72 NOTE S. 



in the partial opinions of a few ^ he will grow reftive in his- 

 own ; by admiring himfelf, he will come to repeat himfelf, 

 and then there is an end of improvement. In a Painter it is 

 particularly dangerous to be too good a fpeaker, it leflens the 

 neceflary endeavours to make himfelf mafter of the language 

 which properly belongs to his art,, that of his pencil. This 

 circle of felf-applaufe and reflected admiration, is to him the 

 world, which he vainly imagines he has engaged in his party, 

 and that further enterprize becomes lefs neceflary. 



Neither is it prudent for the fame reafon to talk much of a 

 work before he undertakes it, which will probably thus be 

 prevented from being ever begun. Even mewing a pidure in 

 an unfinifhed ftate, makes the finifliing afterwards irkfomej, 

 the artift has already had the gratification which he ought to 

 have kept back, and made to ferve as a fpur to haften its com- 

 pletion. R.. 



NOTE X. VERSE ioo< 

 Some lofty theme Jet judgment jirjl fupply,, 

 Supremely fraught 'witb grace and majefty. 

 It is a matter of great judgment to know what fubjecls are 

 or are not fit for painting. It is true that they ought to be 

 fuch as the verfes here direct, full of grace and majeftyj but; 

 it is not every, fuch fubj eel. that will anfwer to the Painter. 

 The Painter's theme is generally fupplied by the Poet or Hi- 

 ftorian : But as the Painter fpeaks to the eye, a flory in which 

 fine feeling and curious fentiment is predominant, rather than 

 palpable fituation, grofs interefr, and diftind: paffion, is not 

 fo proper. 



It mould be likewife a ftory generally known ; for the Pain- 

 ter, reprefenting one point of time only, cannot inform the 

 Spectator what preceded that event, however neceflary in order 

 to judge of the propriety and truth of the cxpreflion and cha- 



rafteir 



