uty, which consists of the divine proportion
of the limbs united one with another, and these compose of themselves
and at one time the divine harmony of this union of limbs, and often
deprives the gazer of his liberty. Music, again, by its harmonious
rhythm, produces the sweet melodies formed by its various voices, and
their harmonious division is lacking to the poet; and although poetry
enters into the abode of the intellect by the channel of the hearing,
as does music, the poet cannot describe the harmony of music, because
it is not in his power to say various things in one and the same moment
as can the harmonious concord of painting, which is composed of various
members which exist simultaneously, and the beauty of these parts is
apprehended at the same time, individually and
collectively,--collectively with regard to the whole, individually with
regard to the component parts of which the whole is formed; and for
this reason the poet is, as far as the representation of bodily things
is concerned, greatly inferior to the painter, and as far as invisible
things are concerned he is far behind the musician. But if the poet
borrows the aid of the other sciences, he can appear at the fair like
the other merchants, bearers of divers goods made by many artificers;
and the poet does this when he borrows the science of others, such as
that of the orator, the philosopher, the astrologer, the cosmographer
and {90} the like; and these sciences are altogether alien to the poet.
Therefore he is an agent who brings together diverse persons in order
to strike a bargain; and if you wish to know the true function of the
poet, you will find that he is no other than an assembler of goods
stolen from other sciences, with which he makes a deceptive mixture, or
more honestly said, a fictitious mixture. And with regard to this
fiction the poet is free to compete with the painter, since it
constitutes the least part of the painting.

28.

The painter emulates and competes with nature.

[Sidenote: Painting a second Creation]

29.

He who blames painting blames nature, because the works of the painter
represent the works of nature, and for this reason he who blames in
this fashion lacks feeling.

[Sidenote: The Painter Lord of All]

30.

If the painter wishes to see beautiful things which will enchant him he
is able to beget them; if he wishes to see monstrous things which
terrify, or grotesque and laughable things, or trul