The rest of the Mafters are Generally of a Middle Class, not fo Eafily known as the Former, nor with so much Difficulty as the Latter.

There is but one Way to come to the Knowledge of Hands; And that is To furnifh our Minds with as Juft, and Compleat Ideas of the Mafters (not as Men at large; but meerly as Painters) as we can : And in proportion as we do Thus we fhall be good Connoiffeurs in This particular.

For when we judge who is the Author of any Picture, or Drawing, we do the fame thing as when we fay who such a Portrait resembles; In That cafe we find the Picture answers to the Idea we have laid up in our Minds of fuch a Face; fo here we compare the work under confideraP 2

tion

tion with the Idea we have of the Manner of fuch a Mafter, and perceive the Similitude.

And as we judge of the refemblance of a Picture by the Idea we have of the Perfon whether Prefent, or Abfent, (for we cannot fee both at the fame Inftant,) juft fo we do in the Prefent cafe, tho' we compare that in queftion with one, or more works allowed to be of the same Master, which we have before us at the fame time.

Thefe Ideas of the feveral Ma fters are to be had from Hiftory, and from their Works.

The Former of Thefe give us General Ideas of Thefe Great Men as to the Turn of their Minds, the Extent of their Capacity; the Variations of their Styles, How their Characters were fingly, or

as

as compar'd one with another, €5°c.

And as the Defcription of a Picture is a part of the History of the Master, a Copy, or a Print after fuch a one may be confider'd as a more Exact, and Perfect Description of it than can be given by Words; These are of great Advantage, in giving us an Idea of the Manner of Thinkof that Mafter, and this in proportion as fuch a Print, or Copy happens to be. And there is One Advantage which Thefe have in This matter, which even the Works themselves have not; And that is, In Those commonly their Other Qualities divert, and divide our Attention, and perhaps Sometimes Byafs us in their favour throughout; As who that fees the Vaftness of Style,

and

and profound Skill in Defigning of Michelangelo; Or the Fine Colouring, and Brave Pencil of Paolo Veronefe can forbear being Prejudiced in favour of the Extravagance, and Indecorum of the One, and the Other's Neglect of Hiftory, and the Antique; whereas in These what one fees of the Manner of Thinking of the Mafter one fees Naked, and without danger of being Prejudiced by any other Excellencies in the Work it felf.

But 'tis on the Works Themfelves we must Chiefly, and Ultimately depend, not only as Expofitors of the Hiftories of the Mafters, but as carrying us much further, principally by giving us Ideas which no Words poffibly can, being fuch for which we have no Name, and which

can

cannot be communicated but by the things themselves; Nor probably can even Thofe give You Exactly the fame I have, as I shall not conceive as You do, tho' we see the thing, and confider it together at the fame Inftant of time.

History will inform us of fome Particulars which are Neceffary to be known, and which we could not learn from their Works, but with This Alone 'twould be impoffible to be a Connoiffeur in Hands; And what is worse we shall be frequently Milled if we Truft too much to the Ideas we receive from thence. History, whether Written or Traditional commonly gives us Exalted Characters of Great Men ; He of whom the Hiftorian treats is his Hero for That time, and

'tis