61 



The muleteer's path may, mdeed, rudely sketch the general outline 

 of the invader's course ; but who can deny that after Hannibal or 

 Napoleon bad constructed the broad militaiy road for the passage of 

 his troops, the intercourse, commercial and otherwise, along that route 

 was greatly increased ? So in the Highlands of Scotland, the rude 

 and warlike people who inhabited those glens and fastnesses were 

 inaccessible to the softening influence of civilization and of commerce, 

 until Marshal Wade constructed his military roads through all their 

 strongholds, and freed them from the contracting and jealous influence 

 of isolation. " Had you seen these roads before they were made, you 

 would hold up your hand, and bless General Wade." It is well known 

 that the Romans also consolidated their conquests by the construction 

 of magnificent military roads. 



The muleteer — usually a contrahandiste, waging petty and personal 

 warfare against the fiscal regulations of nations — pioneers the course of 

 some great and successful warrior, in whose train the peaceful arts 

 follow in triumphant security, ministering to his glory who prepared so 

 spacious and safe a channel for the flow of their civilizing influence ; 

 and commerce herself eagerly treads the same path, doing homage to 

 the gi'andeur of the warrior's achievement. 



He then proceeded to review the opposite or commercial view of the 

 question, observing — That commerce is essentially narrow-minded 

 and soul-contracting in its influence ; its vital principle is the love of 

 gain; its rule of conduct self interest, not always " enhghtened." It 

 has been said of its devotees, that they are so engrossed in making 

 fi'iends of the mammon of unrighteousness, they have no leisure to 

 attend to the other precepts of the gospel. It is manifest, then, that it 

 is not accordant with the genius of commerce to encourage any arts or 

 pursuits but those that minister to the love of gain. Essentially 

 utilitarian in its nature, commerce has no imagination to gratify ; in- 

 herently selfish, it has no noble deeds to record, no sympathy to crave 

 or give ; its most extended range of thought begins and ends in self. 



If we search for the immediately e.\citing cause of national excellence in 

 the fine arts, it is found to be religion or war, two of the most powerful 

 agents to which men can be exposed, and both influencing the atfections : 

 the one swaying the mind through fear or love, the other thi'ough the 

 love of glory, which, unlike the love of gain, requires sympathy for its 

 perfect gratification. Hence the attachment of warlike nations to the 

 fine arts, which are essentially dependent on sympathy for their perfect 

 appreciation. Religion, particularly as theology, has not uufrctpiently 

 incited nations to war, either from a sincere lielief (hat the war was 



