NOTES. 109 



of the mechanical part of his art ; as on the other fide his 

 fkill may be faid to be thrown away, who has employed his 

 colours on fubjecls that create no intereft from their beauty, 

 their character, or expreffion. One part. often abforbs the whole 

 mind to the neglect of the refti the young fludents, whilft at 

 Rome, ftudying the works of Michael. Angelo and Raffaelle, 

 are apt to lofe all relifh for any kind of excellence, except 

 what is found in their works : Perhaps going afterwards to 

 Venice they may be induced to think there are other things 

 required, and. that nothing but the moft fuperlative excellence 

 in defign,, character, and dignity of ftile, can atone for a de- 

 ficiency in the ornamental graces of the art. Excellence mufl. 

 of courfe be rare; and one of the caufes of its rarity, is the 

 neceffity of uniting qualities which in their nature are contrary 

 to each other; and yet no approaches can be made towards 

 perfection without it. Every art or profeffion requires this 

 union of contrary qualities, like the harmony of colouring, 

 which is produced by an oppofition of hot and cold hues* 

 The Poet and the Painter mud unite to the warmth that ac- 

 companies a poetical imagination, patience and perfeverance ; 

 the one in counting fyllables and toiling for a rhyme, and the 

 other in labouring the minute parts and finishing the detail of 

 his works, in order to produce the great effect he defires : 

 They muft both poflefs a comprehenfive mind that takes in 

 the whole at one view, and at the fame time an accuracy of 

 eye or mind that diftinguimes between two things that, to an 

 ordinary fpectator, appear the fame, whether this confifts in 

 tints or words, or the nice difcrimination gn which expreflion. 

 'and elegance depends.. R. 



O 3 NOTE 



