( 2*3 ) 
if feverai Men, cloathed in feveral very different and glaring Colours, be placed on a 
aidant Mountain’s Edge, juft within the utmoft Reach of the Eye, we may dif- 
cover thefe Men as Objects diftindt from each other, but without any other Colour 
than what is caufed by feeing them through a great Space of greyifh Air ; fo that 
very aidant Objects, may properly be faid, to have neither Light, Shadow nor 
Colour. Any common Obferver may perceive, when he commands an extenfive 
Profped, where there are Ranges of didant Hills one behind another, that the mod 
didant are of a flat, faint, bluifh Colour, without any lighter or darker Parts, and 
confequently without any diflindt Objeds vifible on them; therefore, if you 
would make a Pidure appear like Nature, your greated Didances mud be faint. 
Thofe Hills that lie a little nearer may fhew fome fmall Didindion between 
Wood-Lands, and the bare Surface of the Ground; on others dill nearer we may 
didinguifh Churches and Villages, till we come nearer dill, where particular Houfes, 
Men and Cattle may be perceived, and fo on, till we fee didindly every vifible Ob- 
jed about us. 
A Theory of this Sort is abfolutely neceflary in every Painter who would imi¬ 
tate Nature in almod any Refped. To run it over again; from a near View to 
a didant Place, let your fil'd, or neared Objeds, have pure and bright Colours, 
according as the Nature of the Subjeds require. Thefe fhould be finifhed with great 
Lights and drong Shadows: Thofe at a little Didance fhould be fomething lefs 
bright in their Ground-Colours, not fo high in their Lights, or fo deep in their 
Shadows ; and as they are farther didant, they fhould diminifh more in the Purity 
of Colour, as well as in Light and Shadow, till they have neither Light, Shadow, 
Colour, or didind Form; for all is confufed and mixed at very great Didances. 
As one goes backwards in a Pidure, much Finifhing is to be fpared; the Win¬ 
dows of a Houfe are not fuppofed to be vifible at fome Miles Didance, 
though the Houfe in its general Form may be feen: As to little Ornaments in 
Drefs, they are always to be let alone, if a Figure be at any Didance, for we 
know that the Buttons on a Man’s Coat, or a Lady’s Trinkets, are invifible at a 
little Didance, 
In fpeaking of Colours, I dial! not perplex the Reader, as the common Books 
on the Subjed of Drawing, &c. have done; which tell you what to mix together 
for a Ship, Trees, the Earth, a Brick Houfe, Lyon, Fox, &c. for thefe Particulars 
are trifling and fuperfluous. The Way to Colour well is, when we are provided with 
all neceflary Colours, to confult the natural Colours of the Objeds we v/ould repre- 
fient; then by cading the Eye over the Colours we have ready prepared, it is very 
likely we may find fomething that in many Cafes will ferve our Turn, pure and un¬ 
mixed ; but if we cannot, let us confider the Colours in a compound Senfe. We 
have an Objed, for Example, which is Purple; amongfl our Colours we do not find 
that, but by mixing Red and Blue it is produced. Blue and Yellow, produce 
Green. Red and Yellow, make an Orange-Colour. Red, Blue and Yellow, make 
Browns and Cloth-Colours of all Kinds, by varying the Quantities of each ; fo that 
Red, Blue and Yellow, by a Compound of fome two of them, produce the fine 
Colours, viz. Purple, Green, and Orange-Colour; and the three primary Colours, 
Red, 
