While new to beauty's charms, your eager soul
Drinks copious draughts of the delicious whole,
And Memory on her soft but lasting page,
Stamps the fresh image which shall charm through

age.

* When duly taught each geometric rule, Approach with awful step the Grecian school, The sculptur'd reliques of her skill survey, Muse on by night, and imitate by day;

720

No rest, no pause, till, all her graces known, 725
A happy habit makes each grace your own.
As years advance, to modern masters come,
Gaze on their glories in majestic ROME;

Dum vacua errorum, nulloque imbuta sapore 506
Pura nitet mens, et rerum sitibunda novarum,
Præsentes haurit species, atque humida servat!
+ In geometrali prius arte parumpèr adulti
Signa antiqua super Graiorum addiscite for-

mam;

510

Nec mora, nec requies, noctuque dieque labori, Illorum menti atque modo, vos donec agendi Praxis ab assiduo faciles assueverit usu.

Mox, ubi judicium emensis adoleverit annis, Singula, quæ celebrant primæ exemplaria classis,

*LXXI. The Method of † LXXI. Ordo Studiorum. Studies for a young Painter.

735

Admire the proud productions of their skill,
Which VENICE, PARMA, and BOLOGNA fill: 730
And, rightly led by our preceptive lore,
Their style, their colouring, part by part, explore :
See RAFFAELLE there his forms celestial trace,
Unrivall❜d Sovereign of the realms of Grace:
See ANGELO, with energy divine,
Seize on the summit of correct design :
Learn how, at JULIO's birth, the Muses smil'd,
And in their mystic caverns nurs'd the child;
How, by th' Aonian powers their smile bestow'd,
His pencil with poetic fervour glow'd;
When faintly verse Apollo's charms convey'd,
He op'd the shrine, and all the God display'd,

740

Romani, Veneti, Parmenses, atque Bononi, 516 Partibus in cunctis pedetentìm, atque ordine recto, Ut monitum suprà est, vos expendisse juvabit. Hos apud invenit Raphael miracula summo Ducta modo, Veneresque habuit quas nemo dein

ceps.

520

Quidquid erat formæ scivit Bonarota potenter.
Julius à puero Musarum eductus in antris,
Aonias reseravit opes, graphicâque poesi,
Quæ non visa prius, sed tantum audita poetis,
Ante oculos spectanda dabit sacraria Phœbi; 525

745

His triumphs more than mortal pomp adorns,
With more than mortal rage his battle burns ;
His heroes, happy heirs of fav'ring fame,
More from his art than from their actions claim.
Bright, beyond all the rest, CORREGIO flings
His ample lights, and round them gently brings
The mingling shade. In all his works we view

Grandeur of style, and chastity of hue.

750

Yet higher still great TITIAN dar'd to soar, He reach'd the loftiest heights of Colouring's

power;

His friendly tints in happiest mixture flow,

755

His shades and lights their just gradations know;
His were those dear delusions of the art,
That round, relieve, inspirit every part;

Quæque coronatis complevit bella triumphis
Heroum fortuna potens, casusque decoros,
Nobilius re ipsâ antiqua pinxisse videtur.
Clarior ante alios Corregius extitit, ampla
Luce superfusa, circum coëuntibus umbris,
Pingendique modo grandi, et tractando colore
Corpora. Amicitiamque, gradusque, dolosque

colorum,

Compagemque ita disposuit Titianus, ut inde

530

Hence deem'd divine, the world his merit own'd,
With riches loaded, and with honours crown'd.
From all their charms combin'd, with happy
toil,

Did ANNIBALE compose his wond'rous style: 760
O'er the fair fraud so close a veil is thrown,
That every borrow'd grace becomes his own.

* If then to praise like theirs your souls aspire,
Catch from their works a portion of their fire;
Revolve their labours all, for all will teach- 765
Their finish'd picture, and their slightest sketch,
Yet more than these to Meditation's eyes
Great Nature's self redundantly supplies :
Her présence, best of models, is the source
Whence Genius draws augmented power and
force;

770

Divus sit dictus, magnis et honoribus auctus, 534 Fortunæque bonis: Quos sedulus Hannibal omnes In propriam mentem, atque modum mira arte coëgit. + Plurimus inde labor tabulas imitando juvabit Egregias, operumque typos; sed plura docebit Natura ante oculos præsens; nam firmat et auget

*LXXII. Nature and Ex- † LXXII. Natura et Experience perfect Art. perientia Artem perficiunt.

Her precepts, best of teachers! give the powers, Whence art by practice to perfection soars.

These useful rules from time and chance to save, In Latian strains, the studious FRESNOY gave: On Tiber's peaceful banks the Poet lay, 775 What time the pride of Bourbon urg'd his way Through hostile camps and crimson fields of slain, To vindicate his race and vanquish Spain; High on the Alps he took his warrior stand, And thence in ardent volley from his hand His thunder darted: (so the Flatterer sings, In strains best suited to the ear of kings) And like ALCIDES, with vindictive tread, Crush'd the Hispanian Lion's gasping head.

780

Vim genii, ex illâque artem experientia complet.
Multa supersileo quæ commentaria dicent.

541

Hæc ego, dum memoror subitura volubilis ævi Cuncta vices, variisque olim peritura ruinis, Pauca sophismata sum graphica immortalibus

ausus

Credere pieriis, Romæ meditatus: ad Alpes, 545 Dum super insanas moles, inimicaque castra Borbonidum decus et vindex Lodoicus avorum, Fulminat ardenti dextrâ, patriæque resurgens Gallicus Alcides premit Hispani ora Leonis.