A N T I QJJ I T I E S. 243 



to be fomewhat exaggerated. A ftatue or por- 

 trait is an inanimate, a dead figure, and mud 

 therefore have a very different effect from one, 

 which, being endowed with life, has the mufcles 

 conftantly in play, and \vhere the continual 

 change of the features, the motion of the eyes, 

 and the looks, more or lels lively, eafily and 

 clearly expreis the paffions and fentiments. 

 \Yhereas in a figure, that is the produce of art, 

 the delicate touches, that fhould exprefs the 

 paffions, are loft to the eyes of the fpectators : 

 they muft thtrefoie be ftruck by flrong, bold 

 characters, which can affect them at the firft 

 glance of the eye. A very moderate artift is 

 ienfible, at the fame time, that he is not to 

 give his figures extravagant expreflions, nor to 

 place them in diltorted attitudes. 



XVI. We will finifh this chapter with one 

 material obfcrvation. All the fciences, by which 

 we can acquire any knowledge of antiquity, 

 as, i, That which we have here explained , 2. 

 that of medals and coins ; 3. the diplomatic, 

 and the explication of infcriptions, or what is 

 called Epigrammatograpbica^ or res lafidaria ; 

 and 4, The knowledge of books, are compriled 

 under the common collective title of Literature. 

 But by a caprice of the literati, they have in- 

 cluded, under that denomination, the philofophic 

 fciences and hiftory : though tor io doing, there 

 can be no good rcaibn whatever. Why fhould 

 we pcrp' ideas of thofc who are dciirous 



a or 



