ments in it's favour which the Finishing cannot Overthrow, or somuch as Weaken. Nor will the Numbers of Drawings which we have here in England, which are attributed to Raffaele, or any other Mafter be any Arguments not only against the Originality of any One of them in particular (for that for certain it cannot be) no, nor even that Some of them must be Coppies. That these Great men made vaft Numbers of Drawings is certain, and oftentimes many for the fame Work; And that they are hardly to be found in Italy is nothing to the purpofe; the Riches of England, Holland, France, and other Countries of Europe may well be fupposed to have drawn away by much the greatest Number of what Curiofities could be had. But I have no Inclination to dwell

upon

upon fuch a poor, and low wây of Arguing, and fo Unworthy of a Connoiffeur; Let us judge from the things Themselves, and what we See, and Know, and Thus Only.

A

I. There are fome Pictures, and Drawings which are feen to be Originals, tho' the Hand, and Manner of Thinking are neither of them known,and that by the Spirit, and Freedom of them: which fomtimes appears to fuch a degree as to Affure us 'tis impoffible they fhould be Coppies. But we cannot fay on the contrary when we fee a Tame, Heavy Handling that 'tis not Original meerly upon That account, because there have been many Bad Originals, and fome Good Mafters have fallen Into a Feebleness of Hand, especially in their Old Age. Somtimes there appears fuch a Y 2 Na

with

Nature, together fomuch Liberty that this is a further evidence of the Originallity of fuch Works. There is Another, and a more Masterly way of judging, and that is by comparing the Unknown Hand, and Manner of Thinking one with another. The Invention, and Difpofition of the Parts in a Coppy, andSome of the Expreffion always remains, and are the fame as in the Original; Let Thefe be compar'd with the Airs of the Heads, the Grace, and Greatness, the Drawing, and Handling; if These be all of a piece, and fuch as we can believe All may be the Work of the fame perfon 'tis probable 'tis an Original, at least we cannot pronounce it to be Otherwife. But if we fee a Wife, and Ingenious Invention, a judicious Difpofition, but want of Harmony; Graceful, and Noble Actions,

but

but Ill perform'd, filly Airs of Heads, Bad Drawing, a Low Taft of Colouring, and a Timerous, or Heavy Hand, This we may be Affured is a Coppy in a degree proportionable to the difference we fee in the Head, and Hand that contributed to the production of this Linfey Woolfey performance.

II. To know whether a Picture, or Drawing be of the Hand of fuch a Master, or After him One must be fo well acquainted with the Hand of that Mafter as to be able to distinguish what is Genuine, from what is not fo; The Best Counterfeiter of Hands cannot do it fo well as to deceive a good Connoiffeur; the Handling, the Colouring, the Drawing the Airs of Heads, Some, nay All of these discover the Author; More, or Lefs Easily however as the Manner of the Mafter happens

to

to be; What is highly Finished (for Example) is more eafily Imitated than what is Loose, and Free.

'Tis impoffible for any one to transform himself imediatly, and become exactly Another Man ; a hand that has been always moving in a certain manner cannot at Once, or by a few Occafional Effays get into a different kind of motion, and be as Perfect at it as he that practices it continually: 'Tis the fame in Colouring, and Drawing; they are as impoffible to be Counterfeited as the Handling: Every Man will Naturally, and Unavoidably mix Somthing of Himfelf in all he does if he Coppies. with any degree of Liberty: If he attempts to follow his Original Servilely, and Exactly, That cannot but have a Stiffnefs which will casily distinguish what is Só dóne

from