I N V 



illuftration of his fubject, not the exhibition of his art. Of 

 this none ever appear to have been fo capable, none faw fo 

 fully the whole force of it, entered fo iinmediately into the 

 very heart, and throwing all trifling or indifferent occurrences 

 afide, applied his force to ftrengthen what was fo ufcful, or 

 feeling what was wanting, was fertile in expedients to fupply 

 its deficiency. We have mentioned one inllance under the 

 article ENEitcY, in Painting, which exliibits ilroiigly the na- 

 tive vigour of the mind of Raphael, t'l-z. the Cartoon of 

 Ananias Ihuck dead : wherein we have fliewn his invention 

 not only to have been capable of delineating the fact, but alfo of 

 informing us in feme ii.eafure of the preceding and fubfequent 

 circumilances conneiled with it. The fame power may be 

 pointed out in othe>-s of his works, particularly in llie cartoon 

 of Ihe facrifice to St. Paul and Barnabas at Lyftra. The 

 great perfeftion of the inventive faculty in the mind of this 

 extraordinary man is exhibited in the purity, fimplicity, 

 and truth of the images he felefts. It is very feldom indeed 

 that his ideas require explanation, he never appears to have 

 wandered from the fubjeft of his work in fearch of fome- 

 thing abftrufe or rare, but trulls to the growth of ideas 

 whicli appear naturally to have fprung up in his mind 

 upon confideration of the nature and objett of it. Yet 

 fo well ftored was he with nature and art, that he is rarely 

 infipid or defuient of illuftration, either as relates to beau- 

 ty, elegance, and grace of compofnion, or expreflion and 

 fentiment. 



Invention in the works of Michael Angclo Buonavotti is 

 exhibited in a very different mode. Inllcad of treading in 

 the beaten path of common life, or adopting the labours of 

 others, he, breathing the fpirit of the epic poet, invents his 

 fubjcft ; and clothes it with the ideal grandeur which breadth 

 of form, flowing lines, and bold and difficult aftionscan give it. 

 Taking his own conception of the generic charafter of the 

 human body for his model, he pei feAed, if not invented, a 

 ilyle of defign entirely new, of a fublime and dignified nature, 

 though bordering upon the extravagant, and rendered truly 

 fo by moll of his imitators. Of this ftyle Lionardo da Vinci 

 is perhaps properly the parent, but he had not the full force 

 of M. Angelo, and his invention in art was engaged in a 

 middle way between thofe of the two great men we have 

 mentioned. 



In Titian we find the fame faculty operating in a manner 

 totally different. To him it was mod grateful to feek after 

 and develope the power of colours in brilliancy, depth, and 

 clearnefs : and maintaining their full powers, to unite them 

 by arrangement or contraft, in ?. manner harmonious and 

 agreeable to the eye. Add to this application of his inven- 

 tion, a very extraordinary degree of perception of grandeur 

 and dignity in delign and effect, and he will be found to 

 have extended the boundaries of art in no inferior degree. 



To this talent inCorrcggio andParmegiano we are indebted 

 for whatever is grateful, iuft, and amiablein the art of paint- 

 ing ; and to Rembrandt for bold vivid effects of the chiaro- 

 fcuro : whilft Rubens, endowed by providence with almolt 

 fuper-huraan powers, revelled in the utmoll lux\iry of imagi- 

 nation, and produced works reprefentative of almoil all the 

 varied objects of creation, with a gaiety of aftion and a fplen- 

 dour of colouring and cffeft unknown, in fo extenfive a com- 

 bination, to any artiil before or after him. 



It is only by a contlant fludy of the works of nature and 

 of art that a mind poffeffed with the power of invention can 

 ever be enabled to exert itfelf either cxtenfirely or ufefully. 

 The imprcffions made upon it by the common intercourfe of 

 life, witliout a precife direftion of ftudy, would be foon ex- 

 haufted ; and one poorly gifted by nature with the fire of 

 jmagioation, but anKioufiy aid fteadily purfuinj the ftudi?^ 

 . Vol, XIX. 



I N V 



recommended, would foon furpnfs the former, be he never fo 

 richly endowed if he negleded the neceffary cultivation. 



Inventiok, in Alii/ic. Having no objcds, melody, or 

 harmony in nature to copy, except the common chord arif- 

 ing from the divifions of a firing or founding body into its 

 harmonics, a mufician has more to invent than the profeffor 

 of any other art. Every paffage, every combination, every 

 motivo or fubject, tliat lias not been ufed before, is invention. 

 There is fo ht le invention in forae compofitions, that who- 

 ever has heard or feen much mufic, could point out the pro- 

 totype of every bar. There is, on ll;e contrary, fuch an 

 ambition in fome authors of being new, that the car is tea-ed 

 and dii'appcinted by the conllant llruggle and labour to be 

 unnatural. Haydn's invention, which is fo unbounded, is 

 never pufhed to fuch excefs. There is in his nioft origins! 

 and capricious movements and paffages, a mixture of natu- 

 ral, graceful, ingenious or fpirited connefting traits, which 

 reheve the hand of the player, and the attention of the 

 hearer. 



There is no infallible receipt for invention ; all a mafter 

 can do is to recommend to his difciples to avoid exceffes of 

 every kind : too eafy and common, too hard and uncommon ; 

 complaints of pieces being too long are more frequently 

 made than of their being too fhort, which would be more 

 flattering to a compof'er. When fertility is wanting, pafi'ages 

 are frequently repeated alia tanta Rofalia, to a degree which 

 now cannot efcape remark and cenfure. A inafter cannot, 

 nor ought if he could, tell his pupil in compoliticn what tw 

 adopt; he can only tell him what to avoid. SeeCoMPO.si- 

 Tiex, and Cou.xTERroiXT, to which this article n-.ay ferve 

 as a fupplcnient. 



iNVEXTroN, in Poetry, is applied to whatever tl;e poet 

 adds to the hillor)- of the fubjcil he has chofen ; as well as 

 to the new turn he gives it. 



IxvEXTiox, in Rhetoric, fignifics the finding out, and 

 choofing of certain arguments which the orator is to ufe for 

 the proving or illuftrating his point, moving the paffions, 

 or conciliating the minds of his hearers. 



Invention, according to Cicero, is the principal part of 

 oratory : he wrote four books De Invcntione, of which we 

 have but two remaining. 



This invention of the orators cannot, according to lord 

 Bacon, be properly called invention : to invent, is to dif- 

 cover things not yet known, not to recolleft thofe that are ; 

 whereas the ufe and office of this rhetorical ir.vcntion are 

 only, out of the Kock of knowledge laid up in the mind, tu 

 feleifl fuch articles as make for the purpofe. 



The fame author divides this faculty of invention int« 

 two parts, the one topical, the other prompiuar\ : the firff 

 points out the way in which we are to purfue the argument; 

 the latter only lays up and difpofes things, for w hich we have 

 frequent occafion, in die mind. 



Invention furnilhes the orator with thofe different kindt 

 of arguments and motives which are adapted to the various 

 purpofes he has in view. The helps of invention are a lively 

 imagination and readinefs of thought, great learning and ex- 

 tenfive knowledge, previous confideration, and clear enlarged 

 Rppreh'-nrtoris of the fubjeft. See AugUMK.nt.s, CoMMp** 

 Pi..tCKs, and Topjcs, &c. 



INVENTORy, in La'zu, a catalogue, or fche.-'ule or- 

 derly made of all a dcceafed perfon's goods and chattels, at 

 the time of his death, with their value appraifcd by indiffer- 

 ent perCons, which every executor or adnuiiillrator is obliged 

 to exhibit to the ordinary upon oath, if thereunto lawfully 

 required. 



By 21 Hen. VIII. c. j, executors and admin^(^r.^tc'r-. are 



to deliver in upon oath to the ordinary, iiitendeii ir.vcnloriet,' 



R r onf 



