242 UNIVERSAL ERUDITION. 



over, in the invention and execution, a degree 

 of excellence, which modern artifts are not able 

 to imitate. Now, though we ought to allow, 

 in general, the great merit of the ancients in the 

 polite arts, we mould not, however, fuffer our 

 admiration to lead us into a blind fuperftition. 

 There are pieces of antiquity of every fort, which 

 have come down to us, chat are perfectly excel- 

 lent, and there are others fo wretched, that the 

 meaneft among modern artifts would not ac- 

 knowledge them. The mixture of the good 

 and bad has taken place in all fubjects, at all 

 times, and in all nations. The misfortune is, 

 that moft of our great antiquaries have been fo 

 little (killed in defigning, as fcarcely to know 

 how to draw a circle with a pair of compafles. 

 It is prejudice therefore, which frequently directs 

 them* to give the palm to the ancients, rather 

 than a judgement directed by a knowledge of 

 the art. That character of expreffion, which 

 they find fo marvellous in the works of anti- 

 quity, is often nothing more than a mere chi- 

 mera. They pretend that the artifts of our 

 days conftantly exaggerate their expreflions ; 

 that a modern Bacchus has the appearance of 

 a man diftra&ed with intoxication -, and that a 

 Mercury feems to be animated with the fpirit 

 of a fury, and fo of the reft. But let them not 

 decide too haftily. Almoft all the antique fi- 

 gures are totally void of all fpirit of exprefllon ; 

 we are forced to guefs at their characters. 

 Every artificial expreflion requires, moreover, 



to 



