[ >7 3 
Thefe are the four capital Pieces ; and they are 
fo extremely well executed, that Don Francefco de 
la Vega , a Painter, whom the King of Naples fent 
for from Rome , as one of the beft Hands, to take 
Draughts of thefe Paintings, told me, that if Raphael 
were now alive, he would be glad to fludy the 
Drawings, and perhaps rake Lclfons from them. 
Nothing can be more juft and corred : The Mufcles 
are molt exadly and foftly mark’d, every one in its 
own Place, without any of that preternatural Swell- 
ing, which is fo much over-done in fome of the beft 
Italian Mafters, that all their Men are made to ap- 
pear like Hercules. It is furpriftng how frefh all the 
Colours of thefe Pidures are, confidering that they 
have been under ground above i<5yo Years ; befides 
the Years they flood, before they were covered by 
the Eruption, which cannot be exadly determined. 
Thefeus in the firft, 'and the naked Figures in the 
fecond Piece, are a good deal upon the red Colour ; 
but the Women and Children are of as foft and mel- 
low flefh Colours as if painted in Oil. The third 
and fourth are fo highly finifh’d, that you can fcarcclv 
dilcern whether they are done in Water or Oil- 
colours. The laft plcafed me moftj the Compo- 
fition is good j the Attitudes natural, and of fine 
Kinds ; the different Characters juftly exprefs’d ; the 
Drawing and Drapery exquifite j and, the’ done in 
Water, with only two or three Colours at moftj 
yet the Light and Shade are fo artfully managed, 
that the Figures are quite out of the Surface. The 
Connoifieurs prefer the third, or the Centaur. 
C 
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