THE

ART OF PAINTING,

WITH THE

ORIGINAL TEXT SUBJOINED.

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.

UT 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.
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.

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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

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;

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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

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Dogmaticis illustret

opus rationibus horrens :