CONTAINING,

I. The Hiftory of the POLITE
ARTS among the ROMANS;
with the Characters of the

the modern COMMENTATORS
and SCHOOL EDUCATION.

LATIN POETS and their III. An INQUIRY concerning

WORKS.

II.The Ufefulness of ANTIQUES

towards explaining the CLAS-
SICS. A true IDEA of the AL-
LEGORIES of the ANCIENTS,
and their whole Scheme of MA-
CHINERY; with REMARKS On

the AGREEMENT between the
WORKS of the ROMAN Po-
ETS, and the REMAINS of the
ANCIENT ARTISTS, in Or-
der to illuftrate them from one
another; with many useful
HINTS to the MODERN AR-
TISTS,

Being a Work necessary not only for

CLASSICAL INSTRUCTION,
But for all those who wish to have a

TRUE TASTE

For the BEAUTIES of

POETRY, SCULPTURE, and PAINTING.

By N. TINDAL, Tranflator of RAPIN.

The SECOND EDITION, CORRECTED and INLARGED,

L O N D O N

Printed for R. HORSFIELD, in Ludgate-Street, and
J. DODSLEY, in Pall-Mall.

M.DCC.LXV.

HARVARD COLLEGE LIBRARY

nair

INTRODUCTION.

F all the attempts towards explaining the Claffics, hitherto extant, the

most useful and inftructive is Mr. Spence's Inquiry concerning the agreement between the works of the Roman poets, aud the remains of the ancient artists, published under the title of POLYMETIS.

The principal defign of the author in this inquiry was, to compare the defcriptions and expreffions in the Latin poets, relating to the Roman deities, with the allegorical reprefentations of the fame, by the painters and fculptors in their pictures, relievos, medals, and gems, in order to illuftrate. them mutually from one another 2.

a This inquiry was the refult of two very different scenes of life, in which the author was engaged. He was profeffor of poetry in the university of Oxford for ten years; and for above five years he happened to live abroad. His profefforship obliged him to deal in poetical criticifm; and his ftay, during his

travels,