But thefe advantages are fmall, compared 
to thofe derived from the knowlege of nature 
in the ideal part: painting is an imitation of 
nature; now, who can imitate without con- 
fulting the original ? but to come to what is 
more particularly the objedf of our inquiries ; 
animal and vegetable life are the effence of 
lanfcape, and often are fecondary objects in 
hiftorical paintings. Correct defign is enough 
for the fculptor; but the painter fhould know 
their different connections, manner of living, 
and places of abode, or he will fall into mani- 
feft abfurdities : the authority of Frefnoy will 
ferve to confirm our opinion. 
Plurimus inde labor tabulas imitando juvabit 
Egregias, operumque typos, fed plura docebit 
Natura ante oculos praefens, nam firraat et auget 
Vim genii, ex illaque artem experientia complet.* 
Defcriptive poetry is ftill more indebted to na¬ 
tural knowlege, than either painting or fculp- 
ture : the poet has the whole creation for his 
range ; nor can his. art exift without borrow¬ 
ing metaphors, allufions, or defcriptions from 
the face of nature, which is the only fund of 
great ideas. The depths of the feas, the in¬ 
ternal caverns of the earth, and the planetary 
fyftem are out of the painter’s reach ; but can 
* 
fupply the poet with the fublimeft conceptions: 
nor is the knowlege of animals and vegetables 
lefs requifite, while his creative pen adds life 
and motion to every objeCL 
From hence it will be eafily inferred, that an 
acquaintance with the works of nature is equal¬ 
ly neceffary to form a genuine and correct 
tafte for either of the above mentioned arts. 
Tafte is no more than a quick fenfibility of ima¬ 
gination refined by judgement, and corre&ed 
* De arte graph, lin. 537, 
by experience; but experience is another 
term for knowlege *, and to judge of natural 
images, we mult acquire the fame knowlege, 
and by the fame means as the painter, the 
poet, or the fculptor. 
% * 
Thus far natural hiftory in general feems 
connected with the polite arts ; but were we 
to defcend into all its particular ufes in common 
life, we fhould infallibly exceed the bounds 
of a preface : it will be therefore neceffary to 
confine our inquiries to the invefligation of a 
. 
fingle part of the material world, which few 
are fo ignorant as not to know is divided into 
c? 
the animal, vegetable, and foffil kingdoms. 
Vaft would be the extent of the inquiries 
into each of thefe ; but tho’ ambition may 
tempt us to aim at the height of fcience, yet, 
a little experience will open to our views the 
immenfe trades of natural knowlege, and we 
fhall find we can only inveftigate a fingle pro- 
vince, fo as to fpeak with truth and certain¬ 
ty ; without which there can be no real know- 
lege, 
For thefe reafons, a partial examination of 
this fcience is all that a confiderate mind will 
aim at; and furely a confiderate mind will give 
the preference to the molt exalted fubjedf of it. 
‘V 
Zoology is the nobleft part of natural hifto¬ 
ry, as it comprehends all fenfitive beings, from 
reafpning man, through every fpecies of animal 
life, till it defcends to that point where fenfe 
is wholly extindt, and vegetation commences : 
and certainly none will deny, that life, and 
voluntary motion are fuperior to a meer vege¬ 
tating principle, or the more inactive ftate of 
the foffil kingdom. Should 
* See the eflay on the origin of our ideas of the fublime and 
beautiful. 
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