344 



The emperor, you know, was a dilettante 

 in painting, as well as in philosophy, hav- 

 ing actually studied the practical part of 

 the art under Diognotus : this would na- 

 turally make him attend to those objects 

 which have an effect in- painting, such as 

 the brow of the lion, the foam of the boar: 

 and that the ancients were struck with the 

 effect of foam in a picture, we may infer 

 from the story of Apelles ; which, by the 

 way, is a very good instance of accident 

 having performed, what design could not. 

 You remember, that after trying in vain to 

 paint the foam of a horse in the regular 

 way, he threw his sponge at the picture in 

 despair; and by that lucky accident pro- 

 duced an effect of foam, which was the 

 admiration of all who saw it. I am very 

 fond of this anecdote, for it agrees, with my 

 doctrine, that accident is a principal agent 

 in producing picturesque circumstances." 



" I will own," said Mr. Seymour, " that 

 I should have some scruple in making ac- 

 cident so very active an agent ; for, accord- 

 ing to its etymology, which, I think, should 



