12 5 
in the Exercife of its Faculties. 
------ “ Scelus expendifle merentem 
Laocoonta ferunt, facrum, qui cufpide robur 
Lsferit.” 
Virg. Ibid. 
__“ The general cry 
Proclaims Laocoon juftly doom’d to die, 
Whole hand the will of Pallas had withftood. 
And dar’d to violate the facred wood.” 
Drydek. 
It is a wretched parent, who feels his ftrength 
exhaufted, and is ready to fink under the accu¬ 
mulated weight, of exquifite pain, and deep felt 
affli&ion. His mouth half opened, and his eyes 
lifted up to heaven, feem to call for afliftance 
from the Gods, though defpair at the fame 
inftant overwhelms him at the fight of his own 
fate, and that of his unfortunate fons, half fmo- 
thered and devoured by the monfters, who crufh 
them all three. The exprefiion of that group 
is admirable: but the fculptors have diftin- 
guifhed a principal object in it: for, although 
the fons are equally well executed, and the one 
to the left in particular claims our fympathy, 
by the horrid ftate of pain in which he is repre- 
fented, (one of the ferpents beginning to tear 
open his fide) yet the father attradls the chief 
notice. He is that principal part of the whole, to 
which all others are referred; and it is by that 
judicious fubordination and reference, that the 
artifts have found means to imprels the fpe&ator 
with all the fentiments they meant to convey, 
and which, without labour to the mind, give it 
all 
