y this
imaginary triumph of his understanding, which animated him to persevere
in his curious observations upon all the other pieces of that celebrated
collection; but perceiving that the doctor manifested no signs of
pleasure and satisfaction, but rather beheld them with a silent air of
disdain, he could not digest his indifference, and asked, with a waggish
sneer, if ever he had seen such a number of masterpieces before? The
physician, eyeing him with a look of compassion, mingled with contempt,
observed that there was nothing there which deserved the attention
of any person acquainted with the ideas of the ancients; and that
the author of the finest piece now in being was unworthy to clean the
brushes of one of those great masters who are celebrated by the Greek
and Roman writers.

"O lad! O lad!" exclaimed the painter, with a loud laugh, "you have
fairly brought yourself into a dilemma at last, dear doctor; for it is
well known that your ancient Greek and Roman artists knew nothing at
all of the matter, in comparison with our modern masters; for this good
reason, because they had but three or four colours, and knew not how to
paint with oil: besides, which of all your old fusty Grecians would you
put upon a footing with the divine Raphael, the most excellent Michael
Angelo, Bona Roti, the graceful Guido, the bewitching Titian, and above
all others, the sublime Rubens, the--." He would have proceeded with
a long catalogue of names which he had got by heart for the purpose,
without retaining the least idea of their several qualifications, had
not he been interrupted by his friend, whose indignation being kindled
by the irreverence with which he mentioned the Greeks, he called
him blasphemer, Goth, Boeotian, and, in his turn, asked with great
vehemence, which of those puny moderns could match with Panaenus of
Athens, and his brother Phidias; Polycletus of Sicyon; Polygnotus, the
Thracian; Parrhasius of Ephesus, surnamed Abrodiaitos, or the Beau; and
Apelles, the prince of painters? He challenged him to show any portrait
of these days that could vie with the Helen of Zeuxis, the Heraclean; or
any composition equal to the Sacrifice of Iphigenia, by Timanthes,
the Sicyonian; not to mention the Twelve Gods of Asclepiodorus, the
Athenian, for which Mnason, tyrant of Elatea, gave him about three
hundred pounds apiece; or Homer's Hell, by Nicias, who refused sixty
talents, amounting to upwards of eleven thousand pounds, and g