70 NOTES. 



N OTE VI. VERSE 64. 

 When Jirfl the orient beams of Beauty move. 

 The original here is very obfcure ; when I had tranflated 

 the paffage in the cleared manner I was able, but neceffarily 

 with fome periphrafis, I confulted a learned friend upon it, 

 who was pleafed to approve the verfion, and to elucidate the 

 text in the following manner: " Cognita," (the things known) 

 in line 45, refers to " Noife quid in natura pulchrius," (the 

 thing to be learned) in line 38 j the main thing is to know what 

 forms are moft beautiful, and to know what forms have been 

 chiefly reputed fuch by the Antients. In thefe when once 

 known, i. e. attended to and confidered, the mind of courfe 

 takes a pleafure, and thus the conjciom foul becomes enamoured 

 with the object, 6cc. as in the Paraphafe. M. 



NOTE VII. VERSE 78. 

 With nimble Jlep purfues the fleeting throng. 

 And clafps each Venus as fie glides along. 

 The power of expreffing thefe tranfitory beauties is perhaps 

 the greatefl: effort of our art, and which cannot be attained to 

 till the Student has acquired a facility of drawing nature cor- 

 redly in its inanimate ftate. R. 



NOTE VIII. VERSE 80. 

 Tet fome there are ivho indifcreetly Jlray y 

 Where purblind praffiice only points the way. 

 Practice is juftly called purblind, for practice, that is to- 

 lerable in its way, is not totally blind : an imperceptible theory, 

 which grows out of, accompanies, and directs it, is never 

 wholly wanting to a fedulous practice; but this goes but a 

 little way with the Painter himfelf, and is utterly inexplicable 

 to others. 



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