On Painting. 525 



ihip-building, civil architefture, our furniture, plate, Sec. &c., 

 and we fliall hnd them to have nearly Improved together, or 

 to have flin3:uated as the tafte for deffin prevailed, till the pa- 

 tronage beftowed by his prcient majefty, by exciting a general 

 love for the arts, 'improved the national tafte to its prefcnt 

 great and highly refpeftable ftate. 



Before we^'difmifs the prefent e<lay we fliall endeavour to 

 point out fome of the advantages that Tefnlt from the prac- 

 tice of drawing, to thofe who do not make a profeffion ot it. 

 Many niuft be obvious from the former part of this paper." 

 To every gentleman who travels, it is abfolutely neceflary; 

 for, independently of its teaching him to fee accurately, the 

 curious and ever-'reftlefs eye of the artift comprehends more 

 at one view than the common obfcrver will notice in an age. 

 The volume of nature is laid open to him ; his attention is 

 direfted to the vaft and minute ; men and manners are not 

 concealed from his view, and his imagination clings to per- 

 fedlien with ineffable delight. 



It is not too much to fay, that drawing opens the mind 

 more than years devoted to the acquiring ot languages, or the 

 mere learning of words : it teaches to think. The artift 

 is a true logician : not content with producing effeds, he is 

 ever inquiring after caufes founded on a vifible demonftration, 

 to exhibit them in his works. 



We muft not rank it among the leaft of the advantages 

 rcfulting from the praftice of the arts, that it enures the re- 

 flefting mind to the moft enticing fort of logic. The prac- 

 tice of reafoning upon objeds in themfelves agreeable tends 

 to produce fuch a habit, and habit (trengthens the reafoning 

 faculties. Befidcs, while the mind is engaged in obtaining 

 knowledire, we efcape the infipidity and indifference con- 

 nefted w^th the tedioufnefs of inaftivity. Hope attends la- 

 bour; a bleffing unknown to thofe who live lazily on the 

 toil of others. The fenfualift imagines he enjoys the world 

 becaufe he eats and drinks, and runs about upon it; but to 

 tniov it truly, is to be fenfible of its greatnefs and beauty. 



Independently of keeping the mmd employed, the arts 

 contribute to harmonize the temper ; and the povvcr ot draNV- 

 ing brincrs with it fo much mental enjoyment, that youth, m 



order to lie occupied, is not tempted to precipitate into the 

 ruinous and dcftruaive vices of gaming and drinking. It 

 defends us in the meridian of life from the wild Ichemes of 



