ginning, Progrefs, and Completion; their feveral various Ways of Thinking; their different Manners of Expreffing their Thoughts; the Ideas they have of Beauty in Visible Objects; and what Accuracy, and Readinefs of Hand they had in Expreffing what they conceiv'd. Here we fee the Steps they made in Some of their Works, their Diligence, CareJeffness, or other Inequalities, the Variation of their Styles, and abundance of other Circumftances relating to them. If therefore Hiftory, if the Hiftory of the Arts; If the Hiftory of the particular Artists, if these are worthy of a Gentleman; This part of the History, Thus written, where almost Every Page, Every Character is an Inftance of the Beauty, and Excellency of the Art, and of the admirable Qualities of the Men of whom it treats is alfo well worthy his Perufal, and Study.

I will conclude this Branch of my Argument relating to the Dignity of Painting, and Connoiffance, with obferving That those of the Greatest Quality have not thought it Unworthy of them to practise, not the Latter only, but the Other. And that if it is not yet a Diminution of Such a One's Character Not to be a Connoiffeur, 'tis an Addition to it if he Is; and is judg'd to be fo by Every body. And Some Such we have of our own Nation, who are Distinguish'd not only by their Births, and Fortunes, but by other the most Amiable Qualities that justly endear them to all that have the Honour, and Happiness of Knowing them, and being Known to them, if withall they have any Senfe of Virtue, Integrity, Honour, Love of ones Countrey, and other Noble Qualities, which thofe Illuftrious Connoiffeurs poffefs in so Eminent a Degree.

Sect.

SECT. II.

In order to fhew what Rank the Science I am recommending holds amongst the rest with respect to the Certainty, and Degrees of Probability to be had in it, it will be neceffary to take a Survey of the State of Mankind with respect to the Extent of their Knowledge in General.

And here I fhall only fet down what I perceive paffes in my Own Mind, and abroad in the World fo far as I can judge; and having no particular Notion, or Syftem to propagate, or Defend; no Interest to ferve separate from that of Truth, I fhall do it Honeftly; and I will do it as Clearly, and Briefly as I can; without entering into the Meanders of the Learned, and hardly taking any Notice of that Cloud of Duft that Idle, Interested, or Prejudiced Men may raife by Objections which can never be wanting,

(efpe

(especially if the Confequences any thing that is advanced may have on fomething already eftablifh'd, but not Self Evident, or Bottom'd on what is so be admitted as Such) but which can have no Force against Experience, and Fact, against Plain, and Evident Truth. What we call Knowledge is the Affent of the Understanding to a Propofition as True.

We never Affent to any Propofition 'till we have first (Explicitly, or Implicitly) Affented to these Previous ones; We are inform'd Sufficiently, and have Confider'd Enough: Or we Affent Conditionally, that is, fuppofing these two things are done, and This abates the Degree of our Affent proportionably.

Affent is in Various Degrees, the highest of which is without any mixture of Doubt; and thus we are faid to Know, and be Affured as

in

in what is Self-Evident, or Clearly Demonftrated; All the reft has this Alloy; Doubting being underftood as oppos'd to Certainty, not to Perfuafion. Thus the Inexhauftible Fountain of Light, and Truth pours forth his Streams of communicated Light which we receive Pure in Self-Evident Principles, but as the Current paffes on 'tis Sully'd; and grows weaker, and weaker, and from Knowledge becomes Opinion, beginning with the highest Degree of Probability, and after a long train ends in that faint Perfuafion next bordering upon the Equili brium of the Mind, the Uncomfortable Region of Doubt and Sufpenfion.

This Variety of Affent is the neceffary Confequence of the Variety of Evidence, or the Appearance It has to our Understandings, and our Unavoidably Affenting as directed by Evidence. That