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III. letter from John Flaxman, Esq. to the President 

 and Council of the Royal Academy of London*, \ 



GENTLEMEN, 



It is well known that the late demand made by France on 

 Borne for the finest works of Greek sculpture and the best 

 paintings in that city produced two petitions, from different 

 bodies of French artists, to the executive directory ; one pray- 

 ing that those works might not be removed, signed David, 

 Giroudet, Vincent, &c, which was answered by a second, 

 blaming the first, and desiring that all the fine works might 

 be immediately brought into France', to form an univer- 

 sity, in which all nations should be obliged to study the 

 arts of design, signed by Hubert, and thirty-eight other 

 artists. 



This question, whether the fine works should be brought 

 from Italy to Paris, is of the greatest importance to art, 

 science, and literature, and of consequence, in this re- 

 spect, to all Europe ; and although it is much more likely to 

 l>e decided by force than reason, yet every artist, of what- 

 ever country, will have an equal right with the petitioners, to 

 consider the object of this latter petition and its probable 

 consequences. 



I shall therefore avairrnyself of this privilege ; and with- 

 out engaging in any political discussion further than is abso- 

 lutely necessary, T shall examine the arguments contained 

 in this second petition by the test of truth only. 



I shall first consider upon what pretence the French na- 

 tion have made this demand on the papal state, and how 

 far it is reasonable with respect to the rest of Europe. When 

 compensation is demanded by one state from another, it is 

 for some injury or loss sustained : but France has sustained 

 neither loss nor injury from the papal state ; on the con- 

 trary, by the formation of the French republic and the pro- 

 gress of the French arms in Italy, the papal state has lost 

 the provinces of Avignon, Bologna, and Ferrara; and there- 

 fore in justice the Romans might demand a compensation 

 from France; and without doubt would were they strong 

 enough to make their claim good. The memorial says : 

 " The French artists were persecuted by the Romans, and 



* Hiving been favoured with a copy of this letter, which was written 

 about seven years ago, when the French demanded from Rome those in- 

 stable works of art which have since been transported from that city, 

 we are pemiaded our readers in general will feel gratified by seeing it 

 ^rL.erv'd in our work. — Edit. 



have 



