among the ^Ancients. 511 



erroneous when adopted without rellriftlon ; I 

 fhall therefore take the liberty of offering to the 

 fociety fome obfervations on this fubjedt, as well 

 as on the general ftate of painting among the 

 ancients. 



The greateft part of this effay would be to- 

 tally needlefs and many a quotation faved, could 

 the remains of ancient paintings which Italy 

 poffeffes, be tranfporced hither for our ocular 

 infpedion : but as that cannot be the cafe, we 

 muft be content to rely upon the teftimony of 

 others, under circumftances where we cannot 

 decide upon our own, and much of the following 

 cffay muft therefore unavoidably confift of quo- 

 tations from ancient authors.* The elegant 



felection 



" Another circumftance that tends to prejudice me in 

 *' favour of their colouring, is, that fome of their (/. e. the 

 '* ancients) principal painters ufed but four colours only, 

 " I am convinced the fewer the colours, the cleaner will 

 *' be the eiFedl of thofe colours, and that four is fufficient 

 " to make every combination required." Sir Jofhua 

 Reynolds. Notes to Mafon's Frefnoy, p. 94.. 



* Some few of the following quotations I have taken at 

 fecond hand ; and in this cafe I Jiave quoted conjointly the 

 modern author to whom I am indebted. I have been the 

 lefs fparing in quotations and references, becaufe had my 

 time permitted me to fulfil my intentions I meant this 

 eifay to confift chiefly of what has never yet been attempted 

 in any moderate compafs, or in any tolerable degree 

 executed, viz. a common place of paffages relating to the 

 various departnjent's of ancient painting. The dull mafs 



of 



