 |
| Stefano della Bella Standing man rowing a boat ca. 1630-60 drawing Teylers Museum, Haarlem |
 |
| Cornelis Visscher Portrait of young man 1655 drawing Royal Collection, Windsor |
 |
| Charles Le Brun Head of Persian Warrior ca. 1665 drawing Royal Collection, Windsor |
ECHOES
But some parts of the voice, that miss the ear,
Fly thro' the air diffus'd, and perish there:
Some strike on solid buildings, and restor'd,
Bring back again the image of the word,
This shews thee why, whilst men, thro' caves and groves,
Call their lost friends, or mourn unhappy loves,
The pitying rocks, the groaning caves return
Their sad complaints again, and seem to mourn:
This all observe, and I myself have known
Both rocks and hills return six words for one:
The dancing words from hill to hill rebound,
They all receive, and all restore the sound:
The vulgar, and the neighbours think, and tell,
That there the nymphs, and fauns, and satyrs dwell:
And that their wanton sport, their loud delight
Breaks thro' the quiet silence of the night:
Their musick's softest airs fill all the plains,
And mighty Pan delights the list'ning swains:
– from Lucretius, On the Nature of Things, translated by Thomas Creech (1659-1700), Fellow of Wadham College, Oxford
 |
| Domenichino Head of St Mark before 1641 drawing Teylers Museum, Haarlem |
 |
| Domenico Cresti Head of youth ca. 1600-1625 drawing Museum of Fine Arts, Houston |
 |
| Giovanni Lanfranco Study of seated woman looking up ca. 1640-44 drawing Teylers Museum, Haarlem |
 |
| Carlo Maratti Two studies for head of an old woman 1685 drawing Museum Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf |
 |
| Giacinto Calandrucci Half-length of angel ca. 1665-1700 drawing Teylers Museum, Haarlem |
 |
| Giacinto Calandrucci Angel with St Francis of Assisi ca. 1665-1700 drawing Teylers Museum, Haarlem |
 |
| Cesare Gennari Putto carrying Crown of Thorns ca. 1660-80 drawing Teylers Museum, Haarlem |
 |
| Guido Reni Study for head of Christ ca. 1620 drawing Royal Collection, Windsor |
 |
| workshop of Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione David with the head of Goliath ca. 1630-40 drawing Royal Collection, Windsor |
 |
| Ercole Procaccini Half-figure of youth ca. 1620-60 drawing Teylers Museum, Haarlem |
 |
| Salvator Rosa Two seated men ca. 1635-40 drawing Teylers Museum, Haarlem |
PORTENTS OF CIVIL WAR
Now evermore, lest some one hope might ease
The commons' jangling minds, apparent signs arose,
Strange sights appeared, the angry threat'ning gods
Filled both the earth and seas with prodigies;
Great store of strange and unknown stars were seen
Wandering about the north, and rings of fire
Fly in the air, and dreadful bearded stars,
And comets that presage the fall of kingdoms;
The flattering sky glittered in often flames,
And sundry fiery meteors blazed in heaven,
Now spear-like, long, now like a spreading torch;
Lightning in silence stole forth without clouds,
And from the northern climate snatching fire
Blasted the Capitol; the lesser stars
Which wont to run their course through empty night,
At noonday mustered; Phoebe, having filled
Her meeting horns to match her brother's light,
Strook with th'earth's sudden shadow, waxed pale;
Titan himself throned in the midst of heaven
His burning chariot plunged in sable clouds,
And whelmed the world in darkness, making men
Despair of day, as did Thyestes' town,
Mycenae, Phoebus flying through the east.
– from Lucan, Pharsalia, translated by Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593)