d　to　repeat　what　he　has　before　often　repeated。　When　we　know　the　subject　designed　by　such　men；　it　will　never　be　difficult　to　guess　what　kind　of　work　is　to　be　produced。
  It　is　vain　for　painters　or　poets　to　endeavour　to　invent　without　materials　on　which　the　mind　may　work；　and　from　which　invention　must　originate。　　Nothing　can　come　of　nothing。
  Homer　is　supposed　to　be　possessed　of　all　the　learning　of　his　time。　And　we　are　certain　that　Michael　Angelo　and　Raffaelle　were　equally　possessed　of　all　knowledge　in　the　art　which　was　discoverable　in　the　works　of　their　predecessors。
  A　mind　enriched　by　an　assemblage　of　all　the　treasures　of　ancient　and　modern　art　will　be　more　elevated　and　fruitful　in　resources　in　proportion　to　the　number　of　ideas　which　have　been　carefully　collected　and　thoroughly　digested。　　There　can　be　no　doubt　that　he　who　has　the　most　materials　has　the　greatest　means　of　invention；　and　if　he　has　not　the　power　of　using　them；　it　must　proceed　from　a　feebleness　of　intellect　or　from　the　confused　manner　in　which　those　collections　have　been　laid　up　in　his　mind。
  The　addition　of　other　men's　judgment　is　so　far　from　weakening；　as　is　the　opinion　of　many；　our　own；　that　it　will　fashion　and　consolidate　those　ideas　of　excellence　which　lay　in　their　birth　feeble；　ill…shaped；　and　confused；　but　which　are　finished　and　put　in　order　by　the　authority　and　practice　of　those　whose　works　may　be　said　to　have　been　consecrated　by　having　stood　the　test　of　ages。
  The　mind；　or　genius；　has　been　compared　to　a　spark　of　fire　which　is　smothered　by　a　heap　of　fuel　and　prevented　from　blazing　into　a　flame。　　This　simile；　which　is　made　use　of　by　the　younger　Pliny；　may　be　easily　mistaken　for　argument　or　proof。
  There　is　no　danger　of　the　mind's　being　over…burdened　with　knowledge；　or　the　genius　extinguished　by　any　addition　of　images；　on　the　contrary；　these　acquisitions　may　as　well；　perhaps　better；　be　compared；　if　comparisons　signified　anything　in　reasoning；　to　the　supply　of　living　embers；　which　will　contribute　to　strengthen　the　spark　that　without　the　association　of　more　would　have　died　away。
  The　truth　is；　he　whose　feebleness　is　such　as　to　make　other　men's　thoughts　an　incumbrance　to　him　can　have　no　very　great　strength　of　mind　or　genius　of　his　own　to　be　destroyed；　so　that　not　much　harm　will　be　done　at　worst。
  We　may　oppose　to　Pliny　the　greater　authority　of　Cicero；　who　is　continually　enforcing　the　necessity　of　this　method　of　study。　　In　his　dialogue　on　Oratory　he　makes　Crassus　say；　that　one　of　the　first　and　most　important　precepts　is　to　choose　a　proper　model　for　our　imitation。　　Hoc　fit　primum　in　preceptis　meis　ut　demonstremus　quem　imitemur。
  When　I　speak　of　the　habitual　imitation　and　continued　study　of　masters；　it　is　not　to　be　understood　that　I　advise　any　endeavour　to　copy　the　exact　peculiar　colour　and　complexion　of　another　man's　mind；　the　success　of　such　an　attempt　must　always　be　like　his　who　imitates　exactly　the　air；　manner；　and　gestures　of　him　whom　he　admires。　　His　model　may　be　excellent；　but　the　copy　will　be　ridiculous；　this　ridicule　does　not　arise　from　his　having　imitated；　but　from　his　not　having　chosen　the　right　mode　of　imitation。
  It　is　a　necessary　and　warrantable　pride　to　disdain　to　walk　servilely　behind　any　individual；　however　elevated　his　rank。　　The　true　and　liberal　ground　of　imitation　is　an　open　field；　where；　though　he　who　precedes　has　had　the　advantage　of　starting　before　you；　yet　it　is　enough　to　pursue　his　course；　you　need　not　tread　in　his　footsteps；　and　you　certainly　have　a　right　to　outstrip　him　if　you　can。
  Nor；　whilst　I　recommend　studying　the　art　from　artists；　can　I　be　supposed　to　mean　that　nature　is　to　be　neglected？　　I　take　this　study　in　aid　and　not　in　exclusion　of　the　other。　　Nature　is；　and　must　be；　the　fountain　which　alone　is　inexhaustible；　and　from　which　all　excellences　must　originally　flow。
  The　great　use　of　studying　our　predecessors　is　to　open　the　mind；　to　shorten　our　labour；　and　to　give　us　the　result　of　the　selection　made　by　those　great　minds　of　what　is　grand　or　beautiful　in　nature：　　her　rich　stores　are　all　spread　out　before　us；　but　it　is　an　art；　and　no　easy　art；　to　know　how　or　what　to　choose；　and　how　to　attain　and　secure　the　object　of　our　choice。
  Thus　the　highest　beauty　of　form　must　be　taken　from　nature；　but　it　is　an　art　of　long　deduction　and　great　experience　to　know　how　to　find　it。
  We　must　not　content　ourselves　with　merely　admiring　and　relishing；　we　must　enter　into　the　principles　on　which　the　work　is　wrought；　these　do　not　swim　on　the　superficies；　and　consequently　are　not　open　to　superficial　observers。
  Art　in　its　perfection　is　not　ostentatious；　it　lies　hid；　and　works　its　effect　itself　unseen。　　It　is　the　proper　study　and　labour　of　an　artist　to　uncover　and　find　out　the　latent　cause　of　conspicuous　beauties；　and　from　thence　form　principles　for　his　own　conduct；　such　an　examination　is　a　continual　exertion　of　the　mind；　as　great；　perhaps；　as　that　of　the　artist　whose　works　he　is　thus　studying。
  The　sagacious　imitator　not　only　remarks　what　distinguishes　the　different　manner　or　genius　of　each　master；　he　enters　into　the　contrivance　in　the　composition；　how　the　masses　of　lights　are　disposed；　the　means　by　which　the　effect　is　produced；　how　artfully　some　parts　are　lost　in　the　ground；　others　boldly　relieved；　and　how　all　these　are　mutually　altered　and　interchanged　according　to　the　reason　and　scheme　of　the　work。　　He　admires　not　the　harmony　of　colouring　alone；　but　he　examines　by　what　artifice　one　colour　is　a　foil　to　its　neighbour。　　He　looks　close　into　the　tints；　of　what　colours　they　are　composed；　till　he　has　formed　clear　and　distinct　ideas；　and　has　learnt　to　see　in　what　harmony　and　good　colouring　consists。　　What　is　learnt　in　this　manner　from　the　works　of　others　becomes　really　our　own；　sinks　deep；　and　is　never　forgotten；　nay；　it　is　by　seizing　on　this　clue　that　we　proceed　forward；　and　get　further　and　further　in　enlarging　the　principle　and　improving　the　practice。
  There　can　be　no　doubt　but　the　art　is　better　learnt　from　the　works　themselves　than　from　the　precepts　which　are　formed　upon　these　works；　but　if　it　is　difficult　to　choose　proper　models　for　imitation；　it　requires　no　less　circumspection　to　separate　and　distinguish　what　in　those　models　we　ought　to　imitate。
  I　cannot　avoid　mentioning　here；　though　it　is　not　my　intention　at　present　to　enter　into　the　art　and　method　of　study；　an　error　which　students　are　too　apt　to　fall　into。
  He　that　is　forming　himself　must　look　with　great　caution　and　wariness　on　those　peculiarities；　or　prominent　parts；　which　at　first　force　themselves　upon　view；　and　are　the　marks；　or　what　is　commonly　called　the　manner；　by　which　that　individual　artist　is　distinguished。
  Peculiar　marks　I　hold　to　be　generally；　if　not　always；　defects；　however　difficult　it　may　be；　wholly　to　escape　them。
  Peculiarities　in　the　works　of　art　are　like　those　in　the　human　figure；　it　is　by　them　that　we　are　cognisable　and　distinguished　one　from　another；　but　they　are　always　so　many　blemishes；　which；　however；　both　in　the　one　case　and　in　the　other；　cease　to　appear　deformities　to　those　who　have　them　continually　before　their　eyes。　In　the　works　of　art；　even　the　most　enlightened　mind；　when　warmed　by　beauties　of　the　highest　kind；　will　by　degrees　find　a　repugnance　within　him　to　acknowledge　any　defects；　nay；　his　enthusiasm　will　carry　him　so　far　as　to　transform　them　into　beauties　and　objects　of　imitation。
  It　must　be　acknowledged　that　a　peculiarity　of　style；　either　from　its　novelty；　or　by　seeming　to　proceed　from　a　peculiar　turn　of　mind；　often　escapes　blame；　on　the　contrary；　it　is　sometimes　striking　and　pleasing；　but　this　it　is　vain　labour　to　endeavour　to　imitate；　because　novelty　and　peculiarity　being　its　only　merit；　when　it　ceases　to　be　new；　it　ceases　to　have　value。
  A　manner；　therefore；　being　a　defect；　and　every　painter；　however　excellent；　having　a　manner；　it　seems　to　follow　that　all　kinds　of　faults；　as　well　as　beauties；　may　be　learned　under　the　sanction　of　the　greatest　authorities。
  Even　the　great　name　of　Michael　Angelo　may　be　used　to　keep　in　countenance　a　deficiency；　or　rather　neglect　of　colouring；　and　every　other　ornamental　part　of　the　art。
  If　the　young　student　is　dry　and　hard；　Poussin　is　the　same。　　If　his　work　has　a　careless　and　unfinished　air；　he　has　most　of　the　Venetian　School　to　support　him。　　If　he　makes　no　selection　of　objects；　but　takes　individual　nature　just　as　he　finds　it；　he　is　like　Rembrandt。　If　he　is　incorrect　in　the　proportions　of　his　figures；　Correggio　was　likewise　incorrect。　　If　his　colours　are　not　blended　and　united；　Rubens　was　equally　crude。
  In　short；　there　is　no　defect　but　may　be　excused；　if　it　is　a　sufficient　excuse　that　it　can　be　imputed　to　considerable　artists；　but　it　must　be　remembered　that　it　was　not　by　these　defects　they　acquired　their　reputation：　　they　have　a　right　to　our　pardon；　but　not　to　our　admiration。
  However；　to　imitate　peculiarities　or　mistake　defects　for　beauties　that　man　will　be　most　liable　who　confines　his　imitation　to　one　favourite　master；　and；　even　though　he　chooses　the　best；　and　is　capable　of　distinguishing　the　real　excellences　of　his　model；　it　is　not　by　such　narrow　practice　that　a　genius　or　mastery　in　the　art　is　acquired。　　A　man　is　as　little　likely　to　form　a　true　idea　of　the　perfection　of　the　art　by　studying　a　sing