On the other hand, the difficulties which occur in an cient records, may often be very satisfactorily explained, by a knowledge of the usages and superstitions of the modern descendants of the people to whom these records refer. This has been particularly exemplified in the case of the sacred scriptures, which have received many important illustrations from the facts collected by mo dern travellers, into the countries of which the manners and practices are alluded to in the Old and New Testa ment. The work of Harmer, which has of late received considerable accessions, has it professedly in view to throw light upon the difficulties of scripture by this sort of accessory illustration ; and shews the great bene fits that proceed from this particular branch of antiqua rian research.
Having made these general remarks upon the use and abuse of the study of antiquities, we shall conclude with some observations upon that particular branch of the study, which is sometimes called classical, or the knowledge of the (mane ; and which has for its object a particular acquaintane with the statues, paintings, sculptures, monuments, medals, and other precious re lics of ancient Greece and Rome. This has attractions of a very peculiar nature, on account of the wonderful, and, it is supposed, unrivalled excellence, to which the ancient Greeks and Romans attained in every depart ment of the fine arts. The remains of their architce tore, and of their statuary, which have escaped the ravages of time, and descended to us in somewhat of a perfect state, continue to be viewed by the connos sieur, with enthusiastic admiration ; even after every attempt which the most skilful modern artists have made to rival or exceed them. Their basso-relievos ; their coins ; their gems and cameos, are not of less admirable execution ; and there is much reason to be lieve, that in painting they were not less eminent ; al though, from the perishable nature of the specimens of this branch of the arts, but few models have descen ded to us, and none of these probably of much intrinsic value. Among the paintings of antiquity, which have reached modern times, the principal have been some specimens of fresco, rescued from the ruins of Adriana, Herculaneum, and Pompeii ; on which it cannot be sup posed that much graphic skill would be employed. To these we have to add, the Aldobrandine nuptials ; the figures on the pyramid of Cestius ; a figure of Rome on the Palladium, and some similar performances, which we cannot suppose to have been works of the highest value. It would, therefore, be unreasonable, from the
evidence which we possess, to refuse to the classical age of antiquity, that pre-eminence in painting, which it undoubtedly possessed in the corresponding branches of the arts of design.
On such a subject, the testimony of so skilful an ar tist as sir Joshua Reynolds, is particularly worthy of notice. "There can be no doubt," says that gentleman, " but that the same correctness of design was required from the painter as the sculptor ; and if the same good fortune had happened to us, in regard to their paintings, to possess what the ancients themselves esteemed their master-pieces, which is the case in sculpture, I have no doubt but we should find their figures as correctly drawn as the Laocoon, and probably coloured like Ti tian. NVhat disposes me to think higher of their colour ing, than any remains of ancient painting will warrant, is the account which Pliny gives of the mode of operation used by Apelles ; that over his finished picture he spread a transparent liquid like ink ; of which the effect was to give brilliancy, and at the same time to lower the too great glare of the colour : Quod, absoluta opera, atra :nento illinebat Ito tenui, ut ad ipsum repercusszt claritates colorum excitaret. Et tum ratione magna ne colo rum claritas ocutorum aciem offenderet. This passage, though it may possibly perplex the critics, is a true and artist-like description of the effect of glazing or scumb ling, such as was practised by Titian, and the rest of the Venetian painters. This custom, or mode of opera tion, implies at least a taste of what the excellence of colouring consists, which does not proceed from fine colours, hut true colours ; from breaking down those tine colours, which would appear too raw, to a deep toned brightness. Perhaps the manner in which Cor regio practised the art of glazing, was still more like that of Apelles, which was only perceptible to those who looked close to the picture, ad manum intuenti de mum appareret ; whereas, in Titian, and still more in Bassa, and others his imitators, it was apparent on the slightest inspection : Artists, who may not approve of of glazing, must still acknowledge that this practice is not that of ignorance.