Spence, Joseph; Tindal, Nicholas [Editor]; Dodsley, James [Oth.]: A Guide To Classical Learning: Or, Polymetis Abridged: Containing, I. By Way of Introduction, the Characters of the Latin Poets and their Work ... II. An Inquiry concerning the Agreement between the Works of the Roman Poets and the Remains of the Antient Artists ... Being a Work absolutely necessary, not only for the Right Understanding of the Classics, but also for forming in Young Minds a True Taste for the Beauties of Poetry, Sculpture, and Painting (London: Printed for J. Dodsley, 1786)

PREFACE.
to be acquainted with the true nature of
the machinery of the antients, thati’t was
built upon the universal belief in those
days that man could do nothing of
himself, but was actuated in every thing
by the direction of some god or other, and
that, in consequence of this single princi-
ple, a proper deity might be introduced
to help on any fadt in which he was sup-
posedto be particularly concerned.
When thus taught, the young student
will see not only our artists but our poets,
for want of a true idea of the antient alle-
gories and machinery, grossly defective in
their allegorical representations; he will
see them guilty of multiplicity, impropri-
ety, and obscurity, and often representing
persons and things with something incon-
sistent with their nature5 he will see the
great Rubens himself, so famous for allego-
ries, painting Hope with her anchor on her
fhoulder; a lady with a ship on her head;
Justice grasping a bundle of ssames, with
her scales in the same handc,—He will
see even the divine Raphael representing
c See the author’s remarks on the cieling at
Whitehall and the Luxemburg gallery in the ap»
pendix.

Apollo.,