among the Ancients. 569 



logical probability : nor is it the only offence 

 againft the coutume with which that pidure is 

 chargeable.* 



It is needlefs to dwell on the anachronifms 

 and improbabilities of Weft, in his painting of 

 the Scotch king Alexander, hunting : or on the 

 reprefentation of dreams by Fufeli : or to notice 

 at length the well known abfurdities of his 

 night mare or his Ghoft of Hamlet : nor Ihall 

 I take up the time of the Society with a par- 

 ticular examination of pofTible and impoffible 

 events — of facred and profane mythology — of 

 perfonsreal and allegorical — tranfaflions, ferious 

 and ridiculous — fo pompoufly difplayed in Mr. 

 Barry's feries of paintings at the Adelphi : to all 

 of us thefe grofs violations of the plaineft prin- 

 ciples of common fenfe are well known, and I 

 hope they will be the laft inftances of impro- 

 bable concomitance with which the art of paint- 

 ing in this country will be difgraced. 



• I allude to the circumftances under which a cloud is 

 introduced behind Dido's filler. 



In Sir Jofhua's painting of the infant Hercules among 

 other objedtionable circumftances that occur to my recol- 

 leftion are, the introduftion of the lion's fkin, fo eafy to 

 be miftaken for ananachronifraof the Nemean lion's — the 

 introduftion of peifonages unnecefTary to the Itory — the 

 near approach of one of the attendants to the dreadful 

 mouths of the ferpents — and the difgufting antithelis of 

 the front and back view of the naked children. 



There 



