pal things that in the first place are to be regarded. There is better Graving, a finer Burin in ma ny Worthless Prints than in those of Marc Antonio, but thofe of Him that come after Raffaele are Generally more esteem'd than even those which are Grav'd by the Mafters themselves; tho' the Expression, the Grace, and Greatnefs, and other Properties wherein that Inimitable Man fo much excell'd all Mankind appear to be but Faintly mark'd if compar'd with what Raffaele himself has done; yet even That Shaddow. of Him has Beauties that Touch the Soul beyond what the Best Original Works of Most of the Other Masters tho' very confiderable ones can do: And this must be faid too,that tho' Marc Antonio's Gravings come far short of what Raffaele himfelf did, all others A a that that have made Prints after Raffaele come vaftly fhort of Him, because He has Better imitated what is moft Excellent in that Beloved, Wonderful Man than any Other has done. The Prints Etch'd by the Mafters Themselves; fuch as those of Parmeggiano, Annibale Caracci, and Guido Reni, (who are the Chief of thofe of whom we have Works of This kind) are Confiderable upon the Same Account; not for the Handling, but the Spirit, the Expreffion, the Drawing, and other the most Excellent Properties of a Picture, or Drawing; tho' by the Nature of the Work they are not equal to what they have done in Those ways of Working. And 'tis further to be obferv'd, that as Prints cannot be fo good as Drawings they abate in the Good Goodness they have by the Wearing of the Plates; They thus become to have Lefs Beauty, Lefs Spirit, the Expreffion is Fainter, the Airs of the Heads are loft, and the Whole is the worfe in proportion as the Plate is worn : Unless it be too Hard at first, and then thofe Prints are the Better that are taken after that Hardnefs is worn off. It were much to be wish'd that all who have apply'd themselves to the Coppying of Other mens Works by Prints (of what Kind foever) had more ftudied to become Maflers in those Branches of Science which are neceffary to a Painter (except what are Peculiar to Them as fuch) than they have Generally done; their Works would Then have been much more defirable than they are. Some few indeed have done This, and their A a 2 and Prints are Efteem'd accordingly. To conclude; It must be ob ferved to the Advantage of Prints as compar'd with Drawings; tho' they are by no means Equal to them upon Other accounts (as has been already noted) they are usually done from the Finish'd Works of the Mafters, and fo are their Laft,their utmost Thoughts on the Subject, whatever it be. So much for Prints. There is one Qualification abfolutely neceffary to him that would know Hands, and diftinguish Coppies from Originals; As it alfo is fo whofoever would judge well of the Goodness of a Picture, or Drawing: Or indeed of any thing elfe whatsoever, And with which therefore I will finish this Difcourfe; and that is, He must know how, and Accustom himself to Take in, Retain, and Manage Clear, and Diftinét Ideas. Το To be able to diftinguish betwixt too things of a Different Species (efpecially if thofe are very much unlike)is what the most Stupid Creature is capable of, as to fay This is an Oak, and That a Willow; but to come into a Forrest of a thousand Oaks, and to know how to distinguish any One leaf of all thofe Trees from any other whatsoever, and to form fo clear an Idea of that one, and to retain it so clean as (if occafion be) to know it folong as its Charecteristicks remain requires better Faculties than every one is Master of; And yet This may certainly be done. To fee the difference between a fine Metaphysical notion, and a Dull Jest ; Or between a Demonftration, and an Argument but just Probable, These are things which he that cannot do is rather a Brute, than |