Smith, John: A catalogue raisonné of the works of the most eminent Dutch, Flemish, and French painters: in which is included a short biographical notice of the artists, with a copious description of their principal pictures : a statement of the prices at which such pictures have been sold at public sales on the continent and in England; a reference the the galleries and private collections in which a large portion are at present; and the names of the artists by whom they have been engraved; to which is added, a brief notice of the scholars & imitators of the great masters of the above schools (Part 8) (London: Smith and Son, 1837)

xliv THE LIFE OF
“ I am in some sense sufficiently informed os the
■“ liberties permitted to a painter in the objects he is
£< desirous of representing, that he may, as best suits
“ his purpose, depict them as they have been, as they
“ are, or as they may be. It appears to me that the
“ place where the miracle was persormed, must have
££ been such as I have representedit; for otherwise,
“ the water could not be collected in a body sufficient
“ to supply the wants of so many people, but would
“ have been dispersed on all sides. If, at the creation
“ of the world, the Earth had received one uniform
££ figure, destitute of beds or channels to contain the
“ waters, its surface would have been wholly covered
££ with that element, and consequently rendered unfit
“ for animals. God in the beginning so disposed every
££ thing with such order and suitableness to the end,
“ for which his work was perfected. Thus, in events
“ of a like importance to that of Moses striking
££ the rock, one may easily suppose that other con-
“ curring wonders would accompany them; hence as
“ it is not easy for every one to judge correctly, they
££ ought to be cautious, and not decide too rashly.”
In 1650 he produced the admirable picture of Christ
healing the blind men of Jericho, which for beauty of
composition, correctness of drawing, and sorce of ex-
pression, is perhaps unrivalled. Many friends of the
artist at Paris had long wished to have his portrait,
and he had signified his wish to oblige them, but there
were few painters at Rome who attempted portraiture,
and the only one capable os doing it well was Monsieur
Mignard: in reserence to this subject he wrote to