as conneBed luiih Land/cafe Painting. 303 



while the more light and fleecy will ever attend the beau- 

 tiful. 



As lines are ftrongly expreffivc of motion and pafilon, 

 perhaps in a boiflerous fky the. forms ought to intcrfect 

 each other more angularly than in a tranquil feene; for, as 

 a ftraight line is indicative of reft, every departure from it 

 muft imply motion; therefore the nearer the forms, in croff- 

 ing each other, approach to a right angle, the more Cxpreffive. 

 of violence. But we muft ufe caution in the practice. The 

 flowly gliding river excites the idea of reft in its ftraight lines, 

 in oppofition to the contorted ones in the ruftiing current : 

 the violent motion of lightning is always in acute angles. 

 It is nearly the fame whether the eve or the object moves : 

 if the fight is employed in tracing lines running abruptlv in 

 contrary directions, it will convey the idea of violent motion, 

 though it is not the lines but the eye that moves. The eafy 

 terpentine fweeping lines, expreffivc of the meandering of 

 rivers or roads, ferve wonderfully to carry off the diftance. 

 Of this there is a fine example in the picture of " Going to 

 market," by Rubens, at Buckingham-houfe. The fame thing, 

 if ufed with caution, in the formation of the. clouds, will 

 carry the eye into the diftance, and help the deception. 



Thofe who have not the opportunity of frequently applying 

 to pictures, will find their advantage in a good collection of 

 prints; but they muft not be ufed to Real from (which is 

 beneath the dignity of a great and independent fpirit), but 

 to Itndy from, to acquire a knowledge of composition and 

 chiaro-fcuro. 



An indifferent original compofition will always be fnperior 

 to one patched together with ftolen materials. The arts 

 would be unworthy our purfuit, were they of eafy attain- 

 ment ; we fhould therefore (if we wilh to attain excellence) 

 be careful not to fuffcr ourfelvea to be robbed of our time 

 through an indolence of fpirit; Something fhould be done 

 every day, if we expect fuccefs. He who feels a defire to 

 iict, fhould be prompt to embrace the golden offer: if we 

 neglect the opportunity to-day, we (hall feel lefs inclined to- 

 morrow ; nor are we Pure at any other lime we fhall be able 

 •»o rekindle the fame ardour. To act is far ealier than to 

 R t a iyffer; 



