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CHAPTER X. 



FINE ARTS. 



On the State of the fine arts, during the eighteenth 

 century, it is not easy to speak in general terms. 

 Were any remark of this kind to be made, it ought 

 probably to be, that in this department of genius, 

 the last age fell considerably below some pre- 

 ceding centuries. In all the branches of art, in- 

 deed, which come under this denomination, the 

 period w^hich we are considering had its lumina- 

 ries; but they were only in a few instances of the 

 first magnitude. For this comparative deficiency 

 some at least plausible reasons may be assigned. 



It has been said that, though an art, in its pro- 

 gress toward perfection, is greatly promoted by 

 emulation, yet, after arriving at maturity, its de- 

 cline is no less hastened by the same spirit. On 

 this principle it has been supposed that the great 

 works of the ancient masters, presenting to modern 

 artists so high a degree of excellence, either dis- 

 couraged all competition, or prompted those who 

 "would not submit to be humble imitators, to at- 

 tempt something new, which, in most cases, 

 proved to be degeneracy rather than improvement. 



Much greater pains have been taken, during 

 the last age, to form many, by laborious instruc- 

 tion, to practise the fine arts, than to encourage 

 and honour those who possessed native genius. 

 Hence the number of smatterers in the arts, dur- 

 ing this period, has risen to an unprecedented 

 amount. These have all subtracted more or less 

 of the patronage which would otherwise have been 



