I fay it is the glory of the reformation, that thereby men are fet at liberty to judge for themselves: we are thus a body of free men; not the major part in fubjection to the reft. Here we are all connoiffeurs as we are Proteftants; though (as it must needs happen) fome are abler connoiffeurs than others. And we have abundantly experienced the advantages of this, fince we have thus refumed our natural rights as rational creatures. May the like reformation be made, in a matter of much lefs importance indeed, but confiderable enough to justify my wifhes and endeavours; I mean in relation to connoiffance: may every one of us in this cafe alfo be able to judge for ourselves without implicitly, and tamely refigning our underftandings to thofe who are naturally our equals, and the advantages will be proportionable. 2 A man that thinks boldly, freely, and thoroughly; that ftands upon his own legs, and fees, with his own eyes, has a firmness, and ferenity of mind, which he that is dependent upon others has not, or cannot reasonably have. Nor is he fo liable to be impofed upon: whereas others are fubject to be driven about, by the breath of men, which is always blowing ftrongly from every point of the compass. If any one tells a true connoiffeur that fuch a picture or drawing of his is a copy, or not fo good,, or of, fo good a hand, as he judges it to be or if some say one thing, and fome another, though in times paft this might have given him much uneafinefs: now,, if he fees the inconteftible marks, of an original; the unquestionable : characterittics of the hand; and judges of its goodness upon principles which he fees to be fuch as may be relied on; what is faid to the contrary disturbs not him. So if a drawing or picture be offered him, as being of the hand of the divine Rafaelle; if he is told there is undoubted, or infallible tradition for its having been in the Arundell collection, and bought by my Lord in Italy, but not till he had had it confidered by the beft judges there; and even examined in the academy of painters at Rome, in which there might probably have been fome at that time old enough to have feen thofe that had feen Rafaelle; or as an Italian writer in the hyperbolical ftyle of that nation says, had seen the Lord. Yet if this judicious connoiffeur fees in it no fine thought, no juft, nor ftrong expreffion, no truth of drawing, no good compofition, colouring, or handling; in short, neither grace, nor greatness; but that on the contrary it is evidently the work of fome bungler, the confident pretences concerning it impofe not on him; he knows it is not, it cannot poffibly be of Rafaelle. A N ESSAY ON PRINTS. CONTAINING Remarks on the moft Noted Masters, WITH CAUTIONS TO COLLECTORS, AND CRITICISMS ON PARTICULAR PIECES, WITH EXPLANATION OF THE HE most celebrated engravers in history were Albert Durer, Goltzius, Muller, Abraham Bloemart, Andrea Mantegna, Parmiggiano, Palma, Francis Paria, Andrea Andreani, of Mantua, Marc Antonio, Frederick Barocchi, Anthony Tempefta, Auguftini Carrachi, Giudo, Cantarine, Callot, Count Gaude, Salvator Rofa, Rembrandt, Peter Tefta, Michael Dorigny, or Old Dorigny, Villamena, Stephen de la Bella, La Fage, Bolfwert, Pontius, Sciaminoffi, Roman le Hooghe, Luiken, Gerrard Laireffe, Caftiglione, Vander Muilen, Otho Venius, Galeftruzi, Mellan, Oftade, Cornelius Bega, Van Tulden, Jofeph Parrocelle, Le Febre, Bellange, Claude Gillot, Watteau, Cornelius Schut, William Bauer, Coypel, Picart, Arthur Pond. Our countryman fucceeded admirably in imitations, in which he hath etched several valuable prints, particularly two oval landscapes, after Salvator; a monkey in red chalk, after Carrachi; two or three views, after Panini, and fome others equally excellent; but this practice has been fo fuccefsfully practifed by Count Caylus, an ingenious French Nobleman, that he has given excellent prints from all the masters of note. Le Clerc was an excellent engraver, in the little ftyle. Peter Bartolli etched with freedom, his capital work is Lanfrank's Gallery. John Freii was an excellent engraver, and unites foftnefs with ftrength. R. B. Auden Aerd copied many things from Carlo Maratti. S. Gribelin was a careful, laborious engraver, of no extenfive genius, but painfully exact. Le Bas etches in a clear, distinct, free manner, and has done great honour to the works of Teniers, Woverman, and Berghem, from whom he chiefly copied: the beft are after Berghem. Bifchop's etching has fomething pleafing in it, it is loofe and free, and yet poffeffes ftrength and richnefs, many of his ftatues are good figures; the drawing is not always correct, but the execution beautiful; many of the plates of his drawing book are very well, his greatest fingle work is Jofeph in Egypt, which is not without faults. Francis Perrier, his ftatues are very fpiritedly etched, with great marks of genius. Marot etched fome ftatues in a capital manner. Roettier's etchings are in a spirited bold manner, but not without an harshness. in his outline, but his drawings are generally good; few artists managea crowd better, or give it more effect, by a judicious diftribution of light: his moft capital works are the crucifixion, and affumption of the crofs. N. Dorigny, his moft capital work is the transfiguration,. which Addifon calls the nobleft print in the world; but Dorigny fo exhaufted his genius on it, that he did nothing after worth preferv.. ing; his cartons are very poor, he engraved them with affiftance in his old age. MASTERS IN PORTRAITS. REMBRANDT, in this class, certainly takes the lead, his heads are wonderful copies from nature, and perhaps the best of his works; there is great chara&ter and expreffion in them. Vanuliet followed Rembrandt's manner, which he often excelled; fome of his heads are exceedingly beautiful, the force in every feature, the roundness of the muscle, the fpirit of execution and character are all admirable. J. Lievens etches in the fame ftyle, his heads are executed with great fpirit, and deferve place in all collections of prints. The two laft artifts etched some historical prints, particularly the latter, whofe Lazarus, after Rembrandt, is a noble work. Worlidge, has very ingeniously followed Rembrandt, and fometimes improved upon him; no man under. flood the drawing of an head better; his portraits of painters are ad mirable; his portraits of Squires, the gipfey woman, and of Betty Canning, are done with great freedom, fpirit, and character; his portrait of the young Lord Pembroke, after Van Dyck, is the prettiest portrait perhaps in the world; his gems are neat and masterly, but there is a woeful defect in the drawing, his only aim in these feems neatnefs, and to make them look pretty; they are by no means equal to the Devonfhire, Marlborough, Stofh, or Gorleus's collection. Van Dyck's etchings do him great credit, they are chiefly to be found in a collection of portraits of eminent artists. Luke Vofterman is one of the beft; a very finished etching of ecce homo paffes under his name. We have a few prints of Sir Peter Lely's etching, but there is nothing in them extraordinary. R. White was the chief engraver of portraits in Charles II.'s time, but his works are miferable, they are good likeneffes, but wretched prints. White, the mezzotinto scraper, fon of the engraver, was an artist of great merit, |