among the Ancients. 529 



Inferta phialae Mentoris manu du£la 

 Lacerta vivit et timetur argentum. 



If it be farther confidered that in the great age 

 of painting, when Zeuxis, Apelles, Timanthes, 

 Protogenes, Ariftides, flourifhed, gaudinefs of 

 colouring was reckoned a defedt, nothing re- 

 mained (in paintings that contained but a few 

 objiefts efpecially) but defign and expreffion where- 

 on their fame could be built : nothing elfe would 

 be a fufficient ground for the exclannation of 

 Zeuxis, * that he painted at eternity j the lan- 

 guage of nature, which all men in all ages could 

 judge of, muft have formed the principal part 

 of works which could be admitted to put in fuch 

 a claim. 



Notwithftanding however thefe Graecian ar- 

 tifts paid an inferior attention to the colour- 

 ing of their pictures, proof is not vyanting from 

 their writings to evince, that this department 

 of painting was carried among them to a con- 

 fiderable degree of excellence. That they 

 were in pofTefTion of a great variety of colours 

 I have already proved, and mean more parti- 

 cularly to eftabliflij- in the fecond part of this 



paper, 



• In seterBitatem pingo. 



f From an examination of the paffages refpefting the 

 ancient pigments and fubftances fo ufed, in Diofcorides, 

 Vitruvius, Pliny, Oribafius, Ifidore, and Solinus (which 

 though read at the Society, is too long to be conveniently 



Vol. Iir. M m inferted 



