The artists repository and drawing magazine: exhibiting the principles of the polite arts in their various branches (2.1788)

[ i46 ]

and his abilities, as to require an appeal to our avowed
principles, as above, whenever his performances come
under our notice. This only we wifh to add further,
that in general, his explanations of his'principles muft
rather be taken liberally than literally.

We have obferved in many didactic treatifes, what
appears to us a confiderable evil in the method taken to
elucidate particular incidents; we mean, the feledting
the exemplars from a diftant, and perhaps not always
well known mafter, or performance. We recommend
to inftructors, to introduce fuch objects as are familiar,
when they mean to illuftrate a precept. All the world
knows the cartoons of Rafaelle, but not half the world
can judge with what propriety he is faid by Sir Joshua,
to have imitated Mafaccio ; nor to what degree he did
fo, fmce accident very often produces a fimilarity be-
tween the works of Artifts, where fuch opportunity
never occurred.

If Sir J. had mingled among the humbler groups of
his auditory, it is poffible, he might have heard enquiries
not very diftant from the principle of this obfervation.
In fact, we ourfelves remember to have read with
avidity, yet with difguft, the defcriptions of the School
of Athens, and of the works of Cavalier Zumbo:
a difguft which did not ceafe, after having infpected the
compofitions of Rafaelle, and Les ouvrages en circ

We apprehend no one can improve, unlefs he fees
with bis own eyes \ they muft determine between contra-
dictory opinions. ' The ancients appear to have drawn
from themfelves, not to have copied each other,' fays Ho-
garth, whofe words were applicable to his own practice

and