any of the people from their polytheism and idolatry. He talks, indeed, in a paffage cited above, of the legiflator's having "fuc"cefsfully employed" the myfteries for regulating the vulgar polytheifm. But how is this proved? Can any inftances be produced of perfons that were converted from the public idolatry and polytheism by the myfteries! Notwithstanding this boafted expedient it still kept its ground, and made a continual progrefs among the gentiles, The argument will receive an additional ftrength and force, if applied to the cafe of the Athenians. Athens, was the principal feat of the Eleufinian, which were esteemed the most facred and venerable of all the myfteries, There they were thought to be beft understood, and to be celebrated in their greateft purity, and in the most religious and folemn manner. All the Athenians in general were initiated. It might therefore have been expected, that if the defign of the myfteries had been fuch as is reprefented, it would have infpired fome of them with a fecret contempt of their deities, and of the common polytheism: and that this, in time and by degrees, would have wrought a remark able change among them. But the contrary is manifeft from their whole hiftory. They feem rather to have been more and more devoted to their idolatries and fuperftitions. Nor had their polytheism ever been at a greater height than at the time of our Saviour's appearing."

An Essay on Painting, written originally in Italian by count Alga rotti, gentleman of the bed-chamber to his Prussian majesty, F.R. S. &c.

IT

T has been observed, that the fcience of criticism is not perfected, until the arts, about which it is converfant, are upon the decline. From their afhes a new object arifes, which is capable of furnishing a very agreeable and very useful entertainment to the mind. If criticism does not tend to form new mafters, and execute new works of genius, it enables us to go over the old ones with a much higher and a much more rational pleasure.

The author of the work before us is of that country in which painting, one of the finest of these arts, has been carried the nearest to perfection. It is to be hoped, that this art has rather changed its refidence, than totally abandoned the world; and that having declined in those fine climates, where it had originally its birth, it is coming to fix, with empire, commerce, and philosophy, in a more northern region. The author feems to be of that opinion, by addreffing himself to a patriotic and refpectable body in this kingdom.

His work, which is elegant and judicious, and which is full with out being at all loaded, takes in the whole circle of the art, and begins, as Quintilian's inftitution of an orator, by treating on the education which is neceffary for a painter; from whence he proceeds to anatomy, perfpective, fymmetry, colouring, and the reft of those parts which combine to form a perfect

perfect artist, and a correct judge. The ftile of Algarotti is elegant, clear, lively, and pointed; and we are not furprized, that the author, who has been capable of uniting the graces with the fevere philofophy of Newton, fhould be able to fupport a differtation on this polite art with taste and elegance.

It is this tafte and elegance which forms the principal merit of the work before us, which is indeed not as profound as it is ingenious. However, although the author does not afford to a mind converfant in the matter a great many new ideas, his work will ferve as a very good introduction to this fpecies of criticifm for thofe who are beginning to form a tafte for painting, as it takes in (however lightly) the whole extent of the art, and directs to the moft proper methods of acquiring a more exact and enlarged knowledge.

We fhall prefent the reader, as a fpecimen of his manner, with that chapter in which he treats of the education of a painter; and then with the tenth chapter on invention, which is written with great fense and elegance.

common herd of children, to the Latin fchool. Inftead of Latin, he fhould be made to learn thoroughly the rudiments of his own tongue; and inftead of Cicero's epiftles, he fhould be made to read Borghini, Baldinucci, Vafari. This method would be attended with two advantages; one, that of rendering him mafter of his mother tongue, and thereby freeing him from the difagreeable neceffity under which many very celebrated painters have laboured, of having recourfe to the pen of others, even to write their letters; the other, that of enriching his mind, at the fame time, with feveral branches of knowledge useful to one of his profeffion. Befides, the frequent mention made in thefe books of the great efteem in which painting has been held by men in the higheft fpheres of life by the mafters of the world, and of the great honours and rewards conferred by them, in every age, on the profeffors of that art, could not but prove a moft powerful incentive to the zeal and diligence of a young painter.

It is not a matter of fo little importance as fome are, perhaps, apt to imagine, upon what drawings a pupil is first put to exercise his talents. Let the first profiles, the first hands, the firft feet, given him to copy, be of the beft mafters, fo as to bring his eye and his hand early acquainted with the n elegant forms, and the most eautiful proportions*. A youth, loved in copying the work

work of a middling painter, in order to proceed afterwards to fomething of Raphael's, having faid in the hearing of a mafter, that he did it in order to bring his hand in; the mafter as fenfible as wittily replied, "Say rather, to Say rather, to "put it out." A painter, who has early acquired a fine ftyle, finds it an eafy matter to give dignity to the meaneft features, while even the works of a Praxiteles or a Glicon are fure to fuffer in the hands of another. A veffel will ever retain the fcent, which it has first contracted.

It would be proper alfo to make the pupil copy fome fine heads from the Greek and Roman medals, not fo much for the reasons juft now laid down, as to make him acquainted, if I may use the expreflion, with thofe perfonages, which in time he may have occafion to introduce into his pieces; and, above all, to improve him early in the art of copying from relief. Hence he will learn the rationale of light and fhade, and the nature of that chiara oscuro, by which it is, properly fpeaking, that the various forms of things are diftinguished. To this it is owing, that a boy will profit more by drawing after things in relief, though but meanly executed, than by copying the moft excellent drawings. But, whatever he does, care fhould be taken to make him

do it with delight, and finish it in the most accurate manner. Nothing in the world is fo neceffary as diligence, efpecially at the first entrance of any ftudy. Nor muft he ever expect to have the compaffes in his eye, who has not firft had them for a long time in his hand.

Chap. X. Of Invention.

As the operations of a general fhould, all, ultimately tend to battle and conqueft, fo should all the thoughts of a painter to perfect invention. Now, the ftudies which I have been hitherto recommending, will prove fo many wings by which he may raife himfelf, as it were, from the ground, and foar on high, when defirous of trying his ftrength this way, and producing fomething from his own fund. Invention is the finding out probable things, not only fuch as are adapted to the fubject in hand, but fuch, befides, as by their fublimity and beauty are moft capable of exciting fuitable fentiments in the spectator, and of making him, when they happen to be well executed, fancy that it is the subject itself in its greateft perfection, and not a mere reprefentation of it, that he has before him. I do not fay true things, but probable things; becaufe probability or verifimilitude

Idem, ibid.

is, in fact, the truth of thofe arts, which have the fancy for their object. It is, indeed, the bufinefs and duty of both naturalifts and hiftorians to draw objects as they find them, and represent them with all thofe imperfections and blemishes, to which, as individuals, they are fubject. But an ideal painter, and fuch alone is a true painter, resembles the poet; inftead of copying he imitates; that is, he works with his fancy, and reprefents objects endued with all that perfection which belongs to the fpecies, and may be conceived in the archetype. It is all nature, fays an English poet, fpeaking of poetry: and the fame may be faid of painting, but it is nature methodized and made perfect +. Infomuch, that the circumftances of the action, exalted and fublimed to the higheft de gree of beauty and boldnefs they are fufceptible of, may, though poffible, have never happened, exactly fuch as the painter fancies, and thinks proper to reprefent them. Thus, the piety of Æneas, and the anger of Achilles, are things fo perfect in their kind, as to be merely probable. And it is for this reafon that poetry, which is only another word for invention, is more philofophical, more inftruc

tive, and more entertaining than history.

Here it is proper to obferve, what great advantages the ancient had over the modern painters. The hiftory of the times they lived in, fraught with great and glorious events, was to them a rich mine of the moft noble fubjects, which, befides, often derived no small fublimity and pathos from the mythology upon which their religion was founded. So far were their gods from being immaterial, and placed at an infinite distance above their worshippers; fo far was their religion from recommending humility, penance, and felf-denial; that, on the contrary, it appeared calculated merely to flatter the fenfes, inflame the paffions, and poifon the fancy. By making the gods partake of our nature, and fubjecting them to the fame paffions, it gave man hopes of being able to mix with thofe, who, though greatly above him, refembled him, notwithstanding, in fo many refpects. Befides, thefe deities of theirs were in a manner visible, and to be met at every ftep. The fea was crowded with Tritons and Nereids, rivers with Naiads, and the mountains with Dryads. The woods fwarmed with Fauns and Nymphs,

the

Defpereaux, Art. Poet. Chant. III.

who,