288 



To this head, I may, properly enough, refer the arts of drawing 

 and defigning ; which are of the utmoft importance, in many trades, 

 and manufadurcs where the exterior forms and embellifliments of things, 

 are often more confidered, than the material or fubflance. France and 

 Flanders would never have drawn fo much money from England, for 

 figured filks, damafk hnen, lace, and tapeftry ; had they not improved 

 thefe manufactures, by their academies for defign. We are told by 

 Toung,* that tafte was cultivated by the manufafturers of Lyons, with 

 fo much attention, that they employed more than an hundred pattern 

 drawers, whofe invention was ever on the flretch. Had we academies 

 for defign, with a particular reference and application to the different 

 mechanical arts, and manufaftures, which admit of ornament, and a 

 difplay of tafte ; It would contribute very much to the perfeftion of 

 a variety of fabricks, which are produced in this country — an inftitu- 

 tion of this kind, particularly calculated for the ufe of manufafturers, 

 and direfted to their hnprovement, might eafily be engrafted, on the 

 drawing fchool, which now fubfifts, under the patronage of the Dublin 

 Society. Our manufaftures of figured filks, our damped and painted 

 linens, cottons, and callicoes, our damafk table-Unen diapers, our paper 

 hangings, our cabinet-makers work, and ornaments in flucco, would foon 

 .confefs the beneficial efFefts of fuch an eftablifhment, by the fuperior 

 ■.elegance of defign. 



Sect. 



* Toun/t Tour in France. 



