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own opinion,and he is on the road to perfection in art whose work falls short of his ideal.

44.

Small rooms or dwellings help the mind to concentrate itself; large rooms are a source of dis- traction.

45.

The painter should be solitary, and take note of what he sees and reason with himself, making a choice of the more excellent details of the cha- racter of any object he sees; he should be like unto the mirror, which takes the colours of the objects it reflects. And this proceeding will seem to him to be a second nature.

46.

In order that the favourable disposition of the mind may not be injured by that of the body, the painter or the draughtsman should be solitary, and especially when he is occupied with those speculations and thoughts which continually rise up before the eye, and afford materials to be treasured by the memory. If thou art alone, thou wilt belong to thyself only; if thou hast but one companion, thou wilt only half belong to thyself, and ever less in pro- portion to the indiscretion of his conduct; and if thou hast many companions, thou wilt encounter

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