beautiful examples; they are but just mentioned by Ovid in the following lines [1]: Here Ajax fits with fullen rage oppress'd. Philoftratus is more particular as to the former: [m] We cannot (fays he) do justice to the Ajax of Timomachus, whom he reprefents diftracted, unless we previously form in our minds the image of his condition: and how natural it was, after the follies he had committed, that he fhould fit down, overwhelmed with fhame, entering on the refolution to destroy himself. This obfer [] Urque fedet vultu faffus Telamonius iram ; Inque oculis facinus barbara mater habet. Lib. ii. Trift. [m] Ουδ' αν τον Διάνα τις τον Τιμομαχού αγασθείς, ὃς δη αναγεγραπίαι αὐτῷ μεμήνως, ει μη αναλαβοί τις ες τον των Αιακος ειδωλον, και ώς εικος αυτόν απεκλονότα τα εν τη Τροια βουκολία, καθησθαι απειρηκοία, βουλην ποιούμενος και ἱφυλον κλειναι, Lib. ii. de vita Apollonii, c. 10. vation of the hiftorian, will ferve us as a comment on the epigrammatift [n]. Here art with nature holds a doubtful strife, And the mix'd tear is charged with all thy woes The Medea was a fubject of emulation, to the wits of Greece; each contending to do justice to those inimitable expressions, which they thus defcribe [o]: Medea, painter, now provokes thy skill, [κ] Αισαν. Τιμομαχου πλέον η πατρος ήρπασε τεχνο Anthol. lib. iv. [ο] Ταν ολοαν. Μηδειαν ότ' εγραφε Τιμομαχου χειρο Ζαλώ, και τέκνοις αντιμεθελκομεναν Tis done : Behold, united by his art The lovers frenzy, and the mother's heart ; The fame is touch'd again with great fpirit in the following epigram [p]: What ventrous hand the curs'd Medea drew? · Μυριον άραίο μοχθον ἵν' ηθεα δισσα χαραξη, Αμφω δ' επλήρωσεν, όρα τυπον εν γαρ απειλα, Δακρυον, εν δ' ελέω, θυμος ανατρεφεται. Αρκει δ ̓ ἂν μέλλησις, εφα σοφος, αίμα δε τεκνων Anthol. lib. iv. [2] Τις σου, Κολχις αθεσμό, συνεγραφον εικονι θυμον Διει γαρ δίψας βρεφεων φόνον η τις Ιησων Δεύτερος, η Γλαυκη τις παλι σοι προφασις Art thou by flighted love provok'd again In thy child's blood thy impious hands to ftain? B. IT must be confeffed, that if these artifts were happy in their power to please, they were no less fo, in having fuch feeling critics, fo capable of tranfmitting their me rit to pofterity. We too have our share in this happiness; these descriptions are so just, fo lively, fo distinguishing, that we may look upon them as copies of thofe divine originals. The moderns have not this advantage; all ideas of their works will vanish with their colours. When Ariofto celebrates Michael Angelo in the following line, "E Michael, piu che mortal, Angel dir ino." this praife is exceffive, not decifive; it car ries no idea. A. THE A. THE reafon is obvious, the artist did not furnish the poet with any. Had the painters of Italy produced fuch expreffions as thofe of the Ajax and Medea, the wits of that country, would not have been wanting in doing them juftice. I may, perhaps, appear too general, when I include even Raphael in this obfervation; but if you reflect, you will find, that his expreffions are more addreffed to the understanding than the paffions: They are more to be admired for their variety than force; they have little, either of the pathetic or fublime; and the images which they leave in the mind, flip from it, almoft as haftily, as the picture from the eye. It is not fe with the paintings of Timomachus and Ariftides; the impreffions we receive from them strike full upon the foul; they dilate it, like the bursts in the mufick of Boranello; they agitate, they rouze it, like the symphonies of YeoM 4 melli |