FIRST LECTURE.

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have egregioufly failed in the attempt, becaufe he hadfubftituted the pencil to the ceftrum, and entered, acontefr of fuperiority with weapons not his own.

Here it might feem in its place to fay fomethingon the Encauftic method ufed by the ancients; wereit not a fubjed by ambiguity of expreflion and conjectu-ral difpute fo involved in obfeurity that a true accountof its procefs muft be defpaired of: the moll probableidea we can form of it is, that it bore fome refemblanceto our oil-painting, and that the name was adopted todenote the ufe of materials, inflammable or prepared byfire, the fuppofed durability of which, whether appliedhot or cold, authorifed the terms ’svemvere and inujjit.

The firft great name of that epoch of the preparatoryperiod when fads appear to overbalance conjedure, isthat of Polygnotus of Thafos, who painted the poecileat Athens, and the lefche or public hall at Delphi. Ofthefe works, but chiefly of the two large pidures atDelphi, which reprefented feenes fubfequent to theeverfion of Troy, and Ulyfles confulting the fpirit ofTirefias in hades, Paufanias (e) gives a minute andcircumftantial detail; by which we are led to furmife,that what is now called compofition was totally wanting

in

(e) Paufan. Puocicu. c. xxv. fee.