and Light, and all Thefe Proper to the Subject. Nor will it be difficult to know Affuredly what is fo, unless with relation to the Juftness of the Drawing; but to know in the Main whether any thing is Lame, Distorted, Mif-shapen, ill Proportioned, or Flat, or on the contrary Round, and Beautiful is what any Eye that is tolerably Curious can judge of.

The Rules being Fix'd, and Certain; Whether a Picture, or Drawing has the Properties required is eafily feen, and when they are difcover'd a Man is as certain he fees what he thinks he fees as in any other Cafe where his own Senfes convey the Evidence to his Underftanding.

And by being accustomed to See, and Obferve the Best Pictures a Man may judge in what Degree these Excellencies are in That under confideration; for all things must be judg'd

judg'd of by Comparison, That will be thought the Beft that is the Beft we know of.

If a Picture has Any of the Good Properties I have been speaking of, (as None has All) we can fee Which, or How many they have, and What they are, and can tell what Rank they ought to hold in our Eftimation, and whether the Excellencies they have will atone for those they Want, as the most Delicate Pencil, the Finest Colouring, the greatest Force, (tho' these are Valuable) will not make amends for a Lewd, or Prophane Subject, a Poor and Infipid Way of Thinking, Lameness, or Stiffness, want of Harmony, and Tamenefs, Meanefs, and Ungracefulness throughout; For this would be like Good Language, and Mufical Numbers in a Poem without Senfe, Invention, Elevation, Propriety, and the Other Requisites in Poetry.

Without

Withont Principles a Man is in the Dark, and fluctuates in Uncertainty, but having These One may be Steddy, and Clear; If Care be taken to keep to them, and that we do not judge by Something else befides, or inftead of Them; and moreover that they be Solid, and Juft.

Here now is a very great Degree of Certainty to be had in by much the moft Material Branch of the Science. And That being Secured 'tis Comparatively of little Confequence of what Hand a Work is, Or whether 'tis an Original, or

not.

But Here too there are many Cafes wherein we can have an Equal Degree of Affurance as in the Former. Thus it is with respect to the Best Works of the Best Mafters, Efpecially when if 'tis a Picture, History, or Tradition confirms our Opinion; and if a Draw

ing'tis known for what Picture 'twas made: Or when we have an Opportunity (which frequently happens) of comparing One of the Same Mafter, and Manner with Aother. In the Beft Works of the Best Masters not only their Characters are evidently feen, but Here they are exalted above the poffibility of being Coppied, or Imitated fo as not to be difcovered. And befides Providence has preferved to Usa Sufficient Number of the Works of these Excellent Men whereon Securely to form our Ideas concerning them.

A like Degree of Evidence we have for the Works of those who have been great Mannerifts; and of whom we have many Pictures, or Drawings. 'Tis true a tolerable Copy of One of these Masters may at first Sight be taken for an Original, as an Imitation may be thought to be Genuine; but 'tis very rarely

found

found that the difference is not plainly discovered with a little Attention; Generally 'tis feen Immediately, and Incontestably.

There are many Sketches, or other Free-Works, whether Pictures, or Drawings of whofe Originality. we are also Absolutely Certain.

I pretend not to go through all the Cafes wherein this Affurance, or high Degree of Perfuafion is to be had, it would be too tedious. We may be Reasonably well Perfuaded in many Others; as where we have confiderable Numbers of Genuine Works of Mafters not fo Excellent, nor whofe Manners are more particularly remarkable. We may also be Thus perfuaded of those that are not the Beft of the Greateft Hands, Or Manners which they Seldom used; and that by comparing Thefe Works with Those which are indifputable: For there is in All the Mafters, tho' not in All Equally,

a cer