Of the Necessity and Definition of Proportion.

IT was not without just Cause, that the antient Graecians (at which time the Art of Painting had fully attained to his Perfection, by the Industry of Timantes, Eusenidas, Aristides, Eupompus, Sicyonias and Pamphilus, the Famous Macedonian Painter, and Ma­ster of Apelles, who also was the first learned Painter directing his Workes by the Rules of Art, above any of his Predecessors, and well considering that what­soever was made without measure and proportion, could never carry with it any such congruity as might represent either Beauty or Grace to the ju­dicious beholder) were wont to say, that it was impossible to make any tolerable, much less any Commendable Picture, without the help of Geo­metry and Arithmetick, wherefore they required the Knowledge thereof, as a thing most necessary, which saying was also approved by Philip Macedo. And surely it is impossible (to omitt the meere Ar­tizans) that he who is ignorant of these two Sci­ences, should understand the exact measure and proprotion of any probable or true Body, the ne­cessity of which proportions shall be shewed here­after.

It is apparent then that a Picture lacking this, is like a piece of Marble grosly wrought, without Rule or Measure, or two Columns: which al­though they be to slender, or to grosse, to short or to long, yet are called Columns; as Dwarfes and deformed Creatures are named Men. Now this Book shall contain the general proportions of the principal things alone, from whence the rest are derived, of which before I begin to speak. I hold [Page 4] it convenient to consider the definition of proportion, and the parts thereof;

Proportion is a correspondency and agreement of the Measure of the parts between themselves and with the whole, in every Work, this correspon­dency is by Vitruvius called Commodulation, be­cause a Modell is a Measure which being taken at the first measureth both the parts and the whole. And this is that (to omitt the several kindes there­of, which shall be distinguished in their due place,) which for so long space having been lost, was the cause why the exact and true proportion of Mans Body was not understood, by Occasion whereof there never came any Excellent Peeces abroad, al­though the matter were never so costly: And con­sequently that the Painters being ignorant of that they had in hand, instead of proportionable men made lame Pictures as the Architecture, Temples, Images, and Pictures made throughout the whole World (but especially in Italy) about the time of Constantine the Great, untill Giotto in Tuscany, as Andrino di Edesia Pauese in Lombardy can sufficiently witness, and this (in a word) is that, the know­ledge whereof so satisfieth the judgment, that it maketh it not onely able to make whosoever we list, but also teacheth us to judge of Images, and Pictures, as well antient as new, and without this a Painter (besides that he is not worthy the name of a Painter) is like one which perswadeth himself he swimmeth above Water, when indeed he sink­eth, to conclude then it is impossible to make any decent or well proportioned thing, without this Symetrical measure of the parts orderly united.

Wherefore my greatest endeavour shall be, to lay open the worthiness of this part of painting [Page 5] unto all such as are naturally inclined thereunto, by reason of a good temperature joyned with an apt Disposition of the parts thereof, for such men will be much affected therewith, to the end they may the better perceive the force of Nature: vvho by indu­stry and help of a good conceipt, vvill easily attain to so deep a reach, that they vvill be able upon the sudden to discern any Disproportion, as a thing repugnant to their Nature: unto which perfection on the contrary Side they can never attain, vvhose Judgements are corrupted through the Distemperature of their Organical parts, I speak of such vvho not knowing the virtue of proportion, affect nothing else, but the vain surface of garish colours, wrought after their own humour, vvho prove only Dawbers of Ima­ges and Walls throughout the whole World; moving the beholders partly to smile at their Follies, and partly to greive that the Art should be thus disgraced by such absurde Idiot's: who as they have no judge­ment herein; so do they run into divers other most shamefull errors, into which I never heard that any ever fell, who were acquainted with the Beauty of proportion, but have rather prooved men of rare Spirits and sound Judgements, as may be gathered by the great request it was in, untill the times of those Princes, as well antient as late: But before I proceed any farther, I think it necessary to treat something of a Head in particular, First,

Of the Head in Prophile or side-wayes.

THe manner to make this Head by just and safe rules is thus, First forme a perfect equall Triangle in what position you will, turning the Triangle to make the Face upon one of the three sides, be it [Page 6] which it will, either upwards or down­wards,According to Odnardo Fi­aletti. higer or lower; dividing that side into three equall parts, the one to serve from the lower part of the Haire, to the lower part of the Forehead; the Second thence to the under part of the Nostrils; the Third to the lower part of the Chinn: now having framed these three lines, draw a little crooked stroak vvith a Cole or Chalk, out of the right Line, that may reach from the top of the Forehead unto the Eyebrow, from vvhence draw away the slope Line, bending at the end. To performe the Nose, either long, short, gross or thin, as you vvould have it, ending that at the second distance, vvhere the Nostrils end, then subdivide the remaining third part in the midst, vvhere the Mouth shall be placed for the parting of the upper and under Lipps, then frame the Chinn, having a respect to the perpendi­cular Line, that it fall not out of the middle of the Chinn; adjoyning thereto the under Chinn down to the Throat-pit. So with the other two dividing lines, the one from the Top of the Forehead downwards (and ends in the midst of the back part of the Ear;) the other proceedeth upwards from the Chinn, ascen­ing till that meet with the Superiour descending Line, whose Intersection directeth the Eare, that the circumference thereof stretch not too far: Thus with your judgement take the upper part of the Fore­head, and come to describe a great circular Line about, to Form with that the roundness of the Head, unto the Nape of the Neck, keeping the propor­tion that Nature teacheth; and from thence downwards frame the rest of the Neck, remembring that the Tip of the Eare doth not exceed the lower part of the Nostril. So you may have the Head in what [Page 7] Position you will, so this abandon not the two other Lines, each concurring in their due points.

Of the Foreright Face.

BEing then desireous to draw the Foreright Face, it will be necessary to Forme a perfect Ovall, which being made, divide it in the midst, with a line the longest way (that is to say) a perpendicular line, divide this line into three equall parts, allowing a fourth of one of the three parts for the Hair in the Forehead, the First for the Forehead, the Second for the Nose, the Third for the Chin. In the midst thereof must the Mouth be formed, alwayes remembring that the Eyes must be in one line, the cross line of the Nose and Mouth must alwayes be correspondent to the cross line where the Eyes are placed; and the Eyes must be the length of one Eye distant from the other; and that their inward Corners be perpendicu­larly over the out-side of the Nostrils punctually, but to make the Eares in a Foreright Face proportio­nable, they must be much Foreshortned by Fore­shortning, I mean when the Eye doth not see the full Latitude of it, the proportion of the length of the Eare, to be from the Eyebrowes to the bottome of the Nostrils, and then joyn the Neck with the Hair in such sort as may seem most pleasant unto the Eye.

Of the Head in Foreshortning.

HItherto I have treated of the Head, both Foreright and in other Positions, but that you might know all that is needfull for the perfect understand­ing of this profession, it is necessary that I speci­fie the manner how to draw the Face by an easy, ab­solute [Page 8] and fair way; Treating thus I propound to you Methodical means therein; because my intent is to Facilitate the matter in that manner, but with­out writing thereupon it may be intelligible, for a draught well made hath that power, that it makes itself understood without any discourse of the Au­thor thereon, but I alwayes observe both the one and the other also; I say that the foreshortning which is made onely with Fretts, Grates, Squares, or with Geometrical Instruments, breed onely a confusion of lines, which is not the best principal of expert In­genuity, the reason whereof is, that it can hardly be measured by any Rule, unless the whole Body be framed together. Therefore I will shew an easy Rule, very like to that of the foreright Face, that is, to make a Circular draught with the aspect upwards, or downwards, as in the foreright Head, where the Traverse lines are straight, but these go Cir­cularly, for if the Heads flye upwards the Traced strokes and the Divisions must be raised, with caution that the Eares and Eyes fall not out of their due points, as is signified in the first Plate.

Of the side face without any Measure.

BEing desireous to make the side face without any Triangle or Measure, which with a little care and practice, observing the distances and Measures which will serve for Direction, because the Head and other parts of the Body ought to be proportio­nal, and made from Measures; it will easily fol­low, Framing or Traceing many, you may not only Facilitate it by the Eye and Judgement, but also accommodate the Hand, to Trace and draw, all things right, for it is true that the Eye will have its place. I having drawn certain stroaks or draughts [Page 9] from the life of nature, and reduced it with the Pencil into Colours, have found it come off punctually right, of a correspondent bigness to that, which I have imitated, and have not found any thing dis­proportioned, but have alwayes found it fall out right as I would have it, therefore I say that this Rule, and Measure which I have set down, in the Porphile or other opositions of the Head, is not any hin­drance to the excellency of the Art, nor will weak­en your worth, but will serve for a general Rule being once possest therewith, and also become pre­valent when occasion shall require, to make a Head Ten times as big as the Life; for that with this Measure, you shall readily Frame it right by any great Head; and that because the understanding therein is equally extended, but the more the capa­city is wanting, the more my Labour will farther when need requireth. These then I give as Principal for the first stroakes, as in the next figure may be perceived, which is from the Forehead, as I have already said, for the beginning of the Nose; that is from the lower part of the Hair, to the hol­lowness of the Nose and the Nostrils, and from thence to the Chinn.

Several Observations, in drawing a Head after the Life.

ANd because the greatest difficulty, and principal parts of this Art consist in some part in drawing the lively Resemblance of a Face, therefore I thought it very necessary to add this as a further Direction to draw any Face after the life. Therefore if you will draw any Face after the life, that it may resemble the party you draw it after; take notice in the First place of the Physiognomy or circumference of the Face, whi­ther it be round or long, Fat or Lean, Big or Little, [Page 10] so that in the First place you must be sure to take the right Physiognomy and bigness of the Face, and in case it be a Fat Face, you will perceive the Cheeks to make the side of the Face to swell out, and so make the Face look as if it were square: And if it be neither too fat nor too lean, it will be round for the most part; but if it be a lean Face the Jaw-Bones will stick out, and the Cheeks fall in, and the Face will be long and slender, observe when you draw the outmost cir­cumference of a Face, to take the Head and all with it, or otherwise you may be deceived in drawing the true bigness of a Face, then you must diligent­ly and judiciously observe and discern all the Gentle Master Touches, which gives the Spirit and Life to a Face, and discovers the Grace or Disposition of the Mind, wherein lieth the whole Grace of the Work, and the Credit of the Artist, you may easi­ly discern a smiling Countenance in the Corners of the Mouth, when they turn up a little; you may best discern a staied and sober Countenance in the Eyes, when the upper Eyelids comes somewhat over the Balls of the Eyes, but a frowning Countenance is easi­ly discerned in the Forehead by the bending of the Eye­browes, and some few wrinkles about the top of the Nose between the two Eyebrowes, and a laughing Countenance is easily discerned all over the Face, but an angry Countenance is discerned by extraor­dinary frowning; there are also some touches about the Eyes and Mouth which you must diligently observe, which gives the Spirit and Life to a Face.

The Proportion of a Man of Ten faces.

IT standeth with good reason, that (following the Method of the Antient Graecians) I should make [Page 11] this Body, whose proportion I intend to handle particularly, answerable to the Symetry of all other Artificial Bodies, which may be made farr more Beautifull, then Nature affordeth any; wherein notwithstanding the whole Symetry of Art may be comprehended more or less; and this Point I mean to handle in this Chapter and the next, wherefore I have prefixed this before the rest, because it is, as it were the Foundation of them all. This Figure then is First divided into Ten parts or faces: the First whereof (I mean in length) beginneth at the top of the Head, and reacheth to the root of the Nostrils: the Second from thence to the Throat-pit: the Third thence to the parting of the Breast: the Fourth thence to the Navile: the Fifth thence to the Privities, which is just the middle of the length of the Body, from thence to the Sole of the Foot are Five Faces, whereof two lye between the Privities and the Mid-Knees, the other three betwixt that and the Sole of the Foot. Thus ac­cording to this Division all these Parts are equall.

Now the first Part from the Top of the Head to the Nose, answereth to the space betwixt that and the Chinn, in a triple proportion, (which maketh a Diapente and a Diapason) that beneath the Chinn, and the Throat-pit answereth to that betwixt the Nose and the Chinn in a double proportion (which makes a Diapason) whereunto the Head answereth in the sameAccording to Iohn Paule Lomatius. proportion; the Three faces (between the Throat-pit and the Privities answereth to the Second be­twixt them and the Knee Sesquialter proportion, whence ariseth a Diapente, but with the Leggs they are Vnisons for it hath the same proportion with the Thigh.

Now the breadth of this Body consisteth likewise of Ten faces; namely between the extremities of both the middle fingers, when the Armes are spread [Page 12] abroad, and is thus divided: One to the Wrist of the Hand, one and a half to the Elbow, so much to the Clavicolae or joynt of the Shoulder, and one to the Throat­pit, so that only the Hands are Ʋnisons, with that be­tween the Shoulder-Joynt and the Throat-pit, and the space between the Shoulders and the Elbow, with that between the Elbow and the Wrist; so that these an­swer to each other in a Sesquialter proportion called a Diapente) again a face is as much as the distance between the Nipples, and so much more from each of them to the Throat-pit, making an Equaliter Triangle.

The compass of the Head from the Eyebrowes to the Neck behinde is double to the length of the whole Head, the circumference of the Waste is a Triple Sesquialter to the Diameter thereof; and is all one with the Trunk of the Body, which is three Faces, the circumference of the Body under the Arm-pits, and the space between them and the VVrist answer in a double proportion, and is all one with any half of the Body.

The Measures which are Ʋnison or all one, and equall between themselves, are these: First the space between the Chinn and the Throat-pit, is as much as the Diameter of the Neck: the circumference of the Neck, is as much as from the Throat-pit to the Navile, the Diameter of the VVaste answereth to the distance be­tween the Knobbe of the Throat and the top of the Head, and this is the length of the Foot, the space between the Eyelids and the Nostrils is all one with that betwixt the Chinn and the Throat-bone, again from the Nose to the Chinn, is as much as from the Throat-Bone to the Throat-pit, moreover the space from the hollow of the Eye below, and from the Eye-brow to the Center of the Eye, is the same with the prominency of the [Page 13] Nostrils; and so much it is between the Nostrils, and the end of the Ʋpper Lip so that these three spaces be equal, besides the distance between the top of the Naile of the Fore-finger and the last Joynt thereof, and from thence to the VVrist are equall, again the space between the Naile of the Middle Finger, and the last Joynt thereof; and from thence to the VVrist is all one, the greater Joynt of the Fore-finger, is the height of the Fore-head, and the space between that Joynt and the top of the Naile, is equall to the Nose, be­ginning at the bottome of the most eminent Arch above the Eyes, where the Fore-head and the Nose are divided, the two first Joynts of the Middle Finger, are equall to the space between the Nose and the Chinn, the first Joynt whereon the Naile groweth; is the distance between the Nose and the Mouth; so that the second Joynt answereth to the First in a Ses­quialter proportion, as also doth the space between the Mouth and the Chinn, (whence ariseth the Con­cord Diapente) the bigger Joynt of the Thumb giveth the length of the Mouth, the space betwixt the top of the Chinn, and the Dint under the Lower Lip, answereth to the lesser Joynt of the Thumb, and is as much as from the Nose to the same Dint, where­fore from the greater Joynt there is a Sesquialter propor­tion and a Concord (Diatesseron) the last Joynt of each Finger, is double to the length of the Naile, and make­eth a Diapason from the middst between the Eye-brows to the outward Corner of the Eye, is as much as from thence to the Eare, the heighth of the Fore-head, the length of the Nose, and the length of the Mouth are (Ʋnisons) the breadth of the Hand and Foot are all one, the length of the Foot in respect of the breadth make­eth a double (Supra bi partient, and a Diapason and a Dia­tesseron.)

The breadth of the Foot to his height at the Instep, makes a (Sesquialter and a Diatesseron) the breadth of the Hand is double to the heighth, the Arches of the Eye­browes, are equall to the Arch of the Ʋpper Lip, at the Division of the Mouth, the breadth of the Nose and the Eye is all one, and either of them half the length of the nose, the navile is the midst betwixt the nose and the Knee, from the top of the Shoulder to the Elbow, and from thence to the Hand, is a Diatesseron, the space between the lower end of the Eare, and the Joynt of the Shoulder, is half as much as the breadth of the Breast at the Shoulders, which maketh a double Sesquialter the whole breadth of the Body to the space between the top of the Head, and the Throat-Bone makes a Qua­druple proportion; whence ariseth a Disdiapason, the same proportion hath the Cubit, or lower Part of the Arme from the Elbow to the top of the Middle Finger, with the breadth of the Body, by the Armes spread abroad the breadth of the Flanckes is double to the Thigh or a Diapason, the length of a Man is all one with his breadth.

The breadth of the Back at the Arme-pits; of the Hippes at the Buttocks, and of the Leggs at the Knees, in respect of the Soles of the Feet, make a triple (Sesqui­tertia) the like is from the space of the Head to the Breast-pit: the Diameter of the Head at the Forehead, to the depth thereof, (that is between the Eyes, and the Nape of the Head) is a Sesquioctava: whence ariseth a Tone, the circumference of the Fore-head at the Temples, is a Quadruple to his heigth, or a Diapa­son, the heighth of the Face, and the space between the Chinn and the Throat-Bone, makes a triple propor­tion, or a Diapason, and Diapente.

And thus if we should proceed, we might finde in the Head all the other proportions of the smallest Parts, together with their Concord most exactly: which for Brevities sake I omit, haste­ing [Page 15] to the Measures of all the Parts, which are truly Symmetri­cal, and correspondent to the Parts of the VVorld.

The Proportion of a Mans Body of Ten faces.

THe proportion of a long and slender Body must be patterned after the Body of Mars the god of Warr, amongst the Gentiles, who by reason of his Heat and Dryness hath a long and slender Body a­greeable thereunto; and may also serve for any o­ther Body of that nature, as being Boysterous, Cho­lerick, Cruel, Martial, Mutinous, Rash and prone to Anger; as are all active and strong men, by reason of the bigness of their Bones, void of much Flesh, which causeth them to be of a hard, and sharp Body, with great Joynts, and big Nostrils dilated with Heat, whose Eyes, Mouth, and other passages, are corres­pondent; as in his due place shall be more particu­larly shewed.

The breadth of the Hand, being divided into Four Parts, maketh the Four Fingers from the top of the Middle Finger to the Elbow, is the Fourth Part of the whole Body; And this proportion is of such indifferent Beau­ty, that sparing the Martial asperity and bouldness, it may sit divers other slender and noble Bodyes, as occasion shall serve.

The extravigant Proportion of Ten Heads.

SInce my purpose is to Handle this matter exactly it shall not be amiss, briefly to touch the sleight proportion of Ten Heads delivered by Albert Durer for although it be (in truth) to slender in all Mens Judgements, yet I may not omit it, because it hath the authority of so Famous a Man in the Skill of [Page 16] Painting, as Germany cannot match again. First then this proportion is in length from the top of the Head to the Chinn, a tenth part of the whole: thence back­wards to the top of the Fore-head, an Eleventh: The face may be divided into Three equal Parts, as the rest are.

The Proportion of a Young Man of nine Heads.

I Am of opinion that Francis Mazzalinus would have proved the only rare Man of the World, if he had never Painted any other kind of Pictures (as rude, gross, and melancholly) then these slender ones which he represented with an admirable dexterity as being naturally inclined thereunto; so that if he had only represented Apollo, Bacchus, the Nimphes, &c. he had sufficiently warranted this his most ac­ceptable proportion, which was ever slender, and oftentimes to sleight, but when he took upon him to express the Prophets, our Lady and the like in the same; as appeareth by his Moses at Parma, our Lady at Ancona, and certain Angells not farr from thence, and divers other things quite contrary to the Symetry they ought to have, he gave a president to all other Painters to shunne the like error: which himself might also have easily avoided, being re­puted little inferiour to Raphael Ʋrbine, whom he might have proposed to himself as a patterne; for Raphael ever suited his personages answerable to the variety of the Natures, and Dispositions of the Parties he imitated: so that his Old Folks seem stiff and crooked, his Young Men agile and slender and so forth in the rest, which example admonisheth us, that a Painter ought not to tye himself to any one kind of proportion, in all his Figures; for besides that he shall lose the true Decorum of the History: [Page 17] He shall commit a great absurdity in the Art by making all his Pictures like Twinns: Into which error notwithstanding divers (otherwise worthy Painters) have runn, whose names I suppress; and especially one of those two great ones, which over-sight all good practitioners will easily discern, because all their Figures are of an Uniforme proportion, though wonderfully expressing variety of actions: And for our better understanding in this kind of proportion (as best fitting Young Men, who are somewhat Beau­tifull by means of their slenderness, agility, and gentle Disposition mixed with a kind of boldness) Raph: Ʋrbine hath very well expressed it in St. George fighting with the Dragon, now to be seen in the Churches of St. Victore de Fratri in Milane; in St. Michaell at Fontainblew in France, and in that George which he made for the Duke of Ʋrbine on a Peice richly guilt, according to which Observation of his, every Man may dispose of this proportion in the like young Bodies, now for our more exact insight hereinto, by way of precept, we must first note that a slender young Body of Nine Heads is from the top of the Head to the end of the Chinn, a Nineth Part of the whole length: And thence back again to the root of the Hair a Tenth or Eleventh Part, as I have observed in Raphaels St. Michael and in an old Apollo, but which way soever you make it, this space is divided into Three equal Parts; whereof the First makes the fore­head, the Second the Nose, the Third the Chinn, how­beit I grant that in a face which is the Eleventh Part (by reason of a certain Tuff of Hair which is usually expressed) the fore-head becometh lower by a Third Part; which Rule the antient Graecians kept, as their Statutes do evidently witness.

The Proportion of a Man of Eight heads.

WHereas in every Work there is some one entire Figure, whereunto all the particulars of the whole History ought to be principally referred, the Painter ought not to imagine, (because he is more skilfull in representing some other thing in the work then that which beareth the reference of the whole) that therefore he shall deserve commendation, but rather discredit, for it is most certain that Work will prove offensive, where some inferiour and by matter, is more curiously handled then the princi­pal, and the rather, because the other Parts cannot chuse but loose their Grace. A thing which hath caused divers excellent Painters (as well new) as antient (being purposely carried away with too great a desire of doing well) to leave their Works imperfect, which they could not remedy any other way, then by utterly defacing that which they had done, were it never so excellent.

A most pregnant example whereof we have in that antient Painter Euphzanor; who being to draw the Twelve gods in Athens, he began with the Picture of Neptune, which he wrought so exquisitely both for proportion, colour, and all other points; that pur­posing afterwards to make Jupiter with far greater perfection, he had so spent his conceit in the First Figure, that he was not able afterwards to express any of the other gods, much less Jupiter) the like Disgrace happened to Zeuxes by the Naturaleness of his Grapes, and the Imperfection of the Boy, not unlike unto which was that of Leon: Vincent of late Dayes, who being to Paint Christ at his last Supper in the middst of his Disciples in the Refectory of St. [Page 19] Maria de Gratia in Milane, and having finished all the other Apostles, he represented the two James's with such perfection of Grace and Majesty, that en­deavouring afterwards to express Christ, he was not able to perfect and accomplish that sacred Countenance, notwithstanding his incomparable skill in the Art, whence being in a desperate Case, he was enforced to advise with Bernard Zenale concerning his Fault, who used these Words to comfort him. O Leonard this thine Error is of that quality, that none but God can correct it; for neither thou nor any Man living, is able to bestow more Divine Beauty upon any Figure, then thou hast upon these James's, wherefore content thy self, and leave Christ unperfect, for thou mayest not set Christ near those Apostles, which advise Leonard observed, as may appear by the Picture, at this day, though it be much defaced. Whence my Council is; that for the avoiding of the like Errors, we examine the original thereof, having an especial regard to our proportions; as the cheif Cause of the grossness, slenderness, clownishness, and daintyness of Bodies: whence all the Beauty and Ill-favourdness of Pictures pro­ceedeth; wherefore let each Body have his true and particular pro­portion: which is to divide the Body into Eight equal Parts, whereof the head is one, which may serve for all Men in general, who agree with this most absolute form, whose proportion followeth.

Of the Proportion of a Mans Body of Seven Heads.

THe grand Philosopher Pythagoras, giveth suffi­cient Testimony of the Truth of these Rules concerning the proportion of Mans Body; inso­much as by their help he distinguished the propor­tion of Hercules his Body, from the other gods, by finding out the true Stature thereof, and conse­quently how much he exceeded the Stature of ordi­nary [Page 20] Men; of whom An: Gellius writeth, that he observed the Quantity of Hercules Foot, wherewith the race in Acaia before Jupiter Olmypius his Temple (where the Olympian Games were celebrated every Fift Year) was measured; and found it to agree, in the Number of Feet, with the other Races, which were six hundred Twenty Five Foot; and yet to be much longer then any of the rest.

By which Example we may easily conceive, that every propor­tion will not fit all kindes of Bodyes, because there are many varieties thereof, as there are Natural Differences of Bodyes, wherefore I will proceed to the handling of the proportion of a Body of Seven substantial and big Heads, all whose Members are strong, sturdy, and raised; his length then from the Crown of the Head to the Sole of the Foot, is seven-times the length of his head.

Of the Proportion of a Woman of Ten Faces.

ALbeit Dame Nature, the cunningest Work-Mi­stress of all others, doth ordinarily observe so great variety, in all her Workes, that each of her particulars differeth in Beauty and Proportion; yet not­withstanding, we find by experience, that she is more industrious, In shewing her Art and Skill in some few most Beautifull creatures, whereupon I (insomuch as Art being the counterfeiter of Nature, must ever endeavour to imitate the most absolute things) intending to handle the proportion of a Woman mean not to spend much time in discoursing of the several proportions of all the Sorts of VVomen which Nature affordeth (for that were infinite) but purpose to write only of the most pleasing propor­tions appearing in dainty and delicate Bodies, now this Body is thus measured: Divide the Body into [Page 21] Ten equall Parts, whereof the Head must be one, from the Crown of the head to the privities must be Five of the Ten, and from the privities to the Sole of the Foot Five more.

And this is the Measure and proportion of a come­ly Womans Body, drawn not only from the ob­servations of the antient Statues of Venus, but even from the ground of Nature it self; which propor­tion may serve for any Woman, wherein you would especially represent the perfection of Beauty, and not for every common Woman; as Martial, Huntresses, grave Matrones, or other stayed Women, incline­ing to grossness, as the other tend to slenderness, and because all the other proportions depend upon these two (as may easily be proved by Geometrical lines) I thought good to set them down first, as a Rule and Direction for the rest, which I purpose now to handle, with the same Method I did the other two: Least otherwise, it might happily be thought, that these proportions were made by chance; where­fore all the particulars are to be framed, answer­able to the Nature of such Bodies as they resemble; otherwise some one disproportionable and unsuitable Part, will cause as great, or rather a greater ble­mish in a beautifull Body: As a Tuscan Capital, in a Co­rinthian Cullumne; or a Phrigian note mixed with a Dorick.

The Proportion of a Woman of Ten heads.

THe proportion of a VVoman of ten Heads in length, is thus measured, between the top of the Head and the Sole of the Foot; is ten times as much as be­tween the Chinn, and the top of the Head, thence to the Privities is half.

The Proportion of a woman of Nine Faces.

IT was not without just cause that Vitruvius in the First of his Architecture, distinguishing the manner of Temples by their several Orders; dedicated the Ionick Order to the goddess Juno, as being slenderer then the Dorick, and more substantial then the Corinthian: Considering no doubt very wisely, that this god­dess was not naturally so Grave as Vesta nor yet so slender and beautifull as Venus; notwithstanding she carrieth a Matrone like Beauty, full of State and Ma­jesty, for which cause also, I apply this Portion of Nine Faces unto her, as most properly belonging un­to her, being inferiour in Beauty to the proportion of Venus, and yet the most beautifull amongst the Matrone-like, wherein Majesty and Grace ought to be represented. Moreover this proportion may be applyed unto Queenes of Middle-age; or unto any other honest, fair and grave women; and doth most properly appertain to our Lady.

Of the Proportion of a VVoman of Nine Heads.

THough I might describe divers other proporti­ons of Bodies (albeit of small worth in respect of the principal) yet I purpose to pretermit them, as well for their small use, as for brevities sake, wherefore concluding the Principal and most Re­gular proportions, I come to the rest, and First to that of Nine Heads, which being very slender and comely, as representing the third Degree of Beauty, may be given not only to Minerva, but also to Diana for her swiftness and agility, as also to the Nimphs of the Rivers, and to the Muses, though with divers attire, in regard of their place. This proportion [Page 23] is from the top of the head to the Chinn, a Ninth Part of the length. The Face from the Root of the hair, to the Chinn, may be either a tenth or eleventh Part, as shall please the Painter. This divided into Three equal Parts, the first gives the Fore-head, the second the Nose, the third the Chinn.

The Proportion of a VVoman of seven heads.

IT was not without good Ground, that the old Grae­cians made the goddess Vesta but Seven heads high; because this proportion is Grave and Matrone like, and therefore was attributed to the Earth, the com­mon Parent of all things. Besides you may give it to any other goddess, which hath any kind of re­semblance with the Earth, as also to the more staied and antient sort of Women, wherefore it were a great oversight to give a slender and delicate propor­tion to the Sibills or other Grave and Sage Prophetesses, as it were likewise to make a Prophet with such a pro­portion as belongeth to young Men.

A Child of six Heads is thus measured, dividing the body into six equal parts, whereof the Head must be one.

A Child of five Heads is thus measured, dividing the body into five equal parts, whereof the Head must be one.

A Child of four Heads is thus measured, dividing the body into four equal parts, whereof the Head must be one.

Of the Vertue of Light.

LIght hath so great force in Pictures, that (in my judgement) therein consisteth the whole grace there­of, if it be well understood, an contrarywise, the dis­grace if it be not perceived, and evident example whereof we may see in a Body proportionably drawn, [Page 36] which being yet without his lights, sheweth very beautifull, so far forth as it is wrought, but if after­wards it shall be shadowed without judgement and art, so that the shadowes be confusedly placed where the lights ought to be, and contrarywise the lights where the Middle of the shadows should be, and the conca­vities and convexities disorderly suited, without any Imitation of Nature it were better it had never been either drawn or lightned, whereas having lights well dis­posed, it doth not only add perfection to the draught but so sets it off from the Flat that it seems to be imbossed.

And in this vertue and power consisteth the chiefest excellency of the Painter: Insomuch as this point most properly concerneth him, by making his coun­terfeits seem to be as much raised, by reason of the striking of the light, as they are indeed in the Carvers work, by reason of the matter, which (as all Men know) hath height and depth, the right side and the left, the fore-part and the hinder, wherefore they say that the thing which the Carver intendeth to make, is in the Marble, which afterwards becometh good or bad, by cutting and forming, but to return to the light, I say this moreover, that although it be of such efficacy, that it diminisheth the grace of the draught, where it wanteth (as is said) yet the Inar­tificialness of the draught cannot disgrace it, whence we see, that if the lights be well and proportionably bestowed throughout a Body, which is ill proportioned and without Muscles, it contenteth the Eye of the beholder some­what the more, by moving him to a desire of seeing the Muscles and other necessary parts, in such a Body as in the Pictures of Bernard, Zenale, Friviliano, viz. the glorious resurrection of Christ painted by him, over, the Gate in the Covent of the Church of Grace in Milane, [Page 37] and many other Histories of his doing as well in colours, as in black and white, in the same place.

Wherein may be seen Pictures, made without Muscles, and other necessary accomplishments, for the more gracious representation of Eye-pleasing perfection, but yet well placed, and with their lights; most artificially dis­posed in their places, insomuch that they seem to be imbossed outwards, such is the force of these lights in which you shall also find admirable perspectives and foreshortnings, wholly proceeding from the orderly dis­posing of the lights, without which these draughts would have proved imperfect, loosing much of that grace, although they were well placed, so that we find many Painters, who being ignorant of the art of proportions, only by a little practice, in disposing their lights in some tolerable sort, have notwithstanding been reputed good Artists; which commendation they deserve not, because they neither have the Art of perspectives nor the true representing of any of the lights.

Now for an Example of the true art of exquisite bestowing of these lights, that Peece of Le: Vincent a­mongst many others, may serve us, instead of all the rest of his well lightned Pictures, which is now to be found in St. Francis Church in Milane, where he hath painted the conception of our Lady; which (to omit other excellencies therein) is most singular in this point, for the perfection of lights, those two peeces done by the hand of Antonio Correggio are most admi­rable, which are yet to be seen in the same City, with Cavalier Leon: Aretino, in one whereof is painted fair Jo, with Jupiter upon a Cloud, and in the other Danae and Jupiter descending into her lap in the forme of a golden shower, with Cupid and other Loves; having their lights so well disposed, that I dare boldly say, [Page 38] no other Painter is able to match him in colouring and lightning; which Degrees were sent him out of Spain, from his Sonne Pompey a carver. Moreover Michael Angelo, and Raphael Ʋrbine, the Fathers and Masters of painting are reputed most rare and divine in lights, out of whose Schooles I may truly say, almost all the famous Painters of Italy have attained to the worth of their fame.

Now then insomuch as these lights, are of so great vertue, we ought to use all diligence for the perfect attaining to the knowledge thereof, by applying them to our draughts, as is shewed, insomuch as the art of proportion, motion and foresh ortning, hath but small use or commendation in a Painter, without the knowledge of these lights, found out by reason and art, and not taken by bare imitation from the imbossed models, under a false apprehension of the light, without order or di­stance, as also in the lines and super-ficies of Bodies: wherefore they prove false, and altogether contrary to the rules of art. And thus much I thought good to note concerning this point purposing now to begin the treatise of light it self, by the assistance of him who inlightneth the understand­ing of such as submit themselves unto him, with a pure Mind wholly prepared for the receiving of so divine beams.

Of the Necessity of Light.

IT appeareth by that which hath been hither­to spoken, that a peece of painting drawn in propor­tion having his true motion, and put in colours with­out the lights, is like a Body in the dark, of whose Quantity or Quality a Man cannot judge, save only by the help of his understanding, that is by that inward conceipt he hath of the thing, and not by any outward, insomuch as it is hidden from the external light, which [Page 39] concurring with the internal, by means of the Beams proceeding from the Eye, makes the diversity of Bodies known to the understanding, after the same manner, as they receive their light naturally.

Wherefore I will handle the lights, saying nothing of the shadows, although they be handled together with them, for the shadows do necessarily follow the lights, being caused by the decay of the light, taking so much the more force, by how much the more forcibly the light striketh upon the Body, whence ariseth that exceeding great raising and heightning of a na­tural plain, in a Body receiving the light according to his proper nature.

And by this we shall know, how the lights, reflecti­ons, and natural rebating of the lights, do vary, according to the diversity of the Bodies, by altering them as shall be said, wherein also we shall see the very per­fection of the art; for without this, neither order, forme, proportion, motion, composition, or figure; can attain to their perfection, like unto a Body without scituation or spirit, or to counterfeit Starrs without the light of the Sun, giving them their brightness answerable to their qualities, whereby they may be seen. But now as touching my proposed matter, I will First handle the na­ture of light, and afterwards (by the help of Natural Philosophy and the Opticks, being the First part of the perspectives) I will speak in general of the primary and secondary lights, then of direct and reflected lights, afterwards how by Mathematical reasons, divers distinct lights may be seen, by reason of the variety of the Bodies, and finally of the qualities of things appertaining there­unto, how it may be understood in all things, and in the Elements themselves.

Of the Nature of Light

THis Word Light is diversly taken: First and principally it signifieth the Image of that Divine Nature which is the Sonne of God, and the brightness thereof, which the Platonicks called the Image of the divine mind. Secondly the comfortable operation of the Holy Ghost: Thirdly that divine vertue, which being diffused through all the creatures, is in Men their divine grace, and in all other living creatures, that power whereby they are preserved and defended, as that of the Seraphims ac­cording to Dionysius: Fourthly that intelligence in the Angels, which breedeth that Joy in them, which passeth our understanding, yet diversly received, according to the diversity of the intelligence ap­prehending it, as Marcilius Ficinius upon Plato not­eth: Fifthly in the Heavenly Bodies it causeth abun­dance of Life, signifying an effectual propagation, and vi­sible brightness in the Fire, with a certain accidentall power proceeding from the same: Sixthly it is taken in Men for the Light of their agent, understanding, which illuminateth their Patient or passable understanding; (and in a Word) for the discourse of reason, and the knowledge of divine things: Last of all it signifyeth a quality proceeding from the Sun or the Fire, which so discovereth colours, that they may be seen, and this (as the Peripateticks say) is the cause of Formal Reason, whereby coloured things are seen, whose Shapes and Images pass to the phantasie, and especially enlighten the Eyes, in which the Image is formed, which First pas­eth to the common sense, afterwards to the phantasie, and last of all to the understanding, this Light is dispersed and extended unto all Bodies that are openly proposed unto it, in which colour, and a beautifull resplendency of thick [Page 41] and dark Bodies is discovered (as the Platonicks speak) caused by this light, together with certain beneficient and generative vertues. But where the Sun-beams fall not, and are not at all dispersed, there (the beams of the Eye being restrained) remaineth a dark colour, which displeaseth, and evil effecteth the mind, so that all things according to their capacity, feel the power of the light, which joyning all Creatures to it self by this lively heat, and piercing through them all giveth to each of them his proper Quality and Ver­tue.

Whence those who are judicious in this Art, use to give lights to all things after one and the self same manner; insomuch as we see, that the Sun rising above our Horizon, lightneth all things in an instant, the reason whereof is, because the light hath no contrary which might hinder it, with his action. Wherefore it performeth his operations in the Air, in an instant.

And hereunto appertaineth that, which the Phi­losophers say concerning the darkness of the Night, that it is not caused of any dark or black colour, which coloureth the Air, but only by the absence of the Sun, whose presence and brightness equally lightneth our whole Hemisphere, and would in like sort lighten the whole Earth, together with all compound Bodies, if they were transparent as the Air is, but being Opake, thick and corpulent, they receive not the light in his perfect bright­ness, save only in that part which is directly opposite to the Sun, and therefore in this our Hemesphere (because the Sun never passeth perpendicularly over our Zenith) the Earth can never be so lightned, but that one side or o­ther of it will be shadowed, which happeneth unto those parts, which lye directly under the equinoctial line, where the Sun at Noon doth so lighten the Earth, and the inhabitants, that it giveth light to the whole circum­ference [Page 42] of round Bodies, and there is no shadow seen unto the very Feet. Whence the judicious in this Art, forbid us to give lights in a picture unto all Bodies, after one and the self same manner.

But besides this consideration of the light illumi­nating, and the Earth with all earthly Bodies lightned, there is another more forcible reason drawn from the grounds of the Mathematicks, viz. from the visual lines of perspective, together with the Eye, for the better understanding whereof we must note, that Three things concurr to our sight, the visual lines, the coloured Body, and the faculty of seeing, which is in our Eye, the visual lines lightned (which are the proper Matter and subject of the perspectives) come to our Eye in a Pyramidal Forme, the Base of which Pyramis resteth in the Object, and the conus or angle thereof, cometh to our Eye more blunt and obtuse: And hereby we see the Object more plainly and distinctly; but if the Object be afar off, the conus or angle of the Pyramis comes to the Eye sharper and lesser, and then our Eye cannot discerne it so clearly as otherwise it would.

Secondly it is to be noted, that the Object com­eth not to our Eye, but the visible species or shapes are diffused through the clearness of the Air unto the Eye, which species are nothing else but certain Images, like unto those which we see in a glass, when a Man or any thing else standing against it, is represented therein.

And if the coloured Body or Object stand neer to this Image, it comes to our Eye in the same quantity and big­ness of the angle of the Pyramis: Now because this angle comes to our Eye in an obtuse and blunt form, the Image also seems great, and so is discerned more distinctly, but when the coloured Object stands afar off, the Image comes to the Eye in a very small and slender angle, and [Page 43] therefore filleth not the Eye, but wavereth in such sort, that it cannot be clearly and distinctly discerned. As touching the Third I have no more to say, but that the faculty of seeing is reduced into Art, being formed by the concurring of the other Two things required before, viz. the visual lines, (without which the Eye cannot see) and the Image of the coloured Body, which informeth the Eye, by reducing it from meer ability into act, and informing it more perfectly with a great Image, by performing his operations better, and causing the thing to be seen more apparently and distinctly: whereas with the small Image of a thing too far distant, the Eye cannot be so well informed, and therefore it cannot see the thing perfectly.

From which grounds, I draw these Two reasons, why the self same Body cannot be lightned equally in all places.

The First is because the light doth not with all his brightness illuminate any more then that part, which is directly opposite to it, being not able to illu­strate the other parts so perfectly, by reason of the Na­ture of the dark Terrene, and gross Body, which so hindreth the beams, that they cannot pierce inwards, and performe their effects perfectly.

The Second reason is taken from the Nature of our Eye, for as the First part of the Body is seen and placed nearest the Eye, comes unto it with a bigger angle, so is it also seen more distinctly, because it is more lightned, but the Second part thereof, being farther of, comes to the Eye in a lesser angle, and being less lightned, is not so plainly seen as the First, and by this rule, the Third part will be obscurer, and so the Fourth proportionably untill the Eye can see no farther.

Now if you ask me what the Painter ought to do, when he would paint Two, Three, or Four Men, stand­ing one behind another, all of them equally receiving [Page 44] the light, I answer alwayes according to the former Doctrine, that although they be equally lightned, yet we must paint the Second which is farther off from the Eye darker, and the Third more then him, and the Fourth most of all, &c. untill our Eye can see no more.

The reason is because the Second standing farther off, cometh to the Eye with a lesser angle, wherefore he cannot be seen so evidently as the First, the same reason there is of the Third, &c.

The same is also meant side-long, wherefore what­soever Painters have observed this Doctrine, have be­came excellent, and nothing inferiour to the chief Masters of this Art, as Le: Vincent with divers others named be­fore, together with Jac: Tintoretto Marco de Scina, Frederick Barozzi of Ʋrbine, Paulus Caliarius of Verona, Lu­cas Gangiasus, the Bassans, and Ambrose Figinus.

Now the whole Doctrine delivered in this present Chapter is (for the most part) taken out of Aristotle, Alhazen, Vitel­lo, Thomas Aquinas, and (to conclude) out of all the best Philosophers and Divines, (whose Opinions I approve of) and thus much may be spoken for the Opinions of other Men.

Of the Necessity of Motion.

THe order of the place requireth, that I should con­sequently speak of Motion it self, namely with what Art the Painter ought to give Motions best fitting his Pictures, which is nothing else but a correspon­dency to the nature of the proportion of the forme and matter thereof, and herein consisteth the whole spirit, and life of the Art, which the Painters call sometimes the fury, sometimes the grace, and sometimes the ex­cellency of the Art, for hereby they express an evident distinction between the living and the dead, the fierce and the gentle, the ignorant and the learned, the sad and the merry, and (in a Word) discover all the several passions, and Gestures which Mans Body is able to perform, which here we term by the name of Motions, for the more significant expressing of the Mind by an outward and bo­dily demonstration, so that by this means inward motions and affections may be as well, (or rather better) signified as by their speech, which is wrought by the proper operations of the Body, performing just as much as is delivered unto it from the reasonable Soul, stirred up either unto good or bad, according to their private apprehensions.

Which things, while all good Painters propose to themselves, in their works, they express such admi­rable secrets of Nature, as we see, which being moved [Page 49] by that stirring vertue, which continually lying hid in the hart, is outwardly shewed forth in the Body, by extending her branches through the exteriour Members, in such sort, that they may also receive motion, hence spring those admirable motions in Pictures, which ap­pear as diverse as the passions whence they have their original, are different, of which point somewhat shall be said in this ensuing Treatise.

Now the perfect knowledge of this motion, is (as hath been shewed) accounted the most difficult part of the art, and reputed as a divine gift. Insomuch, as here­in alone consisteth the comparison between Painting and Poetry, for as it is required in a Poet, that besides the excellency of his wit, he should moreover be fur­nished with a certain propension and inclination of will, in­citing and moving him to versify, (which the antient cal­led the fury of Apollo and the Muses) so likewise a Painter ought, together with those natural parts which are required at his hands, to be furnished with a na­tural dexterity and inborn slight of expressing the principal motions, even from his cradle; otherwise it is a very hard (if not impossible) matter, to obtain to the absolute per­fection of this Art.

The truth whereof, experience it self may teach us: Insomuch as there both have been, and are many ex­cellent Painters, who for their extraordinary skill in the art, are most highly esteemed of all Men, as being able to make sweet coloured pictures, having their loyns and joynts in all points answerable to the rules of propor­tion, understanding Anatomy and painfully lightned and shadowed, but because notwithstanding all their care and industry in this behalf, they could never be so happy, as to attain unto this faculty. They have left their works to the view, and hard censure of posterity, only because they expressed unsuitable and lame Gestures, [Page 50] in their Pictures, which they had stolen out of other Mens inventions: namely, out of theirs who were naturally indued with that grace, and perswading them­selves that these would very well serve their turns: they imagined such Actions and Gestures in their own Pic­tures, as being used besides the purpose, for which they were First invented, could not be approved for good, be­cause they offended in divers circumstances, wherefore those unfortunate painful Men (who notwithstanding in some other parts of the art, be sufficiently skilful) al­though they can imitate the Actions and Gestures of o­ther inventors, yet shall they never be able to make a commendable History, because they be naturally disfur­nished of that inborn facility and inclination.

Now on the contrary part, I deny not, but those who are furnished with natural invention, may want that patience in their work, which the others have, which propriety ariseth from the multitude of their continual inventions, and stirring apprehensions: Inso­much, that before they can throughly finish or compleat any one Body or Action, infinite others arise in their fantasie, so that by reason of the great delight they feel in their invention, they cannot have the patience to finish any thing they take in hand.

But the most absolute and compleat Painters (who are not so much inclined by nature, as perfected by art) endeavour to choose out the best Actions for every purpose, in restraining the luxurious fury of nature, by that deliberate discretion which they have in their Idea, by the benefit whereof, they finish their Pictures with de­light and contentment, alwayes expressing in each member, a certain hidden resemblance of the princial motions, where­fore these alone carry away the commendation of the profession which is not granted to those furious mad-caps, by reason of their impatiency, nor yet unto the former [Page 51] over diligent plodders, because they have not the natural knowledge of these motions, and therefore cannot ex­press them in their works, as those natural inventors will do, with Three or Four strokes, wherefore they be­come inferiour: so that as well the one as the other, must needs give place to the inventor, who wisely joyneth the industry of art, with the gift of nature.

Notwithstanding, I am of Opinion, that it is po­ssible to attain unto this so excellent a faculty, (though perhaps not with that special eminency of natural facility,) as by industrious study in the knowledge of these motions, and the causes whence they proceed. For from hence a Man may easily attain to a certain understanding, which afterwards putting in practice with patience, together with the other points, he may undoubtedly prove a ju­dicious inventor, who never had any extraordinary na­tural inclination, my meaning is, that such an inventor, as guideth himself by understanding, shall attain to better perfection then the other, who is naturally in­dued with the dexterity, without industry and patience: for example, if a Man shall diligently peruse the whole History of Christ, out of doubt he shall gather the true Idea and Method, how he ought to represent the motions of Christ, the Apostles, the Jews, and all the rest, who had any part in that cruel Tragedy, so suffici­ently, that the Mind of the beholder shall be no less moved to pitty, tears and sorrow, at the sight of the picture, then Men are usually at the reading of the History, so that by this means he shall shew in Judas; violent, offensive, brutish, buisie, and distempered motions, and in Christ being full of patience, remiss, and gentle, represent­ing in him, as in a glass that singular humility and patience, wherewith he reconciled us unto his Father: All which, notwithstanding they may be sufficiently drawn out of the reading of the History, yet for more ease [Page 52] sake, they may be taken from the accidental examples in the living, imitated with great felicity, and afterwards industriously and artificially expressed, by causing the abundance of his diligence to appear, in stirring up affections of piety and sorrow (as in a peece of the passion) or other affections, as the History he hath in hand, shall re­quire.

Now concerning the way and manner how these Actions are to be given, according to the diversity of Passions and Af­fections, which at sundry times, upon several occasions may move Mens Minds; I hope in this Treatise to shew evident examples, although they be somewhat hard and drawn from the secrets of natural Philosophy, a thing which might seem to require a Man of riper Years, then so young a Man as my self, wherefore I must crave pardon for breaking the bounds of Modesty, in undertaking the handling thereof, had I not been prompted unto it by the Painters, (it being of so great use and importance) howbeit, If neither in that which hath been already spoken, I have sufficiently laied open this point, nor hereafter shall be able to deliver the Method fully, which I promised, yet notwithstanding this my pains is not to be contemned, insomuch as it will, (at the least) pre­pare an easie, free and Methodical passage for every Man to exercise his Wit, which must needs prove a most sure and ready way; insomuch as all the most Famous Painters have been directed thereby, who when they went about to counterfeit any story, First conceived the general forme thereof, and then gave to each Figure his peculiar Actions, proporti­oning, disposing, and guiding them by discretion, ac­companied with natural felicity.

Now amongst the worthy Painters who excelled herein, Raphael Ʋrbine, was not the least, who per­formed his Works, with a Divine kind of Majesty, nei­ther was Polidore much behind him in his kind, whose Pictures seemed as it were passing furious, nor yet Andreas [Page 53] Montagnea whose vain shewed a very laborious curiosity: Nor yet Leonard del Vincent, in whose doings there was never any errour found in this point: Whereof a­mongst all other of his works, that admirable last sup­per of Christ in Refect. St. Mariae de gratia in Milane, maketh most evident proof, in which he hath so lively expressed the passions of the Apostles minds in their countenances, and the rest of their Body, that a Man may boldly say, the truth was nothing superiour to his representation, and need not be afraid to reckon it a­mongst the best works of Oyl-painting, (of which kind of painting John Van Eyck of Maesyck born in the Year 1366. was the first Inventor) for in those Apostles, you might distinctly perceive admiration, fear, grief, suspition, love &c. all which were sometimes to be seen together in one of them, and Finally in Judas a Treason-plotting coun­tenance, as it were the very true counterfeit of a Traitor, so that therein he hath left a sufficient argument of his rare perfection, in the true understanding of the passions of the Mind, exemplified outwardly in the Body, which because it is the most necessary part of painting, I propose (as I say) to handle in this present Treatise.

I may not omit Michael Angelo in any case, whose skill and painfulness in this point was so great, that his Pictures carry with them more hard motions, expressed after an unusual manner, but all of them tending to a certain stout boldness. And as for Titian he hath worthily purchased the name of a greater Painter in this matter, as his Pictures do sufficiently witness; in each whereof, there shineth a certain moving vertue, seeming to incite the beholder, unto the imitation thereof, of whom this saying may be well verified, that he was beloved of the World, and envied of nature.

Finally, Gaudentius (though he be not much known) was inferiour unto few, in giving the apt motions to the [Page 54] Saints & Angels, who was not only a very witty painter, as I have elsewhere shewed, but also a most profound Philosopher and Mathematician, amongst all whose all praise worthy works, (which are almost infinite, especially in this point of motion) there divers Mysteries of Christs passions, of his doings, but chiefly a crucifix, called Mount Calvary at the Sepulchre of Varasto, where he hath made admirable Horses and strange Angels, not only in painting but also in plaistick, of a kind of earth, wrought most curiously with his own hand, di tutto relievo, through all the Figures.

Besides in the Vault of the Chappel of St. Mary de gratia in Milane, he hath wrought most natural Angels, I mean especially for their actions, there is also that mighty Cube of St. Mary de Sorono full of thrones of Angels, set out with habits and actions of all sorts, carrying diversity of most strange Instruments in their hands, I may not con­ceal that goodly Chappel, which he made in his latter time, in the Church of peace in Milane, where you shall find small Histories of our Lady and Joachim, shew­ing such superexcellent motions, that they seem much to revive and animate the spectators.

Moreover the story of St. Roccho, done by him in Vercelli, with divers other works in that City; although indeed all Lombardy be adorned with his most rare works, whose common saying concerning this Art of motions, I will not conceal; which was, that all painters delight to steal other Mens inventions, but that he himself was in no great danger of being detected hereafter. Now this great painter, although in reason, he might for his discretion, wisdome, and worth be compared with the a­bove named in the First Treatise: Yet notwithstand­ing is he omitted by George Vasary, in his lives of the Famous Painters, Carvers, and Architects, an argument (to say no worse of him that he intended to eternize only [Page 55] his own Tuscanes, but I proceed to the unfolding of the original causes of these motions: And First for our better understanding, I will begin with those passions of the mind, whereby the Body is moved, to the performance of his particular effects.

Of the passions of the Mind, their original and difference.

THe passions of the mind, are nothing else but cer­tain motions, proceeding from the apprehension of some thing, now this apprehension is Threefold, sensitive, rational, and intellectual, and from these Three, there arise Three passions in the mind, for sometimes we follow sensitive apprehensions, and then we consider good and evil, under the shew of that which is profitable or unpro­fitable, pleasant or offensive; and these are called natural af­fections, sometimes we pursue rational apprehensions, con­sidering good and evil in manner of virtue or vice, praise or dispraise, honesty or dishonesty; and these are reasonable affections, sometimes we imbrace apprehensions intellectual, regarding good and evil, as true and false, and these are intellectual apprehensions.

Now the inferiour powers of the mind are of two sorts, either desire or anger, and both of these respect that which seemeth good or bad, diversly, for the desiring part either considereth good and bad absolutely; and so it causeth love and liking, and contrarywise hatred, or else it respects good as absent, whence ariseth desire or longing, or else evil as absent, but at hand, and so it breedeth fear, dread, &c. or both of them as present, and so from the First cometh joy and delight, from the latter heaviness and grief, the angry faculty considereth good and evil, as it is easy or hard to be attained unto, or avoided; whence springeth sometimes confidence and hope, sometimes au­dacity, sometimes distrust, and so desperation, &c. some­times [Page 56] it is moved to revenge, and that is in regard of evil past, as injury or offence received, and so it breed­eth anger, by that which hath hitherto been spoken it is evident, that there are Eleven passions or affec­tions in the mind, which are these, love, hatred, desire, fear, joy, sorrow, hope, dispair, audacity, timerousness and anger, from which there do consequently arise so many sorts of ac­tions in the art, as there may be affections expressed in Mens Bodies, wherefore we ought carefully to ob­serve the motions which are outwardly expressed, in such sort, as they do manifestly point to the roots, whence they spring, and discover the causes from which they proceed, distributing them and disposing them accordingly in the Bodies, or Physiognomies which whosoever shall fail in, shall (questionless) wholly pervert the Order of things, con­founding the Beauty of Histories, whether they be Fables, or other Inventions, which are to be painted.

How the Body or Physiognomy is altered by the Passions of the mind.

IT is a clear case, that the mind according to the divers affections (whereof I spake before) by reason of the apprehensions both sensible and imaginative) doth diversly change and alter the Body with sensible alterations, by vary­ing the accidents thereof, and producing sundry qualities in the members, so that in mirth, the spirits are enlarged, in fear they are contracted, in bashfulness they fly up to the Brain, again, in joy the heart is extended by degrees, in displeasure it is drawn in by little and little, as likewise in anger and fear, but sudden anger and desire of revenge procureth heat, blushing, bitter tast, and the flux of the Belly, fear brings coldness, the panting of the heart, the failing of the voice, and paleness, heaviness causeth sweat­ing, and a blewish paleness, mercifulness breeds a certain heaviness, which oftentimes hurteth him that is moved [Page 57] to mercy, which appeares ordinarily in lovers, in whom there is such a Sympathy, that whatsoever one indureth, the other likewise suffereth the same; Anxiety causeth dryness and blackness; desire and love, breeds sundry colours, sometimes red, sometimes pale, as we daily see in lovers, especially in their meetings.

Now all these passions when they be exceeding vehe­ment do sometimes bring Death, which happened to Sophocles and Dionysius the Sicilian Tyrant, when he re­ceived the News of a desperate victory; the like hath befallen drivers others through heaviness and sundry other mishaps have proceeded from the like passions, when they assaulted Mens minds, whereof we have divers examples in stories, which I mean not to stand upon as being a thing more curious then necessary to our purpose; only I will shew, of what power and efficacy, fierce wrath joyned with a magnanimous audacity can do, by the example of Alexander the Great, who being over­matched by his Enemies in India, was seen to reak forth from his Body, fire and light, the like whereof we read of the Father of Theodoricus, who by the like vehement effect, breathed out of his heart, as from a burning fur­nace, fiery sparkles, which flying forth shon and made a sound in the Air. Thus therefore we represent all these pas­sions in a story, together with their convenient and proper Motions, we set forth that great variety which worketh such de­light and pleasure, that it allureth our Minds unto it, with a sweet kind of compulsion, no otherwise then most delectable Musick enchaunteth the Eares of the Hearers, which (as they write) is so forcible that way, that a certain Musitian boasted, that by the power of his notes, he caused Men to grow furi­ous, and afterwards come to themselves again.

Of the Motions procured by the Seven planets.

AMongst the Seven Governours of the World (which Merc: Trismegistus calleth Planets, as Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sol, Venus, Mercury and Luna) the chief and principal is Saturn, which hath also received divers names of antiquity, as Heaven, Sith-bearer, the father of the gods, Patrone of time, and from his effects here below: wise, intelligent, ingenious, the seed of great profundity, the Auctor of secret contemplation, the imprinter of weighty thoughts in Men, a destroyer and preserver, the Subjector of power and might, the keeper of hidden things, and the Auctor of finding and loosing.

His influences are partly good, and partly bad, accord­ing to the disposition of him that receiveth them, as weeping, melancholly &c. he causeth religious actions, as to bow the knee, look down upon the earth, pray, and such like motions of the Breast and Face, common to those which pray, or other austere and satyrical Fellows, with Head declining, Eyes fixed on the earth, wasting himself with a furious silence, and examining his own speech, with hanging lips. Moreover, he causeth a com­plexion of colour between black and yellow, meager, distorted, of an hard skin, eminent veyns, an hairy Body, small Eyes, Eye-brows joyned together, a thin beard, thick lips, with looks cast down, an heavy gate, enterfairing as he goeth, besides he makes a Man subtil, witty, a way-lay­er, and murtherer: Now according to this forme of Body, and these motions, you may frame any Body subject unto Saturn, that is of the temper and complexion answer­able to the nature of Saturn, so that by that which hath been said concerning this Planet in particular, as also by that which shall be spoken severally of the [Page 59] rest, we may gather one general Rule, as touching the Art of motions in our Pictures, as well in respect of the quality of the humour, as of the motions themselves, &c.

How all the motions may accidently befall any man though diversly.

HAving hitherto discoursed of the motions arising from the Elements, the humours and the Coelestial bo­dies, as also how they differ each from other, accor­ding to their several operations in men, and their vari­ous effects; it remaineth that I should now speak in particular of certaine principal properties of these motions, taking natural examples, (as my manner is) and applying them to the Planets, from whence this variety of effects and influences descends, which particularity of motions if it shall be expressed, it will discover all sorts of passions of the mind in each Body or Physiognomy, but because each man is subject to some one of the Planets, and therefore is more especially inclined to some one affection, it will not be amiss to shew how upon occasion any affection whatsoever may be stirred up in a Man of any condition, or constitution; the manifestation whereof, riseth wholly from the Five Senses, as the instruments whereby [Page 65] the objects be apprehended: as by the Eye weThe Five Senses. see that which is comely and undecent; by the Ear we hear sounds pleasant and unpleasant, as praise and dispraise; by the Nostrils we smell sweet and stinking, strong and sharp savours, by the taste we discern sweet, sharp, unsavoury, thick, salt, stiptick, virulent, bitter, fat, strong, un­pleasant, and (as Aristotle saith) hard and soft: Finally by the feeling, we touch cold and hot, moist and dry, as also sharp, light, slippery, heavy, hard, soft, gross, slender and such like qualities, from whence all actions, whereunto any kind of Body is subject, are caused, though more abundantly, and more apparently in some, then in others, whence we are given to understand, that as these qualities are distinct between themselves, and are severally applyed to the Planets, so likewise the affections proceeding from them do vary, accord­ingly as the senses, apprehensions and passions, together with their objects, viz. colours, sounds, smels, tasts and matters do differ.

Now although there be but one particular instinct in each private Man, which inclineth him to good or evil, whereunto that Free Governour and Arbiter of his affections most naturally learneth, anst from whence all his ordinary actions proceed, notwithstanding there is no impediment why a Man may not be affected diversly, by any of the exteriour senses (the ordinary instruments of all our operations) by framing in his mind, passions answerable to the object apprehended by his senses, and so cause such like Actions to break forth in him, as be repugnant to his particular instinct, the truth whereof we read in David King of the Hebrews; who was lasciviously affected, when from the top of his Pallace, he beheld Bathsheba, bathing her self naked; and at the same instant was stirred up unto cruelty in commanding Ʋrias to be slain, although he were natu­rally [Page 66] both a most continent and clement Prince. Again his Sonne Solomon the Wise, was subdued by his sense, and bewitched by the inticings of Concubines and Idolaters, things much abhorrent from the Instinct of his nature: And thus in perusing of Histories, we shall find how divers most valiant Princes, have upon occasions proved faint hearted, and been stained with covetousness, many pittyful Men been given to cruelty, religious Men to revenge and malice, chast Men to luxury, stout Men to cowardice, &c. observing moreover the alteration of mirth into sorrow, lamentation into laughter, covetousness into liberality; which I therefore omit, because we daily see lively examples of people successively affected with sundry vices, as rapines, grief, love, dishonesty, theft, murder, hatred, revenge, trechery, tyrany, insolency, &c. and contrary­wise with religion, mercy, loyalty, clemency, liberality, hone­sty, victorious, desire of honour, &c. as Thieves being ashamed to lay themselves open before compa­ny, for fear of being discovered, will make a fair shew of true Men; and curtesans and light Hous-wives, in the presence of other grave Matrons, will bare the countenance of very honest women, concealing their ha­bitual naughtyness, for Fear of the disgrace and punishment, which would otherwise ensue; and fellones to avoid the danger of the halter, will take upon them the habit of honest and civil Men.

Hence then the Painter may learn how to express not only the proper and natural motions, but also the accidental, wherein consisteth no small part of the dif­ficulty of the Art, namely in representing diversities of affections and passions in one Body or Face: a thing much practized, by the antient Painters (though with great difficulty) who ever endeavoured to leave no part of the Life unexpressed. It is recorded that Euphranor gave such a touch to the counterfeit of Paris, that [Page 67] therein the beholder might at once collect, that he was Ʋmpire of the Three goddesses, the courter of Helena, and the slayer of Achilles, and of Parasius the Ephesian, that he painted the Idol of the Athenians in such sort, that he seemed angry, unjust, inconstant, implacable, gentle, merciful, &c. again we read how Theon represented in Orestes, fury and grief mixed together; and of ano­ther who resembled in Ʋlysses a dissembling patience: as also of Aristides the Thebane, who (in the Person of a wounded Woman giving her child suck) expressed pain, and fear so lively, that it is hard to say whether she were more pained with the sense of her wound, then a­fraid, least her child lacking milk, should suck bloud; who also is reported to have been the First that be­gan to represent these perturbations of the Mind, and was afterward followed of the other Painters, as a guide herein, as it was once by chance found upon a small earthen head of Christ in his Child-hood, made by Leonard Vincent himself; wherein you might evidently per­ceive, the simplicity and innocency of a Child, accompa­nyed with understanding, wisdome, and Majesty: and al­though it were the countenance of but a young and tender Child, yet it seemed to shew forth a kind of sage anti­quity, much to be admired.

Of divers other necessary Motions.

BEsides the Motions already declared at large, for the better understanding of such other as might hereafter serve for our purpose, it is to be observed, that there are certain others of no small importance, which are to be referred unto that which is most comely, and agreeable to Mans Body, as well in respect of such effects as proceed from the same; as also in regard of the times and seasons, together with [Page 68] the consideration of the objects, offering themselves to our sense, for the better attaining whereof, we must in all the Actions and Gestures; make choice of the chiefest and most principal, searching them out most diligently, and deducing them from theVide George Vasari della pittula capib. circumstances, which are found in the part to be represented, as Leonard Vincent did in the Cartone of St. Anne, which was afterwards transported into France, and is now to be seen in Milane, with Aure­lius Lovinus a Painter, in the border whereof, there are many draughts, expressing the great joy and mirth which the Virgin Mary conceived, when she beheld so goodly a Child as Christ born, considering with her self that she was made worthy to be his Mother: and likewise in St. Anne, the joy and contentment which she felt, seeing her daughter become the Blessed Mother of God.

Moreover in that Piece which is to be seen in the Chappel of the conception in St. Francis Church at Mi­lane, where you shall see how St. John Baptist kneel­ing with his Hands together, bowed towards Christ; which was an action of obedience, and Child-like reverence, and in the Virgin, a gesture of chearful contemplation, whilest she beheld these actions; and in the Angel, an action of Angelical Beauty, in consideration of the joy which was to betide the world by this mystery; in Christ as yet a child divinity and wisdome, where the Virgin Mary also kneeled by holding St. John in her Right Hand, and stretching forward her Left Hand which was foreshort­ned, and finally the Angel holding Christ in his Left Hand, who sitting by, looked upon St. John and Blessed him; again, divers other Famous Painters and lights of the art, have observed other motions, as contemplation in casting the Eyes up to Heaven, admiring the Angelical Musick, and neglecting for a time all Inferiour Musick, with the [Page 69] hands, instruments, and other earthly melodies, which motions were expressed in that singular piece of St. Cecily which Raph. Painted with Four other Saints, which work is now to be found in Bolognia at St. Johns in the mount, the Agony also and sorrow of the afflicted, which Anton: Cor­reggio expressed most artificially in his own City, in Christ praying in the Garden; as likewise want, pant­ing, sweating, sleeping, threatning, and the motion of the flaming fire: all which are most lively expressed by them in divers places, and now to come to the Poets, that which Ariosto speaketh of his Orlando, may serve for a fit example herein.

And in another place, of a Man grievously diseased, fa­mished, and out of heart, in the Person of the same Orlando, when Angelica found him lying upon the shore.

And that of Dant describing a Shipwrack in a great Tempest at Sea, where the Men are saved.

And thus much for examples, for he that would set down all the examples which would serve for the shew­ing, how in every effect we ought to choose the most proper motions, without which the Picture vvill be of small worth, should grovv infinite; vve must also have [Page 70] regard to the seasons, for the Summer causeth open, and wearisome actions, subject unto sweatings and redness; the Winter restrained, drawn in, and trembling; the Spring merry, nimble, prompt, and of a good colour; the Autumne doubtful, and more inclining unto melancholly then otherwise, notwithstanding if you be to paint a labouring Man, you must vvithout any regard of the season (though more of Summer then any of the rest) represent him with raised limns and strong muscles, swelling and standing forth, sweating and burning, especially in such as carry burdens, draw great weights, or use vehement leaping, walking, jesting with weapons, fencing and such like exercises; lastly, sleep cau­seth no motions of vigor or force to be represented, but as if the body were vvithout life; Wherefore we must take heed, vve doe not (as some use) give unto those vvhich sleep such kinds of actions in their lying, as in probability will not suffer them to sleep, as vve see oft­times in Men lying athwart stones, benches, &c. being re­presented vvith their limns supported by their own force, vvherein it is evident, that such Painters knovv not hovv to observe a Decorum.

Farthermore, there are motions proceeding from the Tast, as daily experience teach us, for sourness and bitter­ness cause the bending of the Eyelids, and other parts; sweet and savoury, a chearful countenance; the like of good smells, whereas contrarywise bad smells make us draw in the Nostrils, look aside, turn the back, with wrinkled Eye-lids, Eyes almost closed, and mouth drawn in; of hearing and touching, they also cause di­stinct motions in our Bodies, as for example, from sharp sounds and noise, riseth sudden fear and affrighting, from touching any hot thing, quick and speedy motions, from touch­ing cold things, restrained and fearful motions, as in such in the winter touch Ice or Snow. And so I conclude of seeing, for in looking upon things exceeding bright, [Page 71] the sight is offended, and a Man withdraweth himself for safegard in beholding obscure things; the Eyes are sharpned, by drawing near, and as it were clozing them as Painters use to do, when they would look near on a thing, which effect is caused by a Picture set afar off: And here I will conclude those simple Motions which are of most Importance, proceeding unto those which con­sist of multiplicity.

Of the Motions of all sorts of Cloth.

THe Motions of Cloth, that as the Folds or Plaits ought to runne out every way like boughs from the Stemme and Body of the Tree: and must be so made that one Plait rise from another, as one bough, or one stream of Water issueth out from another, in such wise, that there be no part of the Cloth wherein there appear not some of these motions; now these motions would be moderate, gentle and free, without any interrup­tions, more to be admired for their grace and facility, then for affected pains and industry, and because all sorts of Cloth have their motions, as well as Bodies, it must needs be that they differ between themselves, ac­cording to the differences of the clothes themselves.

Wherefore, they must be more light in fine Cloth, as Sarcenet, Linnen, Cypress, &c. in which the Plaits are small, raised up, trembling, and as it were sweetly waving, somewhat puffed up by extending and spreading them­selves like a Sail, where the motion receiveth more strength by the wind, they do fall close upon the bare skin, as appeareth plainly in womens garments, in whom you shall see their Thin clothes stretched upon their bare skin, on that side where the wind bloweth, and blown up­on the contrary part, the same falleth out in mantells, the loose ends of girdles and garters, all which motions do [Page 72] most fitly belong unto the apparel of nimphs and other goddesses, in respect of their lightness; gross and dul shadows are found in stiff cloths, where the Plaits are few and gross, so that they are capable but of slow motion, and therefore they sink downwards, and can hardly fall close to the bare skin, by reason of their own grosseness, which sustaineth them, and these motions do chiefly ap­peare in cloth of gold, felt, thick leather &c: in which the Air can have little force or none, wherefore the plaits or folds have their motion accordingly as they are handled and pressed by the wearer; as under the arme, and under the knee, by opening and stretching out the legg and the arme, ever making gross, hard, and stiff folds, with­out all slightings or plyableness, in such sort, that if a Man may lay Finer cloth upon them, they will easily bear it up without pressing down.

Temperate motions, which are neither too gross, nor too slight, are such as appear in the folds of stuff and other cloths of Fine wool, which therefore may convenient­ly be moved of the Air, and are plyable to a Mans limns, and so making most sweet and pleasant folds, they follow the bare very well, becoming very nimble, and falling plyably about the loyns. And hence have Ra­phael, Michael Angelo, Leonard, Gaudentius, Albertus Durerus, and other Famous Masters in Drapery, taken the method and way of giving the true motions unto garments, as from the most perfect pattern for their general use in making the mantells of the Saints, Pavilions or Tents, which are made with this kind of Drapery, besides these, there are also other kinds of motions called turn­ings and crossings, which are proper unto Damasks, Taf­fataes, Sattins, Cloth of gold &c: in which appeare folds crossing and breaking each other, by the divers Vertue of the Drapery.

Whence the Venetians have taken their manner of [Page 73] Drapery, who make their folds much different from the said motions of Raphael and the rest, which indeed ought not to be used any where save in counterfeits by the life, where it seems they are not onely tole­rable, but also very requisite; but in my Judgement they should not ordinarily be used in Histories, and yet if occasion do require that they should be represen­ted in any place, they ought not to be done wholly, but only somewhat and resembled with a pretty touch and grace, in such sort that they may not savour of an affected imitation of the natural garments, without grace or order which is often used of many with small rea­son (as I think:) there are also other motions as of velvet, limber leather, &c, all which differ one from another, but I think these may suffice, without proceeding any farther in the discourse hereof; only let the Painter be careful and industrious, as well herein as in the rest: Insomuch as in the excellency and perfection thereof dependeth, as well hereon, as on the rest; because these motions of garments come so neer the life, that it is evident, that they are able to make a picture seem dis­pleasing and ilfavoured, procuring the scorn and laughter of the beholders, such were some of those which were used by our Great Grandfathers Sonne Two hundred Years since, which seemed like round sticks, or candles hanging down, which some of our late workmen of good Note have also used, making their folds too long, hanging down like Canes, without any kind of grace. Another defect in the Drapery of old Pictures I find, which is; that they seem to be made like unto Scales in some sort: which I think, they took from the imitation of the models of Men, cloathed with paper, which point afterwards attained to high perfection, by the great industry of Bramant, and Andreas [Page 74] Montegnia, and was afterwards reformed, and made much more absolute by Albert Durer, and Lucas of Leiden, and Aldigravers, whose Folds for the most part nere like guts confounded in one another.

Of the Motions of Trees and all other things that are moved.

LAstly the Motions of every thing which is moved, ought to be expressed with Judgement, according­ly as they agree with the thing whereunto they are given, sometimes quick, sometimes slow, sometimes moveable, sometimes not: And First of all in Trees, when they are shaken with the wind, there smaller (and therefore more plyable) boughs, must be resembled with such an action, that they may more strike one against another, by yeilding and declining from the part whence the wind bloweth, then the stiffer (and therefore slower) the Body notwithstanding remaining strong and stedfast, the boughs growing from thence, begin a little to bend, and the others which proceed from them a little more, so that in the end they shew the same agility, in the leaves most of all; it is true that all Trees have not a like motion: For the Willow moveth, and is shaken ex­treamly, the Pine-tree not at all, or very little, and so forth of the rest according to their natures, but by the way we must Note, that young and tender Trees of Body, begin First to move from the bottom of the Body, shaking their boughs and leaves together. Herbs likewise whether they bear flowers or fruits, have trembling motions, according to the conditions of the winde which bloweth them, and also accordingly as they are forced or oppressed of any thing; as for example, an Ear of Corn when a Bird sits feeding upon it, which will not on­ly make it bend, but even weigh it down to the Earth, as well observed that Country Fellow in Greece of a [Page 75] Painter, whether it were Aristides or Pamphilus I do not well remember, who had painted a Bird upon an Ear of Corn, without making the stalk bend a jot: In like sort the motions of other unsensible things, as quive­ring of Feathers, of wings and plumes, the wreathing of ropes, the knots of hands, flying of straws, dust, &c. must be expressed according to the violence done unto them, to the end there may no occasion be given unto the meanest, to tax and carp at Painters (otherwise most ex­cellent;) as not long since fell out, in the work of a good carver; vvho in the vvrong side, vvhere he had carved Michael Angelo, made a blind Beggar, led by a Dog tyed with a string about his Neck, which seemed to be so stretched, that it was as stiff as a staff, without any bowing: which gave occasion to a waggish Boy to scoff at it, saying, that if the Dog, had straitned the string so harde, he had either been strangled, or not able to go any farther, which caused certain Painters which were there to break into an extreame laugh­ter.

Many such blame worthy motions may be found in Pictures, which would not so easily escape the hands of Painters, if in every thing they Paint, they did consider, that it is their own disgrace be it ne­ver so small, as the most diligent Leonard, and Caesar Se­stius did out of whose hands there never came any un­perfect piece of work; for in the smallest herbs, you shall find their most true Proportion, and Natural Mo­tion.

Albertus Durerus was no less careful in this behalf, as may sufficiently appear by his prints and coloured pieces, in which you shall find the legitimate motions, even un­to the smallest hairs of the beard, as in that of the Duke of Saxony, which was also drawn again by Titianus, and afterwards in the hairs of St. Sebastians dog, in the print [Page 76] of the horses of sense and death, and in the great leaves of Adam and Eve.

The motions of the Sea must be otherwise expressed by representing the divers agitations of the waters, as likewise in rivers, the flashing of the waters upon Boats, and Ships floating up and down on the waters, through the uncertainty of the surges and the Ships resistance. We must also represent the motions of waters falling down from an high place, but especially when they fall upon some Rock or stones, where you shall see them spirting up into the Air, and sprinkling all about.

Clouds also in the Air require to have their motions judiciously expressed, now gathered together with the winds, now violently condensated into Hail, Thunder­bolts, Lightning, Rain, and such like Meteors: Finally you can make nothing, which requireth not his proper motions, according unto which it ought to be represented, but having hitherto sufficiently (as I suppose) discoursed of these kind of motions, I will here shut up all with the most hot and vehement motions of the flaming Fire, hastening towards an end as that doth naturally, although it be diversly stirred and blown with the wind, whereby notwithstanding ga­thering more force, it is augmented and increased.

The way and manner of preparing colours,

Colours to be washed and how.

TAke a Pound of white lead finely ground, put it into a bason of spring water, stirr it a while together, till the water be all coloured, then let it stand, and you will soon perceive a greasy scum to arise, which scum blow off and powre the coloured water into a clean bason, leaving the grosser Body at the bottome of the bason behind, it being good for nothing but grosser uses, let the purer part stand One howre or Two, untill it is quite setled, then powre off the water from the colour, and put it in fresh water, and stirr it as before mentioned, [Page 79] then let it settle half the time that it did at first, and then powre off the water into a clean bason, leaving the courser part behind; and when it is dry put it up into papers for your use; then let the other water which you powred off, settle, and then powre off the water from it, and take the colour when it is dry, and paper it as before, for your use: colours thus refined five or six times over are the purest, and most fit for the best use, and when you use it spread a little of it about a shell, with your finger, and temper it with gum water.

Of the Nature of Colours in general

Observations in Grinding.

Leave not your colour too moist, but thick and clammy, if after your colour be dry in your shell, you rubbing your fingers thereon shall find any to come off, it must be better bound vvith gum, and if too much gum, it will shine and be apt to crackle off after it is used.

To wash Bice.

Blew) Grind your Bice first very purely, then fill a [Page 81] large shell with clean water, put the Bice therein and stirr it, then let it settle One hower, take off the scum and powre off the water, then reserve the bottome vvhen it is dry for use: To deepen this, use Litmus water.

How to choose your Pencils.

Choose such Pencils as are clear and sharp pointed, not di­viding into parts; of these you must have in readiness a several Pencil, for every several colour.

To prepare a Tablet to work on with Miniture for Pictures by the life.

Take an ordinary playing Card, polish it with a Dogs Tooth, and make as smooth as you can the white side of it, cleansing it from all spots and extuberances; then choose of the best abortive parchment, a Piece pro­portionable to your Card, which piece with fine and clean starch past fast on the card, temper the starch before you past it on, in the palme of your hand, that it may be free from Knots; let the card thus pasted dry, then making your grinding-stone as clean as may be, lay the card thereon with the parchment side downwards; then with a Tooth burnish or polish the backside as hard as you can, Note that the outside of the skin is best to Limne upon, and must therefore be outmost.

The Ground colour for a Face.

Your card thus prepared, you are to lay a ground or primer of flesh colour before you begin your work, and that must be tempered according to the complexion of the Face to be drawn; if the complexion be fair, temper white, red lead, and lake, if an hard swarthy complexion, mingle with your white and red a little fine Masticot, or [Page 82] English Ocur, but Note that your ground ought al­wayes to be fairer then the Face you take; for it is a facile matter to darken a light colour, but a difficult to lighten a deep one; for in Limning you must never heighten, but work them down to their just colour.

Your ground thus prepared, you must lay it on the card, (ordered as before) with a Pencil bigger then ordinary, lay it on as smooth, even, and free from hairs of your Pencil, as 'tis possible, which that you may do) fill your Pencil full of colour, rather thin or watrish, then thick and gross, and with two or three dawbes of your great Pencil, lay it on in an instant, the nim­bler it is laid on, the evener the colour will ly.

Note that you ought to cover rather too much then too little with this prime; cover somewhat more of the card with the ground colour, then you shall use for the Face.

This done, take a pretty large Pallet of Ivory, and before you begin to work, temper certain little heaps of several shadowes for the Face, which you must tem­per with your finger about the Pallet.

The Order of Shadowes for the Face.

In all your Shadowes, remember to mixShadows some white, (exempli gratia) for the red in the Cheeks, Lips, &c. temper Lake, red Lead; and a little white, for the blew, as the Veins, &c. a little Indigo and white; for blew Bice is never used in a Face, for the faintest and weakest colour or shades, Lake and white, a little Ocur, and a little Indigo, adding thereto if you will a small pittance of Pinck or Masticot, for the deeper shadowes, white English Ocur, Ʋmber, for the darkest and hardest shadowes, use Lake and Pink mixt with Ʋmber: Note that black must not by any means be used in a Face, for other shadowes your [Page 83] own observation must direct you, for it is impossi­ble to give a general Rule for the shadowes in all Faces, unless we could force nature to observe the same method in composing and modelling them, so that one in every pun­ctilio should resemble the other.

For your Light to draw by a Northern is ac­countedLight best, which if it fall slooping down from an high window, is best.

Place your self to your Desk, that thePosition light may strike in sidelong from the left-hand to the right, and observe that in all your works it will shew to the best advantage, when it is turned and seen by the same light it was drawn by.

Let a Saucer or clean Shell of fair Water beNecessaries in Limning. ever on your right hand, wherewith you may temper your colours and wash your pencils, together with a brush pencil dry, to cleanse your work from dust; also a sharp penknife, wherewith to take away such specks or hairs as may casually mix with your colours, or fall into your card; you may also conveniently cover your picture with a piece of paper, whereon to try your pen­cils before you begin to work.

To begin a Face.

Having these accommodations, draw theThe first draught. lines of porphile (i. e. the outmost stroak) of a Face with lake and white, mingled very faint, by this you may conveniently mend the draught (if false) with a deeper mixture of the same colour, the lines being exactly drawn, and true proportion observed (which is the chiefest thing of concernment) next observe the deeper and more remarkable shadowes, and with the same faint Crimson [Page 84] colour of lake and white, give some slight touches and marks somewhat roughly of these shadowes, which afterward you'l finish.

The Order to be observed in drawing by the life.

First you must only dead colour the Face, The Order of drawing first sitting. as the Oyl-painters do, and not meddle with the rest, and this first sitting commonly takes up two hours.

The second sitting vvill require Four orSecond sitting. Five hours, in that time you are to go over the Face very curioussly, observing what ever may conduce ei­ther to likeness, or judicious colouring, also observing of the several graces, beauties, or deformities, as they ap­pear in nature, or else in smoothness of shadowes, or close and sweet couching the colours.

The third sitting commonly takes up twoThird sitting or three hours, and is spent in closing vvhat vvas before left imperfect and rough; but principally in giving to every deep shadow, the strong touches and deepnings as well in the dark shadowes in the Face, as in the Eyes, Eyebrows, Hair and Ears, and these touches are ever the last part of this business, and are never to be done till all the Hair and Drapery be finisht, these touches (if well done) add ex­ceedingly to the life.

Concerning dead colouring.

The dead colouring of a Face is to be done the roughest and boldest of all; having drawn your Face with lake and white (as before) you must take to the said colour a little red lead, tempering it to the colour of the Cheeks, Lips, &c. but very faintly, because you cannot lighten a deep colour, without hazard of spoiling the picture.

The first colour to begin the Face with, is theTo begin to Limn. red of the Cheeks and Lips, somewhat strongly the bottome of the Chin, if the party be beardless; over under and about the Eyes you will perceive a delicate and faint redness, and underneath the Eyes, inclining to purple colour, which in fair and beautiful Faces is usual, and must be observed; the tip of the Ear, and the roots of the Hair are commonly of the same colour.

All this you must do after the manner of hatching, with faint and gentle stroaks, washing it all along. In short, in your dead colouring you must cover your ground with the aforesaid red, and the subsequent shadows.

Note) Be not too curious in your first working, but regard a good bold following of nature, rather then smooth curiosity, the roughness of the colour, you may end at an­other sitting.

The second work of Limning.

The red being done, the next is the faint blews The second Procedure. about the balls and corners of the Eyes, and the gray and blewish under the Eyes, the Temples, &c. which you are also to work from the uppermost part of the Face almost all over, but exceeding sweet and faint, by de­grees, sweetning and heightning your shadows, as the light falls: And in going over the Face, be sure to mark out the hard shadows in the dark side of the Face, under the Nose, Chin, Eyebrows, &c. As the light falls, and somewhat strong touches, in those places bring up your work toge­ther in an equal roundness, not giving perfection to to any particular part of the Face, but visiting all the parts curiously, and in a kind of randome, by which means you will better observe the likeness, roundness, postures, colouring, or what ever else is requisite to the perfecti­on of your work.

Having done the fainter or lighter shades, andThe third Procedure. somewhat smoothed and wrought them into the red, you may go over the hair, disposing into such forms, folds or tramels, as may become your Picture best.

You must at first only draw them with colour as near as you can, suitable to the life, and after wash them lightly at the first, and then once more peruse your work, being careful to fill up the void, empty and bare places, which are uncovered with colour, and at last deepen it somewhat more strongly then before in the deepest shady places, still carefully observing the life; thus much for the first sitting.

The Order of Limning in the second sitting.

The party being set just in his former Seat, you must most exactly observe and curiously delineate with your pencil, those several varieties of nature, which you did rudely trace out before, to do this you must use the same colour in the same places you did before, working, driving and sweetning the same colours one into another, to the end that nothing be left in your work with a hard edge, uneven, or a lump together, but also so swept and driven one into another, with the point of some­what a sharper pencil, then you used at the first as that your shadows may lye soft and smooth, being dispersed and gently extended into all, and towards the lighter parts of the Face, like air or a vapoury smoak; but before this you must carefully observe all the shadows and colours.

For the Ground behind the Picture, it isThe ground behind the Picture. commonly blew or crimson, somewhat like a Sattin or red Velvet Curtain: if blew you must lay it thus, your Bice being pure and cleare washt, temper as much in a shell as will cover a Card, let it be all throughly moist [Page 87] and well bound with gum, then with a small pencil, go about with the same colour, the porphile, that is the utmost stroke and ambient superficies of the Picture; this done take a greater pencil and therewih wash over somewhat careful­ly the whole ground that you mean to cover with a blew, somewhat thin and watrish, and then with a reasonable big pencil full of colour and flowing, lay over that place with a thick and substantial Body of colour, which before you had only washt over, in the doing of this you must be very swift, keeping colour moist that you have laid, not permitting any part to dry til the whole be cove­red.

A Crimson Ground.

If you would have your Ground Crimson likeA Crimson Ground. Sattin, you must with Indian-Lake trace out where and in what places you will have these strong and hard lights and reflections to fall, which is seen in Sattin or Velvet, there lay your lights with a thin and waterish lake, and while it is yet wet with a stronger and darker colour of lake thick ground, lay the deepning and hard strong shadows, close by the other lights; your best way is to have a piece of Sattin before you to imitate.

After this lay your linnen with a flat vvhite, For Method in the Touches. and the Drapery likewise flat, then go over your face again, endeavouring to reduce each shadow to its true perfection, then draw the lines of the Eyelids, expressing the red dark Nostril, the shady entrance in­to the Eares, the deepness of the Eyebrows, and those more perspicuous notes and marks in the face, with a pen­cil somewhat more curious and sharp then before, you may darken your ground as you see will be most advanta­gious to the setting out the Picture.

Next go over your hair heightning and deepning The Hair it as you shall see by the life, drawing some locks loose­ly over the ground, which would otherwise seem un­pleasant.

To Shadow in Linnen, use black, vvhite, a littleLinnen Shade. yellow, and less blew, the black must be deepned with Ivory-black, with which mix a little Lake, and Indigo, or Lit­mus blew, thus much for the second sitting.

The manner of finishing at the third sitting.

The third will be wholly spent in givingThird sitting. the strong touches and observations necessary for the rounding of a face, which you will now better see to do, the apparel, hair and ground, being already finished. In this sitting curiously observe whatever may conduce to si­militude, which is the chiefest thing, as Scars, Moles, &c. glances of the Eyes, descending and circumflections of the Mouth, never make your deepest shadows so deep as they appear in the life.

For Ornaments thus.

Armour silvea) for colouring armour, first lay Li­quid Ornament. silver flat and even, which dryed and burnisht with a Tooth, temper the shadows with Silver, Indigo, Litmus, and a little Ʋmber, work these shadows on the Silver as directed by the life.

For the gold armour, lay gold as you did silver, Gold Armour. for the Shadow, Lake, English Ocur, tempered with a little gold.

To express roundness and lustre of Pearls, yourPearls. ground must be white and Indigo, your shadow black and Pinck.

Diamonds are exprest with a ground of flat Li­quid Diamonds. silver, the deepning is Cherristone, black and Ivory; the deeper the shadow, the fairer the Diamond.

Lay a ground of silver, burnisht to the bigness Rubies. of the Ruby, then take Turpentine of the best and purest, and temper with it very neat a little Indian Lake, then taking a needle, or some small Iron instrument heat­ed in a Candle, (lay or drop) a little of the composition upon the silver, fashioning the stone in a round or square, or what fashion you please, with the point of your instru­ments, you must let it lye a day or two to dry, if it be too long in drying, add to your composition a little powder of clarified Mastick; This receipt is not commonly known.

For any green stone, temper your Turpentine Emeraulds. with Verdigrease, and a little Turmerick root, first scrap­ed with Vinegar, then let it dry, then grind it to fine powder, and temper it.

Mix Turpentine with Ʋltramarine, &c.Saphires Note that the ground to all must be Liquid silver po­lisht.

A true Receipt to make liquid gold.

Take of fine leaf-gold, the Value of 2s, 6d, Liquid gold. grind this gold with a strong and thick gum-water upon a reasonable large stone, which you must grind very fine, and painfully; as you grind it, still add more of your strong gum-water, and though the gold look never so black and dirty 'tis never the worse, having brought it to a competent fineness, wash it in a great shell as you did Bice; &c. Being very clean add to it a little quantity of Mercury sublimate, with the point of your Knife, which you must temper with it, and a very little gum to bind it in the shell, and as it settles, and begins to dry [Page 90] in the shell, shake it together, and remove and spread the gold about the sides of the shell, that it may be altogether of one colour and fineness, use with fair water, as you do the other colours.

So for liquid silver, only observe (and 'tis a se­cret)Note. that when your silver either with long keeping or moistness of the Air becomes starved and rusty; you must to prevent this inconveniency, before you lay the silver Cover over the place with a little Juice of Garlick, which will preserve it.

Of Landskip.

In drawing Landskip with water colours ever beginLandskip. with the Skie, and if there be any Sunbeams, do them first.

For the Purple Clouds, only mingle Lake andPurple Clouds. white.

The Sun-beams, Masticot and white. Yellow.

Work your blew Skie with smalt only, or Ʋltra­marine. Note 1.

At your first working dead colour all the piece over,Note 2. leave nothing uncovered, lay the colour smooth and even.

Work the Skie down in the Horizon fainter as youNote 3. draw near the Earth, except in tempestuous skies, work your further Mountains so that they should seem to be lost in the Air.

Your first ground must be of the colour of the Earth Note 4. and dark; yellowish, brown, green, the next successively as they loose in their distance must also faint and abate in their colours.

Beware of persection at a distance.Note 5.

Ever place light against dark, and dark against light Note 6. (that is) the only way to extend the prospect far off, is by opposing light to shadows, yet so as ever they must [Page 91] loose their force and vigor in proportion as they re­move from the Eye, and the strongest shadow ever nearest hand.

A Dark Green.

For a dark green for Trees mingle Verduter, Pinck, and Indigo, the deepest shadows of all in green are made with sap green and Indigo.

A Rare secret to preserve Colours.

Take Rosemary water double distilled, and with a few drops of it, temper your shell of white, and you shall see it become instantly perfect white, however dead and faded it was before, besides this water allayes the Bubbles in white and umber, which are usually very troublesome in the grinding them.

Some general observations in Miniture.

1. If your colours peel or by reason of the greasiness of your Parchment will not lie on, mix with them a very little Ear wax, and t'will help them.

2. Sit not above two yards from him you draw by.

3. Draw not any part in the face of a picture exactly at the first, neither finish a Mouth, Eye or Nose, till the rest of your work come up, and be wrought toge­ther with it.

4. When you have finished the Face, make the par­ty stand up to draw the Drapery by him.

5. Let the Party you draw be set in an higher seat then your self that draw.

To make Crayons or Pastils.

To instance one for all, if you were to makePastils. a Pastil for a brown complexion, grind on your stone, serus, red lead, or vermillion, English ocur, and a little pinck; to this add a proportionable quantity of plaister of paris, burnt and finely sifted, mix this with the other colours, and you may role it up.

Mix white Serus with all your other colours, andNote. some instead of Serus use Tobacco pipe clay.

To make white.

Take two parts of ordinary chalk, and one partSerus. of Allum, grind those together fine, make them up in a lump, burn them in a Cruciple and use them.

To make white Lead.

Take a Cruciple where into put several smalWhite Lead. plates of clean Lead, cover them with white wine Vinegar, luit the Pot close and dig an hole in a dunghill, where let it abide for the space of six weeks; Take it it up and scrape off the superfluities of the white Lead, and so use them.

To prepare a Card for a Picture.

Wet a card all over with a great pencil so soone as the water is sunck in, burnish it smooth on the back-side, ha­ving tempered some starch with a knife in the palme of your hand spread it over, instantly lay on a piece of abortive parchment, let it be prest in a book till it be almost dry, then smooth it on the back-side.

To prepare White Excellently.

Take some Serus which being grosly bruised andWhite. [Page 93] put into a fine earthen Bason, put to it a good quantity of running water distilled, wherein wash the Serus till it be throughly clean and purged, which you shall know by the Taste of the water, which is drained from thence.

Is made thus, take of Oyl of Turpentine oneVernish. pound, Sandrake one pound, Oyl of Spike one pound, mixt the Oyles together, and let all stand over the fire till the Sandrake be dissolved, if the fire should chance to catch hold on this, clap a pewter dish over it.

Concerning Wax-work or Moulding, to make the Moulds.

Take a good big lump of plaister of Paris andThe Mould. burn it in a Cruciple till it be red hot, let it cool, then beat it very fine, and searse it through a Tiffany Sieve; be very cautious that the wind come not at it, for that will hinder its hardening; after it be tempered keep it wrapt up in a clean brown paper, use it thus; take any Earthen or Pewter Vessel, that is shallow, and put ten or twelve spoonfulls of fair water in it, then prepare your fruit, and bind a rag round it like a cord in a wreath long wayes on the fruit: then take some linsed Oyle or (which is more cleanly) Oyl of sweet Almonds, with which in a pencil be­smear the Lemmon, or (what other fruit it be) on the one side, which lay uppermost, your Lemmon thus prepared, take some of your sifted plaister of Paris, and temper it in the fore-mentioned water to a pretty thickness, then as speedily as may be with the help of your spoon, cast it on the oyled Lemmon, lay it on very thick, least the thinness of the Mould spoil the work, when 'tis hard­ned (which will be in a small time) take away your rag, leaving the linnen still fast in it's half mould; which done turn the hardned side downward, then Oyl the other half of the Lemmon together, with the edges of the [Page 94] mould, which the rag did cover; then wash your porringer or vessel where the former plaister was clean and prepared, and cast on more plaister of Paris as before, observe, it must not be too thick when you cast it on, and after 'tis hardned, you must put no more water to it, for then it will crumble; when you have done the moulds so, and made a notch that one may fall fitly into the other, tye them close together, having before well Oyled them, and keep them for use.

To cast in these Moulds.

Use the whitest and purest Virgins wax. To cast.

To colour the wax answerable to the things you mould.

For a Raddish your ground is Serus, which mustTo colour. be afterwards painted over with Lake, the top of the Raddish painted with Verdigrease, all other such colours must be tempered with gum water; gum water is thus made, dissolve a lump of pure gum Araback about the bigness of a Walnut, in two spoonfulls of fair water, herewith tem­per your colours.

Note that every thing Mouldable is either all of one, and the same colour, as a (Lemmon) or striped and particoloured with different colours, as a Pear, Pearmain, &c. Now such as are of one colour may be easily cast all of the same colour; but such as are varicated must be kept out afterwards by colours tempered with gum water (as above) you colour your wax by putting into it whilest it is hot and melted in a Gally-pot, a little linnen bag of that colour you use, provided that the colour be before bruised very fine.

As to particulars for the Lemmons or Apricocks, take only Turmerick in a bag, for Oranges turmerick and red Lead well tempered; Apples, Pears, or Grapes, turmerick and a little Verdigrease, Wallnuts and Figs, mix turmerick and English Ocur, and Ʋmber all in a bag together, Cucumbers [Page 95] or Hartichoaks, Peescods or Filbirds, turmerick, verdigrease Eggs and Serus, all put into several baggs and steept in the Vir­gins wax, when 'tis melting as before mentioned, for Da­mason bruise Charcole, Indigo and blew starch in a bag toge­ther, for flesh colour, white Lead, and vermilion mixt, &c.

To counterfeit Rochcandid sweet meats.

Dissolve the quantity of a walnut of gum Araback Rochcandy. in two spoonfulls of clear water, let it be very thick, then take any piece of broken Venice glass, the thicker the better, beat it in a morter, so small as you please, that it may serve your occasion, daub over some cast sweet meats, with the fore-mentioned gum water, strew this powder on them, and t'will with much delight satisfie the expectation,

Additional Observations out of a Manuscript of Mr. Hilliards touching Miniture.

When you begin to Limn temper all your colours fresh with your Finger, in your shell, or on your pallat.

Pearl.

Your Pearl must be laid with a white mixture, with a little black, a little Indigo and Mastick, but very little in comparison of the white, not to the hundreth part; that dry, give the light of the Pearl with a little silver, somewhat more to the light then the shadowed side, then take a white allai'd with Masticot, and under­neath the shadowed side give it a compassing stroak, which shews a reflection, then without that a small shadovv of Seacole undermost of all: But note, your silver must be laid round and full.

The manner how to draw vvith Indian Ink.

To draw with Indian Ink after the manner of vvashing, or instead of Indian Ink take Lamp-black or Bread burnt, temper a little of your Indian Ink with fair vvater, in [Page 96] a shell, or upon your hand, your outlines being drawn with Cole or black Lead, take an indifferent long sharp pointed pencil, dip the point into fair vvater, then dip the pencil into the Indian Ink, and draw all your outlines very faint, (Note that all the temperature of Indian Ink must be thin and vvaterish, and not too black) when it is dry, take a little crum of stale vvhite bread, and rub out the outlines which you drew with the Cole, (if too black) then dash on your shadows very faintly, and deepen it by degrees, as you think convenient, then finish it with stipples, it be­ing most advantagious to any one that shall practice Limning, beware of taking too much colour in your pen­cil, which you may prevent by drawing the pencil through your Lipps; in laying on your shadows, never lay them to deep, but deepen them down by degrees, for if too deep you can never heighten them again.

How to prevent your colours from sinking in.

Take Roach Allum and boyle it in spring vvater, then take a bit of a spunge and dip it into the vvater, and wet the back-side of your paper that you intend to draw on, very thin, whilest the vvater is hot, in the vvetting of it be as nimble as you can, and this will prevent it from sinking.

The manner how to draw vvith vvater colours upon Sattin.

Take Izing glass and steep it Four and twenty hours in water, then boyl it in spirit of vvine untill it be very clammy, which you will perceive by dipping your fin­ger into it, then after your outlines are drawn upon the Sattin, take an indifferent big pencil, and wash it thin over as far as your outlines are, which will prevent your colours from sinking or flowing.

A farther observation in grinding of colours.

Observe in grinding ultramarine and other colours, that [Page 97] your motion be not too swift, but grind it gentle and slow, because the swiftness of the motion, causeth the stones to heat, by which consequence your colour will starve or loose something of it's Lustre, especially if it be a colour of no great Body as Pinck and Indigo, &c. observe, in grinding white, that you grind it not too much, least it prove greasy or oyly, or of a dirty colour.

How to prepare Ʋmber.

Take Ʋmber and grind it very fine, put it into an earth­en pot or gally pot, of fair water, cover it over and keep it from dust, and in frosty weather, let it freeze untill it thaws of it self, then power off the water, and when it is dry put it up in paper for your use. And when you temper it in your shell, use a drop or two of white Onyon water which will preserve it from crackling.

The Grounds and Rules of Etching.

BEfore that you begin to Etch upon copper, it is very necessary to practise the Art of drawing, till you be able if need require to draw any head after the life, or to draw a design, for if you in­tend to practice the Art of Etching, you will find it very profitable to draw after good prints, which are well de­signed, and graved, and when you have practised so long that you are able to coppy any print, or drawing very ex­actly; then draw after good Heads of plaister or figures, according to your own fancy, which will learn you to shadow according to Art, if well observed, there­fore be sure when you draw after plaister, to observe very exactly to take the true outlines or circumferences, and then take notice how the shadow falls, then sha­dow it very faint and soft, vvhere need requires. The prints which I recommend unto you as absolutely the best to [Page 98] learn to Etch or Grave after, be the prints of Henry Goldshis and Hermon Muller, therefore it is very convenient to leaan to hatch vvith the Pen exactly after either of the aforesaid prints of Goldshis or Muller, and when you have brought it to that perfection; and can draw very well after plaister, you may practise to draw after the life; but before you draw after the life, you must be very exact and true in your outlines or circumferences.

The Instruments with their particular names which are used to Etch withall.

A Copper plate polished, a piece of ground bound up in a piece of Silk or Taffatae, and preserved from any dust or grease; and about twenty Needles of all sizes, the best are made at Cleafe; then take the Needles and set them indifferent deep into some round slender sticks about a span long, with a Needle at one of the ends of the sticks, and a pencil at the other, a scraper, a polisher, and two or three good French gravers, well ground and whetted, and a pair of Compasses, a Ruler, some green wax, a Bottle which holdeth some half a pound of single Aqua fortis stop­ed close with soft wax, some white Lead, a Stift, a hand Vice to hold the Plate over the fire, an Oyl stone.

The use and property of every particular Instrument.

The Copper Plate is the only matter to Etch upon; the ground is to lay upon the Copper Plate, when they are both warmed; your Needles are to hatch withall upon the ground, the pencil is to wipe away the bits of ground, which rise when you hatch upon the ground with your Needles, the scraper is to scrape out any thing that is amiss, the Polisher is to make smooth any place that is rough, so that you can mend any place that is amiss ac­cording to your own Mind; the Gravers are to mend here and there a stroak where need requires. But note, that your Gravers must be ground, and whet very sharp and smooth, upon an Oyl stone before you use them, [Page 99] your Compasses are of very little use in Etching, ex­cept it be to measure a distance, or strike a Circle, the Ruler is used to hatch all the straight hatches or Lines upon the Plate. The green vvax is used to make a Wall round about the edges of your Plate, to keep the Aqua fortis from running off from the Plate, the Aqua fortis is the finisher of the vvork, vvhen you have hatched the de­sign upon the Plate with your Needles. The white Lead is used to scrape upon the back-side of the drawing or print that you Etch after, The Stift is used to draw through all the outmost Lines or circumferences of the print or drawing which you Etch after. The Oyl stone is to vvhet your Gravers upon; having these things in readiness, Note that if it be a black Ground that lyes upon the Plate, then you must take white Lead and rub it upon the back-side of the print or drawing which you intend to Etch after, but if it be a vvhite Ground, then you must take black Lead, or a piece of Charcole and rub on the back of your print as aforesaid.

The manner and way to make the Ground.

Take a quarter of a pound of Virgins wax, and half a quarter of a pound of Expoltum burnt, of Amber One Ounce, of Mastick One Ounce. Having all these materials in readiness, you must take the Mastick and the Expoltum and beat them very fine in a mortar; this be­ing done, take a new earthen Pot, and put the wax into it, and set it upon the fire, let not the fire be too hot, which if you do it will burn the ground, therefore when they are throughly melted, take it off from the fire, and pour the ground out into a Pot of fair water, and make it up into a Ball, and preserve it from dust; and when you will use it, take a quantity of it and bind it up in a piece of Taffatae or Silk, and use it as hereafter.

A red Ground.

Grind red Lead, very well tempered with Vernish.

A white Ground.

Take of wax one Ounce, Rosin two Ounces, melt them together, add thereto a quarter of an Ounce of Venice Serus, finely ground.

A black Ground.

Asphaltum two parts, Bees wax one part, melt themSpaltum. together, being warm, lay it thinly on with a Lawn rag.

Another Ground.

Grind red Lead with Linseed Oyl; Note, your ground must be laid very thin.

The manner and way to lay the Ground upon the Plate.

Take some Charcole and kindle them, this being done, take an hand-vice and screw it fast to one of the corners of the Plate, as near to the edge as you can, because you must lay the ground all over the Plate, then take the Plate and hold it over the fire, till it be so warm to melt the ground, then take the ground which is bound up and rub it to and fro upon the Plate till it be covered all over alike; then take of the stiffest Feathers out of a Ducks wing that is not ruffled, and spread the ground very thin, and smooth every where alike upon the Plate, but have a special care you heat not the Plate too hot, least you burn the ground; which if it be, the ground will break up when you put on the Aqua fortis and spoil the Plate; you may discover when it is burnt, by its rising as it were sandy, which if you perceive, you must take a clean linnen rag, and warming the Plate, wipe the ground clean off, and lay a new as aforesaid. But if you perceive the ground to be smooth and not sandy, take it off from the fire, and when it is cold, take a piece of Link and hold under the ground till you have smoaked it very black, but let not the flame touch the ground, least you burn it, this being done, if the Plate be cold hold it over the fire again till it be just warm, to let the smoak melt into the ground, that it may not rub off under your hand, then [Page 101] hold it off from the fire, with the ground-side of the Plate downwards for to preserve it from the dust, other wise when the ground is warm, dust will flye in and spoil it, therefore you must hold it with the ground-side downwards untill the ground is cold.

The way to draw the outmost lines of any Print or drawing upon the ground of the Plate.

First take the drawing or Print which you intend to Etch after, and scrape a little vvhite lead upon the back-side of it, then take a feather and rub it over every where alike, and shake off that which remains, then take the print and lay it upon the Plate on that side the ground is, then fasten the four corners of the print to the Plate with a little soft wax; this being done, take the Stift and draw upon the print all the outmost circumferences and lines exactly, and when you have so done, take off the print from the Plate, and all the same outlines and circumferences which you drew upon the print with the Stift, will be exactly and unfailably upon the ground.

Several Observations in Hatching.

First observe exactly and judiciously how your principle is shadowed, and how close the Hatches joyn, and how they are laid, and which way the light falleth or cometh; the light must fall all one way, for if the light fall side wayes in your print, you must hatch the other side which is far­thest from the light darkest, and so place your lights alto­gether on the one side, and not confusedly to have the light come on both sides alike, as if it stood in the midst of many lights, for neither doth the light withall its bright­ness illuminate any more then that part that is directly opposite unto it, then observe exactly how close all the Hatches joyn, and how they are laid, and which way they twist and wind, then follow them as exactly as pos­sibly you can, but before that you begin to Hatch or shadow, you must draw all the outmost lines with a Needle [Page 102] upon the ground, as Artificially as you can; and then you must shadow it with your Needles of several sorts according to your principle, and when you will make a broad stroak, then break off the point of a great Needle and whet it upon an Oyl stone four square untill it comes to a point; and if you will hatch fine stroaks, then you must use fine pointed Needles; and if middle sizes, then break off the point of a middle size Needle, and whet it as aforesaid, and so according to all sizes. But some Masters when they make a bold stroak, hatch it fine at first, and so by degrees make them broader.

Necessary Observations in Etching Landskips.

Observe when you Etch Landskips, to make or hatch that which is nearest to the Eye darkest, and so let it lose or decline its shadows by degrees, and that which is furthest off must be faintest, and so lose equally by de­grees; the same Observation must be in making the Skie, for that which is nearest to the Eye must be the darkest shadowed, but in general as faint and soft as possi­ble, and so also let it lose by degrees as before is men­tioned, and the nearer the Skie cometh to the ground, the more it must lose and be fainter; but when they as it were meet together the Skie must quite be lost, and when you have hatched it as exactly as you can possibly with your Needles, according to the print or drawing, that you do it after; this being done, compare them exactly and judiciously together, and if you find it like the ori­ginal, take some green soft wax, and make a wall round about the edges of the Plate.

How to make the Wax wall round about the Plate, to keep the Aqua fortis from running off from it.

Take some green soft wax and temper it till it be warme, then draw it into a long slender roul as long as will reach about the Plate, then flat it and fasten it about the edges of the Plate, and let it be about half an inch high, then [Page 103] take an old knife and heat it in the fire, and sear the wax round about under the Plate very close, otherwise the Aqua fortis will run out, but be sure to fasten the wall as near to the edges of the Plate as you can convenient­ly, then pour the Aqua fortis upon the Plate, letting it lye till it be deep enough.

How to use the Aqua fortis on the Plate.

You must use single Aqua fortis. Take a quantity of Aqua fortis and pour it into a glass and mingle it with a little Vinegar to weaken it if it be too strong, or a little Aqua fortis which hath been used before; for in case the Aqua fortis work too strong, it will make the work very hard, and sometimes make the ground to break up; and when you have tempered it very well, poure it upon the Plate almost as high as the wax wall; the deep­er the Aqua fortis lyeth, the harder it will eat, and when you perceive it to be deep enough, pour off the Aqua fortis from the Plate into a glass, and preserve it to mingle with other as aforesaid; this being done, take some fair water and wash the Plate, and then take off the wax wall and preserve it for the same use again; then warme the Plate and take a clean linnen rag when it is indifferent warme, and rub off the ground from the Plate very clean, then take some Oyl and rub over the Plate to clean it, and if you perceive that the Aqua for­tis hath not eaten as deep in some places, as it should be, then it must be helped with a Graver.

Observations by which you may know when it is deep enough.

When the Aqua fortis hath lain upon the Plate a little more then a quarter of an hour, or half an hour, there being no certainty in time, because sometimes the Aqua fortis will work stronger then at another; there­fore when you think it is deep enough, pour off the Aqua fortis from the Plate into a glass, then wash the Plate with a little fairwater, then take a Knife and scrape [Page 104] off a little piece of the ground where it is hatcht, and may be least prejudicial to the Plate, and if you perceive it not to be deep enough, take a little candle tallow and melt it in a spoon, and while it is warm, take a pencil and cover the plate with it, where you scraped the ground off, then pour the aqua-fortis upon it again, and let it lye till you guess it to be deep enough; then pour the Aqua fortis from the Plate as aforesaid, and at any time when you perceive that the Aqua fortis doth not work strong enough, you pour off half the old, and re­fresh it with some new, for when the Aqua fortis hath been upon the Plate about half an hour, it will be much the weaker, because the strength of it doth evapo­rate away, and by a little practice you will come to the certain knowledge when the Aqua fortis hath eaten deep enough.

Another way to know when it is deep enough.

Take a little piece of a Copper plate, and lay a ground upon it as you before mentioned, and make a wax wall about it, then hatch it with several hatches as you think best, and when you pour the Aqua fortis upon the one, pour it upon the other, and when you think they be eaten deep enough, pour the Aqua fortis from the little Plate, and wash it with some fair water as afore­said, then take a Knife and scrape off a little piece of the ground from the little Plate where it is hatcht, and in case you percieve it not deep enough, cover the place again with some warme candle tallow, and then pour the Aqua fortis upon it again till you guess it be e­nough, then pour the Aqua fortis from the little Plate again, and try as before, and if you see it to be enough, pour the Aqua fortis from the great Plate, and wash it with a little fair water before you warm it, or else the Aqua fortis will stain the Plate.

A way to lay a white Ground upon a Black.

First you must understand that most grounds are black, and when you lay a white ground upon a black you must not smoak the black with a Link, and you must lay the undermost ground the thinner, when you lay a white ground upon it; and if you would lay a white ground up­on a black, take a quantity of Serice, as much as you think will cover the plate, and grind it very fine with gum water, and temper it very thin, then take a pencil and wash the plate all over very thin and even.

The way to lay a red Ground upon a black Ground.

Take the red Chalk and grind it very fine with gum water, then take a pretty big pencil, and wash the plate all over with the red ground very thin and smooth, as before men­tioned.

A Receipt for a ground taken out of a Manuscript of Collots.

Take a quarter of a pound of Virgins wax, and half a quarter of a pound of the best Expolium burnt of Amber, and half a quarter of a pound of Mastick if it be warm weather, because it doth harden the ground and preserve it from injury, when you lean with your hand hard upon it; if it be cold vveather, then take but an ounce of Mastick; this being observed, then take an ounce of Rosin, and an ounce of Shoomakers pitch, and half an ounce of other pitch, half an ounce of Vernish; having all these materials in readiness, take a new earthen pot, and put the Virgins vvax into it; and when it is melted, stir it about, and put in the other materials by degrees as before mentioned, and when they are throughly ming­led and melted, take the pot off from the fire and pour it out in a clean pot of fair vvater, and vvork it into a Ball, and preserve it from dust and grease, and when you have oc­casion to make use of it, take a quantity thereof and bind it up in a piece of Silk, and make use of it as be­fore mentioned.

The Ground of Rinebrant of Rine.

Take half an ounce of Expoltum burnt of Amber, one ounce of Virgins vvax, half an ounce of Mastick, then take the Mastick and Expoltum, and beat them severally very fine in a Mortar; this being done, take a new earthen pot and set it upon a Charcole-fire, then put the Virgins vvax into it and melt it, then shake into it the Mastick and Expoltum by degrees, stirring the Wax a­bout till they be throughly mingled, then pour it forth into fair vvater and make a Ball of it, and use it as before mentioned, but be sure you do not heat the plate too hot when you lay the ground on it, and lay your black ground very thin, and the white ground upon it, this is the only way of Rinebrant.

The way to preserve any Ground, which is laid upon a Plate in Frosty weather.

Take the plate and wrap it very warm in a wollen cloth, and lay it in the warmest place you can convenient, for if the frost is gotten into the ground, it will break up when you pour the Aqua fortis upon it.

A way to preserve the Plate from injury of the Aqua fortis, where the Ground breaks up.

If you perceive the ground to break up in any place, pour off the Aqua fortis from the plate and wash it with a little fair water, then take a quantity of Candle tallow and melt it in a spoon, and while it is warm take a pencil and cover the Plate which is broken up with the said tallow, and so far as the tallow is spread, the Aqua fortis will not eat; some make use of Vernish instead of tal­low, and when you have covered the place that is brok­en, pour on the Aqua fortis again, and let it lye upon the plate till you guess it hath eaten enough; then pour the Aqua fortis from the plate and preserve it, then take the wax Wall and preserve it also, and wash the plate with a little fair Water, then rub off your ground [Page 107] as aforesaid, and for the places which the ground broak up in, it must be helped with a Graver.

Therefore it will be necessary for one that desireth to learn this Art, to practice graving a little, so much as to help a stroak where you think convenient.

A way to make the Aqua fortis work soft or hard according to nature or art.

First take Candle tallow and melt it in a spoon, then with a pencil cover that place so far as you will have it to be faint, but note it must be after the Aqua fortis hath lain upon your plate an indifferent while, and so by degrees you must use the tallow as you would have it faint­er, this is very necessary when you Etch Landskips, which must lose and stand at a distance by degrees, therefore when you Etch Landskips, observe to stop off that place first which must be faintest, and so by degrees stop it off, and make it lose equally; and note the nearer you come to the Eye, it must be strongest and darkest shaded, but not on that side from whence the light cometh for that side must be preserved as faint as may be, but according to art.

Observations in Etching Prospective.

Prospective is a thing that is one of the difficultest Arts that is practised; because it is not rightly understood, but by good Arithmetick; otherwise you can never understand prospective, because you can never guess rightly how much a Pillar or Figure, or the like must decline, or lose at their several distances, ac­cording to Art and Proportion; For when you Etch a piece of prospective after a drawing or a print, ob­serve these Rules, beware of perfection at a distance, and be sure to shadow that which is nearest to the Eye, perfectest and strongest, and the farther from the Eye, it must decline in length and breadth, and heighth according to

Art and Proportion, observe also to let it lose and be fainter by equal degrees.

Away to Grave any hand or letter upon a Copper Plate.

Take some Charcole and kindle them, then take a hand-vice and screw it to the corner of the plate, and hold it over the fire till it be warm, then take a piece of Virgins wax, and rub it all over the plate untill it is co­vered every where alike; this being done, take a stiff feather of a Ducks wing that is not ruffled, and drive it even and smooth every where alike, and let it coole, then write the hand and letter which you intend to grave upon the plate, on a piece of paper with ungum'd Ink; then take the paper which you have written, and lay that side which is written downwards next to the wax, and fasten the four corners with a little soft wax, but be sure to place the writing so, that the lines may run straight, then you must take a Dogs Tooth, and rub the paper all over which is fastned, and not miss any place; this being done, take off the paper from the plate and you shall see the very same Letters which you wrote on the paper hath left their perfect impression upon the wax; then take a Stift and draw all the Let­ters through the wax upon the plate, and when you have done that, warm the plate, and take a linnen rag and rub the wax clean off, and you shall see all the Letters drawn upon the Copper, then get some good French Gravers and grind them, as they should be very sharp towards the points upon a Grind-stone, and after­wards whet them very smooth and sharp upon a good Oyl stone, then Grave the Letters with them.

The way to polish a Copper Plate.

At first you buy the Copper rough, then you have it planished, if you cannot do it your self; when it is planished, then you polish it with these following Instru­ments.

The Names of the Instruments or Tooles which are used to polish a Copper Plate.

A Plain which cuts very well, and of an indiffe­rent bigness, but not broad; some pieces of pumice-stones some pieces of Sand-stones, and some Moulton-stones; a soft blew stone, and a burnisher and scraper; and some Charcole.

The use of every particular Tool or Instrument.

First fasten your Plate with some small Nails, to a place that is as high as your middle; then make use of the plain to shave all the roughness off from it and make it very even in all places alike, and if you per­ceive any crackles or little holes upon that side which you shave, then you must shave them all clean out, and when you have shaved it even and smooth with the plain, then take a piece of Sand-stone, and wet the plate with some water, and rub to and fro with the stone upon the plate, till you have worn it very smooth and even every where alike, but be sure to choose the softest stones, because they make the least scratches; and when you have worn it even and smooth with this stone, wash off the sand from the Plate, and take a piece of Pumice stone and rub to and fro upon the Plate, quite a cross the grain of the former stone, because it is of a hard sandy nature, and will therefore leave some scratches; therefore the Pumice stone is of a more softer and spungy nature and is alwayes used to weare out the former scratches: and when you have worn out all the former scratches, you will perceive the plate to be worked into a finer grain, then wash the sand very clean off from the plate,; then make use of the moulton stone, and work with it quite a­cross the grain of the Pumice stone, untill you have worn it quite out, withall be sure you supply this and all the other stones with water, when you work with them upon the plate, and when you have worn out all the [Page 110] scratches of the Pumice stone clean out, then for the fourth make use of the soft blew stone, it being of a very soft grain and softer then any of the former; then work with that quite across the grain of the Moulton-stone, till the grain is worn out, but if you perceive any scratches in the plate here or there, rub them over with your burnisher till you have work't them out, but in case they are very deep, you must make use of your scraper, and scrape them out, and burnish them afterwards; this be­ing done, in the fifth place you must burnish it all o­ver; last of all take a charcole which is throughly burnt, and scrape off the Rine; then put it in the fire till it is throughly kindled, then take it out and quench it in Chamber Lee, and make use of it as of the former, till you have glased the plate; then wash it very clean with fair water, and let it dry.

The Manner or Way of Mezo Tinto.

FIrst take a very well polished Plate of Copper, and ruffen it all over with your Engin one way, then cross it over with the Engin a­gain, and if you find occasion, then cross it over the third time, untill it be ruffened all over alike (that is to say) if it were to be printed, it would print black all over; this done, take Charcole or black Chalk to rub over the plate, and then draw your design with white Chalk upon the plate, then take a sharp Stift and trace out the outlines of the design you drew with the white Chalk, and where you would have the light strike strongest, take a burnisher, and burnish that part of the plate, where you would have the light strike as clean as it was when it was first poli­shed; where you would have the fainter light, you must not polish it so much, and this way you may make it either fainter or stronger, ac­cording to your fancy. As for the manner or shape of the Engin, they are divers, and if any ingenious person have a desire to have any made, the Author will give them farther directions.