lad educated in this way, who was not adequate to great things, would be obliged to turn his hand to fome lower part of the arts of sculpture and painting he who could not equal Michael Angelo, or Raphael, might carve a chimney-piece, and paint a coach with much tafte; those who could not rival Salvator Rofa, Claud Lorain, or Vernet, might yet paint landscapes on china and enamelled ware, and by export make these commodities the univerfal purchase of the globe; this will certainly be the confequence of an academy once established.

IT is alfo a demonftration, that without these helps it is impoffible to carry the common capacity of men to its greatest excellence. A genius who has an imagination as vivid and extensive as can be fuppofed, who combines and difpofes figures ever fo elegantly in his head, may yet want the language of a painter, drawing and expreffion; tho' the first is the gift of heaven, the latter is the effect of study; and notwithstanding fome men are born with greater aptitude to defign than others, as fome are with more facility of speaking than others, yet it must

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be the work of application to draw well, or form a ftyle, the former of which is much more difficult than the latter; as the laft may be made every moment's ftudy in common conversation, the other requires a feparate attention and practice as in learning a language, thofe who begin late fcarce ever attain a pure pronunciation; those little differences of found and articulation which escape the speaker, are clearly distinguish-" ed by the hearer, and impart an inaccuracy and diffonance to their pronunciation; in like manner, those who begin to draw late in life are always imperfect in their defigns, thofe little inexplicable differences which create the grace and beauty of a figure, are entirely loft in their works. and imperceptible to themselves; the eye has formed its manner of feeing before they began their ftudies, and, like the organs of fpeech, or those of hearing, is neither capable of that conformation neceffary to make or diftinguish those minuteneffes, which place one production fo fu-, perior to another in tafte and gracefulness.

THAT which determines a lad to be bred a a painter in this country, is his father's feeing fome of his fcrawls on his books with a pen, or

on

on the walls with a charcoal; he is a genius in drawing inftantly, and this decides his employment; whereas, in fact, this talent is the leaft of a painter; if he does not fee nature as fhe is, and has not a fertile imagination, he never can be made an excellent artift; loofe imitations almost all can make; he may be a dauber and nothing more, as is manifest from the thousands which have been condemned to this art unfuccefsfully: it has already robbed the public of too many members, which would have been useful in other branches of trade, to make miferable pourtraitpainters, the most useless of all employments which belong to man.

In the neighbouring country of Ireland, the gentlemen have appointed premiums, as incentives to excelling, for thofe young painters who fhall produce the moft approved pieces; this is the beft fupply to the want of an academy, where premiums muft always be inftituted alfo: this may in time make painters of merit in Dublin; indeed, many of the English would do well to go thither at prefent, if it were but to recover the love of their country, which yet finds protectors amongst the commons of Ireland;

Ireland; men who are not afhamed to prefer it to themselves. Whether it be fatality, inattention, or ignorance, which reigns over the underftandings of this people of England, I cannot decide; fomething however, of that kind feems to rule all their actions of a public nature. I am,

LETTER XXXIV.

To the Reverend Father FILIPP
BUONANNI, at Rome.

Dear Sir,

TH

HERE is nothing which is fo often objected to the catholics, as that uncharitable tenet of giving all heretics to the devil; believing that none of them can be faved, and keeping no faith with them.

THIS indeed is an imputation which favours very little of chriftianity, and was it carried into practice, and to influence our actions, would be extremely pernicious and truly detestable.

I HAVE obferved, that churches, or fects, adopt certain articles in their belief, which are difavowed in their practice; and men become much the fame in their actions, tho' their tenets in fome particulars may differ, if they are held by any at all. The church of England are predeftinarians by their articles, and preach free-will;

the