[ i57 ] 
hiflory-piece, containing 4 figures, that have fome 
exprefiion in their faces ; but even thefe befl, if they 
were modern performances, would hardly be thought 
worthy of a place in a garret. T here are about a 
dozen little pieces, of women dancing, centaurs, &c. 
the attitudes of which are very genteel, and the draw- 
ing pretty ; but the fhading is terrible daubing. 
The colouring, that has been fo much talk’d of, 
is allow’d to be furprifingly frefh, and well preferv’d, 
conlidering how long it has been done ; but the 
painters of them feem to have been maflers of only a 
very few fimple colours, and thofe not very good 
ones. The red is the brightefl and bell. The lava 
was found flicking on to all the painting j which, as 
fome think, has helped to preferve it. The paint is 
liable to be rubbed off} to prevent w r hich inconve- 
nience, they have flightly varnifhed it. 
The defigns of the greatefl part of thefe paintings 
are fo flrange and uncouth, that it is difficult, and 
almofl impoffible, to guefs what was aimed at. A 
vafl deal of it looks like fuch Chinefe borders and 
ornaments, as we fee painted upon fkreens. There 
are great numbers of little figures, dancing upon ropes } 
fome few fmall bad landfcapes ; and fome very odd 
pieces, either emblematical, or perhaps only the 
painter’s whim. Of which laffc the writer gives two 
fpecimens 5 one, of a grafshopper driving a parrot } 
the other, of a vafl great head, in the midfl of what 
feems to have been intended for a green field encom- 
paffed with an hedge. 
All the paintings are either upon black or red 
grounds : and fuch, that the writer cannot help fufpedt- 
ing, that it is their antiquity alone, that has recom- 
mended 
