Pictor in fabula

Besides that, Alexander must be painted of none but Appelles, nor engraven of any but Lisippus, nor our Elizabeth set forth of every one that would in duety, which are all, but of those that can in skyll, which are fewe, so furre hath nature overome arte, and grace eloquence, that the paynter draweth a vale over that he cannot shaddow, and the orator holdeth a paper in his hand, for that he cannot utter.

And therfore good Euphues and Philautus content your selues with this, yet to be curious in things you should not enquire off, if you know the, they appertein not unto you : if you knew them not, they canot hinder you. And let Appelles answere to Alexander be an excuse for me. When Alexander would needes come to Appelles shop and paint, Appelles placed him at his backe, who going to his owne worke, did not so much as cast an eye back, to see Alexanders devises, which being wel marked, Alexander said thus unto him: Art not thou a cunning painter, and wilt thou not over-looke my picture, and tel me wherin I have done wel, and wherin ill? whom he answered wisely, yet merily : In faith O king it is not for Appelles to enquire what Alexander hath done, neither if he shew it me, to judge how it  is done, and therefore did I set your Majestie at my back, yet I might not glaunce towards a kings work, and that you looking over my head might see mine, for Appelles shadowes are to be seene of Alexander, but not Alexanders of Appelles. So ought we Euphues to frame our selves in all our actions and deuises, as though the King stood over us to behold us, and not to looke what the King doth behinde us.  For whatsoever he painteth it is for his pleasure, and wee must think for our profit, for Appelles had his reward though he saw not the worke.

For as Alexander woulde be engraven of no one man, in a precious  stone, but onely of Pergotales : so would I haue my picture imprinted in no heart, but in his, by Thirsus. Consider with thy selfe Fidus that a faire woman with-out constancie, is not unlyke vnto a greene tree without fruit, resembling the counterfait that Praxitiles made for Flora before the which if one stoode directly, it seemed to weepe, if on the left side to laugh, if on the other side to sleepe: where-by he noted the light behaviour of hir, which could not in one constant shadow be set  downe.

When Alexander had commaunded that none shoulde paint him but Appelles none carve him but Lysippus none engrave him but Pirgoteles, Parrhasius framed a table squared, everye way twoo hundred foote, which in the borders he trimmed with fresh coulours, and limmed with fine golde, leaving all the other roume whith-out knotte or lyne, which table he presented to Alexander who no lesse mervailing at the bignes, then at the barenes, demaunded to what ende he gaue him a frame with-out face, being so naked, and with-out fashion being so great. Parrhasius aunswered him, let it be lawful for Parrhasius, O Alexander, to shew a table wherin he would paint Alexander, if it were not unlawfull, and for others to square timber,  though Lysippus carve it, and for all to cast brasse though Pirgoteles ingrave it. Alexander perceiving the good minde of Parrhasius, pardoned his boldnesse, and preferred his arte : yet enquyring why hee framed the table so bygge, hee aunswered, that hee thought that frame to bee but little enough for his picture, when the whole worlde  was to little for his personne, saying that Alexander must as well bee praysed, as paynted, and that all his victoryes and vertues, were not  for to bee drawne in the compasse of a sygnette, but in a fielde. This aunswer Alexander both lyked and rewarded, insomuch that it was lawful ever after for Parrhasius both to praise that noble king and to paint him.

What made the Gods so often to trewant from Heauen, and mych heere on earth, but beautie? What made men to imagine, that the firmament was God but the beautie ? which is sayd to bewitch the wise, and enchaunt them that made it.  Pigmalion for beautie, loued an image of ivory, Appelles the counterfeit of Campaspe and none we have heard off so sencelesse, that the name of beautie, cannot either breake or bende. It  is this onely that Princes desire in their houses, gardeins, orchards, and beddes, following Alexander who more esteemed the face of Venus not yet finished, then the table of the nyne Muses perfected. And I am of that minde that there can be nothing giuen unto mortall men by the immortall Gods, eyther more noble or more necessary then beautie. For as when the counterfeit of Ganimedes was showen at a market, everyone would faine buye it, because Zeuxis had there-in shewed his greatest cunning : so when a beautiful woman appeareth in a multitude, every man is drawne to sue to hir, for that the Gods (the onely Painters of beautie) have in hir  expressed, the art of their Deitie.

Lady, I neither flatter you nor please my selfe (although it pleaseth you so to coniecture) for I haue alwayes obserued this, that to stand    too much in mine owne conceite would gaine me little, and to claw those of whome I sought for no benefite, woulde profit me lesse : yet was I never so ill brought up, but that I could when time and place should seme, giue every one I lyked their just commendation, unlesse it were among those that were with-out comparison : offending in nothing but in this, that beeing too curious in praising my Lady, I was like to the painter Protogenes who could neuer leaue when his worke was well, which faulte is to be excused in him, bicause hee would make it better, and may be borne with in mee, for that I wish it excellent.

When Phydias first paynted, they used no colours, but blacke, white, redde, and yellow : Zeuxis added greene, and every one invented a new shadowing. At the last it came to this passe, that he in painting deserved most prayse, that could sette downe most coulours: wherby ther was more contention kindeled about the colour, then the counterfaite, and greater emulation for varietie in shew, then workmanship in substaunce.

So that at the last I was content to set an other face to Euphues, but yet just behind the other, like the image of lanus, not running together, lik the Hopplitides of Parrhasius least they should seeme so vnlike brothers, that they might be both thought bastardes, the picture wherof I yeeld as common all to view, but the patronage onely to your Lordshippe, as able to defend, knowing  that the face of Alexander stamped in copper doth make it currant, that the name of Caesar, wrought in Canuas, is esteemed as Cambricke, that the very feather of an eagle, is of force to consume the beetle.

Parrhasius painting Hopplitides, could neither make him that ranne to sweate, nor the other that put off his armour to breathe, adding this as it were for a note, No further than colours : meaning that to give lyfe was not in his pencill, but in the Gods. 

Since that, some there haue bene, that either dissembling the faultes they saw, for feare to discourage me, or not examining them, for the loue they bore me, that praised mine olde worke, and urged me to make a new, whose words I thus answered. If I should coyne a worse, it would be thought that the former was framed by chaunce, as Protogenes did the foame of his dogge, if a better, for flatterie, as Narcissus did, who only was in loue with his own face, if none at all, as forward as the musition, who being entreated, will scarse sing sol fa, but not desired, straine aboue Ela.

For in like manner hast thou built a bed in thine owne brains, wherin every one must  be of thy length if he love you cuttest him shorter, either with some od devise, or grave counsel, swearing (rather then thou woldst not be beleved) yet Protogenes portraid Venus with a sponge sprinkled with sweete water, but if once she wrong it, it would drop bloud : that hir ivorie Combe would at the first tickle the haires, but at the  last turne all the haires into adders : so that nothing is more hatefull then Love. If he love not, then stretchest out lyke a wyre-drawer, making a wire as long as thy finger, longer then thine arme, pullyng on with the pincers with the shoemaker a lyttle shoe on a great foote, till thou crack thy credite, as he doth his stitches, alleadging that Love followeth a good wit, as the shadowe doth the body, and as requisite for a Gentleman, as steele in a weapon. 

And heere right Honourable, although the historie seeme unperfect, I hope your Lordship will pardon it. Appelles dyed not before he could finish Venus, but before he durst, Nichomachus left Tindarides rawly, for feare of anger, not for want of art, Timomachus broke off Medea scarce halfe coloured, not that he was not willing to end it, but that he was threatned :  I haue not made Euphues to stand without legges, for that I want matter to make them, but might to maintein them : so that I am enforced with the olde painters, to colour my picture but to the  middle, or as he that drew Ciclops, who in a little table made him to lye behinde an oke, wher one might perceiue but a peece, yet conceiue that al the rest lay behinde the tree, or as he that painted an horse in the riuer with halfe legges, leauing the pasternes for the viewer, to imagine as in the water.

[[8:voir aussi tableaux inachevés]] And heere right Honourable, although the historie seeme unperfect, I hope your Lordship will pardon it. Appelles dyed not before he could finish Venus, but before he durst, Nichomachus left Tindarides rawly, for feare of anger, not for want of art, Timomachus broke off Medea scarce halfe coloured, not that he was not willing to end it, but that he was threatned :  I haue not made Euphues to stand without legges, for that I want matter to make them, but might to maintein them : so that I am enforced with the olde painters, to colour my picture but to the  middle, or as he that drew Ciclops, who in a little table made him to lye behinde an oke, wher one might perceiue but a peece, yet conceiue that al the rest lay behinde the tree, or as he that painted an horse in the riuer with halfe legges, leauing the pasternes for the viewer, to imagine as in the water.

But as the painter Tamantes could no way expresse the griefe of Agamemnon who saw his onely daughter sacrified, and therefore drew him with a vale over his face, whereby one might better conceive his anguish, then the colour it : so some Tamantes seeing vs, would be constrained with a curtaine to shadow that deformitie, which no counterfait could portraie lyvely.

Philautus beeing in a maze to what end this talke should tende, thought that eyther Camilla had made hir priuie to his loue, or that she meant by suspition to entrappe him : therfore meaning to leave his former question, and to aunswere hir speach proceeded thus. Mistris Frauncis, you resemble in your sayings the Painter Tamantes, in whose pictures there was euer more vnderstoode then painted: for with a glose you seeme to shadow yet, which in coulours you wil not shewe.

Theseus woulde not goe into the Laborinth without a threede that might shew him the way out, neither any wise man enter into the crooked corners of love, unlesse he knew by what meanes he might get out. Love which should continue for ever, should not be begon in an houre, but slowly be taken in hande and by length of time  finished : resemblyng Zeuxis that wise Painter, who in things that he would have last long, tooke greatest leasure.

Touching the beautie of this Prince, hir countenaunce, hir personage, hir majestie, I can-not thinke that it may be sufficiently commended, when it can-not be too much mervailed at: so that I am constrained to saye as Praxitiles did, when hee beganne to paynt Venus and hir sonne, who doubted, whether the worlde could affoorde coulours good enough for two such fayre faces, and I whether  our tongue canne yeelde wordes to blase that beautie, the perfection where-of none canne imagine, which seeing it is so, I must doe like those that want a cleere sight, who being not able to disceme the  sunne in the skie are inforced to beholde it in the water. Zeuxis having before him fiftie faire virgins of Sparta where by to draw one amiable Venus, said, that fiftie more fayrer then those coulde not minister sufficent beautie to shewe the Godesse of beautie, therefore being in dispaire either by art to shadow hir, or by imagination to comprehend hir, he drew in a table a faire temple, the gates open, and Venus going in, so as nothing coulde be perceiued but hir backe,  wherein he used such cunning, that Appelles himselfe seeing this worke, wished yet Venus would tume hir face, saying yet if it were in all partes agreeable to the backe, he woulde become apprentice to  Zeuxis and slave to Venus. In the like manner fareth it with me,  for having all the ladyes in Italy more then fiftie hundered, whereby to coulour Elizabeth, I must say with Zeuxis, that as many more will not suffise, and therefore in as great an agonie paint hir court with hir back towards you, for yet I cannot by art portraie hir beautie, wherein though I want the skill to doe it as Zeuxis did, yet vewing it narrowly, and comparing it wisely, you all will say yet if hir face be aunswerable to hir backe, you wil like my handi-crafte, and become hir handmaides. In the meane season I leave you gasing untill she turne hir face, imagining hir to be such a one as nature framed, to yet an end that no art should imitate, wherein shee hath proved hir selfe to bee exquisite, and painters to be apes.