Comes age, comes sickness, comes contracting pain, 705 And chills the warmth of youth in every vein. Rise then, ye youths, while yet that warmth inspires, While yet nor years impair, nor labour tires, While health, while strength are yours, while that mild ray Which shone auspicious on your natal day, 710 716 Incipimus, doctamque manum gravat ægra senectus; Nec gelidis fervet juvenilis in artibus ardor. Quare agite, O Juvenes, placido quos sydere natos 500 Paciferæ studia allectant tranquilla Minervæ; Quosque suo fovet igne, sibique optavit alumnos ! Eja agite, atque animis ingentem ingentibus artem Exercete alacres, dum strenua corda juventus Viribus exstimulat vegetis, patiensque laborum est; 505 While new to beauty's charms, your eager soul Drinks copious draughts of the delicious whole, And Memory on her soft, yet lasting page, Stamps the fresh image which shall charm thro' age. 720 When duly taught each geometrick rule, Approach with awful step the Grecian school, The sculptur'd reliques of her skill survey, Muse on by night, and imitate by day; No rest, no pause, till, all her graces known, A happy habit makes each grace your own. 726 As years advance, to modern masters come, Gaze on their glories in majestick ROME; Dum vacua errorum, nulloque imbuta sapore f In geometrali prius arte parumpèr adulti 510 Mox, ubi judicium emensis adoleverit annis, Singula, quæ celebrant primæ exemplaria classis, 1515 e LXX. The Method of f LXX. Ordo Studiorum. Studies for a young Painter. Admire the proud productions of their skill, Which VENICE, PARMA, and BOLOGNA fill: 730 And, rightly led by our preceptive lore, Their style, their colouring, part by part, explore, See RAFFAELLE there his forms celestial trace, Unrivall❜d Sovereign of the realms of Grace: See ANGELO, with energy divine, Seize on the summit of correct design: 735 Learn how, at JULIO's birth, the Muses smil'd, And in their mystick caverns nurs'd the child; How, by th' Aonian powers their smile bestow'd, His pencil with poetick fervour glow'd; 740 When faintly verse Apollo's charms convey'd, He oped the shrine, and all the God display'd: Romani, Veneti, Parmenses, atque Bononi, Hos apud invenit Raphael miracula summo Ducta modo, Veneresque habuit quas nemo deinceps. Aonias reseravit opes, graphicâque poesi, 521 525 His triumphs more than mortal pomp adorns, With more than mortal rage his battle burns; His Heroes, happy heirs of fav'ring fame, 745 More from his art than from their actions claim. Bright, beyond all the rest, CORREGGIO flings His ample lights, and round them gently brings The mingling shade. In all his works we view Grandeur of style, and chastity of hue. 750 Yet higher still great TITIAN dar'd to soar, He reach'd the loftiest heights of colouring's power; His friendly tints in happiest mixture flow, Quæque coronatis complevit bella triumphis 530 Corpora. Amicitiamque, gradusque, dolosque colorum, Compagemque ita disposuit Titianus, ut inde 15 Hence deem'd divine, the world his merit own'd, With riches loaded, and with honours crown'd. From all their charms combin'd, with happy toil, Did ANNIBAL compose his wond'rous style: 760 O'er the fair fraud so close a veil is thrown, That every borrowed grace becomes his own. * If then to praise like their's your souls aspire, Catch from their works a portion of their fire; Revolve their labours all, for all will teach,Their finish'd picture, and their slightest sketch, Yet more than these to Meditation's eyes 767 Great Nature's' self redundantly supplies: Her presence, best of models! is the source Whence Genius draws augmented power and force: 770 Divus sit dictus, magnis et honoribus auctus, 8 LXXI. Nature and Experience perfect Art. LXXI. Natura, et Experientia Artem perficiunt. |