If, therefore, the term "mute" be taken as opposed not to sound but to

articulate speech, the old definition of painting will in fact be the true

and best definition of the fine arts in general, that is, muta poesis, mute

poesy, and so of course poesy. And, as all languages perfect themselves

by a gradual process of de synonymizing words originally equivalent, I

have cherished the wish to use the word "poesy" as the generic or

common term, and to distinguish that species of poesy which is not

muta poesis by its usual name "poetry"; while of all the other species

which collectively form the fine arts, there would remain this as the

common definition - that they all, like poetry, are to express intellectual

purposes, thoughts, conceptions, and sentiments which have their

origin in the human mind-not, however, as poetry does, by means of

articulate speech, but as nature or the divine art does, by form, color,

magnitude, proportion, or by sound, that is, silently or musically.

Well! it may be said-but who has ever thought otherwise? We all

know that art is the imitatress of nature. And, doubtless, the truths

which I hope to convey would be barren truisms, if all men meant the

same by the words "imitate" and "nature." But it would be flattering

mankind at large, to presume that such is the fact. First, to imitate. The

impression on the wax is not an imitation, but a copy, of the seal; the

seal itself is an imitation. But, further, in order to form a philosophic

conception, we must seek for the kind, as the heat in ice, invisible light,

etc., whilst, for practical purposes, we must have reference to the

degree. It is sufficient that philosophically we understand that in all

imitation two elements must coexist, and not only coexist, but must be

perceived as coexisting. These two constituent elements are likeness

and unlikeness, or sameness and difference, and in all genuine

creations of art there must be a union of these disparates. The artist may

take his point of view where he pleases, provided that the desired effect

be perceptibly produced-that there be likeness in the difference,

difference in the likeness, and a reconcilement of both in one. If there

be likeness to nature without any check of difference, the result is

disgusting, and the more complete the delusion, the more loathsome the