By Nature taught he strikes th' unerring lines,
Consults his eye, and as he sees designs.

170

* Man's changeful race, the sport of chance and time, Varies no less in aspect than in clime;

Mark well the difference, and let each be seen

Of various age, complexion, hair, and mien.

Such limbs, such robes, such attitude and air,

As best befit the head, and best combine

To make one whole, one uniform design:

Learn action from the dumb; the dumb shall teach

How happiest to supply the want of speech.

u Fair in the front, in all the blaze of light, The hero of thy piece should meet the sight.

Nam Geometralem nunquam sunt corpora juxta
Mensuram depicta oculis, sed qualia visa.

* Non eadem formæ species, non omnibus ætas
Equalis, similesque color, crinesque figuris :
Nam, variis velut orta plagis, gens dispare vultu est.
y Singula membra, suo capiti conformia, fiant
Unum idemque simul corpus cum vestibus ipsis :

a

Prima figurarum, seu princeps dramatis, ultrò

Prosiliat media in tabula, sub lumine primo

180

126

130

Supreme in beauty: lavish here thine art,

And bid him boldly from the canvass start:

While round that sov'reign form th' inferior train 185 In groups collected fill the pictur'd plain;

Fill, but not crowd; for oft some open space
Must part their ranks and leave a vacant place,
Lest artlessly dispers'd the sever'd crew
At random rush on our bewilder'd view;
Or parts with parts, in thick confusion bound,
Spread a tumultuous chaos o'er the ground.
In every figur'd group the judging eye
Demands the charms of contrariety:

190

In forms, in attitudes, expects to trace

Distinct inflections, and contrasted grace,

195

Where art diversely leads each changeful line,
Opposes, breaks, divides the whole design :

d

Pulchrior ante alias, reliquis nec operta figuris.
Agglomerata simul sint membra, ipsæque figuræ ?
Stipentur, circumque globos locus usque vacabit;
Nè, malè dispersis dum visus ubique figuris
Dividitur, cunctisque operis fervente tumultu
Partibus implicitis, crepitans confusio surgat.

e

Inque figurarum cumulis non omnibus idem Corporis inflexus, motusque ; vel artubus omnes

Conversis pariter non connitantur eodem ;

XII. Groups of figures.

XIII. Diversity of Attitude in Groups.

135

d XII. Figurarum globi seu cumuli.

e XIII. Positurarum diversitas in cumul.

Thus, when the rest in front their charms display,
Let one with face averted turn away;

Shoulders oppose to breasts, and left to right,
With parts that meet and parts that shun the sight.
This rule in practice uniformly true

Extends alike to many forms or few,

200

f Yet keep thro' all the piece a perfect poize:

205.

If here in frequent troops the figures rise,
There let some object tower with equal pride;
And so arrange each correspondent side,
That, thro' the well-connected plan, appear
No cold vacuity, no desert drear.

210

Sed quædam in diversa trahant contraria membra, 140
Transverséque aliis pugnant, et cætera frangant.
Pluribus adversis aversam oppone figuram,

Pectoribusque humeros, et dextera membra sinistris,
Seu multis constabit opus, paucisve figuris.
8 Altera tabulæ vacuo neu frigida campo,
pars
Aut deserta siet, dum pluribus altera formis
Fervida mole sua supremam exsurgit ad oram.
Sed tibi sic positis respondeat utraque rebus,
Ut si aliquid sursum se parte attollat in unâ,
Sic aliquid parte ex aliâ consurgat, et ambas
Equiparet, geminas cumulando æqualiter oras.

145

150

f XIV. A balance to be kept in the picture.

8 XIV. Tabulæ libramentum.

Say, does the Poet glow with genuine rage,

Who crouds with pomp and noise his bustling stage? Devoid alike of taste that Painter deem,

Whose flutt'ring works with num'rous figures teem;

A task so various how shall art fulfill,

When oft the simplest forms elude our skill?

But, did the toil succeed, we still should lose
That solemn majesty, that soft repose,

Dear to the curious eye, and only found,

215

Where few fair objects fill an ample ground.

220

Yet if some grand important theme demand

Of many needful forms a busy band,

Judgment will so the several groups unite,
That one compacted whole shall meet the sight.

i

Pluribus implicitum personis drama supremo

In genere, ut rarum est, multis ita densa figuris
Rarior est tabula excellens; vel adhuc ferè nulla

Præstitit in multis, quod vix bene præstat in unâ: 155
Quippe solet rerum nimio dispersa tumultu,
Majestate carere gravi, requieque decora ;
Nec speciosa nitet, vacuo nisi libera campo.

Sed, si opere in magno, plures thema grande requirat
Esse figurarum cumulos, spectabitur unà

Machina tota rei; non singula quæque seorsim.

h

160

b XV. Of the number of fi- i XV. Numerus figurarum. gures.

* The joints in each extreme distinctly treat, Nor e'er conceal the outline of the feet;

225

i The hands alike demand to be exprest In half-shown figures rang'd behind the rest; Nor can such forms with force or beauty shine,

Save when the head and hands in action join.

230

m Each air constrain'd and forc'd, each gesture rude,

Whate'er contracts or cramps the attitude,

With scorn discard. When squares or angles join,

When flows in tedious parallel the line,

Acute, obtuse, whene'er the shapes appear,
Or take a formal geometric air,

n

Præcipua extremis raro internodia membris
Abdita sint; sed summa pedum vestigia nunquam.
• Gratia nulla manet, motusque, vigorque figuras
Retro aliis subter majori ex parte latentes,
Ni capitis motum manibus comitentur agendo.

P Difficiles fugito aspectus, contractaque visu
Membra sub ingrato, motusque, actusque coactos;
Quodque refert signis, rectos quodammodo tractus,
Sive parallelos plures simul, et vel acutas,
Vel geometrales (ut quadra, triangula) formas;

235

165

170

n XVI. Internodia et pedes.

• XVII. Motus manuum motui capitis jungendus.

P XVIII. Quæ fugienda in distributione et compositione.