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CHAPTER X. 



FINE ARTS. 



vyN'tliestatcofthefinearts, during theeighteenth 

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

 ^Vere 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 preced- 

 ing cepturies. In all the branches of art, indeed, 

 which come under this denomination, the period 

 which we are considering had its luminaries ; 

 but they were only^n 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 mo- 

 dern artists so high a degree of excellence, either 

 discouraged all competition, or prompted those who 

 would not submit to be humble imitators to at- 

 tempt something new, which, in most cases, prov- 

 ed 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 Avho possessed native genius. 

 Hence the number of smatterers in the arts, dur- 

 ing this period, has risen to an unprecedented 



