SS6 



The Enquirer. 



[Nov. 1 , 



fupport, the triumph of talent is a 

 bubble, which quickly diflblves in air : 

 individual genius may render its favour- 

 ed art the meteor of a moment, hut will 

 never enable it to Ihcd a permanent luftre 

 over our land. 



Prev?ous therefore to any dccifion on 

 the ultimate point and expeftation of the 

 arts in England, and as a leading llep to 

 the folution of the queftion, let it be 

 allowable to admit as an axiom, that, 

 from the relative political fituation of 

 this and other European ftates, the grand 

 ftamen of our national importance, as 

 long as we remain in our meridian of 

 glory, is and mull be Commerce ; — • 

 whence it follows, that whatever in this 

 country can annex its fuccefs to the fuc- 

 cefs of commerce, will rife with little ef- 

 fort, and without chance of failure, to its 

 higheft point of elevation ; but that 

 whatever is to derive its profperity or 

 exaltation from other fources, will incur 

 great rilks, and will need very extraordi- 

 nary exertions for its fupport. 



Under this llatement the profpcft of 

 the Arts in England is inaufpicious as to 

 the facility of their rifing to eminence. 

 Accumulation of wealth, inipro\ emcnt of 

 nianufaftures, and cultivation of fuch of 

 the fcicnces as are ufeful and applicable 

 to the npceflary purpofcs of life, are all 

 immediately confcquent on commerce, 

 bccaufe wealth, manufactures, and in- 

 ventions fubfervient to daily wants, will 

 always find an cxdenfive welcome among 

 the various inhabitants of the globe. But 

 little or nothing of thcfe is inherent in 

 the charatteriftic nature of the tine-arts. 

 Wealth is fo far from being necoflarily 

 connefted with their efl'ential progrefs, 

 that it may rather be regarded as their 

 bane and poifon. The fame fim that in- 

 flames and fwells the mine, will not ferti- 

 lize the foil of the arts. Their plants wi- 

 ther on tiie banks of Pattolus. To fpeuk 

 without a metaphor, — if the delire of 

 money be the folc motive of the painter's 

 induftry, it is a motive at variance with, 

 and counterafting his improvement in, 

 art. It tends to make him liafiy in his 

 lal'.ours. lightly fatisfie 1 with his own 

 Work, and, in ihort, occupyinji his mind 

 with an objeCt feparate and diltimit from 

 his art. 



Jn the improvement of raanufa6turcs 

 the arts have indeed fonic cor.cerii : but 

 it is a concern which is confined wholly 

 to their inferior departments. Our earth- 

 ern-warcs, our tapeftrics, our pattern-pa- 

 pers, our furniture in all its various ar- 

 rjiiies, afl"uiiie more elegant aiitl taReful 



forms under the reign of the fine-arts ; 

 and in thefe departments, therefore, aJs 

 attached to coiuinerce, tlie ai ts in Eng- 

 land may be expected to flourilh (as they 

 aftualiy do,) with the appearance oif 

 Ipontaneous advance. Herein they be- 

 come ufeful, if not to the necelVities, at 

 leaft to the luxuries, of life, on which an 

 enlarged commerce chietly depends. But 

 in the higher fphcres of the arts the cafe 

 is totally different. They there greatly 

 augment the plcafures, but add nothing 

 to the pofitive ufes, of our focial exill- 

 ence. 



To the laft point, viz., the cultivation 

 of fuch fciences as adminiiler aid to the 

 necelTities of life, the arts cannot contri- 

 bute in any material degree. Still lefs 

 can they afpire to form pretenfions of a 

 fimilar nature, unlcfs perhaps on fome 

 lingular occalions, not defeiving a place 

 in the general account. The arts are the 

 eariicll and latclt produce of human ag- 

 gregation. In a barbarous Itate of foci- 

 ety their rude and unmodified language 

 may explain the common wants, and 

 precede the ufc of more intricate fymbol* 

 of cxprelhon : — in a polljhed Hate, their 

 refined delights are the autumnal oft- 

 spring of eafe and mental cultivation. 

 Social improvement is a Daedalean tex- 

 ture, woven by the gradual advance 

 of human ingenuity. Necellity, mutual 

 acconnnodHtion, and indullry, fallen the 

 firft threads, and fpread the expanfive 

 web around mankind : fcience correfis, 

 reforms, and ftrengthens it. At the 

 point at which their labours ceafe, thofe 

 of the polite arts commence. The varie- 

 gated hues, the fplendors of ornament, 

 which embellilh the toils of neceffity, and 

 give to utility the airy charms of grace 

 and fancy, — thefc are the works of 

 tafte. 



Any attempt therefore to conne6l the 

 progrefs of the arts with the commerce of 

 England, is fo far likely to prove abor- 

 tive, as it will be productive of excellence 

 in the inferior departments alone of art, 

 and has a tendency to be dellruftive of 

 its hii;her modes of cultivation. It is re- 

 quilite, neverthelefs, to conlider that 

 there is one dcfcription of artifts who 

 will not readily be brought to aflent to 

 tills propofition, namely, the engravers, 

 who afVert, with great truth, that a very 

 advantageous brunch of commerce has 

 been for many years carried on in print* 

 ex])orted fioin this country to the Conti- 

 nent, and who thence, with the ftricteil 

 propriety, infer, that, tiie fine)- and more 

 excellent the works of the Eaglilh paint- 



01% 



