NATALIS, POILLY, NANTUEIL, CORNELIUS BLOMAERT, H. GOLTZIUS: and for the etchers in aqua fortis, CALLOT and Du Bosse, in fome of their laft cuts efpecially. Though even the counter hatchings alfo, coming tenderly off, and well conducted, (fo as 'tis to be seen in some of the prints of MARK ANTONIO, C. CORT, AUG. CARRACHE and other masters) render both an admirable and ftupendous effect; for it is in this well placing of white and black, wherein all this ART, and even that of PAINTING does confift. Thus AGLAPHONTES ufed but one colour; no more did NITIA the Athenian painter: and it was this relievo alfo for which the famous ZEUXIS became fo renowned not to infift on HEREDICES the Corinthian, and THE LOPHANES the Sicyonian, who were both of them but monochromifts, and, till CLEOPHANES came amongst them, no diffemblers, as owning no other colours but those eminent contraries, that is, the lights and the fhades; in the true managing whereof so many wonders are to be produced by this ART, and even a certain fplendor and beauty in the touches of the burin, fo as the very union and colouring itself may be conceived without any force upon the imagination, as we have before obferved in thefe excellent gravings of NATALIS, ROUSSELET, and PoILLY, after BOURDON; and in what GREUTER, BLOMAERT, and fome others have done after POUSSIN, GUIDO RENI, CORTONA, &c.

But here by the way, let no man think we mean by this coloree (as they term it) in drawing and graving, fuch a pofition of the hatches as the

chevalier

*

chevalier WOLSON has invented, and PIETRO SANTO the jefuit has followed, to diftinguish their blazons by but a certain admirable effect, emerging from the former union of lights and fhadows; fuch as the ANCIENTS would exprefs by tonus, or the PYTHAGOREANS in their proportions, and imitated in this ART, where the fhades of the hatches intend and remit, to the best refemblance of PAINTING, the commiffures of the light and dark parts, imperceptibly united, or at leaft fo fweetly conducted, as that the alteration could no more certainly be defined, than the femitones or harmoge in mufic; which though indeed differing, yet it is fo gentle, and fo agreable, as even ravishes our fenfes, by a fecret kind of charm, not to be expreffed in words or difcerned by the ignorant. And this it is which has rendered it fo difficult to copy after designs and painting, and to give the true heightenings, where there are no hatchings to exprefs them; unlefs he, that copies, defign perfectly himself, and poffefs more than the ordinary talent and judgment of gravers, or can himself manage the pencil.

But to return to prints again. We are to understand, that what the artists do many times call excellent, does not always fignify to the advantage of the graver; but more frequently the defign, confifting in the lineaments, proportion and ordonance, if these be well and mafterly performed, and for which we have fo recommended the practice of this art to our English painters in chap. IV; tho',

* Theatre d'honeur. Teffera Gentil.

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to

to speak of an accomplished peice indeed, it is the refult of integral caufes only, and where they univerfally encounter.

We do farther add, that, for this reafon, copies. are in prints much more easily detected than in paintings, and, by confequence, more facile also to imitate, as ufing all one kind of inftrument and fewer ways of expreffion. But if there be a difficulty in it, thofe which are etched in aqua fortis make it most confpicuous; both because the nature of the plates, and quality of the waters and their operations, may fometimes fall out to be fo very unlike. But to difcern an original print from a copy print, (not to speak of fuch plates as have been retouched and therefore of little value) is a knack very easily attained; because 'tis almoft impoffible to imitate every hatch, and to make the ftrokes of exact and equal dimenfions, where every the least defect, or flaw in the copper itself, is fufficient to detect and betray the impofture; as in that little Defcent from the cross of ANNIBALE CARACCHE (already mentioned) is perfpicuous, and which it were abfolutely impoffible to counterfeit. In the mean time, fuch as are profound and well knowing, do establish their judgments upon other particulars of the art, and the very handling itself.

Laftly, that aqua fortis gives a tenderness to landfchapes, trees and buildings, fuperior to that of the burin (though that exceed infinitely in figures) may be seen in that of ISRAEL's View of the Louvre, before recited; and in fome other works where there is an induftrious and studied mixture, as in that fecond manner of VosTERMAN'S which did fo

much

much please RUBENS and VANDYKE, even in the portraits which that excellent graver published after thofe great mens paintings.

It was in the former chapter that we made rehearsal of the most renowned GRAVERS and their works; not that we had no more to add to that number, but because we would not mingle these illuftrious names and qualities there, which we purposely referved for the crown of this difcourfe: we did, therefore, forbear to mention what his highnefs prince RUPERT's own hands have contributed to the dignity of that art; performing things in graving (of which fome enrich our collection) comparable to the greatest masters; fuch a spirit and addrefs there appears in all that he touches, and especially in that of the MEZZOTINTO, of which we shall fpeak hereafter more at large, having firft enumerated thofe incomparable gravings of that his new and inimitable ftile, in both the great and little Decollations of St. John Baptift, The foldier bolding a spear and leaning his hand on a fhield, The two Mary Magdalens, The old man's bead, that of Titian, &c. after the fame TITIAN, GEORGIONE, and others. We have also seen a plate etched by the prefent FRENCH KING, and other great perfons; the right honourable the earl of SANDWICH fometimes (as we are told) diverting himself with the burin, and herein imitating thofe ancient and renowned heroes, whofe names are loud in the trumpet of fame for their fkill and particular af. fection to thefe arts. For fuch of old, were Lu Caus MANILIUS and FABIUS, noble Romans; PACUVIUS the tragic poet, nephew to Ennius; SOCRATES

I 2

SOCRATES the wifeft of men, and PLATO himfelf METRODORUS, and PYRRHUS the philofopher, did both design and paint; and so did VALENTINIAN, ADRIAN, and SEVERUs, emperors; fo as the great PAULUS EMILIUS efteemed it of such high importance, that he would needs have his fon to be inftructed in it, as in one of the most worthy and excellent accomplishments belonging to a prince. For the art of graving QUINTILIAN likewife celebrates EUPHRANOR, a polite and rarely endowed perfon; and PLINY, in that chapter where he treats of the fame art, obferves, that there was never any one famous in it, but who was by birth or education a GENTLEMAN: therefore HE and GALEN, in their recenfion of the LIBERAL ARTS, mention that of GRAVING in particular amongst the most permanent; and in the fame catalogue number it with rhetoric, geometry, logic, aftronomy, yea grammar itself, because there is in these arts, fay they, more of fancy and invention than strength of hand, more of the spirit than of the body. Hence ARISTOTLE informs us*, that the GRECIANS did univerfally institute their children in the art of painting and drawing, for an oeconomique reafon there fignified, as well as to produce proportions in the mind. VARRO makes it part of the LADIES education, that they might have the better skill in he works of embroidery, &c. and for this caufe is his daughter MARTIA celebrated amongst those of her fair fex. We have already mentioned the learned ANNA SCHURMAN; but the PRINCESS LOUISA has done wonders of this kind, and is.

Polit. 1. 8. c. 3...

famous