PREFACE. xi 



either to be inftrudted by him as a Painter, or im- 

 proved as a Virtuofo, 



It was this latter motive only, I confeis, that led 

 me to attempt the following translation ; which was 

 begun in very early youth,, with a double view of 

 implanting in my own, memory the principles of a 

 favourite art, and of acquiring a habit of verifica- 

 tion, for which purpofe the clofe and condenfed ftile 

 of the original feemed peculiarly calculated, efpe- 

 cially when confidered as a fort of fchool exercife. 

 However the tafk proved, fo difficult,, that when I 

 had gone through a part of it I remitted of my 

 diligence, and proceeded at fuch feparate intervals, 

 that I had pailed many pofterior productions thro* 

 the prefs before this was brought to any conclusion in 

 manufcript ; and, after it was fb, it lay long ne- 

 glected, and would certainly have . never been made 

 public, had not SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS requested a 

 fight of it, and made an obliging offer of illuftra- 

 ting it by a leries of his own notes*- This prompt- 

 ed me to revife it: with all poffible accuracy ; and 

 as I had prefer ved the ftrictures which my late 

 excellent friend Mr.. GRAY had, made many years 

 before on the verfion, as it then flood, I attended 

 to each of them in their order with that deference 



b 2 which 



