ch that the disciple
is on the same level as the creator, and so it is with their fruits.
These are useful to the imitator, but are not of such high excellence
as those which cannot be transmitted as an inheritance like other
substances. Among these painting is the first. Painting cannot be
taught to him on whom nature has not conferred the gift of receiving
such knowledge, as mathematics can be taught, of which the disciple
receives as much as the master gives him; it cannot be copied, as
letters can be, in which the copy equals the original; it cannot be
stamped, in the same way as sculpture, in which the impression is in
proportion to the source as regards the quality of the work; it does
not generate countless children, as do printed books. It alone remains
noble, it alone confers honour on its author and remains precious {63}
and unique, and does not beget children equal to itself. And it is
more excellent by reason of this quality than by reason of those which
are everywhere proclaimed. Now do we not see the great monarchs of the
East going about veiled and covered up from the fear of diminishing
their glory by the manifestation and the divulgation of their presence?
and do we not see that the pictures which represent the divine deity
are kept covered up with inestimable veils? their unveiling is preceded
by great sacred solemnities with various chants and diverse music, and
when they are unveiled, the vast multitude of people who are there
flocked together, immediately prostrate themselves and worship and
invoke those whom such pictures represent that they may regain their
lost holiness and win eternal salvation, just as if the deity were
present in the flesh. This does not occur in any other art or work of
man. And if you say that is owing to the nature of the subject
depicted rather than to the genius of the painter, the answer is that
the mind of man could satisfy itself equally well in this case, were
the man to remain in bed and not make pilgrimages to places which are
perilous and hard of access, as we so often see is the case. But if
such pilgrimages continually exist, what is then their unnecessary
cause? You will certainly admit that it is an image of this kind, and
all the writings in the world could not succeed in representing the
{64} semblance and the power of such a deity. Therefore it appears
that this deity takes pleasure in the pictures and is pleased that it
should be loved and revered,