form part of them, because _that_ had been tried and
disapproved of.--See Vasari's _Lives of Antonello da Messina, and Alesso
Baldovinetti_. It is probable that the ingredients were common and
cheap, or they would not have been accessible to the greater part of
Europe; and they appear to have been equally successful in the sunny
clime of Italy as in the fogs of Holland."

The translator here entirely agrees with the learned and indefatigable
Lanzi, who, aware of discrepancies of dates, ascribes the "_perfect_"
method to Van Eyck. He gives full credit to _the facts_ as stated by
Vasari, and speaks of the difficulties he lay under in obtaining any
certain dates, particularly with regard to Venetian matters. That
painting in oil was known long prior to Van Eyck, no one who has read
the documents upon the subject can for a moment doubt; but it was, in
the common way, so inferior in brilliancy, and probably in facility of
use to other methods, that it ceased to be in use. It seems pretty clear
that this "perfect method" came from Flanders, first to Naples, then to
Venice; and probably by means of Antonello da Messina, (however some
dates may disagree, or it may be possible there were two of that name to
have given some confusion to the dates.) In fact, no dates but the
strictly historical can be depended upon. There are pictures at Venice
with the name of Antonello, and dated 1474--years after his supposed
death. We can scarcely suppose that the "noble-minded" Vasari would have
fabricated an epitaph for Antonello, if none had ever existed; we know
how easily not only epitaphs, but the very monuments that bear them,
are removed to give place to others. Vasari does not say, in quoting
this inscription, that Antonello was the first who painted in oil, but
the first who gave splendour, &c. "Sed et quod coloribus oleo miscendis
splendorem et perpetuitatem Italiae contulit." And Hackert says, that
this Antonello lived some years in Venice, receiving payment from the
state. "Ob mirum hic ingenium Venctiis aliquot annos publice condutus
vixit." His celebrity arose from the introduction of the Flemish manner
into Italy. The murder of Domenico at Florence, to whom it is said
Antonello had imparted the secret, cannot be denied; it was notorious,
and must be confirmed by public documents; nor can we imagine so
"noble-minded" a writer as Vasari would have mentioned the disclosure of
the murder by Castagno himself, if the fact had not bee