[ 3° J 



fimikr endowments have been added to the fchool, the general inftrudtion and 

 fuperintendance of whom have hitherto been fupplied and conducted by the author 

 alone. — But it is poffible the reader may find it neither devoid of amufement, or of 

 utility, to contemplate more in detail the rife and progrefs of this inftitution. 



Nearly a twelvemonth had elapfed before the firft apprentice (however quick, his 

 capacity) was properly qualified to be entrufled with the direction and tuition of others. 

 The number of pupils was then encreafed to three, and with their joint efforts in the 

 fpace of two years fuch advances were made in the work as enabled the author to fhew 

 various fpecimens of their performances to feveral perfons of diftinguifhed rank, and 

 acknowledged judges of the fubject. — The flattering encomiums which they beftowed, 

 and (what was the moft convincing proof of their fincerity) the great number of orders 

 which he received for the work itfelf, amply demonftrated the fuccefs of his plan. 



Thus fatisfied with his firft experiments, he was emboldened to engage two more 

 apprentices in his academy; and with this additional affiftance, and a clofe application 

 to bufinefs, in about a year and a half more, (or three years and a half from the 

 commencement of the undertaking) upwards of 70 copies of two volumes of the 

 work were finifhed, containing nearly 6000 duplicate paintings of Shells. 



By the variety of experiments neceffarily made to complete this number of copies, 



the pupils had very greatly improved in their fly le of painting the various objects ; and 



every day afforded new lights for the better underftanding of the principles of the art 



itfelf, and for the more perfect execution of its feveral fubordinate branches. It now 



appeared, that a very great progrefs had been made towards that degree of pre-eminence 



which the author had continually wifhed to attain ; for by comparing the bulk of the 



work then finifhed with the lateft fpecimens produced, the more early performances 



appeared fo very inferior to the later, as at once to determine the author totally to reject 



the whole of the copies, the plates from which they were worked, and even the 



paintings from which thofe plates were engraved : confequently the whole was again 



begun to be purfued anew through all its parts in that improved ftyle of execution, 



which was ultimately to determine the fate and reputation of the work. Thefe 



facrifices, fo heavy in themfelves, yet fo neceffary to give to the prefent publication 



all its poffible perfection, were ftill encreafed by other fimilar and concurrent 



circumftances ; as it has been deemed requifite, in a variety of inftances, to make 



fix or ten duplicate paintings of fome of the more difficult fubjects that have occurred, 



before 



