DEFINITION OF THE ART OF ENGRAVING. 251 



He would say to them, I cannot, and if I could I would 

 not, tell you how to preach like Mr. Spurgeon, or the Bishop 



of . Your own character will form your style ; your own 



zeal will direct it ; your own obstinacy or ignorance may 

 limit or exaggerate it ; but my business is to prevent, as far 

 as I can, your having any particular style ; and to teach you 

 the laws of all language, and the essential power of your 

 own. 



In like manner, this course, which I propose to you in art, 

 will be calculated only to give you judgment and method in 

 future study, to establish to your conviction the laws of gen- 

 eral art, and to enable you to draw, if not with genius, at 

 least with sense and propriety. 



The course, so far as it consists in practice, will be defined 

 in my Instructions for the schools. And the theory connected 

 with that practice is set down in the three lectures at the end 

 of the first course I delivered those on Line, Light, and 

 Colour. 



You will have, therefore, to get this book,* and it is the 

 only one which you will need to have of your own, the 

 others are placed, for reference, where they will be accessible 

 to you. 



5. In the 139th paragraph, p. 132, it states the order of 

 your practical study in these terms : 



" I wish you to begin by getting command of line ; that is 

 to say, by learning to draw a steady line, limiting with ab- 

 solute correctness the form or space you intend it to limit ; 

 to proceed by getting command over flat tints, so that you 

 may be able to fill the spaces you have enclosed evenly, either 

 with shade or colour, according to the school you adopt ; 

 and, finally, to obtain the power of adding such fineness of 

 drawing, within the masses, as shall express their undulation, 

 and their characters of form and texture." 



And now, since in your course of practice you are first re- 

 quired to attain the power of drawing lines accurately and 

 delicately, so in the course of theory, or grammar, I wish you 



* My inaugural series of seven lectures, published at the Clarendon 

 Press. 



