“Because the greatest beauties cannot always be expressed for want of terms,” &c. I have learned from the mouth of Monsieur du Fresnoy, that he had oftentimes heard Guido say, “that no man could give a rule of the greatest beauties; and that the knowledge of them was so abstruse, that there was no manner of speaking which could express them.” This comes just to what Quinctilian says,[147] “That things incredible wanted words to express them; for some of them are too great, and too much elevated, to be comprehended by human discourse.” From hence it proceeds, that the best judges, when they admire a noble picture, seem to be fastened to it; and when they come to themselves, you would say, they had lost the use of speech. “_Pausiacâ torpes, insane, tabellâ_,” says Horace;[148] and Symmachus says,[149] “that the greatness of astonishment hinders men from giving a just applause.” The Italians say, “_Opera da stupire_,” when a thing is wonderfully good. [*†63.] “Those master-pieces of antiquity, which were the chief examples of this art,” &c. He means the most knowing and best painters of antiquity; that is to say, from the last two ages to our times. [*†66.] “And also moderates that fury of the fancy,” &c. There is in the Latin text, “which produces only monsters,” that is to say, things out of all probable resemblance. Such things as are often found in the works of Pietro Testa. “It often happens,” says Dionysius Longinus, a grave author, “that some men, imagining themselves to be possessed with a divine fury, far from being carried into the rage of Bacchanalians, often fall into toys and trifles, which are only puerilities.” [*†69.] “A subject beautiful and noble,” &c. Painting is not only pleasing and divertising, but is also a kind of memorial of those things which antiquity has had the most beautiful and noble in their kinds, replacing the history before our eyes; as if the thing were at this very time effectually in action; even so far, that, beholding the pictures wherein those noble deeds are represented, we find ourselves stung with a desire of endeavouring somewhat, which is like that action, there expressed, as if we were reading it in the history. The beauty of the subject inspires us with love and admiration for the pictures, as the fair mixture causes us to enter into the subject which it imitates, and imprints it the more deeply into our imagination, and our memory. These are two chains which are interlinked, which contain, and are at the same time contained, and whose matter is equally precious and estimable. [*†72.] “And ingenious,” &c. _Aliquid salis_, somewhat that is well seasoned, fine, and picquant, extraordinary, of a high relish, proper to instruct, and to clear the understanding. “The painters ought to do like the orators,” says Cicero;[150] “let them instruct, let them divertise, and let them move us;” this is what is properly meant by the word _salt_. [*†74.]