"There is no danger of the mind's being over-burthened with knowledge, or the genius extinguished by any addition of images; on the contrary, these acquisitions may be as well, perhaps better, be compared, if comparisons signified any thing in reasoning, to the supply of living embers, which will contribute to strengthen the spark, that without the association of more, would have died away."
A Discourse, Delivered to the Students of the Royal Academy [Discourses on Art]
From 1769 to 1772 Reynolds' lectures were delivered annually, with each discourse published shortly after its delivery. After 1772, the lectures were delivered biennially. The first seven discourses were collected and published together in 1778. In 1797, the first collected edition of all fifteen appeared, with a second edition issued in 1798. See the <a href="http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/23429?docPos=1">ODNB</a>.<br>
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Text from <u>A Discourse Delivered to the Students of the Royal Academy, on the Distribution of the Prizes, Dec. the 10th, 1774. By the President.</u> (London: Printed for Thomas Davies, 1775). &lt;<a href="http://find.galegroup.com/ecco/infomark.do?&source=gale&prodId=ECCO&userGroupName=viva_uva&tabID=T001&docId=CW106272323&type=multipage&contentSet=ECCOArticles&version=1.0&docLevel=FASCIMILE">Link to ECCO</a>&gt;<br>
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See also Sir Joshua Reynolds, <u>Seven Discourses Delivered in the Royal Academy by the President</u> (London: T. Cadell, 1778). &lt;<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=FS4GAAAAQAAJ">Link to Google Books</a>&gt;<br>
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Also reading at <a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/files/2176/2176-h/2176-h.htm">PGDP</a>.