THE PRINCIPLES

Students should never be treated with those imperious airs of school masters, nor instill fear in them, nor expect honest and reasonable respect from them. In this way, a young boy, who has talent, gradually advances; he observes with pleasure all the objects surrounding him, and when he realizes that nature and art favor him, he becomes more animated each day, rising to greater things. Students are like children, learning to walk along a wall. One can say that men are true infants in what they do not know, and that well-instructed young boys are men before they reach adulthood. We have already made our students put aside the compass and ruler, and praised them for the steady hand in everything they draw. Now, we shall go further, presenting them with new, skillfully drawn figures.

FOURTH LESSON

We leave the Earth here to venture across a vast ocean, where young travelers will need a better pilot than Palnure, who, overtaken by sleep, fell into the waves and lost his life; for one without a good master will always be a poor imitator. This is why it is necessary for students to have a skillful master who teaches them the true fundamentals of art, and who does not limit himself to superficialities. It is certain that, through good teaching, he can quickly enlighten those who are active and diligent. The Spartans were accustomed to choosing one of their most illustrious and skilled magistrates to oversee the education of their youth. But today, good masters are as rare as virtuous people. Thus, it is lamentable to see every day many good geniuses, who had talent, become daubers simply because they were poorly taught. It must be acknowledged that nature has much strength on its own, without instruction, and that instruction is powerless without the aid of nature; yet one cannot say that nature is blind if art does not open its eyes. Nature begins to reveal its secrets to us, and presents us with an abundance of things, some of which we will mix with others artificially, to inspire our young student by representing what is already known. At least, before he applies himself to our art, he found much pleasure in imitating the shape of a glass, a beer mug, an apple, or other such things; and children have a high regard for those who can sketch anything from nature. Thus, nature soon stamps upon their minds everything that aligns with their inclination. I admit these are among the lesser works of art; and that it is infinitely more beautiful to know how to paint men, the noblest of all living creatures here below. Indeed, what can be more glorious and worthy of art than representing a being animated with a divine breath, which the Creator of the universe approved, and which we rightly call the little world, where all creation is seen in miniature? This is why it would be imprudent to attempt it at first, and it would bring more shame upon us than Prometheus from the fable when he stole fire from heaven to animate the man he had shaped in imitation of Jupiter's. Thus we will continue with the easiest and least critiqued subjects, to gradually progress to those that are more elevated.

Translation Notes:

PALNURE: possibly a fictional or symbolic name used in context.

EXEM: Appears to be an abbreviation or name, possibly used as a reference or for something symbolic.