Heaven^ as was 
 not ended till ten years after. 
 
 The reft of the Fable^ for contain- 
 ing little that concerns our P/Vf-^ in it, 
 I need not explain here 5 and haply, 
 I may already be thought over tediousi 
 but I have exprefly enlarged, that after 
 wc have well confider'd in the Vrint all 
 thefe obfervations ; and that there is 
 nothing in the entire Compofnion but 
 
C^e pecfectton of Painting^ 3 1 
 
 what is elTential to the Suhjecti 
 the and freedom of our Painters 
 invention, may appear with the more 
 luftreand advantage 5 forfeeing, that 
 in fo fmall a fpace^^ at one view^ and 
 with fo few Figures J he has ihew^d us 
 fuch a confeqaence of varieties^we muft 
 needs the more admire the force of his 
 Invention 5 which is the T dent we fo 
 much celebrate^ and the Member 
 fof our prefent difquifition. 
 
 The Second^ which concerns the 
 Vrepmion of the Figures y will not re- 
 *quire any large difcuflion ; 'tis too ap- 
 parent to thofe who look with Paint^ 
 meyes: we may only obferve in paC- 
 fing^ what a judicious difference Raphd- 
 el has affign d to every one whom he 
 Perfonates^ as their particular qualities 
 diftinguifli them : for the three God- 
 dejfes^ being the moft illuftrious and 
 principal ones of his Piecey he makes 
 I of a more auguft and ftately Mine thm 
 the reft. 
 
 i The Shepherd PariSy Mercury and 
 ' Jpolloy difcover a more light and Airy 
 proportion^, fuch as the would 
 call Svelta. The two Rivers are made 
 more robuft and heavy} and the 
 i, fountain Njmph fatter thaa ufual, 
 
 to 
 
j2 tarijeperfeitiott oflPainttng* 
 
 to denote their fertility and ^bundance^ 
 The 7'/»/r</Divifion,which imports the 
 projedion and difpofure of the Shades 
 and Lights upon the objects, needs as 
 little particular enquiry intOj as the 
 former ; fince it is generally very regu- 
 lar. We (hall only take notice of a cer- 
 tain //V^wr, familiar amongft Paittters 
 upon fuch occafionsv which is, that 
 uipollo (who fignifies the Sm^ and 
 confequently the Fountain and Center 
 of the univerfal Light) appearing here 
 in humane fliape but as a particular 
 Figure of the ftory, does not only im- 
 part no light to the reft of the figures^ 
 but receives both l/gk and fliaiiorv wkh 
 the other, as the point requires, which 
 cur Paifjter has given to his Take. 
 
 Touching the Fourth Part, which 
 is the Exfrefsion, that admirable and 
 peculiar Talent of Painting, which not 
 only difcovers what every Figure does, 
 and (peaks, but even vihuit thinks al- 
 fo, a thing almoft incredible; I fliall like- 
 wife pafs it over without muchenlarge- 
 ing my Mfcomfej as having fufficienly 
 CKamin d it in the narrative of this Hi- 
 (lory . and in particular, where I treat 
 of the Invention^ and Intention of the. 
 Vaimer j where I obferve no lefs than 
 
 three 
 
C &e pttiettion of Pamting> 
 
 i three diftind pa/ms raoft judicioafly 
 ' expreff'd in the Contentions of the 
 fCoddeJfes^ as firfl Difdamva Minerva^ 
 I who turning her back towards her 
 ^udge^ cafts ^ fleer over her(houlder, 
 I and lifts up her arme after a very difre- 
 ' fpedftil manner. In the fecond., which 
 is Venus (receiving the Frize of her glo-* 
 rious Conq^eft ) I remark a certain fe- 
 : cretj and bafliful complacency, accom- 
 i panied with all the grace that Beauty is 
 capable of. As for ^uno^ (he is fuffici- 
 ently confpicuous , according to the 
 Poets defcriptionof her, full of Choier^ 
 Reruenge and yfrrogancy^ threatnuig hei 
 3^1^^^ with her very looks, and extend- 
 ing her arme towards him after an ex- 
 tream audacious and haughty manner, 
 Thenext isil/trrr^r^, in a Pofture per- 
 fedly defcribing his fedulity and dili- 
 gence^ fince he feems both to [peak and 
 to move forwards at the fame inftanr, 
 and that with an addrefs and Meene, 
 which fufficiently denotes his agility, 
 "and how proper he is for his Employ- 
 ment, The Royal Shepheard in the iri- 
 tcrim, who is here one of the Principaf 
 PerfonageSy though encompafled with 
 I Divinities , prelerves ftill a fettled 
 Countenance 5 as becomes a ^ndgei 
 
 D nay 
 
54 C()c perfection of Pamting* 
 
 nay the very Dog by his fide, neither 
 deeps, nor importunately barks as 
 Currs ufe todo; but feems as it were 
 to bear fome part, and give attention 
 to his Maftprs Sentence. All the other 
 Figures oi Rivers, and Sfrtngs feem ve- 
 ly little concern'd at what pafles, as I 
 have already noted. 
 
 Icontefs yet, at firft, I once imagined, 
 that the Njmfh who fits fo neer the 
 two Rwersj and feems fo extreamly 
 melancholy, might have been Oemne 
 the Mtfiris of Ptris 5 and he might well 
 be jealous at what he faw but her tref- 
 fes of hearhs about her head , and the 
 Water-pot which ihe holds, do not qua- 
 drate with this conjefture : Above in 
 the ChnJs the two young Harbingers 
 full of heat, and precipitancy, appear as 
 augurcs of the enfuing Warr^ which 
 foon overflowed all Greece^ by the furi- 
 ous refentment of the angry Godeffesy 
 enraged at their fudge ^ and by that 
 direful revenge which they exprefs'd a- 
 gainftall his Pajler it y, fumciently cau- 
 tioning us, howperillousathingitis, to 
 intermeddle with the affairs and con- 
 tentions of Great Ferfins. 
 
 Thofe who are knowing in the Pri/t- 
 cifks of ^udicfary Afrologj^ will find 
 
 alfa 
 
Ctje perfection of Pamttng. 
 
 alfo by the pofttion of the Figures about 
 I Zodiack y that our Painter was not 
 ; only expert in placing them in their 
 right order 5 but that he was likewifc 
 skilfull in what concerns the Figuration 
 of Horojcops^ and ereding of Schemes : 
 For^ pretending to reprefent thofe great 
 .difafters which were to proceed from 
 this fatal Conte^atien^ be turn'd it to 
 the place of Aries^ which is the Honfc 
 i of Mars^ in which Thunders and Co- 
 1 rufcations are ingendred : the next is 
 fTduruSy Domicile o{ Venus ^ who is 
 ij fortunate in that Sign-^ Then fijcceed 
 the lucky Tjr/V^i", fignifying to the Hi- 
 fiorj^ and reprefenting the two young 
 I .C4'z;4//e'ri' who ride betore AfoUo. From 
 iliefe Particulars fo accurately re- 
 fearch'dj wc mviy inferr with how great 
 judgment and art he has compof 'd this 
 Piece. There is little elfe confidera- 
 ble^ fave the Figure ^ufiter riding 
 upon Eoli^ in an extraordinary garb, 
 accompanied with three or four Divini- 
 ties ^ u\Q Lightning in his hand, and an 
 Bagle near hira in a menacing pofture^ 
 as being interefted in the Dijference^ 
 ' which alfo prcfages a Temfefi to en- 
 jftie. 
 
 " -Lct us now proceed to examine how 
 
 D 3 our 
 
^i)t perfcctfon of idamtrng. 
 
 our fir(l and principal part^ which con- 
 cerns the fofition of the Figures in true 
 Perfprfftve, have been oblerv'd in this 
 Ordonance. Our common Painters 
 imagine Perfpe^ive to be no more than i 
 a certain particular manner of repre- i 
 fenting things in ArchiteSlure^ as they 
 call it; never conceiving that it fignifies 
 any thing in Hi(lories which arc com- 
 pofed of Figures^ fo as this may be; and 
 I confefsit does not appear fo perfpi- 
 cuous to the eyes of our half- Pajnters^ 
 who do not comprehend it any farthers 
 than they zxt Mechanically taught by 
 by a certain concourfe of Z/;^^/^ tend-, 
 ing to a foynt of fsght^ which is the 
 uttermoft limit of their skill : But 
 thofe grand Maflers who own itt 
 for the Univerfal foundation of] their' 
 Science , are curious to obferve ici 
 in every the minutcft touches of a 
 Piece, as 1 pretend to demonftrate by 
 this Inftancey which is fo much the 
 more commodious for my purpofe, asi 
 at firft fight it feems as if Rafhael had 
 t Iiought of nothing lefs in the Compofiti-s 
 than of Perfpe£H've:(o free and difen- 
 gag'd it appears from any kind of con- 
 ftraint imaginable- there being neither a*t 
 ny degradation of the Plan^ buildings ^ op 
 
 other 
 
€i)t perfection of pamtmg* 37 
 
 other form of Herizon-, from whence 
 thofe f^mple pradifers Lineal Perffe- 
 <r/;x'^can derive the Icaft conjedure how 
 to proceed by in their Mechanical Way; 
 But thefe menaieto know, that 'tis a 
 moft fubtile, and refin'd addrefs in 
 Painting, to work things exactly rf^a/^r 
 and precife, and yet to ci^nceal the Art, 
 I Let us begin thenfirft to determine 
 :he pint of ftght fince it is as it were, 
 ;he very Center-, to which every part of 
 :he Ta^e has reference > and for that 
 ve have in this Piece^ no linealguidGs to 
 ;ondutl us-, our Reafon mull fupply that 
 
 The Subject of this Hipory being 
 ;hiefly about Sight, and Paris the Per^ 
 on principally concein'd in it; the 
 ^ajnter could not have plac'd the Fifive 
 'oint more judicioufly, than in the Efe 
 )f Paris, which, for this very Caufe, he 
 las reprefented m Pro fie, tofhewthat 
 here ought to be but One only, as Geo- 
 netricians teach us in their Oftics,\v\\Qte 
 hey reprefent vifton or thefundion of 
 \eeingy by a radiated Pjramis with an 
 7? hxt upon it. 
 
 This eft3bh{h'd, 'and rightly under- 
 bod, we proceed to obferve in the 
 )rdoaance of this Compofition, that 
 D 3 th^ 
 
Ctje perfetttott of Pamtmg. 
 
 the TUh on which the three rival God- 
 deffes ftand^ has its degradation towards 
 the Eye of their ^F^^^^^, towards which 
 likewife all the reft of the Piece is con- 
 verted. Now Per'lpe^five being an Art 
 compof'dof reciprocal proportions, it 
 follows^ that from the knowledge ci 
 cne part, one may cafily pafs to that 
 of mother ^ and by this alternative, ar- 
 rive in fine, to the knowledge of them 
 altogether : fo as from this firfi point 
 of Sights and the confequent diminution 
 of the three prime Figures y we likewife 
 inferr another effential/?^/>f , exceedingly 
 ncceffary for fuchas praftife Deftgning^ 
 and this they ufaally call the foint of 
 Diflance-^ bccaufe it determines the J;^- 
 ffw^/ between the object or T Me^ and 
 the Eye of the Spe^ator. As for the 
 right-line^ comprif *d between the point 
 of DijiancCy and that of the Eye, it de- 
 notes the Jxis of the vifual PyramiSy 
 which is alwayes to remaia fxt , and 
 parallel to the furf ace of th^ Plan^ and 
 the height of the Horizon. This point 
 of Di fiance has certain regular and con- 
 {[ant limits^ beyond which it works no! 
 effed: 5 for approaching too Mer , it 
 caufes the Plan to be fo far elevated^ 
 ^nd the Diminutions of the Figures 
 
 cornel 
 
Cfie perfertton of Patntms^ 39 
 
 comefo fuddenly upon usy that it fur- 
 prifes the eje ; and,on the contrary^ if it 
 be too remote^ it renders things as much 
 confus'd 5 fo cis there is that mediocrity 
 ta be obferv'd ^ which the skilful in 
 Oftics have rtgreedupon in the open- 
 ing ot the Angles of Equilateral T ri- 
 angles. By this general Maxime^ one 
 may immediately difcover, where the 
 precife term ot Diftance refides, which 
 we arc fecking : And therefore I will 
 dwell no longer upon it ^ the particulars 
 being alfo To abfolutely imfortant to 
 thofe who are already verfd in the fra^ 
 Sltje^ though fomething difficulty I 
 confefs^ to be conceiv'd by thofe who 
 never heard anything of it before, 
 
 Prefuppofing then thefe firft opera- 
 tions difpof 'd according to the Rules 
 of Art 5 You are only to confider^, whi- 
 ther the Figures (zs well thofe which 
 ftand after the ufwl manner upon the 
 Ground^ as thofe who are elevated in 
 the Air^ and amongft the Clouds} be 
 placM in an a[fe^ agreeable to their 
 Situations^ with regard to the mfual 
 pint^ and whether they pro- 
 portionably to the degradation of the 
 ,P/4» which they fliouldobferve; fincc 
 itis only in theie tm particulars^ that 
 D 4 the 
 
40 flCf)t perfection of pat nttng. 
 
 the whole intention and effedl of Pet- 
 ffective in a Pamtm^doQS confift. And 
 though they are now adayes much neg- 
 Uctedhy thofc of the Profefion ^ Yet. 
 is ihtConfeqHenceoi fuch tveigk^ that 
 whofoever^^/^ri/^ijOr knows them not, 
 is unmrthj the name of a Paynter-^dW Pi- 
 ctures defecflive in this part;, being both 
 eontempible^md ridicuhus in the eyes of 
 intelltgem Perfons, who inftead of Bo- 
 dies^ look on them but as fo many Ghf- 
 maras^ reprefented without ^ny fofibi^ 
 lity of Nature. 
 
 The importance of this Remark will 
 be better underftood by Inftances of ill- i 
 peces^than by that of which we are now I 
 difcourfing, wherein all is fo regular and 
 conformable to the Hules of Art : for 
 if we fhall examine the firft eflfeft of per- 
 fpecti^e in Figures , which confifts in 
 making them appear leffer, or greater^ 
 according as they are more or lefs ad- 
 vanced in the depth of the Plan 5 'twill 
 be manifeft, that they facceflfivcly dimi^ 
 mifht, fo as from the very firft^ which 
 is thuof Minerva^ compared with that 
 of Mercury (thefartheftoffin th^ piece) 
 there is a confiderable difference in the 
 height : And that of Venus and ^uno 
 is yet more remarkable, (hough the 
 , i VimiHution. 
 
COe perfection of Pamttngt 
 
 dimlnution\)^medhcrey and but juft to 
 the diflance which rhey mutually ob- 
 ferve between each other. Eafie it 
 were to purfue the examen through 
 the reft of the F inures ^ and there- 
 fore I fliall now pafs to the lafjt ^ 
 and moft important pait^ whkh con- 
 cerns their Affect and Pofition in refe- 
 rence to the Point of Sight 5 and that 
 I may proceed methodically, and ufeful- 
 ly in this enquiry, we (hall firft make 
 fome reflexions upon thefe Axiomes of 
 Perfpective. 
 
 L Ax lOME. 
 
 THe Point of Sight reprefents the 
 Eye of him who beholds the 
 Picture 5 and this Point is the fir/l, and 
 principal thing to be fought for in a 
 PiecCy to enable one rightly how to di- 
 fcern, whither it be the f^^ork of m Me^ 
 and knowing Painter^ or of a fimple 
 Practitioner onely. 
 
 II. A X I o M E. 
 
 THe Point of Sight is conftantly, 
 and precifely the height of the 
 Horizontal-Urn, 
 
 III. AX- 
 
tintje petfectton of Painting* 
 
 III. AXIOME. 
 
 WHatever appears above the 
 Horizontal- line J is feenin the 
 nether part; and whatever is plac'd 
 below ir, is feen in the u^fer^ feeming 
 to afcend and mount as it were towards 
 xh^ Horizon, 
 
 IV. A X I o M E. 
 
 Figures of equal Altitude^ beiag on 
 the fame Line parallel to the Ba^e 
 of a r Me or Picture^ are always equal. 
 
 V. Axiom E. 
 
 ITTIguresj more or lefs advancing in 
 
 deph of the fUn in Picture^ di- 
 minifh proporcionably to iht degradati- 
 on or diftance of the fame Plan : For 
 example ; fuppofe the Plan be gradu- 
 ated in a fcale of Squares 5 xh^Fignres 
 fliall obferve the fame Proportion one 
 to another^as the graduated Squares do> 
 upon which they arc placed. 
 
 yi AX- 
 
pcrfecttDn of iaatnting^ 45 
 
 VI. Ax lOME^ 
 Igurts ^ fcituaced Parallel to the 
 
 \^ Bafe of the Talkie or Picture^ ap- 
 pear of the fame y^//?^^^ in Perfpectlvcy 
 with the Squares of the gradaated P//^;;, 
 upon which they have their pofition. 
 
 Now let us apply thefe Jxiomes to 
 every Figure of our Stamp. 
 
 The Point of i'/^^^? (which is the firfi 
 thing obfervable^ as being indeed^ the 
 very Compafs and Guide to all the reft) 
 being prccifely in Pern's jEjf^j the 
 Figures which are aloft in the Ajr^ as 
 the Victoria putting the Garland on 
 Venus Apollo in his Zodiaque*j EoluSy 
 who feems to fupport and fore-run Ju- 
 piter ^ and other of tht Deities of his re- 
 tinue 5 flievv altogether their Nether- 
 Parts^ according to the Third Axiome. 
 Defcending then to the Earthy towards 
 the right (ide^ and moft diftant from the 
 Point of Sight 5 You have the Figures 
 of the iJ/wrX^;^?^/^/^ fitting, and halfe 
 lying-along the Bafe of the Picture 5 fo 
 as by our laft Axiome^ \}ci\%Ftgurex!OX&. 
 appear in the fame Aspect in Perspective 
 with the graduated Square that par- 
 ticular place; and therefore as it regards 
 
t!^\fe pttlmon of Patattng. 
 
 the Poiii7t of Sigk ( which is here at a 
 confiderable diftance from it) that paix 
 of i\\tErea(i ( which according to the 
 Pofirion of the Body^ could not be dif- 
 cover'd^ if it flood ducdly opfofite to the 
 Perfendicularoiih^ Powto^ fight) (hews 
 it-lelf almoft as fully at this interval, as 
 if really the Figure had been defign'd 
 to fkmdfro^ti^g'j Whereas now^ in re- 
 lation to the Plarty it ftands altogether 
 in Profle the travei fe lir^e of the Shoul- 
 ders afcending alfo fomewhat towards 
 the H^r/^ct^/^^according to our Third Ax- 
 iome. The fame may be obfcrved of the 
 Nymph fitting neer this River, whofe 
 jifpea (though different as to Faces) 
 is yet upon the fame Parallel^ and kl- 
 tuationon thcP/^;;^ both the ofte and 
 the other being feen in Profle alfo. 
 For, prefuppofing one fliould advance 
 the Plan of their Pofttion parallel to 
 tlie Fifual point i you would find;, that 
 as the P/^/^ra approached it, the Con- 
 tours and out'lines of each of their/^^r^x, 
 would diverfifie fuccelfively^ without 
 any alteration or change in their difpofi- 
 tion and aptitude*, and fo coming at hft 
 to be perpendicular Ij oppofite to the 
 point otjighty would appear exadlly in 
 Profile^ which is in truth^ their proper 
 
W9t \^ttltaim of IPamtmg. 4S 
 
 and genuine Portion in this admirable 
 fiece of PAtnting. 
 
 Would you now proceed to place 
 them on the other fide, or heyojsd the 
 pint of Sight i the more they incline to- 
 wards the left-hand of the fiece ^ the 
 more they alter the affarent Forme-y 
 and will come in fine, to an J[p£i fo 
 contrary to their F/V/-, that the Figure 
 which ^^r^ difcovers part of the Breafiy 
 will there turn its bnck to you, and fp 
 would the other alfo. 
 
 The knowledge of this Pradical J>e- 
 monfirattonmW be no difficulty to thofc 
 that polfefsthe Genmsoi this u^rf;, and 
 that are any thing converfant in Geo- 
 metry ^ but 'tis of fuch univerfal impor- 
 tance to all Painters^ that whoever do 
 not rightly comprehend it^will be found 
 to work but like a Blind-mah in his Pro- 
 fefsion^ and efpecially thofe, who would 
 I accommodate to ihdx deftgkes^Figur0 
 I which xh^y Iporrow^ and Cofy ahcr Prints 
 of feveral Mafters ^ or Indeed their own 
 '-Academic ftudies^ who, above ail,(hould 
 V take efpecial care, fo to place them in 
 their Works, as may the moft regularly 
 ' adjuft, and pun<aually anfwcr the foint 
 oi/tghty under which they were firft of 
 \' 9\\defigncd, To:\isa Princi fie mferfpe- 
 
Ct^e pntmon of patnttng* 
 
 0hey that whatever Fi^are is once fixt 
 upon a Pla)7, can never be tranfported 
 fjrom thence to another, without viola- 
 ting the prefent afpea-, fince (as we 
 have fufficiently fhow'd} the pint of 
 fgky is a thing (iated, and immovea- 
 ble, fo as 'tis abfolutely impoflible to 
 placefucha Tkeft out of another Pain- 
 ten Works, with any tollerable certi- 
 tude, or handfomnefs in another Com- 
 pofition, without this affiftance of per' 
 fpeSfive. 
 
 I could inlarge thefe Remarks on the 
 reft of the Figures of this particular 
 Print ^ but to avoid repetition} and 
 therefore I think it better to make 
 choice oif another Snlject, in the exa- 
 mination whereof, and of thofe which i 
 follow it, I iball only infift upon what 
 is raoft imfortant, and worthy of ohfer- 
 *uation^ referring the reft to the dili- 
 gence of particular ftudents , who by 
 the P/4«, I have already trac'd out to 
 them, may happ'ly be curious to make 
 the fame difytfifitions upon every one 
 of our five Fundamentals, as I have e- 
 ftablilh'd them in this Tr eat ife. 
 
 7he 
 
The fecond Print, 
 
 rhe MASSACRE ef the 
 INNOCENTS. 
 
 THe Second Stamf which Jtaphael 
 caus'd Marc. Antenio to grave^ 
 was the Slaughter of the inmcents. The 
 Hiftory is too well known to require 
 fetition : nor fliall I need to examine the 
 freforttenoi each particular it 
 ' may fufficc to fay in general, that the 
 judicious Painter his even laden the 
 good Women with their fwelling T>u^s, 
 like fo many Nurfes 5 and on the con- 
 trary, m2idt the Executhmrs^txtixsiy 
 meagre,and lean, refemblingthofe rag- 
 ged Cut-throats^ whom he has alfo left 
 naked , and without ckthes on their 
 backs, to render them the more terrible. 
 For this Painter did always oMerve ao 
 extraordinary Medefiy 'm all his pieces .5 
 i jjad doubtlefs, had not this impudent 
 ^arh been the moft proper to exprefs 
 this Subjett^ he had certainly clad tnem 
 like Soldiers in their Arms. As to the 
 J bird partjwhich imports the Shades and 
 
4« ptttmim of IPamttits* 
 
 tlie Lights J I find nothing that requires 
 any particular obfervat ion •, everything 
 appearing fo regular : But in examining 
 the fourth (which we call the Exfrejsi" 
 on) I muft confefs, that I expe<aed i 
 more from Rafhael upon fo advantagi- 
 ous an Argument-^ for to fpeak truth, 
 he has handled thofe violent Pa^ions 
 with very little force j whence one may i 
 eafily conclude,how averfe his fpritmd 
 Oenius was from fuch tragical and furi- 
 ous reprefentations . I fliould have made 
 thofe cruel ajf amines of fierce and ex- 
 travagant Countenances'^ with/<r4r, rage^ 
 and diffair in the faces and anions of the 
 unfortunate Mothers-^ their treflfes dif- 
 ehevePd, and their limbs hruifedwkh the 
 firokes and blows in defending their in- 
 nocent Sucklings againft the favage and 
 mercilefs Soldiers: That the ground 
 /hould have been cover'd with Arms^ 
 Legs^ Heads, cat off from their mang- 
 led and lacerated Trunks 5 that all about 
 ihould have been nothing feen, favean 
 homhle butchery^ with the dreadful con- 
 fufion of an affrighted People ^ (omeruff- 
 Tfingup and down, others frying, and the 
 tender A/pf^^r^ even expiring for forrow If 
 upon their dead and mafTacred Bahes^ h 
 others again, endeavouring by flight |i 
 
 to 1 
 
C t)t perfection of pamttng. 
 
 I to (ave their children : In (umme, that 
 on all parts, there fliould nothing have 
 appeared hutdefdatm^ hloud and Car- 
 mge: But our Painters >Idea was nor, it 
 feemSj fo warm^ and^^would ceitainly 
 have fucceeded much better^ in a lefs 
 I irlolent Compofttion ^ more conformable' 
 i to his Genius. 
 
 Let us now confider how pundually 
 jhehasobfervedallthe Rules of Peripc-- 
 ttive^ which is the laft proof of our Ex- 
 ^meni^ and this we fliall difcufs with 
 much lefs difficulty in this defigney than 
 in the precedent Tiexvr^ the Plan de- 
 fcending here in fuch manrier^as that the 
 pint fight ^ and all that depends up- 
 on it, falutes the P^e^ without trou- 
 bling it to fearch for it by conjectiires^ 
 which are never fo accurate and pre- 
 cife. 
 
 Thofe who would beturioBS to ob^ 
 ferve critically the proportionable dimi- 
 nutions of each jF/^//r^j according to the' 
 degradation oi the Plan which compre- 
 hends them (as formerly dire(fitd in the 
 foregoing examples) will foon perceive^-^ 
 how jtifl: he has every where been. And 
 for the Jec6nd effed ( which is yet more^ 
 confiderable, and indeed the frincifai 
 part of Perlpcctii^e) relating to the jf- 
 h feet 
 
50 tZDDe perfectpon of Patnting. I 
 
 feEl of the Bodjs and to their fituation 
 upon the fame pUriy and ^uifnal point; 
 there is nothing but what is moftexadl- 
 ly regular : For, albeit the Figure of the 
 Woman^ whom we behold m frent of 
 the TabUy with one of her knees upon 
 the ground; holding her Child undtr her 
 right arme, and protecting it with the 
 other againft a Soldier y who feems to 
 deal a back-ftroak with his fwordat its 
 headi and that the Figure of ther/7- 
 lairf appear alfo at fi: ft, as ir they fliould 
 rather be feen by the fide of the Jhould- 
 ers^ than by that of the Breaft-^ Yet^, up- 
 on due and mature confideration of the 
 line of their po fit ion, which is diredly 
 turn'd towards the Diagonal of the 
 fquares^ and divifions of the Plan one 
 fli Jl perfeiflly dilcover^that their y^fpect 
 ought to differ from thcfe^ whofe fitua- 
 tion is parallel to the £4/^ of the Picture: 
 Befides,that in the contention of thofe 
 two jF/^/^w, one may perceive a great 
 and violent contorfion in their Bodies^ 
 towards the parts which they difcover 
 to us. 
 
 There is no more difficulty in what 
 remains of this Compo fit ion y and there- 
 fore I fliall pafs to the Third Stamp 5 
 whilftof/^/>;I fliall tavefaid in general? 
 
 that 
 
f 
 
 V^f)t perfection of pamttn^ ♦ 5 1 
 
 that omitting only the P^/jf/<7W; fliould 
 we confider it by the exwidnefs of the 
 Beftgne in ih^ Figures^ the Regularity of 
 the Perfpective^ the graceful Contoures 
 of each individual member^ judgement, 
 and foftnefs in the Graving we muft 
 be forc'd to acknowledge it for an in-^ 
 comparable /^/Vri? of Art. 
 
 The Third Print* 
 
 fiiir Lords DESCENT from 
 the CROSSE. 
 
 BEhold here another Piece of the 
 fame hand , but infinitely more 
 eftimable for the [ubject it reprefents-, 
 and the greatnefs of its ldea,M[ of rare 
 Jnventiort^ and of an admirable 
 poni It v^dLdefcentiiom the Crofs^ ac 
 the foot whereof ftands the B.^ Virgin^ 
 overwhelmed even with forrow, and 
 fainting between the arms of the other 
 Maries y whiles ^ofeph of Arimathea^ 
 and Nicodemus un-nail our Lordj and are 
 working with St, ^ohrty his beloved Di- 
 jciple^ in taking him down from the 
 Crofs^ to bear him to the Sepulchre 
 Ex which 
 
tJD^e perfettton ol ^^ainttng* 
 
 which they had prepared for him^ 
 'Tis ahuoft impoflible to imagine, 
 that this Hiflory (hould be reprefented 
 with more devotion^ mox^ affeetio^iociQxt 
 formv, or with expreflions more fenfi*> 
 bly tOHching^ and better diftriboted D^- 
 vQiion-) in ^o[efh of hrimathia-^ Love 
 in St. John*^ Grief in the Virgim and 
 the Maries and even the Land-skif it 
 felt does infufe as it were a kind of 
 Melancholy^ by its feeming flerility and 
 the afperity of its fttuation. Thefe are 
 general confideratms only : But that we 
 may not confound oureltablifh'd Order ^ 
 which we have already obferv'd in the 
 Comfofitions that went before; let us 
 commence with the part; namely, 
 tht Inventiorf^ oxOrdonance of Fi- 
 gure in this defigne^^ one of the moft con- 
 fiderabie Maximes whereof it is^ to 
 place them fo difcreetly> that the ^r/V 
 cipal Figure the (Hb]ect may be fet 
 towards the middle of the Table^ or 
 moft confpicuous and eminent /^/^^-^^ as 
 we have already touched in the judge- 
 ment of Paris. This I repeat here a 
 cond time, becaufc it is feldom well ob- 
 ferved but by the moft judicious Paint^ 
 ers ; and the rather , that the example 
 of Raphael may incite others to be ex- 
 
Ct)e perfectton of Pamtrng^ 5 3 
 
 ad in all our five Fundamental points ; 
 fince there is no other expedient, where- 
 by they can arrive to the perfection of 
 the Art. 
 
 But ""ere we fpeak of the Situation 
 of the jF/^/zw in this Defign;, wemuft 
 firft confider, that the Square oi this 
 T able is very different from the two 
 precedent ontSj where the Extent of the 
 CroHnd'plot exceeded that of the 
 height • when as in this Piece^ the 
 height is fuperiourto the bredth^ by a 
 great fpace, and as was meet^ confidef- 
 \ ing the form of the Crefsy which is the 
 principal FigurCy and as it were the 
 Scale odh^ Table which I therefore 
 obferve, and mention beforehand^ that 
 when I fhall hereafter come to difcourfe 
 of the Site or Collocation which each 
 Body has in Perfpective^wt may the bet- 
 ter comprehend the Particular difficul- 
 ty which is ufually met withal in fuch 
 Hiftories as thefe, where the greateft 
 part of the Figures are up in the hyre^ 
 and fufpended above the l?lan and T^r- 
 ^ace. 
 
 This being e(labli[hcd^\tt us confider^. 
 wdth what circumfpediion our judicious 
 Vainter^hctd his Figure of Chri^^ not 
 pnely in the midft of his Picce^hm as be 
 
tzrtje pecfertton of J^aintmff. 
 
 has turn'd him alfo towards the right 
 fide^ whence fie receives the Light ^ 
 and fo makes himtodefcend between 
 thearmes of his beloved Difciple, who 
 receives him with a Comfajsion^ and a 
 Love^ better perceived by ihz Figure^ 
 then poflTibly to be defcribed. 
 
 Now the Comfofttion of this Piece 
 has this Angularity remark able^ that ic 
 comprehends as it were two feveral or- 
 donances of Figures i i\\Qoneoi Men^md 
 iht other oi Women-^ the firft of which 
 being all in the ajre , reprefent thofe 
 who are working to »n-naile our B. ' 
 Lord^ and take down his Bodj from 
 the Crofs and thofe are Men as being 
 of the moft vigorous and adive Sex^ 
 and therefore fitteft to fet their hands 
 to this painfull enterprife:The other Or- 
 donanccy which is difpofed after the u- 
 fual manner upon the Phn^ confifts of 
 four W'^«;i?A?)amongft whom the B, Vir- 
 gin is the onely confiderable^and there- 
 fore has afTignd her the moft eminent 
 place at the foot of the Cro[s^ where 
 the Maries^ about her, do as it were, 
 render her the fame devoires^ which 
 ^ofeph of Arimathea and his Comfani- 
 nions do to her Son. Thefe judicious 
 ohfervatlons you fhall ever find in the 
 
^\)t perfettton of Patntmg* 5S: 
 
 Works of Rafh/tels Scholars ; but fince 
 they are in very fraall number^ and that 
 Rafhad fufficiently fhews himfelf to 
 have been their Mafter, as may eafily 
 be fcen in comparing his Ccmfofitions 
 with that of ethers^ by fome tranfcen- 
 dent markes of his li^vention above 
 them^j I will onely touch one of them in 
 pafling;, as being of that Mode which the 
 Italians ufually call /// Coft^ime^ 
 
 Explication of Coftume, 
 
 Since this Word is not a Term parti- 
 cularly afFe(5led to Tatnting one- 
 ly^ but common both to Poets and Hi- 
 fioriansjv:\\o write but the fame things, 
 which Painters ire us'd to reprefent ; I 
 will not reproach the Workmen of our 
 Nation^ for not having yet impofed any 
 name on this rare piece of ^r^i which 
 may happ ly inferr^ that it is not yet ar- 
 rived either to their knorvledg^ orPra- 
 £}ife. It ftiall therefore fuffice us 
 to expbin the meaning of it^ and to 
 ihew wherein the force and intelligence 
 of this T erm does confift. Coftume^ is 
 properly as much to fay^ as a knowing 
 fiyle^ a judicious exfrefsion^ a peculiar 
 and jfecif que agreement fuitable to eve- 
 E4 ry 
 
perfection of patnttng- 
 
 ry Figure of the fubject in hand; fo ns 
 this rvord rightly underftood, comprc- 
 hcnds^ and would fignifie fo many 
 phings eJfe^tUl to the purpofe, that it 
 can hardly be well explain d i and 
 therefore I flinll vet endeavour to un- 
 fold it more demonftrablj by fome ge-" 
 peral Maximcs and Examples^ before 
 I pafs to any farther ;ipplications upon 
 
 Suppofc one were to paint the ////?^- 
 of ^dam and Eve in the teneftrial 
 Paradife^ when upon the fuggeftion of 
 the Serpent they tafted of the prohi-. 
 }3ited Fruit .-A Painter is here to be wa- 
 ry, that he introduce no other /"/^^^w 
 pf Men, or any Buildings 'mxhtLand- 
 ^kip^ which would be a fault unpardo- 
 vahky and repugnant to that Cofturne 
 andi)^(:i?r///;?iJof which we fpeak : And 
 yet even this ftrange inadvertency hzs 
 been committed by our famous Arti/iy 
 in one of his beft Pieces graven by 
 M4^f' Pintonio 5 fo important a thing 
 it is we fee ^ carefully to avoid thofc 
 ftrange abfurdities. 
 
 But we have yet found a more un- 
 pardonable Error in a Viece of that 
 great Tramontan Mafter, hlkrt Du- 
 ifcr 5 y^here pointing ih^ Nativity of our 
 
 Lordy 
 
' €:()e petfectwn of Pamting^ ^ 
 
 : Lordy with all the devotion he could 
 imagine, fitted to each Figure, as well 
 
 i in the B, Firgin^ as the Shepherds ^who 
 came to adore him 5 he makes the 
 good old ^ofeph on his knees, atpray-^- 
 ers with a Chaflett of Beads^ or 
 fjofier in his hands, by a ftrange improf 
 priety, and altogether Gotick. One 
 may obferve a world of the like in di- 
 vers of his Prints^ of a meaner Jdea^ and 
 if pOiTible, more impertinent : Of this 
 fort is, his tying an ^ (the moft ridi- 
 culous, filthy and vitious Ammal in 
 
 , Nature) clofeby the Virgin Mar j^mxh 
 Chrif in her Armes; which is, in my 
 opinion, the moft fottifh, and extrava- 
 gant vifion that could come into a V win- 
 ters fancy upon this fuhjecty as not only 
 againft the Decorum we mention^ but 
 even common fence. 
 
 Thefe few Inftances may fuffice to de- 
 pfionftrate the importance of this piece 
 oiArty without which a P^/^^^r, be he 
 never fo great aDefigner, knowing in 
 Verfpective^ good Colori(l^ and excel- 
 lent a Practitioner : I fay, if with all 
 thefe, he be not well skiird in the De- 
 (orum^ men will take exceptions at his 
 work. And though thefe kind of 
 faults are not foyifible toothers^ as to 
 
 the 
 
tZDOe perfetfi'on of Painting* 
 
 the eyes of the jftelidous they arene- 
 verthelefs reproachable : On the con- 
 trary, as they are frequently the raoft 
 obvious to themj and fubjcd to the 
 Cenfurts of Learned Perfons 5 they 
 prove the more unexcufable, and of 
 worfe Confequence 5 as it were a grea- 
 ter (hamc for an HifloriM to infert (ome 
 falfe f^l(f^e in his ReUti$n, or talk ex- 
 travagantly >and to no purpofe, then t5 
 have ns^dznolifolete Word, or un-ufual 
 Hrafe. 
 
 A Vainter therefore who would a- i 
 fpire to fome degree of reputation in 
 his Vrofefsion^ ftiould be exceedingly 
 exadi in this Demnrnt and make it in- 
 deed one of his principal fiudies^ as be- 
 ing univerfaily agreeable to all our Five 
 fundamental Maximes , and fo far 
 perfefting its harmony, that one may 
 well eftecm it for the crown of all the 
 reft : But when all this is done, we are 
 not yet to imagine,that to comply with 
 ^ thefe Ejfetitialsy 'tis enough we avoid 
 the Impertinences^ and groffer Mi- 
 ftakes which we have mention'd 5 but 
 we muft alfo endeavour to appear 
 ^entousj and knowing, how to exfrefs 
 ihtfuhje^s which we take in hand. 
 
 For 
 
IZrfje pcrfettion of ^^atntmg^ 
 
 For fuppofing a Pahtery being to 
 reprefenta Battled Jmazonsy oxPar^ 
 thians > or the Triumfh of the great 
 Cafar ; fhould content himfelf to 
 obferve onely the general Confiderati- 
 ons which ufually accompany the jEat- 
 frefsion and Ordomncc or Fight$ and 
 "trmmfhs^ without particularizing any 
 ^hing more poftr and (mguUr to each 
 of thofe Hiftorick Adions ; fuch a 
 fainter would by no means reach that 
 which he would fignifie by our Co- 
 fiume and Decorum^\^\\\c\\ requires that 
 ih^Parthians G[\o\x\^ be totally diffe- 
 renc'd from othtx Nations, as well by 
 their Armes and Weapons as by their 
 manner of Cowhate^ which is to fight 
 backward, and draw their Boms re- 
 tyring. No lefs ought he to obferve 
 in the Amazons 5 for though he may 
 imagine it fufficient to paint them Wo- 
 meny ( fince among the people of the 
 Earth J there were never any of this ti- 
 merous and delicate 5^^, who had fo 
 far revolted againft its own Nature^ and 
 that were fo ferce and couragious as to 
 invade the frofefsion of the braveft Cap- 
 tains) yet will it be abfolutely necef- 
 fary^ to add to them likewifefome more 
 peculiar marks ^ to fhew that the Work- 
 man 
 
Ctje perfection of JPamtmg^ 
 
 m^n knew how to have defcrib'd theni< 
 to be Am^zons^ though they had not 
 been Fighting and in Conflict • eveij 
 by their very garb and Cloths*^ which 
 are not to cover their left (boulders, but 
 expofe it mked^^s far as under the paPs j 
 and for the right Breaft^ which they 
 us'd to cut ejf^ and [eare , when they 
 were very youngs to the end they might 
 with lefs impediment draw their Bowesi 
 the Painter fliould leave it without a- 
 ny fmlling or appearance under their 
 Garments on that part of the Bodj-^ 
 Befide5> we do not read they us'd any 
 SImrdsy but Battle-axes, Darts ^ and 
 ^avelins^ with a fmail Bmkler in 
 lhape of a Crefcent^ which covered their 
 Armes. 
 
 As for ^uli(^s C^far, we are to un- 
 derftand he was very bald^ and tiiat his 
 manner was to raz^e his Chin clofe 5 and 
 therefore it were out of all Decorum to 
 paint him withaneflfeminate FerrucquCy 
 fpruce head of Hair^ or a prolix Beard, 
 as they frequently do Pompy^ and fome 
 other of the Roman Emperours fince 
 it would offend the eyes of judicions 
 Perfons^ and were not to paint the Man 
 Nye would reprcfent, 
 
 And 
 
Cfje pertectton of pamttng^ et, 
 
 And thus I have laid before you a 
 [f ecimcnoi all our Three examples, e- 
 nough to guide zWcrkmanvA iht fi^th 
 he ought to tread, and lead him to the 
 perfedion of his Art. For it is really 
 in this 5 that the very Magi (fry and 
 frime of the Science confifts 5 and per- 
 haps it was in This chiefly^ thatthofe 
 famous Jrtifis of old, Af tiles ^ Ti- 
 manthuSyProtogenes^^Zenxis^zxi^ others, 
 fo far furpafs'd our modern Workmen 5 
 fince neither the Colourings nor the r^- 
 gularity of the Perfpe^ive ^ nor the 
 sjymmetry and proportion of Bodjes^ nor 
 the different manners of Paintingy or 
 indeed any Mechanical advantage a- 
 mongft them^ difcovers them to have 
 had the leafl: fuperiority above ours : It 
 was doubtlefs for this alone,, and that 
 fuper-excellent Genius which fhin'd 
 through all their )?roduc}iofis and 
 Works ^ that l?hilo(lratus ^ ^intilian^ 
 I Vliny^ ^nd other grave Aut hours ^ have 
 immortalize' d them in their Writings % 
 as we may judg by what they have faid 
 concerning that noble Ma(ler-fiece^ the 
 Sacrifice of Iphigenia where the inge- 
 ! nious Timantes having painted y and 
 \ with wonderful J'udgement eXprefled 
 1 all the marks ofprrorP and p^ty m the 
 y' SpeBator^ 
 
^ firije perfeaton of ]p^atnttng. j 
 
 Spe^ators faces of that funeft /loyy^ \ 
 when he had fpent the urmoft Efforts f 
 oihis Pe^csll, znd y^rt^ before he came i 
 to the Father of this innocent andde- \ 
 plorable Victme^znd there now remain- i 
 ingno more for him fufficiently toex- i 
 prcfs his unexfreffable Griefs as he had j 
 done the others^ in this lad and lugu- 
 brous Confternation • he drew a 
 upon the good mans faccy kavingthat 
 to Imagination which he was not able ; 
 ' to fxprefs with his Colours. 
 
 This is the jumme of what Pliny has 
 faid in the i oth Chaf. of his Thirty firft ' 
 Book ^, to which he a little after adds^' 
 in commendation of this great Mafler, 
 that in all his Works he ever left fome- ' 
 thing more for men to conjccturcy than 
 to /(f^-, and^that though Paintingv^^xQ 
 both an excellent and fublime Art yet ' 
 this Sprit and Ingenuity of the Painter 
 was infinitely fuperior to it. 'Twere 
 greatly to be willi'd^ that one could but I 
 (hew this rare and ancient piece to fome 
 of our Modern Workmen^ and expofe 
 it to their Bxamen. I cannot believe , 
 but they would infinitely value it upon 
 the high reputation which it has ob- 
 tained amongft thofe famous men of i 
 Antiquity But happly they would ' 
 
 fcarcely 
 
COe perfection of ^amttng* 6^ 
 
 fcarcely yet difcern thefe: new beautiey^ 
 and Mode of the prefenc ^ge^ in which 
 they now a-dayes place all the excel- 
 lencies and curiofity oi Faming, and 
 have therefore invented a kind of npar-^ 
 gen andmagnifical Cibhri(h, to fet forth 
 and exaggerate what they would make 
 men admire ; As the Frejhnejs and Grace 
 of the Colmrmg ; the Freemfs of the 
 Pencillt, Iht Bold touehs^lht Colours > 
 well tmpaflcd and »omlh''d^ the fepara- 
 tion of thtmffes the Draperies well 
 cafi 5 the rare Folds 5 the Majler- 
 firokes the Grand Maniere-^ thcMw 
 files throughly /^/f 5 the noble 0«- 
 tours 5 Sweet Complexion^ Tender Car- 
 nations 5 Handfome Grdupes and Mor^ 
 cells, and a thoufand other Chjmdrical 
 beauties of this Nature, which were ne- 
 ver fo much as once heard of amongft 
 the Works of the old "Painters^ who 
 doubtlefs propos'd to themfelves as 
 i%reat Perfections in what they repre* 
 fented; For certain it is after all thefe 
 fupcrficial, or rather imaginary Beatt- 
 ties, if tht Invention oi the Subject ht 
 not well, and properly apply 'd 5 un- 
 lefs the Figures be judicioufly difpofs'd, 
 andappofitelyexprefs'd; if the Hijlory 
 be aoc amply furnifh'd with all the ne- 
 
 ceflary 
 
€4 COe petfection of Patntt ng^ 
 
 cefTary C ircum fiances if the regularity 
 of the PerffeBivc be not exactly and 
 throughly obferved in the Pofttion^ and 
 Affects of the Figures y and confequent- , 
 ly^ even in the very fhades znd Lights $ . 
 In fine^ onlefs that Coftume and Deco* i 
 rum (which we lately fo fully explained 
 for the importance of it) be not accu- 
 rately obferved ^ the W^rk (hall ne- 
 ver pay its Author with Refutation a- 
 mongft knowing Perfons. For even of 
 all the old vulgar Painters ^ who had 
 nothing to recommend them to P^/?^- 
 riPjy fave the ordinary Mechanical ta- 
 lent j and that through the drynefs andi 
 ftcrility of their low and empty Genius ^ 
 went no farther then this (hell and out- 
 fide of Fainting s there is not one of; 
 them to be found whofe name has 
 been tranfmitted to Poflerity > the Cri^ 
 ticks of that Age being fo nice and cu-^i 
 rious in their Examen of all thofe P/>-, ^. 
 us^ that though they were indeed ne-|' 
 ver fo cxadlly wrought ^ according to 
 the Rules of Art 5 if the Subject which 
 they reprcfented obfei v'd not a fit /Je- , 
 coruw to the f laces where they were 
 fainted^ That alone was fufficient to 
 decry them 5 fo exceedingly did 
 the Painters want of Judgement ■ 
 
C t)e perfect ton of Jp^mnttngv ^5 
 
 Vilifie and debafe his Workmanfhif. 
 
 Vitruvius in the fifth Chapter of his 
 ftventh Rook, relates a ff$^y very pat 
 apon this occafion of a certain W^rk'^ 
 iman mmd Afaturm and the inftance 
 is fo cxprefs that we Oiall need 
 go no further to recover our eyes^ and 
 ht freed from that fond preoccupacioii 
 of efteem, which the fortune and luck 
 pf fonae Painters has procured them^and 
 fcat with fo abfolute and tyrrahnical i 
 title^ that one hardly dares to cen- 
 fure any thing they dO;, as pafling uni-^ 
 ierfally for the very originals of Fer^ 
 n£iion in Cabal oi the Curious^ wh<]5 
 iconcent themfelves in knowing the 
 Names the old Maflers^ and fo aS 
 'they can but diftinguifli of their Hands 
 and Manners^^di(s for moft profound and 
 able Men. But fince'tis juft that ^ed^ 
 fonihould prevail over Cuflome^ LettiS 
 examine tl^e real truth of it,^ according 
 to fuch Principles ag are the moft infal- 
 lible andalfured Guides. And to render 
 a profitable and demonftrative Proof oi 
 tvhat I affirm^ we fliall begin with that 
 fo renowned and incomparable Mafier^ 
 piece^ the greateft and moft ftupendi- 
 feus jtibje£i- that could ever enter ihtd 
 the idea of t Painter ^ namely the tii^ 
 F fiorj 
 
 I 
 
perfc:t?on of IPamtmg. , 
 
 (lory of the moft dreadful daj^ the final 
 judgment and Cataflrofhe o the World 5 ; 
 as 'tis extant at Rome in the Vaticane-- 
 chaff el belonging to the i cfejOVtx the, 
 Altar of that venerable flace^ and paint- , 
 cd by the hmou^ Michael Angelo Buo* 
 fiaroti^ thatP^M^^;!, or rather indeed, 
 that Antagoni^ of the Ancient VainterSy 
 and Corifhduf of the Modern. 
 
 What would one not havepromisM. 
 onesftlf of fo important a Su^bject^ in a; 
 Concourfe fo univerfally advantagious 
 on all fides, from whence he might ex- 
 pert all imaginable afsiftance to perfed 
 it with fuccefs. But Horace has in his 
 Art of Poetry^ (which is properly but 
 the brother-T'n?/;; of Painting ) exr 
 prefs'd in two Ferfes, what thefe great 
 Attempts do ufually produce: 
 
 Jluiddignum tanto feret hie Promif-, 
 
 for hiatu ? 
 Vdrtnrient Montes , nafcetur ridict$-\ 
 
 Ins Mus, i 
 
 I fliould do but a very ill OfficJ 
 to the Author this Prodigious Com-s 
 ' fofttion^ Ihould I make the lame rer 
 view here, which I have begun upon 
 fiSmeof i?4/WjpicceSp and according 
 
CDc perfcaton of Pamting. 
 
 to the Vrinct^ks of this T reatife fince 
 th^k two G emus' s have fo univerfal an 
 Antipathy to one another ^ that what 
 
 : ' makes for Raphael, is totally repugnant 
 to Michael 5 and one may truely affirm, 
 that one of them is the ^ood- Angel 
 Painting ^ and the other the evill : 
 For as we may obferve in moft of Ra- 
 fhaels Com pofit ions a generous and 
 free Invention , noble and Poetick ; fo 
 in thofe of his Antagoni(i-y a dull and ru- 
 ftical heavimfs ^ and if Gracefulnefs 
 were one of the prime and fliining ta- 
 
 ^ lents of the Fir [I the other feems to 
 have delighted in appearing rude and 
 difpleaftngy by a certain affeded hard- 
 
 fnefs as it were in his v^vy defigning, mu^ 
 (culous^ and notched in the Contoures oi 
 his Figures, and by the extravagant 
 and mmimzXContorftons which hege- 
 
 |nerally gives them without any variety 
 
 Ibf Proportions fo as he feems never to 
 have made ufe but of fome Porter or 
 'fturdy Booby for his ModdU When on 
 [the contrary^ our Raphael wrought af- 
 ter a fweeter manner^ and more conform 
 CO Nature^ who alwayes takes pleafure 
 in varying her Productions. 
 ^ He had this alfo Angularly recom- 
 readable in him^ never to faint any 
 Fa thing 
 
6« ^\)t perfettton of ^^aintms- 
 
 thing of Licentious ^ or which might 
 give the leaft o^twctiomodefltyts^ or 
 good manners whilft the other^ on the 
 contrary, made it his ^^ry^ publickly^ 
 to be afham d of nothing • no, not to 
 frcphane either the moft holy Places 
 or Hijiories by the infamous freedome 
 which he afTumed 5 as does but too e- 
 vidcntly appear in this Piece of his, 
 which reprefents one of the moft im- 
 portant Articles of our Faith ^ which WJ^s 
 figurd^ or to fay better, plainly ^z/- 
 fgurd 5 by this Fanfaron of Painting 
 Michael Angelo and thac with foim-. 
 pious a temerity, as if he had deftgn'd 
 torenderitbuca ^m^Fahle^ and alto- 
 gether chymerica\ by the fottifti and 
 ridiculous Grimaces which he gives to 
 feveral of his Figures^ with fuch odious 
 and mif' becomming act tons, zs were not 
 fupportable even in places the moft pro- 
 fane and abandoned. I fliall leave the 
 particulars to the examination of thofe 
 whohavethe curiofity, and theleifure 
 to divert themfelves, when I fliall have 
 in general onely faid fomething to what 
 concerns the Decorum^ which is our pre- 
 fent Theme y and the principal Guide 
 for us to define whether a Painter be 
 judicious 01 knomng in his Art^^ Qija- 
 
 lities \ 
 
pc rrcction of painting* 
 
 lides abfolutelynecefTary, and without 
 rvhicfj he is never to be reputed for an 
 Able-man. 
 
 Let us in the fii ft place then confider 
 I what the f'l;^;;^^/// teaches us of this 
 I Htftorj 5 that we may the better fee^ 
 whether the Jdca\s\-\\d\ this great Wis 
 Nkh. kngclo forfooch had conceiv'd^ 
 do afford us any tollerable reprefentati- 
 on and/;^4^^of it. 
 
 We read in many pafT^ges of Eol'j 
 Writ^ particularly towards the end of 
 St. Matthews Goffely That at the Jaft 
 Jnidgment daj^ the Sun jhall be darknedy 
 ' and the Moon (l)all not give her light. 
 That the Starrs of Heaven fhall fall^i 
 and the Sign of the Son of Man&\'A\ be 
 ^ difplayed before all the Nations the 
 £art^^ who fliall then be furprifed with 
 horrid confternation, when they fliall 
 fee this terrible ^^udg appearing in the 
 Clorvds , accompanied , and environed 
 with all the CeleftialComtj and fitting 
 :upoaa dxQdidiny Tribunal^ with unex- 
 iprelfable Majefly^^ the twdveJpofiles 
 being at his right hand as fudges and 
 J(feffors^ with a moft glorious aUembly 
 ot Saints^ following in goodly Order % 
 whileft there ftands beneath at his left 
 hand^ an innumerable multitude of 
 F 5 Refrobm 
 
70 €:()e perfection of Pamtmg. || 
 
 Ref rebate and wicked Perfons^in fearful 
 and unimaginable Confufion, 
 
 What (hall we now fay of this Piece 
 of Mich, Angelos^ if we find nothing of 
 all this in it 1 Is it to be conceived he 
 fliould not think of what he was to do, 
 before he took P(?;7^-/7 in hand f Or that 
 he fliould engage himfelf in a (loY'j fo 
 confiderable without knowing of it^and 
 a ^OY'j of judgment [ 
 
 This modern Painter had been very 
 unhappy to have lived in the dayesof 
 thofe Ancient Critic ks^ who ufed to be 
 fo rigorous and exad, as never to par- 
 don any thing no , not even in the 
 greateft Maflers^who by the excellency 
 of the$ Penfils, and {\MmtGenimSj 
 hadfo much exalted the Arty and born 
 the renown of their Profession to that 
 pitchy as had been altogether inaccef- 
 fible to this Scr abler. I deny not but 
 he might have pafs'd among them^ for 
 the part oiPaint/ng (as be- 
 
 ing one who well enough defign'd the 
 Contours J out-ftrokesand Proportions o( 
 his Figures ) but his ftrange trnfertinen- 
 des in what conccin'd li^.^ention\ his 
 fanatical ideas-, full of filthy and ridi- 
 culous Exprejsions-^ had for ever rendred | 
 him uncapable of being admitted into I 
 
t;()e ptttettim of Patnting. 
 
 the Society of good Painters i nor would 
 he ever have been numbred amongft 
 them, but as a Sofhifl amongft true 
 Philofophers^ or as a Stone-cutter, or 
 inferior Mafm in the equipage of a good 
 Architect. 
 
 Examen 
 
 Of the JUDGEMENT of 
 Michael A n g e l o. 
 
 TO make a pleafant and yet a de- 
 monftrable In(iance of thiS;> Let 
 us fuppofe he had been prefent at the 
 Examen oi the Works o{ Timantes^ re- 
 preftntmg the facrifice of Tphtgcnia:, of 
 which we have already fpoken } and 
 that in the prefence oi the very fame 
 fudges who gave their aw.ird for him 
 againft Colotes his Competitor on this oc- 
 cafion, our Michael (hould prefent him- 
 felfe in this honou^ible Conteft, and 
 there produce before them that his 
 great Mafier- Piece of the Vatican* 
 Chappel^mih all thofe n^C'^tt'ary Circum- 
 fiances for the better comprehending of 
 this Divine Htfierj, namely ^ the La(i; 
 ^udgement'^ that fo thefe boveraign Ar^ 
 F 4 hiters 
 
?2 pertectton of Pamting. 
 
 hiters of P^/Wi/^^may judicioufly con- 
 fide: it ; with this fuppofal in the mean 
 time, that they pronounce it for an efia- 
 ftablifli'd and fundamental Princifle* 
 Never to introduce any thing Fabulous^ 
 fufpccted^ or Biffolute into any of the 
 Mjfleries of the Chriftian Keligion, or 
 niingle things pofane^ with Sacred. 
 
 This being granted^ Let us now en- 
 ter into tht Confiftovj^ and fee the pre- 
 ference divided between our Modern 
 Vdinters y and the Anticnt by the exa- 
 mination of this ficce of Mich. Angelos 
 which is in Controver^iehtioxt us. 
 
 But how will our new Arti^ be able 
 to anfwerall thofe objections which lie 
 againft almoft every part of his l^^ork^ 
 and which will be found to contradi(5i: 
 thofe Maximes of their Examen, of 
 which Ifliall prefent you with jF^i^r the 
 moft General and Eflfential 
 
 I. That in Hi(lorical Cpmpofuresy the 
 fure and rigid T ruth be always religiouj- 
 Ij obferved. 
 
 IL That there be^^r^^f C&r^fiderati- 
 on had of the /^/^r^ where 'tis to ber^- 
 frcfented 
 
 III. That one never difcover thofe 
 Varts and Members of the Body which 
 cannot hor^eftlj be exposed : This Max- 
 
CDe perfection of paintings 
 
 ime has ever been fo folemnly obferv'd 
 amongft them^thatthey have frequent- 
 ly left the Hiflorj defeftive, rather than 
 tranfgrefs the limits of Modefiy. 
 
 IV. Laftly-, for the fourth degree of 
 perfection. That they ftrive to refrefent 
 things after the moft noble ^ ingenious 
 manner^ great magnificent, 
 
 Thefe are the principal of the O;?- 
 fort^o: as vvc may term them, theH^r- 
 mony of Paintings as they arethc refult 
 of a mutual Confent and relation to 
 each other j and fuch as our Criticks 
 will fo rigoroufly require in the TVori: 
 \vhieh we are prefenting them^ but in 
 which, I much fear they will hardly find 
 what they exped to the advantage of 
 our Modern Pretender. For to take 
 things in Order : How fliall they come 
 todifcover the Truth of this dreadftil 
 Story 5 when they fhall fee a young 
 ^udge {landing with fo little Majefty on 
 tif'toes as it were^^ and in a menacing 
 pofture, tumultuarily inviron'd with jfe- 
 veral unmannerly Figures^ without the 
 leaft attention to what he is fronouncingy 
 and without any regard of his prefence^ 
 fome turning their backs towards him, 
 others confusedly talking to him, and 
 to one another, of which the greater 
 
 part 
 
74 tlDOepetfeitton of^ainttng. 
 
 part are Jhame fully difcover'd 5 fome • 
 ^/Wdown befoie him , without any oc- 
 cafion^ and in moft undecent poftures? 
 Then we have the B. Virgin all alone, 
 and without any of the Sex to accom- 
 pany her; incompafs'd with fo many 
 villainous Nudities , and without the 
 leaft deference or honour to her 
 lityy which in my opinion is very unbe- 
 coming ^ and almoft infupportable. And 
 after all this, what are we to cxped of 
 tollcrablein this famous pieced there 
 being fo many ftrange and extrava- 
 gant things, totally repugnant to the , 
 verity of the Gofpels. For firft^ he paints 
 the ^udge in a ^aked and uncouth po- 
 fture, (landing upon his feet • whereas 
 the Sacred Text tells us exprefly. That 
 Lord (hall appear fitting upon a Ma- 
 jeftical Tribunaly circled about with all 
 his celeftial Attendants: Then he 
 makes him Toung^ and like a Bcard- 
 lefs Boy^ at the age of more than three 
 and r^/Wy years. Befides, he has omit- 
 ted the Sefion of the Twelve Apoflles 
 about h as Counfellors and A(^tftants 
 as it were, in this Univerfal and migh- 
 ty Jet of ^ufiice i but we find them fo 
 difpe s'd and mingled in the Crotvd^ 
 that they are hardly to be known, i he 
 
 fame 
 
Cf?e pcrfectton of i^atntiitg^ 
 
 fame Evangeli(l tells uS;,That the jF^/VA- 
 ful (hallftandon the right hand of our 
 Lord, the Reprohate on the left-^ whilft 
 this Likrtm con^oundsth^mhere^ and 
 without the leaft regard to this fd 
 ejfential a Circum(lance. Moreover he 
 reprcfents the ^udge with a furious, and 
 inraged Countenance ^ fulminating that 
 dreadful Arrefl^ and ^^/^^^/^^(fj which will 
 caufe even the very Angels^ and Na- 
 ture her felf to quake and tremble; 
 when in the interim, and that we may 
 well imagime all to be in the profound- 
 eft filence, and confternation imagina- 
 ble^ You have here the T rumPets found- 
 ing, and making all the noife they can; 
 which muft needs be extreamly improper 
 upon this occafion^ were not the intire 
 piece a compofition of yet greater and 
 lefs pardonable Impertinences. For in all 
 this buftle and tintamme^ and the hor- 
 rible dread which this irreverfable Sen- 
 tance muft needs produce, and which 
 does fo infinitely concern every indi- 
 vidual Soul*^ you fcarcely find One who 
 feems to give any attention to it ; but 
 ^ for the moft part, they are talking and 
 entertaining one another, as if they 
 had nointereft or concernment in what 
 was doing ; and fome there are embra- 
 cing 
 
6 COe pcrfectton of Patntms^ 
 
 cm^ and Bufsing each other, with i 
 world of very afi[h and foolij}) poftures. 
 What vjonldTima^thes now^ and his 
 have faid d' ye think^ to this 
 rafh and ridiculous Comfofuionl who 
 really has not the leaft true talent of 
 TAinting'^md yet has the face to intrude 
 himfelfe amongfl: fudges fo equitable 
 and clear- fightedj and who muft needs 
 confound him with abaflwient and ex- 
 ile him from th6x Jf[emblj as neither 
 finding in all his fenfelefs Compofure, 
 the verity of the S t ory ^ non thefnira- 
 blenefs of the Figures to the Suhject^ 
 or the Place 5 nor that decent modefiyy 
 which he ought to have obfeived^ nor 
 thzt grand and free manner of expref- 
 fton-^ nor, in fumme^ the leaft degree of 
 that important decorum^ which we 
 have fo much infifted upon in the for- 
 mer periods: To as in all this vaft and 
 tumultuary j^rmy as it were of Figures^ 
 there is not to be found a grain ot pure 
 Jnvention-y but the effeds of a mean and 
 barren Genius. Could he have told us, 
 why he made his Angds '^iiVom.Wings 
 ( which is their infeparable character in 
 all Paintings ^ and had been almoft in- 
 difpenfably neceffary) amongft fuch a 
 Chaos ot Figures'j where thofe of Souls 
 
'Ctie pecfettton of paintings 
 
 and Bodies^ Angels and Bemons, Elect 
 and Reprobate m'^io jumbled together^ 
 as they cannot be diftinguifh'd? For he 
 makes no dijference in his fainting of an 
 Angely and a Mm^^ whom he forms fo 
 grojs and materia^ and in pfinres fo li- 
 tie agreeable to the function^ he em-* 
 ploys them in^ that one can hardly be- 
 hold them without avei fion, by reafon 
 of the contorfions of their Bodies^ and 
 extravagant Grimaces which hecaufes 
 them to make, be it in t\\Q mouthing 
 oi their Trumpets y fupporting of the 
 )fCrofs in th^Ayrey with thofe other /;^- 
 flrurnents of our Lords Paffion 5 as if he 
 had ftudied in derifion to render them 
 i\\Qmo9i deformed^ and more ^^/y than, 
 the very Devils themfelves. 
 
 That which gives me occafion to fuf- 
 pedt him of fo infolent a Libert inage^ is, 
 that I find him frophaning his Works 
 with yet a greater impiety y by his 
 bold introdu(5tion into this facred and 
 ferious Hiftory of the fottifti Fable of 
 the Ferry-manoi Hell^ whom the 
 nical Poets name charon ^ and faigne 
 plying with his Barke upon Banks 
 of the Rivers Styx^ Cocytus and Ache-' 
 ron^ to tranfport the fods of the Dead 
 into the other Worlds which I take to 
 
 be 
 
tlCf)t perfeaion of patntmg^ 
 
 be {the Place znd Subject confiderM^ a 
 morecriminalj and abominable piece of 
 Sacriledge^ than all his other forgeries, 
 which would never be excus'd by T/- 
 manthesj and the reft of his ^udges^ 
 though meer Pagans-, who would cer- 
 tainly have deteftedthe impel) of this 
 hypocritical Chriftian. 
 
 But I infenfibly loofe my felf in the 
 Labyrinth of this exorbitant Piece , in 
 which;, to fpeak fincerely, there is no- 
 thing but what is diametrically oppo- 
 fite to the Lam of that decorum which 
 we fo lately difcours'd of and efta- 
 blilh'd for the very Center and Perfecti- 
 on of this Art^ to which^ all that is Rea- 
 [onable^ ^'udicious^ Knowing (ind Spiritu- 
 al in Paintingy ought to refigne and 
 fubmit it felf. Had I not thought it 
 expedient , or at leaft, extreamly ad- 
 vantsgious, in reference to the demon- 
 fir ation of the Principles of this Trea- 
 tifcy to inftance in divers examples and 
 that after thofe excellent ones which 
 we have obferv'd in fome of Raphaels ^ I 
 would yet endeavour to render them 
 more confpicuous, by producing their 
 Contraries^ to the end they might leave 
 a deeper imprejsion of their Effects. I 
 would likewile willingly have fpared 
 
^t)t perfectton of 0amtmg^ 79 
 
 this tedious divert ation^ which I fore- 
 i fee will be but ill refented of thofe 
 1 Workmen \s\\ohzv^ learn'd, andconfi- 
 I der th is noble Art but as a Trade^ with- 
 out endeavouring to arrive at any more 
 skill in iiy then to Deftgn^ and draw 
 the Contours of what they fee like a 
 Workmm ^ and to paint their things 
 with the greateft Relievo they cande- 
 vife^ as in what they think confifts the 
 whole excellency of their Profefsion^ 
 though in /A;jr they fometimes fucceed 
 ' fo well, that thclv ff^orks are common- 
 \. ly much the worfe for it 5 cfpecially if 
 you bring them to the Tefi of the 
 j Mules of Opticks, znd good PerffeBive • 
 which I here repeat^ for the fake of 
 thofe that zxt judicious ^ whom this 
 ! advertifement may fuffice for the full 
 I Gomprehenfion of this Paradox. 
 
 But 'tis now more then time we 
 ftiould refume our firft Dijcourfe^ and 
 bring Rafhael into Michael Angelos^ 
 place, that 16 we may come again into 
 that good way of Painting from 
 j whence we have fo long been devia- 
 ting .• Let us therefore return to where 
 we brake off, and finiflithc£;f4;;;wof 
 ' that ingenious and devout which 
 that noble Painter Raphael has form'd 
 
io ts:\)t perfection of Patntins^ 
 
 in his Picture of Chrifis defcent 
 from the Cr<?/}j andinvvbich^ we have 
 already obferved all thofe Powts which 
 give Excellency^ and confummate Per- 
 rcdiion to a Work ; the Decorum of Ex- 
 frefsior^ onely excepted, in relation to 
 which, we have lengthned this DigreJ- 
 fionu^on ih£ judgment of Michael An-^ 
 
 The Examen reajjumd 
 
 Of the Defcent of our LORD 
 from the Crois. 
 
 Qlnce i have fufiiciently explainM^^ 
 1^ hy vmtty oi Ex amflesy what this 
 Coftume or Decorum imports and fig- 
 nifies in Painting-^ it will be needlefs to 
 make fo exaft a re-fearch in what re- 
 mains, and concerns this Print of R4- 
 fhaels^ in which every individual Fi-^ 
 gMre does amply teftifie, how circum- 
 fped our excellent Workman has been } 
 This will foon appear-^ when we (hall 
 confider that of Nine FigureS(o( which 
 this Ordomnce is compofs'd,) That fm^ 
 gk one^ which at firft blufb feems td 
 
 be 
 
CDe perfection of Famttng^ 8i 
 
 ibe the leaft aSrin/ey in zfubjecfio full of 
 A^ivity 5 and by confequenc , to be 
 the leaft ftudted in it too^ is Mary Mag- 
 dalens. But upon fecond thoughts^re-i 
 fleeting how f}ic is defcrib*d in the twen^ 
 tkth chapter of St. Luke ^ whttt h^t 
 fifter Martha is complaining t6 out 
 that fhe took fo little care irf the 
 Menage y and was fo \ktk afs^dnt in 
 thQfervtce of the He?^/^^ She will doubM 
 lefs appear more ingenioufly decipherM 
 by that meer Comfafsion onely^and in-^ 
 tmom grief which we behdld in her 
 x countenance^ then if Raphael had plac'd 
 » heralfo bufie about the B. Virgin with 
 the other two Maries who fuftain her in 
 theirarmes5 or that he hadreprefent- 
 eJ her in thofe tranfports of iiieonfola- 
 ^blQ af fiction^ which vulgar Painters 
 ufe to dOy who conceive^ that to make 
 her known in their Pieces^ ihe muft be 
 made to lie proftate upon xht gr^uhdy or 
 embrace the foot of the Crr/jr^ in the 
 moft deplorable manner imaginable, 
 with hev hair loofe about her Shoul- 
 ders like a friS^;^^;/, and the Box oi 
 Ojntment in her hands 5 without all 
 which, fhe would, they think;^ be in 
 danger never to be known : But our 
 noble ^r///? had far other ideas y and - 
 - . G more 
 
St pcrfettton of ?0atntmg- 
 
 more conformable to the facred T€^:t^ ; 
 
 I remit the reft of this Composure to j 
 the examen of the curious and mtelli- 
 gent 5 who by the application of our; | 
 Coftumc to all the reft of the /'/^/^r^^ll 
 will find them fo well poised and judi-i| 
 cioufly cpnfider'd^ that after a little i 
 thpught^ they will doubtlefs havebuti 
 a very ordinary opinion of Af. Ange^les^^ 
 Rhapfodies^ and of the reft of his Vi[ci-i\ 
 fie 5 5 and ingenioufly confefs^ how facj 
 tht Schoolioi Raphael h:is furpafs'd thisji 
 Mechamck Defigner^ in the fpirit an4i 
 excellency of his Invention. • .| 
 
 : But before I pafs to the next Print j % 
 would willingly refolve a ^ctre, whicf^ 
 may happly appear difficult to fome,- 
 Why fo near the Cr^?/^, upon a bar-^l 
 ren and rocky piece of ground^he Hiouldi 
 plant that fingle great Tree^ furnifli'4i 
 with leaves, and^ flourifliing as in th^l 
 height of Summer the H. Gojpel m^nrii 
 cioning nothing of any fuch circum-»i 
 ftance ^ , Upon conftderation of pufi) 
 learned and judicious Workwans inteuTi 
 tion^ I perceiv d that it was a cedAr ^^ 
 tall, ftrait, and without any fruit : Andi) 
 in truth this Myftical Introduction ist 
 highly ingenious ^ the Cedar beingj 
 the real Symbol oi ^^efus Chrifi whois 
 
, €tje perfection of Pamttng. 
 
 Iftyled the S^ouje in fo many places of 
 :he Old-Tejiament , particularly the 
 Zaffticles ; where he is fo eurioufly de- 
 iDainted for his raviftiing beauty, by a 
 :6mparifonof the Cedars oiMomt Lh 
 untiSj Species ejm ut Libam^ electus ut 
 :edri,8ic. from the extraordinary 
 'hritude^ inmrupibility ^ Odor^^rength, 
 ife in Buildings and falutary fhade of this 
 joodly T ree : fo as from this aflfembly. 
 )f fo many tra^fcendent Qualities , it 
 Ices moft fitly (of all other Trees j re- 
 >refent the chureh, and thofc principal 
 ■^eads thzt compofeher^ namely, the 
 ifo(ll(s , Prophets , and holy Fathers : 
 kfides, myftically apply'd, it may 
 arther be taken for the Crofs of om 
 J. Saviour i fince the o;/ of Cedar is> 
 ■fteemed fo foveraign a Remedy againft- 
 Ufrofie^ vvhichj 'tis reported, it both 
 leanfts and heals. In fumme, itmoft 
 'ifibly appears, that it was placed in 
 his Comfofuion with fo muchreafoh 
 nd judgment, as from hence alone we 
 nay fafely pronounce in favour of this 
 are J though modern Painter, worthy 
 atruth of all that glory which has been 
 ttributed to the moft remmed of the 
 indents ^ fince his Works <^^i{cover lo 
 IS the fame Gems that they fo much 
 G % admir'd 
 
H perfection of patntms. 
 
 admir'd in their T rimMtes : For ever 
 the lta(l things to appearance are c- 
 fteem'd and con/iderable, bytht 
 nij Venous interition of the Paint er-^ ap-i 
 ply'd to the Circumpances of his Suihi ic 
 fiiij and minifter as much to the Con^i i 
 templations of the Learned^ as the mof i 
 principal Figures oi an Hi ft or j : Thii 
 is the T alent which Plinj To fingularlj i 
 admires in all the of Timantesw^ 
 
 and where he takes occafionto fayoiil] 
 him, that omr^ihus ejusoferibusim':^ 
 telligitur plus femperquam fingitur^ t 
 cum ars [umma fit^ Ingenium tamen ui\i 
 trAartemefl. Ltb.'^$.cap,io. WordiSiif 
 worthy to be applied to this excellent! 
 Artift^ and which I had already repeati t 
 cd upon occafion of that his incompa: 
 rable Mafter-piece^ the Sacrifice of Iph i 
 genia. I produce them here again oi 
 purpofe that I may apply them to Ra 
 fhael : However , as I forefee^ tha 
 ihofe amongft our knowing men, wW 
 have not the eyes of their mind fo fliar il 
 as thofe in their head, and who are mofc |i 
 taken with Pictures for their mech}i r 
 Mck exadnefs (that is, the delincatie 
 of the Figures^ then the Intention c 
 the Painter^ will be apt to judge tM 
 confequencc of mine to the advantag 
 
 c 
 
Vi:f)t petfecttcn of Pamtmg^ B s 
 
 bf our modern Workman , fomewhat 
 bold and over-confident, as it concerns 
 [Jbis foundation ( not to judge of the 
 great nefs and ftrength of the L)on by 
 one of his Claws 5) I flifll prevent their 
 objcftions 3 if taking the fenfe of my 
 frofofttion rigoroufly, they conceive 
 tny intentions were to render the Me- 
 rits of thefe two Painters fo equal, as 
 Ito aflign them the fame rank : Imuft 
 (then explain my meanings That what- 
 ever my efteem for Raphael may be^ 
 my refolution is to render all juft defe- 
 licnce to thofe illuftrious Ancients^ 
 (and fuch as were like Timantes-, and do 
 cheerfully acknowledge that tht Pain- 
 ters of the latter Age 'are inferiour to 
 ithem 5 from whence I infer, in favour 
 of jRaphael, that he liaving br:ft of all 
 ifucceded in difcoveruig the pad which 
 ithofe great Ma/lers trod , md being 
 Ibora with a Genius equal to them, did 
 Inot onely arrive to the firft degree of 
 ithe Moderns y but feems to have even 
 ^been incorporated of their Company ^ and 
 of the fame Se^i^ with thofe ancient O- 
 \riginals themfelves^ who have tranf- 
 imitted tons iuch glorious Ideas of their 
 f excellency in the Memories of H i (lo- 
 ir ians. 
 
 G 3 Now 
 
^!ri)e perfection of Patnttng. 
 
 Now if we confider in what Lan- 
 guage they fpeak of them, and what it 
 was that we find fo highly celebrated 
 in thGiv Worksy we (hall perceive, they 
 efteem'd nothiflg in them fomuch, as 
 the Novelty^ and (as I may call it) the 
 krgutenefs and ingenuity of their In- 
 vention by which they difcover'd, 
 that Painting was an Art purely ffiri- 
 tual: For that which confifts onely in 
 the Mechanical addrefs^ is fo material 
 and heavy, that they hardly made any 
 account of it. Neither did they regu- 
 late the Pri[e of their Tables either by- 
 the number or largenefs of iht Figures i 
 for it frequently happen d ^ that the 
 ftraitnefs and inconveniencies of the 
 Tlace^ and barrennefs of the /ubje0^ 
 gave occafion to thofe great Genius's 
 to derive advantage from it ^ and to 
 produce fomething which furmounted 
 the reputation and reno A n of the mor^ 
 exuberant Comfcfttions, This PiinJ 
 tells us alto in the lame chaper^ whert 
 he has madefo handfomea recital^ and 
 eleg -nt defcription of the Sacrifice oi l 
 Jphigenia p'dlut^d by Timar^es ^ in 
 which were ^fTcmbled a very great 
 ihumberof Figures, For he afterwards ji 
 fpeaks of another Work of iht iimc i 
 
Cfje pecfertion of painttng^ 87 
 
 handj which reprefented a Polyfhewm 
 fleeping but in fo narrow a compafs^ 
 that the (Ireightnefs of the Table hin- 
 dred the Painter to defign fo Cigantick 
 
 \ a body^ as that prodigious Cyclops re^ 
 quir'd. But this di(irefs gave Timan- 
 
 \Us occafion to fliewthe Worlds that 
 fiis Wit and Invention fupcriourto 
 all the other rules of Art : He refolves 
 
 I therefore to fupply this dcfedi of Mat- 
 tery and difcover to the eye of the mind 
 what he could not do to the eyes of the 
 
 I) . • • 
 
 The Ingcmons Reprefentation 
 1 OF A 
 
 Vaft Cyclop in a narrorp Table^ 
 
 Painted by Tmrnrms. 
 
 TT TPon this Qccafton then heintro- 
 vJ ^^^'^ ^ ^oft gentile Tarergon 
 into this Sub\ect^ being in it felf too 
 fmple^ as having onely one Sleeping 
 i heavy Figure to reprefent a hideous 
 and enormous bulk. Now this addi- 
 tionm^^X^ aflTemblyof S^tjrcsy whom 
 
88 €:t)€ pcrfettion of IPaintmcj. 
 
 he placed round about his fnoring Cjr- ^ 
 clopi feme of them feeming to beaf- \ 
 frighted as it were at the unexpeifted : 
 ^encounter^ were taking their fligiit^and 
 running away 5 o^^w confidering him 
 at greater diftance^ had their counte- 
 nances mingled with fear and admira- " 
 tion : fome again more hardy then the \ 
 reft, approaching nearer to him endea- 
 vour'd to take the dimenfions of one of i 
 his Thumbs^ as his Armes lay extended 
 a good way off from the reft of his Bcdj^^ 
 and this they did with their Thrfes ; 
 but with extraordinary caution, and' 
 without C3 much as touching him, for 
 fearleaft they fliould roufe him up* fo 
 as by the comparifon whi'/h one might 
 make of theie Satjres to the Cyclof 
 (to whom they appear d lefs then one 
 of his Fingers) one would immediate- 
 ly concludtj how monftroufly vaft the 
 Giant was ^ and this Invention of our 
 Painter was thought fo ingenious and 
 new^ that it prov'd a great reputation to 
 his PiecCy which was elfe but very in- 
 different of it felf^ and of an inconfide* 
 rable Suhje£l. 
 
 Imitation 
 
COe perfeaton of f^atntins* 
 Imitation of the /iwe ^f/rf 
 
 B)/JuLIOROMANO^ ^ 
 
 I Remember to have feen at Rome in 
 the p4//^(r^ ^/ Vigna Manama ^ the 
 fame Suhje^ treated after another man- 
 ner^ yet very noble^ though the Im/en- 
 tion were in truth, but in imitation of 
 7his*^ but it had/^w^/^/;ff which lean- 
 knot fo well exprefs, of f articular in it, 
 which feem*d to refine even upon the 
 criginaKTh a Work of the ableft Scholar 
 that ever Jl4f/?^4^/ bred, and O/?^ whom 
 indeed we may call his Mafier-BifcifUj 
 ^ULIO ROMANO^ of the moft 
 Angular fpirit and fancy that this later 
 Jge has produced for Paintings and in 
 I whom Raphael feem'd^as 't were,to have 
 transfus'd his own G emus ^whtn he quit- 
 ted the World and indeed he conftitu- 
 I ted him for his principal Heyre by his 
 j |afl: Willmd Teftament. 
 
 This Piece is painted a Frelco 
 upon a Wall, which was larger than 
 might wellferve to defigne z Cyclop at 
 j his full extent ^ without obliging our 
 
 Painter 
 
Clje petfection of Pamtmff* 
 
 P4i»/^r to any fliifts, lorepiefent his e- 
 normous ftature : However, as the //y- 
 prbole has fometimes as much Grace 
 in Pamting, as it has in Poetry i and in*. 
 deed,that this Werkmans Penfil was ex- 
 treamly poetical, he thought very plea- 
 fantly of introducing other Satyres into 
 his Comfo(ition,moxedrols mdfantaflicks 
 than thofe of Timantes, pl^ymg their 
 Apijb tricks about the Cyclop whilft he 
 was afleep 5 fome of which had feiz'd. 
 on KisBag-ptpe, and carrying it fome di- 
 ftance from him, were Aiding one after 
 another upon the Pipes, as Boys would 
 douponlong P<?/«, the thyrfes between 
 their leggs to make them more flippe- 
 ry, with aa hundred other capricious and 
 munky-tricks , that would make one 
 fmile, and yet ferv'd to fliew how wide 
 andmonftrous a throat this ftupendious 
 Mufitian muft needs have, to be able to 
 mouth and infpire this Injlrument of his. 
 
 This is a kind of Imitation fo rare 
 and excellent, that it may well be com- 
 par'd to the original it felf • and I am 
 perfwaded, that had T imanthes (tew lty 
 inftead of his being jealous of this gal- 
 lant emulation, he would highly have e- 
 fteem'd the gentlenefs of our Modern 
 Painters invention, and made great ac- 
 count of the Piece. T his 
 
^fje perfection of pamtmg^ 91 ^ 
 
 This fingle example of ^ulie RomA^ 
 no J may ferve for a guide to thofe, who 
 having already attain'd to fome habi- 
 tude in Defigne^ :md Colourings have no 
 more to do but put themfelves into 
 the right path of the Arty and to 
 waken their Gmus for Invention ^ as 
 having then only to contemplate the 
 Compofures of thofe Ma(lers whom 
 theymoft afFed;^ and ftudy in general, 
 what their Thoughts and Invemons 
 were, without amufing themfelves to 
 take every piece of a mrk apart^ and 
 in fevcrals^as the guifeof omCopfisls, 
 who difcei ning only the rindeandout^ 
 fide of Paintings haue alvvayes this mis- 
 fortune in their Works 9 that they can ne- 
 ver come to equal their ori^inah^v/hcte^ 
 as^hy thrfe more fpiritual and inventive 
 Operations, Nature is fo unconfin'd^ 
 that the Imitator has almoft ever the 
 advantage ef the Inventor. 
 
 By this means it is^ that Raphael, and 
 ^ulio Romano have not only exceeded 
 all other Painters of their Ag€^ but 
 have in fome degree rendred themfelves 
 comparable to the raoft renowned of the 
 Antients. I 
 
 That we may now make fome ipfeful 
 reflcxioiisupon thofe two feverai Com- 
 
 fofttions 
 
tZDtje perfetftoit of Painting^ 
 
 fofttms of the (amcfuije^^ viz. the 
 fleeplng Polyphemus* s : The firfty 
 which is that of Timanthesy will fhew 
 us, that a fmall P/Vr^ may fomecimcs 
 emerge a great and noble Mafler-pece^ 
 according as the Idea of the Painter is 
 qualified and heightned^ whence one 
 may judge, that there is no Argument 
 fo poor and barren, but what may be 
 inrich'd by an ingenious and fruitful In- 
 mention i and that *tis now and then 
 more advantagious to the glory and re- 
 putation of the Work to be obliged to 
 2dom and Cultivate a mean and ftcrile 
 fubjeSt^ than to be overwhelmed under 
 th^ abundance of a more ample Hiftorj^ 
 from which one ftiould rather retrench, 
 and abate fomething of Bjfentialy than 
 prefumc to add any thing of omcwn. 
 
 For the other Comfofttion of our mo- 
 dern ^ulio Romano^ it docs in effect fliew 
 us^ that an ingenious Imitation ^ may 
 «qual^ and even exceed the original ; 
 and that by confequcnt, it is not lefs 
 glorious fo to imitate by a certain con- 
 currence of Wit and Invention the 
 thoughts of another, and refine upon 
 them^as he has done^than it is reproach* 
 {\xVm 2. Painter mechanicaly to Copy a 
 whole l?kc^^Figure for Figure ^ without 
 
 any 
 
' Ctie perfection of #amtms* 
 
 any thing ©f his own, but the pains he 
 has taken, and the fervile fubjedion of 
 ^{impkWcrkmdn: Seeing this kind of 
 Labour is not fo much eftecm*d the 
 mrk of a Pawter, as the fiudf of an Jip" 
 frentife only. Hence we findjthat thofe 
 Copiers, who are fo poorly fpirited as to 
 afpire no higher than to make that theit 
 aime, have never been reputed among 
 the rank of Painters, but as Bunuches 
 arc among Men, oncapable of produSti' 
 Oft, and defedlive in their particular 
 [pedes. 
 
 This digression has a little diverted 
 us again from Raphael, om firfl: and prin- 
 cipal object, though we ftill kept iighc 
 of him, andpurfu'd his footfteps, by 
 the guidance and fignal of ^ulioMt'tis 
 now high time to rejoyn again,and make 
 no more fuch fallies from him,who has 
 hitherto furnifli'd us with all our mat- 
 ter, by his excellent produdions, the 
 examen whereof has greatly aided us 
 in forming that vifibleand demonftrable 
 truths namely, the neceflity of thofe 
 Principles which we have eftablifli'd, to 
 attain the pcrfedion of Painting. Let 
 us therefore return to this firft School of 
 JRaphad, and conclude our difcourfe ia 
 the fame fiile and fpirtt we began with. 
 
 Now 
 
P4 ^Oe perfection of Patntt its. 
 
 Now this incomparable Painter ^ whofc 
 Works are fo many exemplars from 
 whence we may deduce the Hules of 
 the Jrt^ has produced fuch variety of 
 them^ thatamidft [uc\i Plemy and 3- 
 bundance^ 'tis hard to^ refolve upon the 
 choice of or^ehQ^oxc another^ that which 
 wefaw lajl-y always feeming to be the 
 leji. But fince it is not our intention to 
 Criticife his Comf options piece by piece, 
 to judge decifivelj which of them to 
 f referre^(\v]\ich were an odious^ and a 
 rarfi undertaking) it (hall fuffice us to 
 cle<5l one of the moft remarkable which 
 is in Print ^ that the cnrious fetting it be- 
 jpore them, and ftudying it at leafure, 
 tnay together with us^ pafs their opini- 
 ons upon it. 
 
 f 
 
CJie perfetti'onof pamtmg* 
 
 The Firjl Print. 
 
 The GYMNASIUM ot^ 
 ACADEMY oftfM: Athe- 
 
 1 folv'd tofeek for no other than that 
 which I have at prefent in my hands > 
 fince occafion has offer'd it to me with 
 fo much advantage and fatisfadion : ve- 
 rily it feems to me to be one of the no- 
 bleft Ordonances that ever he Painted, 
 and of a great, and magnificent Ide<t 
 It is the Refrejentationoi one of thofe; 
 famous Cymnaftftms of Greeccj where 
 we may behold a general Jjfembly of 
 all the knowing perfons of Antiquity, 
 as well Philofephers as Geometriciamy 
 jAfirologers and others/ ; 
 
 But before we proceed to the far$i* 
 iftlarsoi this CompofiHon, Iflialladver- 
 tife the cmiom^ that the Graver who 
 defign'd and publifli'd it, was not fo well 
 acquainted with the Suhje£t which it 
 fignifies, as may appear by the Suhferi- 
 pion in thcfe words. Paulus jthems 
 
 man 
 
 N this liberty of Ele^iony I am re- 
 
Clje pet&mDn of patnting^ 
 
 ftr Epicureos S tokos quofdam^ &c. gs 
 it feems, taking it from the Preaching 
 of St. Paul in the Areofago-^ upon oc- 
 cafion of an Altar which he there efpi- 
 ed^ dedicated by the Athenians T O 
 THE UNKNOWN GOD. 
 The Hi^oY) you have in the i ych of the 
 ASis of the Apo(lles. 
 
 That which makes me tak e notice of 
 the Infcription is^ the importance there 
 is of knowing the truth of the Hi(lory 
 which lies before us ; for if this great 
 D^rf^r fpeak truth^ Raphaels Comfofiti'- 
 cn will prove very extravagant ^ where- 
 as, being rightly underftood, and ac- 
 cording to the Authors intention^ 'tis 
 both admirable and excellent , as we 
 fhall demonftrate in what we are going 
 to add farther. As to what imports the 
 Craver(yv\\ok Mi(lerjy2S well as that of 
 all other fimple Coptfls^ does not con- 
 fift in over much fpirit) his Ignorance 
 had been the more excufable^ had be 
 been more juftand accurate in thepre- 
 cifenefs of his Deftgne*^ but there are 
 fo many grofs miflakes flip d in^ in that 
 which concerns the Perfpeetiveoi the 
 Architecture^ and delineation of the Fi^ ' 
 gures^ that Raphael had certainly paicJ 
 him fome ill turn for it, had he bul 
 
€;tje perfection of Ji^Jarnttng. 
 
 feen in what a manner he has altered 
 and disfigur'd his Workmanfhif. ^ 
 But what iliall vvefay to one of our 
 modern Painters^ as famous for his Pen» 
 as his Penftlsx, that Hifloriografher of 
 the Arty and Panegjri(t of all his con- 
 temporary Painters, and PredcceforS 
 for two or three Ages < Author of no 
 Icfsthan three great Folumcs xx^on this 
 Snbjed^ George Fafari by name 5 who 
 in each of their Lives ^ has fumm'd up, 
 as in an Inventory^ not only, all their 
 Works, but the interpretation of them 
 alfo; in which he has difcovered the 
 force of his quaint Genius. This Gal- 
 lant 7alker undertaking to explain the 
 jP/V^"^ which we are defcribing, after he 
 has in general tearms told us upon what 
 occafion he was c iU'd 10 tht Service of 
 Pope^nlius the II. begins in this man- 
 ner. La onde JRaphaelo nella fua arri- 
 vata havendo riceuute molte carezze da 
 Papa GiuliOy commincio nella camera deU 
 la Segnatura vna (loriay ^ando iThe^ 
 clogi ac cor dam la Phtlofofia & I'Afirologi^ 
 con la Theologia*^ dove fono ritrattitntti fa^ 
 uidelmondo^ che difputano in vari modi. 
 Sonui in difparte , alcuni Aflrologi che 
 hanno fatto figure fopr a certetavolette & 
 carratteri in vari modi di Geomanz,ia& 
 H d'A 
 
C^c petfection of pamtmg. 
 
 £ AfirologUy &ai Van^elifti k mandA- 
 m per certiangeli belli^imi^ iquali Fa?f -^ 
 gelifti k dichiaram. Fra coftmy e vn 
 Diogene co/tlafuaTazza a giacmwfu 
 le Scale J Figura molto confiderata & 
 ratta ; chepr U fua he/kzza^ ^ per 
 lo juo Abito cost accafo^ e degna effere lo- 
 data, Similmentevie Arifiotile cr F la- 
 tone^ rnjno c^lTimeoin mano^i altrocor^ 
 t Etica ^ dove intornoy li fanno cerchi$ 
 vna grande ScoU di Filofofi : ne (i fuo 
 efprimere la bellezza di quelli Aflrolo- 
 giy d* Geometrt^che defignanoconlefe^e 
 in le tauole moltifime figure ^ carat-^ . 
 teri. Fra i medeftmi neUa fignra d'vn 
 giQuanedi formefa betlezzay il quale af re 
 le bracciafer marauiglia^ f^chim late- 
 flay e ilritrattodi Fredrigo II. due a di 
 Mantoua^ che ft trcuaua allora in Roma. 
 M'uvi fimilmerjte vna figura^ che china- 
 taa terra convn paio dijejle in mano^ 
 le gira [ofrale tavele^ laquale dicono eff- 
 tre Bramante ArchitettorCi che egli none 
 mendefj'o^ chefefuffc viuo, tanto e berl 
 fitratto. E allato a vna figura^ che volt 4 
 il didietroy ha vna falla del cieU in 
 ntanOy e il ritratto di ZoroaflrOy & alU^ 
 to a ejjoj e Raffaello Mae(lrodique(l4 0fe' 
 7 a 3 ritrattofida fe medefimo nello jpc^ 
 thio : ^e/lo c vna teff4 giouaney & 
 
d'dfpetto moho mdeftoy acomfagnato 
 Dm pacemle bmndgrazia con U ber-^^ 
 retta nera in CAfo. Ncftfuo efprimere U 
 beUezzdy ^ Ubonta, che fi vede nelle 
 tefte-^ & fgure de ' Vangelifliy a quAli ha. 
 fatto nd vijo n/na certa attenzione^ 
 atcuratezza molto naturalcy df" mafimA-; 
 mente a quelli cbe {criueno. Et coftfece 
 dietro ad vn fan MatteOy mentre che eg-^ 
 U caua di quelle tauole done fono k fgnrCy 
 icaratteritenutelida "un Angelo^ & che 
 le dOiende infu vn libro^ vn vecchio^ che 
 me(loftvnacartain ful ginocchio^ copia 
 tant$ quanta San Matte o difiende.Et men- 
 tre che (ta attento in queldijagio^ pare che 
 egli torcaU mafceHa & la tefta^feconda 
 che egli allarga cf allonga la penna.Et ol^ 
 tra leminuzie delle conftderazioni^ che fo- 
 no pure ajf ti^vi e il componimento di tutta 
 la Jtoriay che certo e fpartito tanto con ordi- 
 ineermijuraj che egli moftro veramente 
 I n;n ft fatto faggiodtfe^ chefece conofcete 
 che egli voleva fra colore ^che toccano ipcn^ 
 1 nelli^ tenere ilcampo fenta contra/lo, 
 V AdornO ancora quefta opera di vna prO^ 
 fpettiray & di molte figure ^finite con tanto 
 delicate & dolce mameraj chefu cagione 
 che Papa Giuliofacefe butt are a terra tut^ 
 I fe.leflorie degli altri maejlri & "Vecchh 
 mdcmi, Sec, 
 
 H z Biic 
 
I CO HC^t pcrfettton ot ^^ainting- 
 
 Bat fince the Italian tongue is not 
 umverfal, I (hall interpret this tedious 
 
 Whereupon having at his 
 
 arrival received divers carefles from 
 Pope '^ulioy hegm lo faint \n the 
 Cnamber delU Segmtura^ the Hiftory 
 ''of the Agreement made by the D/- 
 vines ^ between Philofofhj^ Aflrologfr 
 ^^and Theolo^f^ in which Table are rc- 
 '^prefentedall the Sages oi the Wortdy 
 ^'vmoudydifputing with one another: 
 " At a little diftance farther^ ftand cer- 
 tain AflrologerSy drawing Figures up- 
 ^'on little Tables with iinng^Geoman^: 
 ^f/^/^^Charaders^ which they fend by 
 the hand of certain beautiful Angels 
 to the Evangelifls for their explicati- 
 ''on. Amongft thefe, is Diogenes mth 
 ^'his Diflh who lies along upon the 
 '' Stairs, a wonderful abftraded and con- 
 fiderable Figure^ that forits comlinefs 
 and garb is worthy admiration. There 
 '^are alfo Ariflotlc and Plato^ the one 
 with his T im^o in his hands^the other y 
 his Ethicks^ compafsM about with a 
 whole C/>r/^ and School Philofophers: 
 ^'The beauty of thefe Aflrologers and 
 Geometricians who are there ma^ 
 J' king Diagrams ^Vi^ Figures with their 
 
Clje perfection of paintmg. ; 
 
 Comp/tjfes u^on the Tables, is almoft 
 inexplicable. Amidft thefe perfons^ia 
 forme of a moft lovely young man 
 extending hisArme in the poftureof 
 " admira^tion^ and a little inclining of 
 his headj is the Portrad of Fredric the 
 (tcond^ Duke of Mantua^ who was 
 then^ it feems ^ at There is 
 
 moreover , a Figure ftooping down 
 with a pair of Compaffes in his hand^ 
 which he fweeps about a board^ who 
 ^ ^ they fay, is the Archite^fl Bramante^ 
 ^- breathingly like him i Neer this is a 
 ^^man with his back towards you, ana 
 holding the Celeftial Glohe in one of 
 ^^his hands, whortprefents Zoroafler^ 
 and clofe by his fide, ftands Raphael, 
 the Author of this famous Piece j^hOy 
 ^ ^ it feenis, drew himfelf by the help of 
 '^^z Looking'glafs. T is the head of a 
 young man 5 of a very raodcft afpc^ 
 and extraordinary m Id and and gracc- 
 *^ ful Meene^ with a black Bonnet upon 
 ' ^ his head. It is not to be imagined the 
 ^ beguty , and excellency exprefs'd in 
 the heads and pictures, of the Evan- 
 ^^gelifts yio whofe Countenances he has 
 given a certain attention and liveiinefs 
 ,^*^extreamly natural 5 efpecially^ thofe 
 who arc writing. The fame he has 
 
 done 
 
^f)t petfettton of patntms^ 
 
 done behind St. Matthew^ whilft he - 
 is copying of thofe CharaHers out of : 
 t\\Q Tablets full of Fignres^\v\\\c\i are 
 ^^held up to him by an Angcl^ and 
 ^^tranfcrib'd into a Book. In the mean 
 time, an aged Perfonj having a llie^t 
 pf Paper on his knee, copies all that 
 St. M(arkmit^ and as he is intent upon 
 his work , . one would imagine he 
 ^Snov'dhis very jaws, and turned his 
 ^^head as hisP^;^^ runs farther orqeer 
 ^^on th? Paj^er. Befides feyeral other 
 j^^niinute Particulars and Confidera- 
 l^^ tiopsj which are in great number, , 
 ^^^hei^ isa Compofitipn of theintire 
 ymfiorj, which is in truth, ranged in 
 '^^fuch accurate Order and Meafure, as 
 d^covef s his extraordinary ability^and 
 l^^makesf .it appear ^ that amongft all 
 that handled the Pertfity the Works 
 /^ of this* Mafier had no Competitors. 
 /^ Moreover, he has adorn'd this Piece 
 .^^ with a Pj^rfpe^ive^titid divers Figures, 
 /^finifh'd with fo fweet and delicwit^ 
 .^^a gracc^asmzdePope^ulio beat dowq 
 and demolifl^ all the Hifiories of other 
 Mafiersy as well the Antient as M(h 
 dern^ which wtit painted there before^ 
 
 The jiecital isfomewhat prolix^ but 
 
 it 
 
CJje perfertion of ipamttng. 103 
 
 it was very necefTary to dlfcoyer to the 
 bottom^ the quality and Ipirk of this 
 ample Hi(lorian*j fince by a leflTer 7;^^ 
 fiance^ I fliould never havedifabus'd the 
 world, and fliew'd them the weak and 
 trifling reafonings of their great ^4^/4- 
 ^^rihis Beoks and VSTritings having been5< 
 till nowjin fuch efteem with the Lovers 
 oi Paint ing^znd who in effei^jhave fome 
 reafon for it becaufe generally you find 
 in them the principal Circumfiances of 
 the Lives of the Painters y and a Cata- 
 logue their moft confiderable Works: 
 befides;, the Author being a pretty tol- 
 l^nhk^e (ignery and ( as indeed it ap- 
 pears fufficientlyj had more wit in his^ 
 fngers-ends^ than in his head^ he has in^^ 
 rich'd his efifcmrfe mth their Figures, 
 which compofe the beft^ and moft cu-? 
 rious part of his Books. 
 
 But though from this quality of de- 
 fignes^ one might reafonably conclude 
 him a good Pai?^ter ^ yet the extrava- 
 gance of his idea ( which has made 
 him to fancy fuch ftrange Chym£ras in 
 this Compofure of if/ipi'^^/j and render 
 him ftrangely impertinent Jl appears to 
 rae an indubitable proofs not only of his 
 Ignorance of any real knowledge in 
 fainting^ bu^ of the weakness alfo and 
 P incapfe 
 
104 perfection of Painting. 
 
 incapacity of hisGmW^as to thofe two 
 prime Talents oi this incomparable and 
 moft judicious Profefion^ namely^ In- 
 n^entiomnd, DecorumyOUvlxich. by his ri- , 
 diculous admirations^ he difcovers that ' 
 he had not fo much as the leaft tindlure^^ 
 nor indeed any natural difpolicion of 
 acquiring them-, fo as it has prov'd a- 
 kind of misfortune to Raphael^ that he . 
 fell mto the hands of fo miferable a Pa- 
 negjri(ly who inftead of celebrating 
 him and his mrks ^ does miferably dif 
 ^r^r^theitiby his wretched and ignorant 
 defcripions. But 
 
 As of old^ it was not lawful for every 
 one that had a mind to't, to go to 
 rinth 5 fo, nor is it for every Painter to 
 examine and difcwrje upon the mrks of 
 this admirable Painter. It !jad far be - 
 ter become Vafari to have mention d 
 him as a fimple ///7?e?m;?onely5 with- 
 out prefuming to the Interpretation oi 
 his Thoughts in his Compofures: for if 
 what he here defciibes after his guife^ 
 and which he endeavors to magnifie by 
 fo many vvild exaggerations , were no 
 more vifible than his Writings have ren- 
 dredit^ what can we to.lerably judge 
 or conclude of them^ Verily, thefe 
 fond Encomiums do more prejudice than 
 
 honour 
 
C^e petfectton of pamttng* i« 5 
 
 honour to them $ and we may well ap- 
 ply it upon this occ^CioDy Pffsmuffg inpr 
 micorum gems Z-audantes ; fince im- 
 pertinent Flatterers create us more mif-»; 
 chief, than our crueleft £»^w/>/, 
 
 I would willingly demand -of our 
 nm Philoftratusy where he leam'd, that 
 the DivmSs had ever any foch defigne, 
 of according philofo^hyy Afirol<^j a^d 
 Geometry with the Holy Gofpely toaQ'^ 
 commodate this fantaftique Vifion^t 
 his, to one o^ f he moft, ingenious ; of 
 Raphaels Compofures, fo natural, and 
 fo eafily underftood '!? But prefuppo- 
 ifing itfo5 whai;made Diogmesmioti^ik, 
 thefe learned perfons^ piegenesyl fay»! 
 who never pretended to any Science^^ 
 led the life of a Vog^ that- eternally 
 harks at all Mankind, without minding 
 any other obje<5l in all his Morality y but 
 todefpife and trample upop all thofe 
 honours, which were ufually and juftly 
 attributed to Men of Parts Co aj, 
 in this brutal affedation he rather cho(e 
 to refemble a ragamuffan Vagabond j 
 than a Philofopher, and had never de- 
 clar'd himfelf of any Party upon fuch an 
 Encounter, of which he plainly under- 
 ftood nothing 5 However, in the judge- 
 ment of our profound Panegjrifi, 'tis 
 
 a 
 
perfection of patnttng^ 
 
 a Figare which fecms highly confidera- »f 
 ble, amongft the reft of this famous Ij 
 J^emblj, For 'tis one df the fr(t he i! 
 t^kcs notice ofjwith this glorious Blogj,\ \[ 
 7here is amengf: ^^^w (fays he) a Die- \ 
 genes rvith his Difli , lying along ufon t 
 the y?4;>j, &c. doubtlefs, a very honor- i 
 able place, and pofture well becoming ( 
 i Thilofofher , as well as the pretty j 
 fifovedke, which he would have him ( 
 ^hown by, of main concernment, up- j 
 on thiscelebrious occafion. Mi thinks' ! 
 fie fliould rather have been with his I 
 Lantern t\iZf\h\streen'dijhj confidering 
 the employment Vafari has aflign'd 
 him, and all his Companions appear fo ; 
 dark and obfcure, as might well re- ' 
 quire a Candle. But to engage the 
 Reader mt^^'CGZ.t&t Admiration yet, at' 
 this nxQ Refrefentation of his Cy»/V, 
 he adds this fage refiedion 5 that tis a 
 Figure full of deeip andahdrzdied Con- 
 fiderations, and worthy to be admired^ 
 jor its beauty and habit, &c. In good 
 earneft, the fiyle is fo abflraBed and 
 chymericdl, that one would fwear, Fa;^ 
 fart rather playd the part of z Mounter 
 hank or Harlequin^ than of a fober Hi^' 
 fiorian ? at leaft, he difcovers himfelf a' 
 very ill Pbyftognomi^ ; and that he had 
 
'yet lefs skill in the nature o( this hUr 
 merous and furly Cynic^ v^ho was fo lit-*- 
 i\e{ab{lrafted^ox endow'd with any tol- 
 lerable fenfe ? his wretched manner xrf 
 1 ving making him fo defpicableand al- 
 together uncapableof thcSCc ^alines. 
 Nor does Raphael vouch'fafe him any 
 fuch exfref?ion either in Cbmtenamey 
 Hahit^ QxLooks^ From whence one can 
 I deduce theleaft thing to his advantage; 
 ; but on the contrary^ to difcover the 
 I bafe rufticity of this Savage Philofopher 
 I .ij> the midft of a general kffeinbly oi the 
 L.Hioft illu/irieus PQvCons of Antiquity^ 
 ■ -he has plac'd him in an obfcure corner 
 ' 'by himfelf as unworthy their Con- 
 ..verfation, abandoned of them all, and 
 ! -iying^ like a Brute, as he was, upon the 
 
 f^iri of t h is A cademic- Cymna flum^mth 
 is fcowling looks ^ and an' equipage 
 futable to his fnarling and fbttifliPr^S^ 
 
 But it is not my intention lo gtefs up- 
 on all this tedious Rhaffodyoi Vafari*^^ 
 Enemy^asI profefs myfelf^ tothe Cr/- 
 tical difpofition of fome. However^ I 
 confefs, I am not able to contam^ when 
 J fee poor Raphael abusM thus by the 
 hands of fo dangerous a Friend^ who 
 whilft he thinks to flatter ^ moft iofup- 
 
 portably 
 
io8 f!Cf)t perfection of Pamti'ng* 
 
 portably abufeshim, by his fenflefs un- 
 dertaking to explaiv bis mrk, and be 
 the merf refer of his Intentions. This 
 little Inflame is fo demonftrative a fropf 
 of it, that one muft be ftark Blind not 
 to difcernit; there being nothing fo 
 glorious, and without reproach, but 
 what may berendred ugly and deform- 
 ed by fuch empty Pretendersy whofe 
 folly infers all things they undertake; 
 becaufe they do it always prepoftroufly, 
 and by the wrong handle. 
 
 But what I find unfuflferably ridicw 
 hus in this here, is, that he is not con- 
 tented to deciferin the Hiftoricd-Ordo- 
 mnceoi our Painter, the i^/>«r^/ which 
 realy are vifible to every body, but for- 
 footh, he would fancy to have detedl- 
 ed and found out Others, that never any 
 body faw befides hintfelf, and which 
 Raphael, lam confident, never fomuch 
 ^dreamt of. Thefe, you muft know, 
 arc the pretty by whom he tells 
 
 us, the Afirologers fent their Geeman- 
 tique CharaBers to the "Evangeli^s for 
 Explication. Had this habler under- 
 ftood what fuch CharaUers meant, 
 he would never have employ'd Angels 
 to propofc them to the Evangelifls^ 
 and would have known, that Aftre- 
 
 logers 
 
' Ctie petXittton of paintings ibf 
 
 girs never meddle with this klndof/«^» 
 terraneous aad diaholicd ■divimtion. 
 Bat, I perceive that I infenfibly engage 
 ■ my felf in purfoit o| thcfe Dr^4w/, 
 which are meer LalyriuthyOm of which 
 it is difficult to extricate ones felf, when 
 one is once entred : we will therefore 
 quit the Fahulif, and proceed to the 
 confideration or the Thmg k felf in the 
 defign of Raphael: For albeit the /famp 
 which they have publifli'd be defedive 
 enough in fome parts of the Delineati- 
 ca^ it will a great deal better ferve to 
 give us the Idea of this excellent Com- 
 fofitmythzn all that can be faid in mrdsi 
 becaufe the produdions of Painting 
 would be feen, and confider'd with ones 
 eyes. And if thefe great Ma(lers of Jn- 
 iquitf^ whofe workes are no where vifi- 
 , ble, (fave in the writings and records of 
 Hiftory)htid had the afliftances,which we 
 now enjoy by Graving of Prints, (which 
 is realy an ineftimable Treafure of 
 thisprefent J^e^ but which of old they 
 never fo much as heard of, to oar im- 
 mcnfe lofs) the precife Defignes of thofe 
 Taifles which Philo(lratus defcribes to us, 
 had certainly told their (lories far better, 
 than he has been able to do, and his Bo$k 
 had been exceedingly more cftimable 
 
 and 
 
1 10 ta:tje petfecti'on of Paintmg^ 
 
 and ufeful;, could he have thus cranf- 
 mitted tliem, as we are tiow able to do. 
 
 Let Us then ufe the advantage of 
 our own Eyes to contemplate this noble 
 and magnificent /?4wp5 which we (hall 
 certainly find much more intelligible 
 and reafonable, than the amphibological 
 difcourfesof Fafari^ of which one may 
 juftly affirm jifims fortans my^eriai^ 
 for he. renders this Print foTottiflily En^^ ' 
 blematiqtt>c by his extrav^tgant imagina-' 
 tions , thai inftead of making wife mett^ 
 admire^ (fhould one believe all he fays) ^ 
 he'renders both the Workman and the * 
 A: alike ridiculous 5 feek we no far- , 
 ther then for any thing in this Paintirig 
 but what we fliall behold with our own 
 eyes ; and reft moft afliifd of it;, that Ra- 
 fhael thought of nothing lefs, than the 
 propofing of an Embleme in this Subject y 
 which is in truth, nothing elfebuta na- 
 tural and free Refrefentation of one of 
 thofe famous Gymr^ajiums of Greece, 
 where the Philojophers and all forts of 
 Academicians us'd to Aflemble them*' 
 felves for their refpe6}:ive (ludiesy and to 
 exercife their learned Talents. 
 
 Vitruvius defcnbes the forme of thefe 
 publick Edifices in the 5th Book, Caf. 
 1 1, of his Works y and calls them Xyfti^ 
 
 FaUjlra 
 
Z^t perfectton of ^ainting^ fi 
 
 Falefira, Exedrd,iCCOiidiRg to their patv 
 ticular ufes, as he there explains them 5 
 and Pallad/o, in his T reatifeoi ArchiteSi-^ 
 \ MreJib. 5. eaf, 21. difcourfes of them 
 I more dearly, becaufe he gives us an 
 ocular demonjiramn^ by an ample ahd 
 very exad deftgne', fo as there is no need 
 for me to fpeak any farther concerning 
 it. 
 
 But as the moft celebrated and noble 
 of them, was that of Athens^ 'tis like- 
 ly Raphael took his Pattern from it, and 
 thofe who are curious in Prints, do fre- 
 quently Me this Piece the School of A' 
 thefts. Wemay boldly fay that Fafari 
 did not regard this firu^ure, but as a 
 meer fragment of PerffeSfive drawn at 
 adventure, and without other intention, 
 
 I then to enrich the Cftfw^^ of \m Table ^ 
 though in effed, it be one of the moft 
 frincifal parts of the Hiflory. He adorn d 
 (fays Vafari) this WorkmthzPerffeSi- 
 ive: But 'tis an ufual thing for thofe, 
 as well as for him, who lee things which 
 are ,that they oftentimes perceive not 
 the things which realy are ; fo deprav'd 
 and revers'd are the Optics of thefe mens 
 judgement. 
 
 I Prefuppoiingthen that we have at- 
 tain'dto (bme reafonable knowledge of 
 
 I " the 
 
II* tar&e perfrcttan of Patnttnff^ 
 
 the Forme^^ndUfe ohhd^Gjmmfmms^ 
 itmay fuffice xhat we here confider a lit- 
 tle the itvtx^Affartments and Divi(iz 
 onsoi thefe Students and Philofofhers ; 
 there being nothing to be feen in this 
 deftgne of any other corporeal exercifesy 
 wnich we muft imagine to be done in 
 certain places abroad, to prevent the 
 noife and tumult which the Wre^lers 
 and Fencers^ and fuch as pradis'd ca(l- 
 ing the Dart^ Running, and the like vio- 
 lent applications, made in that quarter^ 
 which would certainly have much di- 
 ftarbed the Conferences oi thefe Learn- 
 ed perfonsy which required Silence and 
 Kepofe. It is towards The(e that our 
 Painter has intic'd our eyes^ to behold 
 thofetwoilluftrious Chiefs o{ the Scien- 
 ces that the World ever produced- name- 
 ly, the Divine Plato^^indh'is knowing 
 Scholar Ari/lot/et, though he were but 
 * little conformable to the fentiments and 
 C enius of his Mafler^ whofe Rival he af- 
 terwards proved;, out of an ungrateful 
 malignity and jealoufie^ which procured 
 him the extream hatred of all Athens^ 
 from whence he was forc'd to flie till af- 
 ter Plates deceafe. This I che more ex- 
 prefly confider;,that we may take notice 
 how nat^raly Raphael has'in this Piece 
 
 Ihcw'd 
 
Clje perfection of ^mtins^ 1 13 
 
 fiiewM as much in their very Counte- 
 nances, and by which he has defcrib'd as 
 'twere^ the difference of their Cw/WV: 
 For the fr(l^ and doubclefs the moft 
 confiderable (fince he merited the Ti- 
 tle of Divine amongft thegreateft Per- 
 fonsjfufiiciently fliews by the adlion of 
 his Arm and Hand> which he holds up 
 to theHeavens, that he entertained his 
 Auditors with the moft fublime and 
 tranfcendent [peculations*^ whilft the 
 Other(\vho was more vers'd in the Sch- 
 la^ic') has rather the meenc of a fevere 
 zviddogrnatizi?fg Pedant i as indeed he 
 ftill dwelt in the Schols amongft them j 
 whiles Plato s more generous Converfa- 
 tion has ever been with the great and 
 moft illufti ious perfons. 
 
 Truly Raphael ^ttms to triumph in 
 this Exprefs^on^ which he has alfo ac-* 
 companied with an air and countenance 
 exceedingly conformable to the fpirit 
 and difpofi ion both of the One and the 
 Othery making Plato to difcover a cer- 
 tain fweetnefs and noble affability 
 inthisafpedj which renders him ex^ 
 treamly venerable- as on the contrary^ 
 Ariflotle^ with a frowning and contenti- 
 ous look. 
 
 Having then^as he ought^ plac'd thefe 
 I two 
 
1 1 4 ^Ije perfection of Pamtmg. ; 
 
 two principal Chamfions of Philofophy^ 
 in the miMe^ and moft confpicuous part 
 of his Talkie ( for there were alfo other 
 famous Men^ celebrated for their Wt[- 
 dem^:vi\^^'&^m\>\dxy Morals^ fuch as^p- 
 crates &c.^our Painter has not much ap- 
 ply 'd himfelfto the reft of the Figures^ 
 of which the greater number are but Au- 
 ditors of the two firft : For though 
 there appear \.o be feveral Clafffs of 
 them. 'viz. Geometricians^ Aflrelogers^ 
 Cofmografbcrs Sec- Plato yet fo far ex- 
 cell'dj even in all thofe Jrts^ that the 
 reft fecm'd to be but his Difdples : not 
 that we might not well take them for 
 fuch as Ptolemy^ Archimedes^ or Euclid^ 
 orimagine themof fome other Princi- 
 pal Se6tsy fince we have found Dioge- 
 nes amongft them^whowas neither pro- 
 found Aflrologer nor Sophi(l^ but one we 
 may rather conceive^ intruded himfelf 
 to jeer and feoff at them. For Paint- 
 ers have realy as much priviledge in 
 thefe things as thcPoets themfelveS;,and 
 are not fo precifely obliged to the Lam 
 oiTruth^hut that they do as frequently 
 introduce Fiction Into thck Reprefenta- 
 tions^ to adorn and enrich their Hi^oriesi 
 And 'tis chiefly upon this occafton^ that 
 a Fainter does beft difcovcr the inge- 
 nuity 
 
Ct?e pecfecticn of pamtmg^ i 
 
 nu' ty and gentlenefs of his Concepti- 
 ons ^ befidcs, that fuch ^uague and in- 
 compos'd i'^^jVi;?/ as this isj leave am- 
 ple field to In'irentm^^ fo as *tis fuffici- 
 ent, they do not exceed the limits of 
 ven/imilitude, without captiuating their 
 Cemus to the rigor of precife Tmh. 
 
 Beholding our T^^/^ then in this Pro- 
 fpeit^ on^ may allow a much more inge- 
 nious application to each Figure^ than 
 by contenting our felves in general, to 
 pafs them all for fimple Academicians^ 
 Senators of our two %xQnGjmnaftarch'si 
 And Vis probable enough, that Raphael 
 did propofe to himfelf fomething more 
 refin'd in this ample and magnifical 
 Cemfofttion. For wherefore Ihould he 
 elfe fet a Crorvn upon the head of the 
 j4(lrologer or Geographer (t3.kQ Him for 
 either) who holds a Globe \n his hand, 
 had it not been to fliew us by it, that he 
 meant Ptolomie whom he would digni- 
 fiewiththat C^<«r4<£?^r5 and for that he 
 is caird, by way of eminency^the Prince 
 o( Jftrologers and Geographers Not- 
 Withftanding yet, fince he was neither 
 Contemporary, nor fo much as Compa- 
 triot mth any of the former, it might 
 well create fome fcruple amojngft Cri- 
 tics to meet them here together. But 
 I 2 this 
 
i6 %\)z perfection of ^^amttng. 
 
 this Licence \s familiar amongft Poets^^and 
 conrequently Painters too: Inftance, 
 the incomparable yirgil^ who has fo 
 dexteroufly adjuftcd Q^tt^i-Dido with 
 his ^neas, thatatbft he puts them in 
 bed together^, though there was a very 
 confiderab'e interval of time between 
 the orie and the other^ and that Dido was 
 theyounger by at the leaft three whole 
 Jges. One might farther believe, and, 
 that with greater probability^ (with re- 
 fped: x.oi\\^ Sjnchromfme) that this Fi- 
 gure fituated in the middle of the peccj 
 and juft before the Plan^ in fo pen- 
 sive and melancholy a foflurCj leaning 
 his head upon his arnie^ and repofing 
 his elbow on the coiner of a Table, 
 where the rhilofofher Epicurus^ who 
 WTOte his Tcflamem in a Letter which 
 he addrefsYI to idomen^us h.s intimate 
 friend, as Btogencs Laertius reports be- 
 caufe it was the very laft of his A6iions^ 
 and, indeed, the moft ftupendious-, fince 
 being thenattacq'd with a Paroxjfmeoi 
 that moft inconceivable torment of the 
 Stene ( of which he foon after dyed ) 
 he remitted nothing of his accuftom'd 
 Tranquillity Spirit^ but reafond, and 
 difcours'd to the laft minute, in the fame 
 manner as he was wont to do^ when he 
 
 enjoyed 
 
d)e perfeetton of Ipatntmg^ i 
 
 enjoy'd the greateft healthy which a* 
 bundantly teftifies^ that t\\t Sentiments y 
 and frecefts of t\\\s great wan ^ were not 
 fach as the t'ulgar reported, or that the 
 Pleafure which he ftyPd the Soveraign- 
 Cood^ confifted in that fhamefuJ and 
 voluptuous [atisfdciion which feme 
 have defcribed. 
 
 'Twere eafie to forme the like Re-f 
 marks upon the reft of the Figures of 
 this Table^ which would farnim abun^ 
 dant matter to the /lu Jims, v^^ho had a 
 mind to divert themfelves : For in this 
 univerfaUSchool ^ open to all forts of 
 Learning, they did not only treat of the 
 [feculative Sciences^ but of the Art Mi- 
 litary and T a^ics of Volitj ^ Oeconmie^ 
 Medicine and the Mechanics i ns appears 
 by the Writings of Ari^otle^y fo as ill 
 this fo great variety^ there ftands not 
 afingle in the whole GjmnaftwMy 
 how extravagant foever it may feem , 
 but for what we may find a fufficient and 
 laudable pretence : And yet is not this 
 altogether fo uncmfnd. but that the 
 bounds may be tranfgrefs'd, as appear^ 
 by our Hifloriograph Fa[ariy who with- 
 out any Wit orDifcretion, andagainft 
 all lliadow of pofTibilily , has fo con- 
 founded the order of Times^ztid Things 
 
 I 3 in 
 
1 1 8 COe pctfettf on of patntmg^ 
 
 in that Chim/erical application he has 
 made upon this Table^ that it were c- 
 nough to nfton'fli a credulous Reader ^ 
 who (hould feek for rny Fruit from his 
 fantaftick dreams For out of I know 
 not what itch to appear Lurned^ he 
 brings us in there by head ana Ihouldejs, 
 a certain King^ call'd Zoroafter^ of 
 whom I dare fay, Raphael never had 
 heard a word iio his liie and who came 
 into the World iomt tm thou f and y^ixs 
 before V^lato was born^ in a Countrey 
 alfo far diftant from Greece: Befides, 
 this old Scythian Prince was never fa- 
 pious for any thing but Af^^/Vj of which 
 Vlinj affi ms him to be the Inventor^ \ 
 which is a (ludj they never made any 
 Vrofefsion of in thofe Schools : but fee 
 the admirable addrefs of ourperfpica- 
 cious Italian^ who could efpy him out a- 
 mongft fuch a crowd of others. There 
 is 1 Figure (fays he)with his back turn'd 
 towards you^ which is the Pi&ure of 
 Zoroa(ler. Another than Vafari would 
 doubtlefs have been much put to it^ to 
 divine whofe that Picture was, that had 
 his hack in that pofture. 
 I dare not puifi^e to examine the 
 of whuih's Rhap fo^i/ (I fiys, for fear 
 of inaportuning both my Rs/der and ray 
 
 Self 
 
Cl)e perfcttion of Pafntms. i 
 
 felfe^ 2nd therefore^ I fliall here clofe 
 this di(jcrtation^ which I confefs to have 
 protraded a great deal beyond what I 
 had proposed to my felf at firft^ when I 
 intended nothing more than to give a 
 general Ideaoi the perfection of Pawt- 
 ing^ coniormable to the Maxmes o\ the 
 moft ancient Mafiers^ and to derive hvm 
 thence a kind of ocular demonfiration 
 from (oxx\t In fiances o[ the moft regu- 
 lar works of Rdphaely that I might awa- 
 ken thereby, and open the ejes ot fome 
 of ihtVaintersoi times ^ who realy 
 have great difpofitions of emerging, and 
 becoming excellent in their Prcfefsiorf^ 
 and that have need only to be advertis d 
 in fome Fundamentals^ relating ro the 
 ferfection of the Art^ which yet are ea- 
 jfily attainable-, but, without which, like 
 to Blind men^ they will always be gro- 
 ping in the fpiny and delicate ways of 
 Painting. 
 
 This is a verity fo firmly eftablifli'd 
 upon the Principles which we proposed 
 at the entrance of this difcour[e, that 
 it can never be fo much as calW n que- 
 ftion by any rational perfon : It may yet 
 poflibly happen, that the preoccupati- 
 on of thofe whom JF^/^ji^ has elevated 
 with a falfe reputation (as before their 
 
 1 4 ^^y^^ 
 
20 ^J)e pcrfettton of IPamttng* 
 
 daySjSt. Martin BoulogmayRoJfo^Tm- 
 toret^ Paulo'Feroneze^ Parmefano^ Fre- 
 minet^ ^^ofefin^znd a number of fuch^/f- 
 fi^ners^ Praditionersof the fame forme) 
 may render them fo remifs and ftupid^ 
 that they will rather choofe to remain 
 and dwell in the poffeflion of this de- 
 ceitful good;, than take the pains which 
 the fedulous fiu^Jy and application of 
 thefe knowing Mafiers do neceflfarily 
 exad of them : For certain it is, that 
 Things which are excellent^ coft in their 
 Trodu6lion^ and are attained \v\i\\ diffi- 
 culty ihtfecond'Thoughtsoi Wife-men 
 are commonly the more judicious and 
 advis'd than tha frft: • whence 'tis juft 
 to conclude, that thofe Painters to 
 whom aW fuhje^s feem'd alike^ who find 
 no mote difficulty in one^than manQther^ 
 and who after the firft /^^^ which they 
 form of a TableS^t down,and excogitate 
 no farther, by either charging or adding 
 any thing in their Pieces ; 1 fay^ fuch 
 Painters have but fuperficial endow- 
 mentSjWhofe produdions will never gra- 
 tify Intelligent men^w ho finding nothing 
 of rare and well fiudied in their Works 
 extraordinary , will be foon wearied 
 with a tranfitory view of their Labors. 
 Now I call nothing fiudied, but that 
 
 which 
 
pttUttm of patnttng*: 
 
 which concerns the operations of the 
 Mifttd, and thofe judicious ohfervati-' 
 emvi^on that part oidecommt which is 
 the very ligament and band of Jnven' 
 tion and Exprefsmj the nobleft of our 
 Five Princtfles^ and in which all that's 
 ingenious and fublime in does 
 confift. The other T^w, namely, Prtf-^ 
 fortioH, Colouring z.x\&. PerffeS^ive^ im- 
 port rather the Mechanicd fart of 
 the Art^ than the more fpirituat and 
 reHned, and are , as one may fay, the 
 Injlruments of the Science oi Paintingj 
 as thofe who bend all their fiadies on- 
 ly M^outhem^ work rather like Men of 
 a T rade or Myfterie ; and therefore have 
 never obtain d other amongft the 
 .univcrfally knowing, than Practiti' 
 oners in de^gning,who would never have 
 been confiderable amongft the Jntient^ 
 Pointers'. Howbeit, feeing they far ex- 
 ceed the reft in multitude, the current 
 Abufe, and a certain prcfumptuous^- 
 ^,which at prefent tjrannijes over 
 this Art^ has fo abandon'd the Poflcf- 
 fion of the Name of Painters to them, 
 and added fo many fortunate advan- 
 tages ^hovt lho^e who are truly the 
 Sons of Art', that the /4/we fpeak of, 
 
 come fddora to enjoy the fruit,and glo- 
 ry 
 
i ^S:f)t perfertion of Pamtfnff. 
 
 ry which is due to thenl> till it be very 
 late; continuing for the moftpart op- 
 preft as long as they live^ by the Num-^ 
 hers and Cakals oi x,\\^Ignorant^2mot\%{i 
 Vihom^ Painting is at this day but a ma- 
 terial and grofs Idoli, whereas heretofore 
 fhevjzs confiderd as a Deity altogether 
 fpiritual^ 
 
 The poor Dominiquiny who was que« 
 ftionkfs the moft able of all Caraces 
 Scholars, and h;5ppiy^ the moft worthy 
 the name of Painter^ had long fuccum- 
 bed under this difgrace; though almoft 
 all his Competitors were inferior to him^ 
 andnot wordiy to be nam'd in the day 
 with him 5 excepting Guido^ who was 
 indeed by Nature more favoured than 
 the other for a Gracefulnefs which ren- | 
 dred him Angular in his time- but who j 
 was no ways comparable to him for JEx- 1 
 frefsionj and lefs yet in the skill of Be- 
 gular Perfpe^iveiWbat (hall we fay then 
 of the blindnefs and ftupidityof the 
 faint rs of our days ^ who prefer a 
 fepin^ ^Lan franc, and fuch Manierifls 
 before him^whofe Works containing no- 
 thing fave thefalfedazle of I know not ; 
 v^'hai Noveky\v;\\\ch they ftile^forfootb, . 
 a Fur J of Defigne, and Freedom of pen- | 
 fil^ that their ignorance of the native t 
 
 Beauty 
 
^f)e petfetttott of ^^amtmg* i j 5 
 
 Beauty^ and true Principles Art 
 makes them admire^ never prcferv'd 
 their Refutation any longer, than this 
 tranfitory favour and partiality of For^ 
 //^/^(f continued to indulge them ^ fo as 
 they arc no ^^ banifli'd out of the Cabi- 
 nets and Colleciiom oitht Virtue ft^who 
 being at laft dif-abus'd^ are grown quite 
 weary of them. . 
 
 The fame perverfion of 
 feconded with the natural jealoulie of 
 the Italians^ (who will by no means en- 
 dure, that T'aintingfhould fmile upon 
 any other Nation but their orvn^hzd be- 
 gun to exercife the like I nj ufiice zo- 
 wards that illuftrious Frendman, Ni- 
 colas Poufsin, the worthieft certainly, 
 that has appeared fince the days of thofe 
 renowned Antient Painters^ AfelUs^ Ti- 
 mantes^ Protogenes^ and thereof thofe 
 famous m^Ti. T : : 
 
 But fince it were difficult for me to 
 render this Teftimony of him without 
 fufpicion of flattery, fpeaking of a per- 
 fon ( fo lately ) living^and born a French 
 man 5 yet as his Works have already 
 gain d fo many Triumphs over all their 
 Envy^ and that his merit has been fo 
 powerful (though in a ftrange Countrey^ 
 to produce, and elevate it felf with fo 
 
 much 
 
I #4 perfection of patntmff* 
 
 much Lnftef, above its Rivals, at no 
 lefsthan four hundred Leagues diftance 
 from the Court of France^ and in the 
 Reign of the greateft Favourer^ that the 
 yirtuoft muft ever hope for, fincethe 
 King himfelf (who has fo far honorM 
 him as to call him to his fervice) is an 
 excellent Defigner^zwd univerfally know- 
 ingiti all good Arts: It has proved a 
 €Pnju/tff»re infinitely advantagious to 
 our Painter, and a ^u(lice which Fortune 
 owed him ; fo as it feems , (he is not al- 
 ways blinded, nor envious at the me- 
 rits oi deferving-men. Since that time, 
 all the reputation ot his Competitors has 
 rather ferv'd to eftabliflihis Glory ^ than 
 be an obftacle to it ^and now we ^e vifi- 
 blyjby comparing their Works together, 
 that this Poujsin is in efFe(ft a great Eagle 
 mHv&Vrofefsien, or to fay better, and 
 without a Trofe^xhc moft perfedl and ac- 1 
 complifli'd Painter of all the Moderns, ^ 
 
 There is no difficulty in making this 
 appear to knowing-men, who examine 
 and judge things like Geometritians,thaz 
 is to fay, rigoroufly, and as they oughr, 
 by pure demonflration, and the Analjfes 
 of its Principles jWiihovx gratifying 0/>i- 
 niont or Favoitr'^v/hkh are the very hane 
 and fefte of truth : But thofe who are 
 
 Makers 
 
Cf)e pecfeaton of pamttng^ 115 
 
 Maflers onely of fuperficial knowledge, 
 and will yet be prefuming upon their 
 ^udgements^ may happ'ly take this for 
 a l?araciex^ and thereby render them* 
 felves uncapable of being inlightned : I 
 fhall therefore quit this difcujsicn^ and 
 content my felf to have in this Treatife 
 eftablifli'd the Fundamental Maximes 
 and Method which we make ufe of in ex- 
 amining the Works of Painters^ withooc 
 any farther interefting my felf in this 
 Controverfte : Onely ^ I would add by 
 way of Jdvife^ that thofe who have 
 the Curiofity to come to the deciftve 
 Proof of what I affirm^, will find it fuf- 
 ficiently demonftrated in that Work of 
 his of the Seven Sacraments^ which are 
 to be feen at Varis^ in the Pojfefion of 
 Monfteur de Chanteloa^ Mafter of the 
 Houfhold in Ordinary to the King^ an 
 intimate and dear Friend oi this incom- 
 parable Painter. 'Tis a Confequence of 
 Seven Uniform Tables^ of a midling 
 fize, butconfiftingof an extraordinary 
 fiudjy where this noble Arti^^ feems to 
 have given us the utmoft proof, noton-» 
 ly of the regnlaritj of the ^r^^according 
 to all the Parts explicated in the JDi/^ 
 courje^ but of its fupremefl excellency 
 I likewife, by the Novelty of his Invents^ 
 
 9» 
 
125 CDe pcrfeoftott of Painting* 
 
 on% the greatnefsofhis7^^4 upon eve* 
 ry Argument^ by the profound and judi- 
 cious obfervarion of the decorum^ (in 
 which he is almofl: fingular) by the vi- 
 gor of his the Expreffio/iSyZnd in a word, 
 by all the very ^dUies of thofe illu- 
 ftrious Genius's ot the Antie?its^Wi\OTi^^ 
 whom (I perfwade my felf) he had ob- 
 tain'doneof the moft eminent ranks; 
 fince we generally find in his Works ^ the 
 fame excellencies which Vlinj and others 
 have obferv'd of their /Ifelles^ Zeuxis^ 
 Timantesj VrotogeneSyUnd the reft of that 
 firft Claf^oiPainters : For if y^pe/lesaip- f 
 pearM fo rare a Perfon amongft them for ' 
 his knowing how toreprclent the noife 
 of Thunder ^ one may fee in the fubjeifl 
 I am fpeaking of^ that our Veuf^in has 
 even painted the very Voice which is 
 fo much the more difficult to exprefs , 
 as in eflfedt it is lefs fenftbh ; I have re- 
 marked this ingenious firoke in his fiift 
 Viece oi the Seven Sacraments where 
 St. ^of)n^ conferring Baptifme on our B. 
 Saviour^ the Standers- by who were prc^^ 
 fcntj and ready to receive him for t^eir 
 Lord:ind Md(ler^ do vifibly difcover it 
 by the furprife and aftonifliment in 
 which they appear looking up to Hea- 
 ven^ and on every fide about them^ 
 
C!)e pttteaion of f^atntmg* i 
 
 from whence the Foice feem*d tp de- 
 fcend, ftr my Beloved Sen ^ 8ic, 
 The fame Author who pro^os'd fas 
 altogether miraculous in Painting) this 
 exprcffionof Thmderj adds farther,that 
 this great M^fter Ap:lles, took delight 
 to reprefent the Hi(tories of Agonizing 
 and dying Perfons And we y^^r^ meec 
 with C by I know not what fortuitous 
 encounter) that the Sacrament of ex- 
 tream W^?<5?/>» prefenced the fame Suhm 
 ject to our Fainter', who being about to 
 handle this holy Myfterie^ under a no- 
 ble and magnificent Idea, fuitable to 
 his Genius^ has exprefly chofenthe Per- 
 fono( a Roman Captain in his laft ^^gony, 
 environ d by all his Relations y Mother, 
 Wife and Children., and a number more 
 of his Dome (lies ^ everyone of them fe- 
 verally afflidied with regret or compaf- 
 lion; amongftvvhom, and in the moft 
 conffieuous place, he has painted the 
 Pm/^aflifting the poor t)ying-ma», and 
 adminiftring the Holy Oyls with a devo- 
 id full of Piety. 
 
 I ■ I fliould be over tedious to undertake 
 I here the defcription of all thofe other 
 \ Conftderations^ and judicious Cireum' 
 fiances to be feen in this admirable 
 I Compofition : I fliould fooner have faid 
 
 in 
 
.128 tlt^e perfetttDtt of Patntitiff. 
 
 in a word, that 'tis the real Pdrallel of 
 that famous Mafter-fjece of Timdnthes 
 upon the Sacrifice of Iphi^ema^ which I 
 have already mention d;, and which Pli^ 
 ny and ^intilian defcribe to us as the 
 rareft^moft ingenious and accomplifh'd 
 Table of Antiquitj, But to determine 
 whether of t\\QTm^^ their old^ or our 
 Jdodern has exprefs'd his Subject with 
 greater ^rf J and more Pathetically^ is a 
 S^t^eflm I cannot refolve^ contenting 
 my felf in affirming this^ thatamongft 
 all our Uedetn Painters^ our Pmfin ap- 
 pears another 7imantes. \ 
 
 The fame reafon which reftrains mef 
 from any farther engaging in the Exa^ 
 menoi this excellent Compofition^ obli- 
 ges me to pafs over the reft of this great 
 IVcrky which makes up but its Seventh 
 fart 5 befides, that the Ent erf rife would 
 prove too vaft for me, who have alrea- 
 dy tranfgrefs'd the limits which I pro- 
 pofed tomyfelf at my firft fetting out; 
 
 I will only add thing in general, 
 which feems very confiderable to me, 
 and worthy of remark^ with which I 
 (hall conclude, That every one of thefe 
 Pieces are admirable in their kind^thac 
 ^tis Imfofible to particularife in any fin^ 
 gUowof the whole Scve/i^ which ap* 
 
 pears 
 
perfertion of Painttng^ i 
 
 pears to have the leaft advantage of the 
 other ^ as to what concerns the ^rtifii 
 For though the ftorj of the refpedive 
 'Mj(leri€s which they reprefent, were not 
 always equally redundant, and fit for 
 exprefioni yet this puiflfant C7w//^ knew 
 fo well how to proportion each part of 
 his Sul^ject to the tearms of their mu- 
 tual equalities y and give fo relative a 
 perfeBion to the ivhoU^ that he has left 
 us no place for our choice, or that we 
 could tp//J for any <?;j^of them, prefer- 
 able to another : For though each Table^ 
 confidef d by it felf^ and feparated from 
 this Vniort , or, as one may fay, this 
 Encyclopedia of Sacraments^ be ufual- 
 ly look'd on as a compleat and indepen- 
 dent Hiflorj from the reft j yet our 
 Painters original Intention^hem^ to form 
 of them One particular mjflical body^ 
 composed of thefe jeven holy Members 
 ( which is th e obleft Idea could be con- 
 ceived in the Mind of a Chrifiian 
 Painter y and which is fo peculiar j 
 that it feems not to have been ever 
 thought of by any before him) ftrivM 
 to render it a Chefd* Oeure^ in which 
 he has difcoverM himfelf fuch a Ma- 
 fieroi the he undertakes, that 
 
 we raayeafily conclude, he knew how 
 K to 
 
130 COe pctfectton ot IpJamtmg. 
 
 to have done as much^ even in the moft 
 barren and ftmfU Argument^ as in the 
 moft rich and magnipcent 5 the fecundi- 
 ty of his ffirit having no need of any 
 aids from Matter^ which at firft appears 
 as • incredible to be affirm d of him , as 
 it is realy true^ and vifible in the VTorks 
 of hiSj by the equality which he has 
 introduced' with fo much Jrt in each 
 particular, that there is nothing which 
 domineers above iUg reft .j And this uni- 
 formity of Perfection is an Bffe5i of the 
 mo9i Confnmmate Exc^Wency which is 
 to be attained. 
 
 I thought to finifli this demon ftr at ien^^ 
 which certainly had been very glorious 
 -to him^ in fettiiTig one of thefe [even 
 Compofitions in P^r^/Zf/witha fubjed 
 refeLr,bling it, treated of eitherby Xi- 
 onarhdaVinciy Oi Rafhaeh^ for after 
 thefe two Soveraigne Fainters^vjcntcd 
 feekno more of the Moderns capable 
 of this noble Conte(l:ation.^\i: when I had 
 well confider'd^ that thofe kinds of Com- 
 J^arifons^tQ zlmofl always odious, I rc- 
 folv'd to refer the Decifian to all the 
 ^ Worldy without a fyllable more, and con- 
 tent my felf ro affirm, that I had for 
 this rcafoncaft: mine eyes upon the prin- 
 cipal mrkoi Leonardo^ that renowned 
 
 Suffer 
 
Cfje petf^tfton of pamtins^ 131 
 
 ' S»ppero^om B.Saviour^v/hkh he paint- 
 ed at mHm^ in the time of our great 
 Khg Francis the Fir (1 5 which fucceed-^ 
 ed fo well for the fortunate Arti(l^ that 
 k purchased him the good Grace of 
 their illuftrious Monarchy who did him 
 the honour to invite him to his Courts 
 and retain him ever after in his part icu-*^ 
 far ServiU, We have in the Royal P^-'" 
 rifh of St. Germahs at Paris ^ an excel- 
 lent good Copy of this Supper y which 
 many believe to be of the very hand of 
 Leonardo himfelf. But the fame Hifto- 
 ry has been frequently treated of by 
 phaely and are all to be feen in Stamfy 
 which isamoft comm.odious expedient 
 by which to paragon them ^ with that 
 which we have in our Poufins Work of 
 ih^ Seven Sacraments, 
 
 But to arrive to this accurate Criti* 
 cifme with the requifice circumfpedtion, 
 and follow the guidance of our Princi- 
 ples wemuft above all things remera- 
 ber^ with what importance we have 
 there eftablifh'd the diligent ohfervati- 
 on of decorum^ ih which confifts the 
 principal Magi(lry of Painting^md which 
 is indeed (aswemay fay) the very 
 tional Soulo^ity as the reft of the Me-- 
 chanical fuppIements^oW and the de* 
 K 2 lineation 
 
CtJe petfectton of Painting- 
 
 lineationoi Figures compofe the Body 
 only with its Or^^;?/V4/ members: fo as 
 without the intelligence of this pr^ 
 part, nothing can be acceptable to the 
 eyes of knowing men, who are always 
 more offended with errors in judgement ^ 
 the mo&, effential and neceffary Circum- 
 ftancesinanH//?^?^/, than in what may 
 poflibly be defedivcin the Mechamcal 
 part. Behold here the very kriQt of the 
 ^lefHon^y which yet will not prove fo 
 difficult to unravel^ when we fliall be 
 fully inftrudcd in the Ceremomaloi this 
 Supper^ and above all in the pofiure 
 which they us'd at Table in thofe days, 
 which is here a very important confidc- 
 ration^ and without which it isimpof- 
 fible to conceive^ how St. 5^^^^;^ could 
 decently repofe his head upon the hefom 
 of our Lord -J fince in that which we 
 may obfervein fome reprcfentations of. 
 it, there is expresM a moft unpardonable 
 indecorum. 
 
 In purfuit of this grand remark (the 
 fame whereof is totally due to our 
 knowing and moft judicious Pouj?in 5 
 fince before him we find it fcarce confi- 
 der'd by other Painters) it muft vifibly 
 appear:, that asthis ASlion paft at Nighi^ 
 Figures could not be confpicuous^ 
 
but from an artificial light*, for what 
 other circumftance could reprefent it to 
 be z Suffer y and tiot a Dinner as well t 
 Now thefe two are pints fo ejfential 
 and neceffary^tlm they are not to be dif- 
 penc'd wit hall without an inexcufable 
 fault ^md againft all decQrum^kktx thefe 
 tm rigorous ohfervations jom may make 
 other lefs important recherches 5 which 
 yet would be attended with certain eh- 
 vious and remarkable Circumftancesy 
 without which fomething will ftill 
 be defective: As fuppofe upon that 
 fuddain emotion amongft the Af- 
 files ^ when our B. Lord had advertised 
 them, thatO;^^' oithem fliould that ve- 
 ry night betray him ; one fhould fee St, 
 ^ohn not only leanings but afleef up- 
 on his dear Makers bofome, without 
 fo much as taking any notice with the 
 reft^ of what Wwis faid : This would cer- 
 tainly be a moft unjeafonable and alto- 
 gether difadvantagious Poflure in this 
 ^In(lance. I purpofely take notice of 
 this Abfurdtty amongft others^ becaofe 
 it is realy fo ufual amongft cur com-^ 
 inon Painters^ and did once efcape even 
 Albert Dwer himfelf, as is to be feen by 
 one of his (lamps ^ though this great Ma- 
 fiif had few equals in his Profe(^ion ^ but 
 
 it 
 
34 (lCf)t pttteam of Pamring. 
 
 it feems he was not much acquainted 
 with decorum^ 
 
 It would in like manner be a notable 
 m flake tofet St.^ohn in any other plaet 
 than by the fide of .our Saviour 5 be- 
 caufe then he could not have inclined on 
 his Mafiers Breaft, as the Gofpel does 
 exprefy obferve it to us. 
 
 By thcfedulous examimtion of fuch 
 like Particulars ^v^t fliould foon be qua- 
 lified to determine concerning t\iQ Spi- 
 rit and judgement of a Painter^ and 
 after that, give Sentence boldly in fa- 
 vour of themoft Ingenious and correft 
 in this obfervationof Decorum 5 there- 
 by imitating the example of thofe ce- 
 lebrated Arbiters of Antiquity^ whom 
 we have brought upon the Theater y and 
 to whom we are no lefs obligdy than 
 are thofe whom they have immortaliz'd 
 by their Writings 3 feeing by the dcfcri- 
 ftions which they have left us of their 
 Pieces and Works ^ with thofe excellent 
 RefieSiions of theirs upon the merits and 
 quality of the different Genius's of thofe 
 renowned Painters Greece^ they have 
 prefervcd that Idea of the PerfeHion 
 of the Art^ which would never have 
 defccnded to us without them. 
 'T was* from thefe incomparable 3ooh$ 
 
 that 
 
Ws^z ptcfettton of f^atnting^ 135 
 
 that our illuftrious Modern N. Pmfin 
 has been fowell inftruded, emulating 
 i even the moft renowned of the Anti» 
 ; ent^^ by the extraordinary Advantage 
 \ which he gain'd by ftudying //»;5f?4;9f- 
 I Letters^ before he fomuch as ever took 
 I fenftl in hand 5 which is a thing at pre- 
 j ftnt as rare amongft P^i^fer^/as it i§ 
 I in truth abfolutely necejfary ia thofk 
 I who^alpire to its ferfi^m i< -For fince 
 I Pmry and Painting are but ene and the 
 \ fame firm oi GiniuS 'j and th^t to e* 
 merge a good Poet^ 'tis not held fuf- 
 ficient to be able to compofe a well- 
 meafurM Ferfe^ with numbers agree- 
 able to the Ear^ unlefs what you 
 write be fublime and ingenious alfo; 
 it follows that in the School of Paints 
 I ^^<?5 ^^^^ applies not himfelf but 
 to the defigning of a Model, and relies 
 upon his Penftl onely^ fhall never prove 
 other than a Mechanical Workman ; 
 unworthy the Character of a Painter^ as 
 our Voet after would pafs but for afimplc 
 Verftfcator. 
 
 From all which we deduce, that In 
 the fervice of this noble and glorious 
 Princefs of: Jrts^ Painting-^ which is al- 
 together composed of S-pirit^ One had 
 need beendow'd with Talents and No- 
 tices 
 
i$6 tjri^e perfection of Pamttng* 
 
 t/ces extraordinary, to pretend only to 
 the hftor of her good- Graces : And 
 Thofe who by the meanefs and dulmfs of 
 their NatarCy arrive no farther than the 
 Mechanical f art ^xt^QvobXe thofe ill- Cour- 
 tiers of Penelope, who not having the 
 Wit to infinuate themfclves into her 
 particular Efleent and Ccnverfatitfj, nor 
 addrefs enough, or Merit to render 
 themfelves conftderahle with the Ladjt 
 were forc'd to ftay behind the more 
 fprightly (74//4»f/, and make Love to 
 her waiting-mmen. 
 
 FINIS.