genius: a genius capable not only of raising him to the rank of the ancient Painters, but also to the highest employments in the service of his country; so that he was chosen for one of the most important embassies in our time. His gusto of design savours somewhat more of the Flemish than of the beauty of the antique, because he stayed not long at Rome. And though we cannot but observe in all his Paintings ideas which are great and noble, yet it must be confessed that, generally speaking, he designed not correctly; but, for all the other parts of Painting, he was as absolute a master of them, and possessed them all as thoroughly as any of his predecessors in that noble art. His principal studies were made in Lombardy, after the works of Titian, Paulo Veronese, and Tintoret, whose cream he has skimmed (if you will allow the phrase), and extracted from their several beauties many general maxims and infallible rules which he always followed, and by which he has acquired in his works a greater facility than that of Titian; more of purity, truth, and science than Paulo Veronese; and more of majesty, repose, and moderation than Tintoret. Το conclude; his manner is so solid, so knowing, and so ready, that it may seem this rare accomplished genius was sent from heaven to instruct mankind in the Art of Painting. His school was full of admirable disciples; amongst whom Vandyck was he who best comprehended all the rules and general maxims of his master; and who has even excelled him in the delicacy of his carnations, and in his cabinet-pieces; but his taste, in the designing part, was nothing better than that of Rubens. It was thought proper to insert in this place the pleasing Preface which Mr. DRYDEN printed before his Translation of M. DU FRESNOY'S Poem. There is a charm in that great Writer's Prose peculiar to itself; and though, perhaps, the Parallel between the two Arts, which he has here drawn, be too superficial to stand the test of strict Criticism, yet it will always give pleasure to Readers of Taste, even when it fails to satisfy their judgment. M. MR. DRYDEN'S PREFACE; WITH A PARALLEL OF POETRY AND PAINTING. Ir may be reasonably expected, that I should say something on my behalf, in respect to my present undertaking. First then, the Reader may be pleased to know, that it was not of my own choice that I undertook this work. Many of our most skilful Painters, and other Artists, were pleased to recommend this Author to me, as one who perfectly understood the rules of Painting; who gave the best and most concise instructions for performance, and the surest to inform the judgment of all who loved this noble Art; that they who before were rather fond of it, than knowingly admired it, might defend their inclination by their reason; that they might understand those excellencies which they blindly valued, so as not to be farther imposed on by bad pieces, and to know when Nature was well imitated by the most able Masters. It is true indeed, and they acknowledge it, that besides the rules which are given in this Treatise, or which can be given in any other to make a perfect judgment of good pictures, and to value them more or less, when compared with another, there is farther required a long conversation with the best pieces, which are not very frequent either in France or England: yet some we have, not only from the hands of Holbein, Rubens, and Vandyck (one of them admirable for Historypainting, and the other two for Portraits), but of many Flemish Masters, and those not inconsiderable, though for design not equal to the Italians. And of these latter also, we are not unfurnished with some pieces of Raphael, Titian, Correggio, Michael Angelo, and others. But to return to my own undertaking of this translation; I freely own that I thought myself uncapable of performing it, either to their satisfaction, or my own credit. Not but that I understood the original Latin, and the French Author perhaps as well as most Englishmen; but I was not sufficiently versed in the terms of art and therefore thought that many of those persons, who put this honourable task on me, were more able to perform it themselves, as undoubtedly they were. But they assuring me of their assistance in correcting my faults, where I spoke improperly, I was encouraged to attempt it, that I might not be wanting in what I could, to satisfy the desires of so many Gentlemen who were willing to give the world this useful work. They have effectually performed their promise to me, and I have been as careful on my side to take their advice on all things, so that the reader may assure himself of a tolerable translation; not elegant, for I proposed not that to myself, but familiar, clear, and instructive: in any of which parts, if I have failed, the fault lies wholly at my door. In this one particular only, I must beg the reader's pardon the Prose Translation of the Poem is not free from poetical expressions, and I dare not promise that some of them are not fustian, or at least highly metaphorical; but this being a fault in the first digestion (that is, the original Latin), was not to be remedied in the second, viz. the Translation; and I may confi |