seven discourses on art-第20章

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and　poetry　distinguishes　itself　from　oratory　by　words　and　expressions　still　more　ardent　and　glowing。　　What　separates　and　distinguishes　poetry　is　more　particularly　the　ornament　of　VERSE；　it　is　this　which　gives　it　its　character；　and　is　an　essential；　without　which　it　cannot　exist。　Custom　has　appropriated　different　metre　to　different　kinds　of　composition；　in　which　the　world　is　not　perfectly　agreed。　　In　England　the　dispute　is　not　yet　settled　which　is　to　be　preferred；　rhyme　or　blank　verse。　　But　however　we　disagree　about　what　these　metrical　ornaments　shall　be；　that　some　metre　is　essentially　necessary　is　universally　acknowledged。

In　poetry　or　eloquence；　to　determine　how　far　figurative　or　metaphorical　language　may　proceed；　and　when　it　begins　to　be　affectation　or　beside　the　truth；　must　be　determined　by　taste；　though　this　taste　we　must　never　forget　is　regulated　and　formed　by　the　presiding　feelings　of　mankind；　by　those　works　which　have　approved　themselves　to　all　times　and　all　persons。

Thus；　though　eloquence　has　undoubtedly　an　essential　and　intrinsic　excellence；　and　immovable　principles　common　to　all　languages；　founded　in　the　nature　of　our　passions　and　affections；　yet　it　has　its　ornaments　and　modes　of　address　which　are　merely　arbitrary。　What　is　approved　in　the　Eastern　nations　as　grand　and　majestic；　would　be　considered　by　the　Greeks　and　Romans　as　turgid　and　inflated；　and　they；　in　return；　would　be　thought　by　the　Orientals　to　express　themselves　in　a　cold　and　insipid　manner。

We　may　add　likewise　to　the　credit　of　ornaments；　that　it　is　by　their　means　that　art　itself　accomplishes　its　purpose。　　Fresnoy　calls　colouring；　which　is　one　of　the　chief　ornaments　of　painting；　lena　sororis；　that　which　procures　lovers　and　admirers　to　the　more　valuable　excellences　of　the　art。

It　appears　to　be　the　same　right　turn　of　mind　which　enables　a　man　to　acquire　the　TRUTH；　or　the　just　idea　of　what　is　right　in　the　ornaments；　as　in　the　more　stable　principles　of　art。　　It　has　still　the　same　centre　of　perfection；　though　it　is　the　centre　of　a　smaller　circle。

To　illustrate　this　by　the　fashion　of　dress；　in　which　there　is　allowed　to　be　a　good　or；　bad　taste。　　The　component　parts　of　dress　are　continually　changing　from　great　to　little；　from　short　to　long；　but　the　general　form　still　remains；　it　is　still　the　same　general　dress　which　is　comparatively　fixed；　though　on　a　very　slender　foundation；　but　it　is　on　this　which　fashion　must　rest。　　He　who　invents　with　the　most　success；　or　dresses　in；　the　best　taste；　would　probably；　from　the　same　sagacity　employed　to　greater　purposes；　have　discovered　equal　skill；　or　have　formed　the　same　correct　taste　in　the　highest　labours　of　art。

I　have　mentioned　taste　in　dress；　which　is　certainly　one　of　the　lowest　subjects　to　which　this　word　is　applied；　yet；　as　I　have　before　observed；　there　is　a　right　even　here；　however　narrow　its　foundation　respecting　the　fashion　of　any　particular　nation。　　But　we　have　still　more　slender　means　of　determining；　in　regard　to　the　different　customs　of　different　ages　or　countries；　to　which　to　give　the　preference；　since　they　seem　to　be　all　equally　removed　from　nature。

If　an　European；　when　he　has　cut　off　his　beard；　and　put　false　hair　on　his　head；　or　bound　up　his　own　natural　hair　in　regular　hard　knots；　as　unlike　nature　as　he　can　possibly　make　it；　and　having　rendered　them　immovable　by　the　help　of　the　fat　of　hogs；　has　covered　the　whole　with　flour；　laid　on　by　a　machine　with　the　utmost　regularity；　if；　when　thus　attired　he　issues　forth；　he　meets　a　Cherokee　Indian；　who　has　bestowed　as　much　time　at　his　toilet；　and　laid　on　with　equal　care　and　attention　his　yellow　and　red　ochre　on　particular　parts　of　his　forehead　or　cheeks；　as　he　judges　most　becoming；　whoever　despises　the　other　for　this　attention　to　the　fashion　of　his　country；　whichever　of　these　two　first　feels　himself　provoked　to　laugh；　is　the　barbarian。

All　these　fashions　are　very　innocent；　neither　worth　disquisition；　nor　any　endeavour　to　alter　them；　as　the　change　would；　in　all　probability；　be　equally　distant　from　nature。　　The　only　circumstances　against　which　indignation　may　reasonably　be　moved；　are　where　the　operation　is　painful　or　destructive　of　health；　such　as　is　practised　at　Otahaiti；　and　the　straight　lacing　of　the　English　ladies；　of　the　last　of　which；　how　destructive　it　must　be　to　health　and　long　life；　the　professor　of　anatomy　took　an　opportunity　of　proving　a　few　days　since　in　this　Academy。

It　is　in　dress　as　in　things　of　greater　consequence。　　Fashions　originate　from　those　only　who　have　the　high　and　powerful　advantages　of　rank；　birth；　and　fortune；　as　many　of　the　ornaments　of　art；　those　at　least　for　which　no　reason　can　be　given；　are　transmitted　to　us；　are　adopted；　and　acquire　their　consequence　from　the　company　in　which　we　have　been　used　to　see　them。　　As　Greece　and　Rome　are　the　fountains　from　whence　have　flowed　all　kinds　of　excellence；　to　that　veneration　which　they　have　a　right　to　claim　for　the　pleasure　and　knowledge　which　they　have　afforded　us；　we　voluntarily　add　our　approbation　of　every　ornament　and　every　custom　that　belonged　to　them；　even　to　the　fashion　of　their　dress。　　For　it　may　be　observed　that；　not　satisfied　with　them　in　their　own　place；　we　make　no　difficulty　of　dressing　statues　of　modern　heroes　or　senators　in　the　fashion　of　the　Roman　armour　or　peaceful　robe；　we　go　so　far　as　hardly　to　bear　a　statue　in　any　other　drapery。

The　figures　of　the　great　men　of　those　nations　have　come　down　to　us　in　sculpture。　　In　sculpture　remain　almost　all　the　excellent　specimens　of　ancient　art。　　We　have　so　far　associated　personal　dignity　to　the　persons　thus　represented；　and　the　truth　of　art　to　their　manner　of　representation；　that　it　is　not　in　our　power　any　longer　to　separate　them。　　This　is　not　so　in　painting；　because；　having　no　excellent　ancient　portraits；　that　connection　was　never　formed。　　Indeed；　we　could　no　more　venture　to　paint　a　general　officer　in　a　Roman　military　habit；　than　we　could　make　a　statue　in　the　present　uniform。　　But　since　we　have　no　ancient　portraits；　to　show　how　ready　we　are　to　adopt　those　kind　of　prejudices；　we　make　the　best　authority　among　the　moderns　serve　the　same　purpose。　　The　great　variety　of　excellent　portraits　with　which　Vandyke　has　enriched　this　nation；　we　are　not　content　to　admire　for　their　real　excellence；　but　extend　our　approbation　even　to　the　dress　which　happened　to　be　the　fashion　of　that　age。　　We　all　very　well　remember　how　common　it　was　a　few　years　ago　for　portraits　to　be　drawn　in　this　Gothic　dress；　and　this　custom　is　not　yet　entirely　laid　aside。　　By　this　means　it　must　be　acknowledged　very　ordinary　pictures　acquired　something　of　the　air　and　effect　of　the　works　of　Vandyke；　and　appeared　therefore　at　first　sight　to　be　better　pictures　than　they　really　were；　they　appeared　so；　however；　to　those　only　who　had　the　means　of　making　this　association；　for　when　made；　it　was　irresistible。　　But　this　association　is　nature；　and　refers　to　that　Secondary　truth　that　comes　from　conformity　to　general　prejudice　and　opinion；　it　is　therefore　not　merely　fantastical。　　Besides　the　prejudice　which　we　have　in　favour　of　ancient　dresses；　there　may　be　likewise　other　reasons；　amongst　which　we　may　justly　rank　the　simplicity　of　them；　consisting　of　little　more　than　one　single　piece　of　drapery；　without　those　whimsical　capricious　forms　by　which　all　other　dresses　are　embarrassed。

Thus；　though　it　is　from　the　prejudice　we　have　in　favour　of　the　ancients；　who　have　taught　us　architecture；　that　we　have　adopted　likewise　their　ornaments；　and　though　we　are　satisfied　that　neither　nature　nor　reason　is　the　foundation　of　those　beauties　which　we　imagine　we　see　in　that　art；　yet　if　any　one　persuaded　of　this　truth　should；　therefore；　invent　new　orders　of　equal　beauty；　which　we　will　suppose　to　be　possible；　yet　they　would　not　please；　nor　ought　he　to　complain；　since　the　old　has　that　great　advantage　of　having　custom　and　prejudice　on　its　side。　　In　this　case　we　leave　what　has　every　prejudice　in　its　favour　to　take　that　which　will　have　no　advantage　over　what　we　have　left；　but　novelty；　which　soon　destroys　itself；　and；　at　any　rate；　is　but　a　weak　antagonist　against　custom。

These　ornaments；　having　the　right　of　possession；　ought　not　to　be　removed　but　to　make　room　for　not　only　what　has　higher　pretensions；　but　such　pretensions　as　will　balance　the　evil　and　confusion　which　innovation　always　brings　with　it。

To　this　we　may　add；　even　the　durability　of　the　materials　will　often　contribute　to　give　a　superiority　to　one　object　over　another。　Ornaments　in　buildings；　with　which　taste　is　principally　concerned；　are　composed　of　materials　which　last　longer　than　those　of　which　dress　is　composed；　it；　therefore；　makes　higher　pretensions　to　our　favour　and　prejudice。

Some　attention　is　surely　required　to　what　we　can　no　more　get　rid　of　than　we　can　go　out　of　ourselves。　　We　are　creatures　of　prejudice；　we　neither　can　nor　ought　to　eradicate　it；　we　must　only　regulate；　it　by　reason；　which　regulation　by　reason　is；　indeed；　little　more　than　obliging　the　lesser；　the　focal　and　temporary　prejudices；　to　give　way　to　those　which　are　more　durable　and　lasting。

He；　therefore；　who　in　his　practice　of　portrait　painting　wishes　to　dignify　his　subject；　which　we　will　suppose　to　be　a　lady；　will　not　paint　her　in　the　modern　dress；　the　familiarity　of　which　alone　is　sufficient　to　destroy　all　dignity。　　He　takes　care　that　his　work　shall　correspond　to　those　ideas　and　that　imagination　which　he　knows　will　regulate　the　judgment　of　others；　and；　therefore；　dresses　his　figure　something　with　the　general　air　of　the　antique　for　the　sake　of　dignity；　and　preserves　something　of　the　modern　for　the　sake　of　likeness。　　By　this　conduct　his　works　correspond　with　those　prejudices　which　we　have　in　favour　of　what　we　continually　see；　and　the　relish　of　the　antique　simplicity　corresponds　with　what　we　may　call　the；　more　learned　and　scientific　prejudice。

There　was　a　statue　made　not　long　since　of　Voltaire；　which　the　sculptor；　not　having　that　respect　for　the　prejudices　of　mankind　which　he　ought　to　have；　has　made　entirely　naked；　and　as　meagre　and　emaciated　as　the　original　is　said　to　be。　　The　consequence　is　what　might　be　expected；　it　has　remained　in　the　sculptor's　shop；　though　it　was　intended　as　a　public　ornament　and　a　public　honour　to　Voltaire；　as　it　was　procured　at　the　expense　of　his　cotemporary　wits　and　admirers。

Whoever　would　reform　a　nation；　supposing　a　bad　taste　to　prevail　in　it；　will　not　accomplish　his　purpose　by　going　directly　against　the　stream　of　their　prejudices。　　Men's　minds　must　be　prepared　to　receive　what　is　new　to　them。　　Reformation　is　a　work　of　time。　　A　national　taste；　however　wrong　it　may　be；　cannot　be　totally　change　at　once；　we　must　yield　a　little　to　the　prepossession　which　has　taken　hold　on　the　mind；　and　we　may　then　bring　people　to　adopt　what　would　offend　them　if　endeavoured　to　be　introduced　by　storm。　　When　Battisto　Franco　was　employed；　in　conjunction　with　Titian；　Paul　Veronese；　and　Tintoret；　to　adorn　the　library　of　St。　Mark；　his　work；　Vasari　says；　gave　less　satisfaction　than　any　of　the　others：　　the　dry　manner　of　the　Roman　school　was　very　ill　calculated　to　please　eyes　that　had　been　accustomed　to　the　luxuriance；　splendour；　and　richness　of　Venetian　colouring。　　Had　the　Romans　been　the　judges　of　this　work；　probably　the　determination　would　have　been　just　contrary；　for　in　the　more　noble　parts　of