1 OR, THE CURIOSITIES O F Hampton-Court and Windsor-Castle, DELINEATED; 13137 WITH OCCASIONAL REFLECTIONS; And embellifh'd with COPPER-PLATES of the Two PALACES, &c. BY GEORGE BICKHAM, jun. The Whole attempted with a View, not only to en- He, and He only aims aright, LONDON: Printed, and Sold by T. COOPER, at the Globe in Pater-No- Nell 20 THE PREFACE S the principal Design of the following Treatife is to fet 1 the best Pieces of the best Painters in the fairest and most advantageous Point of Light, We flatter ourselves, that fome few previous Reflectious on the Nature and Beauty of that Art, in which they fo happily excell'd, will be thought no improper, or difagreeable Amufement. Among all the curious and delightful Arts, that of Painting (fays Monfieur de Piles, who was a Connoiffeur, and a famous French Writer) has always met with the moft Admirers; infomuch, that the Num A 2 ber ber of them almoft includes all Mankind. And amongst these, there are Multitudes daily found, who value themselves on the Knowledge of it; either, because they frequently are admitted into the Converfation of fome of the best Painters, who have expatiated on the Beauties of their Profeffion; or, because they have had an Opportunity of feeing fome of the most accurate Performances in that Way; or lastly, because their Tafte is by Nature good. That Knowledge of theirs, however, (if it may with Propriety be fo call'd) is fo very fuperficial, and fo ill-grounded, that they are altogether incapable of giving any tolerable Description of thofe particular Touches, wherein the Beauty of thofe Works, with which they are fo highly tranfported, principally confifts; or to account for the Errors and Imperfections of the greater Part of thofe, which they too partially cenfure and condemn. The Art of Painting has likewife been display'd, in a very pompous Manner, by one Bellori, an ingenious Italian Writer, and an accurate Judge, but as he who reads his Differtation, with any Degree of Pleafure, must have a Tafte for the Philofo phy |