seven discourses on art-第15部分

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　brought　entirely　within　the　restraint　of　written　law。　　Genius　will　still　have　room　enough　to　expatiate；　and　keep　always　the　same　distance　from　narrow　comprehension　and　mechanical　performance。

What　we　now　call　genius　begins；　not　where　rules；　abstractedly　taken；　end；　but　where　known　vulgar　and　trite　rules　have　no　longer　any　place。　　It　must　of　necessity　be　that　even　works　of　genius；　as　well　as　every　other　effect；　as　it　must　have　its　cause；　must　likewise　have　its　rules；　it　cannot　be　by　chance　that　excellences　are　produced　with　any　constancy；　or　any　certainty；　for　this　is　not　the　nature　of　chance；　but　the　rules　by　which　men　of　extraordinary　parts；　and　such　as　are　called　men　of　genius　work；　are　either　such　as　they　discover　by　their　own　peculiar　observation；　or　of　such　a　nice　texture　as　not　easily　to　admit　handling　or　expressing　in　words；　especially　as　artists　are　not　very　frequently　skilful　in　that　mode　of　communicating　ideas。

Unsubstantial；　however；　as　these　rules　may　seem；　and　difficult　as　it　may　be　to　convey　them　in　writing；　they　are　still　seen　and　felt　in　the　mind　of　the　artist；　and　he　works　from　them　with　as　much　certainty　as　if　they　were　embodied；　as　I　may　say；　upon　paper。　　It　is　true　these　refined　principles　cannot　be　always　made　palpable；　like　the　more　gross　rules　of　art；　yet　it　does　not　follow　but　that　the　mind　may　be　put　in　such　a　train　that　it　shall　perceive；　by　a　kind　of　scientific　sense；　that　propriety　which　words；　particularly　words　of　unpractised　writers　such　as　we　are；　can　but　very　feebly　suggest。

Invention　is　one　of　the　great　marks　of　genius；　but　if　we　consult　experience；　we　shall　find　that　it　is　by　being　conversant　with　the　inventions　of　others　that　we　learn　to　invent；　as　by　reading　the　thoughts　of　others　we　learn　to　think。

Whoever　has　so　far　formed　his　taste　as　to　be　able　to　relish　and　feel　the　beauties　of　the　great　masters　has　gone　a　great　way　in　his　study；　for；　merely　from　a　consciousness　of　this　relish　of　the　right；　the　mind　swells　with　an　inward　pride；　and　is　almost　as　powerfully　affected　as　if　it　had　itself　produced　what　it　admires。　Our　hearts　frequently　warmed　in　this　manner　by　the　contact　of　those　whom　we　wish　to　resemble；　will　undoubtedly　catch　something　of　their　way　of　thinking；　and　we　shall　receive　in　our　own　bosoms　some　radiation　at　least　of　their　fire　and　splendour。　　That　disposition；　which　is　so　strong　in　children；　still　continues　with　us；　of　catching　involuntarily　the　general　air　and　manner　of　those　with　whom　we　are　most　conversant；　with　this　difference　only；　that　a　young　mind　is　naturally　pliable　and　imitative；　but　in　a　more　advanced　state　it　grows　rigid；　and　must　be　warmed　and　softened　before　it　will　receive　a　deep　impression。

From　these　considerations；　which　a　little　of　your　reflection　will　carry　a　great　way　further；　it　appears　of　what　great　consequence　it　is　that　our　minds　should　be　habituated　to　the　contemplation　of　excellence；　and　that；　far　from　being　contented　to　make　such　habits　the　discipline　of　our　youth　only；　we　should；　to　the　last　moment　of　our　lives；　continue　a　settled　intercourse　with　all　the　true　examples　of　grandeur。　　Their　inventions　are　not　only　the　food　of　our　infancy；　but　the　substance　which　supplies　the　fullest　maturity　of　our　vigour。

The　mind　is　but　a　barren　soil；　is　a　soil　soon　exhausted；　and　will　produce　no　crop；　or　only　one；　unless　it　be　continually　fertilised　and　enriched　with　foreign　matter。

When　we　have　had　continually　before　us　the　great　works　of　art　to　impregnate　our　minds　with　kindred　ideas；　we　are　then；　and　not　till　then；　fit　to　produce　something；　of　the　same　species。　　We　behold　all　about　us　with　the　eyes　of　these　penetrating　observers；　and　our　minds；　accustomed　to　think　the　thoughts　of　the　noblest　and　brightest　intellects；　are　prepared　for　the　discovery　and　selection　of　all　that　is　great　and　noble　in　nature。　　The　greatest　natural　genius　cannot　subsist　on　its　own　stock：　　he　who　resolves　never　to　ransack　any　mind　but　his　own　will　be　soon　reduced；　from　mere　barrenness；　to　the　poorest　of　all　imitations；　he　will　be　obliged　to　imitate　himself；　and　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　w