Letter from John Fliixman, Esq.~&c. 21 



have escaped from their barbarity * However, this jflfce- 

 cution, as it is called, was only an endeavour on the part of 

 the Roman government to secure itself against an attempt 

 made by Messrs. La Flotte, BasviJle, and their adherents, 

 to excite a revolution in the city. All of this party were 

 sent out of the territory ; such as had been imprisoned were 

 indemnified for their losses, and such as had no money were 

 supplied by the Roman government with a sufficiency to 

 bear their travelling charges. From this statement* is 

 certain that there is no justice in the claim which France 

 has made : now let us sec how far it is reasonable respect- 

 ing the rest of Europe. The petitioners say : u If we re- 

 quest that the master-pieces of art should be transported 

 hither, it is solely for the honour and glory of the French 

 name, and the veneration in which we hold those great ef- 

 forts of genius. " Upon this it may be remarked that the 

 codes of law in all countries consider such veneration for 

 valuables as criminal in an individual ; for instance, if any 

 one should break open another man's house and by force 

 carry away any fine statue or gem, the laws of England 

 would hang him for his virtu. Now this crime is certainly" 

 not diminished, but aggravated, when it is extended to a 

 hundred gems or statues, and committed against a whole 

 nation instead of an individual. 



But the arts of design ate cultivated in different degrees in 

 most countries of Europe. Fine museums of sculpture and 

 painting have been formed in Naples, Tuscany, Spain, Ger- 

 many, England, and Russia; each of these countries doubt- 

 less would be glad to give such an increase to their museums 

 as should make them universities for the world to study in. 

 Let us now suppose each of those powers to be animated 

 by the same sentiments of patriotism with the petitioners, 

 to decorate their countries with the spoils of Rome ; and 

 that the emperors of Russia and Germany, the kings of 

 Prussia, England, Spam, and Naples, and the grand duke 

 of Tuscany, should severally say, " The honour and glory 

 of my country and the veneration in which I hold those 

 fine works have made me determine to bring them into my 

 own capital." What would be the consequences of all this 

 patriotism ? Discord ! war ! Europe would be more abun- 

 dantly deluged with blood! the possessors of those works 

 would be destroyed, as well as, most likely, the fine works 

 themselves in the contest. Such patriotism is not virtue; 

 it is a splendid vice. That patriotism alone is virtue, by 

 which we provide for the good of our own country without 

 doing any thing that interferes with the happiness or wel- 



B 3 fare 



