y Bodies of polish'd or transparent tone, Of metal, crystal, iv'ry, wood, or stone; And all whose rough unequal parts are rear'd,505 The shaggy fleece, thick fur, or bristly beard; The liquid too; the sadly melting eye,

The well-comb'd locks that wave with glossy

dye;

Plumage and silks; a floating form that take, Fair Nature's mirrour, the extended lake;

510

With what immers'd thro' its calm medium

shines

By reflex light, or to its surface joins ;
These first with thin and even shades portray,
Then, on their flatness strike th' enlivening ray,
Bright and distinct,—and last, with strict review,
Restore to every form its outline true.

516

Lævia quæ lucent, veluti crystalla, metalla, Ligna, ossa, et lapides; villosa, ut vellera, pelles, Barbæ, aqueique oculi, crines, holoserica, plumæ ; Et liquida, ut stagnans aqua, reflexæque sub undis Corporeæ species, et aquis contermina cuncta, Subter ad extremum liquidè sint picta, superque Luminibus percussa suis, signisque repostis.

Y XLIV. Of certain Things relating to the practical part.

375

2 XLIV. Quædam circa Praxim.

a

By mellowing skill thy ground at distance

cast,

Free as the air, and transient as its blast ;

There all thy liquid colours sweetly blend, There all the treasures of thy palette spend, 520 And every form retiring to that ground

Of hue congenial to itself compound.

b The hand that colours well, must colour bright;

Hope not that praise to gain by sickly white; But amply heap in front each splendid dye, 525 Then thin and light withdraw them from the eye,

d

Area, vel campus tabulæ vagus esto, levisque

Abscedat latus, liquidèque bene unctus amicis
Tota ex mole coloribus, unâ sive patellâ ;

Quæque cadunt retro in campum, confinia campo.

e

Vividus esto color, nimio non pallidus albo ; Adversisque locis ingestus plurimus, ardens:

Sed levitèr parcèque datus vergentibus oris.

380

* Cuncta labore simul coëant, velut umbrâ in eâdem,

So let thy pencil fling its beams around,

435

Nor e'er with darker shades their force con

found.

For shades too dark dissever'd shapes will give, And sink the parts their softness would relieve;; Then only well reliev'd, when like a veil Round the full lights the wand'ring shadows.

steal;

440

Then only justly spread, when to the sight A breadth of shade pursues a breadth of light. This charm to give, great Titian wisely made The cluster'd grapes his rule of light and shade. b White, when it shines with unstain'd lustre clear,

May bear an object back, or bring it near;

Corpora sed circum umbra cavis latitabit oberrans ;
Atquè ita quæretur lux opportuna figuris,
Ut late infusum lumen lata umbra sequatur.
Unde, nec immeritò, fertur Titianus ubique
Lucis et umbrarum normam appellâsse racemum.

C

445

326

Purum album esse potest propiusque magisque

remotum :

330

D XXXIV. Of White • XXXIV. Album et

and Black.

Nigrum.

Aided by black it to the front aspires,

That aid withdrawn it distantly retires;
But black unmix'd, of darkest midnight hue,
Still calls each object nearer to the view. 450

• Whate'er we spy thro' colour'd light or air,
A stain congenial on their surface bear,
While neighb'ring forms by joint reflection give
And mutual take the dyes that they receive.
* But where on both alike one equal light
Diffusive spreads, the blending tints unite.
For breaking colours thus (the ancient phrase
By Artists used) fair Venice claims our praise:

455

Cum nigro antevenit propiùs; fugit absq; remotum ; Purum autem nigrum antrorsum venit usque propinquum.

Lux fucata suo tingit miscetque colore

f

332

Corpora, sicque suo, per quem lux funditur, aër.
Corpora juncta simul, circumfusosque colores 335
Excipiunt, propriumque aliis radiosa reflectunt.
Pluribus in solidis liquidâ sub luce propinquis,
Participes, mixtosque simul decet esse colores.
Hanc normam Veneti pictores ritè sequuti,

• Mix'd with that simple unity of shade,
As all were from one single palette spread.
h Much will the mirrour teach, or evening gray,
When o'er some ample space her twilight ray 530
Obscurely gleams; hence art shall best perceive
On distant parts what fainter hues to give.
Whate'er the form which our first glance
commands,

Whether in front or in profile he stands,
Whether he rule the group, or singly reign, 535
Or shine at distance on some ample plain,
On that high-finish'd form let Paint bestow
Her midnight shadow, her meridian glow.

k

m

Tota siet tabula ex unâ depicta patellâ.

Multa ex naturâ speculum præclara docebit ;
'Quæque procul sero spatiis spectantur in amplis.
Dimidia effigies, quæ sola, vel integra plures
Ante alias posita ad lucem, stat proxima visu,
Et latis spectando locis, oculisque remota,
Luminis umbrarumque gradu sit picta supremo,

XLVIII. The Picture to be of one Piece.

h XLIX. The Looking GlassthePainter'sbest Master.

L. A half Figure or a whole one before others,

386

390

* XLVIII. Ex una pa. tella sit tabula.

1.

XLIX. Speculum Pic

torum Magister.

m

L. Dimidia Figura, vel integra, ante alias,