84 .NOTES. 



conjecture concerning the form of the reft of the figure from 

 a part, from the ringers, or from a fingle feature of the face ; 

 for inftance, thofe who are born crook-backed have commonly 

 a peculiar form of lips and expremon in their mouth that 

 ilrongly denotes that deformity. EL 



NOTE XXIII. VERSE 178. 

 Learn aftion from the dumb, the dumb flail teach 

 How happieft to fupply the want of fpeecb. 



Gefture is a language we are born with, and is the mofc 

 natural way of exprefling ourfelves : Painting may be faid 

 therefore in this refpeft to have the fuperiority over Poetry. 



Yet Frefnoy certainly means here perfons either born dumb, 

 or who are become fo from accident or violence. And the 

 tranflator has, therefore, rendered his meaning juftly; but 

 perfons who are born dumb are commonly deaf alfo, and their 

 geftures are ufually extravagant and forced; and of the latter 

 kind examples are too rare to furnifli the Painter with fuffi- 

 cient obfervation. I would wilh to underftand the rule, as 

 dictating to him, to obferve how perfons, with naturally good 

 expreflive features, are affected in their looks and actions by 

 any fight or fentiment which they fee or hear, and to copy 

 the geftures which they then filently make ufe of; but he 

 hould ever take thefe leiTons from nature only, and not 

 imitate her at fecond-hand-, as many French Painters do, who 

 appear to take their ideas, not only of grace and dignity, but 

 of emotion and pamon, from their theatrical heroes, which 

 is imitating an imitation, and often, a faljfe or exaggerated 

 imitation.. R, 



NOTE 



