to 



the frie arts to the best effect, unless, previously, his fa- 

 culties are fully cultivated. They cannot be cultivated, 

 but by a good education, of precept and example; there- 

 fore they cannot be duly cultivated, unless the form of 

 government is good: that is to say, free. Or, supposing 

 these faculties fully cultivated, man cannot exercise them, 

 with the greatest advantage and proficiency, if this exer- 

 cise of them is interrupted by fear, and restrained and 

 fettered by the constant influence of a tyrannical and jea- 

 lous government. Thus it will be seen, that, of neces- 

 sity, the progress and relative prosperit}^ or decline of the 

 fine arts, must be very much connected with the preva- 

 lence of particular forms of government. 



Nations, as well as individuals, have particular charac- 

 ters, dispositions, and temperaments; as appears, by what 

 the ancients have told us, of the Thracians, the Boeotians, 

 the Cohans, the Spartans, and the Asiatics. These pe- 

 culiar characters and temperaments are to be ascribed, 

 partly, to forms of government, and education: partly, 

 to the influence of religion : (if we are not rather to con- 

 sider that as a part of education:) partly, to the force of 

 climate; to which, though I would not allow such a won- 

 der-working predominance, as is done by Montesquieu, I 

 would still attribute great force. It is evident, that the 

 preference of particular branches of the Jifte arts, and the 

 happy cultivation of them, will result much from the na- 

 tional character and temperament. For instance, among 

 a people, mild, amorous, gay, and fond of pleasure, such 



as 



