"Here is a curious frontispiece, designed by Mr. Hogarth, but not in the same ludicrous style as the former (_i.e._ the frontispiece to Kirby's _Perspective_): it were to be wished that he had explained its meaning; for, being symbolical, the meaning of it is not so obvious as the other (that on false perspective). To me it conveys the idea which Milton so poetically describes of the angel Uriel gliding down to Paradise on a sunbeam; but the young gentleman has dropped off before he had arrived at his journey's end, with Palladio's book of architecture on his knees. A ray of light from the sun, rising over a distant mountain, is directed to a scroll on the ground on which are two or three scraps of perspective, over which, supported by a large block of stone, is the upper part of a sceptre broke off; the shaft, very obliquely and absurdly inclined, somewhat resembling the Roman fasces, and girt above with the Prince of Wales' coronet as an astragal, through which the fasces rise and swell into a crown adorned with embroidered stars; this is the principal object, but most vilely drawn. The ray passes through a round temple at a considerable distance, which is also falsely represented, the curves being, for the distance, too round, and consequently the diminution of the columns is too great. It appears to pass over a piece of water: on this side the ground is fertile and luxuriant with vegetation, abounding with trees and shrubs; on the other side it is rocky and barren. What is indicated by this seems to be, that where the arts are encouraged by the rays of royal favour, they will thrive and flourish; but where they are neglected, and do not find encouragement, they will droop and languish."[66] On the ray from the sun rising over a distant mountain, etc., so facetiously treated by Mr. Malton, some light is thrown in a manuscript chapter of the _Analysis_, where Hogarth, describing painters' colours, remarks that-- "Sir Isaac Newton's theory of light and colours, though excellent in itself, is an inquiry of so different a nature from ours, that were we to take this great philosopher as our guide, he would not assist but mislead us, as he did Dr. Brook Taylor, the ingenious author of the best book on perspective that ever was written. The Doctor printed an appendix to this work, which he entitled, _A New Theory for Mixing Colours_, taken from Sir Isaac Newton's optics; but his project, though ingenious in speculation, is altogether impracticable in painting." This observation Hogarth follows by the annexed remarks on those visionaries who had puzzled the doctrine of colours with minute and unnecessary divisions, and adopted a strange notion that these divisions were governed by the same laws as music:--