3^ On Painting^. 



&nd Child, St. Peter, Si. Francis, and Venetian fenators, tcr 

 the entire deftrucSlion of chronology. 



Thofe who choofe to exert their fancy had better invent 

 their fubjeft altogether, and not falfify a facl by going to 

 true hiltory, when.- invention can never jnllify the introdiic-. 

 tion of allegoric fiilion. It detracts from the merit of Con- 

 flantine as a conqueror, by bringing the hofl of heaven to 

 his aid : without it we may fuppole he could not have over- 

 come his more powerful partner in the empire. But the 

 higheft joke is to find Heliodorus plundering the temple of 

 Jerufalem (as related in the fecond book of Maccabees), and 

 pope Julms prefent as a fpeftator. 



A I lofc my patience, and I own it foo. 



When woiks nre ccnfiir'd not as bad, but new ; 



While, if our eldt is break all reafon's laws, 



'Ihels fools demand not pardon, but appl.iufe. PoPE. 



Without racking our invention for fables above the com- 

 prehenfion of the vulgar, there are many fine moral (lories 

 for the practice -of thofe who can afford the time and expenfe 

 neceflary to their completion ; fuch as the patient refignation 

 of that firit of mortal men, Socrates, at his death ; Curtius 

 leaping into the gulf; the Decii devoting themfelves for 

 their country ; the fudden reverfe of fortune in JSlarius at the 

 ruins of Carthage ; the folly of Candaules in expoling his 

 wife's beauty to his friend Gyges ; the defire of fame in C^far 

 weeping before the iiatue of Alexander ; the virtue of Pho- 

 cion in refufing the bribes ol Alexander ; and the piety of 

 ^neas in preferving his father from the flames of Troy ; 

 with numberlefs others that muft occur to every one's recol- 

 leAion. 



The Florentine and Roman fchools have fei:?ed on the moft 

 prominent parts of the arts, and, having perfefted them, left 

 but little to do for thofe who followed bevond cmbellifliing : 

 whatever was ftrong and forcible they feized in their mighty 

 grafp ; hence thofe who have fucceeded them as they po- 

 lillied have loft vigour and exprefTion. The Caracci at- 

 tempted it, and with feme of their fcholars were often fuc- 

 cefsful, and for dignity and expreffion ranked next after the 

 above great fchools. The Venetians appear fcarcely to have 

 thought of it in the rich buftle of their piftures. Rubens 

 among the Flemings ranks firft : and when the Dutch at- 

 tempted at expreffion it was always low and vulgar; Rem- 

 brandt was fuch, with a defperate bad choice of figure. 

 Raphael for expreffion juftly ranks before any other painter, 

 of which there are fine example^ at haud in the Cartons at 



W'indfo.^'. 



