THE ART OF PAINTING.

TRUE Poetry the Painter's power displays;
True Painting emulates the Poet's lays;
The rival sisters, fond of equal fame,
Alternate change their office and their name;
Bid silent Poetry the canvass warm,

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The tuneful page with speaking picture charm.
What to the ear sublimer rapture brings,
That strain alone the genuine Poet sings;
That form alone where glows peculiar grace,
The genuine Painter condescends to trace: 10
No sordid theme will verse or paint admit,
Unworthy colours, if unworthy wit.

DE ARTE GRAPHICA.

Ur Pictura Poesis erit; similisque Poesi
Sit Pictura; refert par æmula quæque sororem,
Alternantque vices et nomina; muta Poesis
Dicitur hæc, Pictura loquens solet illa vocari.

Quod fuit auditu gratum cecinere Poetæ;
Quod pulchrum aspectu Pictores pingere curant:
Quæque Poetarum numeris indigna fuêre,

Non eadem Pictorum operam studiumque merentur.

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From you, blest Pair! Religion deigns to claim Her sacred honours; at her awful name

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High o'er the stars you take your soaring flight,
And rove the regions of supernal light;
Attend to lays that flow from tongues divine,
Undazzled gaze where charms seraphick shine;
Trace beauty's beam to its eternal spring,

And pure to man the fire celestial bring.

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Then round this globe on joint pursuit ye stray,

Time's ample annals studiously survey;

And from the eddies of Oblivion's stream
Propitious snatch each memorable theme.

Thus to each form, in heaven, and earth,

and sea, That wins with grace, or awes with dignity,

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Ambæ quippe sacros ad religionis honores Sydereos superant ignes, aulamque tonantis Ingressæ, Divûm aspectu, alloquioque fruuntur ; Oraque magna Deûm, et dicta observata reportant, Cœlestemque suorum operum mortalibus ignem. Inde per hunc Orbem studiis coëuntibus errant, Carpentes quæ digna sui, revolutaque lustrant Tempora, quærendis consortibus argumentis. Denique quæcunque in cœlo, terrâque, marique Longius in tempus durare, ut pulchra merentur,

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To each exalted deed, which dares to claim
The glorious meed of an immortal fame,
That meed ye grant. Hence, to remotest age,
The Hero's soul darts from the Poet's page, 30
Hence, from the canvass still, with wonted
state,

He lives, he breathes, he braves the frown of

Such

Fate,

powers,

belong

such praises, heaven-born Pair,

To magick colouring, and creative song.
But here I pause, nor ask Pieria's train,
Nor Phoebus' self to elevate the strain:

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Vain is the flow'ry verse, when reasoning sage And sober precept fill the studied page;

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Nobilitate suâ, claroque insignia casu,
Dives et ampla manet Pictores atque Poetas
Materies; inde alta sonant per sæcula mundo
Nomina, magnanimis Heroibus inde superstes
Gloria, perpetuoque operum miracula restant:
Tantus inest divis honor artibus atque potestas.
Non mihi Pieridum chorus hic, nec Apollo vo-

candus,

Majus ut eloquium numeris, aut gratia fandi

Dogmaticis illustret opus rationibus horrens:

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Enough if there the fluent numbers please, With native clearness, and instructive ease. 40

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Nor shall my rules the Artist's hand confine, Whom practice gives to strike the free design; Or banish Fancy from her fairy plains, 'Or fetter Genius in didactic chains: No, 'tis their liberal purpose to convey That scientifick skill which wins its way On docile nature, and transmits to youth, Talents to reach, and taste to relish truth; While inborn Genius from their aid receives Each supplemental art that practice gives.

a

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* 'Tis Painting's first chief business to explore, What lovelier forms in Nature's boundless store

Cum nitidâ tantùm et facili digesta loquelâ,
Ornari præcepta negent, contenta doceri.

Nec mihi mens animusve fuit constringere nodos 30
Artificum manibus, quos tantùm dirigit usus;
Indolis ut vigor inde potens obstrictus hebescat,
Normarum numero immani, Geniumque moretur:
Sed rerum ut pollens ars cognitione, gradatim
Naturæ sese insinuet, verique capace
Transeat in Genium; Geniusque usu induat artem.
b Præcipua imprimis artisque potissima pars est,

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a I. Of the Beautiful.

b I. De Pulchro.

Are best to art and antient taste allied,

For antient taste those forms has best applied. Till this be learn'd, how all things disagree! How all one wretched, blind barbarity!

;

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The fool to native ignorance confin'd, No beauty beaming on his clouded mind Untaught to relish, yet too proud to learn, He scorns the grace his dulness can't discern. Hence reason to caprice resigns the stage, 61 And hence that maxim of the antient Sage, "Of all vain fools with coxcomb talents curst, "Bad Painters and bad Poets are the worst." When first the orient rays of beauty move 65 The conscious soul, they light the lamp of love;

Nôsse quid in rebus natura creârit ad artem Pulchrius, idque modum juxta, mentemque vetustam ; Quâ sine barbaries cæca et temeraria pulchrum

Negligit, insultans ignotæ audacior arti,

Ut curare nequit, quæ non modo noverit esse;

Illud apud veteres fuit unde notabile dictum,

"Nil Pictore malo securius atque Poetâ."

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Cognita amas, et amata cupis, sequerisque cupita; 45 Passibus assequeris tandem quæ fervidus urges: