[D'après NOLDUS 2008, p. 39:] 16 L’invention doit grandir avec nous dès l’enfance car sinon nous aurions du mal à ordonner et devrions chercher dans les réserves d’autrui. Nous devons faire attention à la proportion si nous voulons agrandir ou réduire ; et en particulier, nous devrions bien nous rappeler que nous dessinons pour devenir plus compétents. Sachez en effet que la Mémoire est la Mère des Muses. {La Mémoire est la mère des Muses. On l’appelle pour cette raison Mnémosyne, - voyez Plutarque dans son De l’Éducation des enfants, De liberis educandis.}

PLUTARCHOS

[suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] Finally, a wise practitioner of the Art should also know, that he should diligently occupy himself with the observation of the natural Life, besides the study of all the aforementioned things, and to apply it in all possible occasions, because he would be often feel deceived who would boast – as soon as he has climbed some steps of the Art – that he could store all forms and actions of life in his memory and bring them forth whenever he would want to apply them to his inventions; {In all that one investigates, one should especially know life.} although it is necessary that someone has already practiced a lot in all the aforementioned studies: As the natural life is so rich in everything, abundant, artful and learned, that our memory is not at all capable to conceive it in its entirety and even less to remember: As such one moreover finds enough work to keep the thoughts occupied regarding the quantity of things, that one cannot find in life, unless in a dusky moment, or else by means of a powerful power of imagination, which is enforced and sustained by the observation of many things and a sensible understanding of things: Which may be capable of a lot regarding the pouring out of witty fantasies; and therefore it is justified to advice to attempt this, as we can appropriate the unavailable things by means of the imagination as if we had them presently with us; {What the imagination is capable of.} as such we need nothing but the hand of the Artist to apply it to the Painter’s canvas; which is why some have compared the imaginations to awake Dreams.

[suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] T [ndr: draughtsman]: But listen, as soon as you have the proportion [ndr: of] figures fixed in your memory, you will gradually become accustomed to no longer use the compass with the hand but with the eye. S [ndr: painter]: No I understand what they want to say, when they say that the sculptor has to have the compass in the hand and the painter in the eye. I am truly agreeing, because that which is round or elevated, no matter how crooked or bent it is, they are able to measure it with the compass; which cannot be done with a painted figure. So I conclude from this, that it is more artful to work with the mind than with the hands. Oh, if only my master had said these things, I would have known them a long time ago. T: Possibly, he did not deem you advanced enough to reveal those things, or you have not noticed it because of carelessness, and then the master is generally blamed. A pupil who is quick-witted, diligent and attentive in his ways, gives great hope to become a good master, more so if he has been supported by good instruction since his childhood. But if he does not possess carefulness, nor a good memory; then those three characteristics will not be apparent. Because the Carefulness is the eye of the soul, the flower of a plant and the point of a beam. But a good Memory is the most important.