dS 



augur any great proficiency towards excellence in the Jine 

 arts, while the morals: of the people remain so profligate 

 as they are at present. It is with concern and pain, that 

 a friend to literature observes the paucity of ideas and 

 multitude of words, the tritfe and flimsy productions^, 

 which occupy too much space, in the volumes of thd 

 National Institute. This, however, cannot justly be im- 

 puted, either to the French nation, who are endowed, by 

 nature, with talents, and activity in employing themy 

 beyond most people; or to the; p-esent government of 

 Franceior yet to tiie revolution : nor does it tend to con^ 

 tradict the assertion, that a republican form of govern- 

 ment is peculiarly favourable to the faiey\iri^> and tfe« 

 exertion of genius. It is owing to t^e ^wantof-eduiiation 

 .m the present generation, to the poison of unparalleled 

 frivolity, and corruption* of manners. When a state sinks 

 mto luxury and degeneracy; though the artificial wants 

 encrease, and, of course, the greater sams are employed" 

 to feed them; less expenditure i& allowed to the encou- 

 ragement of the fine arts. The passion of gaming fre- 

 quently swallows up every other expensive pursuit. Juve- 

 nal mentions the rage for gaming, which prevailed in hi&. 

 time: ^^ pasM sed luditnr avcL" This horrid passion, which 

 seems to prevail chiefly among the most, savage and bai^ 

 barous nations, (such were the Gauls, in the times of C^- 

 sar, and the Germans, as described by Tacitus,) and the 



most 



* See a late entertaining worfe— Pam as it was and & ' ' ' ' ' ■ ' ' 



