fuch as the Style of Thinking, Manner of the Compofition, Way of Folding the Draperyes, Airs of Heads; Handling of the Pen, Chalk, or Pencil; Colouring, &c. that 'tis no difficult matter to fix upon fuch peculiarities of each Mafter in fome one, or more of these as to form a clear, and diftinct Idea of them: If they refemble one another in Some things, in Others the Difference will be more apparent: The Colouring of several of the Masters of the Venetian School have been like one another, but Titian's Majefty, Tintoret's Fiercenefs, Baffan's Rufticity, Paolo Veronefe's Magnificence, have eminently diftinguifh'd them: As do the particular fhapes of the Legs, and Fingers of Parmeggi

ano;

ano; the firmnefs of the Contours and vaftnefs of Styleof Michelangelo, the remarkable kind of Drapery, and Hair of Giulio, the Divine Airs of the Heads of Raffaele; and fo of the others: Every one of them have fomething whereby they are more especially known; and which may be obferv'd by converfing with their Works, but cannot be express'd by Words.

In forming our Ideas of the Mafters on their Works Care must be taken of fuch of them as have been Coppied, Wholly, or in Part from Other Masters; or are Imitations of them. A Connoiffeur therefore muft obferve howmuch is every Man's Own, and what is not fo. Battišta Franco (for Example) drew

from

from the Antique, after Raffaebel Michelangelo, Polydoro, ct You feadiéfamefmall Pen throughout, That is always shis Own, but the mennebof Thinking cannot be fo Not is the Handling always His Intirely because he has Sometimes Imitated that of the Mafter he has Coppy'd } as when he has in Drawing Coppy'd a Drawing and not a Paintings nort the Antique: but neither is it then Intirely that of him he Coppyes, but Bardly his Own: Thefe Oc cafionial Manners must not make a part of our Ideas of the Malters, unless confider'd as Such. rigTo compleat out Ideas of the Masters notis neceffany to take in their whole Lives, and to obferve their fevenal Kariations fo far bei due poffibly can. Tis true he thad knows any One Manner of

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a Master may judge well of the Works he meets with in that Manner, but no farther. And the Mischief is Men are apt to confine their Ideas of the Mafter to fo much only as they Know, or have Conceiv'd of him; fo that when any thing appears different from That they attri bute it to fome Other, or pronounce 'tis not of Him; as h that fixes only upon the Roman Manner of Raffaele will be apt to do by a Work of his done before he was call'd to Rome ; Or if he builds his Ideas only on the Beft Works of that Great Man he will reject the Others, and afcribe them to fome Other Hand Known, or Unknown.

There is none of the Mafters but must have had their First, their Middle, and their Latter,

Times: Generally (tho' not always) their Beginnings have been Moderately Good, and their Latter Works (when they have Happen'd to out-live themfelves, and to decay, thro' Age, or Infirmities), are like what their Bodies then were, they have no more of their former Beauty, and Vigour. If they dy'd Early their Latter Time was Probably the Beft; Michelangelo, Titian, and Carlo Maratti, Liv'd, and Painted to a very Great Age; Raffaele dove

> Dropt from the Zenith like a falling Star. reli ayno way to diff [Milton.]

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Other Men by Slow, and Eafy Steps advance in their Improvements He flew from one Degree

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