On Painting, i$3 



bv vour numbering the eflays, fuppofing that on the Com- 

 pofitinn of Landfcape*, interted in your eighth volume, to 

 he No. i. I do not mean to fay in point of order it fhould 

 be fo, hut the inclofed form a regular fenes as far as they go, 

 1 (hall offer no apology for the frequent quotations intro- 

 duced ; my rcafon for "to doing being not only to ftrengthen 

 tha argument, but alfo to relieve the reader. 



I remain, dear Sir, 

 f rancis-ftreet, Bedford-rquare, fW humble fervant, . 



July 5, iSoa. KpWARD LEAVES, 



F-SSAY II. 



On JojU. 



? Tis tafte, tis genius, 'tis heav'nlv rav, 

 Prometheus ravtfb'd from the car of day, 



M ►son's Frfswoy, 



TASTE in the arts mufl. beconfidered as that faculty or 

 thofe faculties of the mind by which we are afTe&ed with, and 

 form a right judgment in, wqrks of the imagination. It is 

 that which determines, the painter in his choice, and from 

 that choice we judge whether his tafte be good or the con- 

 trary. Whether this faculty of the mind is to be acquired 

 is doubtful; that it may he improved is unqueftionable; 

 hence it becomes our duty to. avoid, particularly in our firlt 

 qutiet, if poflible, the feeing, much lefs the copying, things 

 deformed and chimerical, as there is an acquired as well as 

 a natural dulnefs. He whofe tafte is delicately juft. may be 

 laid to have received the highert poli(h from nature, and one 

 of her choicelt gifts ; on the contrary, to want it, is to be 

 dead to all the liner feelings. The man who pofletVes a juftly 

 pultivated tafte is let into a thoufantl plealures unknown to 

 \he vulgar, 



- ■ ■ . — — r-r-I"?is the city's pomp. 



The rural honours his. Whate'er adorns 

 The princely dome, the column and the arch, 

 The breathing marbles and the fculptured gold, 

 Beyond the proud poiTefTor's narrow claim, 

 His tuneful breait enjoys. AkknsideT. 



On the contrary, there are fome men born with feelings fo 



* From the favourable reception the effay here alluded to experienced, 

 having been tranflated into feveral of the molt refpe&able of the foreign 

 journals, we have no hesitation in promifing, that the lovers of the fine 

 arts in general, and practical artifts in particular, will derive much in- 

 ftruftion and information from the eflays with which Mr. Dayes has now- 

 favoured us. On the fine arts we have had too many publications from 

 mere amateurs, and hardly any from profdiional men. From the latter, a 

 Tingle practical facl, delivered in a few lines, muft always be of more in- 

 uinuY. value thin whole volumes from the former. — Edit. 



blunt 



