Decorative Arts in Germany and France, 277 



and Roman statues, and real pictures by the great masters, 

 and we do well. Now, Sir, I would propose that we should 

 carry out this principle in our efforts to promote taste in 

 manufactures of every description ; let us form museums in 

 which the citizen may see, free of all cost, specimens of 

 ancient iron- work, wood- carving, glass-painting, and of such 

 arts as were successfully practised in ancient times, of which 

 examples still exist, and to this museum let there be yearly 

 added specimens of the novel and tasteful inventions of our 

 clever neighbours and rivals, so that we may have an oppor- 

 tunity of knowing what they are about, and of comparing our 

 eiforts with theirs. 



I I was influenced by such thoughts as these, when I pur- 

 chased, for the Honourable Board of Trustees for Manufac- 

 tures, the objects which they have obligingly permitted me to 

 exhibit to you. I have formed the nucleus of such a museum 

 as that which I advocate. You may observe amongst these, 

 specimens of iron-work, centuries old, which (as I have 

 already remarked) excel in taste and workmanship all the 

 productions of our days ; also a lock of ancient date, which I 

 am told is a miracle both of workmanship and inventive skill. 



There are also a few specimens of carving, of ancient glass- 

 painting, and some of tasteful modern German manufactures ; 

 there are not many of these, but they are all pleasing ex- 

 amples of taste and skill, and I shall, by their exliibition in 

 our school of ornamental design, give the pupils a better idea of 

 the various arts exemplified in these specimens, than if I were 

 provided with all the prints that ever were published, and 

 were to lecture from morning till night every day of the 

 year. 



I have briefly attended to a plan, for which I trust to have 

 the support of your opinion, as one which will be greatly con • 

 ducive to our advancement in the arts^ 



Charles H. Wilson, F.R.S.S.A. 



Edinburgh, 28fA March 1843* 



