ART 



ART 



M. Framery (Encycl. Meth.) fays, that " in France, it 

 has for fome time pad been imaginid, that the Itahans, 

 particularly the women, fcarcely ever articulaSe their words 

 in fmging ; they even fiippofe inarliciilation favourable to 

 the melody ; that it is even necelTary to conneft and fmooth 

 the founds ; -and thit in an art where all the confonants of a 

 languasre are facrificed that the vowels only may be heard, 

 melody is rendered more fweet and enchanting by this 

 means." 



This does not indeed feem to have been an idea which the 

 Engliflihave cherilhed, fytlematically ; for the Bdn/i, in her 

 recitative, is admired even by thofe who are totally ignorant 

 of the Italian language, for the firm, pointed, clear, and 

 ari'icitlatc manner in which Ore pronounces the words. Yet 

 our own vocal performers are fo deficient in this particular, 

 that it is difficult to difcover in what language they ars- 

 finging. 



It is not merely the foftncfs of the Italian language, which 

 renders it fo much fitter for fongthan any other that is known; 

 btrt the neatnefs and energy of articulation of the inhabi-" 

 tants of Italy, in fpeaking it. The number of nafal founds 

 in the French, of gutturals in the German, and of harlh 

 terminations of our words by confonants, obftruft found 

 and rcfpiration. (See a h'.l of thefe in the EfTay on the 

 Euphonv of Languages, Hiil. Miif. -vol. iv.) In Dryden's 

 fublime Ode for Mufic on St. Ceeiha's day, the letter d 

 predominates, terminating, in the courfe of the poem, no 

 lefs than three and thirty lines. The letter /, like a gag 

 at the end of a word, not only ftops all found, but re- 

 fpiration. A qlear and diftinct articulation, without harfii- 

 nefs, is perhaps difficult in all languages ; but there is a 

 dei'rec: of diilinclneis pofilble, without injuring the melody, 

 even in our harlh language, which Mrs. Sheridan pofTcfTed, 

 and for which Mr. Incledon is juftly admired, that conveys 

 both fenfe and found uninjured to the ears of an audience. 

 We w'ifii our public fingers, who have merit of other kinds, 

 would take this circumllance into confideration in the courfe 

 of their ftudies : as the not iindcrjlanding the ivords in our 

 theatres and concerts, however the voice and manner of fmg- 

 ing may be approved, is a general complaint. 



The Italians carry articulation, perhaps, to the extreme, 

 by not only pronouncing all the confonants in their feveral 

 vords, according to the genius of their language, which has 

 no nafal or guttural founds, but even adding a kind of mute 

 e at the end of words, terminated by contraftion with a con- 

 fonant ; as thus, in finging 



La pace del into cor — 

 Voglio "vedert'i almen — 

 Ml f anno delirar — 



They pronounce the lail fyllable as if it were written 

 ■eor-'i.-, nhnen-c, deUrar-Q. But they will tell you, that thefe 

 words originally end with a vowel ; as cor at full length is 

 cuore ; ahnen, a'nt.'no ; and the infinitive mood of the laft. 

 word, dciirar, is delirare ; and that it is for the fake of 

 euphony that they foften the termination of contracted 

 words by a mute c. 



For the articulation of notes in the performance of inllru- 

 mental mufic, fee Staccato and Sciolto. 



Articulation, difeafes of the, in Surgery. See Joints. 



ARTIER, in Geography, a river of France, in tho late 

 province of Auvergne, which runs into the Allien 



ARTIFICERS, thofe who work with the hands, and 

 manufacture any kind of commodity in iron, brafs, wood, 

 &<■. 



Artificers ai'e the fame with what we otherwife call handi- 

 crafts and mechanics : fuch are fnilths, carpenters, taylors, 

 fiiocmakers, weavers, and the like. 



Vol. TII. 



The Roman artificers had their peculiar temples, whert 

 they aflembled, and chofe their own patron, to defend their 

 caufes : they were exempted from all perfonal fcrvices. Ta- 

 runtenus Paternus reckons thirty -two fpecies of artificers, 

 and Conftantine thirty-five, who enjoyed this privilege. The 

 artificers were incorporated into divers colleges or companies, 

 each of which had their tutelar gods, to whom they offered 

 their worfliip ; and feveral of thefe, when they quitted their 

 profeffion, hung up their tools, a votive offering to their 

 gods. Artificers w ere held a degree below merchants, apd 

 argentarit, or money-changers, and their employment more 

 fordid. Some deny, that in the earlieft ages of the Roman 

 ftate, artificers were ranked in the number of citizens ; 

 others, who affcrt their citizenfiiip, allow that they were 

 held in contempt, as being unfit for war, and fo poor that 

 they could fcarce pay any taxes. For which reafon they 

 were not entered among the citizens, in thecenfor's books; 

 the defign of the cenfus being only to fee what number of 

 perfons were yearly fit to bear arms, and to pay taxes to- 

 wards the fupport of the ftate. It may be added that much 

 of the bufinefs of artificers was done by flaves and fo- 

 reigners, who left little for the Romans to mind but their 

 hufbandry and war. Dion. Hal. lib. ii. By means of the 

 arts, the minds of men are engaged in inventions beneficial 

 to the community ; and thus prove the grand prefervative 

 againft the barbariim and brutality which ever attend on 

 an indolent and inactive flnpidity. 



By the Englifii laws, a (Iranger, being an artificer in Lon- 

 don, &c. fhall not keep above two ftraiiger ftn'ants ; but 

 he may have as many Englifh fervants and apprentices as he 

 can get. 21 Hen. VIII. c. 16. And as to artificers in 

 wool, iron, fteel, brals, or other metal, &c. perfons con- 

 tratting with them to go out of the kingdom into any fo- 

 reign country, arc to be imprifoncd three months, and fined 

 in a fum not exceeding one hundred pounds. And fuch as 

 going abroad, and not returning on warning given by our 

 ambafiadors, &c. fliall be difabled from holding lands by 

 defcent or devife, from receiving any legacy, &c. and be 

 deemed aliens. Stat. 5 Geo. I c. 27. By 23 Geo. II. c. 13. 

 (J I. penalty of 500/., and of imprilonment for twelve 

 months, for the firft offence ; and for the fecond, of 1 000/. 

 and of imprifonment for two years, is alfo inflitted on per- 

 fons feducing artificers to go abroad. By 14 Geo. HI. c. 

 7», 15 Geo. III. c. 5, and 21 Geo. III. c. 37, heavy penal- 

 ties are inflicted on mailers of fhips affifting in fuch feduc- 

 tion. See Manufacturers. 



Ramazini has a treatife on the difeafes of artificers. 



Artificer ^j^/v, a denomination fometimes given to 

 chemifts, and workers in metal. 



ARTIFICIAL, fomethirig made by art ; not produced 

 naturally, or in the common courlc of things. 



Artificial is alio frequently ufed for fa8it':rAis. Thuf 

 we have artificial fal ammoniac, artificial borax, &c. 



Artificial _/iVi":yo/-,f J are compofitions of inflammable 

 materials ; chiefly ufed on foleinn occafions, by way of re- 

 joicing. 



Artificial Grajfes, in Agriculture, are fuch grades as 

 are introduced into field hufjandry, and cultivated either for 

 the purpofe of being made into hay, or for being fcdofl by 

 cattle. Cloi'fy, lucerne, faintfiAn, trefoil, ryc-grafs, and fome 

 others are of this nature. See thefe different heads. 



The cultivation of artificial graffes has been praftifed in 

 fome diilrifts of the kingdom for more than a century, while 

 in others it has only been attended to within thele few years, 

 and there are ftill others that have but jull begun to intro- 

 duce thefe kinds of gralfes. Wiierever they have, liov.-ever, 

 been properly cultivated, fo various and fo manifeit havebeeu 



a fouml 



