THE ART OF PAINTING. TRUE Poetry the Painter's power displays; 5 The tuneful page with speaking picture charm. DE ARTE GRAPHICA. UT Pictura Poesis erit; similisque Poesi Quod pulchrum aspectu Pictores pingere curant: Non eadem Pictorum operam studiumque merentur. 5 From you, blest Pair! Religion deigns to claim Her sacred honours; at her awful name 16 High o'er the stars you take your soaring flight, Time's ample annals studiously survey; And from the eddies of Oblivion's stream 20 Thus to each form, in heaven, and earth, and sea, That wins with grace, or awes with dignity, 25 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, 10 15 To each exalted deed, which dares to claim He lives, he breathes, he braves the frown of Fate, Such powers, such praises, heaven-born Pair, belong To magick colouring, and creative song. But here I pause, nor ask Pieria's train, 35 Nor Phoebus' self to elevate the strain : Vain is the flow'ry verse, when reasoning sage And sober precept fill the studied page; 20 Nobilitate suâ, claroque insignia casu, candus, Majus ut eloquium numeris, aut gratia fandi 25 Dogmaticis illustret opus rationibus horrens : |