70 MEMOIR OF PLINY. 



" In Italy the art of painting was grown to some 

 perfection before the time of Tarquinius Prisons, 

 King of Rome ; for proofe whereof, extant their he, 

 at this day to be seen at Ardea, within the temples 

 there, antique pictures, and indeed more ancient 

 than the city of Rome; and no pictures, I assure 

 you, came euer to my sight which I wonder so much 

 at, namely, that they should continue so long fresh, 

 and as if but newly made, considering the places 

 where they be are so ruinat and vncouered ouer 

 head. At Caere there also continue certaine pictures, 

 of greater antiquity than those which I have named ; 

 and, verily, whoever shall view and peruse the rare 

 workmanship therein, will confesse that no art in the 

 world grew sooner to the height of absolute perfec- 

 tion than it, considering that during the state of 

 Troy no man knew what painting was. Amongst the 

 Romanes it grew betimes into reputation, as may be 

 seen by the Fabii, a most noble and honourable house 

 in Rome, who, from this science, were syrnamed Pic- 

 tores, i. e. the Painters, 450 yeares after the founda- 

 tion of our city. Next after this, the workmanship 

 of Pacuvius the poet was highly esteemed, and gaue 

 much credit to the art. But the principall credit 

 that painters attaind vnto at Rome was by the means 

 of M. Valerius Maximus, who was the first that pro- 

 posed to the view of all the world, one picture in a 

 table wherein he caused to be painted that battel in 

 Sicily wherein himselfe had defeated the Carthagi- 

 nians and King Hiero. Lastly, in the publicke plaies 



